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078 - Peer-Led Teams Win Championships w/ Notre Dame Coach Ryan Wellner
77 Plays5 days ago
Ever wonder what it takes to coach at one of college lacrosse's most storied programs?
In this episode, Notre Dame Lacrosse Defensive Coordinator, Ryan Wellner shares what makes the Fighting Irish elite—and it's not what you think.
Here's what you'll discover:
Learning from Legends: The game-changing advice Ryan received from Jack Moran (the winningest high school coach in history) and Tommy Gill that he still carries today—including why every coach should carry a pen to practice.
The Peer-Led Philosophy: Why Ryan believes peer-led teams are the best teams, and how Notre Dame's captain selection process ensures accountability flows both ways.
Culture, Community, Character: Inside Notre Dame's team philosophy and how Head Coach Kevin Corrigan creates daily practices around gratitude, service, and doing the right thing when no one's watching.
Coaching the Modern Athlete: Practical strategies for meeting athletes' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness—without sacrificing standards or accountability.
Standards That Never Flatline: Ryan's philosophy that championship standards don't stay level—they rise every single day and should be "impossible to catch."
Whether you're coaching youth sports or leading at the collegiate level, this conversation delivers actionable insights on building connectivity, developing leaders, and creating cultures where athletes thrive.
The bottom line? It's not what you know as a coach—it's what they know. It's not what you can do—it's what they can do.
Tune in to learn how one of college lacrosse's premier programs develops championship athletes on and off the field.
*NEW* Education - Captains & Coaches course, "Why They're Not Listening - Coaching Today's Athlete": http://listen.captainsandcoaches.com
Training - Old Bull Program - 7 Day Free Trial - https://bit.ly/old-bull-train
#LacrosseCoaching #CollegeLacrosse #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamCulture #CoachingEducation #NotreDameLacrosse #AthleteLeadership #PeerLedTeams #CollegeCoaching #LacrosseLife
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Transcript
Explaining Actions to Younger Generations
00:00:00
Speaker
I make sure, you know, as I've gotten older, like there's got to be a why for everything you do and they have to understand it. This is an extremely inquisitive group. Information is at their hand, their fingertips. So like I need to provide, and need to provide a reason in and that's okay. And I, you know, in the past, like when I was younger, i'd like, dude, why are you questioning me? What the, you know, like,
00:00:19
Speaker
What are you talking about here? You know, I don't need to be questioned for it. There's there this need to be a why, just do what I tell you. But that's not how this generation thinks. And it's important that they understand the why.
Championship Teams vs. Talented Teams
00:00:29
Speaker
That's okay. What separates championship teams from talented ones?
00:00:32
Speaker
According to Notre Dame Lacrosse assistant coach, Ryan Wellner, it's not the X's and O's. It's the connectivity and peer leadership. Welcome to the Captains and Coaches podcast, where we explore the art and science of leadership through the lens of athletics and beyond.
00:00:47
Speaker
I'm your host, Tex McQuilkin, and today I'm joined by Coach Wellner, who takes us inside the Fighting Irish program, sharing how his playing days shaped his coaching philosophy, the lessons he learned from legendary coaches and why Notre Dame's commitment to culture, community, and character creates championship caliber athletes.
Leadership Lessons from Notre Dame Lacrosse
00:01:07
Speaker
From the weight room to game day, we explore what it takes to build peer-led teams, navigate the modern athlete's need for autonomy, and why standards should never flatline.
00:01:18
Speaker
They should be impossible to catch. With that, let's pass it off to Coach Wellner to help us raise the game. Ready, ready, and break. Are you you guys locked in? How you feeling getting ready for the season?
00:01:31
Speaker
Yeah, we're locked in, and we are. We had a great weekend, um you know, both on the field and off the field. The experiences that we were able to have as a team, to teach our younger guys how to travel. And, you know, we went for a hike after and, you know, we were able to do a watch party to watch our football team. um It was awesome. It was a great weekend. And now I'm excited to really dive into the weeds and work on development and and see where we come out in January when we start this thing for real.
00:01:59
Speaker
Yeah. And Notre Dame is Truly a special place. and I got the opportunity to hang out with you guys and go to a football game with my dad. So I got to lead off with thank you for the pick. We're phenomenal.
00:02:14
Speaker
You and of course, Notre Dame. Yeah, du you're more than welcome. I'm glad you had the opportunity. It's great to see you and meet your dad. And um obviously I drink the juice daily, but I'm glad others could see what it's all about.
00:02:27
Speaker
Yeah, and and we were able to connect soldiers. Sidelines Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Also, thank you to Harrison Bernstein that connection. And, I mean, that's the world of lacrosse.
Impact of Division III Sports on Coaching
00:02:40
Speaker
Such a small world. Six degrees, seven bacon, everybody's separated. your lacrosse journey, similar to mine, is a three athlete.
00:02:51
Speaker
So have to highlight that because, I mean, I feel there's this stigma often when I bring up D3. I'm so proud of it. It was the right school, the right size, the right time. For my playing career, you're one of the top coaches in the game.
00:03:05
Speaker
Your career started in a similar path. I got a highlight, shout out to Mary Washington. They're in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Yeah, I'm a, I'm D3 through and through, man. ah And i'm I'm proud of it, like you are. And, you know, we, we missed each other by a few years, but we definitely competed our schools, um rivals in some ways.
00:03:25
Speaker
And I remember taking those trips up 95 to play Marymount. But, um you know, i I'm reminded, i I think it, it's one of the reasons why, you know, I've kind of figured out this coaching path, not necessarily me becoming a coach, but the work behind it and not to take away from those that had um higher playing careers at the Division one universities at all. But I think um the gratefulness and um ability to continuously work to find your niche to get to where you want to get to i think it was shaped um in as a division three athlete truthfully it's kind of you know you're you're not given as much of a path in terms of the time um spent on and off the field as a division three athlete you you know it's what you make of it i think um whereas a division one athlete you know we have those guys for four to six hours a day
00:04:18
Speaker
um you know,
Formative Coaching Experiences
00:04:20
Speaker
what it just wasn't, it's not the same concentration. So, um you know, I think often back to it and and the lessons I learned and and the appreciation I have for not just my my coaches, but my teammates at Mary Wash.
00:04:34
Speaker
Yeah. And it was also an opportunity to to step into leadership for for that first time, be that team captain. And often within the the lower levels, given the responsibility, but not necessarily the pool, you got to discover those on your own. you got to figure out what works to get great relationships with guys. That's the starting point.
