The Globetrottin' ADs

From the first episode on January 1st, 2020 the Globetrottin' ADs podcast has been sharing resources and connecting the international school AD and coach community around the world.

Welcome back to the I3AC conference!

This May the 9th I3AC conference will take place in Bangkok Thailand and in this episode Nick and Matt talk with Joe Toler about the conference and more.

The guys talk about the conference theme, keynote speaker and all sort of conference details. Joe also talks about his unique school situation where he is starting an athletic program from scratch.

Even if it is not possible for you to travel to Thailand in May you can enjoy this 99th Globetrottin' AD episode.

Learn more about the conference and the I3AC in general at these links

The Globetrottin’ ADs are bringing back the book with a series of episodes with authors of books that all coaches and ADs should put on their reading lists.

This episode Nick and Matt welcome Tim Baghurst who is the Director of the FSU COACH program at Florida State University

Tim's latest book Reflections on the Coaching Life is the focus of the episode with Tim digging in to four different sections of the book while also sharing about FSU and more.

Please check out our sponsor Kukri Sports and then Tim to learn more;

The Globetrottin’ ADs are back with their second episode with an author about one of their books. This one is again a fantastic resource that coaches and ADs should put on their reading lists for themselves but also for their athletes.

This episode Nick and Matt welcome back John O'Sullivan who is famous for his “Changing the Game Project”. The project started in 2012 after two decades as a soccer player and coach on the youth, high school, college and professional level. John was fist on back in October of 2022 (Season 4 Episode 5) where we were talking about parents. If you have not listened to that episode please do as you will leave more about John and his various projects.

The Champion Teammate: Timeless Lessons to Connect, Compete and Lead in Sports and Life and like the last episode Nick and Matt have picked out sections of the book that they would like John to elaborate on. Whether you are a reader or not there is great value in this episode and we hope you enjoy it.

The Globetrottin’ ADs are bringing back the book with a series of episodes with authors of books that all coaches and ADs should put on their reading lists.

This episode Nick and Matt welcome J.P. Nerbun  who is also a leadership coach, a founder of TOC Culture Consulting, and the host of one of the top sports leadership podcasts. J.Ps book The Sports Parent Solution: Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to Allies is the focus of the episode with JP really digging in to four different parts of the book while also sharing about his background, other books and more.

This episode of the GTADs was recorded live at the Coaching For A Greater Purpose Conference in Dusseldorf Germany on January 14th 2024.

The first episode of 2024 has Nick and Matt open the mail bag so to speak and answer all sorts of questions that were sent in from ADs around the world. 

Not all questions that were submitted are answered in this episode but will be used later in the school year. Thank you to everyone that sent in a question, the support was fantastic. 

In this episode Nick and Matt are joined by Dave Horner and John Powell. The 4 are sitting around a table in Orlando Florida after a few long conference days.

The group are excited to share some new developments for the international community and also talk about the 'one' favorite thing at the conference thus far.

If you have a pizza and a beverage you can feel like you are right at the coach with the guys as you listen to their relaxed chat.

In this episode Nick and Matt are once again joined by Nathan Whitaker. Nathan is a writer, speaker, two sport collegiate athlete and super bowl champion (https://nathanwhitaker.com/).

The guys talk about Nathan's recent summit, "The Art of Playing Well" (https://theartofplayingwell.com/), what they hope people will take from it and some highlights.

Nathan also talks about a recent US Army speaking engagement, the parallels of leadership and how the army is changing their tactics. 
Conference and extended PD for staff is talked about with Nathans recent experience at the EARCOS conference and some schools in the region. Of course the guys talk about the upcoming NIAAA conference and meeting in person. 

To connect further…

Nick and Matt are joined by Dave Horner from his home in Atlanta in this 91st episode sponsored by Kukri Sports.

The guys talk about the upcoming NIAAA conference in Orlando with what they are looking forward to most, some bikes and an international AD meet up. Its not all about Orlando as the guys talk about their favorite kinds of PD and how important in person connections are.

Nick and Matt are back after about a month break with an essential question, Is zoom now retro?

Kidding aside the guys talk about the tournaments they hosted the past weekend with what went well and not so well.

In this episode Nick and Matt welcome; speaker, author, coach and former basketball player, David Nurse.

This episode is packed with advise and tips about; constant growth, taking action, the importance of team sports and "why not me".

In this episode of the Globetrottin' ADs Nick and Matt are joined once again by Brian Lettinga who is a senior associate with Search Associates..

