Off the Pitch with Active

The New York Times best-selling author of My Stroke of Insight, Dr Jill Bolte Taylor, blends neuroanatomy with psychology in her new book Whole Brain Living which shows how we can short-circuit emotional reactivity and find our way to peace. Ranked #1 on Amazon in the following categories: Stroke, Neuroscience, Neurological Diseases, Nervous System Diseases, and Stress Management.

Dr. Jill is passionate about educating the public about the beauty of our human brain. In this ep, we will explore the Whole Brain Living related to youth-sport and what is going on in the teenage brain.

Show notes: https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/57-dr-jill-bolte-taylor/

Jazlyn Pipkin is another refreshing young achiever in the space of youth sport.

She is a Health Coach and Personal trainer who graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Exercise Sports Science and Associates in Business Administration.

In 2015, she converted her life to Christ and began to discover her personal call, purpose, and God’s plan for her life. She has a passion for people and loves to mentor and support young lives. She has a desire to empower others to develop their relationship with Christ and discover their-God-Given gifts and talents. Jazlyn is proficient at helping others reach their goals and obtain success spiritually, physically, mentally, and relationally.

Jazlyn is the youngest female in her community to own a Athletics training & Mentorship Ministry, Jazleticz. She began Jazleticz six years ago with one client. Today she has helped over 400 athletes dominate their new levels of their careers by improving their mindset and skillset.

This is part 2 of a conversation I had with Chris end of last year. If you haven’t heard part 1 yet, go to episode 53 to make full sense of our discussion in this episode.

Chris is an experienced coach-developer and football administrator with over 10 years’ experience in grassroots football programs working with member federations in Australia, NPL clubs and associations in both Western Australia and NSW.

Chris is passionate about how we rethink grassroots football as we look to cater for players of all abilities.

Show notes: https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/

Leveraging two master’s degrees—in sports psychology and early childhood development—and thirty years of professional coaching experience, “Coach Reed” Maltbie has dedicated his life to creating the best environments for athletes of all ages to achieve peak performance, on and off the sports field.

Coach Reed has implemented training programs with all types of sports

organizations—Gaelic Games Association, US Sailing, USA Hockey, USA Swimming, Ontario Volleyball, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Soccer Canada, and PGA of Canada, to name a few.

Show notes: click here

Chris is an experienced coach developer and football administrator with over 10 years’ experience in grassroots football programs working with member federations in Australia, NPL clubs and associations in both Western Australia and NSW.

Chris is passionate for how we rethink grassroots football as we look to cater for players of all abilities.

AFC/FFA A Lic

AFC/FFA level 1 GK coach

FFA Community coach educator

AFC/FFA C Lic instructor

AFC/FFA B Lic instructor

Today we talk about retention of youth in football.

Show notes: https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/

Helen Connolly became South Australia’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People in April 2017.  The position was established under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016.  The Commissioner promotes and advocates for the rights, development and wellbeing of all children and young people in South Australia, with a special focus to engage with and listen to children who aren’t usually heard.

Helen has 30 years’ experience as a leader in human services.  Throughout her career, Helen has taken an active advocacy role on the main policy issues that impact on the wellbeing of Australian families and children, with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention strategies.

In this episode we talk about her recent report “More than a game-What do children & young people think about sport”

Show notes: https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/

Sasha Graham is the founder of Tiny Ninja Books and is the author of Milo Does Not Like Mornings and Whitney Wins Everything. Sasha is a former executive at the Walt Disney Studios and her writing has appeared in magazines, newspapers and on television.

Sasha lives with her husband Alan in beautiful Arizona where they encourage each other, and their children, Finn, Indy & Odessa, to always listen to their Tiny Ninjas.

Today we will talk about her latest book “Whitney Wins Everything” and the importance to engage children with story telling.

Show notes https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/

Mark O’Sullivan is helping me kicking of the 50th celebratory episode of “Off the Pitch with Active”.