00:04:55
Speaker
And there's a difference between motivation and inspiration, pushing and pulling. What are some reminders and lessons to hold on to from that time at Terri Wash?
00:05:06
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, i i got to I honestly, I think it happened way before Mary Washington. I've always kind of been an organizer um and a go-getter. I would
Enhancing Team Dynamics through Peer Leadership
00:05:15
Speaker
organize, you know, my friends um and, you know, not that organization is a form of leadership in some ways it is. But, you know, being able to divide kids up on a playground or in a parking lot so we can play street hockey and make sure you're not forgetting it's a game, but at the same time, you know, the competitive nature and the juices. um So I think that from a leadership standpoint, I understood that being organized, being in intentful um with messaging,
00:05:47
Speaker
you know, certainly when you're, I was a junior captain at at Mary Wash and a senior captain. So having to overcome ages and knowing that, you know, I was hopefully doing and and messaging what was in the best interest of our team, not necessarily the individuals, regardless of age, you know, that those are some difficult conversations. And, you know, we had some off the field diversity that we faced as well as on the field. So,
00:06:14
Speaker
you know, you've got to remove yourself and and that's not always easy. The peer pressure thing is a, is a big deal. I think that's one of the lessons i continuously think about, um, as I've become a little bit more of a veteran in this coaching space.
00:06:27
Speaker
Um, I think that, and this might segue into another question, but peer led teams are the best teams. Um, and I would, you know, looking at our two championship years, we were extremely peer led um and if i i think about my coaching um it was more about connectivity with our guys than anything else that is value yeah i lean into that you're led as well also giving them as you mentioned conflict is inevitable going to happen in the team one thing that i love to teach guys captain teams whenever i teach conflict resolution is number one rule
00:07:07
Speaker
This can be resolved. Are we going to break up? or No, then okay. We established that. now it's Now it's working together. We've created possibility to reconnect and come together.
Shaping Coaching Approaches with Emotional Control
00:07:20
Speaker
And velocity is a big thing, especially when you get the opportunity to create a defense to come together. i'm I'm a defensive player myself, so i'd love the schematic chip on your shoulder, the attitude that comes with it.
00:07:37
Speaker
But now take us back to early locker room, early phases of your coaching career. You were developing that personal philosophy now have in place.
00:07:48
Speaker
have Yeah, I first of all, I've been extremely lucky with those that I've worked for in this business. Some legends. i I started my coaching career at Chaminade High School, which is where I went to and I worked for Coach Jack Moran, who just retired as the winningest all-time high school coach ever, 45 years at Chaminade, and an extremely impactful man in my life. um So I had a chance to to learn from him. Then I moved on to Tommy Gill at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, who is also a legend in our sport. um and And there is a few lessons I learned from him more than anything else. A, I remember showing up on the field and did not have my, i did not have a pencil.
00:08:29
Speaker
And I remember him pointing out to me like after, would you show up for class without a piece of paper and a pen? No, I would not. and he said as a coach you should be continuously taking notes it's the only way you can remember certain impactful moments throughout a practice that was a very important lesson which i still to this day i carry a pen everywhere now there's things that pop into your mind it's a split second you want to write those down so you don't forget them um that was really important and b i learned a very lesson important lesson so he was a very intentful person emotional sparks were part of his lessons he was a very hard coach
00:09:08
Speaker
And he'll kill me for sharing this, but I'm going to share it anyways, because it was really impactful. We're playing Stevens's 2 Technology in the, I don't even know what conference we were, playoffs. And we were getting smoked. I think it was like 8 to nothing at halftime.
00:09:24
Speaker
And he turns to me and goes, just be ready for what's about to happen. And as we walk into the locker room, he says, watch this. he literally starts calling out these guys and the, you know, like calling them out, which not that I agreed with the, you know, that part of it because I was too young to know. And and now that it's kind of shaped, that's not what you do. It's and certainly not how, what I believe in doing.
00:09:48
Speaker
And one of our captains who I won't mention, um, literally took the the water jug and not threw it at him, but threw it at the wall where like Gatorade and water was like all over the place.
Adapting Leadership Strategies in Modern Coaching
00:10:00
Speaker
The other assistant coach who was like a veteran, um older gentleman who I competed against and then worked with was like, we got to get out of this locker room. Like, this is about to be a riot.
00:10:11
Speaker
You know, like, I don't know what's going on here. And I'm like, what? This is my first year as a college coach. I'm like, what the, you know? ah But the chaotic moment of it and and the real story and leadership here is,
00:10:23
Speaker
he had a He had a reason and and he executed upon the reason. It was to spark it, to use himself as the um pariah and to get hit the guys motivated and angry in some way, shape or form.
00:10:39
Speaker
So that was the lesson. And as a leader, that is your job. If you can't find a spark across the field, then you've got to spark find a spark in your locker room. And again, i wouldn't have done it that way, but I did learn the lesson.
00:10:53
Speaker
um So, you know, there's things throughout that i I've taken from each of these guys. You know, intentfulness is something that Coach Corrigan talks about every day. um And I, you know, I apply it um every stop along the way. i can I can give a lesson from each of these guys.
00:11:10
Speaker
And it it forms your philosophy a little bit. What are the things that i would do You know, what are the things that I do? do What are the things that I believe in? um Are there ways to go about those applications that are different than other leaders? Absolutely. And, and you know, leadership is individualized. And and I think that's important.
00:11:28
Speaker
You have to form um your own procedural and philosophy philosophies. Um, you can't just take somebody's and do what they do because that's not, it's not, um,
00:11:43
Speaker
It's just not natural. You know, it's not authentic to yourself. Time out. Coach, have you ever felt like your athletes shut down, tune out, or just too cool for coaching? You want them to listen.
00:11:54
Speaker
You shake them. You know this attitude and approach that they're taking with their training or their practice in front of you is not going to lead to success on the field or off the field later in life, and you have to change it.
00:12:07
Speaker
Athletes today are operating on a different internal system and we need to course correct on how our approach is going to land with them. And that's why I wrote the new course, Why They Won't Listen, Coaching Today's Athletes.
00:12:23
Speaker
If you want to learn more, head to listen.captainsandcoaches.com for this online course. If you want the first lesson free, see how I break down and combine whiteboard lecture and practical demos, movement-based lessons,
00:12:39
Speaker
that you can bring them to your practice and your training environments. Again, head to listen.captainsandcoaches.com to learn more and get that free lesson. And now back to the show.
Balancing Accountability and Athlete Autonomy
00:12:50
Speaker
Ready, ready and break.
