Beyond Coaching: An Impactful Coaching Project Podcast

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Podcast by Dr. Rob Ramseyer

Beyond Coaching: An Impactful Coaching Project Podcast

Beyond Coaching, a podcast from the Impactful Coaching Project, explores coaching and leading the 21st century athlete. The importance of the coach being a positive impact on their student-athletes hasn’t changed but the strategies for connecting with them has changed. This podcast interviews coaching and sport leaders about holistic coaching and the lessons they have learned over time. Beyond Coaching is podcast developed by the Impactful Coaching Project.
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Latest episodes

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10 November 2025

Dean Jaderston on Leadership, Faith, and the Long Game

Rob sits down with longtime coach and mentor Dean Jaderston to unpack the transitions that shaped his career—from Minnesota high schools to college men’s hoops, and eventually to leading women at Friends University. Dean lays out a clear contrast between coaching men and women, why the collective psyche matters on women’s teams, how to move from managing to leading, and what it takes to stay steady in a public, always-on era. Faith, patience, and the willingness to play the long game thread through the whole conversation.

Key Themes

  • Transitions that grow you: High school → college; men → women; what Dean “didn’t know he didn’t know” about recruiting and preparation.
  • Coachability & confidence: With men, puncturing overconfidence; with women, raising ceilings and naming their potential.
  • The collective effect: Public praise/critique lands differently on women’s teams—use “we/us” language and handle most individual feedback 1:1.
  • Lead, don’t just manage: Dean’s “one big rule”—you either bless people or curse people; hold to that and cut the bloated rulebook.
  • Faith as framework: Total-release effort as worship; coach the whole person—spiritually, emotionally, psychologically.
  • Reality of the job: Life and coaching are messy; don’t overreact, don’t take it personally, watch actions over words, and keep vision front and center.
  • Listening builds buy-in: Seek first to understand; today’s athletes spot inauthenticity fast.
  • Vision sustains: The Hartman Arena story—nobody believed it early; vision made the work coherent.

Notable Moments

  • 00:15 – Why Rob almost changed jobs just to learn from Dean
  • 01:36 – High school → college: “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” (recruiting, prep)
  • 06:00 – When talent stalls: the cost of being uncoachable
  • 06:33 – Men vs. women: confidence gaps and ceilings
  • 08:52 – Language shift: use “we/us”; keep praise/critique mostly individual
  • 10:49 – Why schemes/X&O often matter more in the women’s game
  • 11:58 – Teaching bug: chasing light-bulb moments and durable confidence
  • 14:35 – Faith, “audience of One,” and coaching the whole person
  • 20:17 – Coaching in the information age: echo chambers and public scrutiny
  • 21:18 – From rules to leadership: Dean’s single standard (“bless vs. curse”)
  • 23:13 – Adapt the system to the roster you actually have
  • 24:04 – Listening as strategy for buy-in
  • 26:00 – Hope and vision: conditioning with the end in mind
  • 30:26 – Don’t take it personal; judge actions over words
  • 31:02 – Playing the long game when your job feels year-to-year
  • 33:44 – Embrace the mess; prepare for age-appropriate, inappropriate moments
  • 35:25 – Rapid fire: books, failures, definitions of success, habits

Rapid-Fire References

  • Books mentioned: Coach K’s leadership book (annual reread); Frosty Westering’s Make the Big Time Where You Are (ethos: maximize what you have, where you are).
  • Podcast: Better Questions by Matt Davis.
  • Definition of success: Help people see and seize their potential—spiritually, academically, emotionally, athletically.

Practical Takeaways

  • Shrink the rulebook. Hold a single, culture-defining standard and enforce it consistently.
  • Reframe confidence. With men, calibrate realism; with women, remove ceilings.
  • Mind the locker room dynamics. Public praise/critique has second-order effects on women’s teams—coach individuals individually.
  • Lead with listening. Credibility follows curiosity and presence.
  • Keep vision visible. Name the destination daily so effort has context.
  • Don’t chase validation. If behavior changes, let that be the win.

Check out more of our stuff (and sign up to get a free resource) at impactfulcoachingproject.com.

