Bob Dunbar is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Harborview Medical Center, a former Peace Corps volunteer and U.S. Navy officer. He also coaches high school lacrosse.

Drawing on Bob’s experiences as a surgeon, Peace Corps volunteer, Navy officer, and youth coach, we discuss what healthy culture looks like when it is built deliberately, and how that culture drives success far beyond the scoreboard.

At the core is a simple idea: excellence is built through repetition, mastery of fundamentals, incremental progress, and consistent habits. And those standards are reinforced by coaches who earn trust, model commitment, and genuinely care about the kids they lead.

Bob talks about the physical and psychological importance of playing multiple sports and the risks of specializing too early. He describes the benefits of programs that do not cut kids based on athletic ability, but instead find a place for any athlete with the right attitude who is willing to work hard.

We also discuss good and bad parent behavior and Bob’s own journey as a sports parent, including lessons his children learned through adversity, growth, and self-belief.

Note: Opinions expressed are those of the host and guest and not necessarily those of Mercer Island Lacrosse Club.