00:12:51
Speaker
It takes reps to realize that what I i see at the high school level in particular is when you give a kid responsibility for the first time, they just mirror how they were led either in household or my case, football practice.
00:13:06
Speaker
Come after That's how they were led on the football field. You almost have to teach them the opportunity to find their style. um Within that is holding teammates accountable.
00:13:19
Speaker
A term I love to throw around builders from Navy, mutual accountability. The first time in high school guys' lives, their performance relies on somebody else.
00:13:30
Speaker
Somebody else's performance relies on somebody else. And how do you go about feeling the importance of accountability The guys get to level the first time.
00:13:41
Speaker
Maybe they were the hot dog in high school. Now they're they're part of a team. Yeah, I think it, you know, again, we talk about peer leadership, peer accountability. Those, you know, peer-led teams are the best. um And i think that constant reminders to leaders, leadership on your team about how important it is to separate your personal and your lacrosse lives or, you know, nothing that occurs on the field is personal.
00:14:08
Speaker
That is not the time to single out somebody for, you know, how they live their life, for a lack of a better example. um It's a time to coach them through, to hold them to the standards of the team that are going to you in a position to be successful as a team. And it's not all wins and losses, of course, like this these are life lessons. And I think sometimes we as a society have the tendency to celebrate ah leadership through wins.
00:14:39
Speaker
um But I think sometimes the adversity that happens in disappointing seasons, those leadership lessons that you learned are applied like five times over the next year. um But I think the peer accountability thing, you know, i I tried to, as an assistant coach, pull aside our leadership at times and say, hey a great moment for you right now. Like I'm feeling a void um where this guy is not living up to our standard rather than me.
00:15:03
Speaker
address this, this would be a great moment for you to address this in your way. um So like, I think that's my job. um I used to do it at Navy. I do it here at Notre Dame. I try to, Hey, there's a void here. I try to alleviate the pressure on the coaching staff, particularly coach Corrigan.
00:15:19
Speaker
You know, those moments I know are coming. You could feel them. All of us can feel them. That's part of being a team. And if we can alleviate the pressure on him you make that point then in the long run we will be a better team for that so um you know i i find that responsibility maybe that's my peer accountability um and you know my what i bring to the table to our leaders but i you know i think they're young and and again it's tougher so reminding them that it's okay okay you know like you know what our standard is it's okay to remind them um in order for us to be successful you're gonna have to you know
00:15:57
Speaker
say something to somebody and hold them to a higher standard. And just how you would approach aggressiveness versus assertiveness. A lot of guys, when they go up in level, they they want to be aggressive. They want to send a message as they get there.
00:16:14
Speaker
And there's differentiating aggression, going after teammates, being
Authenticity in Leadership
00:16:20
Speaker
assertive from pushing with that intent to make everybody across the team better.
00:16:25
Speaker
That ever communication or observation young. Yeah, I mean, i i it's knowing the individual. And, you know, sometimes as a adolescent, or a young man, you you don't It's not wiping a slate, you know, with the same brush. yeah Everybody is different. Everybody receives messaging different. And and as a leader, you that's your job. You need to understand and observe.
00:16:51
Speaker
um You need to understand how to communicate with the individual. So to your point, you know, pushing the aggressive path all the time becomes a...
00:17:02
Speaker
you know just a yeah yeah yeah moment or wah wah wah moment you know you you have to know the highs and lows they also know who you are as an individual as a leader and if you're not being authentic to yourself like i'm a highly energetic um person i'm very emotional as a coach and i don't mean emotion in a screaming it's not that but i i ride the emotion of the moment highs and lows and you know i'm i'm constantly reminding myself like hey you know i have to bring the energy my body language is important and the the same thing is for you know these guys like be authentic to yourself we have a couple leaders who are tremendous players that are not not yellers or screamers it's not who they are and if they become a yeller and screamer then
00:17:47
Speaker
their message is lost. So they've got to be authentic to themselves and how they communicate and how they present things. And then you got to lead by example, of course, like you, you got to be able to, you got to be able to walk the walk, not just say talk to talk. And,
Learning from Losses
00:18:00
Speaker
and that is a fine line that I think a lot of guys kind of miss and like, well, you didn't do it that way. So why do you expect me to do it that way?
00:18:07
Speaker
You know? So you, I don't know, Chris Wojcik talks about it. One of our assistant coaches here, you know, you, you gotta, you gotta be able to put your feet there first and show them before you tell them.
00:18:23
Speaker
Yeah. Like line with use that one as well. And line with feet is be where you are, be where your feet are. Yeah. A lot of guys with the college age, they're thinking about the past, past play, past practice could be as mentioned off field issues that get in the way.
00:18:44
Speaker
of ah team chemistry, they're they're too far forward, but for the horse, especially in a established program, maybe they think one, two, three national championships, why show up for the first time as a freshman?
00:18:59
Speaker
This is gonna be easy, we're gonna go win the championship. So how do you help them be present in the moment every single day, especially in fall, we don't have a game for a few months.
00:19:11
Speaker
It's hard. um It's hard for for us. I mean, i I thought our job got harder when we won the first national championship. um You know, that the the expectations change.
00:19:23
Speaker
And, you know, for a lot of those guys on our roster, all they knew was winning. And winning is is not easy, you know. And and so I think one of the things we struggled with last year, truthfully, coming off the 24 championship where we only lost one game, you know, like we had guys in our roster don't know how to lose. They don't know what that means. They don't know what comes of it. And so you start to look around the the locker room and you're like, the sky is falling when it's not because the lessons you're learning in those losses are more important than the lessons you would learn in a win, winning
00:19:59
Speaker
you know, and the winning curious things, it's definitely a bandaid on a lot of your issues. And, you know, i I think we're one of the things that, you know, this team in particular, from a leadership standpoint is we're thankful for, you know, the way we lost credit to Penn state last year, they overcame a tremendous deficit to, to put us, you know, in a place that we didn't want to be in. But I, I say determined team because of those lessons that,
00:20:25
Speaker
And there's like little things that happen that have already happened that, you know, you could tell there's a level of um commitment and a standard that these guys are setting, you know, being on time, wearing the same clothes, that kind of, that these are like little things that in the grand scheme of a team will pay off hopefully tremendously when it's all said and done.
00:20:48
Speaker
Yeah. i'd love I'd love to sit in that for a little bit, learning how to lose. How was, how was that? fire them in the locker room after a tough loss. Was that leadership present? Were they able to redirect, reframe, get guys back on track?
