Tales From the Trail by MatchPlay

Tales From the Trail by MatchPlay

di Scot Cooper

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Stagione 1

118. Al Albert - Former College of William & Mary Men's Soccer Coach

In this episode I welcome a living legend, Al Albert. Al’s accomplishments in soccer over a 33 year career at the College of William and Mary are too numerous to list. To provide a glimpse into his success as a head men’s soccer coach, he had 29 consecutive winning seasons, 5 CAA tournament championships, 5 regular season CAA titles and several great runs in the NCAA tournament. The 4-time CAA coach of the year is in multiple halls of fame, coached several future pros, and published a book about the history of men’s soccer at William & Mary, with the forward written by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, perhaps his most famous alum. In further service to the game and his community, Al started the Community Partnership to provide elementary school students a place to play soccer no matter what their socio-economic status is. He rallied the Williamsburg, VA community to make donations, found funds through grants and encouraged people to volunteer. The program is now over 20 years old. Finally, as a testament to his impact on American soccer as a whole over his career he was elected the 60th president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, which is the largest single sport coaching organization on Earth. Many owe thanks to Coach Albert, my regret with this podcast is that I didn’t bring on a few of his former players to enrich the discussion. Next time.

117. Mindset Monday - Starting a Mindfulness Practice

Mindset Coach Eric Manuel discusses how to start a mindfulness practice.

116. Amy Rains, MS - Nutrition Professor - wholsomelicious.com

In this episode I welcome human nutrition professor, Amy Rains. In addition to teaching several courses at the College of William and Mary, Amy is a published cookbook author and healthy recipe guru. We delve into the damage sugar does in our diet, the importance of protein and nutrition as it relates to sports performance. Amy also discusses timing of nutrition and supplementation. This is a great primer on nutrition and a great start to understanding how it impacts how we perform athletically. For more information, visit wholesomelicious.com and check out Amy’s website.

115. Mindset Monday - Eric Manuel - Expert Mindset Coaching

Mindset Monday #20 - Mindset Coach discusses the benefits of a mindfulness practice when facing exhaustion. expertmindsetcoaching.com

114. Mark Plotkin, Head Coach DePaul University Men's Soccer

In this episode, Justin Chezem of Christopher Newport University Men’s Soccer and I welcome Mark Plotkin. Mark is the head coach of DePaul University men’s soccer in Chicago. Mark does a great job of describing his recruiting process, what it’s like to be a student athlete at DePaul and be a member of the men’s soccer team. He also reflects on growing up in Chicago with a group of kids who loved the game including his brother Brian who is the head coach at the US Military Academy. Listen to episode #96 for more on Brian. Thank you to Mark for a great chat and we look forward to bringing on the Plotkin brothers in the near future.

113. Carlos Vera, UFC Bantamweight & Eric Manuel of Expert Mindset Coaching

In this episode I welcome back UFC athlete Carlos Vera and his mindset coach and co-host of our Mindset Mondays, Eric Manuel of Expert Mindset Coaching. In his UFC debut in February, Carlos sustained a shoulder dislocation, torn labrum and grade 5 separation with a broken collarbone in the first minute of the bout. Despite the injury, Carlos persevered and continued to fight until the end. He describes where his mind went in the moment so that he could deal with the immediate adversity he faced. Along with his experience and innate grit and resilience, Carlos discusses with Eric the work they have done together to develop his mindfulness which played a big role in him overcoming such a gruesome injury. Thank you to Carlos and Eric for sharing so much of their work together.

112. Mindset Monday #20 - Mindfulness - The Benefits

Eric Manuel discusses the benefits of growing your mindfulness practice

111. Asia Mape, Founder of I Love to Watch You Play

Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Asia Mape the founder of I Love to Watch You Play. She discusses her experiences as a parent of athletes and the lessons she’s learned from along the way. I Love to Watch You Play has the motto helping sports parents raise healthy, happy athletes- the name says it all, young athletes repeatedly express that what they want to hear from their parents is ‘I love to watch you play’. Check out Asia’s podcast at ilovetowatchyouplay.com. Summary Asia Mape, a former sports television producer and founder of I Love to Watch You Play, shares her journey in the sports industry and the importance of supporting young athletes. She discusses the pressure parents often put on their children in youth sports and the need to remember the true purpose of sports. Asia also opens up about her own experience with her daughter quitting sports and the lessons she learned as a parent. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for balance, communication, and trust in youth sports. In this conversation, Asia Mape discusses the importance of mindfulness practice for both parents and young athletes. She shares her personal experience of realizing her attachment to her children's sports performance and how mindfulness helped her find balance. Asia also emphasizes the significance of positive behavioral contagion in creating a supportive and positive team environment. Lastly, she offers insights into the college recruiting process and highlights the importance of character in standing out as an athlete. Takeaways Parents should remember the true purpose of youth sports, which is the process of learning, character development, and personal growth, rather than focusing solely on outcomes. Putting pressure on young athletes can have negative effects on their enjoyment of sports and overall well-being. Parents should prioritize supporting their children's interests and goals, rather than imposing their own agendas. Building trust and open communication with children is crucial in understanding their needs and desires in sports. Mindfulness practice can help parents find balance and avoid becoming overly attached to their children's sports performance. Creating a positive team environment through positive behavioral contagion is crucial for athletes to thrive. The college recruiting process can be unpredictable, and it's important to keep all options open and focus on character development. Character and personal qualities can make a significant difference in the college recruiting process. Chapters 00:00 Running into Chris Brown at UCLA 01:14 Asia Mape's career in sports television 04:00 The behind-the-scenes of sports broadcasting 04:50 Starting I Love to Watch You Play 08:11 Remembering the why in youth sports 10:15 The effects of putting pressure on young athletes 11:38 Transition from enjoyment to pressure in youth sports 13:11 Effects of pressuring instead of supporting 21:09 Building trust with your child 23:25 Repairing the parent-child relationship 25:19 Recognizing when a child is ready to quit 28:08 Reflecting on the parent's role in youth sports 29:17 Mindfulness Practice 38:16 Positive Behavioral Contagion 48:39 College Recruiting Process 56:26 The Importance of Character

110. Mindset Monday #19 Mindfulness and Controlling Emotions

Eric Manuel of Expert Mindset Coaching discusses practicing mindfulness and the benefits it provides in competitive athletics and life.

109. Blessing Kieh and Abraham Monsee

In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome LEAD Monrovia Football Academy products Blessing Kieh and Abraham Monsee who left Liberia to become students and soccer players at Westminster School in Connecticut. They describe their experiences as students, soccer players, moving halfway across the world and the journey to continue their playing careers in college here in the United States. Thank you to Sona Traore the Executive Director of LEAD Monrovia Football Academy and Will Smith the founder of LEAD EDU. Check out Episode 92 to hear Will’s story.

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