Coaches’ Book Club

Utah Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets grew up in Belgium with a heart condition that didn’t allow him to play soccer until he was much older. But once he reached his goal of playing professional soccer, he found something was missing. He was studying business and marketing when his younger sister persuaded him to coach a girls development team. That plea changed his life. He was hired by the Utah Royals in June of 2024 as an assistant, but took over as interim head coach just a few weeks later. He joins the podcast to discuss what coaching has taught him about communication and leadership, and how the book Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson helped him understand himself and others better. We talk about cultural differences, the evolution of the women’s game and how sports may be on the verge of an affordability crisis.

Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni was at the top of his professional soccer career when he realized the anxiety he felt everywhere but on the pitch wasn’t normal. He sought therapy and learned that his anxiety was rooted in his younger brother’s tragic death. But it was reading The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer that helped him deal with the challenges of life - and professional sports, as he made the switch from being one of Major League Soccer’s best players to the pressure cooker of coaching. In this episode, he shares what it was like to grow up as an immigrant from Argentina who lived his dream playing for the U.S. men’s soccer team in two World Cups. He has savored some of the best moments sports has to offer, including leading the Colorado Rapids to an MLS Cup in 2010, and he’s endured disappointment and heartbreak, like when his former team fired him as the Rapids coach. In fact, it was a conversation with Pablo about this book that inspired us to start Coaches Book Club. Join us in preparing for the World Cup by listening to Pablo’s story and reading this incredible book - The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

In this episode we talk with Olympic steeplechase athlete Courtney Wayment on her unlikely path to fulfilling a childhood dream. The former BYU All-American was the youngest child of two talented runners, but she wasn’t sure running was her sport until late in her high school career. She talks about her dad’s reverse psychology that made her want to embrace the sport her siblings rejected, how her high school coach Corbin Talley helped her find her path, how BYU coach Diljeet Taylor inspires her to ‘dream crazy’. She said Talley recommended this month’s book - Boys in the Boat - to her, and it helped her navigate painful personal challenges as she trained and competed to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.

Weber State head cross country and track coach Corbin Talley is stalwart member of Utah’s running community, and he chose the book we are reading in April - The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. In this episode we talk about his background and why running appealed to him, how that changed when he began coaching and what he learned about teamwork and leadership from a book about rowing. This is Amy’s favorite sports book, and Coach Talley shares how the book helped him navigate personal challenges and coaching puzzles. This book illustrates why individual excellence doesn’t always lead to team success, and how putting the team first can transform every aspect of competition. Join us in reading this gritty, inspiring true story!

U.S. Bobsled coach Chris Fogt returns for our review of his book choice - Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. We talk about what happened after the ship became locked in ice, how Shackleton kept his crew physically and emotionally engaged, and how his leadership helped them maintain hope, even when it seemed there was no chance of survival. What makes us take on extreme challenges? How do leaders inspire us in the face of adversity? And what can we learn from the doomed, 110-year-old voyage? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about a book we all loved!

U.S. Bobsled Coach Chris Fogt discusses his unlikely path to Olympic glory and why he chose “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing in the first episode of Coaches Book Club. Lt. Col Fogt had enlisted in the Army and was competing as a college athlete when someone suggested he try out for the sport of bobsled. He turned out to have talent, and he made his first trip to the Olympics in 2010 as part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. He discusses crashing at the Olympics, serving in Iraq, winning an Olympic silver medal and sticking with the sport through heartbreak and disappointment. He discusses why Lansing’s book is a lesson in leadership, perseverance, teamwork and hope. Pick up the book and read along with us. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the book - and the podcast - at adonaldson@ksl.com