Sport and the Growing Good

Rich Halverson is a professor and associate dean in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A native of Manitowoc, WI and former school principal, Professor Halverson is a scholar, author and international leader on technology, leadership, and learning. In this episode of the SGG podcast, he addressed a key question facing many coaches: How can I use technology to help memb...

Sidney Moncrief was an NBA superstar with the Milwaukee Bucks, earning countless awards and accomplishments, including the ultimate honor of being selected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Sidney’s successes are not limited to the court, as he’s also emerged as a leader in business, coaching, writing, and consulting. In our conversation in the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  What he...

Jay Bilas authored the book Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court . He provides a detailed analysis of specific aspects of toughness, including what it looks like in a sports setting and how it can be developed. Jay draws upon his experiences as a Duke basketball player, as an attorney, and as a commentator for ESPN to shed light on multiple dimensions of toughness. Coaches of a...

Pat Rice is a Hall of Fame coach at Waunakee High School. Coach Rice’s teams have won six state titles and his overall winning percentage is among the highest in state history. More importantly, Coach Rice has positively impacted countless lives over the course of almost 30 years as head coach. He’s recognized as one of the best coaches in state history and as a leader from whom young coaches can...

Diana Hess is the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a leading expert on productive classroom discussion. As many coaches in and beyond Wisconsin are regularly challenged to lead their teams through challenging issues, Dean Hess presents a range of research-supported, practical insights on listening, learning, and moving forward together. We discussed: 1. &n...

Chris Span is Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Professor Span also serves as a Faculty Athletics Representative to the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA. Chris is a prolific scholar – a historian of American education – who is widely regarded as one of the leaders in his field. Notably, he is the author of...

Bob Enright is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the founding board member of the International Forgiveness Institute , Inc. He pioneered the social scientific study of forgiveness and is the author of over 120 publications, including seven books. Professor Enright is not just a leading scholar, but also a world leader in fostering forgiveness in...

Thom McDonald is the Commissioner of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and the Director of Basketball at Championship Productions . Thom was a successful high school and college coach before becoming one of the game’s important shapers of teaching and learning through innovation. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  The value of growing up near coaches and being...

Marques Flowers is the head coach of the girls basketball team at James Madison Memorial High School. After a highly successful playing career alongside his brothers , Coach Flowers has elevated the Memorial team to new heights. His program is one of the best in the state and Coach Flowers is making a positive impact on many lives – both as a coach and as a social worker at the school. In this epi...

LaMar “Soup” Campbell, a native of Chester , PA, is the director of player engagement for the Chicago Bears. He enjoyed a successful playing career with the Wisconsin Badgers and Detroit Lions before transitioning to a variety of leadership positions and front office settings. Soup completed his masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Wisconsin and is currently pursuing a Ph....

Claudia Reardon is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. Claudia works with Badger athletics, the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, and other leading sports in supporting the mental health of athletes. She’s published widely in the field and is recognized as one of the leaders in the field of sport psychi...

Art Rainwater was the superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District from 1998 until 2008. He later served as a revered faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Art was formerly a football coach in Arkansas and Texas, as well as a school principal in Alabama. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  His hi...

Marisa Kresge is an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin’s women’s soccer team and also a youth-level coach in the Madison area. After a successful college career, where she served as captain of UW’s team, Marisa’ s coaching career is off to a quick start. Marisa’s players speak very highly of her – and she’s learning the ropes from Paula Wilkins, one of the most respected coaches in th...

Vance Walberg is the head coach of Clovis West’s basketball team. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, he’s thrived at high school, community college, Division 1 college, and NBA levels. Coach Walberg is highly-regarded by coaches across the country, and in creating and generously sharing the dribble-drive offense, is known as one of the best innovators of the modern basketball er...

Pat Connaughton is not only a popular player for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, but also the President of the With Us Foundation , which creates access to sports for all kids. A native of Arlington, MA, Pat went on to excel in both basketball and baseball at the University of Notre Dame. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles prior to his senior year of college, but ultimately chose to pursue his NBA...

Casey FitzRandolph is an Olympic gold medalist , world champion, and one of the great speed skaters in history. A native of Verona, WI, Casey’s journey is inspiring for competitors and instructive for all coaches and leaders. Casey gained widespread fame and admiration on the world stage, but his success was the result of years and years of hard work, sacrifice, and belief. In this SGG episode, we...

Turina Bakken is the Provost at Madison College and a long-time competitor, coach, commentator, and leader in a variety of sports contexts. Turina also holds multiple academic degrees, including a Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis. She’s widely respected for her dynamic leadership – and her story is full of rich lessons for...

Freddie Owens is an assistant basketball coach at Loyola University in Maryland. Coach Owens was previously a star player for the University of Wisconsin and, over recent years, he’s gained a reputation as an outstanding coach in his stops at multiple colleges. Even as he has moved around to coaching positions throughout the country, Coach Owens has maintained a deep commitment to his hometown, Mi...

Andy North is a two-time U.S. Open champion and one of the most respected names in golf. After his long, successful professional career, he’s enjoyed a great run at ESPN – along with a wide range of other pursuits on and off the course. Andy’s also a loyal, lifelong supporter of the Wisconsin Badgers. Andy joined the SGG podcast, where we discussed: 1.  His dad’s background as a coach – and t...

Jerry Petitgoue is the head basketball coach at Cuba City High School in Wisconsin. He is the all-time leader in wins in Wisconsin (over 900 wins!), he’s won three state titles , been elected to multiple halls of fame, and received countless other awards. After more than 50 years of coaching, he’s still going strong , serving as executive director of the robust Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Associa...

Michael Harris is the head football coach at Madison Memorial High School. He has achieved great success , including leading the Spartans to an undefeated 2019 season . Coach Harris is widely respected across the community as a positive leader on and off the field. On this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  A significant life challenge that he experienced in 8th grade – and the important role tha...

Bo Ryan is a Hall of Fame basketball coach, who achieved great success at multiple levels of the game. Notably, Coach Ryan led UW-Platteville to four national championships and the UW Badgers to more victories than any other coach in school history, including multiple Big Ten conference titles, and two Final Fours. His awards and accomplishments are too numerous to list and his impact on the game...

Dick Bennett was one of the great coaches in Wisconsin basketball history. In part 2 of our SGG conversation, Coach Bennett discussed: 1.  The “brotherhood” among coaches. 2.  How his son Tony and bible study influenced the formation of Dick’s beliefs and core pillars: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. 3.  Modeling his life and ways of coaching after Christ. 4.  Getting “pla...

Dick Bennett was one of the great coaches in Wisconsin basketball history. Coach Bennett mastered the “re-building of programs,” achieving success at every stop from small high schools to major Division 1 programs – including leading the Wisconsin Badgers to the NCAA Final Four. Coach Bennett has served as a mentor to countless players and coaches , and he impacted countless lives along the way. I...

Ben Askren was an accomplished college wrestler, winning two national championships and a Hodge Trophy. He then wrestled for the US in the 2008 Olympics and, later, achieved success and notoriety in MMA. These days, Ben is active on multiple fronts in the sport of wrestling, including his work with young wrestlers through the Askren Wrestling Academy . Ben joined the SGG podcast and discussed: 1....