Listen Now

In this episode Coach Bratland and Coach Foley discuss the current state of Coast Guard Wrestling and the Bears finally get a chance to compete.  Listen in to hear their thoughts!

In this episode of The SPAR Life Coach Bratland and Coach Foley discuss the decisions made by the NCAA to cancel the 2021 Division III winter championships.  What does this mean for the USCGA wrestlers and where do we go from here?

0:00 - Intro and Week in Review 4:30 - 3x3 Intro 5:30 - Question 1 - 3 Things you wish you knew as a wrestler that you now know as a coach. 12:00 - Question 2 - 3 Things you can do to improve your wrestling that isn’t physically wrestling. 24:15 - Question 3 - 3 Rules you would change in Folkstyle wrestling 38:00 - Outro - Keep living the SPAR Life!

00:00 - Week in review 5:40- Admissions Questions Answered - 2 minute-is Drill 6:25 - Question #1 - What is AIM and should I attend if I am a rising senior? 18:38 - Question #2 - What is the PFE and Why is it important 26:00 - Question #3 - What are the academic standards to get an appointment to USCGA 37:35 - Question #4 - Besides Academics - what are others things I can do to make me a competitive applicant?

In this episode Kevin and Dylan talk briefly about where USCGA wrestling is currently at during the COVID pandemic and what the future holds.

Coach Bratland and Coach Foley revisit Leadership and discuss the difficult task of nurturing vs. tough love.0:00 - USCGA Wrestling Update 4:30 - David Goggin Background 5:45 - David Goggin’s IG post and his Leadership Style 7:45 - Dare to Lead by Brene Brown 8:15 - Brene Brown vs. David Goggin’s Leadership Style 9:45 - One of the hardest aspects of coaching 11:45 - There is a time to be hard  13:00 - Can you be too nurturing? 13:30 - When is the best time to have tough love? 14:30 - Celebrate the victories/milestones 16:15 - Know your client or athlete to find the milestones 19:20 - Retention vs. Attrition  19:45- Teach, show, let21:00 - Communication tactics at USCGA22:00 - Please rate the workout22:30 - There is a time for Tough Love, but also a time for Nurturing 23:00 - How do people perceive you?24:30 - What Drives Winning Stories26:45 - Ted Lasso32:20 - Bill Belichik story35:00 - Love Languages36 :00 - Closing

Don't miss this entertaining conversation with Coast Guard Academy wrestling great, Chris Sullivan.  Chris's path to the Coast Guard Academy was unconventional, but he has made the most of the opportunity!

0:00 - Intro 1:00 - The art of being a great gift giver 2:00 - The Christmas spirit and being thankful 3:45 - New Sweater Story 6:15 - What is Character? 7:30 - Physical Character and Moral Character 9:00 - Stronger Moral Character allows for better Physical Character 9:12 - Why does Character Matter? 10:15 - Surround yourself with like minded people 11:00 - How is Character used in athletics or coaching Field?  Is Character innate? 11:30 - Constant work in progress 12:45 - Recruiting Character 19:22 - Coast Guard Cadets live to a high standard 19:30 - Cadets are held to the same standard as professional athletes 21:42 - Character Flaw or give a second chance? 23:00 - How to correct a mistake 23:30 - If effort to change is there…provide support 25:00 - Nick Saban Interview 26:30 - Age ole coaching question 27:15 - How to dismiss someone from your team if needed 30:40 - Coach Killers 31:45 - Good leadership and good captains are key 33:00 - Answer this question..Why does USCGA have a team with good character? 35:00 - Just be a good person. 35:30 - Milboyism - yes or no 37:00 - Double down on Character 

0:00 - Recap of the current state of Coast Guard Wrestling 3:00 - Coach Foley and Coach Bratland have jokes! 4:00 - Introduction of the show format - 2 min. Drill 5:00 - Question 1 - Best things to come out of COVID-19? 9:15 - Question 2 - Best at-home workout exercise for wrestlers over xmas break, and if you  Have one piece of at home epuipment what would it be? 16:45 - Question 3 - One thing you remind yourself of daily 18:45 - Question 4 - What is something you have added to your life or changed your perspective that you have learned from the Cadets since being here?  25:30 - Question 5 - Thing you are most looking forward to getting back to once the pandemic is over? 28:00 - Question 6 - Top quality you look for in a prospective Cadet-wrestler? 30:15 -  Question 7 - Christmas traditions question get sidetracked by stories about dogs! 39:00 - Outro - Keep living the SPAR Life!

