LeadtheGame Locker Talk

with Sam Powell

LeadtheGame's Locker Talk helps parents turn everyday youth sports moments into opportunities for better performance today and leadership development for life. Hosted by leadership coach and LeadtheGame founder Sam Powell, each episode explores what athlete behavior is really communicating — from confidence crashes and emotional reactions to defensiveness, mistakes, and struggles under pressure — and how parents and coaches can respond in ways that help athletes grow. Through real stories, practical strategies, and a leadership development lens, Locker Talk is rethinking the role parents play in player development. Because youth sports doesn't automatically develop leaders. With intentionality, it can. leadthegame.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    🎧 We're So Busy Preparing Our Kids for What's Next. Are We Forgetting to Be Here Now?

    We’re always preparing our kids for what’s next. The next game. The next season. The next opportunity. The next stage of life. But what if all that preparation is causing us to miss some of the best parts of what’s happening right now? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Tyler McNamara, a former college athletics professional, financial representative, and dad whose experiences with profound loss have completely changed how he defines success. After losing his first son and later his wife, Tyler found himself rebuilding his life while raising his young son. Through it all, the lessons he learned from sports — perseverance, teamwork, resilience, and learning to navigate disappointment — took on an entirely new meaning. Together, Sam and Tyler explore how sports prepare kids for far more than competition, why confidence grows through the little moments of struggle and accomplishment, and how parents can balance preparing their families for the future with being fully present for the life they’re living today. It’s a conversation about perspective, preparation, and remembering what really matters long after the final whistle. About Today’s Guest Tyler McNamara is a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual and a former college athletics professional who spent much of his career working in athletic departments and around coaches, administrators, and student athletes. Today, he helps individuals and families become more intentional about their financial lives, from building wealth and planning for the future to protecting the people and things that matter most. More importantly, Tyler is a dad who has experienced firsthand how quickly life can change, and that perspective has shaped the way he thinks about preparation, leadership, family, and what success really means. 5 Key Takeaways * Sports aren’t just preparing kids for the next game. They’re preparing them for life. * Confidence is built through a million little moments. * Success looks different when you stop chasing what’s next. * The moments kids remember aren’t always the ones on the scoreboard. * Preparing for the future can help us be more present today. A Question for You When you watch your athlete play, how much of your attention is on what they’re doing right now — and how much is on what comes next? The next skill they need to master. The next team they might make. The next opportunity they should pursue. This week, try watching for something that has nothing to do with their performance: A moment of joy. A connection with a teammate. The way they respond to a mistake. Something they can do today that they couldn’t do a month ago. Because sometimes the most important growth happening in youth sports has nothing to do with the scoreboard. Connect With Tyler Want to connect with Tyler or learn more about his work? Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn HereInstagram: @tylrmcnamaraNorthwestern Mutual: Tyler’s Website 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Oct 22

    🎧 Are You Chasing Your Athlete’s Dream or Your Own?

    What happens when the dreams we have for our athletes start getting tangled up with the dreams they have for themselves? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Heike McGlothern, founder of FieldSide Coaching, to talk about the often-overlooked experience of the parent behind the player. After 13 years navigating competitive youth soccer — from recreational leagues to elite academies and professional opportunities — Heike shares the moment that completely changed how she understood her role as a sports parent. It happened after a game where her son never left the bench, followed by a car ride home and a question she wishes she’d asked differently. We explore how easily parents can become emotionally invested in their athlete’s success, why knowing what’s yours to carry isn’t always obvious, and what changes when we stop trying to manage every outcome and start getting curious about what the experience actually means to our kids. About Today’s Guest Heike McGlothern is a life coach and the founder of FieldSide Coaching, where she supports parents navigating the questions, decisions, and emotions that come with competitive youth soccer. Drawing on 13 years as a soccer parent and a 27-year career in brand strategy and leadership, Heike focuses on an often-overlooked part of youth sports: the experience of the parent behind the player. Her work helps parents find greater clarity about what they’re experiencing and what’s theirs to do next. 5 Key Takeaways * Sometimes the disappointment you’re feeling about your athlete’s experience isn’t actually theirs. * Your athlete’s definition of success might be completely different from yours. * Before you step in to solve a problem, ask yourself whose problem it really is. * Your child’s sports journey can become so much of your identity that you forget to build your own alongside it. * The relationship you’re building with your athlete will last a lot longer than their sports career. A Question for You If you asked your athlete what they love most about their sport, would their answer surprise you? This week, try asking your athlete that question. Then listen without adding your own hopes, expectations, or interpretation. You might learn something about their experience that changes how you support them. Connect With Heike Want to learn more about Heike’s work or connect with someone who understands the challenges of navigating competitive youth soccer as a parent? FieldSide Coaching Website: www.fieldsidecoaching.com Connect with Heike on LinkedIn 🔔 Follow Sam on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Oct 15

    🎧 Are You Watching the Game or Watching Your Kid?

