Episode 15: Building Community through Shared Adversity with Coach Jon Reader
Guest: Coach Jon Reader
This episode is the first in our miniseries on coaching and teaching. Exchange Producer David Macasaet talks with Jon Reader, Associate Head Coach of the UW-Madison Wrestling team. They discuss supporting student-athletes on and off the mat and the inclusive experience of communally conquering a challenge–like running the Camp Randall stairs at 6am.
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To best represent L&S, we want to hear from our community. Who would you like us to interview? What topics or ideas should we focus on next?
Unpack This Episode
Grab a drink, gather your colleagues, and discuss.
- Coach Reader frames adversity as an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and deepen experiences of community. How does your teaching philosophy regard adversity? How do you address adversity with your students?
- Coach Reader highlights continually learning, treating athletes as individuals, and leading by example as good coaching practices. Do you see connections between your own teaching philosophy and practices of good coaching?
- Coach Reader has a naturally positive energy he brings to his coaching practice that is authentic to his personality and goals. How would you describe the energy you want to bring to the classroom? What adjectives are authentic to you?
- Coaches consider the academic, physical, mental, and social dimensions of student-athletes in order to inform their coaching practice. How do the multiple dimensions of your students inform your teaching?
- Coach Reader talks about taking care of himself as part of being an effective coach. What practices help you as an instructor to maintain a positive and healthy mindset to bring to your classroom?
Further Reading
In this episode we mentioned, were inspired by, or wondered about the following resources and topics.
- Coach Reader encourages his student-athletes to take advantage of services that support their academic success and personal wellbeing, including Athletics Academic Services and Mental Health & Sport Psychology.
- Learn more about the UW-Madison Wrestling team, see highlights from their season, or get tickets to a match on the team website.
- Hear Coach Jon Reader in action as he coaches a UW student-athlete during a competition.
- Access (for free) the Healthy Minds App to experience mindfulness and meditation.
Shout Outs
Special thanks to Patrick Herb, Director of Communications & Brand Strategy, UW Athletics, for connecting us with Coach Jon Reader!
Acknowledgements
The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching, Learning, & Academic Planning and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.
Production Credits
- Producer: David Macasaet
- Associate Producer: Molly Harris
- Audio Engineer: David Macasaet
- Audio Editor: David Macasaet
- Website Support: Laura Schmidli & Molly Harris
- Development Producer: Jonathan Klein
- Planning Group: Jonathan Klein, David Macasaet, Molly Harris, Laura Schmidli, Antonella Caloro, Maria Widmer
- Communications: Maria Widmer
- Executive Sponsorship: Shirin Malekpour