The hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso is a masterclass in going Beyond the X’s and O’s. We invited Dan Arel to join us and breakdown our biggest lessons and takeaways from the show.
Dan Arel has been coaching youth hockey for nearly a decade and is the Director of Coach & Player Development for the San Diego Oilers. In 2020, he was named The San Diego Gulls Foundation Coach of the Year. Arel is also a regular contributing writer to The Coaches Site, focusing on player development through small area games and good habits.
Dan was a great guest for this episode given our mutual affinity for Ted Lasso as well as his passion to develop players, teams, and leaders. From our conversation with Dan, it was evident he embodies many Ted Lasso’s leadership qualities – such as humility and vulnerability.
- Additional topics we dive into included:
- Mental health in sport and coaching
- Creating and leaning on a support team
- Working with the mindset of parents in youth sport
- Finding your authentic coaching/leadership style as a key to success
Make sure you check out Ted Lasso on Apple TV and enjoy the episode as we continue to go Beyond the X’ and O’s.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Danielle Hanus, MA
Monica Russell, MA