00:21:04
Speaker
Do coaches need to step in and remind them, hey, it's actually healthy for us. Chance for us to improve. Yeah. ah Yes. I think there, there was a tremendous void that was created from the losses. um And there was also a, a tremendous void that our guys stepped into to remind those that, Hey, like everything is still in front of us. And this is something, you know, coach kept reminding them, like things are in front of us, but like the windows are slot, and you know, the window of opportunity is starting to close a little bit. So yeah, the urgency um has got ah has got to be there as well. And um you know at at first, I think some of our younger guys struggled with understanding the urgency, the intentfulness, paying attention to the details.
00:21:52
Speaker
and But, you know, the older guys were like, hey, like, we're there, but we, you know, like, we can't continue to make these mistakes. The devil is in the detail. And the details are what have separated separated us in the in the previous couple of years. So, um you know, I i think that after right after we lost them. and I remember a couple of our underclassmen be like, that will not happen again. um You know, and, and it started from, you know, when the clock hit zero and still we got in there, like as soon as that happened, these guys were focused on the next year and, you know, you you offer a shoulder for the graduating guys, but you know, they're, they're determined to put this thing back
Self-Reflection and Feedback in Coaching
00:22:30
Speaker
on the right path.
00:22:32
Speaker
Yeah. Seeing any lock be a senior and, I love to call like give them gratitude and grace, thank them, show them this passion emotion there.
00:22:48
Speaker
i mean, as soon as that last game hits for a junior, the junior's clock starts ticking. It can count the games they got left. It's important to call out that energy, that emotion.
00:23:03
Speaker
Aim to bottle it up, take it in for your summer training. Yeah. And, and, and like from my, you know, from my coaching standpoint, I mean, you're, you're constantly internalizing every moment from those losses and those seasons. You know, i I haven't stopped. There's a lot of things that I would redo. I don't think I did a very good job at upholding on a consistent basis, the standard that I expect our defense to perform out or our face-off guy. Those are things that, you know, I will be better at, you know, I think that,
00:23:39
Speaker
I solicit feedback from our players. um I think it's an important piece of understanding what their needs are. You know, every team is different and, you know, trying to apply those um that I can, that I can control. You know, one of our guys offered me like,
00:23:56
Speaker
Sometimes i have a tendency to cut somebody off thinking I know how they're going to finish their points. Just listening, being a better listener. um Like i I, that, that's something that I need to do better, you know, and I apply that to my personal life. So.
00:24:13
Speaker
Yeah. That, that feedback loop is incredibly important. So now when did you start to notice that there was it example of you were cutting off?
00:24:25
Speaker
were you socially aware that it was occurring, made that mistake or was shocked and was able to stand up and say, coach timeout. That was not.
00:24:37
Speaker
Yeah. i mean, I got, it was like halfway through last year when, uh, you know, that, that person who plays significant minutes for us told me that, and if he's feeling it, then others are talking about it.
00:24:48
Speaker
And, uh, you know, I, I addressed it right away as a group. Um, you know, like, You got to hold yourself to the same standard. You got to be willing to accept your own personal losses and applications. And, you know, the other thing was like c so celebrating small victories in practice, whatever those were.
00:25:07
Speaker
And as a group, not just like with one group. So with like the scout team or the younger guys or whoever. And, and you know, i I continuously ask about both those points because I respect the person that told me.
00:25:19
Speaker
And I think it's important that others understand that yeah I'm not bulletproof. And I'm not perfect, you know, and I know that I'm not afraid to be vulnerable. I think as I've gotten older, the machoism of coaching has subsided.
00:25:33
Speaker
I'm an emotional person. I know that I've embraced it. and And, you know, my wife continuously reminds me like, hey, these guys want to know you as a person. You know, you don't have to be this like stoic, stoic individual. um That's not real.
00:25:48
Speaker
So I try to be as real as possible within the confines of my job. Now, how are you putting a feedback loop place? There's other things you may not be aware of that are affecting the connection between athletes.
00:26:04
Speaker
How are you putting a feedback loop in place, open to receiving stuff? New kids come in with different and experiences. It may affect how they hear and listen.
00:26:16
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, first off, i'm I address it with the younger guys, the newer guys. I'm like, hey, yeah this is what somebody has told me. And if you feel this, then first I'm trying to create, hey, it's okay to tell me.
00:26:27
Speaker
you know, like it's important for me to understand where your guys are coming from or what your needs are. Again, every person in team is different. And B, i if you catch me not doing that, um I'm not applying what I'm being told. Therefore, what you're telling me is, is basically I'm telling you it's not important, and which is not who I am. So, um and I, you know, I constantly ask them if I am applying their points. Interesting.
00:26:54
Speaker
think it's a good time to bring up one of my favorite terms from Harrison Burns sideline, coaching scar. And many sides, this story where could be where you came after somebody with the intensity in 10 cities, they weren't expecting it.
00:27:11
Speaker
We left the coaching scar. Or from our playing career, knowing all the stuff we had going on in life, and a coach said one thing one day, an offhanded comment, and it left the scar on.
00:27:23
Speaker
Yeah. What coaching stars?
The Impact of Past Coaching on Current Practices
00:27:30
Speaker
Yeah, I thought about this for a while. um You know, three and a half weeks this is when you sent this to me. And I think it it opened up a little bit of a wound for myself because I really started to think about all the messaging throughout my career you I got into coaching to make an impact on people's lives.
00:27:52
Speaker
um And I struggle to think that I was a negative impact on, and I know I have been because of the coaching scars I've left, whether I was macho or i used a personal um example when I was trying to you know make a teaching point or whatever it was. So coaching scars is ah ah is a positive term in um being able to internalize um, synopsize your, you know, do a synopsis on yourself, um, and to improve, but it is it's extremely negative, um, lesson to learn because you know, you didn't, um, put your best for your best foot forward, um, in terms of leaving a positive impact on somebody's lives. It doesn't mean you're perfect, but it definitely hurts. It it has hurt. Like I, you know,
00:28:45
Speaker
I made some, I can think of vividly a couple of examples of leaving coaching scars where I'm sure these guys are still telling those stories. And they're like, can you believe that he did this to me? um And that's not the impact. Like i I, don't think of some coaches probably because they, they put, they made, they left coaching scars in my mind. You know, like i the guys I think about were positive influences in my life, continuously, um kind of consistently in my life.