    What if one of the most important skills in coaching has less to do with knowing the game — and more to do with knowing the kid? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Adam Hagey, founder of digital solution studio Opus Brave and youth soccer program Extra Time Soccer, host of the upcoming Back of the Huddle podcast, and an aspiring youth soccer coach bringing an unusual background into the game: theater. Adam is exploring the connection between the Stanislavski acting method and sports leadership and coaching — and it leads to a fascinating conversation about emotional intelligence, understanding the role each athlete is being asked to play, and why adults need to look beyond the behavior they see in a single moment. They talk about what happens when coaches stop simply asking, “Why isn’t this kid paying attention?” and start asking, “Why did this kid lose focus?” — and why learning to really see an athlete may be one of the most important things a parent or coach can do. About Today’s Guest Adam Hagy is the Founder of the digital solutions studio Opus Brave and the Midwest-based youth soccer program Extra Time Soccer. He is also Host of the upcoming youth sports podcast Back of the Huddle and became inspired by his theatre training to work on a currently untitled book connecting the Stanislavski acting method with sports leadership and coaching philosophies. 5 Key Takeaways * Before you correct the behavior, get curious about what might be causing it. * Great coaching isn’t just knowing the game. It’s knowing the human beings playing it. * A coach may have more in common with a theater director than you think. * “You’ll get them next time” might be positive — but it still leaves a lot on the table. * Sometimes the most powerful thing you can give an athlete is evidence that you actually saw them. A Question for You When you watch your athlete play, are you watching the game — or are you watching your kid? Try paying attention to them before, during, and after the next practice or game. What changes? When do they light up? When do they withdraw? What frustrates them? What happens after a mistake? And does what they’re telling you about the experience match what you’re observing? You don’t necessarily need to solve what you see. Sometimes being able to say, “I noticed…” is enough to let your athlete know that while everyone else may have been watching the game, you were paying attention to them. Connect With Adam Want to follow Adam’s journey into coaching, his work exploring emotional intelligence in youth sports, or the development of his upcoming book and podcast? Connect with Adam on LinkedIn hereOpus Brave 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Oct 8

    🎧 NIL Isn’t Just About the Money. Here’s What Parents Are Missing.

    NIL is everywhere in sports conversations. But how many parents — or athletes — actually understand what it is? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Bill Carter, one of the most experienced voices in name, image, and likeness, to separate what NIL actually is from the assumptions surrounding it. Bill brings more than 25 years in sports marketing and now leads Student Athlete Insights and the NIL Forum, while conducting ongoing research with thousands of college athletes and high school prospects. They dig into what families should know before NIL ever becomes relevant, the surprising gap between how prepared athletes think they are and how prepared they actually are, and why NIL may offer young athletes something much more valuable than a paycheck: real-world reps in business, relationships, decision-making, financial literacy, and advocating for themselves. About Today’s Guest Bill Carter is one of the most experienced voices in name, image, and likeness (NIL). He spent 25 years in sports marketing, co-founding and selling the agency Fuse, before pivoting exclusively to NIL in 2020. He's the founder of Student-Athlete Insights, which advises Fortune 500 brands and Division I athletic departments, and the NIL Forum, a membership community for the professionals shaping this space. He teaches NIL at Boston College, serves on the board of Little League International, and works as an expert witness in NIL litigation. He also runs the NIL Research Poll, which surveys more than 5,000 college athletes and 1,000 high school prospects every month, so when he talks about what athletes actually think, it's grounded in data, not anecdotes. 5 Key Takeaways * You might know what NIL stands for and still not actually know what NIL is. * Athletes feel much more prepared for NIL than the data suggests they really are. * One of the most valuable NIL skills has nothing to do with building a social media following. * There’s a power dynamic happening behind closed doors that parents should understand. * The biggest NIL opportunity for your athlete might not be the money at all. A Question for You What if you stopped thinking about NIL only as something your athlete could earn from — and started thinking about what they could learn from it? Negotiating. Reading contracts. Managing money. Building relationships. Understanding their value. Advocating for themselves. Making decisions when an adult with more experience and authority is sitting across the table. Even a relatively small NIL opportunity could give an athlete real-world reps in skills they’ll use long after they hang up the jersey. Connect With Bill Want to learn more about NIL, Bill’s research, or the resources available to athletes, families, and professionals? Student Athlete Insights: studentathleteinsights.comThe NIL Forum: nilforum.com ← If you work in the world of NIL, you need to be hereSubscribe to Bill’s Newsletter HereConnect with Bill on LinkedIn Here Bill also recommends Polaris Athlete Hub as a resource for high school athletes and families who are just beginning to explore NIL and aren’t yet sure how — or whether — it applies to them. 🔔 Follow Sam on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Oct 1

