The Strength In Numbers Podcast

Coaching is more than just X’s and O’s—it’s about the principles, philosophies, and mindset that shape great leaders. Building on the ideas from the book "Strength In Numbers," this podcast brings together top coaches from across the sports world (and beyond) who are driven to learn, grow, and lead with purpose. Through in-depth conversations, we’ll explore how elite coaches think, operate, and make decisions for long-term success. Whether you’re a coach, leader, or lifelong learner, this podcast is your mentorship playbook—helping you be your best while building a career that lasts.

The Strength In Numbers Podcast is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 67 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Strength In Numbers Podcast, a education show with 67 episodes published.

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  The Strength In Numbers Podcast

  EP 67: Doug Crandall | Becoming a Builder of People

  Aug 11, 20261h 9m

  Doug Crandall, VP and Head of Teaching at the Referent Group, joins the show to break down the ideas behind his newest book, Building or Diminishing. Doug previously taught leadership at West Point, where he won the Excellence in Teaching Award, and has co-authored four books before this one. We dive into the core premise of the book, that with every action we're either building or diminishing the people around us, and unpack Doug's four leadership archetypes: builder, driver, cheerleader, and belittler. We explore what separates a driver or cheerleader from a true builder, and why holding a high standard and pouring into your people aren't opposing forces, they're both required. We also talk about the authenticity and vulnerability it takes to lead this way, and why this conversation is one that can genuinely shift how you show up in your day-to-day interactions with the people you lead. You can grab a copy of Doug’s new book right here: https://a.co/d/05tz2oRR Check out more from Doug Building or Diminishing | Doug Crandall This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:26 Doug's Path from West Point to the Referent Group 05:36 Breaking Down the Four Leadership Archetypes 09:00 Holding a High Standard While Building People Up 14:39 What Pulls Builders Back Toward Driver or Cheerleader 21:02 Concrete Steps for Moving from Driver to Builder 25:54 Keeping Athletes in the Moment vs. Pulling Them Forward 28:52 Leaders Cast a Larger Shadow Than They Realize 35:22 Leadership as an Accumulation of Small Moments 41:09 The "Never Met a Bad Cadet" Story 45:03 The Pygmalion Effect and the Danger of Judging Intent 49:51 Building a Builder Culture Across a Team or Program 52:08 Balancing Vulnerability as a Leader 58:10 The One Lesson Doug Hopes His Kids Take From the Book 01:01:35 When Doug Feels Closest to His Purpose

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  Episode #66

  EP 66: Erika Lambert | The People Are The Job

  Aug 4, 202658 min

  Erika Lambert, Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of North Florida entering her fourth season, joins the show to reflect on what she's learned making the jump from a 15-year assistant career into leading her own program. We dive into why she builds in non-negotiable time to think and plan each week, how she's learned to delegate recruiting and other responsibilities she used to own herself, and why "the people are the job" has become her filter for a to-do list that never actually ends. Coach Lambert also breaks down how she built a weekly hour into her limited practice-time budget to make her program's five core values a living part of the culture rather than words on a wall, and walks through why her hardest leadership decisions have come through roster management. We also get into the balancing act of coaching and parenting and trying to find how much to push your kids in their sports. Check out more from Coach Lambert Instagram: @OspreysWBB @Coach_lambert @Momsincoaching This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:02 Assistant to Head Coach: What Actually Changes 05:35 Building In Time to Think Amid the Chaos 08:52 "The People Are The Job" 12:54 Learning to Delegate as a Head Coach 16:04 Showing Your Staff What You Want, Not Just Telling Them 18:42 Recruiting for Character and Fit 20:57 Turning Core Values Into a Living Culture 30:44 The Hardest Decision: Rebuilding the Roster the Right Way 38:51 Coaching, Parenting, and Knowing How Hard to Push 51:14 The Sleeping Bags at the Track 53:16 Closest to Purpose: Coaching as Ministry

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  Episode #65

  EP 65: Leddy French | How to Build True COD Adaptations and Sensory Motor Capacities

  Jul 28, 20261h 4m

  Leddy French, Director of Athletic Development at Elite Performance in Frisco, Texas, joins the show to break down how he builds athletes at every level. After starting his career at APEC and launching his own training company, Leddy reunited with Mason Hays (EP 54) to help build Elite Performance's large-scale operation inside The Star. We dive into his variability model for training and how he balances high-output work with variable stimuli to build physical outputs and the ability to express them. Leddy also breaks down how to actually overload change of direction drills and create a real training adaptation. Leddy gets into why the warm-up is so important for him, how he defines “sensory motor capacity” as a trainable skill, and his approach to youth training. We also talk about how to drive people to want to train with you in the private sector, the lessons he took from Bobby Stroupe at APEC, and how to balance giving clients what they want with what they need. Check out more from Leddy Instagram: @lf2performance This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. Chapters 01:21 Influence of APEC and early experiences in performance training 07:18 Adapting training when starting own facility 09:45 Creative resourcefulness with minimal equipment 11:25 Balancing perception and training effectiveness 16:27 Stable vs. variable training stimuli 18:14 Expression of physical capacities through dynamic tasks 20:46 Using variability to enhance change of direction 23:38 Training youth athletes and building sensory motor capacity 25:40 Warm-up strategies and engagement 33:46 Change of direction drills as expression of ability 37:43 Adding external load and velocity to training 42:51 Ensuring training stimulates true adaptation 52:32 The importance of training perception and challenge 01:00:03 Balancing training complexity and athlete engagement 01:07:35 Optimizing short-term athlete development 01:15:40 Commanding attention from the start

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  Episode #64

  EP 64: Chico Morales | Building a One-Stop Shop for Athletes

  Jul 21, 20261h 1m

  Chico Morales, VP of Operations and Director of Performance at Built 4 It, joins the show to share how he rose from PT tech to running two multidisciplinary facilities in the DFW area. Built 4 It brings performance training and medical services under one roof, and Chico has been there since he was the company's first employee in 2020. We dive into how Built 4 It's medical and performance sides work together so athletes never have to leave the building for treatment, how Chico structures training across youth, high school, adult, and pro populations, and the deceleration and single-leg work he prioritizes to fill the gaps within the private sector. We also talk about how Chico quickly rose from assistant trainer to Director of Performance and VP of Operations, how he approaches staff development, and how Built 4 It has intentionally grown their culture and community across two facilities. Check out more from Chico Instagram: @chico_performance12 @built4it_official This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. Chapters 03:02 Building Built For It: Growth and facilities 04:22 Holistic model: Medical and performance integration 05:50 Transition from PT to coaching 09:47 Rapid growth and leadership at Built For It 12:26 Staff development and intern training 14:47 Self-development and industry evolution 17:58 Youth training programs and age brackets 20:25 Filling gaps in high school athlete development 23:02 Technical vs. drill-based training 24:46 8-week training programs and measurable results 25:33 Group programming and scheduling 27:24 Roles beyond coaching: Operations and management 30:19 Managing multiple facilities and travel 32:12 In-house medical and performance collaboration 34:00 Building long-term athlete relationships 36:28 Community and culture at Built For It 39:20 Expanding to new markets and international opportunities 50:29 Influences from athletic coaching and leadership 54:01 Common mistakes in athlete development 57:26 Advice for young trainers and industry newcomers 01:00:41 Balancing faith, family, and career

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  Episode #62

  EP 62: Chase Sanders | The Highest Human Act Is To Inspire

  Jul 7, 20261h 12m

  Chase Sanders, owner of Chasing Strength and the strength coach for football and baseball at Damien High School, joins the show to share lessons from coaching across the high school, collegiate, and private sector settings. After spending six years as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Cal Poly Pomona and learning under an elite staff at Utah State, Chase brings a unique perspective on athlete development and coaching. We dive into his approach to training youth athletes, why he believes coaches should chase adaptation rather than novelty, and the experiences that shaped his coaching philosophy. Chase also shares how he built Chasing Strength from his garage and the deeper purpose that continues to drive and inspire him. 🔗Check out more from Chase 👇 Instagram: @chasing_strength7 This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches. Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success. 👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Chase's Path to Sports Performance Coaching 07:00 Building a Sports Performance Program from Scratch 10:02 Establishing a Training Culture and Coaching Development 17:56 Lessons from Elite Coaches and the Importance of Standards 19:54 Comparing College, Private Sector, and High School Coaching 25:23 Transitioning to Private Coaching 30:26 Building Relationships in Coaching 35:34 Navigating Business Logistics 42:44 Vision for the Future 48:18 Balancing Business and Coaching 51:21 The Importance of Consistency in Training 54:55 Educating Parents and Athletes 01:00:41 Inspiration and Personal Growth 01:06:47 Work-Life Balance and Prioritizing Family

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