Jim Thompson is a social entrepreneur, a prolific writer, and the man behind the movement that has shifted coaching toward an approach grounded in "relentlessly positivity." As the founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance in 1998, Jim has helped usher in a sea-change in youth and high school coaching by teaching us all to prepare our athletes to win, and to be better people in life. 
It is my deep pleasure to provide this half-hour conversation with Jim that ties together relentless positivity, climate change, poetry, and athletes in a way that few people have. He also discusses his new book, "A Rope to the Barn: A New Vision for Youth Sports"

1:00 - Jim talks about the founding of the Positive Coaching Alliance, and how his time at the Behavioral Learning Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, steeped him in the concept of "relentless positivity."
3:45 - The Double-Goal Coach: Preparing players to win and be better athletes.
6:00 - Tony Dungee's role in the PCA, and changing what it means to be a good coach. 
8:15 - Research about positive coaching - Yes, being positive yields more wins.
9:20 - Phil Jackson as a model coach; David Bradford of Stanford on "Core values" and "Peripheral values"; the lesson of Dennis Rodman
11:50 - Jim talks about the favorite of the nine books he has written; the "Elevater" concept. The SOBER Concept (Stop/Observe/Breathe/Expand/React)
16:10 - Jim discusses the book he is currently writing, "A Rope to the Barn" - What that means, and how it relates to youth coaching. The importance of identity.
18:30 - Jim talks about why youth sports needs a new vision, and he ties this to the reality of climate change and how that is going to affect us all. 
24:50 - Covid and its connection to youth sports and to climate change.
27:40 - On Phil Jackson and his identity, and the importance of instilling that kind of identity in kids.
28:50 - Sport and spirituality - "The practical ways we orient ourselves to the sacred [things of ultimate value]" Poetry is one of the very best ways to discover the spiritual
31:10 - Jim on his new nonprofit - This Is What We Did

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