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27 October 2025

Podcast Short: Responding Instead of Reacting (Dustin Galyon)

In this episode, Dustin Galyon shares a real-world coaching moment involving a senior student-athlete who skipped a team workout and responded with uncharacteristic defiance. Instead of reacting with discipline alone, Dustin leaned on years of relationship-building to have a direct, honest conversation—one that ultimately deepened trust and ended with mutual respect.

The conversation explores how coaching has changed over the past decade, why relationships matter more than ever, and how today’s coaches can lead with both accountability and empathy. It’s a reminder that the best coaching happens when leaders stay connected, even in tough moments.

Brought to You By:

The Impactful Coaching Project helps coaches lead today’s athletes with a more holistic approach to leadership. ICP offers training, tools, and research-backed resources that connect mental, emotional, and physical health to strong team performance. Learn how to build healthy, competitive team cultures at impactfulcoachingproject.com.

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13 October 2025

Naval Academy Ethics, Crucibles, and Coaching: Jim McNeal (Part 2)

In Part 2, we dig deeper into how the U.S. Naval Academy develops ethical, resilient leaders—and how those same lessons apply to coaching. Jim breaks down the Academy’s leadership lab, the sophomore ethics course, and the “2 for 7” contract that defines a midshipman’s commitment.

We also talk about his new book, Crucibles—what inspired it, the diverse organizations studied (from NASA to the Gurkhas to the Mafia), and what modern teams and coaches can learn from how these groups design challenges that forge true belonging and purpose.

Topics

  • The Academy as a “leadership laboratory”
  • Sophomore ethics: Ethical & Moral Reasoning for the Naval Leader
  • “2 for 7” commitment and the cost of service
  • Moral stress tests: real-world ethical scenarios
  • Time management and “the alligator closest to the boat”
  • Jim’s new book Crucibles — lessons from NASA, Gurkhas, Mafia, and more
  • The fine line between initiation and hazing
  • Designing crucibles that build learning organizations (five elements)
  • Why standards—not comfort—should define leadership
  • Lightning round: Season of Life, standards > stats, defining success, early mornings

Five takeaways for coaches

  1. Teach ethics like a skill. Pressure-test decision-making.
  2. Lead with standards. Stop chasing external validation.
  3. Design your crucible. If it doesn’t serve growth, it’s hazing.
  4. Master time. Handle “the alligator closest to the boat.”
  5. Build a learning culture. Focus on mastery, challenge, culture, expertise, and strategy.

Resources mentioned

  • Crucibles — Jim McNeil & Eric Smith (audiobook available)
  • Season of Life — Jeffrey Marx

Pull quotes

  • “If you can’t tie a tradition to a positive result, it’s hazing.”
  • “Crucibles define who belongs—not by exclusion, but by shared purpose.”
  • “You can’t lead others unless you know yourself.”
  • “Standards—not external judges—have to drive us.”
  • “Time management is the skill: handle the alligator closest to the boat.”

Listen & links

Please review! In your review, tell us your biggest takeaway from this episode!

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09 October 2025

Best of September

This special Best of September edition of Beyond Coaching brings together some of the most eye-opening and practical conversations we’ve had this month. From the sidelines of youth sports to the leadership labs of the Naval Academy, each guest shared powerful stories and truths that speak directly to the challenges coaches and leaders face every day.

We kick things off with Mitch Hull of the 3D Institute, who challenges how we think about parents in youth sports. Then, Jamy Bechler joins us with a dose of real-world coaching leadership that bridges theory and the chaos of daily decisions. And finally, Jim McNeil from the U.S. Naval Academy offers a look inside how future leaders are forged—not just through wins, but through failure.

Episode Timeline & Highlights

[1:16] – Are parents the problem—or just a symptom? Mitch Hull reframes the youth sports narrative.

[4:19] – Playing time is king: What most parent complaints are really about—and why it matters.

[6:00] – Why 70% of kids quit sports before high school. It's not about the scoreboard—it’s about what we model.

[8:16] – “Simple, not easy”: Jamy Bechler on how leadership breaks down when the day gets messy.

