Contacts Coaching Podcast

On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, host interviews Drew Snelgrove, athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Big Valley Christian in Modesto, covering his 30-year journey from Humboldt County athlete and BMX racer to college player at College of the Redwoods and Bethany University, pro/overseas stops in Australia and a tryout in Germany, and a transition into coaching and administration. Snelgrove recounts program-building roles at Capital Christian/Destiny Christian, a Division I assistant stint at Sacramento State, returning to Bethany as AD and coach, 13 years at Valley Christian San Jose, and two years at Vacaville Christian before Big Valley. He discusses shifting from “contests” to “events,” creating systems for safety and operations, improving efficiency with digital ticketing and segmented game-day roles, advocating multi-sport participation for athlete health and development, setting parent communication standards, and his disillusionment with NCAA NIL and the changing college landscape.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:39 Humboldt Roots and BMX Days
01:59 College Hoops and Overseas Break
02:59 First Coaching Steps
03:57 Building Programs at Capital
04:38 D1 Assistant to AD Pivot
05:38 Valley Christian and Career Moves
07:15 Overseas Lessons and Perspective
12:02 Choosing Administration Path
14:19 Big Valley AD Mindset Shift
17:57 Streamlining Game Day Systems
20:08 Small School Multi Sport Culture
26:31 Multi Sport Reality Check
27:49 Parents Over D1 Dreams
31:34 Servant Leadership Lessons
34:13 Culture Ripple Effects
35:24 No Playing Time Talks
37:15 Weight Room Scheduling Hacks
42:14 Coach To AD Identity Shift
46:13 Being Seen Across Sports
48:41 NIL And College Disillusionment
51:46 Find Your Calling
53:52 High School Last Hurrah
54:17 Closing Thanks And Wrap

On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Half Moon Bay athletic director Mike Barragan shares his path from being an undersized multi-sport athlete to coaching Little League, high school baseball (including at South San Francisco High), and eventually becoming AD in his hometown. He discusses lessons from varied sports and jobs (restaurants, construction, special education), the value of sociology for empathy and reading people, and why he strongly promotes multi-sport participation—especially at small schools where rosters and program health depend on it. Barragan describes navigating relationships with alumni coaches and parents, balancing what’s best for individual athletes versus the program, and using team culture practices like bonding meals. He also explains recent focus on improving sportsmanship amid growing trash talk and social media-driven behavior at games.

00:00 Podcast Welcome
00:45 Mike’s Sports Roots
04:43 Tony Gwynn Moment
05:15 First Coaching Break
06:57 Hometown Coaching Drama
08:48 Carlmont Reality Check
10:51 Teaching and Varsity Leap
14:38 Back to Half Moon Bay
15:00 Becoming Athletic Director
16:59 San Diego Detour
20:49 Life Skills and Empathy
23:08 Multi Sport Advocacy
29:53 Program vs Kid First
31:37 Program First Culture
32:02 Leading Without Micromanaging
33:19 Parents Communication Balance
34:33 Coaching Nuggets Learned
37:24 Cuts Roles and Development
42:44 Alumni Town Dynamics
48:52 Sportsmanship Stand
58:26 Closing Thanks and Wrap

In this Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, host interviews Nate “Blackjack” Pototschnik, associate director of strength and conditioning for BYU football, about his path from the U.S. Military Academy to flying helicopters for 10 years, deploying twice to Afghanistan, and using GI Bill benefits to earn a master’s in exercise physiology at the University of Virginia. Nathan shares why he left the cockpit for coaching, how success habits built his confidence, and how trusting his gut and prioritizing family guided career decisions when coaching opportunities shifted. He explains what transferred from aviation to coaching (explicit vs tacit learning, staying calm under pressure), discusses not tying self-worth to wins and losses, and outlines strength-and-conditioning priorities: movement quality screening, full-range training preferences, power clean vs full clean, building culture through standards, objective feedback and competition, staff alignment, and maintaining daily relationship touchpoints with athletes.

