ABOUT US
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Ecsell Sports, our vision is to create a world where every student-athlete can feel the success that comes from having a great coach. To achieve this vision, we strive to measure, act upon and improve the effectiveness of all leaders – including athletic directors, coaches, and more – to ensure growth and drive greater performance from their teams.
We’ve learned that the only true way to measure the student-athlete experience is to first look through the eyes that matter most – the eyes of the student-athletes. That’s where our research always begins, and that’s where our definition of the student-athlete experience originated:
Through the eyes of the student-athlete, a coach can build a trust-based relationship and provide a psychologically-safe environment that challenges each athlete to create growth in their respective sport.
THE SIX THEMES
Our robust research methodology has led us to identify six specific areas that are instrumental to improving the student-athlete experience. We use these six behavioral coaching themes to measure your athletic program and identify exactly what your coaches are doing well and where they need to improve.
1
CONNECTION
Building relationships of trust with student-athletes.
2
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
Constructing an environment that allows student-athletes to be their own true self without fear of negative consequences.
3
STRUCTURE
Establishing an organized, consistent, and predictable team environment.
4
COMMUNICATION
A coach’s capacity to effectively share information, strategies, and expectations with their student-athletes.
5
CHALLENGE
Creating unique growth opportunities for each student-athlete that moves them out of their comfort zone.
6
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Advancing competence and technique so student-athletes perform to the best of their ability.
Gain Insights with Our Transactional Vs. Transformational Coaching Assessment
If your coaches view success solely through wins and losses, they are likely a transactional coach. If your coaches choose to view success by how they impact the overall experience of the student-athletes, then they are likely a transformational coach. Have your coaches take this transactional versus transformational self-assessment to find out where they stand.
THE BEST TEDX
TALK FOR COACHES
If you’re a coach, and the No. 1 goal for your student-athletes is to win, your program needs a second look. Why do we say this? Data tells us that unless you’ve created trust-based connections and provided a psychologically safe team environment that challenges each student-athlete to grow – physically and mentally – peak performance will escape your team.
Says who? Says the guy whose last TEDx Talk has millions of views. And if you’re someone who needs more proof than that, watch Ecsell Sports’ founder Bill Eckstrom’s latest TEDx Talk where he explains the difference between a transactional coach and a transformational coach. He shares why a program without psychological safety and strong coach-athlete connections leads to dysfunction and student-athletes who don’t have the support to grow.
LEARN MOREMeet The Leadership Team
Bill Eckstrom
Chief Executive Officer
2008 - Present
Bill is not just passionate about growth and performance, but truly obsessed. That’s why he founded Ecsell Institute (the parent company of Ecsell Sports) in 2008 – to research the concept and share his findings with as many growth-minded organizations as possible. More than a decade later, his obsession has spawned three companies, two viral TEDx Talks, a best-selling book, and a therapy-dog training hobby. Ask any Ecsell employee and they’ll tell you that his tombstone will probably read “Discomfort is the Only Way to Grow.”
Get to know BillSarah Wirth
President
2011–Present
Sarah’s life passion is understanding what makes people tick. This makes her equally comfortable at dissecting the characters on her favorite TV show as she is discussing how to improve team member performance. After graduating from Michigan Law School, Sarah quickly learned that LA Law had not accurately portrayed the life of an attorney. So she changed careers and has spent the last two decades researching, writing and teaching about what the best leaders do differently. She lives in the KC area with her husband and two sons, whom she constantly annoys with her endless talk about soccer, pop culture and politics.
Get to know SarahWill Kloefkorn
VP of Strategic Development
2008-Present
Will Kloefkorn is a Lincoln, Nebraska native and has been with Ecsell since the very beginning. Will has a passion for building deep and meaningful relationships and has spent his entire career in the sales arena. In his free time, he enjoys all things athletics, meditation, psychology, and spending time with his wife, Amy, and two children, Jackson and Maryn. His (not so) secret talent is writing poetry, and if you spend enough time with him, you may just be lucky enough to hear him freestyle rap.
Get to know WillStacia Jorgensen
VP of Research
Stacia Jorgensen brings an array of experiences and expertise in data collection, analysis, and research reporting to Ecsell as the Vice President of Research. Prior to moving into her role with Ecsell, Stacia led a non-profit academic research organization for nearly 13 years. Loving a good amount of data variation, she has three dogs that range in size from 10 lbs to 140 lbs. Despite being the most logical of all the Ecsell team members, she’s also the biggest fan of trash TV – her Real Housewives knowledge is on par with that of her survey methodology expertise. She resides in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and two spunky teenagers.
Get to know StaciaKenzie Maloney
Sr. Director of Business Development
Kenzie is a Louisville, KY, native who is now planting roots in Lincoln with her fiancé Tyler and their 3 year old yorkiepoo, Kya. She grew up finding competition in every aspect of her life and still remains passionate about competing, especially in sports (recently with an emphasis on pickleball). Since the ending of her collegiate volleyball career at the University of Nebraska, Kenzie has settled onto the Ecsell Sports team and enjoys being able to impact athletes who have had similar experiences as herself.
