From the Sidelines to the CEO Seat: Building Leadership, Visibility, and Belief in Youth Sports | Hannah Howard of Rematch
Wed Jan 28 2026
Hannah Howard is a former Division I athlete and Power Five head coach who has made the leap from elite college athletics into tech leadership as the CEO of Rematch U.S.
In this episode of How to Ride a Roller Coaster, Hannah shares her journey from the court to the boardroom, including what it means to lose your first professional dream, how coaching is really running a business, and why leadership requires stepping into uncertainty long before clarity shows up.
We dive deep into:
The transition from athlete and coach to CEO
How sports leadership translates to business leadership
Why youth sports visibility matters beyond recruiting
How Rematch uses AI to capture meaningful moments in real time
The fragmented nature of the U.S. youth sports market
Building teams through vision, trust, and transformation
This conversation goes beyond technology and tactics. It’s about identity, belief, and what happens when you’re willing to enter the arena, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
🎧 Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a former athlete, a parent in youth sports, or a leader navigating your next chapter, this episode is for you.
Show links:
Hannah on LinkedIn
Rematch
Greatness book
More
Hannah Howard is a former Division I athlete and Power Five head coach who has made the leap from elite college athletics into tech leadership as the CEO of Rematch U.S. In this episode of How to Ride a Roller Coaster, Hannah shares her journey from the court to the boardroom, including what it means to lose your first professional dream, how coaching is really running a business, and why leadership requires stepping into uncertainty long before clarity shows up. We dive deep into: The transition from athlete and coach to CEO How sports leadership translates to business leadership Why youth sports visibility matters beyond recruiting How Rematch uses AI to capture meaningful moments in real time The fragmented nature of the U.S. youth sports market Building teams through vision, trust, and transformation This conversation goes beyond technology and tactics. It’s about identity, belief, and what happens when you’re willing to enter the arena, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. 🎧 Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a former athlete, a parent in youth sports, or a leader navigating your next chapter, this episode is for you. Show links: Hannah on LinkedIn Rematch Greatness book