This episode follows up on their episode last season but focuses more on what you should start doing right now even if you are just thinking about a new job. Whether you are in the US and thinking about a first post overseas or if you are looking to change countries or regions there are some great tips in this episode for you.

What kind of jobs are out there, when are schools posting and hiring, what makes you stand out and what makes Search Associates stand out are just some of the things the three guys talk about.

Thank you to Search Associates for sponsoring this episode. Search Associates has been placing teachers abroad for over 30 years, with PE and AD openings each and every year. Be sure to visit www.searchassociates.com to learn more about teaching, and living, abroad!

To connect with Matt & Nick and find out more…

Visit their website: GlobetrottinADs.com

The CGP is back!

The international school coaches and AD conference that started last August in Brussels is back this school year and in Dusseldorf Germany from the 12th to the 14th of January.

Nick and Matt are joined by ISD Athletic Director and conference organizer Gil Grant in this episode dedicated to the conference. Find out what went well last year, whats planned for this year and why you should not only attend but get a group of coaches from your school to attend as well.

Find out more at https://www.cgpconference.com/

Season 5 of the Globetrottin'ADs is here!

Join Nick and Matt in this short kick off episode for season 5 but don't think its just fluff.

How tough but important is it to balance relaxation but also some work during the summer?

How did ChatGPT surprised and helped Nick?

Why is the re-education of of AISB community continuing to happen this school year?

Join us in our 85th episode and for all that follow in 2023/24

Its a a wrap. The school year and the year of podcasts for the Globetrottin' ADs.

This 20th episode is also the 84th episode since we started but dont worry there will only be a summer break before we come back and push towards #100.

Nick and Matt do a brief podcast year in review followed by their thoughts about how the school year went. There is talk about summer plans, softball, new conferences and the always important housing vs hotel discussion.

We hope you enjoyed this season of the pod and that you can now have some time to catch up on any episodes you missed.

In this episode of the Globetrottin' ADs Nick and Matt are joined by Brian Lettinga. Brian is a senior associate with Search Associates who help people around the world get started overseas.

This episode is aimed at North American based listeners who might want to go international but is also interesting for those overseas who might be looking to move.

Brian starts by explaining what Search Associates do and what makes them stand out when compared to other agencies. He also talks specifically about AD, AC and PE jobs and how to make yourself stand out.

Thank you to Search Associates for sponsoring this episode. Search Associates has been placing teachers abroad for over 30 years, with PE and AD openings each and every year. Be sure to visit www.searchassociates.com to learn more about teaching, and living, abroad!

To connect with Matt & Nick and find out more…

Visit their website: GlobetrottinADs.com

A topic that can be very important for entire school communities but often gets pushed to the back burner is the focus of this episode where we are joined by Julien Draghi the Athletics Director at AIS Vilnius in Lithuania.

In this short episode Nick launches the 2023 international AD "State of the Industry" survey by giving a brief history of the previous two versions and how this year continues the tradition.

What is new and exciting is that this year there will also be a international Coach survey. ADs around the world are encouraged to fill in the AD and Coach survey but also send the link to all of their coaches. The results of the coach survey will not only be of interest to coaches but even more so to the ADs that they work for. Both surveys will be reviewed and analyzed with the results being published in articles online and on this podcast.

Have a listen, then fill in AND share these two surveys....

It's been said that the ultimate service is doing something for someone who can do nothing for you in return. A leader in education-based athletics has the opportunity to provide this service on a daily basis.” Leadership with Legacy in Education Based Athletics” is a new book written by three long time Athletic Directors that has already found its way into the hands of hundreds of US ADs.

In this episode of the Globerottin’ ADs Nick and Matt welcome the three authors; Mike Ellson, Rich Barton and Carol Dozibrin.

Join them all in their conversation about how the book came to be, where to get it but more importantly Mike, Rich and Carol highlight their most important section of the book. 

This special episode is a live recording from a panel discussion at CEESA Conference in Vilnius Lithuania.  There were three panelists (Mark Hull 3D Coaching, Matt Fleming GTADs and Gustavo Diaz AS Paris) and a full room of 30 ADs and Coaches on a Saturday morning at 10:00.

We hope you enjoy the discussion that covers many different topics as you would expect from an open discussion with an audience of various backgrounds and experience levels. This is fine example of some of the learning that took place in sessions, in between sessions and into the evening. More information about CEESA can be found on their website: ceesa.org

After a long COVID break the annual CEESA conference was back in person this weekend in Vilnius Lithuania. The conferences was filled with meetings, workshops, NIAAA courses, and tons of professional conversations about all things athletics and activities.

