In this episode, Liz talks with Wes Yourth, Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer at the University of the Pacific. Wes shares his unconventional journey from collegiate baseball player to coach to Division I athletics administrator, reflecting on the mentors, setbacks, and leadership experiences that shaped his philosophy of coaching and athlete development.

The conversation explores coach education, emotional intelligence, leadership development, hiring and mentoring coaches, collegiate athletics culture, captainship, and the growing commercialization of NCAA sport. Wes also discusses his belief that great coaches must first be great educators, and outlines his vision for a more connected “sport ecosystem” linking youth sports, higher education, and athlete development.

This episode offers valuable insight for coaches, athletic administrators, coach educators, and anyone interested in the human side of sport leadership.

In Episode 13, Liz talks with Michelle Davidson, a longtime swim coach, lifeguard, teacher, and mentor whose life in the water stretches from the Jersey Shore to the English Channel. Michelle shares her background as a scholarship swimmer, longtime lifeguard, and coach who has spent decades teaching, training, and competing across swimming and lifesaving. She reflects on the difference between teaching swim lessons and truly coaching, how science and experience shaped her approach to stroke technique, and why coach learning does not come from certification alone. The conversation also explores open-water swimming, the Gertrude Ederle swim, Australian lifeguarding, Monmouth County lifeguard competition, rookie training, and the sport of lifesaving. Along the way, Michelle makes a strong case for the value of experience, mentoring, and judgment in coach development.

In Episode 12, Liz talks mountain bike coaching with Stephanie Beritsky, a certified mountain bike instructor, NICA coach, and former REI instructor, to compare three common training pathways: PMBIA, BICP, and NICA’s in-house coach training. They unpack the real differences in how each system prepares instructors/coaches, especially the tradeoff between classroom/testing vs. on-trail learning, and why teaching skills in a grassy field doesn’t always translate to confident trail riding. You’ll also hear a practical deep-dive on what’s missing from many coach trainings: learning how to notice errors in real time and correct them effectively, plus how attention, fear, and muscle memory shape what young riders can actually apply on the bike.