00:29:14
Speaker
their coaching scars are, are not, um, wounds, their, um, celebrations and, and love. So, but the ones I, the ones that have left negative wounds or are ones that I don't even like, I don't even mention some of my coaches cause they're just weren't positive influences in my life. That's a coaching scar. Yeah. And, uh, and that one hurts like that, that hurt, man. I'm not gonna lie to you. Like I've thought about coaching scars. I, it's not something I know I do it. Um, I don't want to do it. You know, I,
00:29:45
Speaker
Yeah, I struggle to accept that I probably have done that and I know I have. So I don't know if I have a, like, I don't have um a feeling on it. I know I've done it. And it's a coaching scar to me is, yeah, I've learned from them. I continuously think of them, but I haven't stopped thinking in three and a half weeks.
00:30:05
Speaker
And thinking back for 25 years, like, oh my God, I know I did that. Yeah, and then why why I bring it up to help coaches that do listen aim is to create self-awareness and accountability and ownership. And a simple lesson than I learned it a long time ago is understanding the difference between intent and impact.
00:30:27
Speaker
And go in with intent, this is what I meant, what I wanted from that that kid, that individual, that team. Here was the true impact of my words and actions.
00:30:39
Speaker
If we're able to understand the gap between intent and impact, then now we can. redirect reframe similar to us lose the game okay we'll come back to okay what lost the game what lost that connection we're taking that same approach as you would for connection then okay well yes those scars can turn into stories triumph some adventure right where i got our scrape knocked in the back of the head when i was kid now i have the same scar from
00:31:16
Speaker
from coach that's not internal conflict or a wound on my character, me that has negative sense against the story. That's what it's all about. It may not be a target against you, but you said something. Now it's a target against story.
00:31:33
Speaker
The world's against the story. Probably what I hear often say. So having high expectations with high support David Yeager said, right, that's that puts us in a position where you don't feel bad about having to be with kids.
00:31:53
Speaker
We're not leaving coaching our intent work there. Now we saw the impact. Yeah, I, yes. You know, like I, I internalize everything. Like I look back to,
00:32:06
Speaker
the two and a half hours I spent with our guys every day. And I, if I didn't do a good job at explaining the why, why I said certain things or why I pointed out certain things as a group or an individual, then I circled back with the individual and the group to make sure they understood where I was coming from. And if they understand that, then a, I can cure any scar that I, I had possibly, um caused and it builds
Recruitment Strategies at Notre Dame
00:32:30
Speaker
trust. Like, Hey guys, just so you know, this is the, why this is why I got, I said X, Y, or Z. Um,
00:32:36
Speaker
good or bad, you know, it doesn't matter if even if it's a good message, the delivery is could be could be bad. So I make sure you know, as I've gotten older, like, there's got to be a why for everything you do. And they have to understand it. This is an extremely inquisitive group. and They're very smart.
00:32:51
Speaker
Information is at their hand, their fingertips. So like, I need to provide, i need to provide a reason in and that's okay. And I, you know, in the past, when when I was younger, i'd be like, dude, why are you questioning me? What the you know, like,
00:33:04
Speaker
what are you talking about here? You know, I don't need to be questioned for it. There's a, there doesn't need to be a why just do what I tell you, but that's not how this generation thinks. And it's important that they understand the why that's okay.
00:33:16
Speaker
Now, how do you, when stepping into recruiting little bit, well, how do you introduce recruits, hey, this is why we're doing this. What's your extent of, hey, this our philosophy, this is our style play.
00:33:29
Speaker
What is your preemptive to help track them? This is the team that I want to be a part of. Yeah, our so again, we are extremely organized and intentful and everything we do. um Every year and every cycle is different for us. um And we debrief after every recruit, good or bad. um As a as a staff, we are.
00:33:53
Speaker
We do a lot of due diligence leading into it so that when it comes down to the messaging is the same and there's a reason. So each to your point, when we build a recruiting list or a class, there's intent behind it. There's a reason these guys fit each of the puzzle pieces fall and we tell them what the puzzle is for them and how we envision their role um in the class and on the team and in the future.
00:34:18
Speaker
um You know, and I i think that self selection is a big deal. You know, it's something that as I've gotten a little bit more experience in in ah this game and, at you know, at this level, it's a lot of kids self select, they self select themselves into certain places.
00:34:34
Speaker
And That's a good thing because you're explaining and you're giving them all the information for them to make the decision that's best for them. And self-selection for us is a big deal. We want the guys that want to be here, not that a shiny penny was flashed or a scholarship was offered. We want the guys that understand their why.
00:34:54
Speaker
um So, you know, it is. There's a single voice. um we don't We don't convolute messages. we We streamline things so that these kids aren't hearing the same thing five different ways.
00:35:10
Speaker
I appreciate that. It's been extremely successful for us. it's It's a little bit of our secret sauce. I think at times when two or three people say the same thing, the messaging gets a little bit um turned upside down and then that creates doubt or confusion. So, you know, i think that's an important piece, you know, like, you know, one voice, um, when, you know, two ears, two eyes like that, that's a big piece. And that coach Corrigan's like a big believer in that. Hey, you know, the messaging got to make sure the messages are the same. This is with our team as well. So like you say this in front of the whole team or you do that, or I'll do this.
00:35:47
Speaker
So it's not like coach said this, so I'll back it up. So this
Balancing Sports and Academics
00:35:50
Speaker
through that, like, we don't need that. I mean, you've been in the game a long time. Recruiting has ball. I'll say that.
00:35:58
Speaker
Well, I mean, especially down here in Texas, I was high school at 299 with just 100 kids. That was it. got to make the list. Then you'll go play college ball.
00:36:11
Speaker
299 is still around, and there's about 99 other states just events down here. So how has that evolved over the last 20 years? and What mindset approach do you take director we recruiting for Notre Dame, evolve alongside it, not fall behind?
00:36:30
Speaker
you can't get You can't get overwhelmed or lost in the minutia of the quantity. um You still have to fish for the quality. And, you know, that means saying no to certain events or certain kids or certain coaches. um You know, i i we spend a great length of time um doing our due diligence, which, again, for the fit, you know, finding the right kid for us. um So we do – recruit nationally. That will never change, but we're a little bit more intentful with on the who, what, why, and where, and being smart in utilization of your time. So like using T99, you know, now Texas has got a couple other events as well. So identifying which of those events are realistic for Notre Dame players or Duke or whoever, Navy, if I was at Navy, you know,
00:37:24
Speaker
we We do a little bit of analytics in terms of post-event synopsis and where kids end up so that we understand you know what that event is drawing, if that makes sense. And it in yes, it does change year to year. But there's typically a pattern um with events and you know how certain classes end up um and where they end up, I guess.
