The Greatest Charity in the World with Coach Kirk Wagner Artwork

Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

Picking Teams is a podcast that dives into the playbooks of seasoned coaches. Host Amy Bryant is a 23-year veteran college coach, and her guests hail from the professional, college and youth ranks. Together they'll share real stories from their coaching experiences to empower parents to be positive forces in their children's sports journeys. The podcast is also a great resource for coaches and anyone interested in youth, college and professional sports. Topics covered include: strategies for positively supporting youth sport athletes; college recruiting guidance and etiquette; tips for identifying team culture and coaching styles; college admissions, applications and the recruiting process; student-athlete mental and physical health; and more. Amy Bryant is a student-athlete college counselor and sports recruiting advisor for Bryant College https://bryantcollegecoaching.com/ a full-service college counseling and athletic recruitment advising firm.

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Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

The Greatest Charity in the World with Coach Kirk Wagner

July 14, 2025 • Season 1 • Episode 24

Today’s Play: Kirk Wagner shares the story of his journey from a soccer-playing son of German immigrants to a high school coach in Atlanta, weaving in lessons from his professional playing days in Germany and his path through college recruiting. Kirk emphasizes the values of reliability, lifelong learning, and being the coach he always wished he had. He also pulls back the curtain on the financial and emotional realities of coaching, encouraging parents to adjust their expectations and appreciate the often-unseen sacrifices coaches make. This episode reminds us that a coach’s impact isn’t measured in wins alone—it’s in the lives they shape along the way.

Today's Coach: Kirk Wagner is the Head Boys Soccer Coach at St. Pius X Catholic High School. Kirk has extensive playing experience at the collegiate level (NAIA St. Edwards University where he is a member of the Hall of Fame), and professional levels (in Germany). His coaching career, spans over 35 years across high school, club, and collegiate levels.

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To learn more about Bryant College Coaching, and download our new e-book, click here or go to www.bryantcollegecoaching.com

Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents is produced by: Amy Bryant and Sasha Melamud

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