00:00 Meet Coach Blackjack
00:40 From 9/11 to Coaching
03:27 Betting on Yourself
05:22 Confidence and Gut Calls
10:04 GI Bill Explained
11:59 Combat Pilot Lessons
16:51 Staying Detached from Outcomes
18:50 Weight Room Priorities
24:08 Movement Screening Basics
26:52 Full Depth vs Quarter Squats
29:33 Power Clean vs Full Clean
31:03 Be Ready Before Promotion
33:20 Head Coach Time Demands
35:48 Hiring and Coaching Trees
38:58 Healthy Dissent Culture
43:07 BYU Grouping and Mods
44:25 Testing Buckets and Profiles
47:08 Freak Athletes and Standards
49:10 Environment and Competition
52:33 Leadership Lessons and Alignment
55:10 Building Relationships at Scale
56:40 Strength Coaches as Conduit
57:58 Wrap Up and Next Round

On the Contacts Coaching podcast, longtime Jesuit High School (Sacramento) history teacher and cross country coach Walt Lange recounts how getting cut from freshman baseball led him to running, being recruited by UCLA, and then coaching after training on his own at Loyola University of Los Angeles. He describes early coaching at St. Bernard’s near Playa del Rey, a move to Sacramento (including a brief stint as a stockbroker), and joining Jesuit in 1970, where he has coached cross country for 56 years and previously served about 20 years as head track coach. Lang credits assistant coaches, the American River Parkway training environment, and tools like Strava, and explains how Jesuit uses VDOT-based training groups and recognition to scale workouts for all levels. He discusses shifts from high-mileage eras to modern threshold/tempo approaches, the role of confidence and health, Tahoe summer camp, and balancing multi-sport participation, ending with the importance of an understanding spouse.

00:00 Meet Coach Walt Lange
00:41 From Baseball Cut to Runner
02:14 College Running and Early Coaching
05:54 Move to Jesuit and Early Success
09:16 56 Years of Coaching Longevity
10:09 Assistant Coaches and Team Roles
14:30 Strava and the Internet Era
18:28 VDOT Groups and Recognition
20:50 Tahoe Camp and Team Size
25:54 Coaching Every Ability Level
28:52 Hundred Mile Weeks
30:58 Tempo Training Explained
33:09 Threshold Versus Intervals
35:13 Cross Country Confidence
39:05 Motivating Young Runners
42:41 Year Round Training
49:25 Blueprint And Sundays
51:33 Late Bloomers Story
54:32 Coaching Wisdom Finale

https://sites.google.com/view/jesuitdistance/home

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRPvxaGrR4gIcFaBXAZRwjw1eCiHUFYFMDL-grwavt0zlKXGmhhpM4yPLS9ScarhskXS3apXk3VmEEI/pub

https://www.youtube.com/JesuitTrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCVnMvq3nx8&list=PLKYXiqAHWASjAZyQlIUBUq7JVd0QYU-FL

In this episode of the Contacts Coaching podcast, Athletic Director Chris Stevens from Immanuel High School returns to discuss his journey and the key elements of managing a high school sports program. Stevens, a 30-year veteran football coach now in his fourth year as an athletic director, was recently honored with the Rookie of the Year award by the Central Section. He shares his experiences transitioning from public to private education, the importance of budgeting and fundraising, managing family involvement in school sports, and creating memorable experiences for student-athletes. Stevens provides invaluable insights into how to balance the logistical and emotional demands of the job while fostering a supportive environment for athletes and coaches. Tune in for a comprehensive look at the world of high school athletic administration and gain practical advice for navigating this challenging yet rewarding field.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back
00:34 Chris Stevens' Major Award
02:49 Journey to Becoming Athletic Director
04:43 Public vs. Private School Administration
15:05 Balancing Family and Career
20:53 Fundraising and Development in Schools
31:01 Finding the Perfect Tournament
31:28 Prepackaged Deals vs. DIY Trips
32:52 Creating Memorable Experiences
34:35 Innovative Team Bonding Ideas
39:02 Senior Night Celebrations
49:22 Managing Budgets in Private Schools
57:11 Fundraising Strategies and Challenges
01:03:20 Closing Thoughts and Networking