Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Episode 176: Lauren Johnson, former New York Yankees Mental Coach

Lauren Johnson is an athlete-turned-mental conditioning coach, who is highly motivating, and relatable with a passion for developing the minds of the elite. Lauren trains professional athletes, military personnel and business professionals through national speaking engagements, educational training workshops and consulting.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Lauren served as the Mental Conditioning Coordinator for the New York Yankees, where she was responsible for aiding in the development of athletes and staff through education, application, and support.

From the playing field to the boardroom, Lauren helps elite performers develop mental toughness so they can be their best regardless of circumstance. Her practical, straight-forward advice and performance strategies provide tangible results and skills that help individuals push through the inevitable challenges life throws at us.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Why soccer players flop
  • How to break out of a slump
  • “Coaching” her professional golfing husband
  • What we all can do better mentally to be successful
  • Helping the New York Yankees with mental performance
  • … and much more!!!

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Leaders Growing Leaders: Don Baker

Today’s guest on the “Leaders Developing Leaders” series is Don Baker, Cobb County School (GA) District Director of Athletics.

During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders on how they are growing and developing other leaders.

The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.

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Piles of Mail

“First get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and then they can figure out where to drive it.” (Jim Collins, Good to Great)

During the summer of my first year as an AD, we hired a brand new secretary. On her first day, she put all the mail that had been piling up for the last month into a big black trash bag and threw it in the dumpster.

In all fairness, it looked like a big pile of trash with all of the catalogs from equipment, award, and apparel businesses. But there were a few letters and other important stuff mixed in.

Obviously, I was not happy. However, she was just trying to help out and we were in the midst of redecoration and redesign of the athletic department so she thought this was right in line with what we were trying to do.

Regardless, I went dumpster diving and also learned a great lesson.

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The Coachable Coach: Megan Duffy

Today’s guest on “The Coachable Coach” series is Megan Duffy, head women’s basketball coach at Marquette University.

“The Coachable Coach” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network goes beyond the X’s and O’s as Jamy Bechler talks with some of the best sports coaches.

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Bags Fly Free

A few years ago Southwest Airlines hired some consultants to give them advice and help their airline become better. The consultants suggested that Southwest Air charge passengers to check luggage since the competition was doing it and they could make millions upon millions in additional revenue. 

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Episode 175: Sports Stories with Denny Lennon

Denny Lennon is the host of Sports Stories with Denny Lennon, a video and audio podcast that focuses on uplifting stories told through long form interviews with a wide range of sports figures. He was born and raised in Venice, California as part of a family known for music but also highly passionate about sports. His true love for sports started in his own backyard. It was games in that yard that led to 40 years of jobs in coaching, announcing, promoting, and administrating sports at different levels throughout Los Angeles and the country. Coaching children, especially his own, cemented in his mind what a great gift sports can be. Joining the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1994 to develop programs has provided him an opportunity to meet many interesting people in the world of sports including NBA Legend Jerry West

Click here for Denny’s complete bio

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The greatest L.A. Laker ever
  • What made John Wooden such a good leader
  • Pioneering beach volleyball tournaments and TV coverage
  • … and much more!!!

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How to Take a Team from First to Worst

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that it doesn’t go into a fruit salad.” (Miles Kington)

After two different head coaching stints, I was presented an opportunity to coach at a dream job. It was the same type of school I was currently at but had more resources, more stability, a much nicer campus, and nearly every key player was returning from the prior year’s Top-25 team. The coach had left to take a big-time Division I head coaching job and they wanted me to replace him.

When you listen to coaches speak at clinics and conferences, they are quick to outline what they’ve done to rebuild a bad program. Most stories present an example to follow or a cautionary tale. In that dream job, I took the program from first to worst. That’s right, I ruined that team in just one year.

Not only did we have one of the worst seasons in school history and a 16-win DECREASE but we also lost twice to the team that I had just left.

#Oops.

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The Coachable Coach: Jackie Carson

Today’s guest on “The Coachable Coach” series is Jackie Carson, head women’s basketball coach at Furman University.

“The Coachable Coach” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network goes beyond the X’s and O’s as Jamy Bechler talks with some of the best sports coaches.

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Leaders Growing Leaders: Kelly Wells

Today’s guest on the “Leaders Developing Leaders” series is Kelly Wells, the Director of Athletics at the University of Pikeville. 

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Episode 173: National Association of Collegiate Esports Founder Michael Brooks

Michael Brooks is the Executive Director of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).  NACE is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of member institutions and the largest varsity organization in North America.  NACE’s members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. Areas of collaboration include: Eligibility, Path to Graduation, Competition & Scholarships, IP Rights, and Program Implementation. NACE currently has over 200 varsity esports programs as members, accounting for nearly all varsity programs across North America.  Michael and his work with NACE has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, ESPN, Forbes, Fortune, NBC, SBJ and many others.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What are Esports
  • Why Esports should matter to you
  • How Esports teams are similar to traditional sports teams
  • … and much more!!!

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