After a month break, this GTADs episode is one of those conversations but not on the conference floor but rather up in hotel room after a long day of meetings. Don't worry the conversation stays above board and all about some of the things ADs are feeling and thinking about this school year - specifically 'rebooting' some of our programs, 'embracing the return' and 'appreciating' who we have involved in our programs.

The pandemic is over… or so it seems in many places around the world. If you are in China  you may not agree but as of recently things are also opening up in China and international school travel is starting to happen.

What a great time to talk with two Athletic Directors who worked through the pandemic at schools in China. Nick and Matt welcome first time guest Thomas Mathews who is the Director of Athletics & Activities at the Shekou Int. School in Shenzhen and returner Turner Neal who is still the  Director of Athletics at the Concordia International School in Shanghai.

The second episode of the year and second episode about a masters program that can absolutely help you be better. Nick and Matt welcome Timothy Baghurst the Director of FSU COACH at Florida State University

To start off 2023 Nick and Matt welcome Greg Sullivan who is a Teaching Professor & Program Director at University of Missouri.
The program Greg leads is a Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership Masters Program  but one that gives participants a Masters in Education when they are finished.

Greg has an interesting history which he shares as well as all of the ins and outs of his program which centers around servant leadership and becoming a good leader. It is a unique online program that fuses sports, coaching and positive psychology with athletic training to elevate student athletes’ wellbeing. 

In the 10th episode of season 4 Nick and Matt welcome Emily Meadows who is an LGBTQ+ consultant for International Schools. Emily, who has grown up in the international school world, now supports educators, students, and school communities in developing culturally-relevant, research-backed knowledge, systems and skills to effectively cultivate safety, equity, and belonging for LGBTQ+ people in international schools. 

The discussion is packed full of information for any educator or coach in any type of school. Listeners will be able to immediate put pieces of this discussion into action and absolutely should. There is big picture type of information but also very specific info for ADs that are working on (or yet to start) a policy. 

Greg Dale was the the Director of Sport Psychology and Leadership Program for Duke Athletics but he was also a good friend of the International School community. On Thursday, Nov 24 Greg passed away after a year long battle with gastric cancer.

In this episode Nick and Matt talk about their relationship with Greg and then share 4 clips of Greg from different Globetrottin' AD events. Regardless if you knew who Greg was or not you will take some great advice from him out of this episode. Nick and Matt thank Greg for his friendship over the past few years and hope that his wisdom will live on through so many people that he impacted over the years.  

Nick and Matt are once again joined by a best selling author and internationally known speaker. John O’Sullivan is the founder of the Changing the Game Project and the author of two #1 bestselling books. John’s work has been featured by CNN, Outside Magazine, ESPN, NBC Sports and now the Globetrottin’ ADs podcast.

John, is no stranger to international schools as he was the keynote speaker at the Coaching for a Greater Purpose conference in Brussels and has also worked with schools in Asia. John tells us a bit about himself and also what he thinks about international schools before the conversation turns to parents.

Parents are the most important people in the lives of our student athletes and we should consider them a part of our team. John talks about how important they are and also gives some tips to help get parents on board.

This episode was recorded live at a hotel in Bucharest, Romania before a two day athletic and activity directors meeting.
Nick and Matt are joined by CEESA (Central Eastern European Schools Association) colleges Ivan Atanaskovic (Athletics & Activities Director at ICS Istanbul) and Stephen Sidaway (Activities Director at AS Warsaw).

After the guests introduce themselves a bit they talk about what their respective schools are feeling like now a few weeks into the school year. They also look ahead to what their seasons are like with Ivan talking about athletics and Stephen focusing on their activities program. 

Most schools around Europe are planning for a normal year coming out of the pandemic but all four guys talk about what they are hopeful for this school year and then also what they are looking forward to in their first in-person meeting in almost three years. 

Welcome back to season the Globetrottin' ADs with this first mini episode to start off season 4!

Nick and Matt while sitting in a hotel room overlooking beautiful Lake Balaton talk about a few upcoming events plus look back a bit on the last schools year.

A few of the topics include the upcoming coaches conference in Brussels, in person meetings, the piloting of the NIAAA 910 course as well as a bit of an introduction to Nicks new book - A Global Playbook: How Every International School Can Raise Its Game - which will be out very soon.

Join us as we look ease our way into the new school year....

