Coach Life 2.0

This week’s episode features Susan Hobson, the Founder and CEO of Elite High Performance Inc. Susan is an Author, Keynote Speaker, and High Performance Leadership Executive Coach who specializes in mindset strategy architecture, also known as Success Psychology Brain Training.

A former professional female hockey player and Princeton Graduate, Susan holds a masters in Neuro-linguisitc programming, and has created and implemented a science-based coaching process that is designed to drive growth and success when it comes to health, wealth, self, business and relationships.

Susan is a good friend of mine who is incredibly passionate about leadership and helping people actualize their full potential. As someone who has a ton of lived experience in both athletics and leadership, I am excited to be able to share some of her valuable insights with other coaches. 

In this episode, Susan offers valuable insight and advice regarding some of the common themes that have come up in our coaching conversations to date, including self-care (22:00), our relationship to pressure (33:12), work-life balance (43:40), self-leadership (54:32). 

Enjoy, and if you like what you hear, please share with other coaches who can benefit from Susan's messaging!

Have feedback? We'd love to hear from you! We are always looking for ways to improve our podcast, and ensure that the content we are covering is relevant and useful for athletic coaches. Whether you have an idea for a topic to cover, or a coach that you would like to have us interview, we want to know! Shoot us a line via the contact form on our website. 

Thanks, and happy coaching!

This week’s episode features Wally Kozak. Wally is known as one of the best technical hockey coaches in the world. A retired teacher and life-long coach, he has worked at every level of hockey and has contributed to Hockey Canada’s certification programs with age appropriate curriculum for teaching foundational skills.

Wally was a defensive skills coach with the Canadian men’s hockey team at the 1988 Olympics. He has coached in 3 Spengler Cups and at 2 Olympics, capturing a gold medal with the Canadian women’s hockey team as an assistant coach in 2002.

He has also served as head scout and manager of player development for Team Canada Women’s Hockey.

Wally is an advocate of the development of life skills through sport, and has dedicated his life to serving “the good of the game.”

In 2018, Wally was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

Wally has mentored hundreds of coaches and players over the years, and his passion for coaching and wealth of knowledge is undeniable.

In our conversation, we cover a variety of topics, including:

2:13- How he got involved in coaching

4:24- Why the season his team went 0-7 was his best coaching experience ever

14:09- Why coaching?

18:15- Challenges early in his coaching career

20:41- How his coaching philosophy has evolved with time

24:22- His transition from the men’s to the women’s game.

30:53- Challenges that coaches face later in their careers

34:42- Coaching at the university level

35:56- The danger of shortening the bench

39:12- Thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs

42:44- What he valued most about his experience at the Olympics

44:52- Impactful mentors that he has had on his coaching journey

47:33- Mission statement exercise that he runs as every clinic

50:29- His experience designing a body checking manual

58:15- Work-life balance & self-care

1:05:01- Advice that he would give himself as a first year coach

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Want to learn more? Check out our website for more helpful tips and tricks, as well as access to all of our Season 1 episodes! 

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Kasy Kiarash is the founder of Final3rd Soccer, a platform providing professional soccer training and knowledge to players of all ages.

Kasy is a UEFA-B Licensed and National Team coach who has worked with the Guyana women's national team, Orlando City S.C, and Toronto FC academy.

He is currently in his 7th season as the Men's Soccer Lead Assistant Coach at Ryerson University and has been coaching for the last decade at the University level in Canada and the United States.

On top of his elite athletic accomplishments, Kasy also holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physical Education and Health, as well as an MBA from the Ted Rogers School of Management.

Kasy is a coach who cares deeply for his athletes, and leads with a ton of energy, encouragement and authenticity.

In our conversation, we cover a variety of topics, including:

2:02- Why and how Kasy got into coaching

5:19- The transition from playing to coaching

15:31- Work-life balance

18:44- Challenges that assistant coaches face

25:49- Self-Care

29:17- Evolution of his coaching philosophy

34:44- What it is about coaching that keeps him up at night

42:40- His experience navigating COVID

46:27-Mentors who have impacted his coaching journey

48:35- Players who have impacted his life

53:08- What advice he would give himself in his first year of coaching

This week’s episode features Matt Holmberg. Matt is entering into his 15th season with the Queen’s University women’s hockey program, and his 12th season as Head Coach.