To me he is an inspiration fueling my burning desire to help influence people to create a youth sport environment which Mark said in the opening “Meets the physical and emotional needs of children and youth”.

So, I put together this episode with a mixture of previous guests, who shared their view of the best possible environment for youth to thrive in sport. My question to them was “What is your Sound of Music of youth sport?”

You will love what they have to say.

Thanks for staying with me and following my journey to discover ideas on how to reduce the dropout rate in youth sport.

show notes and links https://yellowforyelling.com/off-the-pitch-with-active/

List of filmmusic.io played during the episode;

Fantastic World by WinnieTheMoog

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7042-fantastic-world  

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Main Theme (The Grand Score) by Alexander Nakarada

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4960-main-theme-the-grand-score- 

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Total Happy Up And Sunny by Sascha Ende®

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/555-total-happy-up-and-sunny

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

After years of self-doubt and self-deprecation, Vickie Simos (BA (Psych) G.dip.C&Psychotheraphy Master of Counselling) has made many discoveries about who she was and who she wants to be – a confident, strong person who considers herself worthy of all the best life has to offer.

Vickie has competed in numerous Martial Arts tournaments nationally and internationally in the USA, Philippines and New Zealand, which include two World Championships for Stick Fighting, receiving 2 silvers and 1 bronze medal, as well as a Gold in the Pan Pacific’s held in New Zealand.

In her memoir 'The Boxer Within', Vickie shares her journey to find the passion within.

Today we will talk about her background and the work she does in the youth sector to help develop mental health amongst youth using Martial Arts.

Show notes: Off the Pitch with Active — Yellow for Yelling

Sean has a keen interest in helping coaches learn. He holds an AFC/FFA Pro Diploma, but also has a passion for continual learning, which has included a Masters of Coaching (University of Queensland), and training as a Master Coach Developer through the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Coach Developer Academy.

Sean has been involved in Coach Development for over 16 years, helping coaches / organisations in different countries and sports. He has a playing background at a professional and international level, and has coached at national level, and with various international age group teams. Despite this experience at a high level, he highlights working (early in his coaching career) as a full-time coach in a community club, coaching 12 sessions every week from U9’s to Seniors, as his best learning moments.

5 years Director of Football in NZ

2 Years Technical Director Football Victoria

7 years National Coach Educator Football Australia

Since July 2019 and current FIFA Technical Expert

Since Jan 2021 E-Learning Development Manager

Show notes: Off the Pitch with Active — Yellow for Yelling

Dr. Jess Garza holds a PhD in performance psychology, a master's in clinical mental health and a master's in sport-exercise psychology. She has established herself as a global influencer and now spends her time presenting around the world. She has worked with professional athletes, congressional staff, FBI, CIA and US Special Forces. Dr. Garza helps her clients develop mental readiness, emotional intelligence and self-confidence to optimize their potential both on a personal and professional level.

Dr. Garza has dedicated her life to understanding how athletes and tactical populations think, behave and are motivated. She is known as "the queen of applied sciences." Her ambition to provide quality training programs has opened the door for a diverse number of elite populations to have access to resources to help enhance their performance. The joy in giving back joined with her innate ability to read others and her love for teaching has led her to create Ultier, llc. Her vision is to expand and serve athletes, parent’s and coaches at all levels.

Today we will talk around the topic of Emotional Contagion.

Show notes and contact details www.yellowforyelling.com

Emma Doyle is a Performance Coach and international speaker helping you turn your motivation into activation. She has been coaching for 30 years and through her keynote speaking, mentoring, coaching, and consultancy she inspires, improves, and impacts players, coaches, teams, and corporates within her Global triangle between Melbourne, Australia, Denver, Colorado and Glasgow, Scotland.

She is a Tennis Australia High-Performance Coach with a strong background as a tennis touring professional, a talent development coach and she has represented her native Country as the Australian coach on 20 occasions winning four Asia Oceania world team titles (2018 - Junior Fed Cup Captain). She provides practical coaching tools for heightened self-awareness in how to use your language and strengthen your inner voice. She specialises in helping people to develop a high performing mindset, enhance confidence, and how to access emotional intelligence for authentic relationships. 

