Feb 20, 2022
Dr. Wade Gilbert is an internationally renowned performance consultant and award-winning professor in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Fresno. He is author of the highly acclaimed book Coaching Better Every Season. Gilbert is a long-time advisor to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Coach Education Department and primary coach education consultant for USA Football. Specific to hockey, he has served as an advisor to leading hockey organizations and coaching staffs around the world, including USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, IIHF, NHL/NHLPA, WHL, and USHL. Most recently, Gilbert served as the mental performance coach for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics medal-winning Canadian women’s softball team.
Wade has literally written the book on Coaching Better Every Season - here are some of the key takeaways from the episode:
- There is no excuses for coaches not to be learning (don’t let your insecurities, pride, or ego get in the way)
- Awaken to the people side of coaching (people first, sport second)
- The essence of coaching is navigating the moments
- Best practices versus best principles (personalize the principles to your situation)
- Each season is a journey and your job is to build a sturdy ship - there will be storms, but with a sturdy ship you will be okay
The bottom line is that as a coach you might not be able to fully control winning, but you can control the experience your team has.
Safe to say, Wade is an advocate in the fight against the ‘old school’ coaching mentality and you too can join us by sharing with your fellow coaches!