EP174: Mike Mackay: Culture Building Through The BioPsychoSocial Lens

In this episode, George is joined by Coach Mike Mackay, one of Canada's most respected coach developers and former Canada Basketball coach educator, to explore what it truly means to create transformational coaching environments. Coach Mike shares why playfulness, curiosity, and connection are essential for learning, how coaches can design practices that better transfer to games, and why developing self-aware players through intentional feedback and meaningful questions creates lasting impact beyond basketball.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introducing Mike Mackay and the Roseto 2026 Summer Camp

01:16 – Why playfulness is the foundation of learning and player development

03:00 – Celebrating behaviors that build team culture and leadership

04:00 – The ACE feedback model: Appreciation, Coaching, and Evaluation

06:06 – Building accountability through peer feedback and team standards

08:09 – The ICE framework: Intensity, Concentration, and Energy

09:43 – Developing self-aware coaches through intentional practice planning

10:47 – Mike's coaching mentors and choosing transformational leadership

13:30 – Reflection, journaling, and using AI as a learning tool

15:01 – Developing coaches through intentional learning and progression