bring bryan vandoorninck to speak
Talks on identity beyond performance, burnout, belonging, reinvention, and the power of play.
For athletes, coaches, schools, teams, companies, and communities navagating pressure, transition, and the question: Who am I when the role I built my life around no longer fits?
why these talks resonate
Bryan's talks are rooted in the lived journey behind Break on Through: A Journey Beyond the Game - a memoir about what happens when performance, achievement, or identity stops feeling like enough.
From sports to burnout, from travel and teaching to purpose and play, Bryan helps audiences explore what it means to come back to themselves with honesty, curiosity, and courage.
These talks are especially resonant for groups navigating:
- identity after sports
- burnout and high-pressure cultures
- transition and reinvention
- belonging and team connection
- purpose beyond achievement
signature talks
when the game stops loving you back
A conversation about identity after sports, performance pressure, and what happens when the thing that once defined you no longer fits
Best for: athletes, coaches, clubs, alumni groups, student-athletes
between chapters
For people in transition - between roles, careers, seasons, identities, or versions of themselves - and learning how to move forward without pretending to have it all figured out
Best for: schools, young adults, founders, teams, community groups
identity beyond performance
A talk about self-worth, pressure, burnout, and why becoming more yourself matters more than staying trapped in achievement autopilot
Best for: schools, companies, athletic departments, men's groups
go play
Why play, curiosity, movement, and joy are not distractions from a meaningful life - they are part of the path back to it
Best for: educators, wellness events, creative communities, leadership retreats
Teaching people, not subjects
A conversation on experiential learning, human-centered teaching, and how educators and coaches can help people become more fully themselves
Best for: schools, teachers, coaches, youth organizations
who bryan speaks to
bryan speaks to:
- youth soccer clubs and academies
- high school and college teams
- schools and educational communities
- coaches and athletic departments
- men's groups and well being communities
- companies and leadership teams
- nonprofits and community organizations
formats
available formats
- keynote or featured talk
- workshop
- fireside chat / Q&A
- team culture conversation
- student-athlete session
- faculty/staff session
- virtual author event
- book club / group discussion session
delivery options
- in person
- virtual
- hybrid
book + talk bundles
Bryan's sessions can be paired with copies of Break on Through to create a deeper group experience
Popular Options:
- 25 books + virtual author session
- 50 books + live talk + discussion guide
- 100 books + keynote + facilitated Q&A
Great for:
- team culture nights
- staff learning communities
- senior gifts
- athlete development programs
- leadership retreats
- book club style discussions
what audiences take away
audiences leave with:
- language for identity beyond performance
- a more human view of transition and reinvention
- tools for reflecting on purpose and alignment
- renewed permission to pursue joy, curiosity, and play
- stronger conversations around belonging, pressure, and what really matters
about bryan
Bryan VanDoorninck is an educator, coach, author, and experiential learning advocate whose work centers on play, purpose, storytelling, and human connection. His journey has taken him from Colorado to England to Israel and back through sports, teaching, entrepreneurship, and the long process of rebuilding a life that felt honest and alive. He is the author of Break on Through: A Journey Beyond the Game and the founder of a soccer-themed entertainment company built around joy and movement.
interested in bringing bryan to your group?
Send an inquiry with:
- organization name
- audience type
- group size
- timeframe
- format preference
- whether you want books, speaking, or both
