Articles

8 Ways To Have Fun At Practices That Carry Over To Game-time Wins
In the world of sports, team building is vital for cultivating unity, trust, and effective communication among athletes. Including fun and interactive activities in your training program brings enjoyment to practices and translates into improved performance during games. Team building activities help coaches create an environment that nurtures teamwork, develops leadership skills, builds conflict resolution…

Three Ways Coaches Can Use Mistakes To Build A Better Athlete
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden said, “It’s always about focusing not on the mistakes but on the lessons learned from them.” The reality is that how a coach responds to athletes’ errors — whether during practice or on the field — can impact them for a lifetime. As we all know, mistakes aren’t always a…

16 Quotes From Trailblazing Female Athletes To Inspire The Next Generation of Women in Sports
There are countless quotes about determination from women in sports, and a great way to build confidence and motivation is to seek wisdom from those who have had to work especially hard to carve a place for themselves in their field. Here are 16 inspirational quotes for athletes to encourage and inspire you or your…

5 Ways Coaches Can Build Positive Team Dynamics into Their Playbook
The athletic arena is a place for hard work, dedication, respect, and steadfast determination. Players who don’t take the game seriously tend to become the weak link fairly quickly. But who says there isn’t room for fun, too? A supportive, encouraging (and yes, fun) coach can mean the difference between a team that bands together…

3 Types of Leaders Every Team Needs To Have A Successful Season
While your approach to coaching and managing athletes lays the groundwork for your team’s performance ,your closest ally is your team captain … or captains. Finding and cultivating leadership can be a challenging process. After all, some people are gifted with strong leadership skills, while others require more time and training. But in your pursuit of…

The Top 10 BEST Skills Coaches Use To Motivate Their Team
Every player and every team needs motivation and encouragement from coaches, peers, and fans to reach their athletic potential. Each relational dynamic is different, but the coach-player relationship is a special one. What makes the coach-player relationship different? First, it takes a unique mindset for coaching athletes. Coaches are responsible not only for helping develop…

Sport Fuels Life Offering More Member Benefits
We love having you as part of our community. Your stories and suggestions motivate us daily. We want to play it forward and believe we all benefit from inspiring stories about the power and potential of sports. That’s why we are delighted to announce that Sport Fuels Life is launching new ways of supporting coaches…

Coaches, Here’s How To Help Athletes Master Letting Go of Mistakes
Since we’ve all been riveted recently by championship college basketball, it’s appropriate to quote the wisdom of UNC coaching legend Dean Smith. He said, “What do you do with a mistake? Recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” Performance missteps can be costly, and that isn’t simply in reference to a game loss.…

8 Life Lessons That Only Losing in Sports Can Teach You
When it comes to losing in sports, finding a silver lining isn’t always easy … no matter your age! Part of coaching youth sports is helping your players see beyond the curve balls — both on the field and off. From learning self-discipline and steadfast practice techniques to overcoming adversity, the youth sports journey offers…

23 Inspirational Sports Quotes That Will Motivate Athletes On and Off the Court
At its core, sports is about as inspirational as it gets. From the precision of golf and the graceful swing of a tennis racket to the elegance of skaters gliding across the ice, watching athletes pursue physical and mental greatness is magical and motivating. Maybe that’s because sports is art in motion. It’s a world…

7 Characteristics of a Winning Team Culture
Developing a positive culture within your team is critical to every winning season. Team culture determines how the members interact with each other before, during, and after the game; how the team approaches wins and losses. Your team’s culture is defined by how you play when what matters is on the line. From talking with…

4 Ways To Turn Mistakes Into Victories And Improve Your Game
Whether you’re working to become a better team player or improve a specific skill, there is one strategy guaranteed to help you evolve as an athlete. That strategy? Putting your mistakes into play. When we acknowledge the role of our mistakes in the game, we always get a win. Sometimes when people hear “mistake” they …

