How Soccer Explains Leadership Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In Episode 181, we are giving you an annual dose of one of our favorite interviews of all time, going back to our conversation with Graham Daniels, Ph.D., Director of Cambridge United, Director of Christians in Sport, and former player for Cambridge United and Cardiff City. He talked with us about the "Pray, Play, Say" discipleship/leadership method, his personal why, his incredible testimony of how he came to his faith in Jesus Christ and how one pivotal moment changed the course of his life forever, the critical importance of a Christian identity in elite football, achieved vs. received identity, Service vs. Survival, humility, and a leader who he respects deeply. Specifically, Graham discusses:

·      His personal story, including how he grew his passion for football, coaching, ministry, and leadership, and how he got to be where he is today

·      An incredible story about how he came to his Christian faith, despite one of the "worst evangelists" of all time

·      His personal why/mission statement and how he is living it out

·      Achieved identity vs. Received identity - Identity formation and his Ph.D. thesis on the necessity of Christian identity in dealing with performance requirements of elite football

·      Three things that provide a framework for ministry in sports

·      Safe to serve, not scared and surviving

·      A defining moment in his life and how it impacted his development

·      A leader that sticks out above the rest to him (A Premier League Manager that may surprise you)

·      How he has used lessons learned from sports in his marriage and parenting

·      His recommendations

Resources and Links from this Episode

·      Uncut Video of the Episode

·      HSEL Facebook Group

·      Warrior Way Soccer

·      Coaching the Bigger Game Program

·      Phil's email for DISC Training

·      Humility, by Andrew Murray

·      Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

In Episode 180, Rick McKinley, Missionary Athletes International's (MAI) Director of Int'l Tours. Shares with Phil and Paul his extensive journey through sports, including impactful stories from his days as an athlete, coach, and missionary. He discusses his commitment to integrating faith and soccer, describing significant moments that shaped his understanding of the Gospel and relying on God's strength. Key highlights include Rick's impactful moments on mission trips, the importance of aligning personal identity with God rather than performance, and his efforts in training coaches globally to incorporate gospel-centered principles in their coaching methods. The episode also delves deep into personal stories, mentoring impacts, and recommended resources that have influenced Rick's approach to leadership and faith. If you're wanting to learn more about integrating sports and ministry, you definitely want to listen to this one.

Resources and Links from this Episode

·      Uncut Video of the Episode

·      Warrior Way Soccer

·      Phil's email for DISC Training

·      The Christian Athlete, Brian Smith

·      Lead with Prayer, Peter Greer, Ryan Skoog, Cameron Doolittle

·      A Hunger for God, John Piper

·      The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Tim Keller

·      The Mark of the Christian, Francis Schaffer

·      Horst Richardson HSEL Episode

·      Dave Irby HSEL Episode

In Episode 171, Roman Khripunov, Executive Director of Revival Sport and Facilitator for the North American Sport Movement, talks with Phil and Paul about his incredible journey from Uzbekistan to the United States, navigating the challenges of being a refugee and how he developed his passion for using soccer as a tool for ministry and community building. Roman shares personal stories of coaching, breaking down cultural barriers, and the impact of vulnerability and discipleship. The conversation covers the powerful role of sports in uniting diverse communities, particularly in the context of the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games. He also talks about the importance of having a short memory, knowing your role, and celebrating small victories. Phil also talks about a loss in his life and the importance of being vulnerable and allowing other people into your life and trials.

Specifically, Roman discusses:

·      His Journey from Uzbekistan to Russia to the US with his family as a 12-year-old refugee, and some important lessons he learned along the way (9:41)

·      The humble beginnings of Cup of Nations and Revival Sport, and how they were birthed out of a love for the "sojourners" in Houston (19:22)

·      The plight of refugees and how you can help (23:23)

·      Roman's life purpose and how he is living it out (28:18)

·      How Roman when into ministry despite not wanting to (32:27)

·      The Nations United initiative, why the World Cup and Olympics provide massive opportunities for the Church in the US, Mexico, and Canada, and strategies we all can use to connect with people different from us (35:52)

·      Defining moments in his soccer journey and the lessons learned from them (47:22)

·      An important lesson learned through failure (54:18)

·      Information about the Global and North American Sport Movements (57:38)

·      How he has used lessons learned from soccer in marriage and parenting (1:00:24)

·      Recommendations (1:06:33)

