Performance Coach #158: Sean Brawley - His 30 Years with Tim Gallwey and the Inner Game

The Coaching Podcast

Explore the world of coaching insights and wisdom with Coach Sean Brawley, a trailblazer in unlocking human potential and maximizing performance. In this episode, we chat about coaching philosophy, how to win, and the transformative power of the Inner Game. From dissecting the Hero's Journey to uncovering the essence of relaxed focus, Sean shares invaluable lessons drawn from his extensive experience in coaching top athletes and business leaders alike. Join us as we navigate through key moments touching on the fix-it culture, and the profound impact and sustainability from the famous book, The Inner Game of Tennis. Get ready to embark on a journey of learning, growth, and mastery in the world of coaching.

Check out the key moments below;

• 2.04: Are you a Star Wars or Star Trek fan?
  • Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey
• 3.17: Is it possible to win forever and do you have a coaching philosophy?
• 7.20: We live in a 'fix it' culture!
• 8.50: "Do not try your best!"
  • "This is not a big game. This is not a big rival." You are in danger of pumping yourself up too much! Instead, trust your training and play normal.
• 12.55: Polyvagal theory is the science of safety and trauma, created by Dr. Stephen Porges.
  • For more information on the POLYVAGAL Theory go to www.polyvagal.org
• 15.06: Relaxed Focus is the #1 skill of the inner game.
• 19.26: About the book: The Inner Game of Tennis (first written in 1974)
• 22.15: The difference between goal setting and having an intention.
• 24.30: Pay attention to what works and what doesn't work with your students (being mentored by Timothy Gallwey).
• 26.53: Coach EM's favorite parts of the book:
  • 1) 'The opponent in one's own head is more formidable than the one on the other side of the net.'
  • 2) If a coach can help a player to remove or reduce the internal obstacles to their performance, an unexpected natural ability will flow forth without the need for much technical input from the coach.'
• 30.12: What is the ONE thing that you can focus on? The Tennis Ball!
• 35.20: It takes 15-20 minutes to have beginner tennis players 'playing' the game. One of our primary roles is to bring out their natural ability.
• 41.28: Definition of coaching - helping people improve their learning and performance in an enjoyable and meaningful way.
• 41.47: Is there a difference between sports coaching and business coaching?
• 43.43: What makes a great coach?
  • 1) Masterful Coaching
  • 2) Deliberate Practice
  • 3) Commitment/grit/perseverance
    • 1) Results (consistent results)
    • 2) Caring (Belonging and feeling safe)
    • 3) Presence (Notice what is really going on)

The Coaching Podcast is sponsored by The Sampson Agency - a talent entertainment and sports management company owned and operated by Tina Samara.

Visit: www.thesampsonagency.com or email: [e-mail]

To learn more about becoming a workplace coach or advancing your coaching skills, visit: www.opendoorcoachingusa.com or email: [e-mail]

About Sean Brawley

Sean Brawley has dedicated the past 25 years to helping people from all walks of life unlock their potential and elevate their performance. In the process, he has become one of the world’s foremost experts on accelerated learning, innovative coaching, and sustainable high performance in sports and business. Sean has created leadership development and coaching skills training programs for leaders and provided executive coaching services to senior executives across diverse industries. His coaching engagements include working with CEO’s, senior vice presidents, COO’s, international sales leaders, and division presidents in entertainment, technology, healthcare, professional service firms, and finance companies. His corporate clients have included GE, Dave & Buster’s, ITT, Union Bank, Creative Artists Agency, House of Blues, ITT, and Seagate Technology, among others.

As a former Top 150 world-ranked tennis professional who competed at the highest level of the game including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Sean learned first-hand what it takes to achieve a high level of mastery and perform well under pressure. Sean has worked as a mental performance coach and player development advisor to some of the best-known teams in sports including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and the U.S. Tennis Association. From 2000-2009, Sean served as Coach Advisor to USC Football Head Coach Pete Carroll helping him conceptualize and clarify his highly successful “WinForever” coaching philosophy that would lead to 2 National Championships, 3 Heisman Trophies, and to his recent Super Bowl Championship as Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. For the past 20 years, Sean has worked closely with Tim Gallwey, the author of The Inner Game series of books including the classic, The Inner Game of Tennis. Sean is the first certified Inner Game coach in the world and is listed as a key contributor to the Inner Game of Tennis and Inner Game of Workbooks. In 2012, Sean co-founded the Inner Game School of Coaching and served as primary curriculum designer and lead trainer.

Please write Sean at [e-mail] for more information on The Inner Game.

Check out Sean's TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QkHv7pKHBc