Shows / LeadtheGame Locker Talk
LeadtheGame Locker Talk
LeadtheGame's Locker Talk helps parents turn everyday youth sports moments into opportunities for better performance today and leadership development for life. Hosted by leadership coach and LeadtheGame founder Sam Powell, each episode explores what athlete behavior is really communicating — from confidence crashes and emotional reactions to defensiveness, mistakes, and struggles under pressure — and how parents and coaches can respond in ways that help athletes grow. Through real stories…
Episodes
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 We're So Busy Preparing Our Kids for What's Next. Are We Forgetting to Be Here Now?
We’re always preparing our kids for what’s next. The next game. The next season. The next opportunity. The next stage of life. But what if all that preparation…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Are You Chasing Your Athlete’s Dream or Your Own?
What happens when the dreams we have for our athletes start getting tangled up with the dreams they have for themselves? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Are You Watching the Game or Watching Your Kid?
What if one of the most important skills in coaching has less to do with knowing the game — and more to do with knowing the kid? In this episode of Locker…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 NIL Isn’t Just About the Money. Here’s What Parents Are Missing.
NIL is everywhere in sports conversations. But how many parents — or athletes — actually understand what it is? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 The Game Is 90% Mental. So Why Aren’t We Training It?
Coaches say sports are 90% mental. So why do we spend almost all of our time training the physical? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with Steve…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 When Do You Step In and When Do You Step Back?
Your athlete shuts down after a mistake. They’re upset about playing time. They want to talk to their coach, but you’re unsure whether they’re ready to do it…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Your Athlete Is More Than the Jersey. Do They Know It?
What happens when the thing an athlete has built their identity around suddenly disappears? And in today’s NIL world — where young athletes aren’t just…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Want a More Resilient Athlete? Give Yourself Permission First
What if resilience isn’t about pushing through — but learning how to move forward differently? In this episode of Locker Talk, Sam sits down with psychologist…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Youth Sports Is Changing. What Should Parents Pay Attention To?
Youth sports has changed. Travel programs are everywhere. Costs keep climbing. Recruiting starts earlier. Social media is part of the game. Organizations…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 They Know What to Do. So Why Do They Keep Making the Same Mistake?
Your athlete makes the same mistake. Again. The coach has corrected it. You’ve talked about it at home. And when you ask your athlete afterward what they…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 When Failure Isn’t About Failing
Why does a capable young athlete sometimes refuse to try, play cautiously, make excuses, or fall apart after a mistake? It may look like a confidence…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Your Athlete Isn't Arguing With Their Coach... They're Arguing With What The Feedback Means
Why does my athlete get defensive when coached? Your athlete argues with the coach. They explain away the mistake. They cross their arms. They shut down. Most…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 How to Help Your Athlete Face Pressure
Most parents have watched it happen. Their athlete looks confident in practice, but when the game is on the line, everything changes. They hesitate. They…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Why We Rush to Fix After the Game (And Why It Usually Doesn't Work)
What do a quiet car ride after a tough game and a difficult conversation at work have in common? More than you might think. In this week’s Locker Talk, we’re…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Why Your Athlete Looks Like a Completely Different Person in Games
Where Did the Kid From Practice Go? What Games Reveal That Practice Never Can If you’ve ever watched your athlete dominate in practice only to look like a…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 The Mistake Wasn't the Problem: Why Some Athletes Seem to Disappear After One Mistake
In This Episode ✔ Why one mistake can seem to change everything ✔ The difference between a mistake problem and a recovery problem ✔ What pressure actually…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 The Reason I Started Paying Attention to Youth Sports and What to Expect Moving Forward
Episode Summary Over the years, I’ve helped adults navigate pressure, performance, confidence, leadership, and career transitions. But the more I worked with…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 How to Tell the Difference Between What You Want and What You've Been Told to Want
This week we’re talking about the invisible pressure that shapes most mid-career decisions and why it doesn’t feel like pressure at all. It feels suspiciously…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Leadership Lessons from My 11 Year Old on Take Your Kid to Work Day
Join the most chaotic episode of Locker Talk yet. Today is Take Your Kid to Work Day and Day 1 of the NFL here in Pittsburgh, so today I’m joined by my son…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Spring Can Make Your Career Feel Restless — Here's What to Do About That
Spring has a way of waking people up. If your career has been feeling more “off” lately, that may not be random. This episode is about why this season can make…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 The job search got louder. Getting hired got more human.