Resources and Links from this Episode

·                Revival Sport Website

·                Global Sport Movement website

·                North American Sport Movement website

·                Uncut Video of the Episode

·                HSEL Facebook Group

·                Warrior Way Soccer

·                Coaching the Bigger Game Program

·                Phil's email for DISC Training

·                "All or Nothing: Manchester City" (Amazon Prime)

·                Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

In Episode 81, Evan Dabby, Executive Director of NJ Youth Soccer and former MLS executive, talks with Phil about his innovative work with New Jersey Youth Soccer, including the Growing the Girls Game and Innovate to Grow initiatives, how we can make high-level youth sports more accessible to more under resourced kids, the importance of collaboration, what we can do about referee abuse, and a common quality shared by some of the best players in US history who hailed from NJ. Specifically, Evan discusses:

• His story, how he developed his passion for soccer and leadership, and how he ended up leading a state youth soccer association (1:33)
• His personal why and how he is living it out every day (3:34)
• The mission, vision, and values of NJYS and what is going well with the association (7:39)
• Some of the things he hopes to improve upon during his tenure at NJYS (14:31)
• The NJYS Growing the Girls Game (G3) Initiative, and what impact he hopes it will have on the girls' game in NJ and across the US (16:52)
• The Innovate to Grow Initiative and how it is working to include underrepresented communities in youth soccer in NJ (18:08)
• How we can make high-level youth sports more accessible to under resourced populations (20:32)
• The importance of collaboration and how NJYS is collaborating with other states on some really cool projects (23:39)
• Referee abuse, what it tells us about ourselves, our youth, and the state of youth soccer, and what we can do about it (32:41)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his leadership of NJYS (42:22)
• How he has used lessons learned directly from sports in his marriage and parenting (45:19)
• His recommendations for us (50:28)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Uncut Video of the Episode
• New Jersey Youth Soccer Website
• Growing the Girls Game Initiative
• Innovate to Grow Initiative
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game information
• Warrior Way information
• Phil Darke's email address
• Ted Lasso (TV show on Apple TV+)

In Episode 80, Cara Bradley, best-selling author of On the Verge, host of the On the Verge Podcast, Soccer Resilience Ambassador, Rollerblader extraordinaire, and one of the "12 Most Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement,", talks with Phil about the gut-brain connection, mental fitness, performing in the "flow" and how we can get there, how we can reach optimal performance more often, and how she performed on Rollerblades in front of one of the world's iconic buildings. Specifically, Cara discusses:

• Her story, how she developed his passion for mental fitness, the gut-brain connection, and optimal performance, and how she got to be where she is today (1:54)
• How we can intentionally create and recreate being in flow (or in the "Zone") (9:17)
• The concept of STER and what it has to do with "flow" (11:10)
• Mental cross-training, including the importance of sleep, clean eating, breathing, and other critical aspects of mental health (16:36)
• Why it's important for us and our kids to participate in unstructured play alongside the intense, structured training (20:21)
• Gut-Brain Health and what it has to do with optimal performance and mental health (23:49)
• Her personal why and how she is living it out every day (33:32)
• Her and her husband's decision to go "house-free" and what she has learned from her journey (34:40)
• Cara's various resources and how you can find them (38:11)
• Cara's experience as a professional Rollerblader (40:40)
• How she has used lessons learned directly from sports in her marriage and parenting (41:56)
• Her recommendations for us (42:38)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Cara's Website
• On the Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine, by Cara Bradley
• On the Verge Podcast, by Cara Bradley
• Cara's Mental Fitness Playbook and Grid
• Cara's Recommended Gut-Brain Protocols
• Cara's email address
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game information
• Warrior Way information
• Phil Darke's email address
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Ted Lasso (TV show on Apple TV+)
• Find a Way: The Inspiring Story of One Woman's Pursuit of a Lifelong Dream, by Diana Nyad

In Episode 79, Dr. Daniel O'Neill, Board-certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with an added Certificate in Sports Medicine, and a Doctorate in Exercise and Sports Psychology, Author of Survival of the Fit: How Physical Education Ensures Academic Achievement and a Healthy Life, and master of physical identity, talks with Phil about physical identity, his books, the negative side of tech and screens, why we need a "PE Revolution" in our schools, why we need to exercise in the morning, the need for more free play, athletes vs. non-athletes, "safetyism," why parents shouldn't go to all their kids' games, why we don't need to teach our kids to win, and the different ways specialization is hurting our kids, among other important topics. Specifically, Dr. O'Neill discusses:

