FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com

Episode Description:
This week on the FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, we sit down with Johnson High School head soccer coach Frank Zamora, one of the most successful and respected coaches in Georgia.

From humble beginnings to building a nationally recognized championship program, Coach Zamora shares what it takes to not only win—but sustain excellence. He opens up about the pressure of success, the importance of pouring into the next generation, and how faith plays a central role in shaping his players both on and off the field.

We also dive into the growth of soccer in North Georgia, the impact of club programs like LSA, and why this area is becoming a true hotbed for talent.

This episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and a powerful reminder that the greatest victories go far beyond the scoreboard.

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com

Episode Notes

Step inside the world of college athletics with University of North Georgia head golf coach Bryson Worley as he breaks down what it really takes to build a winning program—on and off the course.

From growing up on a North Georgia farm to leading one of the region's top golf programs, Bryson shares insights on recruiting, team dynamics, mental toughness, and why coaching today requires as much psychology as strategy. You'll also hear how faith, family, and mentorship play a central role in shaping student-athletes for life beyond competition.

Plus, a special appearance from Coach Josh Niblett, now with the Colorado Buffaloes, as he opens up about stepping into the unknown, trusting God's calling, and embracing change at the highest level of college football.

This episode is a powerful reminder that great coaching goes far beyond wins and losses, it's about impact, purpose, and building something that lasts.

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com

Episode Notes

Joel Williams and Clint Fair sit down with West Hall High School Head Basketball Coach Chuck Graham for a powerful conversation about building a program, coaching through adversity, and leading with purpose.

On this episode of the FCA Wednesday Huddle / FCA North Georgia Coaches Show Podcast, Joel Williams and Clint Fair sit down at Longstreet Cafe with Jackson County head baseball coach Zeb Lackey and North Georgia FCA character coach Aaron Mann for a great conversation about baseball, leadership, team culture and faith.

Coach Lackey shares his journey from Winder-Barrow baseball to Emmanuel College, learning under legendary coach Mike Hutch, and eventually leading the Jackson County baseball program during a time of growth and change. He talks about what success really looks like for the Panthers, why culture matters more than the scoreboard, and how Jackson County athletics is building momentum across the board.

Aaron Mann also joins the conversation to talk about serving as Jackson County's full-time character coach, how FCA is helping shape players off the field, and why trust, service and leadership are central to the program.

This episode also dives into:

• The state of high school baseball in Northeast Georgia

• Scheduling tough non-region opponents to prepare for region play

• The challenge of travel ball, overuse and early specialization

• Why family, faith and character matter in building a winning program

• A fun side trip into the history of the fungo bat

If you love high school baseball, coaches who care about more than wins, and conversations about faith and leadership, this is a strong one.

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com

Episode Notes

Joel Williams and Clint Fair sit down with West Hall High School Head Basketball Coach Chuck Graham for a powerful conversation about building a program, coaching through adversity, and leading with purpose.

• Why Coach Graham believes West Hall is "home" and how he's building the Spartan culture from the ground up

• The importance of casting vision and reaching into elementary and middle schools to grow future Spartans

• Coach Graham's basketball journey: Richmond Academy (Hall of Fame) → Florida State under Pat Kennedy → ACC transition stories and unforgettable moments (including a Dean Smith encounter!)

• A candid conversation about identity, injuries, and the shift from transactional success to transformational purpose

• How faith and FCA help coaches lead with integrity: "Love God, love others"

• Balancing family life with the demands of coaching (and the "30-minute rule" after games 😄)

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com

Chris Akridge, Head Baseball Coach at Habersham Central, joins the table to talk about:

• The start of the season and how Habersham is building momentum early

• Why he schedules a tough non-region slate (including a great quote: "You can't sharpen a knife with a Kleenex.")

• Coaching beyond wins and losses: relationships, discipline, responding to failure, and developing young men

• The idea of transformational vs. transactional coaching, and how that shapes his program

• Developing pitching depth and player growth in today's year-round baseball environment

• What made last year's team the most successful in program history and what it taught them

• The role FCA plays in supporting athletes and coaches, and how character coaches impact teams

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com/

This week on the FCA Wednesday Huddle, Joel Williams and Clint Fair sit down at Longstreet Café with Coach Kyle Hardy, Head Baseball Coach of the Jefferson Dragons, for our first baseball-focused episode. Coach Hardy shares his Jefferson roots, his journey from player to coach, and the culture that makes Jefferson athletics special.

