Truth In The Arena
Truth In The Arena
Podcast Description
Use your voice. Be fearless. Create joy. Contribute to something larger than yourself, believe in a collective good. Listen. Speak your principles—even better, live them. Find common ground. Shake hands. For real—not for show, not to establish dominance, as an act of respect. Throw in a wink, why not. Turn your music up—it’s who you are. Read more—it’s who you can be. Build. Create the future—let it fly.Coach Nate Huffstutter @CoachsVision speaks with fellow coaches about the principles and values that serve as the foundation of their coaching. Shifting the arena from the sports field to the political and social realms, Coach Nate and his guests discuss how their coaching principles relate to their take on current events, political movements, culture war issues, and finding what’s true in the modern information environment.Listen. Engage. Contribute.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores key themes of personal values in coaching, political involvement, and community responsibility, with episodes discussing topics like core values in coaching with Missy Mitchell-McBeth, the importance of leadership and personal development in sports with Erik Becker, and the critique of socio-political issues affecting the coaching profession with Ken Vick.
Use your voice. Be fearless. Create joy. Contribute to something larger than yourself, believe in a collective good. Listen. Speak your principles—even better, live them.
Find common ground. Shake hands. For real—not for show, not to establish dominance, as an act of respect. Throw in a wink, why not. Turn your music up—it’s who you are. Read more—it’s who you can be. Build. Create the future—let it fly.
Coach Nate Huffstutter @CoachsVision speaks with fellow coaches about the principles and values that serve as the foundation of their coaching. Shifting the arena from the sports field to the political and social realms, Coach Nate and his guests discuss how their coaching principles relate to their take on current events, political movements, culture war issues, and finding what’s true in the modern information environment.
Listen. Engage. Contribute.
Equality. Fairness. Respect. Coach Devan McConnell, High Performance Director for the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, joins the latest episode of the Truth In The Arena Podcast to discuss how those core tenets are essential for teamwork and developing a positive team culture. In addition to being vital in the world of sports, Coach McConnell also explains how inclusiveness and fairness are core principles he looks for at the community level and with national political leadership.
Through the conversation, McConnell shares the roots of his coaching philosophy and how his outlook has been impacted by professional stops across the USA, with college coaching roles at Stanford and the University of Massachusetts Lowell and then positions at the pro level with NHL teams in New Jersey and Arizona. All this while also starting a family and raising kids of his own.
Moving from Arizona to Utah, one of the ways he chose the neighborhood to move into was based on prevalence of Pride flags in the community, as he wanted to be in an area where inclusiveness was a fundamental part of the social fabric.
“As coaches, I think it’s important that we create environments that our athletes, our staff members, the people in our organizations can feel safe being who they are.”
Additionally, McConnell discusses his participation in the Strength Coaches for Harris group during the 2024 Election and his takeaways from stepping in to a more direct role in political advocacy. Finally, the coaches discuss the unique community culture in Utah and how patriotism is rooted in holding the country accountable to its ideals.
Chapter List
00:00 Introduction to Coaching Values
02:47 Core Coaching Principles and Their Impact
05:19 Political Advocacy in Coaching
07:50 Navigating Diverse Political Landscapes
10:20 Instilling Values in Young Athletes
13:00 Creating Inclusive Environments
15:23 Media Literacy and Healthy Information Consumption
18:01 Defining Patriotism in Today’s Context
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