Elite Development Podcast Takeaways

We are 15 episodes into my podcast now. Only 6 are actually aired, but we have a TON more great content ready to go. I have so enjoyed this process. I started my podcast as an idea to help guide athletes through different stages and difficulties in their careers. I felt as though athletes often have the desire to make it to the top level but had ZERO idea what it actually takes to get there.

Now, I have never played professional sport. I have never come close to playing professional sport. So how could I possibly be the one to tell these teenagers what they need to do to make it to the top? Or tell my higher level athletes what they need to do to STAY at the top. My own research and passion helps, sure… I know that consistent training, good nutrition, proper daily habits, etc. etc. etc. are all very important to be successful in anything, but why listen to me? That was a big driver behind this show. Instead of just listening to me, now you can listen to other people who have actually LIVED it. Other professionals in the field of high performance sport that have either played or coached at high levels of sport. Hear what they have to say, what they lived through, and how it can help YOU.

Since starting these interviews I have done my absolute best not to direct the conversation. I just want to ask questions and hear what the elite of the elite have to say about what it takes to make it as an athlete. What has to go on behind the scenes, behind closed doors to make the athlete we all watch when the lights are on.

Funny enough, I have seen so much commonality between what these top athletes have told me. Yes, of course their experiences are different. Their experiences have all shaped them individually, however no matter the sport, no matter the level, no matter the experiences… There are common themes between what these athletes tell me it takes to make it where they did, and what it takes to stay there.

In the first 15 episodes I have had multiple Olympic medalists, professional football players, a professional boxer, two professional hockey players, hockey coaches, a tennis pro, and so many more interesting people. Here is what I have gathered.

  1. Self awareness – In some capacity or another, nearly every one of the amazing people I have had on the show have told me that you need to understand who you are both as an athlete and as a person. It is only through developing self awareness that you can truly understand where your weaknesses lie in all aspects of your life. As you start to understand what may be standing in your way from achieving your TRUE human & athletic potential it is only then that you will truly be able to correct your weaknesses and start to create the best possible version of yourself.
  2. Training With INTENT – I think we can all agree that training is a critical part of being a successful athlete. However, something that often gets overlooked is training with INTENT. Make sure that your training sessions have a purpose when you step into the gym. It is not the key just to simply spend more time there than your opposition. The key is in how you use that time.
  3. Time management – This definitely piggy backs off of point #2 but time management is its own point here for a very simple reason. This means more than just managing your time in the gym. As you move to higher levels of sport you begin to have more and more responsibility. Whether it is simply more practice / training hours required than in previous levels, or having to manage living on your own when you move off to college or junior levels your responsibility will increase with time. If you learn to more effectively manage your time early with school work, extracurricular activities, sports schedule, etc. then when your responsibilities increase you will be equipped to handle it. Being a good athlete is not only what happens while in the sport, but can also be affected by outside life stressors. If life is overwhelming, you can’t be putting your best foot forward in competition.
  4. Control The Controllables – How many times have you gotten stressed out and let external factors affect your mood, or affect your productivity. Every minute you spend worrying about the external factors you can’t control is another minute spent NOT worrying about what you can do to positively affect your performance. No matter how badly the odds feel stacked against you, your ability to push the external factors aside and focus on your performance, the better chance you have of being successful.

There is obviously much more to the show than just these four points but these have been four major takeaways from the first 15 episodes. I cannot WAIT to continue to bring this show to light. Thank you to all the guests I have had on so far and I look forward to the stories to come.

If you haven’t checked out the show yet, please check out the website here to leave a rating and review.