5 Strategies To Help Coaches Determine Their Team Captains
Being an athletic team captain calls for so much more than solid leadership skills. After all, captains play a considerable role in building a positive team culture and leading the team to victory (or at least that’s the goal!). But how do you identify and develop future leaders? How can you best mentor and support…

You Either Win or You Learn
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts gave a master class in inspiration, perseverance, and critical thinking shortly after his Super Bowl loss Sunday. “You either win or you learn,” he told reporters. “That’s how I feel. You either win or you learn. Win, lose, or draw, I always reflect on the things I could have done better,…

Mental Skills Matter
Whether it’s this week’s Super Bowl or a game at our local school, we are often amazed by the edge that distinguishes winners from losers. The conditioning is the same. The physicality is the same. The difference maker is often mental strength. Given the importance of this topic and the need for open conversation about…

Continuous Effort Makes a Difference
Do you ever notice that some days you feel like you are able to crush your workouts but other days, you can barely get through a warmup? There is an aspect to training that is significantly underrated – and that is consistency over time. That continuous effort is a difference maker. Anyone can have one…

Keys to Success: Having a Growth Mindset and Learning from Failure
Laudatory headlines greeted Mikaela Shiffrin’s accomplishment this week in moving past Lindsey Vonn to set a record for women’s Alpine ski racing. And she’s not finished! It’s clear more greatness awaits. But it was only about a year ago when the defending Olympic gold medalist was unable to even complete two runs at the 2022…

Small Steps Build Success
Getting out of your comfort zone is not always easy, but it is necessary for growth. Did you know that taking a step, no matter how small, to push yourself to do something just a little uncomfortable can benefit you in other areas of life? It may sound silly but this can be good practice…

SFL Podcast Hosts Truly Soar
Sport Fuels Life sparks inspiration and builds community through the shared journey of athletic triumphs and personal growth. This year our Sport Fuels Life podcast will celebrate its third year of content. The start of a new year is the perfect time to reintroduce our hosts and share the why behind this movement for…

New Year’s Suggestions for Continued Success
Everyone is talking about New Year’s resolutions now. As coaches and players, we all know that practice and patience are the keys to success and that actions, not words, are critical. So today, we’re featuring several suggestions from our community that focus on being a better athlete and a more well-rounded person. After all, someone…

Best of 2022
With appreciation for your support of Sport Fuels Life in 2022 and anticipation of more excitement in 2023, we have selected some of our top interviews, podcasts, and features of the year. Keep your ideas, stories, and suggestions coming so we can help each other. Happy New Year! Christopher Clarey New York Times tennis correspondent Christopher…

Coaching the Coach Part 2
Your ideas keep coming and they are fantastic. This is the next installment of our feature on Coaches Helping Coaches. Keep sharing and keep believing. Advice for New Coaches New Coaching Challenges Leadership Development Exercises

Coaches Helping Coaches
As part of our salute to coaches this fall, we posed several questions to our community. We received great ideas. Here is a sampling of insights from coaches in field hockey, baseball, basketball, football, and dance. We will feature more insights in coming weeks and welcome additional thoughts as you close out 2022 and gear…

Mental Health Focus is Always Relevant: Top 5 Ways To Boost Mental Wellness
What does mental wellness look like for athletes in a season of cancelled competitive sport?

Thankful for Sports and For Each of You
Those of us at Sport Fuels Life find inspiration on the court or the playing field— participating in the game, chasing one more point, watching fierce competitors, cheering beloved teams, being awed and amazed, comparing notes with friends on how they played (or their kids played). We are passionate about the spectrum of athletics and…

Audio Tips for Athletic Success
Allistair McCaw A leading figure in leadership plus team culture and mindset, Allistair has written four best-selling books and is a popular motivational speaker. He also draws on his experience as an athlete and coach to share winning strategies. Here’s one coaching tip: listen 80% of the time; talk 20%. Listen here for more. Rulon…

