X Factor: Unlocking Potential in Sports

About X Factor: Unlocking Potential in Sports

Tune in for a dynamic podcast hosted by Barry Tarter, Shannon Sitch, and Simon Clements. Where sports science meets actionable training & in-game strategies. Each episode is crafted for sports organizers, coaches, & administrators, exploring vital topics for those supporting athlete development. Get practical insights on integrating data-driven evaluations, building winning cultures, and balancing social, mental, and physical development. The hosts deliver rapid-fire guidance within areas such as athlete assessment, mental resilience, innovative technology, injury prevention, and team culture.

Publisher

EXACT Sports

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Feb 2025

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Significance Over Success: College Recruiting & Life Lessons with Matt Rogers

   "I want you all to take the word success. I want you to throw it away and I want you to replace it with significance." Matt Rogers, Founder of Significant Coaching & Recruiting, joins the EXACT X-Factor Podcast to share his boots-on-the-ground perspective after decades as a college head coach, life mentor, and recruiting advisor. With extensive experience helping student-athletes, parents, and college coaches navigate the recruitment journey with clarity and purpose, Coach Rogers brings unmatched authority to athlete development and sports leadership. In this thought-provoking episode, Coach Rogers challenges traditional metrics of achievement, urging families to focus on process-driven development, joy, and long-term significance rather than chasing superficial targets. He delivers crucial recruiting education on resolving parent-athlete misalignment, mastering proactive self-advocacy, avoiding athletic burnout, and bridging the communication gap between recruits and verified college coaches. Episode Highlights: Significance Over Success: Throw away superficial targets like awards or roster spots; true athletic and personal growth comes from repeating daily habits that bring genuine joy and long-term fulfillment. Resolving Parent-Athlete Misalignment: Out of 100 high school athletes, only a small fraction will play college sports—parents must regularly ask their athlete if they still love the sport or if their passions lie elsewhere. Proactive Self-Advocacy & Value Creation: Before executing an elevator pitch to a college coach, athletes must know who they are, understand what value they bring to a team, and communicate with humility. Bridging the Coach-Recruit Gap: Successful recruitment functions like an open relationship where coaches and recruits clearly communicate expectations, executive functioning skills, and personal development goals. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00 - Replacing Success with Significance 01:25 - Coach Matt Rogers’ Journey & Renaissance Philosophy 03:55 - Why Targets & Awards Don't Measure Real Growth 07:48 - Mentoring College Coaches & Executive Functioning 11:18 - Elevator Pitches & Proactive Self-Advocacy 15:18 - Resolving Parent-Athlete Misalignment & Chasing Joy 22:04 - Bridging the Gap Between Recruits & College Coaches Subscribe to the EXACT X-Factor Podcast for more expert recruiting education, mental toughness training, and insider guidance from verified college coaches and sports leaders. #collegerecruiting #exactathlete #XFactorPodcast #youthsports #sportsleadership

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Youth Football Development, The All State Game & Talent Scouting with G Murray

   "Everybody is not a trainer. Everybody's not a good trainer. You need to know who you trust to train your athlete and build that true work ethic." Garry "G" Murray, Talent Scout for the All State Game and prominent youth football leader in New York's Capital District, joins the EXACT X-Factor Podcast to share his firsthand recruiting perspective. As a former D1 athlete at UAlbany with decades of boots-on-the-ground experience across Pop Warner, high school, and off-season travel circuits, G Murray serves as a vital connector in the regional Talent Scout Network, discovering top-tier athletes and guiding families through the talent identification process. In this episode, host Simon Clements and G Murray break down what it takes to execute a high-profile showcase event after successfully bringing the New York All State Game to the University at Albany. From evaluating private trainers and year-round travel circuits to navigating the complex transitions between Pop Warner, modified middle school rules, and national showcase camps, G delivers essential recruiting education for parents and coaches aiming to maximize player exposure and long-term development. Episode Highlights: Quality Training Over Hype: Not every trainer is equipped to properly develop youth athletes; parents must evaluate real fundamental skill building and work ethic over flashy social media drills. Grassroots Exposure Platforms: Flagship showcase events like the All State Game bridge the gap between local talent and high-level scouting, giving overlooked athletes a D1 stadium stage to compete against top regional competition. Navigating Multi-League Development: Successfully balancing Pop Warner, modified school rules, and off-season travel football requires strategic scheduling to avoid burnout while building athletic resilience. Proactive Community Networking: Long-term exposure relies on verified nomination networks, active self-advocacy, and consistently putting athletes in competitive environments beyond their local area. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00 - Evaluating Youth Trainers & Building Work Ethic 00:41 - Bringing the All State Game to UAlbany 04:36 - Grassroots Football & The Talent Scout Network 06:50 - The Evolution of Travel Football & Year-Round Exposure 14:35 - Evaluating Showcase & College ID Camps 20:16 - Navigating Pop Warner, Modified Rules & Travel Seasons 25:39 - The All State Game Experience & Unlocking Regional Exposure Subscribe to the EXACT X-Factor Podcast for more expert recruiting education, mental toughness training, and insider guidance from verified college coaches and talent scouts. #collegerecruiting #exactathlete #XFactorPodcast #youthsports #AllStateGame

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Character, JuCo Realities & Elite Development with Phoenix College’s Coach K

   "A shape of a person doesn't define them. Most institutions say, 'If you're going to come in here and score points for me, I want you.' I don't care for that, because for me, recruiting is about more than just being able to score points." Daniel "Coach K" Laikona, Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Phoenix College and coach at Arizona Storm Elite, joins the EXACT X-Factor Podcast to share his boots-on-the-ground perspective on athlete development, team culture, and college recruiting. From guiding Central High School to their first state playoff appearance in 20 years with a 3.75 team GPA to developing elite players who reach the U-19 National Team and top Power Four programs, Coach K brings unmatched credibility to the show. In this powerful conversation, Coach K opens up about his Hawaiian roots, overcoming financial hurdles through grassroots community building, and why character off the field outweighs raw physical benchmarks. He breaks down how junior college (JuCo) programs offer transformative development pathways, what it takes to train top 1% athletes through dedicated film breakdown and technical "lab" sessions, and why trusting the process through uncomfortable situations is the ultimate key to breaking into collegiate sports. Episode Highlights: Culture & Character Over Physical Benchmarks: Talent and scoring ability mean nothing if an athlete’s character, humility, and family values do not align with the team's culture. The JuCo Pathway as a Launchpad: Junior college is not a backup plan—it is an accelerated, high-accountability environment for holistic athletic development and maximum college exposure. Process Over Outcome in Development: Reaching top-tier collegiate and national team levels requires sacrificing distractions, diving deep into film breakdown, and committing to technical "lab" sessions. Proactive Self-Advocacy & Resilient Faith: Overcoming financial barriers or rejections in college recruiting requires relentless work ethic, authentic networking, and embracing uncomfortable situations. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00 - Recruiting Character Over Physical Figures 01:12 - Coach K’s Journey & Hawaiian Roots 05:04 - Building Club Mana & Grassroots Pipelines 14:10 - JuCo Opportunities & Honest Recruiting Conversations 22:30 - Technical Development in "The Lab" 26:00 - Training a Top 1% Athlete & National Team Blueprint 36:30 - Embracing Uncomfortable Situations & Trusting the Process Subscribe to the EXACT X-Factor Podcast for more expert recruiting education, mental toughness training, and insider guidance from verified college coaches. #collegerecruiting #exactathlete #XFactorPodcast #youthsports #volleyballrecruiting

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

17

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact X Factor: Unlocking Potential in Sports

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