The Athlete Lab Podcast

Metro Detroit roots. A hometown club. Two different paths to the pro game. Detroit City FC’s Alex Dalou and Connor Rutz join The Athlete Lab Podcast to talk about the journeys that brought them to DCFC, the culture inside the club and what fuels their love of the game. In this episode: • Their paths from Metro Detroit to the professional level • What makes DCFC’s culture stand out • Their scouting...

Olympic gold medalist and Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller returns to The Athlete Lab Podcast after an unforgettable year, one that included scoring the golden goal for Team USA. Megan joins host Phil Osaer to reflect on the moments behind the medal and what comes next. In this episode: • Scoring the golden goal and what she remembers from the moment • Leadership, captaincy and continuing to grow...

In this special Season 1 recap, host Phil Osaer reflects on some of the most memorable lessons shared on The Athlete Lab Podcast. Featuring takeaways from Dr. Cheri Mah, Barry Smith, Megan Keller, Adam Eaton, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, Kate Kelley Schneider, and Dillon Kelley, the episode revisits powerful conversations about preparation, resilience, leadership, recovery, and what it takes...

In this episode of The Athlete Lab Podcast, host Phil Osaer sits down with Jill Lane, sought after Sports Nutrition Advisor to the Pros, mom of three and Founder & CEO of the go-to sports nutrition app for student athletes Fueling Champions®, for a practical conversation on how young athletes and sports families can better fuel performance. Hired by Hall of Fame athletes, Super Bowl Champions...

Kevin Woodley joins Phil Osaer on The Athlete Lab Podcast for a deep dive into the modern goaltending position, what’s changing, what still holds up, and how goalies (and coaches/parents) can keep evolving. Kevin is a writer covering the NHL (including the Vancouver Canucks) for NHL.com, a Contributing Editor at InGoal Magazine, and a co-host of the InGoal Radio Podcast, bringing both reporting an...

Cheri D. Mah, MD, MS, a sleep physician & performancespecialist, joins Phil Osaer on The Athlete Lab Podcast to break down what great sleep  actually looks like for athletes and why it’s one of the biggest performance multipliers most people underestimate. As a sleep physician and Adjunct Lecturer at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, Dr. Mah is widely recognized for her work on sleep and per...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Adam Eaton, former Major League Baseball outfielder and current MLB coach, for a conversation centered on resilience, adaptation, and what it really takes to sustain a career at the highest level. From his upbringing and path through professional baseball to the daily gri...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Kim Muir, one of the most influential power skating coaches in hockey and her story is unlike anything you’ve heard. From being found as an infant in South Korea and growing up in Michigan, to becoming a national-level figure skater and eventually coaching hundreds of ath...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Barry Smith, a seven-time Stanley Cup–winning coach and current Director of Player Evaluation for the Chicago Blackhawks, for a masterclass in team building, habits, and what it really takes to win at the highest level. With a coaching career that spans college hockey, th...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Topher Scott, former Cornell captain, pro hockey player, college coach, and founder of The Hockey Think Tank, for a practical, honest conversation about what athlete development really looks like in today’s hockey landscape.   From his path through youth hockey outside Ch...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Michigan State associate head coach and former RIT standout goaltender Jared DeMichiel for a candid look inside college hockey at the highest level. From his journey as a player who helped take RIT to the Frozen Four, to building championship-caliber teams behind the benc...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Michael Lee, creator of Physical Acting for Skaters, for a deep dive into the art of presence, performance, and expression in sport. Drawing on his work with athletes competing at the highest levels of figure skating, Michael shares how physical acting can unlock a new le...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of AthleteDevelopment at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Igor Shpilband, one of the most influential coaches in ice dance and a former World Junior Champion, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it really takes to build elite skaters and world-class programs. From his early roots in skating and coaching to working withathlete...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Kate Kelley Schneider, psychotherapist, lifelong athlete, and founder of Pure Sports Mindset for a practical conversation on building mental strength that lasts beyond wins, losses, and seasons.   As a coach’s daughter with a background in sports consulting and mental hea...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Cam Fowler for a behind-the-scenes conversation about his memorable experience in Sochi in 2014 from the unique team announcement process to what it’s really like living inside the village.   Cam shares the emotions and intensity of the first game, what it meant to score...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of AthleteDevelopment at Suburban Sports Group & former NHL scout) sits down with ice dancer Alex Gamelin, a 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games competitor, World Championships veteran, and two-time South Korean National Ice Dance Champion.   Together they dive into: • Alex’s early beginnings in figure skating and falling in love with ice dance • Navigating...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Cole Walter, Lead Instructor at The Program, for a direct conversation about standards, service, and the kind of mental toughness that’s built through consistency, not hype. Cole served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps and retired as a First Sergeant, completing...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Dillon Kelley, Director of Sports Performance at the Athlete Lab, powered by 2SP Sports Performance. He is also a former professional goaltender, mobility specialist, and founder of DK Mobility. From starting to play goalie as a freshman in high school to becoming the fir...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Sean Hogan, Executive Director of College Hockey Inc., to break down the evolving landscape of college hockey and what families really need to know. Since joining College Hockey Inc. in 2019, Hogan has led national efforts to educate players, parents, coaches, and advisor...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, elite ice dancers training out of Novi Ice Arena and the Athlete Lab as they pursue their Olympic dreams. They are competing at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, January 4-11, 2026.   From becomin...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Taylor Prokes, endurance athlete, entrepreneur, and co-founder of The Big Ass Calendar, a tool and mindset that challenges people to live intentionally, pursue audacious goals, and design a life that reflects their values. From running 100-mile races to building a movemen...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Maria “MJ” Pallotta, Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and Director of the Center for Experiential Leadership Development at the U.S. Naval Academy and instructor for The Program. A 1994 Naval Academy graduate, MJ rowed crew before beginning a 30-year career in t...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Max Jones, Edmonton Oilers forward. A first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Jones has built his career on effort, adaptability, and a relentless commitment to improvement. From his early days with the London Knights to his evolution as a pro, Jones shares a candid look...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Mark Di Cristofaro, founder of PRL Sports Group, a company transforming sports performance through innovative solutions and athlete development expertise. PRL Sports Group manages player performance and wellness across multiple professional and collegiate levels, working...

In this episode, host Phil Osaer (Director of Athlete Development at Suburban Sports Group and former NHL scout) sits down with Cam Fowler, veteran NHL defenseman with the St. Louis Blues. Selected 12th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Fowler spent the first 15 seasons of his career in Anaheim. Last season, the 33-year-old reached the 1,000-game milestone during the NHL Wi...