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The 8 Side


The Reformed Sports Project's mission is to restore healthy balance and perspective in all areas of sport, through education and advocacy. Hosted by former collegiate national champion turned youth sports parent and coach Nick Buonocore, the Reformed Sports Podcast engages top figures in the sports world – highly-regarded collegiate coaches, championship-winning professional athletes, leading journalists and industry experts – to discuss the importance of a healthy and balanced approach to youth sports.


The Reformed Sports Project Podcast

Restoring healthy balance and perspective in all areas of sport, through education and advocacy

 
 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Reformed Sports Project Podcast

One of the biggest names in college baseball, Tim Corbin has transformed the Vanderbilt University Baseball program into a powerhouse over the last 20 seasons. He’s won two NCAA Championships and several national coaching awards. Coach Corbin joins Nick to discuss youth sports, including the ‘D1 or bust’ mentality, early sport specialization, and how versatility can be a huge differentiator in his recruiting process.

 
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Ep 1: Tim Corbin

Frank Martin is approaching his 10th season as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach for the University of South Carolina. He led the Gamecocks to the NCAA Final Four in 2017 and earned four NCAA Tournament bids in his previous head coaching role with Kansas State. Coach Martin joins Nick to discuss youth sports and adversity as well as the important role parents and coaches play in supporting children’s development through sports.

 
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Ep 2: Frank Martin

Hall of Fame swim coach Bob Bowman is one of the best-known and most successful swim coaches of all-time. Coach Bowman served as the primary coach for 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, was the 2016 USA Olympic Swim Team Head Coach, and currently leads the Arizona State University Swim Program. Coach Bowman joins Nick to discuss the transformative power of sports on kids’ development, the importance of mental health, and how he applied his coaching philosophy to help guide Phelps’s historic career.

 
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Ep 3: Bob Bowman

Jennifer Patrick-Swift has turned the NC State Softball team into a top ACC contender since joining the program as Head Coach in 2018. Prior to NC State, she coached at the mid-major DI, DII, and DIII levels, earning numerous awards and accolades over the years. Coach Patrick-Swift joins Nick to discuss parents’ role in youth sports today, her experience as a DIII player, and her recruiting philosophy as a coach in a Power Five conference.

 
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Ep 4: Jennifer Patrick-Swift

Former MLB pitcher Billy Wagner closed for the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, and Braves during his 15-year Major League career. "Billy the Kid" is a seven-time All-Star and currently on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Now the Head Baseball Coach for Miller School of Albemarle in Virginia, Coach Wagner joins Nick to discuss his journey from DIII to the MLB, share advice for players and parents, and explore what it means to be competitive.

 
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Ep 5: Billy Wagner

Jon Gordon is a best-selling author and highly-regarded keynote speaker who focuses on leadership, teamwork, and culture. He consults numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits, and his books and principles have been featured by many broadcast networks, magazines, and other publications. Jon joins Nick to discuss the consequences of parents' egos, the importance of kids having fun, and the ultimate purpose of youth sports.

 
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Ep 6: Jon Gordon

Recently named Big South Women's Soccer Coach of the Year, Samar Azem led the 2021 Campbell University Camels to their first Big South regular season title. Prior to becoming Campbell's Head Coach in 2017, she held many coaching positions at various collegiate and development levels and was a standout goalkeeper for the Campbell Camels in the early 2000s. A Nigerian-born and raised athlete, Coach Azem joins Nick to discuss her unique perspective on the American youth sports culture, the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality, and the value of enjoying the process.

 
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Ep 7: Samar Azem

Heading into his 11th season as the Head Wrestling Coach at UNC Pembroke, Othello "O.T." Johnson is one of the most successful head coaches in the program's history. Under his stewardship, 22 Pembroke wrestlers have qualified for NCAA Championships while 20 wrestlers have also been named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Coach Johnson joins Nick to discuss his experience growing up with unstructured play and using sports to build confidence. He also shares his insights on the importance of athletes putting in the work and holding themselves accountable.

 
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Ep 8: O.T. Johnson

Head Football Coach at Anna Maria College, Dan Mulrooney was named the 2021 ECFC Coach of the Year after leading the team to their first conference championship and NCAA playoff berth in program history. Signing on as head coach in 2016, he quickly transformed the school's struggling football program into a DIII powerhouse. Coach Mulrooney joins Nick to discuss his coaching philosophy, the integral roles culture and fit play into a team's success, and the benefits of competing with (and learning from) the best.

 
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Ep 9: Dan Mulrooney

David Epstein is the two-time New York Times Best-Selling author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance. He is currently an investigative journalist for ProPublica and is widely considered a thought leader in debunking the infamous 10,000 Hour Rule. Epstein joins Nick to discuss his evidence-based theory on the importance of avoiding early specialization and why physical literacy, sampling period, and match quality should be commonplace in every youth sports stakeholder's vocabulary.

 
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Ep 19: David Epstein

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