You'll also hear how FCA Team Time is shaping the Dragons beyond the diamond, including the powerful "One Word" tradition and what it looks like when faith becomes real inside a locker room.

• Why baseball is "the greatest game" (and why the defense starts with the ball)

• Coach Hardy's Jefferson story: from 3rd baseman (2010 grad) to head coach at age 30

• How Jefferson coaches support each other across sports (true community culture)

• Building a program without burning out players or families (efficient practices + priorities)

• Scheduling strategy, weather challenges, and why turf fields matter

• The real impact of FCA inside Jefferson Baseball: Team Time, "Build," and leadership

• A powerful testimony of a player stepping toward faith in front of the whole team

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com/

Guests:

• Coach Charlemagne Gibbons (Gainesville High School Boys Basketball)

• Coach Vanessa White (Gainesville High School Girls Basketball)

This week on the Wednesday Huddle, Joel and Clint sit down at Longstreet Cafe with two leaders on the Gainesville High basketball sidelines. Coach Charlemagne Gibbons (boys) and Coach Vanessa White (girls) talk postseason preparation, building culture, and how FCA's core values show up in the everyday moments that shape student-athletes.

• FCA season rhythm: Clint shares what's happening across North Georgia as winter sports wrap and spring sports begin, plus upcoming staff training at Real Time (Orlando).

• A special year for Gainesville Boys: Coach Gibbons reflects on an incredible regular season and the mindset that matters most when the pressure rises: "32 minutes a night" and finding a way to finish one point ahead.

• Defense and identity: Why defense has been a key ingredient, and how Gainesville's size and discipline create a consistent edge.

• Gainesville Girls building for the future: Coach White shares how a young roster is growing fast, why she challenged them with a tougher schedule, and what she's seeing as they learn to execute and play together.

• Roles win games: Both coaches highlight the power of every player bringing their "piece of the puzzle" to the team, from starters to the "spark plug" off the bench.

• FCA on campus: How faith-based leadership and character development support team culture, discipline, and unity.

• Coaching influence: Coaches who shaped them, including the impact of Coach Gene Durden, and how leadership is formed through life lessons, not just X's and O's.

• What makes Gainesville special: The tradition, community support, and "college campus feel" that sets Gainesville apart.

• Fun rapid-fire: If they weren't coaching basketball, what would they be doing? (One answer includes a tiny house school bus and a LOT of travel.)

FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast, Recorded live at Longstreet Café, Riverside Terrace as a part of the My Country 99.3 WCON Podcast Family.

Presented by Longstreet Cafe – fueling North Georgia (and a whole lot of FCA ministry) with two Gainesville locations. Learn more at : Longstreet Cafe

Get involved with FCA North Georgia: https://www.ngafca.org/

The Music That Made Country Great: https://www.mycountry993.com/

Episode Summary
The FCA North Georgia Coaches Podcast rolls into the winter sports season from Longstreet Cafe (Riverside Terrace in Gainesville) and this week, it's all about wrestling.

Joel Williams and Clint Fair sit down with James Meyer, the young head wrestling coach at West Hall High School, to talk about the rapid growth of wrestling in Georgia, why girls wrestling is exploding, what fans should know about duels vs tournaments, and how the sport develops toughness that translates to football and beyond.

They also dig into what wrestling looks like through the lens of FCA, including team huddles, "mat talk" before tournaments, and James' passion for building athletes into godly leaders, not just better competitors. Plus, James shares his unforgettable experience on an FCA wrestling mission trip to Brazil, where the sport opened doors for life-changing conversations.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Why wrestling is growing in Georgia (numbers + skill level)

• The influence of MMA/UFC and year-round training

• Girls wrestling and what it looks like at West Hall

• Wrestling formats: duals, tris/quads, tournaments, individual vs dual state titles

• The importance of youth programs and why pipelines matter

• Parent concerns (yes… even cauliflower ears 😄)

• How FCA shows up in wrestling: huddles, devotions, mat talk, discipleship

• Middle school FCA growth and student-led leadership

• James' Brazil trip and why "sport first" breaks down walls fast