Do you know what the World Academy of Sport is?
Even if you have heard about it we are betting that you do not know about all of the different things they are doing for athletes, schools and even anyone interested in athletics as a career. Sit back and enjoy this episode with Anne Louise Williams the Marketing & Licensing Manager for the Athlete Friendly Education Center at the World Academy of Sport

Of course Nick and Matt start the episode by getting to know Anne Louise a bit better and finding out what the World Academy of Sport. Then, as broad as the organization is, they dig into the parts that are directly applicable to international schools such as their relationship with the IB, getting your school certified and the Athlete Friendly Education Center. The Academy is not only for schools and individual athletes but any student who would like to pursue a career in athletics and that includes adults and their International Sport Management program at the University of London.

Back from a short spring break, the Globetrottin’ ADs welcome good friends Ric and Kirby to talk about the impact of the invasion on their schools.

This is an episode that transcends the normal athletics in international schools theme of the podcast and is absolutely of interest to anyone interested in some of the finer details of the invasion, especially those involved in international education.

Ric and Kirby over the course of the episode talk about where they are currently, how they managed to leave their countries, how their schools are currently functioning and the future of their schools as well as them personally. This episode is a lot to listen to and may open your eyes a bit more to what is going on but worth a listen and a share.

The invasion is also affecting countries close to Ukraine and Nick and Matt also talk about that impact on their schools but more importantly if you would like to help their school communities specifically or the Ukraine war relief in general please visit these websites and help make our international community even stronger;

The international school athletic community should all listen to this episode with Jen Brooks! Jen is a trailblazer for female athletic directors in the United States and with her recently founded community she will be an important figure for current and future athletic directors around the world.

To start the episode off Jen shares with Nick and Matt a bit about her background as a university athlete, how she became an AD and where she works now. Then the episode focuses on “The Global Community of Women in High School Sports’ which is an organization that Jen started just before the pandemic that is doing a tremendous amount of work for the development of athletic directors, both male and female.

International members are talked about and Nick asks Jen a few questions that he received from Globetrottin’ ADs Alja Numic (Bosnia) and Kerstin Bender (soon to be Thailand). Not only through the global community but also through her own website Jen is making a difference as her mission statement says  “The Power to Inspire , Create & Claim Space for EVERYONE”

Not only should you listen to this episode but also check out Jens websites for more information and how you can connect with her. The Hudl video on her personal website is a must watch.

This week Matt and Nick welcome Jake von Scherrer who is a retired Athletic Director from Florida. Jake is also the host of the Educational AD podcast and author of a book called “The Athletic Director's Toolbox”

After interviewing so many ADs for his podcast Jake gets to talk about his background and how he got to be an Athletic Director. Jake is certainly staying busy after retirement with his podcast and book and he shares how those all started. He also shares what it was like to author and teach the newest NIAAA course, 716 Partnering with Parents and his speaking business, Victory Educational Athletics.

Nick and Matt are honored to have a multiple #1 New York Times bestselling author joining them. Nathan Whitaker was a two sport college athlete who became a lawyer and worked in football administration for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even winning a Super Bowl ring. Now as a full time speaker and author Nathan has had 11 books on the bestseller list and has started to work with international schools on coach development.

To kick the episode off Nathan shares some stories about how he got to be an author. From playing football under Steve Spurrier to shifting into the corporate world and then transitioning into writing. There are some great wisdom shared about dealing with adversity as well as a funny story about a cookie bouquet

His top 3 book recommendations are’ Quiet Strength, Soul of a Team and Snap Decision. The last one being the only one not on Nicks book shelf yet. The meat of the episode focuses on coach development and the program that Nathan ran with Chris Mott and coaches at the International School Bangkok. Regardless of what the program is, Nick talks about the importance of having one program that all coaches at a school work on together so they can have a common language and be able to discuss and work through that program together.

The Globetrottin’ Athletes Network is the topic of this long overdue episode from Nick and Matt. The guys are joined by their GAN board members Chris Mott and Dave Horner as they highlight the unique aspects of their student network.

Chris outlines some of the main areas of the network as well as how it helps students reach outside their school walls and have a place to publish content. Who it's for, how the idea born, and how schools are using the network are also all covered before the guys talk about their charity partner and some setbacks in year one.

The last part of the episode is devoted to the Student Athlete Leadership Conference which is fast approaching in March. The content pieces and keynote speakers are just starting to kick off and when the student content pieces start rolling in, the GAN will be the place that you school will be proud to be a part of.

You can and should find out more about GAN on the website. There is also a page for the conference where you can register your school for free.

In this episode of the Globetrottin’ ADs podcast Nick and Matt are joined by Michelize van Heerden who is currently an athletic office intern at the Frankfurt International School. Mich is a product of an international school and is in an athletic management program at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.