 

• His story, how he developed his passion for physical fitness, physical identity, and leadership, why he wrote Survival of the Fit, and how he was able to get so many degrees and certificates to get where he is today (2:29)
• His personal why and how he is living it out every day (5:49)
• The shadow side of tech and why he believes more and better Physical Education for our children will ensure academic achievement and a healthy life (8:24)
• Why it's so important for us to get some exercise in the morning (11:56)
• Some practical tips to getting exercise for ourselves and our kids at school (16:08)
• The concept of physical identity, the physical identity crisis we have in the US, and why we need to understand it and fight against it (19:11)
• Organized play vs. free play, parental involvement vs. kids playing without parents, athletes vs. non-athletes, and why these distinctions and implications of the distinctions are critical to understand (23:42)
• The concept of "safetyism" and how it is impacting the lack of physical fitness and identity in our children, as well as cancel culture and other negative issues in society. How the premises of "safetyism" are flawed, how we can counter the negatives, and why we need to get out of our comfort zones (29:06)
• How he believes specialization is hurting our kids in a lot of different ways (43:12)
• Why he believes that Physical Education in schools furthers children's academic achievement and physical identity more than organized sports (1:01:10)
• The studies showing that the more screen time a child has, the more mental health issues the child will have, and what we can do about it (1:04:37)
• How he defines the markers of a "good youth coach" (it might surprise you) (1:14:50)
• The implications of the athlete/non-athlete distinction and why it matters (1:17:05)
• His other book, Knee Surgery, and how it can help people who are recovering from knee surgery (1:21:10)
• How he uses lessons learned from playing sports or other free play in his personal relationships, and why we don't need to teach our kids to win (1:23:05)
• His recommendations for us (1:27:25)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Dr O'Neill's Website
• Survival of the Fit: How Physical Education Ensures Academic Achievement and a Healthy Life, by Dr. Daniel O'Neill, MD, EdD
• Knee Surgery: The Essential Guide to Total Knee Recovery, by Daniel F. O'Neill
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game information
• Warrior Way information
• Phil Darke's email address
• The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation of Failure, by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
• Think Orphan Episodes with Jeff Sandefer

In Episode 78, our sixth off-season talk between Seasons 5 & 6, Phil and Paul talk about how we can effectively build healthy teams, and how that starts with knowing, understanding, and leading ourselves. In all we do, we at HSEL strive to be part of a movement that encourages a lifelong love for the game, leadership and character development, and human flourishing.

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Info on DISC Training
• Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
• Phil's email address – phil@howsoccerexplainsleadership.com
• Paul's email address – pajobson@gmail.com

In Episode 77, our fifth off-season talk between Seasons 5 & 6, Phil and Paul talk about external and internal motivation, and how we can effectively motivate ourselves and our players to be their best and flourish. In all we do, we at HSEL strive to be part of a movement that encourages a lifelong love for the game, leadership and character development, and human flourishing.

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Info on DISC Training
• Phil's email address – phil@howsoccerexplainsleadership.com
• Paul's email address – pajobson@gmail.com

In Episode 76, our fourth off-season talk between Seasons 5 & 6, Phil talks with Paul about the long-awaited Coaching the Bigger Game program, which helps coaches elevate significance in sports by elevating self-leadership, leadership of their individual players, and leadership of their teams. As Coaching the Bigger Game strives to help coaches help themselves, their players, and teams flourish, we at HSEL strive to be part of a movement that encourages a lifelong love for the game, leadership and character development, and human flourishing.

 

Resources and Links from this Episode

 

• Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Info on DISC Training
• Phil's email address – phil@howsoccerexplainsleadership.com
• Paul's email address – pajobson@gmail.com

 

In Episode 75, our third off-season talk between Seasons 5 & 6, Paul talks with Phil about all things Warrior Way, from camps to consulting to helping vulnerable populations around the world. As Warrior Way encourages others to incorporate their faith into their play, we strive to be part of a movement that encourages a lifelong love for the game, leadership and character development, and human flourishing.

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Info on DISC Training
• Nations United Information
• Phil's email address – phil@howsoccerexplainsleadership.com
• Paul's email address – pajobson@gmail.com