In this “Best of” episode, we revisit the most impactful conversations from April on the Beyond Coaching podcast. Whether you're mentoring young coaches, navigating the transfer portal era, managing stress, or trying to create practices that actually teach—this episode brings you the best lessons, stories, and strategies from four incredible guests.
If you're looking for one episode to share with your staff or keep in your coaching library—this is it.
Segment Breakdown & Timestamps
0:00 – 9:30 | Rob Miller – Lead Your Team, Manage Your Program
Rob shares what he's seeing across the country: the rise of young coaches, the loss of middle-career leaders, and why managing a program is just as important as leading a team.
“Lead your team. Manage your program. If you miss one, you’ll fail at both.”
9:30 – 13:30 | Rob & Dustin – Building a Sticky Program in the Transfer Portal Era
How do you build a program that athletes want to stay in? It starts with clarity, care, and culture. Dustin and Rob break down the mindset and messaging needed to retain great people in a high-turnover era.
“If your players can’t tell your story, you don’t have a culture.”
13:30 – 22:00 | Mitch Hull – Stress, Significance, and Identity in Coaching
Mitch offers a new lens on coaching stress, athlete identity, and the power of a growth mindset. Drawing from TED Talks, psychology research, and his work with Olympic teams, this segment helps coaches rethink pressure.
“It’s not stress that kills us. It’s believing stress is bad that does.”
22:00 – 37:00 | John Kessel – Why Drills Don’t Teach and Feedback Fails
John gives a masterclass on motor learning, explaining why kids don’t learn by watching, why training must mimic game reality, and how failing is essential to skill acquisition.
“You didn’t learn to ride a bike by doing drills. You learned by riding and falling.”
Key Takeaways
Young coaches need more than energy—they need guidance in managing budgets, culture, and compliance.
Retention starts with culture. If care, challenge, and consistency aren’t clear, the transfer portal will empty your roster.
Stress isn't the enemy—your perception of it is. Shift to a growth mindset and help athletes do the same.
Practice needs to look like play. Teach in reality, not theory. Avoid blocked drills and over-coaching.
Subscribe & Share
If this episode helped you lead or teach better—share it with someone else who coaches people, not just players.
Subscribe to Beyond Coaching on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and explore more tools at impactfulcoachingproject.substack.com.
Links to Apple and Spotify at beyondcoaching.alitu.com
Read Our Books
Take your coaching to the next level with our published resources, built to strengthen leadership, culture, and effectiveness in athletic programs:
Impactful Coaching Project: Leading and Coaching the 21st Century Athlete
A foundational guide for coaches seeking to lead with purpose, build relationships, and make lasting impact.
Athletic Department Leadership: Athletic Department Leadership and Developing Coaches
Ideal for administrators and program leaders, this book focuses on how to cultivate a strong coaching staff and program culture.
About the Impactful Coaching Project
This episode is brought to you by the Impactful Coaching Project, the leading platform for developing coaches who lead with purpose, integrity, and a holistic approach.
The project exists to help coaches:
Coach the whole person
Build transformational team cultures
Learn and apply the latest in research-based coaching strategies
Access professional development, resources, and a growing coaching community
Subscribe & Learn More: impactfulcoachingproject.substack.com
Follow us for updates, articles, and new episode releases.
Share this post