Queens has made the playoffs in all twelve seasons with Holmberg at the helm, and they have the second highest winning percentage in the OUA over that span.

He holds the Gael’s women’s hockey record for most regular season and playoff wins by a coach with 203, and has won numerous OUA Coach of the Year Titles during his tenure.

Matt has led the Gaels to 2 OUA Championship titles, 2 OUA silver medals, and a Bronze Medal at the USports National women’s hockey championship in 2011.

The success of the Gaels women’s hockey program goes beyond the ice. His team also has a 100% graduation rate among it’s players, and in 2019-20, his team set a program record with a 3.539 cumulative GPA.

Matt is a High Performance Level 2 certified coach who served as the USports Women’s Hockey Coaches Association President from 2013-2016. He is also associated with Hockey Canada and the OWHA at various events and camps, both on and off the ice.

Matt’s story is a unique one. A native of Pembroke, Ontario, he graduated from Queen’s Law in 1997, and practiced for 13 years before transitioning into his career as a hockey coach. He is a husband, a father, and someone that I respect immensely in the hockey community.

Some of the topics we cover in our discussion include: 

6:30- Why coaching?

9:50- The benefit of starting his coaching journey in House League

12:49- How being a lawyer impacted his approach to coaching

16:49- The evolution of his coaching philosophy 

25:42- What keeps him up at night as a coach

29:42- How becoming a parent impacted his approach to coaching

33:27- What it's like to coach with his father

36:36- Mentors that impacted his coaching journey

41:00- The impact that players have had on him as a coach

49:24- Navigating COVID

52:16- Work-life balance and self-care

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This week’s episode features Dr. Beth McCharles.

Beth is a mother of three who runs a private practice as a mental performance coach. She works with National Sport Organizations, including Hockey Canada and Curling Canada, and serves as a mentor coach with Ryerson University’s athletic department.

A successful dual-sport athlete in Ice Hockey and Soccer during her collegiate career, Beth was inducted into the St.FX hall of fame in 2019. She was a 2x All-Canadian and Academic All-Canadian, who captained Team Canada at 2 FISU games.

At the age of 24, Beth was named the Head Coach of the University of Toronto Women’s Soccer program, becoming the only acting female head coach in women’s OUA soccer at the time. She also coached the Canadian National Military Team, and coached at 2 FISU games.

As someone who has played at a high level, coached at a high level, and coached coaches at a high level, Beth has a ton of unique and valuable insight to share.

In our conversation, we cover a variety of topics, including:

Common challenges that coaches face early in their careers, and advice for overcoming them.

Common challenges that coaches face later in their careers, and tips for overcoming them.

The importance of organizational support for parent coaches.

Why self-care is such a challenge for coaches.

Why coaches need a yearly training program.

Enjoy!

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Have any feedback? We'd love to hear from you!

This week’s episode features Haley Irwin. Haley is in her second season as the lead assistant coach with the Ryerson University women’s hockey program.

She is a three-time olympic medallist, and two-time olympic champion, representing Team Canada at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 games.

Following the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, Irwin began to shift her focus from playing to giving back to the game. Prior to joining the Rams, Haley had been in coaching roles with various teams, including the Barrie Jr. Sharks, the Edge School and the Calgary Fire.

As someone who has played the game at the highest level and is now working as a full-time coach, Haley has a ton of valuable insight to share on the transition from playing to coaching and what she has learned from her unique experience in hockey to date.

We cover a variety of topics, including: 

Haley's transition from playing to coaching 

What kept Haley up at night as a player vs. what keeps her up at night as a coach

Haley's experience navigating COVID as a coach

Haley's experience with self-care and work-life balance in her first few years of coaching

Words of wisdom she has received from her mentors that have stuck with her.