Show notes, links and bonus downloads: www.yellowforyelling.com

Julie M. Stamm, Ph.D. received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009. As part the research team at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (BU CSTE). Stamm has been involved in ground-breaking research with Dr. Robert Stern on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

She was the first to publish research on the long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in youth sports. This research has been covered in the media worldwide and has influenced youth sports organizations to make rule changes in youth sports to limit head impacts.  

Outside of school and research, Julie enjoys running, volleyball, many outdoor activities, and traveling. She is also an avid fan of Wisconsin Badger sports.

Today we will explore her latest book The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future

02:39   Introducing Julie M Stamm PhD. She talks about her background in sport and how she got involved in brain trauma.

08:47   Setting the scene for the conversation

13:55   What is a brain injury and what is the misconception of it? What are some of the symptoms we may not be familiar with?

17:05   Julie talks about the sports which are more prone for head injuries, and she explain critical brain development in the younger years.

26:30   Building a story around learning a new skill, motor learning and the impact of a brain injury. Re-creation of brain structures.

35:39   Unpacking rewiring of neuron in a teen brain.

38:37   Sporting governing bodies-those who are changing are thriving

42:37   Julie provides some suggestion on how to deal with recovery and explain the difference between boys and girls.

50:50   We discuss how she experience the culture around brain injuries in youth sport.

55:30   Does helmets protect brain injuries.

58:39   Playing like adults does not make a young person better.

60:15   Julie’s version of “Sound of music” of youth sport.

64:05   What about food, how can this impact on our brain?

67:40   In closing let’s not give up and think we need to change youth sport to be boring because we need to protect their brains. A paradigm shift is needed just like Asbestos and smoking, we are now more aware about brain trauma and its impact. Sport can remain.

Show notes and links www.yellowforyelling.com 

Johan is also an ex professional table tennis player, representing his country Sweden. After being a sport psychologist in FC Kopenhagen and Djurgarden IF, 2 professional soccer clubs, he spent 10 years being responsible for sport psychology in Swedish FA.

During this time, he also worked on special projects with Swedish Olympic Committee and other key sporting bodies in Sweden. Johan has presented to over 100,000 people in Sweden and Scandinavia.

Today he does most of his work in Fallby Sports & Psychology AB, both in sport and the business world. He is also involved in research and participated in several peer reviewed published papers.

Today we talk around his book “Gor det better sjalv” (Do it better yourself) which unfortunately at this stage is only available in Swedish. However, like most of us Swedes we speak SweEnglish and we will cover important aspects of what we adults should consider to help our children in sport.

Overview:

76:31   min episode

02:44   Introducing Johan Fallby

05:00   Who is sport psychologist Johan Fallby and what is his background?

08:48   Swedish Football code, survival of the best or participation; who wins & who should act?

20:20   What was the reason behind Johan’s book “Do it better yourself if you can” and why should parent learn more about a healthy youth sport environment?

26:45   We discuss the fine line about being present but not controlling. What does it mean? And how has Johan’s children impacted him?

35:14   What can we learn from skateboard parks and what do we need to consider shaping youth sport for the future.

40:40   Back to Johan’s book discussing levels of parent engagements and the challenging road ahead.

48:20   How can we balance technical versus more psychology in training and deal with mental challenges?

50:50   How to build intrinsic motivation in a “Netflix youth Generation”?

60:01   What is the mental impact (positively and negatively) in sport.

64:30   What is Johan’s “Sound of music” in youth sport.

Show notes are available on www.yellowforyelling.com

Dr Josephine Perry is a chartered psychologist working with those in sport and on the stage and in business to help them overcome their barriers to success, so they can achieve their goals.

Josephine has a background in communications and behaviour change, having worked for many years in journalism, marketing, public relations and crisis communications across private corporations and government. She has a MSc in Communications, a MSc in Psychology and a MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology. She also has a PhD in Political Communications.

