The Time Between Retirement and Irrelevance Is a Nanosecond with Mary Wise and Becky Burleigh

What Drives Winning

What Drives Winning
The Time Between Retirement and Irrelevance Is a Nanosecond with Mary Wise and Becky Burleigh
Mar 23, 2025 Season 1 Episode 10
Brett Ledbetter and Becky Burleigh, What Drives Winning

What nobody tells you about endings in coaching: In this episode, Mary Wise and Becky Burleigh discuss the emotional weight of resignations, the effect on player relationships, and the struggle to maintain authenticity while navigating institutional expectations. Through personal stories, they share the hidden challenges of necessary endings and finding peace after coaching.


Reflections from the Episode: 

1. You’ve worked 2 decades at a place. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it. You see memorabilia in the trash can after the new regime has taken over as you walk by after being asked to visit them. What symbolism would you draw from that personally? 

2. Fast forward to 55 years old. Imagine a family member saying to you, “I’ve never seen you so detached from your phone.” Then, your partner adding to the conversation, “You’ve lived with a perpetual worry face.” What would you think to yourself if that was said to you, about you, that night right before you went to bed?

3. Imagine witnessing a coach who played for that school and then coached at that school, take all of the gear that they’ve received over the years that had the school logo on it to a local Goodwill. What would be going through your mind as you watch that scene? 


Download Reflections HERE


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→ Website: http://whatdriveswinning.com 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab