WEBVTT
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They're playing 140 to 150, 160 games a year, and they're like, man, this is like way too much.
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It's just game after game after game after game.
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You guys are going through like a minor league schedule and you're not even getting paid for it.
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You're paying an arm and leg to play for it.
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Should my kid be paying five thousand dollars to play on a travel team at age 10?
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No.
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What why?
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That's crazy.
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What are we doing?
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I think right now they're focusing on the wrong things.
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Do you think social media has made youth sports better or worse?
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Worse.
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Do you think that there's coming back from that?
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No.
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Okay.
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Don't get caught up in all this stuff with social media.
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Because a lot of it on social media, it's fake anyway.
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Do you think kids are just falling out of love with sports earlier now?
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Holy smokes.
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Like this is wild.
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What does it really take to make it to the next level in sports, and is it worth the sacrifices?
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If you could ask a caller for athlete one filter question about their journey, what would it be?
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And why?
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And are the choices you're making today?
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The teams, the coaches, the training schedule, and a study of the six steps of 30 out of 42.
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I'm Kate Fitzgerald, a C1B five player, welcome to scholarship athlete, female sport leader, and now the founder of two businesses, filter NIL.
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But none of that can easily interest me.
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Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Committed Podcast.
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I am your host, Kate Fitzgerald, and today we have another amazing guest.
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In fact, today's episode is one I think every sports parent needs to hear.
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We're diving into how youth sports are changing, what's working, what's not, and what's actually developing athletes.
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Formerly a pro player for the MLB for over 10 years, now leading all stars for over 10 years and soon transitioning into his very own company called Let's Go, which is providing clarity over the chaos for youth sports.
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You've seen it as a pro, now as a coach, and as a dad.
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So I'm so excited just to have a real conversation about youth sports with you today.
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Please welcome Zach.
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Thanks, Kate.
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Pleasure to be on here.
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I'm so excited to have you on here.
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It is a conversation that I think is very much needed.
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Youth sports has changed tremendously, especially in the last five to 10 years.
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And you've seen it from every angle, right?
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You were a youth athlete, you played at a high professional level, and now you've dedicated to coaching and training youth athletes.
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So I can't wait to share your insights and hopefully help another parent who is trying to navigate the chaos of youth sports today and kids with a lot of big dreams because they see it everywhere all the time.
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So I'm excited to dive into it.
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No, absolutely.
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Let's get it going.
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Amazing.
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So to start, I always like to take it back, take it back to when you were playing and what youth sports looked like when you were growing up.
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Well, it wasn't as chaotic as it is now.
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That's that's for sure.
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It was basically I would go down to the local playground and I was playing all types of different sports all the time.
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You know, I was either playing wiffle ball, I was playing baseball, basketball, kickball, you know, rollerblading, all that types of different stuff.
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Now it's all these parents and these kids are focused on playing one sport at such a young age, you know.
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So then all of a sudden, by the time these kids even get to the age of 13, they're burnt out from everything that they've been doing.
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So for me, my goal at 10, like 10 years old, it wasn't make it to the major leagues.
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I didn't know what I wanted to do.
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It was basically just going out there and having fun.
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I wanted to be the best version of myself.
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So I put in all the work and the hard work and the dedication to do it.
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But yeah, I mean, we got to get back to where everything was kind of just slowed down instead of everything's fast paced and just going out there and let the kids have fun.
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Let them have fun, I think is one of the key sentences you just said.
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Even at a college level, at a professional level, if you're not enjoying it, you're probably not gonna play well.
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You might play well because you're athletic, but you have to enjoy your sport, and kids have to find the fun in it.
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If not, they're gonna feel forced.
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When you transitioned even to the pro level, did you still have that same mentality?
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Yeah, I think that's that's the part where a lot of people don't understand is like when you're in the minor leagues, like it's a grind because you're traveling everywhere throughout the country for eight months out of the year, and you have these long 15-hour bus rides, and it's not like you're getting paid all that well up in the in the minor leagues, but you have to have that love for the game where a lot of them, you know, all of a sudden they get into this where they're playing 140 to 150, 160 games a year, and they're like, Man, this is like way too much.
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So then guys that I played with that just played Pro Ball for a couple of years, they end up getting burnout from it, and then they move on to doing something else and having success with it.
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But it all goes back to like it's just a game, you know?
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There's so much added pressure that's put onto these kids all the time.
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But when you sit back and you take a look at it and you're like, hey, we're just playing a game, it's a sport, just relax, go out there, make the most of it because it's gonna end at some point for everybody.
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Yeah.