00:37:50
Speaker
Now, what what guidance would you directly give to middle school? They're just starting to fall in love with the sport. How is the possibility?
00:38:01
Speaker
What guidance would you give them play this game appropriately protect them from people that are after a little money? Yeah, this is going to hurt some of your, your listeners, but like oversaturation of an individual. Uh, in other words, You don't need to do a million events. You don't need to play in a million games. I think there is a, um and this is not just a lacrosse thing. This is like an every sport problem. um It is a business. And there's a fear of missing out from a parental standpoint.
00:38:33
Speaker
We have it as well as parents, but it's okay to say, no, we're not going to go to this event. Or, you know, you've already performed in front of x Y, and Z coaches. You don't need to go to another one. What we see is,
00:38:45
Speaker
you know, a ah little bit of tiredness and towards the end of like the recruiting cycle, because kids are just tired. They're not kids anymore. They don't have jobs. They don't get a chance to hang out with their friends and socialize, which is an important piece of their development as young men. um And, you know, the experiences that they're losing because they're spending it in a hotel, you know, after four games on a field at 95 degrees, like,
Player Development and Honest Feedback
00:39:10
Speaker
you know, you want to have an event sense of adventure. And the only way to do that is to create it. um And most times it's off the field, you know, somewhere else with like your buddies. So that's how I, that's how I think of it. um I tell parents all the time, like, you don't need to do a gazillion events. You need to identify your talent level. um need to identify you know what you're looking for in a college.
00:39:34
Speaker
And then you need to figure out what events are the best ones to get you towards those goals. You don't need to just like throw a dart um or like hope that 100 schools call you on whenever, September 1st.
00:39:49
Speaker
Hope is not a strategy. So having a little bit of an understanding of what your needs are as an individual and as as a family, financially and otherwise, and geographically for that matter,
00:40:01
Speaker
that's That's a great thing to have. The more information you have, the better you'll be when it comes time to make decisions. What's your guidance for academics? You said pick the right school, pick the right college for you.
00:40:12
Speaker
and Notre Dame's high up there academic. lot of the major, one, three, very high academic schools. What's some guidance there for encouraging them to stick with school matters, not just sports?
00:40:26
Speaker
Yeah, and you you know, whether it's network, um whatever it is, you know, you you need to understand in high school, those decisions you're making are important ones, you know, like your, your rigor is very important. um Your understanding of the material as well, but, you know, taking Basket weaving because it's ah it's fulfilling whatever you know credit in your thing is not a realistic approach towards your college career. and We look at a lot of transcripts and the only subjects that matter are your core classes. and so
00:41:02
Speaker
ah think if I'm going to leave a message with parents and student athletes is understand what a core class is and understand the importance of those. Gym is not a core class. It is it is only a fluffer. um Being absent multiple times is an identifier for those that are possibly finding ways to avoid adversity and or other things that is also looked at. So like i I would look at and understand what a core class is and understand what absences really do mean in the in the long run, not just in class, but if we're selecting somebody and they have 25 absences, most likely that pattern continues when they get to college.
00:41:42
Speaker
Yeah. but that then they have more freedom to make decisions. Exactly. I never even thought of that. they're You're looking at absolutely, wow, that's cool. Again, four classes that approach. um So I'd love to find out how you approach, give guidance. What's the conversation like talent level?
00:42:08
Speaker
This is the realistic thing. Again, there are a lot of people out there selling one thing. that is not matched with talent so they can catch cash check. What's your conversation?
00:42:19
Speaker
Tell a kid, hey, this is where you're at and speak honestly with them, give them proper direction. I mean, i i tell I spend more time, we spend more time saying no to kids
Integrating Technology in Coaching
00:42:30
Speaker
than saying yes. you know we're We're looking at ah a class of eight to 10 individuals yearly. i mean, we're we're seeing thousands of players in the course of a year.
00:42:40
Speaker
the realities are not in the favor of, and the percentages are not in the favor of the individual. And that's a, that's a realistic, and you know, that's a reality. And I, I think that in this day and age with, um, the third party, um,
00:42:57
Speaker
advisors, for lack of a better word, and their selling points, their selling points are not accurate most times. um And if I am leaving a message with somebody, it's, hey, understand your level. If I'm giving you real feedback, then apply it. That's not to hurt you as an individual, but it's to put you on a path for success.
00:43:18
Speaker
um Again, you're where' you and I are both Division III guys. At some point in time, we had an understanding that you know, that was the best level for us and the best place for us. And that's okay. Like ah totally okay. Um, I loved my experience just as you did.
00:43:33
Speaker
um I love my friends from there and everything about it. So I'm very thankful of the path that I chose. And I was at times thinking I could play at a different level and, you know, I was able to play for four years. That was an important piece for me. I didn't want to sit on the bench.
00:43:48
Speaker
Um, so you've got to find out what's important to you. It's not easy to be an alpha male and then ride a bench for four years. Some people are okay with that. It's not something I wanted to do as a competitor. Yeah.
00:43:59
Speaker
I have that similar conversation often. Aim to reframe it instead of b one Focus on college and help them understand that there are great universities out there that aim to bring the conversation.
00:44:13
Speaker
What do you want to study? Then we can help find a good school based off of feel your next step. Yeah, I love that. cross get you into that school hopefully gets um so i want to go back to playing and conversation had sideline dinner and in oftentimes you're in a win now situation where you have freshmen you got transfers in there that you know are the future of the program how are you balancing playing
00:44:50
Speaker
in getting these guys valuable minutes that's going to carry over maybe later in the season, later in their career.
00:44:58
Speaker
Yeah. I remember that conversation and and i I do think experience is important. um You can't substitute it, to be honest with you. So finding ways to and get an individual into a game at, at, pivotal moments, that pays off, you know, it might not be the immediate payoff. And I think he, us as coaches have to understand that um they're good enough to be on the field, but maybe not in and in a consistent, um you know, timeframe.
00:45:24
Speaker
So plugging somebody in, I think I use the reference of like one of our starting defensemen as a freshman, you know, he was a third and he was our third long stick midi he played in national championship games and ncaa tournament games and acc tournament games like he got valuable experience he played just enough for him to feel what it's like to be in those moments um to to not i don't want to say we protected him from himself um and to teach him the valuable lessons that otherwise he wouldn't be able to achieve on the sideline and i and i don't mean that in a negative light but there's one thing to watch it there's another thing to feel it and you know, being on the field in those moments, that's feeling it.