In this week’s Career Locker Talk, I pull together why the screen-heavy search keeps people stuck, why “networking” feels so awful, and the connection-based…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Why Mid-Career Job Searches Stall — And the 5 Fixes That Actually Work
Most mid-career job searches don’t stall because of effort. They stall because of how they’re structured. In this episode, I break down: * Why applying to jobs…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Why Strong Mid-Career Interviews Feel “Off” — Even When You’re Qualified
You prepared.You answered the questions.You had the metrics. So why do you keep getting passed over? In this episode of Career Locker Talk, we break down the…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk016 - The Missing Structure Behind Most Mid-Career Job Searches
What we cover in this episode: * What causes mid-career job searches drift instead of fail * What it means for effort to have a “center of gravity” * A real…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Confidence Comes After Action — Why Mid-Career Stalls Feel So Hard (and What Actually Changes Them)
This episode is for:Mid-career professionals who feel capable, thoughtful, and quietly off-track — and want a way forward that doesn’t involve hype or blowing…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk🎧 Why Waiting for Interview Feedback Keeps You Stuck
At mid-career, interviews rarely fail loudly. They stall quietly — leaving capable professionals unsure what to adjust next. In this Locker Talk episode, Coach…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk013 - When Strong Experience Stops Translating to Your Mid-Career Resume
At mid-career, resume writing often starts to feel heavier — not because you lack accomplishments, but because your work has started to matter in a different…
LeadtheGame Locker Talk012 - Why Mid-Career Job Searches Wear People Down (And What Actually Helps)
Most mid-career job searches don’t fail because people stop trying. They wear people down. In this episode of Locker Talk, I talk through why so many capable…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkHow to Change Your Career Trajectory Before 2026
If you’re mid-career and feeling stuck, invisible, or like your effort is evaporating into thin air… this episode is going to hit you right between the eyes…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkDon't Ignore the Burned Garlic, Rewrite the Playbook
This week’s Locker Talk doesn’t start in a boardroom. It starts in my kitchen — hungry, tired, and trying to do too much at once. What happened next?I burned…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkWhy You’re Losing Offers at the Goal Line (and How to Finish the Play)
You’re making it to the final round of interviews… but still walking away empty-handed. That rejection stings more than being cut early — and if it happens…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkStop Writing Career Obituaries: Why Your Resume Isn’t Working
Your resume might be killing your chances — not because you lack experience, but because you’re telling the wrong story. Too many mid-career professionals…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkThe $100K Money Trap: Why High Salaries Keep Mid-Career Pros Stuck
Are you stuck in a "good" job that’s slowly draining the life out of you?You’re not alone — and you're not crazy for feeling this way. A lot of mid-career…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkWhen You Miss the Window
This week’s episode comes to you late-night from a new and slightly son-approved locker room setup — because real life doesn’t always follow the playbook…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkWhat Do You Even Do Around Here?
You’ve done the work. Built the track record. Made the impact. So why does talking about your value still feel so hard? In this week’s Locker Talk, Sam breaks…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkStuck Between Career Misery and Mayhem?
Most mid-career professionals feel trapped between two bad options:→ Stay stuck and burn out→ Or quit everything and start over That’s what I call the Misery…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkAutopilot Won’t Take You Anywhere Worth Going
There’s a big difference between being in motion and actually moving forward. In this episode, we’re talking about the moment when being “the reliable one”…
LeadtheGame Locker TalkWhy I Got Passed Over for the Job I Really Wanted and Why You Might Be Too
Welcome to Locker Talk, the career podcast where we ditch the fluff and talk real strategy to help mid-career professionals move forward, take action, and lead…