The Coaching Life Podcast

211: The Hidden Skill That Separates Good Players From Great Ones

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life, we discuss one of the most underrated traits in sports: game awareness. Why do some athletes always seem to be i...

210: When Sports Seasons Overlap

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of high school athletics, the overlap of sports seasons can create unique challenges for coaches and players alike. In this episode of th...

209: Athlete Mindset: An Underrated Difference Maker

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Chris and Pat highlight the importance of mental strength and the role of "mindset" in coaching and athlete development. Th...

208: Feed Yourself, Coach – Bring the Energy!

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season 13 of The Coaching Life Podcast! We are excited to keep rolling these episodes out. We hope you will join us and share us with other...

207: The Coaching Life "12 Tips of Christmas"

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, hosts Pat Martin and Chris Stewart share some updates on the Bobcats football team and discuss the ...

206: The Over-Coached Athlete

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Pat discuss the implications of over-coaching. We'll explore how excessive instruction can hinder athletes' natural instincts and de...

205: Inside the Chaos of Coaching Changes, NIL, and What We Don’t Understand

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat reconnect after a 2-week break, sharing personal updates and diving into recent sports top...

204: Are Athletes Today Softer… or Are They Just More Honest?

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Coaching Life podcast, Pat and Chris discuss the changing dynamics of athletes from different generations. They hit on themes o...

203: What Fans Don’t See – The Invisible Details That Define Outcomes

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Isiah Kiner-Falefa took that short lead off third base in Game 7 of the World Series, the baseball world exploded with opinions. Analysts, fans, ...

202: Playing for an Audience of One – Ohio Volleyball Libero Kendall Hickey

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 202 of The Coaching Life, Chris and Pat sit down with Kendall Hickey, libero and leader on the Ohio University volleyball team. Known for h...

BONUS: Eastern Volleyball Talk (Chris)

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Eastern High School Volleyball Coach, Courtney Whittington invited Coach Stewart out to speak to the team on the week of preparation for their Distric...

201: They Should Already Know That… Shouldn’t They?

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, we talk about the little things coaches often assume players already know — but too often don’t take...

200: Life After Sports – Guest Brennan Meadows

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

NOTE: we had some technical difficulties with the audio in this episode. The volume varies depending on who is speaking and the audio is not the same ...

199: Staying Ready! The Resilient Journey of Delaney Crawford

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every athlete’s path looks different — and sometimes the biggest growth happens when the spotlight isn’t on you.In this episode, Chris and Pat s...

198: Discipline, Standards, and Second Chances

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Discipline, standards, accountability, behavior — all are words that can make or break a team. In this episode of The Coaching Life, Chris and Pat d...

197: Coaching With AI – Can AI Be Helpful For Coaches, Athletes, and Parents

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat talk about artificial intelligence in youth and high school sports. From breaking down swi...

196: Coaching the "Middle-Bottom" Players

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into how coaches can invest in the "middle-bottom" players of your roster (...

195: Little Things – In-Between Moments That Impact Teams

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Coaching isn’t just about practices, games, and strategies — it’s about the little things in between. In this episode, Chris and Pat talk about ...

194: Rethinking Practice – Are We Doing It Right?

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into one of the most important—and sometimes, most underprepared—aspects of youth...

193: Season 12 – New Conversations in The Coaching Life

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After a summer break, Chris and Pat are back to kick off Season 12 of The Coaching Life Podcast! In this episode, we share an overview of some of the ...

192: LOVE The Game, LOVE Your Team

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into a conversation about loving the sport you play. We chat about the deeper connect...

191: Game Week! Marauders vs. Eagles

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The anticipation is mounting as Opening Day for High School baseball is just days away. The first game Pat and Chris's teams will play this season...

190: Behind the Scenes – First Week of Baseball

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into the unique challenges and strategies that come with being a head baseball coach ...

189: Comparing Yourself To Others Isn't Always Bad

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our friend, Justin Roush, joins us for a great conversation about developing expectations for yourself. Justin is starting an LLC and podcast of his o...

