Sports can fundamentally change what young athletes believe about themselves and what they can accomplish. Brant Howell, a 2006 graduate and three-time state champion who later walked on at Notre Dame, discusses this often-overlooked aspect of youth sports.

20 years after graduating, Brant heard about a coaching vacancy and moved across the country, from Maryland, to help coach Mercer Island because of how this community affected his life and instilled work ethic, discipline, values, and more.

Howell contrasts how good youth programs focus on character and lifelong development over wins or accolades, in contrast with some current trends driven by money and college outcomes.

Brant remembers a life-changing, hard moment during the 2006 season, when Mercer Island overcame a difficult early start and ultimately won for the first time ever on Bainbridge Island, and the lifelong lessons players learned about rigor, humility, and resilience.

He explains why players should stick with the process, and why parents should support but not remove hardship. We also discuss the club’s culture of loyalty, tradition, discipline, and “the journey is the reward” mindset.

00:00 Intro

01:22 Why Brant Came Back

02:35 Inside a Championship Culture

04:11 Values Beyond Wins

04:47 Walking On at Notre Dame

09:03 Hard Season Turning Point

12:55 Coaching Then vs Now

15:15 Advice for Struggling Players

16:09 Lightning Round

16:55 Parent Clarity

20:24 Culture—Loyalty, Tradition, Discipline

24:50 The Journey Is the Reward

27:10 Closing and Raise the Stick

Ian O’Hearn became the MIHS Head Coach in 2001, thinking it might be a pit stop. Twenty-five years later, he’s the winningest lacrosse coach in Washington State history and architect of the largest youth program in the state.

This conversation is about what it actually takes to build something that lasts:

--the NY high school program that shaped his philosophy

--the loss that made him realize he was made to coach

--how he met his wife

--why he’s pushed multi-sport athletes for 25 years

--how a preschool-to-varsity pipeline is the foundation of the team's competitive advantage, and

--what parents consistently get wrong on the sideline and in the college recruiting process.

Loyalty. Tradition. Discipline. It’s not just a slogan. It’s 25 years of deliberate work — and this is the story of how it got built.

Parents today sometimes think they need to choose between youth sports programs that focus on long-term development of the entire athlete, and those that play to win.

Kiernan Coles shows that no choice is needed between these two and in fact they go hand-in-hand. The Mercer Island Lacrosse alum went on to play for reigning Division I champion Cornell before returning to coach at the Club.

We discuss how MILC focuses on discipline, accountability, mentorship, and deep investment in youth as the foundation of a lasting winning culture . Kiernan shares how Mercer Island prepared him for college through discipline and resilience, and he reflects on what he learned working through severe adversity, including multiple family losses and a season-ending injury.

Kiernan explains what separates top players (extra work and accountability), offers parent advice about letting kids own the journey, and explains why he returns to coach and mentor the next generation.

Note: opinions expressed are those of the host and guest and not necessarily those of MILC.