Haley's most memorable hockey moment to date. 

**For a more detailed bio on Haley Irwin, please visit the following link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haley_Irwin

Enjoy!

This week’s episode features Stephanie Jones. Stephanie is the Associate Head Coach of the University of New Hampshire’s women’s hockey program. She has been with the Wildcats for 19 seasons and counting, the first four as a standout student-athlete, and the past 15 as a member of the coaching staff.

From 2007-2010, Stephanie helped guide New Hampshire to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and three hockey east tournament championships.

Her duties with the wildcats include athlete recruitment, academic advising, managing players well-being and creating and directing the off-ice conditioning program.

For a full bio, visit the following link: 

https://unhwildcats.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster/coaches/stephanie-jones/47

With over a decade and a half of experience coaching at the NCAA level, Steph has some great stories and insight to share. 

Some of the topics we cover include: 

-The recruitment process

-The transition from playing to coaching

-The importance of mental performance training for athletes & coaches

-Self-care 

-Parenting as a full-time coach

Enjoy!

This week's episode features Liz Keady Norton, the Associate Head Coach of the Boston University Women’s Hockey program. 

Liz began her coaching career almost a decade ago at Andover High School. She then entered the division 1 coaching ranks, with stints as an assistant coach at Union College and Harvard University before joining BU in 2017.

Liz is also in her 13th year as the General Manager and Director of Hockey Training at the Institute of Performance & Fitness in Andover Massachusetts where she serves as a strength and conditioning coach, developing sport-specific training programs for hockey athletes.

A native of Braintree, Massachusetts, Keady Norton graduated from Princeton in 2008. She was named the Tigers' team MVP and Most Improved Player following the 2004-05 season, scoring a career-high 15 goals. That same season, she earned All-ECAC Hockey Honorable Mention and All-Ivy Second Team accolades as well.

Keady has also spent time with the U.S. National Team, as she appeared in 16 games during the team's 2005 Pre-Olympic Tour.

Liz is a former university teammate of mine, who possesses an incredible work ethic and a strong passion for the game of hockey that has stayed consistent in her transition from playing to coaching.

In our conversation, we cover several topics, including: 

The transition from playing to coaching 

Simultaneously navigating the roles of mother and coach

Coaching through COVID

Mentors that have impacted her coaching journey

Her most memorable coaching moment to date

This week’s episode features Marcello Lio. Marcello is currently serving as the Football Director and JV Head Basketball Coach at St.Andrew’s College in Aurora Ontario. He has over 22 years of coaching experience at a variety of levels from grass roots to professional, with the Bergamo Lions of the European American Football Association. Marcello has coached with Football Canada’s Junior National Program, and from 2015-2019, served as Quarterback Coach as it his Alma Mater, York University. Marcello also has extensive experience as a parent coach, having worked with his son’s Football and Basketball programs for several years. Prior to coaching, Marcello had an illustrious playing career as a quarterback, competing at the university level in Canada, and professional level in Europe.

We cover several topics, including:

The transition from playing to coaching

Being a parent coach

Navigating COVID as a coach.

Enjoy!

This week’s episode features Stephanie White, the Director of Sport at Western University.  Stephanie has over 20 years of experience working in athletics. She holds a Master’s in Leadership from the University of Guelph, where her major research paper was on Coaches’ ethical behaviour and the impact on student-athlete performance.

Steph has also coached women’s hockey at the provincial, national and international level. In 2005, she led Team Ontario to a gold medal at the U18 National Championship, and spent half a decade coaching with Hockey Canada, medalling at numerous IIHF World Championships.

Steph currently serves as director of the BC Hockey Board of Directors, and is the Chair of Hockey Canada’s Female Hockey Policy Committee. Given her wide range of experience in sport, as an athlete, a coach, a director and committee chair, Steph brings a very unique and insightful take on the role of coaches and the challenges they face. 

We cover a variety of topics, including: 

Being a female coach in a male dominated sport

The importance of self-leadership in coaching

How sport organizations can better prepare coaches for success

Enjoy!