Jamy Bechler

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

Episode 149: Clark Kellogg, College Basketball Analyst

Clark Kellogg is one of the most respected voices covering college basketball today. The CBS Sports analyst was once a top college basketball player at Ohio State University, where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors and won the Big Ten Most Valuable Player award in 1982.

After his junior year at Ohio State, he declared for the 1992 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall in the first round by the Indiana Pacers, and named to the NBA All-Rookie first team in 1983 after averaging 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds. But his NBA career was cut short after just four seasons due to knee injuries, and he was forced to retire in 1986 at the age of 25.

Clark began his broadcasting journey with ESPN in 1990, and in 1993 he moved to CBS Sports, where he has worked since. In March 2010, Kellogg played a game of H.O.R.S.E. against U.S. President Barack Obama. The game, called “P.O.T.U.S.” for the occasion, was won by Obama.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Playing basketball against President Obama
  • What makes up a great leader
  • Being the parent of athletes
  • Working with Charles Barkley during NCAA Tournament
  • How players can use their platform
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 137: Mark Immelman, PGA Broadcaster

Mark Immelman is currently the host of the “On the Mark” podcast on pgatour.com. He also covers live golf for the PGA TOUR on their live-streaming mobile app, PGA TOUR Live, on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio and for Golf Channel and CBS Sports. In addition to his broadcasting career, he’s also the Director of Golf at Columbus State University and the author of Scandalously Simple: The Easy Way to Accurate Golf Shots. Mark is the older brother of 2008 Masters champion, Trevor Immelman and son of former South African Sunshine Tour commissioner, Johan Immelman.

Immelman believes in a holistic approach to the game. Having coached two Masters Champions, Larry Mize and younger brother Trevor Immelman, Mark understands what it takes to get to the top of the game, and he shares these “trade secrets” with listeners around the globe on the PGA Tour’s “On The Mark” podcast. As a player, Mark Immelman was a four-time All American and played on two NCAA championship-winning teams. He was also the 2009 NCAA-II National Golf Coach of the Year.

Click here to see Mark’s full bio on the Columbus State website.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Transitioning from the national office to becoming the NAIA’s first-ever female conference commissioner
  • Challenges facing today’s student-athletes
  • Qualities of good leaders
  • How to advance in college athletics
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 134: Coach Bill Curry

Bill Curry has been the head football coach at Alabama, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Georgia State. He was a 2x SEC Coach of the Year, ACC Coach of the Year, as well as the National Coach of the Year in 1989 for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Before embarking upon a coaching career, he played 10 years in the NFL as a Center. He played in Super Bowls I, III, and V, winning two Super Bowl rings with the Packers and the Colts. 

Click here to read Coach Curry’s complete resume and biography.

You can find out more about Coach Bill Curry, his motivational speaking opportunities, and his book “Ten Men You Meet In The Huddle” by visiting www.BillCurry.net. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What the best teams have in common
  • Playing for Vince Lombardi and Don Shula
  • Attending Martin Luther King’s funeral
  • Why Johnny Unitas and Bart Star were so great
  • … and so much more!!!

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20 Books to Read in 2020

I once read 30 books in an entire summer, including 10 John Grisham novels. Reading is something that I enjoy doing. I am a paperback kind of guy as I will dog-ear pages, highlight passages, and make notes in the margins. My wife, on the other hand, only reads Kindle books or listens to audio books. 

Whatever your preference, it is important that you read. Readers are leaders. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things that you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

What follows is my recommended list of books in various categories that were published during the last two years. I have previously made recommended book lists of “19 Books to Read in 2019”, “18 Books to Read in 2018”, “15 Best Books for Coaches”, “15 Best Books for Leaders”, and “7 Underrated Books for Leaders”.

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Live to Forgive

Gandhi once said that “an eye for an eye makes the world world blind.” 18-year old Brandt Jean applied this principle in his life when he made headlines for what he did in a Dallas courtroom in October of 2019.

After Amber Guyger was sentenced in the 2018 murder of Brandt’s brother Botham, he said that he forgave her and asked the judge if he could give her a hug.

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Bitter or Better?

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, understood the importance of choosing a right attitude even in bad situations. She was known to be someone that avoided grudges. One time a friend reminded her of a cruel thing that had happened to her previously, but Clara seemed not to remember the incident. “Don’t you remember the wrong that was done to you?, the friend asked. Clara answered calmly. “No, I distinctly remember forgetting that.”

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Episode 106: Greg Tonagel, Indiana Wesleyan University Basketball Coach

Greg Tonagel is the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University. Tonagel and the Wildcats have won three NAIA Division II National Championships in a five year spans with titles in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Since Tonagel took over the program in 2005, he has become the winningest coach in program history both in total wins and winning percentage. Prior to coming to IWU, Tonagel served as Director of Basketball Operations at Valparaiso University, where he also played for legendary Homer Drew and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments as the starting point guard. He also led his LaPorte High School team to the last single class state finals in 1997. Much of the unprecedented success of the Wildcats can be attributed to the culture Tonagel built at IWU.  The IWU culture is built around two Biblically transforming principles; I am Third and Fearless. This has helped the influence of IWU basketball to extend far beyond the court. Tonagel and his staff have been committed to using basketball as a platform for discipleship.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What any coach can do to create a better culture
  • Why IWU is so good year in and year out
  • How he convinces great players (including DI transfers from IU and Kansas) to come to IWU
  • … and so much more!!!

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3 Things You Can Do with the Past

Everyone has a past.  Often times, the things that have happened to us shape our future.  We can do three things with our past.  We can LIVE in the past, we can DWELL on the past or we can LEARN from the past.  Whichever category you fall into may go a long way toward determining your future.

Just be careful not to end up like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite in the following video clip . . .

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Episode 100: Jon Gordon, New York Times Best-Selling Author

Jon Gordon is a best-selling author, motivational coach and motivational speaker.  His books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 16 books including six best-sellers: “The Energy Bus,” “The Carpenter,” “Training Camp,” “You Win in the Locker Room First,” “The Power of Positive Leadership,” and “The Power of a Positive Team.” Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Rams, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy, and more.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Getting rejected by more than 30 publishers
  • Writing a book in 3 weeks
  • Being positive in the world today
  • Working with high-level sports teams
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 090: Former NFL Tight End Brandon Bostick

Brandon Bostick is a former NFL Tight End. He is originally from South Carolina and starred at West Florence HS before going to Newberry College. While at Newberry, he played Wide Receiver and scored 19 touchdowns in only 39 total collegiate games (24 starts). Brandon’s journey has been a story of overcoming the odds to achieve his goals. He played two full seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He would also spend time with the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Jets during his NFL career. Unfortunately, on January 15, 2015 in the NFC Championship Game, he was involved in a play that would be the low point in his career. He fumbled an onside kick, which gave the Seattle Seahawks one last chance to score. The Seahawks scored and would eventually win the game in overtime, advancing to the Super Bowl. Despite this setback Brandon has maintained a positive attitude. He is a good example of a person being resilient and understanding how blessed he is. He had a great career and got to play with some of the best to ever play the game of football. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His journey to defy the odds and become an NFL player
  • What it was like playing with Aaron Rodgers and in Green Bay
  • The qualities of successful NFL players
  • Advice for bouncing back and overcoming setbacks in life

[Read more…]

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