    🎧 The Game Is 90% Mental. So Why Aren’t We Training It?

    Coaches say sports are 90% mental. So why do we spend almost all of our time training the physical? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Steve Wise, Founder and President of Mental Fitness, LLC, to explore what could change if we approached our minds the same way athletes approach their bodies: something we can intentionally train, condition, strengthen, and prepare before the pressure hits. From stress and nerves to failure, self-talk, identity, goal setting, and resilience, Steve makes the case for moving beyond a reactive approach to mental health and giving young athletes practical mental fitness skills they can use both in competition and throughout their lives. About Today’s Guest Steve Wise is a licensed clinical social worker and the Founder and President of Mental Fitness, LLC. After a decade of training in endurance athletics while working in the mental health field, Steve brought those two worlds together around a simple premise: if athletes can train their bodies to perform, they can train their minds, too. Through Mental Fitness, Steve works to help athletes, schools, teams, and individuals proactively build the thinking patterns and skills that support performance, resilience, emotional health, and long-term well-being. 5 Key Takeaways * What if we’re waiting way too long to teach kids how to handle hard things? * The goal might not be to get rid of nerves, stress, or uncomfortable emotions at all. * A tiny shift in the words an athlete uses after “I am” can have a much bigger impact than it seems. * That motivational speech probably isn’t enough — because mental strength requires reps, too. * Helping kids keep loving sports may require us to train something we’re barely training at all. A Question for You If your athlete trains their body multiple times a week, how often are they intentionally training their mind? Not just talking about confidence after they lose it or addressing pressure once it becomes a problem — but actually practicing how to handle nerves, failure, difficult emotions, self-talk, goals, and adversity before they need those skills. What might change if we treated that training as part of athlete development, too? Connect With Steve Want to learn more about Steve’s work and Mental Fitness or explore resources for your athlete, team, or school? Mental Fitness Website: mental-fitness.usConnect with Steve on LinkedInFacebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Sep 24

    🎧 When Do You Step In and When Do You Step Back?

    Your athlete shuts down after a mistake. They’re upset about playing time. They want to talk to their coach, but you’re unsure whether they’re ready to do it alone. Suddenly, you’re on The Line: Do I step in, help them through it, or let them handle it? In this solo episode of Locker Talk, I share Hold → Guide → Release™, a way to decide what your athlete needs from you in a particular moment. It isn’t a set of age-based stages. Your kid might be ready to own one decision while still needing you to carry another — and that can change from day to day. We’ll talk about: * Hold: When safety or development means the decision still belongs to you. * Guide: How to give your athlete a real piece of responsibility, with enough support to learn from it. * Release: When to hand over a responsibility you’ve helped them practice. From forgotten water bottles and cold football practices to harder conversations with coaches, these everyday moments give our kids room to grow. They also ask us to keep growing with them. I’d love to hear from you: What sports-parent moment has left you wondering whether to step in or step back? Share it in the comments. I’m building practical tools around the situations parents face, and your example could help another family find its footing on The Line. If this episode brings another parent or coach to mind, send it their way. 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Sep 17

    🎧 Your Athlete Is More Than the Jersey. Do They Know It?

