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Captains & Coaches LLC

@captainsandcoaches

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RAISING THE GAME. Sports Don't Teach Lessons. Captains & Coaches Do. Training & education to help team leaders realize their potential.

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NEW EPISODE: #127 - The Praise Trap

Most coaches don't praise enough. The ones who do often praise the wrong way without ever knowing it.

In this episode, Tex breaks down why coaches stay silent when athletes get it right, the three mindset blocks holding that silence in place, and a concept from neuro-linguistic programming that changes how you think about the words you use around your team. You'll learn:

✅ The 3 distinct types of praise and why the one most coaches rely on is actually the weakest

✅ Why an overheard compliment can shape a kid's identity more than anything said to their face

✅ The warning that comes with that same power, it works exactly the same way in reverse

✅ How praise tied only to outcomes quietly teaches athletes their worth has to be re-earned every single day

✅ What to do instead so the confidence you build actually holds up when the scoreboard doesn't cooperate

If you've ever wondered whether you're praising your athletes enough, or praising them in a way that's actually working, this episode is for you.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#CoachingTips #YouthSports #SportsPsychology #LeadershipDevelopment AthleteConfidence by @captainsandcoaches

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3 months ago

NEW EPISODE: Strength, Service, & Navy Football w/ Jim Kiritsy

There's no game like Army-Navy. No neutral site classic, no rivalry week hype machine, just two military academies, one football field, and everything that comes with wearing the uniform. Navy just won. And I wanted to talk to the guy who makes sure those Midshipmen are ready to play it.

Jim Kiritsy [@navyfb_strength] is the Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach at the United States Naval Academy.

In this episode, Jim and Tex get into what the Army-Navy game means inside the locker room, not the spectacle, but the weight of it.

We talk about his coaching philosophy, how he develops young men who are being asked to grow up fast, and what it genuinely takes physically, mentally, and culturally to play football at the Naval Academy.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#NavyFootball #ArmyNavyGame #StrengthAndConditioning #NavalAcademy #football taken in United States Naval Academy by @captainsandcoaches

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6 months ago

NEW EPISODE: "How to Win" Awareness w/ Jay Johnson
LSU Baseball's Head Coach Jay Johnson—a two-time national champion who has built one of college baseball's premier programs.

From his humble beginnings transitioning from player to coach at Point Loma Nazarene to leading LSU to back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2025, Coach Johnson shares the leadership principles and developmental philosophies that have shaped his legendary career.

In this episode, you'll discover: - The player-to-coach transition - The power of mentorship - "How to Win Awareness" - Team Over Me - Development as the driver

Coach Johnson also shares powerful stories from both championship runs—from the emotional roller coaster of the 2023 comeback victory to the process-driven excellence of 2025—and offers practical advice for youth coaches and parents navigating the college recruiting landscape.

Whether you're coaching at the highest level or in your backyard, this episode is packed with transferable wisdom on leadership, culture-building, and what it truly takes to develop people—not just players.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#LSUBaseball #JayJohnson #CollegeBaseball #Leadership #Mindset @lsubaseball taken in Alex Box Stadium by @captainsandcoaches

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8 months ago

THE LINEUP IS SET.

We’re just days away from the 2026 Sports Performance Coaching Certification Seminar, and this group is bringing some serious knowledge to our Soldier Coaches.

Meet just a few of the coaches and performance leaders joining us:

Johannah Zabal — Sports Performance Director
Martin Rooney — Founder, Training for Warriors
Tex McQuilkin — Captains & Coaches
Steve Watterson — Retired NFL Strength & Conditioning Coach
Giovani Urrutia — Human Performance Specialist
Melissa Mercado — Intro to TeamBuildr
Harrison Bernstein - Founder & CEO Soldiers To Sidelines

Across four virtual evenings, we’ll dive into the tools that help coaches develop better-performing athletes — communication, strength, power, conditioning, speed, agility and more.

October 19–22, 2026
6:30–9:30 PM EDT
100% Virtual
FREE for eligible members of the military community
Powered by @wwp

Veterans. Active Duty. Guard & Reserve. Military Spouses. Gold Star Families.

The countdown is ON.

🔗 Registration is still open — hit the link in our bio and join us!

Better Coaching. Better Lives.

#SoldiersToSidelines #CoachForLife #SportsPerformance #SportsPerformanceCoaching

@coach_jo_
@johannahz
@mcquilkin
@captainsandcoaches
@themartinrooney
@soflete.g
@coach_melissa_mercado by @captainsandcoaches

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5 days ago

NEW EPISODE: 150 - Early Struggles, Heavy Squats & Sustained Success w/ Bert Sorin

Live from the NSCA Tactical Conference, Tex sits down with Bert Sorin [@bertsorin], CEO of Sorinex Exercise Equipment [@sorinex].

Many years ago, Bert recommended a book to Tex called Predictable Success. In this episode, they use its seven stages as a roadmap: early struggle, fun, whitewater, predictable success, treadmill, the big rut, and the death rattle.

Bert shares how his dad, Pops, hacked a trail through the woods so Bert and his team could build a five-lane highway. He opens up about chasing the Olympics and Highland Games while the business sat in whitewater, and the moment he had to hold up the mirror. He explains why culture isn't a poster on the wall. It's everyone with a hand on the wheel, bringing their best dish to the party.