188: Lifelong Learners and Used To Be NFL Fans

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The title sums up the conversation in #188. We talk a little bit about trending issues in the NFL, but that's not the important part. In this epi...

187: Fire Ryan Day!!! (Okay, um... maybe not.)

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Coaching Life, Chris and Pat talk about the Ohio State Buckeyes’ National Championship and uncover a critical aspect of sport...

186: New Year. New Season. New Growth.

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season 11 of The Coaching Life Podcast! Chris and Pat kick off the new year with energy, excitement, and a renewed commitment to exploring ...

185: Parker Navarro, QB of the MAC Champion Ohio Bobcats

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We walk through the historic season for Ohio University football, and Parker Navarro's role in helping the Bobcats win the first Mid American Conferen...

184: Home-Grown Coaching! Special Guest, Coach Billy Roper

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We had the honor to chat with Coach Billy Roper from Adairsville, Georgia about the benefits of training the overall athlete for all the various sport...

183: Beware of Groupthink

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A handful of years ago Chris wrote a book titled "Building Champions," and the last chapter discussed a common issue in our culture, which is pervasiv...

182: Keep A Ball In The Pocket

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We've had a lot of fun chatting with Brooks McKeller and so we invited him to join our conversation again today on a variety of topics, from golf to b...

181: Are They Really Cheering For Injury??

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we take some time to devote an entire episode to Pat's beloved Cleveland Browns. But, the conversation isn't a glorious one. We talk about some ...

180: Let's Talk About Pete Rose (1941-2024)

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"My all-time favorite baseball player was Pete Rose. It's not because he was the greatest player in the game, although he holds some of the game's gre...

179: Guest Brooks McKeller, Ohio Bobcats Golf – A Deeper Purpose In Sports

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We might have found a third host for The Coaching Life Podcast. Brooks McKeller is a senior on the Ohio University Golf team, and he is our guest in t...

178: Creating A Winning Mindset

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you are on a team, or coaching a team, that is used to losing, how do you change that? We all know of those teams that just seem to have a cultur...

177: Student-Led Teams Are The Best Teams

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are seeing a generation of young people who are leading in many different ways. That's today's conversation.

176: Remembering the Tragedy and the Faithfulness (9/11)

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We began today's conversation and were reminded that it was September 11. So we decided to just talk about it for an episode. This is different f...

175: Communication – The Most Important Skill

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The single greatest factor in any problem, conflict, misunderstanding, or mistake is communication – lack of, not enough, poor – communication is...

174: Body Language, Discipline, Sportsmanship

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This conversation kind of went in several directions, but all with similar themes. How does your body language affect your teammates?

173: The "Perfect" Sport, and the Winner Is...

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the perfect sport? What criteria would you consider to determine what makes the perfect sport? Pat and Chris share their (admittedly not unbi...

172: Savannah Bananas – Is It Baseball?

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our conversation topic today was provided by a listener: What do we think about the Savannah Bananas?

171: How Are Cockiness, Confidence, Swagger, and Class Related? Can Teams Have Them All?

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We open Season 10 with a conversation about being cocky... or is it confidence? Is swagger the same thing? As always, we hope to spark some interestin...

170: Creating New Opportunities

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go back and revisit our original mission for starting the podcast and compare it to where we are today and some of the new things we are currently ...

169: Back To Basics (Team Fundamentals)

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are discussing a topic that was requested by a listener of the podcast, which is one of our favorite ways to get content. Let us know what you want...

168: The Experience of a Lifetime

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to get caught up and back into the flow of podcasting. Consider this episode a warmup for Season 10.

167: Post-Season Check-In

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We just want to let you know that we are still here and still podcasting! We have a lot to talk about from this past spring and a lot to look forward ...

166: Genuine Joy For the Successes of Others

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are over a week into the High School baseball season and we reflect on our experiences and lessons learned so far this season.

165: The Greatest Pleasure In Life (ft. Lukas Moore)

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our old friend Lukas Moore joins us from his new homefront in Wrigleyville, Chicago. This is a very rich conversation about coaching, motivating peopl...

164: Yes, Do Play Multiple Sports!