    What happens when the thing an athlete has built their identity around suddenly disappears? And in today’s NIL world — where young athletes aren’t just players, but brands and businesses — how do families make sure they’re building something that lasts longer than the game? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Evan Alexander, Founder of Pivot Athletic Consulting, to talk about athlete identity, the realities and opportunities of NIL, and how parents can help athletes build a vision for themselves that extends far beyond the jersey. Evan brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation. Just days into his first college football camp, a serious knee injury forced him to confront how quickly an athletic career can change — and sparked the first “pivot” that would eventually shape his work helping athletes prepare not only for success in sports, but for whatever comes next. About Today’s Guest Evan Alexander is the Founder of Pivot Athletic Consulting, where he helps athletes and their families navigate the business of college athletics, NIL opportunities, personal identity, and long-term planning beyond sports. A former Division I tight end at Southern University, Evan went on to spend 15 years in corporate finance and risk management before bringing those experiences together to serve athletes and families. His work is grounded in one big idea: athletes should be building more than a career in sports. They should be building the identity, skills, relationships, financial foundation, and vision that can carry them into whatever comes next. 5 Key Takeaways * Your athlete needs an identity bigger than “athlete.”Sports can become such a dominant part of a young person’s life that it begins to answer the entire question of Who am I? Evan talks about the risk of identity foreclosure. * NIL is bigger than getting paid.Yes, NIL can create meaningful financial opportunities. But Evan argues that the bigger opportunity may be what athletes learn while navigating it. * The money matters most when athletes learn what to do with it.A large NIL opportunity can be life-changing — but only if the athlete knows how to leverage it. * As athletes grow, parents have to change positions too.Parents spend years driving to practices, paying for camps, buying equipment, solving problems, and helping make decisions. But as athletes move toward college and adulthood, Evan argues that the parent’s role has to evolve. * When the jersey comes off, the skills underneath it don’t disappear.Evan’s message to athletes is to enjoy the incredible experience of playing — but also pay attention to what they are becoming while they do it. A Question for You If your athlete couldn’t play their sport tomorrow, how much would they already know about who they are without it? Not what career they would choose.Not what sport they would try next. Who are they? What matters to them? What are they curious about? What skills have they already developed that belong to the person — not just the player? Those may be some of the most important conversations we can have while the jersey is still on. Connect With Evan Want to learn more about Evan’s work or get support navigating NIL and building a bigger vision for your athlete’s future? Pivot Athletic Consulting: https://www.pivotpac.comClick Here to Connect with Evan on LinkedInClick Here to Follow on InstagramFree NIL Resource for Parents: Evan offers a free resource for families beginning the NIL journey, designed to help parents understand what they’re walking into and the conversations they should be having with both their athlete and the people supporting them. You can find it here: NIL 101 Playbook 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Sep 10

    🎧 Want a More Resilient Athlete? Give Yourself Permission First

    What if resilience isn’t about pushing through — but learning how to move forward differently? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with psychologist and professional coach Pamela Biasca Losada to explore what happens when high achievement, perfectionism, pressure, and parenting collide. They talk about why constantly doing more isn’t always the answer, what real resilience looks like, and how the way adults navigate pressure becomes part of what young athletes learn about navigating it themselves. About Today’s Guest Pamela Biasca Losada is a psychologist, an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, a certified Immersive Guided Meditation Facilitator and speaker who helps high-achieving people create success that feels sustainable on the inside as well as the outside. For more than 20 years, she has supported professionals, parents, and other driven individuals navigating overwhelm, perfectionism, performance pressure, burnout, and major life or career transitions. Her work helps people move forward with greater clarity, confidence, self-trust, and a path that reflects what truly matters to them. 5 Key Takeaways * High achievement can look great from the outside while costing you on the inside. * Sometimes the answer isn’t another strategy — it’s understanding what’s happening first. * Resilience is not the same thing as pushing through. * Your kids learn from how you handle pressure — not just what you tell them about it. * One of the greatest gifts sports can give kids is the opportunity to learn who they are. A Question for You What is your athlete learning about handling pressure, mistakes, and expectations by watching the way you handle yours? Not what are you telling them. What are you showing them? Connect With Pamela Want to learn more about Pamela and her work? Website: www.pamelabiascalosada.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachpamelabiascalosada/ Insight Timer: https://insig.ht/GycXQV9OR5b Pamela offers guided meditation through Insight Timer, where listeners can experience some of the practices and approaches she brings into her broader work. 🔔 Follow me on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect!) 💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthegame.substack.com/subscribe

See All (38)

About

LeadtheGame's Locker Talk helps parents turn everyday youth sports moments into opportunities for better performance today and leadership development for life. Hosted by leadership coach and LeadtheGame founder Sam Powell, each episode explores what athlete behavior is really communicating — from confidence crashes and emotional reactions to defensiveness, mistakes, and struggles under pressure — and how parents and coaches can respond in ways that help athletes grow. Through real stories, practical strategies, and a leadership development lens, Locker Talk is rethinking the role parents play in player development. Because youth sports doesn't automatically develop leaders. With intentionality, it can. leadthegame.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    with Sam Powell
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sam Powell
  • Show Website
    LeadtheGame Locker Talk