The Long Game MI
A podcast about youth sports development and how programs like Mercer Island Lacrosse build champions, on and off the field.
The Long Game MI
Latest Episodes
Ep. 7. The View From Across the Field: Rivalry and Respect for the Game
Today The Long Game explores two new perspectives: a rival coach on the opposite sideline, and a referee on the field.Nick Welton was Bellevue’s head coach from 2017 until he left the program in 2022. In that time, Bellevue and ...
Ep. 6. Culture is the Long Game
Bob Dunbar is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Harborview Medical Center, a former Peace Corps volunteer and U.S. Navy officer. He also coaches high school lacrosse. Drawing on Bob’s experiences as a surgeon, Peace Corps volunt...
Ep. 5. The Proving Ground: Where Kids Learn What They're Capable Of
Sports can fundamentally change what young athletes believe about themselves and what they can accomplish. Brant Howell, a 2006 graduate and three-time state champion who later walked on at Notre Dame, discusses this often-overlooked aspe...
Ep. 4. The Long Game: 25 Years of Building Something That Lasts
Ian O’Hearn became the MIHS Head Coach in 2001, thinking it might be a pit stop. Twenty-five years later, he’s the winningest lacrosse coach in Washington State history and architect of the largest youth program in the state.This convers...
Ep. 3. Competing the Right Way: Winning Through Development
Parents today sometimes think they need to choose between youth sports programs that focus on long-term development of the entire athlete, and those that play to win.Kiernan Coles shows that no choice is needed between these two and in f...
