#75 - Mike Hagensick: Education, Coaching and Fun Vs. Fulfillment

"The Choices that you make throughout the day are going to lead to your performance in any setting." - Mike Hagensick

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Mike Hagensick is currently the assistant swim coach at the University of Northern Iowa and the founder and director of the Panther Academy for Water Safety. Mike has his Masters in Special Education. He has served as a consultant with the Auburn University Pediatric Movement and Physical Activity Lab and was an author on a recently published paper on adaptive tennis programming. His mission is to provide high-quality and socially equitable adaptive sports and activity programming for individuals with special needs. 

Highlights from this conversation:

  • Creating Adaptive programs for special needs and expanding to other groups to have access to learn how to move well

  • Mike shares where his vision and purpose for adaptive movement programs.

  • The Difference between Fun and Fulfillment

  • Finding balance and realizing there is not a 50/50 split between work and play

  • Alcohol and how it affects performance

Explore Mike’s projects:

Panther Academy for Water Safety Website

Facebook Group

Support the Panther Academy for Water Safety

Show Notes:

[00:04:10] - Finding Mastery Tribe 

[00:04:30] - Mike's Background

[00:04:50] - Background in Educations and started coaching swimming at 14.

[00:06:10] - Starting working with children with disabilities.

[00:07:30] - Auburn University Pediatric Movement and Physical Activity Lab

[00:08:00] - Adaptive Tennis Program for Autism

[00:08:30] - Assistant Swim Coach for UNI

[00:09:00] - Current passion to current adaptive sport programs.

[00:09:40] - Taking the 30,000-foot view of Mike's journey so far

[00:10:30] - Explaining adaptive learning programs

[00:11:00] - Autism spectrum disorder

[00:11:50] - None verbal communication

[00:12:15] - Sensory needs

[00:12:50] - Looking at each person as a unique case.

[00:13:20] - The need for inclusive community

[00:14:20] - Panther Academy for Water Safety

[00:14:30] - Program is open to all children and adults

[00:15:20] - The growth of the program and expanding it more broadly.

[00:16:00] - Ninja U and creating an adaptive program with them

[00:17:40] - Creating access for those who have obesity-related limitations. 

[00:19:00] - Creating a platform to teach holistic health wellness through movement. 

[00:20:00] - Yoga and Breathing Skills

[00:20:40] - Providing access to see if you'll enjoy something rather than only going off a thought.

[00:21:50] - Where does Mike's vision and purpose come from?

[00:22:30] - Drowning and accidental death are leading causes of death for someone with autism.

[00:23:30] - The moment that changed his life. 

[00:24:10] - We take for granted many simple movements skills that others may not be able to do.

[00:25:40] - Being able to teach someone and allow them to learn something they never thought was possible for them.

[00:27:20] - Where does Mike's aptitude come from?

[00:27:50] - Mike would have himself buried in books.

[00:28:10] - A fascination with people who are trying to elevate the world those around them.

[00:29:00] - What his club swim coach instilled in him - Importance of building relationships

[00:31:00] - How Things Are Made (TV Show)

[00:31:20] - Blending his parents' backgrounds and blending them in his current profession

[00:32:30] - Recommendations: The Culture Code by Dan Coyle, Brene Brown's Work, and Finding Mastery Podcast

[00:32:50] - Defining Traits for High Performers are Vulnerability and Risk-Taking

[00:33:30] - Why Mike is attracted to high performers?

[00:34:10] - The Dark Side of Mastery

[00:35:20] - "When you're at the top, there's no one standing next to you."

[00:36:15] - "The path is not linear."

[00:36:30] - The difference between fun and fulfillment

[00:39:20] - How does Mike have the conversation with himself staying on the fulfilling side?

[00:40:40] - Creating awareness within your mind and body.

[00:41:00] - We assume fulfillment = Equals fun, but that's not always the case. If you always focus on fun is not playing for the long game of life.

[00:42:00] - 13 Traits of Mastery - Redefining Balance and Recovery

[00:43:00] - Balance is not always 50/50 between work and play.

[00:44:50] - Mike's thoughts on recovery and how important sleep is

[00:45:10] - The shift from the grind mindset and starting to pay more attention to sleep.

[00:45:50] - How alcohol affects your body's ability to recover (Whoop article)

[00:46:50] - The average calorie consumption after three drinks is 3600

[00:47:50] - "The Choices that you make throughout the day are going to lead to your performance in any setting."

[00:49:10] - Even if you're eating healthy, the body is still going to prioritize getting rid of alcohol overusing the nutrients to fuel the body.

[00:50:00] - The canceling out effect is not a real thing - I had a salad for lunch so I can have cake for dinner.

[00:50:30] - Why We Sleep By Matthew Walker

[00:51:10] - How your recovery affects those around you.

[00:52:00] - Modulating your response both mentally and physically.

[00:53:30] - Recommended Podcasts - Unbeatable Mind Podcast, Jocko Podcast, Just Fly Sport Performance

[00:54:15] - Recommended Books - Talent Code by Dan Coyle, Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson , Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin

[00:54:50] - Advice to someone entering the real world?

Erich WenzelFinding Mastery, Mike Hagensick, Education, Coaching, Swim Instructor, Adaptive Education Programs, Holistic Movement Approach, High Performance, Fun vs Fufillment, Finding Balance in Life, Recovery and Alcohol, Why We Sleep, Unbeatable Mind Podcast, PodcastComment