Get to know KenzieKathy Collins
VP of Client Success
2014-Present
Kathy believes that she is a work in constant progress. She is always in- motion to become kinder, smarter, more empathetic, and helpful to those around her. And, simply, she likes to serve our clients in a way that makes them feel like they are encountering someone who really cares about them as an individual. She believes that it is a fantastic privilege to be encouraged to develop and grow at Ecsell Sports. She intends to not waste a moment in her journey with this team and our amazing clients. In her free time she enjoys tending her garden, practicing yoga, and overland camping with her husband Mike.
Get to know KathyKyle Craighead
Executive Director of Education
2023-Present
Kyle is motivated to help students have the best possible school experience. He worked for 15 years in public education as a science teacher, basketball coach, athletic director, and school and district administrator. Kyle also teaches graduate classes centered on leadership, coaching, and organizational structures with Lipscomb University. He is passionate about connecting people and especially enjoys watching friends reach their goals. He is a native of Nashville, TN, and he currently lives there with his wife, Elizabeth, their daughter, Anna, and their dog and cat.
Get to know KyleAshley Olson
Director of Client Success
2008 - Present
Ashley is a small-town Nebraska gal through and through, hailing originally from Waverly, NE, before moving to Minden, NE, with her husband. She started her career in the agriculture industry before joining the Ecsell team and frequently returns to her family’s farm to run the tractor or combine during planting and harvest. Ashley finds great joy in building relationships with her clients and empathetically relating to them, all the while discovering new ways to learn, grow, and improve to maximize her service to each person she comes in contact with. Outside of Ecsell, Ashley loves a good bowl of ice cream, a competitive pickleball game, watching all sorts of sports, or logging the miles on walks with her two dogs, Sizzle and Bee. She is also known to her colleagues as being one of the most genuine and sweetest people on the planet!
Get to know AshleyMikaela Richter
Director of Coaching Development
2022-Present
Mikaela is driven by a constant desire to learn and improve. She shares her life in southeast Iowa with her husband, Isaac, and their daughter, Adalyn. She finds happiness in various activities such as tending to the family farm, enjoying outdoor adventures with her daughter and three dogs (Cash, Ruby, & June), and engaging in competitive card games. As a former professional and Division 1 athlete, Mikaela understands the profound impact coaches have, igniting her passion to improve the athletic experience for all athletes.
Get to know MikaelaWill Eckstrom
Director of Research & Analytics
Will brings to Ecsell Sports a background in psychology and a breadth of experience with youth development. Throughout his entire professional career, he has had ambitions of helping every student-athlete grow as an individual and find success – both on and off the field.
Get to know WillSiera Gage
Executive Director of Marketing
2021 - Present
Siera’s home base is Lincoln, NE, but with her love for travel, you never know where she might end up. She enjoys traveling with her husband, Ron, and their dogs, Aspen and Sage (not to be confused with the other Aspen, Ecsell’s office dog). With her background in product management and leadership, she found a passion for people and helping them grow and develop in their career. Along with helping them discover their “why” and the importance of enjoying life outside of work. “Happiness comes from what we do. Fulfillment comes from WHY we do it.”
Get to know SieraChuck Schmidt
EVP of Global Accounts
2023-Present
Chuck continues his journey to serve and learn. He has focused his professional life pursuing opportunities to create and support the institutions of education-based athletics and activities. Outside of his professional life, he is blessed with an incredible wife, Kristine, their two children, son Kylen, daughter Madalyn, daughter-in-law Alexzandria, and granddaughter Charlee Marie. His love of the outdoors is reflected through their work on building a small ranch, riding horses, hunting, and watching birds from his office.
Get to know ChuckJenna Nasif
Director of Digital Media
2023-Present
One of Jenna’s passions in life is creating beautiful things to spark human connection. She spent over 10 years as a professional performer prior to embarking on her marketing career, and lived and breathed her passion of connecting creatively with others while traveling across the globe to perform for audiences from all walks of life. Jenna currently resides in Lincoln, NE, with her daughter, Sofia, and her new little puppy, Rosie, and now fills her creativity bucket with social media management, copywriting, content creation, and teaching dance. She loves what she gets to do every day and is excited to share her passion and experience with a new audience and the Ecsell team!
Get to know JennaJackie Luciani
Client Success Coordinator
2023-Present
Originally from the northwest Chicago suburbs, Jackie has settled in Lincoln with her two sons, where she takes joy in supporting her eldest son as he attends UNL as a psychology major and during the summer months you will find her on the baseball field, cheering on her youngest who plays for LSW. With a passion to advocate for clients, Jackie shines in building connections with both her internal and external teams. Beyond her role at Ecsell, she finds solace in journaling, adeptly organizing her book club gatherings, and basking in the sun listening to R&B or by the beach and water. Jackie’s primary focus remains on her ongoing personal development journey and her eagerness to share her learnings with others.
Get to know Jackie