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Do you think there's a point in youth sports where it does need a transition a little bit past like it's a game into I need to take this seriously to play at a higher level?
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And what is that point?
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Yeah, so I think in Little League, when these kids are seven through 12, right?
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They're there's so much focus right now here in the states of games.
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It's just game after game after game after game.
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Where I was fortunate enough to play in Japan and Dominican and Korea, and there's so much emphasis on the fundamentals, you know, and the development process for each kid.
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So yeah, there's a time and and place for it, but like when for nine to twelve, you have to have good coaching, you have to have people that have kind of been through it to kind of steer the way, and that's why I've started my Let's Go brand is to bring that clarity over the chaos, help these kids.
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Okay, my son or daughter is eight years old.
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What did they need to be doing at age eight from the start of the season to the end of the season?
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And how did they improve?
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Like, let's try let's start to track that type of stuff rather than all the stats and everything.
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Because the stats for me, I don't I'm the only coach I think that doesn't keep game changer because I don't care about the stats.
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I don't even know what half that stuff on there even means.
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I just want them to learn the game and learn how to do it the proper way.
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I love that.
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I love that.
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You're teaching, as you said, the fundamentals, something that is very important for an athlete at every level and also can be used across different sports, which kind of leads me into my next question.
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Do you think there's a value to being a multi-sport athlete before honing in?
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And are people honing in too early on a specific sport?
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Absolutely.
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So I was always playing uh baseball, basketball, and football.
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Even at a young age, I was playing soccer.
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I was always doing something because you want the kid to figure out what his path is, you know?
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And for me growing up, my dad was a uh college baseball coach.
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He still is to this day.
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He's got over 40 years coaching, but it's just the fact that I just kind of fell in love with the game, but I was also playing all these different sports.
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So all these different sports were making me better at the other sport, and I think that's what people don't understand is like even when I was in college, like we were always like long tossing with the football.
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We were always playing flag football, we were always playing basketball.
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I didn't I didn't fine-tune it until just being baseball as my only sport, until I signed on that dotted line to be a professional with the New York Mets.
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You know, that's what I do.
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I believe so, you know.
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And I I think it's people try to make this way more difficult than than it is, but I think that's why you see it.
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Like the the the training aspect of everything, it's so much more advanced.
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You see how big and strong these kids are, starting at such a young age.
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But when you see them at, you know, 12 or 13 years old, and they're playing over a hundred games for baseball over the course of the year, you're like, you guys are going through like a minor league schedule and you're not even getting paid for it.
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You're paying an arm and leg to play for it.
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So that's where it's all gets kind of tied into.
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It's like, okay, what is the end goal here?
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What are we really trying to do?
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You just brought up so many points with so many questions I want to get to from like what a coach is looking for, the development, the arm and the leg payment that I'm gonna start at the beginning.
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But when you were saying that your dad has coached for over 40 plus years, you now coach, you have a son, you are a parent who is coaching a youth athlete.
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What do you think actually stands out?
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Like, what are you looking for as a coach to a travel team, or then a coach looking at a next level?
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What are they actually looking for in these athletes besides their training a hundred hours and they're going to 100 games?
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Three things.
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I have it written on my board and we're on the dugout too.
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Attitude, effort, and hustle.
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That's what I want to see.
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You may not have the most talent in the world.
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I never really had the most talent in the world, but I always hustled.
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I always sprinted on and off the field.
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If I got out, it didn't matter.
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I wasn't getting back in the dugout, taking my helmet off and throwing it and disrespecting all my teammates and everybody else, and disrespecting the game.
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I was always there to pick each other up.
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Like that, that's what I'm looking for in a kid.
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That's what I install with every single kid on my 10U team right now.
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My son, he does such a great job at it.
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You know, he battles through some things that he does with his own health, but then all of a sudden, when he's there and he's focused and you know he makes a mistake, it's not, oh pal.
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And it's like, okay, you know what?
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Next one, pick each other up.
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That's how we do it.
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That's incredible.
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I completely agree.
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I think even when at the college level, that's still what a coach looks for.
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They want, they don't want to put up with like the attitude or the pushback or the talk.
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If it's valid, of course, like constructive feedback is always good, always a benefit to stand up for yourself, but it needs to be in a way where you're coachable.
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You're a team first, you're not focused on your individual goals entirely.
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Um, and you're able to just work hard because consistency always wins, right?
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And that hard work will outwork talent.
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Do you Yeah, and and I have I have so I have 12 kids on my team.
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So I have 12 kids on my team.
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I have to realize as a coach, you know, what makes them tick.
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Every single kid on my team is different, every single kid on my team has a different personality.
