Choose to Lead: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Youth Sports - Part 1

 

Episode Overview

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Jason Ronai shares his expertise on leadership development for athletes at every level. The discussion focuses on how true leadership isn't about titles, but about influence, and provides practical tools that athletes can implement immediately - whether they're team captains or not.

Hosts:

• Kortney Harmon - Former Division 1 College Softball Pitcher turned high-performance business coach
• Julie Jones - Hall of Fame coach with over 20 years of D1 softball coaching experience and certified mental performance specialist

Guest:

Dr. Jason Ronai - Expert in athlete leadership development and author of "Endless Teachable Moments"

Key Topics & Timestamps Leadership Philosophy & Foundation (00:00 - 10:00)

• Dr. Ronai's comprehensive leadership philosophy from his doctorate program
• The most important word in leadership: "CHOOSE"
• Breaking down complex leadership concepts for youth athletes
• The "Two Beasts" concept: Growth-oriented vs. Poison beast

The Mountain Climbing Metaphor (10:00 - 15:00)

• Leadership as climbing a mountain toward "competitive greatness"
• Choosing conscientiousness and working hard daily
• Building habits of overcoming obstacles
• The importance of "figuring it out" and applying self-knowledge

Age-Appropriate Leadership Development (15:00 - 20:00)

• Why young athletes shouldn't be pressured to be "leaders" immediately
• Starting with being a "good helper" and taking personal responsibility
• Building standards of behavior, communication, and body language
• The progression from helper → great teammate → positive influencer → leader

The Six E's Framework (20:00 - 30:00)

• Effort: Complete focus and articulation of concentration
• Energy: Positive body language that shows readiness
• Enthusiasm: Excitement for the success of others
• Encouragement: Having courage to give and receive feedback
• Execution: Conscientiousness in all actions and movements
• Elimination: Removing DEBTS (Distraction, Embarrassment, Taunting, Sarcasm, Self-pity)

The Value of Failure & Teachable Moments (30:00 - 40:00)

• Why high achievers often struggle more with failure
• The endless teachable moments available through sports
• How team sports create opportunities to overcome both success and failure
• Building habits of resilience through athletic experiences

Embracing Failure & Building Toughness (40:00 - 45:00)

• Painting realistic pictures of what will happen in sports
• The two core values: Poise (proactive mindset) and Toughness (reactive habits)
• Preparing athletes mentally for inevitable mistakes and adversity
• Building trust through consistent responses to failure

Modern Challenges: Social Media & External Pressures (45:00 - End)

• Navigating increased distractions and external pressures
• Helping athletes develop personal core values
• Strategies for dealing with social media negativity
• The importance of focusing on internal standards vs. external opinions

Key Quotes

"Great leaders are honest, competent, inspiring, forward looking individuals and choose to be poised, growth oriented, conscientious competitors who positively impact people and organizations in order to achieve mission driven results that exceed expectations."

"The most important word in leadership is 'choose' - we choose our core values, our standards of behavior, our standards of body language, and our standards of communication."

"Leadership is just a constant growth and awareness process in which you aim to be positive and an empowering influence on others through your habits, values, words, skills and actions."

"We have this window of time in which children can extract the most amount of values and positive experiences and failure along the way in a really safe setting."

Actionable Takeaways For Young Athletes:

1. Start with personal responsibility - Get your equipment ready, be organized
2. Focus on being a good helper before trying to be a leader
3. Practice the Six E's daily in training and competition
4. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities, not failures
5. Develop your own core values as you mature

For Parents:

1. Don't pressure young children to be leaders - let them develop gradually
2. Create environments where mistakes are learning processes
3. Focus on growth-oriented mindsets over outcomes
4. Help children navigate external pressures and social media
5. Model the standards of behavior you want to see

For Coaches:

1. Establish clear standards of behavior, body language, and communication
2. Use rubrics and evaluations around character development
3. Create "no fear, no embarrassment" environments
4. Focus on process over outcomes in youth sports
5. Provide endless teachable moments through sports experiences

Resources Mentioned

• "Endless Teachable Moments" by Dr. Jason Ronai
• The Leadership Challenge study (five-decade research on admired leader characteristics)
• Coach K's "no fear, no embarrassment" policy
• Patrick Murphy's "mutita" concept from University of Alabama

Next Episode Preview

Tune in 2 weeks from now for Part 2 of this conversation! 

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional coaching or mental health advice. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining advice from qualified professionals because of something you may have heard in an episode of Game Changers: Athlete Edition. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional coaching, mental performance, or medical advice. Please consult with qualified professionals for proper evaluation and guidance specific to your situation. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions. Neither the Game Changers: Athlete Edition hosts nor any company providing support endorses or opposes any particular training, coaching, or treatment methods discussed in the episodes. They are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The strategies, tips, and information shared in this podcast are based on the hosts' experiences and professional expertise, but results may vary. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.