Josephine run “Performance in Mind”, a performance psychology consultancy. Based in London but working worldwide, to help you find your why and identify your values so you can overcome those barriers that sport, high performance, and life throw at us.

She is the author of 3 books, she is with me today to discuss aspects of her latest book. “I can-The teenage athlete’s guide to mental fitness”.

A world first youth sport podcast episode with 3 teens, 2 girls and 1 boy. It is always adults who tell us what kids & Teens want in sport, but how about speaking to them directly and listen to what they have to say.

In this episode, I have found 2 amazing 15 & 16 year old girls from here in Adelaide, Australia and a 16 year old boy from New Jersey, USA.

We are kicking off with Brandon Shintani, Brandon is a student at Ridgewood High School, in New Jersey and is the Sports and Wellness Columnist for his high school paper and much more.

After Brandon, I like to introduce you to Lucy Benn. Lucy is in year 11 and we will discuss her findings in her SACE project. She asks, “What are the psychological reasons girls leave sport?”

My last teen age guest is Emily Gail, it is an old recording never released, but it is perfect for this episode. Emily was 15 when I spoke to her, and she refereed U18 boys’ soccer. She also plays soccer and Futsal.

She is now 18 and I have seen her referee seniors, she still plays both soccer and Futsal.

If you are a girl aspiring to play a sport, or you are a parent with a girl who wants to play sport, this is a brilliant ending to this episode. So, sit down grab a coffee, enjoy, and learn something new starting with Brandon,

Overview: 75:30 min episode

01:40   Brief intro of the 3 teens

03:15   Brandon Shintani’s brief background

04:45   Welcoming Brandon and he talks about when he started and what he is doing.

08:15   Brandon “Honestly I only played sport to have fun and make friends” He also said he have friends playing on a very high level.

12:20   How is Brandon’s parents supporting him in sport, but he also had support outside his family.

15:45   Major injury stopped his sport at 15-Where is support now when motivation was so hard to find?

23:00   Some great mindful advice from Brandon and final thoughts

28:50   Wrapping up with Brandon

29:55   Introducing Lucy and she talks about her start in sport around 2-3 years of age playing with her older brothers😉.

30:30   Lucy explain her school research project of why girls quit sport.

34:55   How did other girls in her school respond to her questions. Take note on the response.

38:28   Lucy gives great advice to us parents.

39:10   Body image and impact in sport.

44:00   School & sport balance

48:30   I asked Lucy how she feel about parents yelling and how it impacts her performance.

53:20   Suggestions on how to fix the issue and to make it more fun.

60:15   Introducing Emily and we chat about her involvement in sport as a referee and player.

63:00   Challenging moments for a teenage referee

Show notes: www.yellowforyelling.com

Welcome to part 2 and the last part of this amazing conversation with VJ Stanley, Balanced Excellence.

In this episode we continue the conversation from ep40 about puberty and sport. If you have not heard part 1, I recommend you listen that episode first as some references may not make sense otherwise.

Towards the end, I will mention a free gift from V.J which he shares exclusively with Off the Pitch with Active audience. So, let’s continue VJ!

Overview:

39:59   min episode part 2 (part 1: ep 40)

01:15   Brief intro before we continue our conversation about puberty and sport. I am also flagging an amazing gift from VJ so stay tuned in until the end.

2:12     Moving on in ages when V.J unpack “You don’t play the best players, you play the best players plying their best”

7:35     Playing up age groups

15:15   Fundamentals in all sport REST-BALANCE-FUN

16:31   How fragile is a teens confidence?

21:29   How can a senior coach help a teen who is playing up?

25:20   V.J’s version of “Sound of music” in youth sport.

26:39   Is free play the answer to learning?

32:26   V.J talks about the books he authored

VJ Stanley was a three-sport varsity athlete in high school and won the school’s first ever Leadership Award as an athlete, VJ won the high school hockey league scoring title as a junior and was a First All-Star Selection. In his senior year, he received Second All-Star Honors and also played junior hockey for the Rochester Monarchs. He went on to play hockey at Clarkson University, where he sustained two concussions in one week, which ended his career after only one game.

VJ founded Balanced Excellence as an answer to his family's and friends’ constant questions about the stress associated with their children's participation in youth sports.

The company is based on Science, Psychology and data

He is an author of 4 books “Stop the Tsunami in youth sport”, “Less is more”, “talented athletes” and his latest “Does your mind, mind what you are doing to your body”

His latest presentation, “Creating the Championship Mindset”, has been endorsed nationally by Lou Vairo, the 1984 US Olympic Men’s Hockey Coach and USA Hockey Hall of Famer

He has been on numerous TV shows and podcasts, he also produced a documentary “Frozen shorts” addressing issues in youth sport.

Overview:

52:45   min episode part 1

02:11   Introducing V.J and he gives a few minutes background of his extensive life in youth sport which begun in 1976.

06:11   Puberty and its impact and starting with the 10 and under group.

14:56   Children have abundance of energy, but what about their mental capacity to learning? You will be surprised how V.J respond to this question.

18:11   Hang On, they cannot learn by playing Simon says, or can they?

27:51   Is a warm-up drill for U10 valuable to teach discipline? If only 1% make it, why should we coach like every will make it?

31:26   The world is changing; we just need to listen to experts in this space.

33:46   Which characteristics can a child learn from play?

37:11   I asked V.J, how does guilt from coaches and parents affect young players?

43:32   V.J discuss confidence, winning and being competitive.

52:18   Puberty and life beyond-Life is about to change for everyone.

www.yellowforyelling.com

Paige is a sports and fitness enthusiast. She uses a process called Performance Neuro Training which is a combination of sports psychology, Brainspotting, and hot & cold photobiomodulation laser-light therapy.

Her current practice philosophy combines a variety of techniques including clinical social work, exercise and neuroscience, and health and wellness lifestyle coaching. Through this process she provides sports injury intensive recovery sessions, and sports and life performance coaching. 

She is currently assisting athletes all over the world ranging from youth, teen, NCAA, USA National Athletes, MMA, NFL, MLB, NHL and weekend warriors in reaching their full sports and life performance potential!

Education

Doctorate of Internal Medicine Quantum University Honolulu, Hawaii (IMD & PhD 2020).

• Masters of Social Work Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado

(Advanced Generalist 2010- 2013).

• Bachelor of Arts Degree: Colorado Mesa University, (Human Performance and Wellness: Exercise Science 2003-2005).

You will love this episode as Paige paints a picture of something we can’t see “what is going on in the brain of our kids/teens”

02:16   Introducing Paige and she talks about her early trauma and experimenting with what would make her happy in life.

10:25   Destressing your body and nervous system.

15:25   Let’s understand a little bit more about the brain in the context of youth sport. What role is diet playing?

22:35   What is going on in kids/teens head in state of flow and what do they need to hear.

26:25   What should coaches be mindful of?

33:50   Warm up routines which positively impacting your players mind and nervous system. Challenge of the day; contact Ken or Paige if you are in!

41:25   What can we do when our players feeling sad? Will their feelings go away when you tell them to ignore these feelings and instead focus on the task at training?

45:54   What is happening when asking questions instead of giving instruction.

52:05   Paige version of “Sound of Music” in youth sport and wrap up.

Hernan Chousa is an author from Argentina. He lives in Buenos Aires, and he runs his zinc flake coating business as the CEO of Chousa SRL. Unplugged is his first novel where he could fuse two passions: music and writing.

He also published “My Son the Tennis Player” and “How to Help Your Kid Succeed in Sports”.

Former professional tennis player in his twenties, he is willing to share his experiences as a pro player and as a father to a successful tennis playing son. This is a story with a lot of ups & downs.

Married with Mariana with two sons: Julian and Sebastian.