Sports Management Podcast

Welcome to episode 237of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Dawn Scott, one of the most influential high performance leaders in women's football. She has worked with England, led performance for the U.S. Women's National Team during two World Cup wins and an Olympic gold, and now supports global development through FIFA.
In this episode, we spoke about:
What truly defines high performance and elite habits
The female performance lens and why only 6% of research is female-specific
Building world-class environments in women's football
The future of women's sport and where the game is heading
Time stamps:
00:00 High Performance Defined 01:13 Motivation vs Consistency 03:10 Entering Women's Football in 2001 07:22 Then vs Now in Sports Science 09:28 Misinformation in Female Nutrition 13:00 The 6% Research Gap 14:33 Boots, ACL & Female Anatomy 16:43 Return to Play Postpartum 20:29 Building Performance Departments 23:21 England Highlights & Growth 26:09 Moving to the U.S. National Team 30:12 Olympic Gold & World Cup Wins 33:50 Investment & Staffing in Women's Sport 37:28 The Future of Women's Football 39:05 Advice for Young Professionals
40:00 Outro
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 236 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Mark Gottfried, former college basketball head coach, NBA scout, and keynote speaker. With more than three decades of experience leading teams in high-pressure environments, Mark shares powerful lessons on leadership, grit, and what it really takes to succeed in sports and in life.
In this episode, we spoke about:
Building grit through resilience, consistency and courage
Leadership lessons from 30+ years of coaching
Talent evaluation beyond statistics
Handling criticism and social media pressure in sports
Timestamps:
00:00 The Power of Small Improvements 02:11 Lessons from 30 Years of Coaching 03:01 Playing Career to Coaching 04:01 Leadership Can Be Lonely 05:45 Learning from Losses 06:55 What Creates Grit 09:27 The 1% Improvement Mindset 11:26 Self-Honesty and Growth 13:23 Building Your A-Team 15:24 Leading with Clarity 18:53 Handling Criticism 22:52 NBA Scouting Experience 25:01 Evaluating Character 32:40 Sports Betting Risks 38:27 Life After Coaching
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20.
All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 235 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Theo Dedes, a UEFA Pro License coach who recently led TSG Hoffenheim's women's team in Germany.
From growing up in Athens to coaching at the highest level in European football, Theo shares what modern leadership really looks like, why empathy beats authority in today's game, and what it takes to survive - and thrive - in one of the most pressure-filled industries in the world.
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro 00:40 The UEFA Pro License Explained 02:01 Eligible for Champions League 02:36 The Coach as Manager 04:33 The Loneliness of Leadership 05:49 Controlling the Uncontrollable 07:29 Managing Friction Inside the Squad 08:51 Handling Weekly Pressure 10:22 Being a Young Head Coach 12:31 Coaching as Brand & Identity 15:13 Greece vs Germany Leadership Styles 17:25 The Coaching Odyssey 19:50 Why Germany Felt Fair 21:17 Learning from Termination 31:15 Advice for Future Pro Coaches
33:00 Outro
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 234 of Sports Management Podcast.
College sports has changed forever. NIL is here, brands are everywhere, and student athletes are now entrepreneurs whether they like it or not. But are they actually prepared?
Today I'm joined by Stephen Bienko, co-founder of 42U, former dual-sport athlete and life coach.
We dive into:
NIL
Athlete identity
Branding
Why passion alone won't prepare athletes for life after sport.
And much more! 
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
00:00 Intro 00:28 What 42U Is Building in the NIL Era 02:03 Transferable Skills Beyond "Hardworking Athlete" 05:16 Athlete Identity & Overthinking Performance 08:45 NIL Should Have Existed Years Ago 10:35 Soft Skills vs Hard Skills in the AI Era 12:18 Why Identity Impacts Performance 14:21 Why Athletes Are Underprepared for NIL 17:37 Why Most NIL Partnerships Fail 20:33 Brand First, Deals Second 23:41 The Power of Athlete IP & Social Media 29:31 The Future of NIL and High School Athletes 32:59 Putting "Butts in Seats" Through Athlete Brands 39:44 The Decathlete Mindset in Business 49:18 Why Now Is the Best Time to Enter Sports
55:00 Outro
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 233 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Gloria Mariwa - a footballer, professional freestyler, digital creator known as 14thgunner and founder of Wecheza. At just 19, she's building the future of African women's football at the intersection of sports, tech, and community.
We spoke about:
Why women's sports shouldn't copy the men's model
How sports tech must evolve
Why investing in African women's sports might be the smartest move you can make right now
And much more! 
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro 01:00 Building 14thgunner 04:30 Growing Women's Football in Kenya 07:37 Why Women's Sports Must Build Their Own Model 08:30 The Future of Sports Tech & AI 09:41 Creators vs Traditional Media 12:03 Why YouTube Could Win Sports Streaming 14:31 Copying the West? Or Building Africa's Own Model 16:57 The Kenyan Sports Landscape 18:36 The Meaning Behind Wichesa 19:34 Grassroots Impact in Women's Football 24:46 University or Startup Life? 26:48 Monetizing as a Young Creator 27:53 Advice for Young Sports Professionals 30:29 Redefining Sports Tech 32:23 Invest in African Women's Sports
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com