Way of Champions Podcast

Mario M. Iveljic is a premier legal strategist, dual-licensed international football agent, author, and executive leader operating at the highest levels of global sports management. As the Director of Soccer & Legal Counsel for Mag Mile Sport, Mario serves as a trusted advisor to professional athletes, elite youth prospects, and sports families navigating the deeply complex world of competitive soccer. Mario's professional footprint spans across major international borders. He is uniquely qualified as both a Licensed FIFA Agent and a Registered Football Agent with the Football Association (FA) in England.  Mario's 360-degree view of the sports landscape is also fueled by his personal history. A former semi-professional soccer player and a father navigating the contemporary youth academy circuits, he understands the sacrifices and common pitfalls families encounter at every tier of development. Mario recently authored the definitive guide for athletic families: Make the Smart Move: The Playbook for Better Sports Decisions. The book offers a clear blueprint to cut through institutional noise and construct multi-year development frameworks for sustainable, long-term success. Connect with Mario: www.magmilesport.com Twitter: @MagMileSport Instagram: @magmilesport Personal IG: @marioi196 The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is the book you need to develop your team captains and leaders!  CLICK HERE TO ORDER We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol, Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a  FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book.  FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL [email protected] to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call [email protected] PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email [email protected] if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites, communication tools and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions  

Peter Vermes is a legend in American soccer and both a player and a coach and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame (Class of 2013). He holds the historic distinction of being the first person in Major League Soccer history to win an MLS Cup as both a player and a head coach with the same franchise. As a player, Vermes earned 67 caps for the U.S. Men's National Team, representing his country at the 1988 Olympics and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After pioneering stints in Europe, he became an MLS foundation player, anchoring the defense for the Kansas City Wizards to win the 2000 MLS Cup and earning MLS Defender of the Year honors. Transitioning to the sidelines, Vermes became the longest-tenured manager in MLS history, leading Sporting Kansas City for 16 seasons. Renowned for his uncompromising standards and tactical precision, he built a model franchise, capturing four major trophies as manager: the 2013 MLS Cup and three U.S. Open Cups (2012, 2015, 2017). In our discussion today, we talk about Peter's career, qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, becoming a coach, and the standards required to play for a Peter Vermes team. Discuss the importance of building culture and connecting with every player as an individual, and what it takes to succeed at the next level. In our discussion today, we talk about Peter's career, qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, becoming a coach, and the standards required to play for a Peter Vermes team. Discuss the importance of building culture and connecting with every player as an individual, and what it takes to succeed at the next level. This is a coaching masterclass. The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is the book you need to develop your team captains and leaders!  CLICK HERE TO ORDER We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol, Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a  FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book.  FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL [email protected] to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call [email protected] PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email [email protected] if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites, communication tools and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

Kevin Connors is the Managing Director at Susan Crown Exchange, where he oversees grant making, leads new initiatives, and co-develops organizational strategy. Kevin helped lead the Million Coaches Challenge, a national initiative launched by the Susan Crown Exchange in 2021 to transform youth sports by training one million coaches in evidence-based youth development practices. Backed by 18+ partners, including the Aspen Institute's Project Play and research led by the American Institutes for Research, the Million Coaches Challenge is transforming youth sports by equipping coaches with the information and tools to create positive, inclusive environments that help young people build confidence, belonging, and life skills through sport. Between 2021 and 2025, it collectively trained 1,173,354 coaches. Previously, Kevin served as the Founding Director of Personalized Learning at Chicago Public Schools, where he led a $25M initiative and partnered with 120 schools to lead the nation's first large scale implementation of the Personalized Learning school model. Kevin has also written for Education Week, is a Teach for America alum, and presents regularly at local and national conferences. His work has been covered by CNN, The Today Show, and Vanity Fair. Recently, with support from the Susan Crown Exchange, the Aspen Institute and Ohio State University LiFESports recently announced the National Coach Survey. The 15 minute online survey can be found at as.pn/coachsurvey. The goal is to reach 20,000 coaches through the survey, and is designed to provide value to the youth sports field writ large, as well as a valuable tool for individual organizations. Specifically, organizations with 25 or more responses are able to receive their own reports. Connect at https://www.millioncoaches.org/ The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is the book you need to develop your team captains and leaders!  CLICK HERE TO ORDER We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol, Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a  FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book.  FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL [email protected] to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call [email protected] PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email [email protected] if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites, communication tools and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

Jack Rolfe is an international coach developer, founder of The Coaching Lab and creator of MatchPlay Cards, used by coaches in more than 75 countries. With a background in Sports Coaching Science, Jack has worked across grassroots, academy and high-performance sport with organizations including Arsenal, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and coaches connected to the England Men's National Team. His work helps coaches create engaging, games-based environments where young people can make decisions, solve problems and develop a lifelong love of sport. In our podcast this week we discuss innovative ways to create more dynamic practices and put players first.   Website Link: https://thecoachinglab.org/collections/single-decks   Socials:@The_CoachingLab   Discount code: CHAMPIONS15   The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is the book you need to develop your team captains and leaders!  CLICK HERE TO ORDER We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol, Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a  FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book.  FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL [email protected] to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call [email protected] PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email [email protected] if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites, communication tools and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

Lindsay Crouse (@LindsayCrouse) is an author, producer, and journalist. For more than 15 years, she was an editor, writer and producer at The New York Times, where her Emmy-nominated work on women's sports brought widespread change to the industry, including maternity protections for pregnant athletes. In the Times's Opinion section, she wrote and commissioned widely read essays and produced hundreds of short documentaries, including the Times's first Academy Award-winning film. A life-long competitive distance runner and graduate of Harvard, Lindsay is the author of the brand new book The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out.  Whether it's a relationship that has run its course, a career that no longer fits, or a goal that costs more than it gives, Crouse makes a case for the most radical, but also at times the most rational choice. Drawing on behavioral economics, psychology research, and neuroscience alongside a rich and surprising array of stories spanning history, sports, business, and everyday life, Crouse examines the hidden forces that keep us locked in failing situations long after we know better. From Bear Bryant's legendary and brutal "hell camp," to the Finnish concept of sisu, to K-Pop superstar haunted by his own record-breaking success, to the vast array of champion athletes discovering that the best way forward is not necessarily "harder and more," The Case for Quitting reveals why leaving is so hard—and why, so often, it is exactly right. Connect with Lindsay at www.LindsayCrouse.com   The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is the book you need to develop your team captains and leaders!  CLICK HERE TO ORDER We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol, Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a  FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book.  FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL [email protected] to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call [email protected] PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email [email protected] if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites, communication tools and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions