Coachable Players

This episode of the Coachable Players Podcast features Noble 'Bud' Quandel, Chairman of Quandel Enterprises, a company founded in 1882. When Bud joined Quandel around fifty years ago, they were doing about one million dollars and he helped direct its growth to where it is today at nearly $500 million annually.  Before Bud was a highly respected construction executive, he was a youth athl...

In this episode, Coachable Players welcomes Coach Kaleigh Badecki, a women's basketball coach at Gettysburg College for the past ten years.  Coach Badecki sets the stage by first defining coachability as embracing constructive criticism, having a growth mindset and understanding that mistakes are opportunities to learn rather than failures. She explained that coachable athletes demonstrate hu...

The Coachable Players Podcast sits down with Nate Davis, Gettysburg College women's basketball coach and former Marine.  In this interview, Coach Nate shares how his Marine Corps experience shaped his leadership approach as a coach, discussing principles like trust, accountability and mental toughness that translate directly from military service to building championship teams. The discussion...

In this episode Messiah College Women's Basketball Coach Mike Miller talks about culture building, recruiting and leadership development at this DIII powerhouse. With 40 years of coaching, Coach Miller explains how he looks for three key traits in recruits: skill and athletic ability, work rate and positive personality, with particular emphasis on finding players who want to grow in their fai...

The Coachable Players talks about the James Harrison iconic interception return during the 2009 Super Bowl. This play demonstrates the importance of being coachable in both sports and professional life. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau's repeated message about "defense playing offense" throughout the season ultimately led to Harrison's successful return that changed t...

This episode breaks down the core ideas from The Four Agreements and connects them to what it really means to be coachable in sports, business, and life. It highlights four simple but powerful principles - being intentional with your words, not taking things personally, avoiding assumptions, and always doing your best - and explains how each one can improve mindset, communication, and performance....

We’re excited to bring you something a little different—and incredibly impactful. Coachable Players hosted a special livestream interview paired with a live music performance, featuring a former college football player who has built a powerful second act as a gym owner, cheer coach, and musician. Scott 'Crasher' Braasch brought the wisdom about reaching young minds today in coaching plus...

The Coachable Players sits down with Bill Swan, a retired high school basketball coach from Hempfield Area High School in Westmoreland County who coached for 36 years. Bill talks about the players he'll never forget. Bill has coached a lot of basketball and has coached a lot of players. When asked about the players he'll never forget, Bill thought of a few right away, three players who w...

What separates good people from great teammates and coworkers?  In this episode we introduce the Coachable Self-Assessment Test, designed to help athletes and young professionals better understand their coachability. College coaches and employers aren't just looking for talent - they're looking for individuals who can take feedback, adapt and contribute to a team. You'll hear sample...

This episode of the Coachable Players Podcast focuses on the importance of being coachable and introduces a simple tool called the 3-2-1 Game Journal for athletes and professionals to improve their performance and reflection. I explain that journaling helps athletes focus, retain techniques and enjoy their sport more by processing experiences rather than reacting emotionally.  The 3-2-1 Game Journ...

In this episode, I open up, sharing my journey from growing up in a sports-obsessed home to becoming a business leader in Pennsylvania's construction industry. I highlight five key mindset shifts that transformed my athletic approach into effective leadership skills. I discuss how resilience, discipline, growth mindset, team-first leadership and process-oriented thinking helped me transition...

Rob Smith joins me to talk about how about being coachable extends beyond sports into the construction industry.  Rob Smith is the Executive Director/ Chief Administration Officer for the Eastern Atlantic States (EAS) Carpenters Technical Centers. The EAS Carpenters represents over 43,000 workers in six states (PA, NJ, DE, MD, WV and VA). The EAS Carpenters NO DEBT apprentice training is the stand...

In this episode of the Coachable Players Podcast, I chat with Carl Heinlein. Carl is a highly respected safety professional. He works with companies from all industries based all around the country and has the awards and accolades but that's not what he wants to talk about - he wants to talk about the future safety professionals and help them be successful. In this episode, Carl emphasizes th...

Coachable Players welcomes Brent Darnell, an executive coach who's highly respected around the country.  In this conversation they dive deep into conversation about leadership, company culture, and emotional intelligence. Brent uses his background in engineering and leadership development to emphasize the importance of intrinsic motivators, self-determination theory, and the role of leadershi...

In this episode, host Jon O’Brien shares his perspective on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to bring in veteran coach Mike McCarthy as their new head coach following Mike Tomlin’s departure. He breaks down what McCarthy’s hiring could mean for the team — touching on his experience, ties to Pittsburgh, and the reactions from fans and analysts, and reflects on how this move fits into the Steelers’...

Lauren Hess shares her journey from childhood through college softball, discussing how the sport helped develop her organizational skills and leadership abilities and building valuable connections along the way with groups like the Keystone Contractors Association. (Lauren was a 2022 KCA Scholarship recipient) A Penn State Harrisburg college softball player, Lauren discusses how the sport helped h...

There are parallels between sports coaching and construction industry practices and in this episode Chris Lelevee chats with Jon about his perspective. They discuss the importance of coachability in recruitment and personal development, including challenges in working with uncoachable individuals and the value of mentorship and leadership structures. The conversation features reflections on respec...

In this episode, we dive into what truly drives athletic success - the process, the relationships, and the mindset behind the goals. Coachable Players host Jon sits down with Northern High School head wrestling coach Cory Johnson to explore how goal-setting, accountability and personal growth can shape athletes far beyond the win column. Cory shares his journey to leading Northern to last season&a...

Chris Martin had the drive and the height to be a formidable basketball athlete growing up. What he learned as a player from the youth, high school and college courts helped him become a highly respected construction branding expert. This former Millersville University Marauder effectively leads his own team with assistance from the skills he learned on his basketball journey. Listen to this Coach...

Welcome to The Coachable Players Podcast , where we believe the most successful athletes, employees and business owners all share the trait of being coachable. This episode is just the beginning, on this journey we'll explore how lessons from sports translate into business and life, helping people grow through feedback, resilience and leadership. Being coachable isn't just a sports skill...