Episode 136: Use Your Strengths and Own Your Limitations with Coach Adam Lewandowski

January 5, 2026

Watch on Youtube Listen on Apple Podcasts

Owning who you are – both the strengths you bring and the limitations you’re still growing through – is at the heart of real toughness, and that is exactly where Episode 136 of The Mental Mettle Podcast goes to work.

Episode 136 overview

In Episode 136, “Use Your Strengths and Own Your Limitations,” Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Coach Adam Lewandowski of Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois to talk about what it really means to lead and compete with honesty, humility, and purpose. Drawing from his own playing days, pro coaching experience, and current high school program, Lewandowski shares how great coaches and athletes learn to lean into their strengths while refusing to hide from their weaknesses.

Leadership, ego, and modern youth sports

Throughout the conversation, Coach Lewandowski reflects on the mentors, Hall of Fame coaches, and early experiences that shaped his calling to coach and serve young people through football. He and Thomann unpack how ego, distractions, and the pace of modern youth sports—and technology—can pull players away from focus, commitment, and true mental toughness if they are not intentional.

Mental toughness, accountability, and mission

The episode dives into how Lewandowski defines mental toughness, why ownership and accountability are non-negotiable for his players, and what it takes to build a mission-driven program that develops champions on and off the field. From coaching women’s professional football to leading a high school program rooted in character, service, and community, he shows how small, consistent actions over time create big results—in performance and in life.

If you are a coach, parent, or athlete who wants to build mentally tough competitors without sacrificing character, this episode will give you practical ideas you can apply right away. Subscribe to The Mental Mettle Podcast and start forging your 100% Mettle today, and to learn more or schedule a free coaching session with Coach Thomann, visit mentalmettlelifecoaching.com or email coachthomann@gmail.com.

Are you ready to forge your mettle?

More From Mental Mettle

Episode 169: Better Youth Coaching. Better Development. Better Athletes. — Dan Stratford

What do young athletes really need most from youth sports? In Episode 169 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Dan Stratford, owner and partner at Kick It 3v3 Soccer, for a conversation about youth coaching, athlete development, and the purpose of sports for young people.

Episode 168: It's Supposed to Be Hard. How to Use Adversity in Athletics to Build Mental Toughness.

What if we stopped trying to protect athletes from adversity and started teaching them how to use it? Coach Matt Thomann takes on one of the most important—and often misunderstood—parts of athletics: adversity. The pressure, mistakes, difficult practices, losses, disappointment, and setbacks athletes face are not simply obstacles to get around. They can become the very experiences that build confidence, resilience, perseverance, and mental toughness.

Episode 167: Better Coaches. Better Athletes. with Midland AD Courtney Thomsen

In Episode 167 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Midland University Athletic Director Courtney Thomsen to discuss what truly builds strong athletic programs.

Back-to-School Sports: How Schools Build a Championship Culture

Learn how coaches, parents, and school leaders can build a championship culture this back-to-school season through mental performance training, shared expectations, and intentional support for student-athletes.

Episode 166: The Principal's Playbook for Building Championship Culture with Metamora's Charlie Zimmerman

What separates a good athletic program from a great one? In Episode 166 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with Charlie Zimmerman, principal of Metamora Township High School, to talk about what it really takes to build a championship culture.

Episode 165: "I know I'll be ok" with USA Handball Player Julia Taylor

In Episode 165 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Team USA women’s handball athlete Julia Taylor for a powerful conversation about resilience, purpose, and servant leadership. Julia’s story is shaped by early loss, unexpected opportunity, and the long grind of building a life and career in a sport most Americans rarely see.

View all