The path to sustainable performance is not universal. Guidance to this end is not as simple as “start time-blocking your day” or “just be positive” or “jump in an ice bath every morning.” While any of those might have the potential to be good advice, the advice is only good…
An overview of an article which originally appeared in the SHAPE PA Journal, 2025: https://issuu.com/shapepainnovation/docs/shape_pa_spring_2025_journal Educators are rightfully concerned about student wellbeing. The rhythm of a school year affects mood, stress, motivation, and performance. Teachers notice these shifts in passing conversations. Coaches see them in practice. Counselors hear them during…
Jim Davis, Ed.M., MA, RSCC*E When I was playing football, more always seemed better. More loud music, more intensity, more work… counterintuitively, my methods did not always lead to more productivity or improved performance. When I started my coaching journey, my worst moments followed a similar path. I had not…
Jim Davis, EdM, MA, RSCC*E The coach started practice at 5:30am. He believed these early mornings would teach toughness and discipline. The team responded well to the challenge and 4:30am wakeup calls became the norm. With puffy eyes and heavy feet, they would stroll in, tired but ready to work.…
Coaching and teaching require similar skillsets. Leaders in each must develop subject matter expertise, create cultures rich with learning, and share information with students/athletes. The “classrooms” look different (some might have desks, others might have hoops or barbells), but the methods and objectives are similar. Eric McMahon understands those similarities.…
In a quiet office overlooking Northwestern University’s autumn-tinted campus, Dr. Tim Dohrer is quietly inspiring the new wave of teacher-leaders. Leadership is a skill for all. Whether it takes the form of coaching, parenting, or teaching – whether it occurs in the boardroom, on the field, or at home –…
Although it was a typically sunny day in Colorado Springs, it was cold beside the ice rink in the Olympic Training Center. On assignment with the Good Athlete Project, a fellow coach and I stood against the glass watching elite athletes make toe loop, axel, and salchow jumps look easy.…
Rumors of the New York Mets calling Tim Tebow into the big-league have begun. He continues to improve in the minor leagues (he just made the Double-A All-Star team), and it seems his number is almost destined to be called. That news is already sparking low-level debates akin to the…