Contacts Coaching Podcast

Justin Clymo

The CONTACTS Coaches Podcast is a digital database of coaching where Coach and Athletic Director Justin Clymo discusses the various aspects of coaching, leadership and life with those he has met along the way.

  1. 1d ago

    Kevin Fox on Character Coaching at Texas Tech, NIL Pressures, and Building Team Culture

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Kevin Fox, a Salinas native and longtime Midland, Texas resident who serves as character coach for Grant McCasland at Texas Tech. Fox shares his path from UC Davis and early ministry work to building relationships in junior college basketball at Midland College, where he connected with coaches like McCasland, Ross Hodge, and others. They discuss West Texas sports culture, the importance of encouraging multi-sport athletes, and how character coaching works best through organic relationships, clear boundaries, and accountability. Fox addresses how NIL has increased pressure and outside pull on athletes, the value of JUCO coaching experience for today’s roster turnover, and practical ways teams define and measure culture, including tracking “positive touches.” He also reflects on humility, continuous learning, and stepping out from behind the scenes. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:06 From Salinas to Midland 01:53 Hoops to Coaching Network 04:38 Character Coach Role 05:15 West Texas Football Culture 07:06 Multi Sport Debate 10:37 Organic Mentorship Model 14:40 NIL Pressures and Protection 17:39 JUCO Mindset at Tech 21:16 Calling to Ministry 25:16 Teaching Faith and Coaching 28:44 Coaching Meets Ministry 30:21 Learning to Say I Don’t Know 31:53 Humility and Adaptation 34:26 Boundaries and Accountability 39:03 Preacher vs Minister 41:15 Coaching Across Levels 47:12 Defining Character Culture 51:12 Changing Minds and Showing Up 53:57 Closing Story and Farewell

    Kevin Fox on Character Coaching at Texas Tech, NIL Pressures, and Building Team Culture
  2. Jul 8

    Dual Role, Big-School Athletics, and AI: Beaumont HS AD/AP Jake Van Hofwegen

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Jake Van Hofwegen, athletic director and assistant principal at Beaumont High School in Southern California, about his path into athletic administration and why Beaumont became a dream job after roles at Coachella Valley and Colton. Jake explains how the AD/AP structure streamlines discipline, hiring, and decision-making, and how supportive, sports-savvy administrators help. He discusses managing 28 varsity teams and about 1,500 athletes at a 3,500-student school, the need for an assistant AD, and challenges like scheduling games, tryout cuts, and heavy parent involvement. They critique youth sport specialization and travel ball pressures, emphasize coach development and relationship-based feedback, and share initiatives like media days and coach clinics. Jake highlights using AI tools like ChatGPT to improve communication and efficiency. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:28 Name Pronunciation Bit 00:48 Path to Athletic Director 02:43 Dual Role AP and AD 04:21 Why Beaumont Was the Goal 07:01 Not Every Job Is Good 10:29 Following a Local Legend 12:30 Working With Principals 15:14 Managing 3500 Students 18:05 Cuts and Creative Options 21:06 Multi Sport vs Specialization 25:36 Late Bloomer Athlete 26:38 Travel Ball Takes Over 27:15 Program Pillars Growth Tech 29:25 Media Days And Clinics 31:46 Coach Time And Buy In 34:19 Truth Tellers And Trust 39:23 Finding Dissenting Voices 42:02 Parents And Hard Lessons 46:01 Changing Mind On Coaching 52:28 AI Tools For ADs 54:38 Closing Thanks

    Dual Role, Big-School Athletics, and AI: Beaumont HS AD/AP Jake Van Hofwegen
  3. Jul 1

    From Player to Head Coach to Nike: Jerica Williams on Coaching Girls, Culture, and Creating Safety

    On the Contacts coaching podcast, consultant and Coach Her Right founder Jerica Williams shares how basketball found her at age 10, her college path from a UCLA scholarship to San Diego State, and becoming a mom her senior year. She traces her move from assistant coaching (including Cal State Northridge) to head coaching at Detroit Country Day, where she rapidly rebuilt a struggling program and reached the Michigan State Final Four, emphasizing the head coach’s total responsibility, staffing to cover blind spots, and her superpowers of empathy and communication while outsourcing offense/X’s and O’s. Williams discusses working with Stephen Curry’s trainer Brandon Payne and later joining Mike Davis at Mississippi Valley State as one of the only active female coaches in men’s basketball, highlighting the value of feminine energy in men’s spaces. She explains starting Make Room For Her/Coach Her Right to amplify girls’ voices, improve coaching, and address safety issues in youth sports, and she describes recently changing her belief that love is possession, reframing it as freedom.00:00 Meet Jerica Williams00:20 Basketball Found Me01:53 From Player to Coach03:48 Head Coach Breakthroughs04:14 Breaking Barriers in Mens Hoops06:15 Nike Role and Talent Pathways08:24 Assistant to Head Coach Shift09:21 Owning the Whole Program12:18 Hiring to Cover Blind Spots14:01 Empathy as Superpower15:54 Outsourcing the Offense17:58 Ego Versus Will to Win24:34 Working with Steph Curry26:08 Underrated Tour Origin Story28:30 Make Room For Her Begins30:39 Her Story Giving Girls a Stage32:16 Why Girls Quit Sports33:09 Safety Behind Not Fun33:23 Building Coach Her Right35:04 Defining Legitimate Safety36:32 Whistleblowing Coach Misconduct42:11 Ask Her Believe Her44:20 Questions Not Commands46:48 Empathy And Seeing Players48:54 Committed To Learning51:00 Make Room For Her Mission54:04 Love Is Freedom Not Possession01:00:02 Closing Reflections

