Inside Steel Sports: Shaping Athletes and Leaders with Martin Brown

Better People Podcast

Join Margaret Uhrich as she chats with Martin Brown of Steel Sports about transforming youth sports into a powerhouse for positive change. Dive into an episode that weaves the Steel Sports coaching philosophy, inspired by Tommy Lasorda, into an intriguing narrative of data-driven success and character-building, both on and off the field.

Here are a few topics we’ll discuss on this episode of Better People Podcast:

• Steel Sports: More than games.
• The Lasorda Way in coaching.
• Transforming youth, one child at a time.
• Building character and leadership.
• Steel Sports expanding globally.

Resources:

• Steel Sports
• MidAtlantic Employers’ Association (MEA)

Connect with Martin Brown:

• LinkedIn

Connect with our hosts:

• Margaret Uhrich - LinkedIn
• Holly DePalma - LinkedIn

Quotables

• 13:00 - I think they're some of the hardest skills to actually teach and utilize and be successful with that kind of, we like to use the term core competencies, you know, human-centered skills. So I think that that's kind of what the piece because you know, the teaching the technical element and even in a sport that's, you know, it's, yes, it's difficult, you need experts to do it, but it is actually easier to teach a kid how to hit a baseball or hit a soccer ball and then actually teach them about empathy and leadership skills and how to do that. But I think it's also critical, and I get into the leadership space that we talk about to also recognize that it's important as well that they become intentional and they're genuine and authentic when you're doing teaching those skills.
• 16:02 - I'm listening to you and the thought that keeps running through my head is the power that one person has to make a difference in somebody else's life. I mean, Tommy did it with that kid when he is, you know, [...] and whatever he said, he made a difference. And we all know that one teacher can really make such a huge difference, difference in a child's life or one coach. I think that's the case for a leader as well.
• 18:06 - And I think, you know, you're saying if you can just lead yourself, I don't think that's such a small statement that you're making. I think first and foremost, we all need to be leaders of ourselves and I think we have to own that role that I do have to take care of who I am and how I show up in this world. And if we could all do that, you know, really what a better place I think things could be. But I do think it does start with us as individuals and realizing that we can make a difference for ourselves, which then can have just this, you know, snowball effect, which is huge.
• 20:26 - I think, well, the biggest lessons I've learned is I think really is twofold. One, you are only as good as the content that you can give, teach to other people, right? You have to have something there, and it has to be based in some sort of evidence, research, science, you know, anybody can just go out and say, Hey, you should do this, you should do this. You know, we meticulously take our content and build it with experts. And if we're not, if we are not the expert in that field, we'll go find whoever that expert is, or one of those experts and help say, this is what we wanna achieve. How can we help us develop that content?
• 21:52 - And we, well, we've also had, you know, coaches as part of our organization that haven't bought into what we've done, and it's just not what gonna be, that's fine. There's no right or wrong, this is how we do it, and this is, you know, if, but you've gotta look on what's a fit for you. So if this isn't a fit for you, then, you know, go ahead and do it somewhere else. That's fine. So we are really kind of big on making sure that our coaches are internalizing what we want to do because that's how they then have the biggest impact.