00:46:05
Speaker
So finding ways as coaches like to be creative, um not be set in your ways and and the personnel, you know, what evaluating your roster on a consistent basis is an important piece of being a tremendous leader, whether that's your staff or your coaching, you know, your, your players, your support staff, whoever you got to evaluate.
00:46:27
Speaker
You know, we talk about feedback, like feedback's important. Experience is important piece of that feedback, letting somebody fail. The only way to do that is most likely in a competitive situation. Of that field moment.
00:46:40
Speaker
And then, that approach of giving a guy the third, fourth LSM run, so he's on the field, and it's not necessarily cost or group able to overcome any mistake that they made.
00:46:55
Speaker
And they got plenty of time for their next run. I can coach them on the sideline and prepare that. was What would you recommend for that approach offer? My brain doesn't work off So how would you take that to, I mean, it's such a flow, chemistry is such a big deal. How do you work in or get that?
00:47:19
Speaker
ah You know, we look at like extra man opportunities, um you know, crease crease opportunity, or maybe it's ah maybe it's an attackman that you run out of the box at the midfield on a third midfield run. If you're, you know,
Celebrating Successes and Preparing for the Season
00:47:30
Speaker
able to do that from a depth standpoint, um you know, finding guys like we have an attack starting attackman this year who was a freshman last year we ran him out of the box um and you know we had three big goals or two big goals against penn state and in the ncaa tournament game like hopefully that pays dividends this year certainly comes back with confidence and understanding so you know trying to sneak them into roles that a you take advantage of their strength uh and b minimize their weaknesses but it might be outside their comfort level and
00:48:01
Speaker
You know, I think, you know, any athlete is going to want to be on the field. So if they understand the reasoning, Hey man, we need to get you valuable experience. This is a way to do it. We can take it, take advantage of that. They're going to go out and want to do it. So um I think those are, those are moments and opportunities. Maybe it's a, you know, maybe it's an athlete that you put on a wing um at at the face off, you know, let's just, let's just get out and get get you out there. You'll come right off. No big deal, but you get us a big grand ball. You get some playing time. You get to, you get to feel it, you know?
00:48:29
Speaker
Time out. Text here at Train Heroic headquarters meeting with the team to talk about the coaching experience that I'm able to provide for my athletes. So if you're a coach and want to put your program out there on an app that athletes actually enjoy using, Train Heroics for you. I've been using it since 2014. delivering literally over tens of thousands of workouts to athletes.
00:48:52
Speaker
And Train Heroic allows me to provide the unique coaching experience that I want to. Uploading video, providing coaching feedback, directions, and building a community, that's why I love Train Heroic. And if you want to take your athletes where they can't take themselves, that they want to go, head to trainheroic.com slash captains and check out how you can deliver programming to them.
00:49:14
Speaker
And now, back to the show. Ready, ready, and we're in.
00:49:20
Speaker
What's the expectation of film for you guys? When we were playing, it was just, hey, we're going to huddle up one room. We're going to talk some trash, kind of eat it from coach. But now with tech, I can watch it anywhere, anytime.
00:49:33
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, i watch every practice. Our guys watch it on their own. Individually, we clip them, you know, not just from a coach to player, but player to coach, player to player. You know, i I think that technology is not a ah foreign word to them. They're used to it. They're proficient in it. They enjoy it. So, like, they're chopping things up themselves. Yeah.
00:49:54
Speaker
you know, again, you talk about coaching points, understanding and reading the room, you know, you're not going to be able to have ah somebody sit in a room for 35 minutes. It's just not realistic. So, you know, we're going to make two to three points on this particular action or whatever it is. And then we'll move on to the next thing. And hopefully, you know, I i don't know if you're familiar with the term chunking, but like people weren't, people learn in threes.
00:50:17
Speaker
So, you know, that approach is something that we try to apply here. Like we try to chunk it, like, boom, this level, this level and the third level chunking. So that's how we apply it. Two to three, no more. And then we move on.
00:50:31
Speaker
Nice. And then when did you start to evolve that approach from the previous?
00:50:39
Speaker
Oh man. um Probably in the last five to six years, truthfully, like now I sit in a room like, you know, I'm not afraid to be like, coach, I walk out like that was way too long,
Team Culture and Leadership Selection
00:50:50
Speaker
you know, and and he's consistently reminding us and constantly reminding us like,
00:50:54
Speaker
no more than five minutes, like no more than five minutes of film, you know, and that's a great reminder. Also, you know, something we've started to do is to turn the the tides a little bit and have the guys like bring clips to us that they want us to watch.
00:51:09
Speaker
So that again, we talk about intent, we're understanding what the players are seeing and feeling as opposed to us telling them what they should be seeing and feeling. And that's sometimes lost. Like you got to separate your, your ego and your experience a little bit because you're trusting that they're going to approach and bring something that is like constantly an issue.
00:51:30
Speaker
Yeah. That's, that's in line with the self-determination theory. That's them. You're giving them power. Hey, show me what you're proud of. That also came back from me as a coach. You're like, okay, when you have the ball or, or you make an assist, you make a cut, you make a, uh,
00:51:49
Speaker
playoff ball. That's what makes proud. I can continue to fill that cup too. and Yeah, I think taxi just hit on like something that I, us as coaches, leaders, we, so we, we have a tendency not to celebrate, um,
00:52:07
Speaker
moments and I think film is and a great opportunity to celebrate things that are going right. We as coaches have a tendency to always focus on the negative because those things are repetitive but so are successful things like they're repetitive so there's a fine line of and it's it's a tough dance You know, and, but you got to find ways to celebrate, like, we're great job. Like, boom, this happens two or three times. We know what we're doing.
00:52:32
Speaker
So like making sure they know that I see that you guys know ah you're, you're performing everything we've asked you to do on a consistent basis. Celebrate that, remind them, show them the good things. Like we can score a gazillion goals. Let's see them.
00:52:47
Speaker
You know, we can stop a million shots. Let's see them. Let's not just focus on the negative. Yeah, and why that's important is you've got 50 plus guys in your roster.
00:52:59
Speaker
Yes, that one person did their job. Cool. Not acknowledging it. We're not making that lesson and reinforcing lesson that the rest guys were not on the field at that moment.
00:53:12
Speaker
Reinforcing teaching the lesson that the weren't living at that moment. And this is a lot of what I'm hearing right now. I mentioned self-determination theory. Those are basic athletes.
00:53:24
Speaker
need. If these needs are not met, that's when we lose kid. That's when we lose the locker room. You mentioned autonomy, also confidence, relatedness. So showing them how much their skills have improved, that's confidence.
