The Quarantined Coach Podcast

18/05/2020

Next Episode is up!! Thank you Nick Zieziula!!

Nick Zieziula is currently the Head Men's Tennis Coach at Binghamton University where he lives with his wife Amy and two children Anika and Willem. Nick and I have had a very interesting start to a great friendship when I was named the Head Men's Tennis Coach at his Alma Mater over him in 2009. Afte...

05/05/2020

Episode 3 is available now! I had a blast recording with Gordy Sage! This one is filled with a lot of laughs, and I appreciate Gordy's ability to tell tough stories with such positivity and candor! From playing basketball with Christian Laettner, taking baseballs to the chest like Happy Gilmore, and listening to the Bills lose from a trench in Iraq, Gordy has lived quite a life!

Gordy Sage is our third guest on The Quarantined Coach Podcast. Gordy served our country as a Marine in Desert Storm, and is now a licensed optician that works as the Optical Supervisor for Fichte, Endl and Elmer Eyecare in Buffalo. Before joining the marines, Gordy was one of the best high school b...

02/05/2020

My second guest is one of the hardest workers I have ever met in my career. Jason Shkodnik goes by many names: Yev, Bru, Bru-Bru, Genetic Anomaly, and so on. His family moved here from Kiev Ukraine when Jason was 8 months old...They had less than 1000 dollars in the bank. Jason picked up tennis at the age of 10, and two years later he moved to IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida (The home of Nick Bollettieri) while his family stayed in New York. From taking greyhounds to play tournaments, playing football to pay for high school, and becoming an Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award Winner at the University at Buffalo, Jason's story is an inspiration for anyone who listens.

My second guest is one of the hardest workers I have ever met in my career. Jason Shkodnik goes by many names: Yev, Bru, Bru-Bru, Genetic Anomaly, and so on. His family moved here from Kiev Ukraine when Jason was 8 months old...They had less than 1000 dollars in the bank. Jason picked up tennis at t...

29/04/2020

Our first episode is out on Spotify! (Apple in the next few days) I truly appreciate George Tibil taking the time to share his story.
George explains his mindset and the factors that helped him overcome moving to a country where he didn’t know the language at age 14, a career ending injury at the height of his playing career, and living on a small island with no job after college. Keep in mind this was our first go, and I will be working my interview skills, but George more than makes up for my rookie level and gives some pertinent information in these trying times.

George Tibil is our first guest on The Quarantined Coach Podcast. George currently is the Assistant Vice President for Model Risk Validation at M&T Bank, but the pathway to his career was anything but conventional. George's ability to overcome any obstacle placed in his way is an inspiration, and wi...

29/04/2020

My name is Lee Nickell, and I currently coach men's tennis at the University at Buffalo.

I have been trying to find creative ways to engage our student-athletes while distanced. I have been fortunate to cross paths with exceptional people over my 16 year career, and my hope was to lean on them for ideas and ways to stay positive when our future is in question.

I then realized I truly don't know the stories behind the people that inspire me. There are so many that have overcome exceptional odds, pushed through uncontrollable setbacks, and handled whatever was thrown in their way. I certainly knew a broad overview of their lives, but I really didn't know what contributed to the decisions and actions they made when all seemed lost. I wanted to know...so instead of calling up and asking I created this podcast.

These 30 minute interviews will touch on big moments in each guests' lives in hopes I can gain some insight on how to adapt and succeed with what WE may be facing in the coming months. Each guest will determine if their podcast will be public or not after they listen...It can be something they keep private or share with family, friends, co-workers or their teams. But I am hopeful we can get a few up for anyone looking for answers or motivation while quarantined. I want to talk to as many people as possible, so if you want to tell your story or know someone who would, please message me.