Coaching Athletes

Athletes desire—and deserve—a more substantive expression of the Christian faith in the context of sport, but they don’t know what it looks like or where to turn to learn more. Author Brian Smith shares his story as an athlete and coach, and his experience working with high-level athletes in the last decade to help listeners better understand how to integrate faith and sport.

Famous three-time Grand Slam winner Arthur Ashe pointed out that many in sports fall victim to “paralysis by analysis”. Athletes on any level can experience the pain of overthinking and sabotaging their performance. Blame many traditional methods of teaching and training. How can we train smarter, not harder? If only our body and mind could perform in a way that’s more natural and instinctive. The best athletes have this quality, but many feel it is simply unattainable for them. I assure you it is not.

What’s your max squat? How much ya bench? What’s your best deadlift? Can you press your body weight? Today, pushing quantifiable expressions of strength, like your maxes, is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. However, though strength may be specific, real strength is much more than a powerlifting total - it’s about resilience, capability, and adaptability. It’s survival of the fittest after all, not the strongest.

Outperform the competition! Being unbeatable from the neck down cannot happen without first being unbeatable from the neck up. If the best athletes on the planet are all training their minds for peak performance in training and competition, why aren’t you doing the same? Unlike speed, strength, power, height, hand-eye coordination, and overall God-given talent, mental strength is a learnable skill. You just need the road map.

We believe in the power of sports to change lives. We also believe in the power of the mental game. Each of us has experienced the joy and impact of sports—as athletes, coaches, parents, or fans. Our mission is to assist athletes in handling adversity, thriving under pressure, and maximizing their potential.

Shut up and Clap! offers a practical guide for parents, coaches, and referees in the world of youth sports. This book offers valuable insights, practical tips, and personal anecdotes to help you support your student-athlete.

Written for the athlete, Triumph! is a guide that helps you understand how to approach your sport philosophically and practically. Kunz explains how to focus your energy and play with confidence through ART (alignment, rules, and technique), understand the politics of sports, and manage relationships that surround you as an athlete. Apply the lessons learned in Triumph!, gain a competitive edge, and become a winner on and off the field. With forewords from legendary national championship football coaches Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian.

The focus of this book is to provide you, the listener, with best practices for working with youth and athletes outside of the classroom environment. There are too many kids and athletes not receiving the support they need mentally, academically, behaviorally, and emotionally.