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we revisit a question that comes up a lot. It's a topic that is always relevant because of the tension that is always felt by players, paren...

163: Change is Not a Four-Letter Word

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode discusses the difference between PRINCIPLES and METHODS, and challenges coaches to consider ways in which they might need to chang...

162: Creating a Memorable Experience for All

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing can stop The Coaching Life Podcast from being recorded! Pat is in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on a Carnival cruise. Still, there are less...

161: Coaching Life Culture – The Post Interview

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today the podcasters become the interviewees! Cami Seymore, a freshman Journalism student at Ohio University, interviews us for her column in The Post...

160: Coaches Learning from Coaches (OHSBCA Clinic Preview)

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week is one of our favorite times of the year. For high school baseball coaches in Ohio, it's the annual Ohio High School Baseball Coaches As...

159: New Year, New Season!

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Coaching Life Podcast has gone through several changes and updates over our 9 seasons of recording, but the core of what we are about remains. We ...

158: Flush It and Control Your Response

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It was surprising to see the behavior and response of the NFL's most elite and successful quarterbacks this past weekend. But, that event provides...

157: How Sports Change Your Life

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This conversation topic was suggested to us by one of our young listeners of The Coaching Life Podcast. Thanks, Gavin for helping us with the conversa...

156: Top 10 Attributes of a Great Coach

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Great coaches have some common qualities and attributes. Today we break out a Top 10 list of those things.

155: Who's Going to Fill the Gap? (A Tribute to Dave Boyd)

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As we approach the season of gratitude and Thanksgiving, we take a moment to honor a man who selflessly gave more than 20 years of his life to make su...

154: Development = "The Process of Winning"

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a coach, which focus do you have? A development-first focus, or a winning-first focus? How can the two approaches work together? Or is it always &q...

153: Winning a Mental Game with Guest Morgan Rodgers, Ohio University Golf

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We chat with Morgan Rodgers, freshman on the Ohio University Bobcats Women's Golf Team. This fall, Morgan has made an immediate impact preparing ...

152: Is Pressure a Figment of Your Imagination?

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some experts say that pressure doesn't really exist. Rather, it is something that our minds create. If so, then why does it feel so real? And what...

151: Coaching Means Doing Stuff You Might Not Realize You Had To Do

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have another listener topic request. This conversation came from a coach who asked us about the extra time we spend maintaining our facility and pl...

150: Parent/Coach Collaboration Because We Have a Common Goal – the Player's Success

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

150 EPISODES!!!! Thanks for being part of our ongoing conversation! Whether you have listened since 2019 and all 150 episodes or you just found us, we...

149: Guest Parker Navarro, OHIO University QB – Lead From Whatever Role You're In

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have a conversation with OHIO University grad student quarterback Parker Navarro. Parker talks about the lessons he has learned through faci...

148: Guest Jon Hanlon and the Officials Shortage in High School Sports

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's happening in every state; schools are having difficulty scheduling games for Varsity sports because it seems there are not enough officials t...

147: Response to Poor Performance

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bad performances are a regular part of sports. If you play, coach, or have children who play, there will be bad days on the field and court. How we re...

146: Boys To Men

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We would like to present a challenge to all young people – AVOID ADOLESCENSE. Of course, we'll explain what we mean.

145: What You Say Matters

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The relationship of mutual respect and trust between coach and player is directly related to performance and success. Our relationship with our player...

144: Youth Sports vs Church

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a topic we have never before discussed on The Coaching Life Podcast, but it's an extremely relevant conversation for just about every y...

143: Don't Go Broke! (and more Do's and Don'ts)

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our conversation for sports parents on some "do's and don'ts" that we recommend to help you and your kids have the best ...

142: There IS a Way When It Seems There Is No Way

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Pat discuss the recent news of the closing of Alderson Broaddus University. What can we learn from this event?

141: Do's and Don'ts For Sports Parents (Part 1)

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're beginning a new series of podcast episodes in which we talk about some things we SHOULD do with ourselves, with our children, with coaches, and ...

140: Stories From The Diamond

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Pat are back together for a new episode, playing catch-up from taking some time off to coach their baseball teams this spring. They have lot...

139: Cringeworthy Things Heard From the Stands

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's take a moment and really think about some of the things we say at games. 

138: The Welcome Back Show – Season 8 Begins!

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Pat are back in the studio together and have a lot of catching up to do. Lots of good conversations to come! 

137: An Update From Chris and Pat

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris provides a brief update on where we have been during the past couple of months. 

136: Kurtis Rourke, Ohio University QB - His Own Legacy

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest in this episode is Ohio University quarterback, Kurtis Rourke. At the end of a monumental season for the Bobcats –– winning the MAC East...

135: "Believe-In" Over "Buy-In"

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about needing to get "buy-in" from players and teams, but let's go a little bit deeper and talk about "believe-in." What is it? How can ...

134: Justin Roush - Think You Deserve It? Prove It!

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Justin walked on at Ohio University and played 5 years (from 2000-2004). He was a prolific high school running back whose name is listed in many OHSAA...

133: Coach Sam Smathers – Discovering Joe Burrow

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Before he was the Bengals quarterback, a Heisman winner, National Champion, and 2-time Ohio High School Gatorade Player of the Year... Joe Burrow was ...

132: Do You Know What You Don't Know?

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much do you think about all of the common things you say and words you use when you are coaching? 

131: Let's Talk About Playing Time

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's always a hard conversation, but a necessary one. In this episode, we try to speak to all parties involved: coaches, players, and parents. 

130: Playing Through Injury

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a lot of discussion around the sports world about athletes playing through injuries, and some that could potentially have serious conse...

129: How Youth And Varsity Programs Are Connected

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What value do youth programs have for high school Varsity programs? Likewise, what value do Varsity programs have for youth programs? 

128: Heart – A Tribute To Bernard Hussell

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can you coach HEART? That's what we try to figure out in this conversation. 

127: What do you WANT?

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What would you have to sacrifice to have what you REALLY WANT?  What WILL you sacrifice to have what you really want?  Do those two lists ma...

126: Summer Calendars Gone Wild

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As coaches of multiple-sport athletes, we need to be intentional about cooperating, coordinating, and corroborating with the other coaches in our scho...

125: Hug It Out... Or Not

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A Little League Baseball pitcher had one get away from him and the pitch struck the batter in the head. A scary moment. The pitcher was visibly upset....

124: Season 7 - We Want To Be Useful

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are back for a new season of Coaching Life conversations. As long as we can be useful to someone and serve a purpose with this podcast, we will kee...

123: Mid-Season Check-In

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're in the heart of the high school baseball season and haven't had as much opportunity to connect for conversation, but in anticipation of a couple...

122: Pivot and Stay Positive

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been raining... and raining... and snowing... and raining... and sleeting... and raining.  But we're choosing to prepare for the sunshine.&...

121: Game Week!

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about a variety of topics on today's episode. This is the week that Pat and Chris's high school baseball teams meet up with each other on the ...

120: How We Can All Help Save Youth Sports

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is a nationwide problem, and our student athletes are going to pay the consequences of it. It's no longer something that is "coming soon," it is he...

119: Core Values and Principles that Define Your Team

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should you define your team's core values? If so, how should you go about it and how should they be viewed in the grand scheme of things? 

118: Setting Expectations and Standards

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Pat reflect after the first day of high school practice, and talk about the importance of expectations for everyone. 

117: Twenty Square Feet of Relentless Effort

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Each one of us has a particular realm of ownership and influence in the culture and strategy of our team or organization. What will we do with it?&nbs...

116: Differences of Opinion

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you handle the awkward moments when a well-intentioned coach teaches something to a player that is different than the way you would like things...

115: How Champions Think

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We dive into the mindset of the best. If you want to be the best, this is how you think. 

114: Jimmy Burrow - Raising An Unstoppable Athlete

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What a privilege to have Coach Jimmy Burrow, father of Joe Burrow, on to chat with us about the characteristics he sees in his own son that make him r...

113: Shake Or No Shake?

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The guys debate the merits of postgame handshaking.