Way of Champions Podcast

John O'Sullivan

Youth Sports

Coaching

Leadership

Team Culture

Sports Psychology

Player Development

Athlete Development

Mental Health

Coaching Philosophy

Performance Psychology

Mental Performance Coaching

Coaching Education

Mindset

Mental Health In Sports

Parenting In Sports

Mindfulness

Emotional Intelligence

Team Dynamics

The Champion Sports Parent

Mental Resilience

The Way of Champions Podcast is hosted by Dr. Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan, team culture and performance specialists. Each week we connect you with the top minds in sports, coaching, leadership, and building championship programs so you can take your athletes and teams to the next level.

441 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	622	Founded	10 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	SportsEducationHow To

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Latest Episodes

#506 "Talent Gets You Seen; Good Decisions Get You Signed" with Mario Iveljic FIFA Agent and NIL Specialist

Mario M. Iveljic is a premier legal strategist, dual-licensed international football agent, author, and executive leader operating at the highest levels of global sports management. As the Director of Soccer & Legal Counsel for Mag Mile Sport, Mario ... more

5 Nov 2026 • 59 min • Most popular

#505 "You Have to Connect with Every Player as an Individual" with Peter Vermes, US Soccer Hall of Fame Player and 16 Year MLS Coach

Peter Vermes is a legend in American soccer and both a player and a coach and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame (Class of 2013). He holds the historic distinction of being the first person in Major League Soccer history to win an MLS Cup a... more

28 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 11 min • Popular

How to Train One Million Coaches and Improve Youth Sports with Kevin Connors of the Susan Crown Exchange led Million Coaches Challenge

Kevin Connors is the Managing Director at Susan Crown Exchange, where he oversees grant making, leads new initiatives, and co-develops organizational strategy. Kevin helped lead the Million Coaches Challenge, a national initiative launched by the Sus... more

21 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 2 min

#503 Jack Rolfe, Founder of The Coaching Lab and Creator of MatchPlay Cards

Jack Rolfe is an international coach developer, founder of The Coaching Lab and creator of MatchPlay Cards, used by coaches in more than 75 countries. With a background in Sports Coaching Science, Jack has worked across grassroots, academy and high-p... more

14 Oct 2026 • 57 min

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Recent Guests

Peter Vermes

U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame player and longtime Major League Soccer coach.

Sporting Kansas City

Episode: #505 "You Have to Connect with Every Player as an Individual" with Peter Vermes, US Soccer Hall of Fame Player and 16 Year MLS Coach

Kevin Connors

Managing Director at Susan Crown Exchange and former high school teacher and coach

Susan Crown Exchange

Episode: How to Train One Million Coaches and Improve Youth Sports with Kevin Connors of the Susan Crown Exchange led Million Coaches Challenge

Jack Rolfe

International coach developer, founder of The Coaching Lab and creator of MatchPlay Cards

The Coaching Lab

Episode: #503 Jack Rolfe, Founder of The Coaching Lab and Creator of MatchPlay Cards

Lindsay Crouse

Author, journalist, producer with NYT background and Emmy-nominated work in women's sports

Author of The Case for Quitting

Episode: #502 The Case for Quitting and the Surprising Benefits of Opting Out with Author Lindsay Crouse

Cody Royle

Former AFL coach; mentor to head coaches; author of The Tough Stuff, Where Others Won't, and Second Set of Eyes

CodyRoyle.com

Episode: #501 Why Coaches Need a "Second Set of Eyes" with Cody Royle, Mentor of Professional Head Coaches

Steve Kerr

Head coach, Golden State Warriors; former NBA player and champion

Golden State Warriors

Episode: #500 Steve Kerr on His Career, Bringing Humanity to Coaching, the Importance of Mentality, and How Values and Process Always Come Before Results

Alex Smith

Former NFL quarterback, ESPN football analyst and podcast host

Former NFL teams San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Football Team

Episode: #499 Alex Smith, 16 Year NFL Quarterback, on His Comeback from a Life Threatening Injury, the Importance of Gratitude, and Mentoring the Next Generation

Kate Livesay

Head Coach, Middlebury Women's Lacrosse

Middlebury College

Episode: #498 "It's not who we are playing against. It's who we are playing for.": A Conversation on Values, Connection and Purpose with Kate Livesay, 8x NCAA Champion Coach of Middlebury Women's Lacrosse

Stuart Lancaster

Former England Rugby head coach; current Connacht Rugby head coach

Connacht Rugby

Episode: #497 "Your relationship with your players is either growing or dying" with Stuart Lancaster, Head Coach of Connacht Rugby

Hosts

John O'Sullivan

Host of The Way of Champions Podcast; team culture and performance specialist.