00:53:38
Speaker
Relatedness, saying how their hard work is evaluating the team. For a lot the team, the opportunities you guys are doing. That's why I love the weight room.
00:53:49
Speaker
All of these are accomplished in there. And competence My weight, my strength is going up. Relatedness can't help. I got to spot my guys. Getting rowdy.
00:54:01
Speaker
Serve, you guys lift. That's that's fun. Next, then autonomy. Great coaches, they say, okay, you need to still work right here. What drill do you want to do? And they get to pick drill. It's still a competition or practice plan.
00:54:15
Speaker
That's a win-win. So little things like that, meeting the needs versus always do it my way or else. then get mad at them for not going to climb. Yeah. I mean, you've heard like Saban, Belichick, all these guys. It's not what I know. It's what they know.
00:54:31
Speaker
It's not what I can do. It's what they can do. So that's that's your point. You know, like you you got to be able to evolve and you you got to allow them to perform at the levels that they're they're able to.
00:54:44
Speaker
Winding down, what do we got to look forward to this season? If there's any individual players, numbers to look out for, what are you most excited about? there a team on the schedule that we look forward to? Hey, that's a big matchup.
00:54:57
Speaker
What's on deck? i mean, every game's a big one. um You know, I'm a big believer in and retribution. um So I'm excited about some of these teams that we've lost to. I'm excited about all our our teams. I'm most excited about our youth. um You know, we have a new era of Notre Dame lacrosse here with Ada Kavanaugh and some of these other special players that we've grown accustomed to over the last four to five years.
00:55:25
Speaker
um And so i'm I'm excited about seeing some of the the newer, you know, faces that ah the public might not be aware of, but are are ready to to make their impact in our game. And um but i'm I'm very hopeful. I really am. i I'm excited. I know we have a long way to go, but this group is ready and hungry.
00:55:45
Speaker
Great. Well, yeah. Watch the that false scrimmage and intensity there when the pros come back. Just show them even more, more intensity, more intense, more urgency.
00:55:58
Speaker
Yeah. All right. but Last question. And curious, how are captains selected for Notre Dame lacrosse? Yeah, captains are selected by their peers. um you know Coach asks each of the players to give, you know i think it's one to four nominations and up to four nominations and then to provide a reason behind it um you know with with points.
00:56:27
Speaker
And he you know we as a staff will go through those, um but it it is selected by the it's selected by the the team And then ultimately, You know, the amount of captains, if there's three, five, six guys that have gotten, you know, multiple votes, um then he'll make the final determination as to the how many. So it's all pure. I think that's important.
00:56:53
Speaker
you know, hopefully those are are individuals that are able to relay the messaging both ways and to implement the beliefs and philosophies of the staff. um And to your question earlier, not afraid to hold their peers accountable.
00:57:07
Speaker
And I think that, um, the The gentlemen of the players that we have that are selected will do that. I think they have a tremendous amount of pride and they understand the standard is never flatlined. It only rises. So, um you know, I think standardization is like sometimes looked at as this is our standard, but the standard changes like every day. It's like culture, living, breathing.
00:57:30
Speaker
um You know, the best of those that don't have a standard, their standard keeps moving and it's impossible to catch. so love it. Is there a proper time of year?
00:57:43
Speaker
I think it changes team to team, to be honest with you. i got you know We utilize, and we did it differently in Navy and some of the other places. Every school is different. Every every head coach has a different philosophy. But we use the we change it. We have done it later and sometimes earlier in the fall. We hit it, like I think, two weeks ago because we felt there was a leadership void. It was time.
00:58:06
Speaker
In years past, we've had tremendous leaders where you know like we waited until, I think it was like December, right before they went home for winter break you know to name captains. So I think it it it's team to team, year to year. um you know you you can't have a standard I don't think you can have a standardized scheduling for that, at least not in my belief. like You got to feel what are the needs and of the culture and the team, and that changes.
00:58:32
Speaker
I guess last, last question. ah Just interviewed Landau, shared Marcus Freeman's gold standard for his team. I absolutely love this big three points, gold standard, challenge everything, unit strength, competitive spirit.
00:58:50
Speaker
Is there any philosophy, team-wide philosophy, the Notre Dame process? Yeah, Coach Gorgan's is culture, community, character.
00:59:01
Speaker
And, um It's something we talk about. We see it every day. Talk about intent. Everything is laid out for them. They understand. They're constantly reminded of. And there's examples pointed out. you know where We're extremely involved in our community, giving back, gratefulness. We talk about that. we have we're We share like ah what we're grateful for. He picks two or three guys, different guys every day after practice and sometimes before.
00:59:30
Speaker
The character doing the right thing. um all the time you know how it's important putting program first uh over the individual and and then the culture um you know again culture is living and breathing everything you do directly affects and relates to your culture so don't forget that great way to end it coach thank you very much for everything gratitude that that but i have for what you're doing up there man being behind the scenes great a fan for life so
01:00:01
Speaker
Thank you. And I look forward to following along the season. People want to follow along with the best way that can follow you through coaching or for the team. Yeah. I mean, I'm on X, I'm on, I'm on Instagram and that's about it. Social media wise. And then I think if you want to, you know, tune in to see the Irish turn into either ESPNU or ESPN plus we're out, we're on every game and we love, we love growing, you know, growing growing the green fruit for whatever. whatever But I appreciate you, man. You're, you're,
01:00:32
Speaker
What you're doing is an important piece of it or it. Relatability. Sometimes as coaches, we don't get that opportunity to be relatable. We're just a um a person on TV, you know, sometimes in our weakest moments. So thank you for the opportunity. And and again, thanks for what you're doing.
01:00:49
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Captains Coaches podcast. If you like what you heard here today, be sure to like, subscribe, rate, and review the show on whatever platform you're on, YouTube, Spotify, Apple, anything.
01:01:02
Speaker
And head to captainsandcoaches.com to sign up for our newsletter for weekly coaching tools, tips, and everything in between and highlights from the show. That's why I love connecting with coaches. I am biased towards lacrosse because I was a lacrosse athlete. where we're exploring all forms of sports, volleyball, swimming, football, and more lacrosse, of course.
01:01:25
Speaker
So continue to follow along with the podcast. Enjoy the insights from the world's greatest coaches that we hand off to you. If you want to continue to raise your game, sign up for my new course that I just launched, listen.captainsandcoaches.com, for tools on how to connect with your athletes and help you raise their game.
01:01:45
Speaker
With that, see you next time. Thank you for tuning in and see you.