Athletic Audio Clips Inspire All
This week we are featuring audio clips from five women who excel as athletes, coaches, speakers, and more. Prepare to be awed and amazed and enjoy the option of a short or longer listen. Siri Lindley “Where your focus goes, your energy flows.” These are words from world champion triathlete Siri Lindley who learned to…

New Feature: Choice of Athletic Audio Clips or Full Podcast
We know you’re busy. We will periodically be offering short audio clips of some of our (and your) favorite SFL features so you can have a little inspiration, or a lot. Enjoy! 1. Joy Can Create Deeper Focus and Lead to Better Performance Mental Skills Coordinator for the Diamond Razorbacks Zach Brandon discusses how more joy…

Outstanding Coach of the Year Nominee Says It All Begins with Love
Outstanding Coach of the Year Nominee Says It All Begins with Love Nicholas Lincoln “He truly understands how to reach the heart of his athletes.” Those powerful words were just part of the Outstanding Coach of the Year nomination for Nicholas Lincoln, football coach at Delaware Military Academy in Wilmington, Delaware. The nomination also…

Team Leadership Activity Helps Provide Clear Direction
Developing leaders on a team takes vision, perspective, and practice. At Sport Fuels Life, we recognize the potential great leaders have to generate a team’s positive results. In order to help build the best leaders on your team, we are sharing a team leadership activity that one of our coaches has used successfully. It…

Leveraging the Power of Athletics for Life
Today we talk to Nathalie Elliott about her transition from student-athlete to the working world as High Point University’s athletic trainer for cross country and track and field. During her Division I athletic career of five years, Nathalie earned honors of a 3x Big South Conference Champion and 4x NCAA Regional qualifier in the women’s…

How Tennis and Teams Fuel My Life
By David Bolick, Sport Fuels Life Co-founder Recent tennis news—retirements of Serena Williams and Roger Federer, amazing U.S. Open play of 19-year-old Spanish sensation and champion Carlos Alcaraz along with that of American Frances Tiafoe (whom I met years ago at the Winston-Salem Open), and Coco Gauff’s entry into the top ten tennis rankings—has…

A Conversation with Outstanding Coach and Professional Soccer Player Jordan Clark: Common Goals, Miracle Outcomes, and the Magic of Sports
Jordan Clark, who coaches tennis at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch, CO, is one of our Outstanding Coaches of The Year nominees. She also happens to be a professional soccer player in Europe. Here are highlights from our conversation with this elite athlete and coach. On what makes teams great: The best trait…

Delayed Gratification Has a Position on Your Team
By Sport Fuels Life Contributor, Athlete, and Coach Megan Houston The rush that you feel when scoring the game-winning goal or hitting a new personal best time in a race are moments that we live for in sports. The joy of celebrating a stellar performance with a team is the reward for hard-earned labor…

Unleashing Superpowers with Coach, Author, and Speaker Kate Leavell
Successful NCAA lacrosse coach, author, and speaker Kate Leavell knows what it takes—as a coach, parent of an athlete, and leadership expert—to embody positivity, communicate openly, and embrace diversity. She demonstrates these concepts in actionable ways in her new book, Superpower: An Inspiring Story to Overcome Self-Doubt and Unleash Your Authentic Greatness, a fable for any…

Mental Skills Make the Difference
Zach Brandon, mental skills coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, understands how perfecting one’s game and realizing peak performance in athletics requires both physical ability and mental strength. This mental performance expert shares how working through challenges to find the fun is all part of the growth process for professional baseball and for life. In our interview,…

Playing it Forward with Second Serve
One of the tenets of Sport Fuels Life is to “play it forward”. We encourage initiatives that support the positivity and potential of athletics. We were delighted recently to supply tee shirts to Second Serve, a youth-run, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of underprivileged kids who love tennis by providing the equipment they…