0:00 - Life after a being a student-athlete…time to get a job! 3:15 - Why Coach Foley got into coaching 5:25 - Autonomy as a coach, but a few mistakes along the way 7:30 - Coaching is not just wrestling practice 9:15 - Developing a coaching philosophy 10:00 - Each student-athlete is motivated differently 12:50 - Learning from coaching peers 14:00 - Defining Coaching moments 15:00 - Identifying as a wrestler vs. a coach 16:00 - Coaching at USCGA 17:00 - Being Vulnerable 17:30 - Core root of the Foley Coaching Philosophy 19:30 - Dylan Foley peeling back onions 21:00 - Topics for Party Conversations 23:30 - Not good at saying “No” 25:00 - Important moments at USCGA 26:30 - Bratland and Foley’s first fight! 29:00 - The passion and resume is expanding 30:00 - Coach Foley and Coach Bratland are building USCGA wrestling 31:30 - It’s more than just winning the NCAA Championship 32:00 - Final thoughts

0:00 - Intro1:00 - Coach Foley talks about his recruiting process and how he ultimately makes his college decision.7:00 - Another coaching change for coach Foley10:00 - Coach Foley let's go of the University of Iowa dream11:00 - Freshman Season - and the start of developing new mentors and support system14:00 - Sophomore season begins15:30 - Cutting weight breakdown story19:20 - How not placing at Regionals drives Coach Foley reevaluate how he views himself21:30 - Coach Foley develops a "Mantra" and how impactful that was for him during his 3rd season in college.25:00 - The hard work and mental training pays off!26:42 - The power of a strong support system29:35 - Turning points to becoming an All-American, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly35:35 - Senior year NCAA experience36:30 - Coach Bratland and Coach Foley cross paths for the first time 45:30 - Identity was tied to an NCAA Title 45:45 - Where to from here? 

0:00 - 2:45 - Coach Foley's athletic and coaching accomplishments3:00 - 4:50 - What it was like growing up and wrestling in Massachusetts 4:50 -6:15 - Coach Foley's wrestling start - the story.7:00 - 9:000 - Coach Foley's wrestling coach is a hockey player, and the start of his competitive wrestling journey.9:00 - 10:00 - Coach Foley gives credit to his support system.10:00 - 11:30 - I am having fun and but I got a lot better!11:30 - 13:00 - Wrestling just got serious!13:00 - 17:00 - Wrestling coaches background 17:00 - 24:00 - Tough love given.24:00 - 26:15 - Coaching Change adds some adversity26:15 - 28:00 - The hockey coach gets Coach Foley ready for his senior season.28:00 - 30:00 - The college search begins30:00 - 30:42 - College Decision was made!

0:00-7:00 - Rundown of the week in Coast Guard Wrestling7:00 - 10 :00 - Phil Rogers talks about the Running Light and it's value.10:00 - 11:00 - Missions of the Coast Guard from the Running Light11:00 -14:30 - Missions straight from the USCG Website and Phil Rogers explains that some missions every boat in the Coast Guard performs. 14:30 -  17:00 - The color of the boast matters!  Knowledge bomb!17:00 - 19:45 - Phil Rogers talks about his journey to USCGA and why he chose the SPAR Life over the Naval Academy.19:45 - 21:00 - 9 Majors at USCGA to graduate 70% stem21:00 - 25:00 - Cool fact, your major doesn't always dictate your occupation or path in the CG25:00 - 26:00 - What the Coast Guard does in one day! Saves 10 lives a day!26:00 - 29:00- Use your "Why" to find your path to USCGA and Phil Roger's story about sharks and sailing on Eagle, which ultimately led him to choosing USCGA.29:00 - 30:00 - Small school and networking is highly sought after and something USCGA offers.30:00 - Know your "Why" and the missions of USCGA

Some true stories, some maybe not so true stories...you decide!  Ten folklore stories that you might hear while at the United States Coast Guard Academy.0:00-8:30- Catching up with USCGA wrestling-updates of the past week. National Gratitude month, CGA Crossfit Games, Scavenger Hunt and more!!  Tune in for the story about the spicy donut!8:30-10:45- 1. Chapel Light Story10:45-13:20 - 2. USCGA Bear Mascot Story13:20-14:40- 3. The Chase Hall riddle14:40-17:35 - 4. The Hidden Museum17:35-19:40 - 5. Alternate location for USCGA19:40-21:34 - 6. The Hidden Tunnels at USCGA21:34-22:10- 7. Athletics Hall of Fame22:10-25:00- 8. The Henriques Room Ceiling25:00- 29:00 -9. Why are you hiding that large chain?29:00 - 31:30 -10. The SPARs