    From Player to Head Coach to Nike: Jerica Williams on Coaching Girls, Culture, and Creating Safety
  4. Jun 24

    From Boarding School Coach to Athletic Director: Dustin Mones on Mentorship, Multi-Sport Athletes, and Building Culture

    On the Context Coaching Podcast, athletic administrator Dustin Mones (Monte Vista Christian) shares his journey from a multi-sport athlete in Connecticut to boarding school coach and athletic director roles at Eaglebrook and Stony Brook, then returning to Monte Vista as AD. He discusses early coaching insecurity, the importance of mentors for new athletic directors, and how small paperwork mistakes can directly impact student opportunities. Mones reflects on coaching learned under Don Keithley—discipline, attention to detail, and integrating faith—and contrasts boarding school co-curricular expectations with Monte Vista’s day-school model, noting he misses deeper daily student connections. The conversation covers resisting youth sports specialization, training both physical and mental/spiritual aspects, simplifying practices, aligning consequences with behavior, and blending “old school” standards with empathy. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:38 From Athlete to Educator 02:40 Boarding School Coaching Life 03:31 Returning as Athletic Director 04:20 Year One Lessons and Why 07:35 AD Transition Challenges 10:00 Paperwork Mistakes and Details 12:07 Mentors and Coaching Philosophy 15:11 Junior Boarding School Insights 18:05 All In vs Balance 23:55 Day School Shift and Connection 26:20 Multi Sport vs Specialization 29:44 Co Curricular Requirements 31:31 Required Co-Curriculars Model 32:27 Arts and Athletics Crossover 33:30 Boarding Program Considerations 34:52 Culture Builders for Coaches 36:27 Training Mind and Body 38:37 Structuring Lifts and Practice 43:49 Advice to Younger Coaches 45:58 Mentoring and Keeping It Simple 49:43 Entitlement and Life Lessons 52:13 Old School vs New School Coaching 57:05 Consequences That Align 59:57 Final Wrap and Thanks

    From Boarding School Coach to Athletic Director: Dustin Mones on Mentorship, Multi-Sport Athletes, and Building Culture
  5. Jun 17

    Brett Cauchi on Culture, Patience, and Simplicity: Building a Girls Basketball Program Long-Term

    In this Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, the host welcomes back Brett Cauchi to discuss his growth over nearly three years at Rancho Solano as the head girls basketball coach and a teacher. Brett explains how the job has confirmed his mission fit through long-term impact on kids, relationship building, and developing trust across age groups from middle school to high school. They explore balancing warmth with accountability, building leadership and systems that can outlast a coach’s personality, and managing the reality of being paid to teach rather than coach. Brett reflects on program progress (14-4, 11-3, playoff run), emphasizing unseen culture gains like resilience and belief. Key coaching takeaways include embracing simplicity, focusing on rebounding and strength, recognizing patterns, setting boundaries by learning to say no, and being intentional about confidence-building competitiveness. 00:00 Welcome Back Brett 01:06 Mission Fit Confirmed 04:02 Coaching Across Ages 07:13 Structure Over Energy 10:43 Warmth And Standards 12:48 Progress Beyond Wins 16:31 Simplicity And Identity 21:23 Systems That Sustain 22:53 Playing The Long Game 24:46 Patience Over Results 25:09 Setting Parent Expectations 26:45 Raising Teens With Structure 28:36 Three Sports And Wilderness 31:10 Letting Kids Own Stories 32:33 Coaching With Empathy 36:26 Every Kid Needs An Adult 38:04 Love As The Job 39:39 Hard Schedules Build Grit 40:45 Learning To Say No 43:11 Changing Minds And Patterns 44:58 When Competition Backfires 46:43 Routine And Truth Tellers 49:38 Closing Patterns And Truth

    Brett Cauchi on Culture, Patience, and Simplicity: Building a Girls Basketball Program Long-Term
  6. Jun 10

    Coach Bryan Rooney: CSU East Bay’s Historic Turnaround, Roles, Culture, & Recruiting the Portal Era