Siri Lindley – Finding and Reinventing One’s Champion Self
Siri Lindley, world champion triathlete, coach to the elites, television sports analyst, popular speaker and author shares remarkable insights about her career path and her passions. She highlights overcoming anxiety in many areas including entering a triathlon despite not knowing how to swim, coming out to her father, and finding her true passion in…

Managing Sports Performance Anxiety for Peak Performance
It’s game time. Your toe is to the line, and you’re positioned at a standstill, waiting for the whistle to blow as the signal to start. You’re calm, focused, and ready to attack. Getting to this point in competition requires a different type of training that prepares your mind for battle. Having nerves before competition…

Help a Group of Individuals Become a Team
August means back to school with a new roster of athletes—some veterans and some newcomers–for the fall season. It’s a critical opportunity to set the tone for the coming months and instill the concept that success can be had at any level of age, or experience. Here are some suggestions from Sport Fuels Life coaches…

Going for Gold and Embracing the Success of Silver
EUGENE, ORE. – United States pole vaulter Sandi Morris captured her third consecutive silver medal at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships where finals took place July 17. Morris placed second behind fellow U.S. teammate and 2020 Olympic gold medalist, Katie Nageotte. Placing second in the world is quite an accomplishment and something that…

Sport Fuels Life Podcast Co-hosts are Partners in Life and Championship Pole Vaulting
Sport Fuels Life Podcast Co-host Scott Houston finished in 12th place with a mark of 5.50m / 18’ 0.5” at the recent USA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Ore. This was off what it took to win the 2018 national championship that sent him to the world competition, but it was satisfying…

How Failing and Learning from Failure are Important Steps to Winning
Scott Doerner discusses his varied championship tennis career and how a winning team culture helped fuel a national championship. Those principles still apply! Scott Doerner is a man of many talents who believes everything matters in sports. He currently coaches ATP tennis player Sam Querrey and has won 17 Pop Tennis Major Titles. (POP tennis…

Addressing the Inner Olympian in All of Us
One of the most accomplished middle distance runners in USA track and field history, Olympian Khadevis Robinson believes we all want “to go for the gold” in our lives. He discusses how a change in mindset and a more balanced life creates amazing moments. Be ready to be inspired with his contagious energy and…

Sean Swarner Redefines the Impossible
Sean Swarner’s story of healing, hope, and triumph reflects the essence of Sport Fuels Life. Enjoy this incredible and inspiring conversation. Get ready to be inspired Sean talks about how to motivate yourself, overcome your personal conflict, and reach your personal Everest. With only one functioning lung, a prognosis of fourteen days to live,…

Insights on Confidence, Culture, and Coaching Help Create Winning Teams
Sport Fuels Life’s world-class baseball clinic still offers inspiration and insights for all athletes. Check out these videos for tips that can make a difference in your game. 3 Principles for Setting Great Team Cultures & Developing Athletes Challenges of Recruiting Tips for Running Effective, Efficient & Creative Practices Building Confidence In Your Athletes Gifts of…

How Coaches Inspire and are Inspired: Learn from All Star Coaches
What can all coaches learn from an all-star panel of baseball coaches? The answer is simple—a great deal. That was our conclusion after reviewing the highlight reel from last year’s virtual baseball clinic. If you are interested in the power and potential of relationships, team culture, leadership, character and competing, comprehensive player development and more—this one is for you. …

Tennis Fuels Life and Forever Friendships
Tennis Fuels Life and Forever Friendships By Matt Oechsli and Bruce Brodie One would have to look long and hard to find a group of senior tennis players like the Saturday Morning Tennis (SMT) crew in Greensboro, N.C. With the average age deep into AARP territory, north of 70 years (although it’s been rumored…

Lacrosse and Leadership Insights with Kate Leavell
Join us at Sport Fuels Life as we hear from Kate Leavell about her transformation from lacrosse player to coach and now bestselling culture/performance building author, expert, and public speaker. Kate transitioned her love of lacrosse into coaching at the NCAA level. She is now VP of Leadership for the Jon Gordon Companies and…