Then Bert gets personal. A funeral. A heavy squat. And the last conversation with his dad that keeps him hungry today.

If you lead a team, a program, or a business, this one is for you.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#BertSorin #Sorinex #StrengthAndConditioning #PredictableSuccess #Squatober by @captainsandcoaches

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10 days ago

The SaintsStrong Leadership Academy is back in action for the 2026-27 academic year.

This year’s cohort includes 39 student-athletes representing 15 Marymount athletic programs.

Read more at MarymountSaints.com. by @captainsandcoaches

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10 days ago

NEW EPISODE: 149 - Hard of Listening

Jeff Fisher shared a story at the 2026 Soldiers to Sidelines Summit about a cornerback who cost his Titans a football game. The player heard his assignment, said "I gotcha, coach," and got it completely wrong. That gap, between hearing and listening, is the subject of this episode.

Tex breaks down what actually separates the two, why "got it" from a captain is a reflex and not proof of anything, and what to do instead. That includes a teach-back method for high-pressure moments, a framework for building shared language with your leaders before the season starts, and a story Tex heard Jeff Fisher tell live, about a group of hearing-impaired kids who never missed a word.

Most people aren't hard of hearing. They're hard of listening. This episode is about closing that gap before it costs you a game, or a season.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#CoachingLeadership #ActiveListening #CaptainsAndCoaches #JeffFisher #SportsLeadership by @captainsandcoaches

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11 days ago

NEW EPISODE: 148 - Gen X Coaches, Gen Z Captains & the Leadership Gap w/ Martin Rooney

Are captains born, or are they made? And why do so many coaches get the pick wrong?

Tex sits down with Martin Rooney [@themartinrooney] bestselling author of Coach to Coach and High Ten, founder of Training for Warriors, and a coach who's worked with everyone from Army Rangers to UFC champions to high school track teams.

Martin makes the case that captains aren't selected, they emerge, and that handing the title to your best performer or most popular kid by default is one of the most common mistakes coaches make.

He shares the story of a state championship team that won without ever naming a captain, and gets into why today's athletes respond to feedback so differently than they did even ten years ago.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#CaptainsAndCoaches #MartinRooney #CoachingGreatness #TeamCaptain #YouthSportsCoaching @trainingforwarriors taken in Orlando, Florida by @captainsandcoaches

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17 days ago

NEW EPISODE: 147 - Glazing, Fake Hype, & True Team Energy w/ CJ Appenzeller & Vinny Malts

In this episode of CJ & Vinny's Secret Podcast, Tex sits down with CJ Appenzeller [@appyhour] and Vinny Malts [@coachvinnymalts] to tackle one of the hardest skills a captain ever has to learn: how to inspire and motivate a team without it coming off fake.

The boys dig into why "fake hype" gets sniffed out instantly by anyone who's competed at a high level, why real energy is more often an emerging property of competency and alignment than something you can force, and what it actually takes to get teenagers comfortable celebrating each other instead of hiding behind "too cool for this."

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#TeamLeadership #SportsPsychology #CaptainsAndCoaches #AuthenticLeadership #YouthSportsCoaching by @captainsandcoaches

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18 days ago

UMass Boston Lacrosse [@beaconslacrosse] brought the full team for a 3-hour Captains & Coaches workshop built around one theme: Lighthouse Leadership.

A lighthouse doesn't chase the spotlight. It stands steady in the storm, lights up the hazards, and guides everyone else home. That's the leader every team needs, and it's not only the captains' job. This group took it on together.

We opened with captain-led practice on the field, then got real reps in the storm: leading each other through conflict, candor, and banter. Hard conversations. Honest feedback. Good-natured chirping that keeps a locker room loose. We closed by building an identity on both sides of the ball. All of it is part of a team that can hold its standard when things get loud.

Super proud of this Beacons squad. The tools are in their hands now, and I can't wait to see the product they put out on the field this season.

Go Beacs!

https://workshop.captainsandcoaches.com

#UMassBostonLacrosse #BeaconsLacrosse #LighthouseLeadership #CaptainsAndCoaches #TeamCaptain by @captainsandcoaches

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21 days ago

NEW EPISODE: 146 - Conquer Loss Aversion & the Locker Room w/ Dr Ben Freakley

What happens when a team stops playing to win and starts playing not to lose?

Dr. Ben Freakley, Certified Mental Performance Consultant and founder of Ready Set Resilient, knows this shift firsthand.

In this episode, Tex and Ben dig into the two balls every coach has to juggle (the team and the individual), the "sustain, stop, start" halftime framework that gives players ownership of the solutions, and what separates leadership in a locker room from leadership on a battlefield. It's a conversation about loss aversion, trust, and what it really takes to build a team that plays brave under pressure.

LISTEN NOW - https://linktr.ee/captainsandcoaches

#CoachingPodcast #MentalPerformance #SportPsychology #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamCaptain by @captainsandcoaches

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23 days ago

Building Leaders 🗡️

Big thank you to Coach @mcquilkin from @captainsandcoaches for sharing some knowledge with our guys yesterday afternoon on leadership, motivation, much more👏 A great experience in the classroom and on the field for how leaders can be built🌊

#BewaretheBeac #Mission23 by @captainsandcoaches

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24 days ago