0:00- 2:10-Accomplishments aren't a big deal to Coach Bratland.  Coach Bratland tells the tattoo story!2:10-3:25-Coach Foley tells a story about his tattoo!3:25-9:45-Coach Bratland talks about his path to being hired and why he decided to apply for the head wrestling coach position at the United States Coast Guard Academy.9:45-13:30Coach Bratland talks to his wife Lindsi and decides to take the position as the Head Wrestling Coach of the United States Coast Academy.  Coach Bratland answers the #1 questions he gets from recruits.13:30-19:00-Coach Bratland talks about how adversity/obstacles and his "Aha moments" has shaped his demeanor and who he is today.19:00-21:00-Coach Foley talks about a great book and what he learned from it.21:00-22:30-Coach Foley talks about choices and although hard, we choose our hard!  He also gives Coach Bratland some compliments!!22:30-25:30-Coach Bratland talks about how you should never stop supporting people because you never know when you words will be impactful.25:30-28:30-Coach Bratland tells parents, recruits, etc. what he would tell them about  how they would be treated if they came to the United States Coast Guard Academy.

0:00 - 2:50 - Coach Bratland makes easy recruiting work for Milboy2:50 - 6:30 - The Wartburg Experience, Coach Bratland's first tournament in a Wartburg singlet, Coach Bratland gets ejected!6:30 - 8:00 - Coach Bratland discusses Lollipop Moments (Ah Ha Moments), what they are.8:00- 12:30The Ravil experience and how this Lollipop Moment  helped Coach Bratland turn the corner, and break down mental barriers preventing him from being successful.  Once you make up your mind to not quit...it gets harder and harder to quit! 12:30 - 13:37 - Coach Bratland didn't have mental toughness, emotional intelligence...just work harder meant physically harder to him, not working on mental skills.13:37 - 14:30 - Coach Foley tells a story of some of Milboy's compliments to Coach Bratland14:30 - 16:35 Why mental toughness and emotional intelligence are important!  Confidence in self and fighting are more important than winning.16:35 - 18:30 - Which Wartburg national championship team is the best national championship team?18:30 - 21:20 - Coach Bratland discusses why he got into coaching.  21:20 - 25:40 -Transformative experiences and mentors that have helped shape Coach Bratland's coaching philosophy, and used all of those experiences to overcome adversity and doubt.25:40 - 31:40 - Coach Bratland's mindset now, and his story of when he competed in a Navy Seal Fitness screener.31:40 - 33:15 - Looking for a challenge is fun!  

0:00-2:03 - Introduction of guest Coach2:03-4:51 - Not bragging, but bragging talk - a list of guest Coaches credentials not only in wrestling, but Strength and Conditioning credentials as well.4:51-10:00 - Guest Coach introduces himself and gives some background information about himself such as where he grew up, where he went to high school, and drops some BIG names such as a world champ that are also from this tiny rural town.  These guys along with a wrestling family provided role models for Coach during his youth.10:15-14:30- Stories of early wrestling years and early adversity, and how Coach dealt with this adversity, sticking with the sport and having a successful high school career.14:30- 16:50 - Coach heads to college as part of the #1 recruiting class in the country along 4x undefeated NCAA  Champion Cael Sanderson.  He talks about this experience and the continued adversity he faced at ISU.16:50- 19:00 - Coach leaves ISU and heads to a division 3 school.  Again, trials and tribulation push Coach to leave school once again.  This new adventure did not include wrestling or school, but a life of manual labor. 19:00-22:00 -  Coach takes a high school coaching position at his alma mater and speaks how this experience  begins to shape his outlook on coaching.  This experiences teaches him how much he doesn't know about coaching and how to treat student-athletes. 22:00-24:00 Coach starts to figure it out and along with some persuasion coach makes some important decisions for his future.

In this Episode Coach Bratland and Coach Foley discuss The Tail End.  This article was written by Tim Urban and can be found on his blog at www.waitbutwhy.com.  We encourage you  to check it out!!  This article puts in perspective not only how important time is, but also what we do with our time.  Live with intention!

In this episode Coach Bratland and Coach Foley discuss the topic of Essentialism.  Made popular by Greg McKeown's book "Essentialism" The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.  Also, check out "Chasing Excellence" podcast episode 145 where Greg interviews Ben Bergeron.  Do more by doing less!

In this episode of The SPAR Life Coach Bratland and Coach Foley revisit what living the The SPAR Life means.  They revisiting a few topics from their very first podcasts and ultimately the reason this podcast was started.