[10:51] – Twelve walk in, not two: A surprise team meeting tests Jamy’s leadership approach in real time.

[14:08] – The Naval Academy as a leadership lab: Jim McNeil on how midshipmen judge adults by their leadership.

[17:24] – Permission to fail: Why the Academy pushes high achievers to fail early, reflect deeply, and grow fast.

Links & Resources

  • Mitch Hull – 3D Institute
  • Jamy Bechler – jamybechler.com
  • Jim McNeal – Author of Crucibles
  • Learn more at impactfulcoachingproject.substack.com

If this episode challenged or inspired you, I’d love it if you’d share it with another coach, leader, or parent. Be sure to rate, review, and follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode. Thanks for being part of the Impactful Coaching Project!

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29 September 2025

Inside the Naval Academy’s Leadership Lab: Coaching, Failure, and Mentorship with Jim McNeal (Part 1)

In this first half of my conversation with Jim McNeal, we dive deep into what it means to lead, fail, and mentor in one of the toughest leadership pipelines in the world: the U.S. Naval Academy. Jim, a Naval Academy alum turned coach, mentor, and author, shares how he coaches high school and collegiate athletes, why failure is intentionally built into the Academy’s system, and how he guides students to own responsibility instead of blaming external circumstances.

We also unpack how coaching high school differs from coaching at the college level in terms of maturity, mindset, and purpose — and why the Academy functions like a leadership laboratory, where every interaction matters. The pressure is intentional. The lessons are real. And failure is expected — as long as you learn from it.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] – Jim’s background: Naval Academy grad, Supply Corps officer, journey into coaching & mentoring

[08:05] – Differences between coaching high school vs. college athletes

[12:31] – Why the Naval Academy functions as a leadership laboratory

[15:38] – The intentional role of failure in the Academy’s growth model

[19:49] – Helping high achievers internalize responsibility instead of blame

[24:43] – The importance of loving the process over focusing only on outcomes

[29:21] – How coaching generational shifts—and building trust—has (or hasn’t) changed over time

🔗 Links & Resources

  • Crucibles by Jim McNeil & J. Eric Smith
  • Beyond Coaching Podcast: beyondcoaching.alitu.com
  • Impactful Coaching Project: impactfulcoachingproject.com

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for tuning in to Part 1 of my conversation with Jim McNeil. In Part 2, we’ll dig into his new book Crucibles, pull out lessons for coaches and leaders, and explore what it really takes to lead through adversity.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to follow, rate, and review the show, and share it with a fellow coach or leader who needs to hear it. In your review, put your favorite part of this episode!

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15 September 2025

Jamy Bechler: Simple Isn't Easy

“Simple Isn't Easy"

Guest: Jamy Bechler – Leadership Consultant, Former Coach & AD, Host of Success Is a Choice Podcast

In this episode of Beyond Coaching, Rob sits down with Jamy Bechler—someone who's done it all: NAIA coach, high school AD, college interim AD, and now a full-time leadership consultant working with athletic departments around the country. Together they dive into the realities behind the leadership buzzwords.

Highlights Include:

  • What it’s really like to step back into the AD chair after consulting from a distance
  • The myth of the “perfect plan” and how Jamy handled a surprise full-team meeting
  • Why leadership is simple, but not easy—especially when emotions are high
  • A candid look at coachability and the lack of it—even among experienced coaches
  • The impact of changing environments vs. changing kids (hint: the onus is still on us)
  • Practical strategies for hiring when you don’t know the sport inside and out
  • Jamy’s take on how responsibility and blame get confused in athletic leadership
  • Why “Success Is a Choice” still matters—and how Jamy stole it from Rick Pitino

This conversation is packed with real-world application, tough truths, and encouragement for coaches navigating today’s complex athletic landscape. Whether you’re a young coach or a seasoned AD, this episode will challenge and equip you.

Resources Mentioned:

  • Success Is a Choice by Rick Pitino
  • Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
  • Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay
  • Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Follow Jamy Bechler:

Twitter/X: @CoachBechler

Website: www.JamyBechler.com

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