    On the Contacts Coaching podcast, host Justin Clymo welcomes back Cal State East Bay men’s basketball coach Bryan Rooney to unpack the program’s dramatic turnaround from 11–17 to an undefeated run until a loss in the Elite Eight, finishing at 33-1. Rooney credits player commitment, continuity, the team mantra “just get better,” and this season’s theme “burn the boats,” emphasizing role definition, accountability, and dominating roles across both players and staff. He explains how relationships, habits, staying present, and not reinventing the wheel helped sustain success under pressure, shares moments showing player-led ownership and deep teammate care, and describes weekly one-on-one meetings as a nonnegotiable culture builder. Rooney also discusses empowering assistants, adapting tactically (including sending five to the boards), navigating recruiting and the transfer portal case-by-case, the importance of administrative alignment, and guarding culture by prioritizing character fit. 00:00 Welcome Back Coach Rooney 00:27 Quick Coaching Background 01:16 From 11 Wins to Elite Eight 02:33 Burn the Boats Mindset 04:16 Pressure Proof Habits 06:51 Team First Chemistry 09:07 Family Moments and Loss 11:30 Weekly Meetings and Trust 13:53 Making Roles Matter 17:24 Keeping the Fringe Ready 20:27 Player Led Turning Points 23:33 Empowering the Staff 26:51 Trust and Effort Standards 28:46 Staying Present in Success 29:49 Next Game Focus 30:20 Control The Controllables 31:27 Transfer Portal Reality 37:16 One Year Journeys 40:20 Alignment And Innovation 43:37 Turnaround Lessons 47:24 Raising The Ceiling 48:43 Protecting Culture 50:16 Authentic Gratitude 52:47 Closing Thoughts

    Coach Bryan Rooney: CSU East Bay’s Historic Turnaround, Roles, Culture, & Recruiting the Portal Era
  7. Jun 3

    Heat Sense Founder Melissa Fortenberry on Proactive Heat Illness Monitoring in Youth Sports

    On the Contacts Coaching podcast, host interviews Melissa Fortenberry, founder of Heat Sense, about proactively monitoring heat strain in athletes to prevent heat illness. Fortenberry, a former Texas athlete and tech professional, describes being sick during a 107-degree football game and researching why existing guidelines focus on symptoms, meaning athletes are already ill once dizziness or nausea appears. She explains limitations of heat index and wet bulb globe temperature for team decisions because athletes differ in hydration and acclimation, and argues core body temperature is the key metric, though gold-standard measurement is rectal thermometry. Heat Sense uses a Swiss wearable (bicep/chest) plus heart rate to estimate core temperature within about 1°C, flag rising heat strain trends via an app and team dashboard, and support cooling interventions. They discuss adoption models, rotating sensors to identify sensitive athletes, EAP planning, and “cool first, transport second” protocols. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:32 Melissa’s Origin Story 02:05 107 Degrees Spark 03:44 Why Heat Guidelines Fail 06:05 Core Temp Monitoring Tech 08:31 Accuracy and Thresholds 12:00 Cooling Protocols in Practice 13:03 Practice Risks and Acclimation 16:17 App Dashboard and Pricing 17:33 Adoption for Schools and Clubs 20:27 Parent Checklist and EAP 21:42 Cooling First Transport Second 22:18 Regional Risk and Humidity 23:57 Where to Learn More 24:10 Wrap Up and Takeaways https://heatsense.com/

    Heat Sense Founder Melissa Fortenberry on Proactive Heat Illness Monitoring in Youth Sports
  8. May 27

    Mental Performance Coaching with Bre Smedley: Snapback Routine, Team Culture Systems, and Parent Support

    In this Contacts Coaching podcast episode, former guest Bre Smedley, co-founder of Elite Competitor and a championship high school volleyball coach, shares how her mental performance framework has evolved into plug-and-play tools for coaches and resources for parents. She explains key skills—failure recovery (the “snapback routine”), self-talk, and visualization—and describes how the snapback routine (breath, reset word, reset signal) helped her team stay composed in a state championship comeback. Reflecting on a season that ended in third after four straight titles, she discusses how pressure can reveal cracks in culture and the need to systemize values, communication, and accountability. Bre also covers parent influence, including avoiding badmouthing coaches/teammates, improving car-ride conversations, and supporting athlete autonomy, plus guidance on aligning college-sport goals with habits and recruiting effort. 00:00 Welcome Back And Reintro 01:10 Bre’s Coaching Origin Story 02:55 From Framework To Coach Program 05:10 Snapback Routine Explained 09:18 State Title Pressure Test 13:02 After The Streak Lessons 16:46 Culture Cracks And Systems 19:49 Parents Coaches Athletes Triangle 22:30 Parenting Mistakes To Avoid 25:38 Postgame Parent Mindset 26:07 LOVE Talk Framework 27:05 Autonomy Over Pressure 28:34 College Dream Reality Check 31:17 Coach Truth Without Crushing 34:40 Parents Driving The Dream 37:45 Female Coach Double Standard 43:39 Systems To Prevent Drama 45:56 Delegation And Injury Lesson 49:30 Resources And Wrap Up Previous Episodes:  Bre Smedley Pt. 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zipbClx90G2u2vOkkYt3c?si=72dca5bf8abb4f3c Bre Smedley Pt. 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ba0v7bdGmrI28ziyZ7xjc?si=445b608c271e40f2

    Mental Performance Coaching with Bre Smedley: Snapback Routine, Team Culture Systems, and Parent Support
4.8
out of 5
67 Ratings

About

The CONTACTS Coaches Podcast is a digital database of coaching where Coach and Athletic Director Justin Clymo discusses the various aspects of coaching, leadership and life with those he has met along the way.

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