Jerry Lynch

Co-host; sports psychologist and leadership expert.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 441 ratings

Great for coaches
Listening to way of champions should be required listening for all coaches. His passion for sports and the power influence and opportunity for coaches to impact young people’s lives is infectious
Apple Podcasts
5
LdubNichols
United States3 years ago
Episode #294 - completely hyperbolizing and sensationalizing of physiology and injuries
Completely brutal episode. So the answer is getting players to stop playing soccer? There is always a risk of injury. There was zero mention of recovery and allowing soccer players to make adaptations. And rehab for an ACL rehab does not cost $30,000. There are way more variables to the etiology of ACL injuries then just fatigue. Raymond’s rant completely sensationalized issues that are concerning with specialization of sports at an early age and playing/training volume of a youth athlete. This ... more
Apple Podcasts
5
Crazydavoa
Canada4 years ago
A Voice in the Wilderness of Youth Sports
I greatly appreciate what John is doing to bring such significant people together. There is a unified sense of concern for the kids in youth sports and the need for coaches and parents to be aware of their influence with their kids. We need these reminders and tools to keep us focused on what is most important: the kid’s best. I continue to recommend these podcasts and I know this info will make me a better parent coach.
Apple Podcasts
5
Cincy Daniel
United States4 years ago
Top class
Oh the learnings are plentiful & such a help to all coaches on their journey.
Thanks
Apple Podcasts
5
John Slattery
Ireland5 years ago
Great podcast
John does an excellent job. He has outstanding guests and is a leader in this space. Highly recommend listening!
Apple Podcasts
5
Nbones32
United States5 years ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Feedback highlights authentic, coach-focused conversations and valuable leadership frameworks.

Episodes are lauded for practical, evidence-based guidance that translates across sports and levels.

Listeners praise the host's insightful questions and guest lineup as a top resource for coaching and parenting in youth sports.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#151	Philippines/Sports
Apple Podcasts	#228	Chile/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#505 "You Have to Connect with Every Player as an Individual" with Peter Vermes, US Soccer Hall of Fame Player and 16 Year MLS Coach

Q: How do you decide that when I can fit one of those guys into the culture, that we can absorb this because this person has the impact, the ability to score 20 goals or set up 10 goals or whatever it is?

Vermes says coaches must understand each player as an individual, recognize the value of distinctive personalities, and balance those qualities within the team's culture and standards.

#505 "You Have to Connect with Every Player as an Individual" with Peter Vermes, US Soccer Hall of Fame Player and 16 Year MLS Coach

Q: What was it like being part of that first group to qualify for a World Cup after so long?

Vermes says the team entered qualifying with experience from the 1988 Olympics, learned to handle difficult away settings, and grew into a close, resilient group.

How to Train One Million Coaches and Improve Youth Sports with Kevin Connors of the Susan Crown Exchange led Million Coaches Challenge

Q: What do you see coming down the pipeline for the work that you guys are funding and supporting? And what is your vision for coaching five years from now?

Connors says the challenge's next phase is supporting organizations working on system-level interventions, coordinating trailblazers, and creating shared goals for coaching quality. He hopes the field will develop youth-centered norms and support systems that prepare coaches to deliver positive experiences.

How to Train One Million Coaches and Improve Youth Sports with Kevin Connors of the Susan Crown Exchange led Million Coaches Challenge

Q: How do we support coaches so that they can coach because yeah, an environment where the parents are just letting me coach is great, and when I think back to my first coaching job, I remember I had a kid that I coach, I stayed after all the time to help him get better, and then one game he didn't play and his dad was in the principal's office, or he didn't play, he played, but he didn't play as much as dad thought he should, and I was just like, wow. I just poured hours and hours of my time into your son, and now you're trying to get me fired. What just happened? How do we support coaches in that realm so that parents understand their role?

Connors recommends helping parents understand expectations and their role through two-way communication, parent orientation, and tools such as surveys that ask how a coach can support a child. He draws on school practices, including teachers making an early positive call home, to build relationships before difficult conversations arise.

#503 Jack Rolfe, Founder of The Coaching Lab and Creator of MatchPlay Cards

Q: What are some examples of the team challenges you gave some individual ones?

Rolfe gives examples including requiring that no two consecutive passes go backward, valuing a goal by the number of passes before it, banning verbal communication between teammates, and making the first goal count double.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Way of Champions Podcast

What is Way of Champions Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on team culture, leadership, and performance in sports, blending coaching frameworks, leadership development, and practical strategies for youth and professional teams. Episodes repeatedly explore how to build resilient cultures, empower captains and players, and balance development with competitive success, often featuring guests who are coaches, researchers, and athletes sharing actionable tools for mindset, communication, and well-being. A notable strength is bringing cross-sport perspectives—from soccer and basketball to hockey and curling—while emphasizing humane leadership, relationship-building, and sustainable growth over short-term wins.

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How many listeners does Way of Champions Podcast get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Way of Champions Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Way of Champions Podcast:

1. Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
2. Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais
3. Glass and Out
4. The Pure Athlete Podcast
5. Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen

How many episodes of Way of Champions Podcast are there?

Way of Champions Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 622 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Way of Champions Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on Way of Champions Podcast?

Recent guests on Way of Champions Podcast include:

1. Peter Vermes
2. Kevin Connors
3. Jack Rolfe
4. Lindsay Crouse
5. Cody Royle
6. Steve Kerr
7. Alex Smith
8. Kate Livesay

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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