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So I have to figure out how to connect with them, not just them in general, but also connect with the parents too, because I don't know what's going on at home, you know.
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But when they step over on the field with me, I want to make them feel comfortable and I want to be there with that positive reinforcement to help out bring the best in them.
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Yeah, of course.
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Of course.
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I mean, that's the goal of a parent at the young ages and of a coach at that young age.
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It's to bring out the best athlete of themselves, but also teach them well-rounded how to be a good human being.
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Sports, and I'm sure you can talk way more to this, but like sports apply so much to life skills and like youth development.
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Can you speak a little bit more about that?
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Yeah, I think that's the most difficult part is playing baseball, such a mental game, you know, and it teaches you those life lessons of, you know, after the game's over, okay, what did I go through?
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Okay, so I learned how to set up a routine for myself.
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You know, just little things, like all tied together of like, okay, what is it that I learned from it?
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Okay, how to deal with adversity.
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You're playing a game of baseball where you're gonna fail more times than you succeed in it, you know, so it's like, okay, how can I bounce back?
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And that's how it is in life after you get done.
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You're gonna get told no, you're gonna get told all those different things, but how can I turn all those setbacks into kind of comebacks?
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Ultimately, what we're talking about here is the development, development of skills, development of life skills, development of your athlete all around.
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Do you think sports today is turning more into a focus about business than the development of these kids?
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Yeah, and it's starting at a young age too, where there's you know, NIL, there's all these sponsorship, these partnerships, all this stuff, even with these younger kids in in high school, you know, they're out there getting all these deals already, these brand deals, and it's like we've lost the plot of what this is supposed to be.
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This is the game of baseball.
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We're supposed to go out there and train, be good teammates.
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Like I said, like it teaches so many things about the life lessons, but we're focusing more on the business side of an athlete rather than the development side of an athlete.
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So that's the main reason why I started my my brand of Let's Go is like bringing that clarity over the chaos.
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Hey, let's focus on A, B, and C.
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And then all these other ones here, let's put those to the side because everything else is gonna kind of take care of itself.
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So then what is a solution when there's a parent who's maybe listening to this and maybe they don't have access to let's go or they don't know they're in another state.
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So, what is a solution when they're going to put their kid in a travel team?
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They're looking, their kid loves baseball, soccer, volleyball, any sport, and they're looking to grow.
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They're a student and their student athlete, their child, where should they focus?
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What I'm looking for in a good coach is like, okay, someone that's going to bring out the best in my son or daughter, right?
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Like, who's always asking questions, always wanting to help them, positive reinforcement, all those things.
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It doesn't have to be where they play at the highest level, you know, because some of these, some of the best coaches out there, they haven't played at the big leagues.
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But even some of these ones that have played in the big leagues, they don't know how to connect with kids of the younger generation.
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That's what I'd want to know.
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I want to ask these in-depth questions of okay, who's the coach?
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What's the plan?
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What's the philosophy?
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What does a practice plan look like?
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What does the game management side look like?
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But people aren't asking those questions, they're kind of just going through the motions.
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But those questions, what does a good practice look like?
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That's where I come into play and help people out with practice plans.
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Hour and a half, two hours, two and a half hours.
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I'll break it down.
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So these kids are moving, they're grooving, but they're learning on top of everything.
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So separate the age groups, let's say we have the younger youth, youth, youth, like under eight years old.
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That should be pure fun.
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There doesn't need to be a big practice plan, it should be just pure enjoyment and they're hitting the ball, right?
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Yes and no.
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Okay, so what should it look like by age group for a good practice plan on a good team?
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So the biggest thing, so I have like a curriculum set up for each age group.
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And like I said earlier, I said for each age, okay, even if they're six, all right, even if they're six, but at the beginning of the season, where are they at?
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At the middle of the season, how have they improved?
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And at the end, where are they at?
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What are things that they should have accomplished?
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What are some boxes on that checklist that they could check off because they accomplished them, right?
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And it goes back to the very basic things.
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This is a hand-eyed conditioned sport, so it's little things of just throwing a tennis ball up in the air and just washing it into the hand and catching.
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Learn how to catch the brawl, catch the ball the proper way, learn how to field the ball the proper way.
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Like if you're gonna hit if you're gonna hit off a T, put that T at home plate, put the ball in there, and try to hit a backspin line drive up the middle and do it over and over and over again.
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But at six years old, not at six, not at six.
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Oh, okay, okay.
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No, no, no, no, no.
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Okay, not at six.
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I'm saying from like from like six to probably eight or nine, it's the focus on like the the little things of like the test ball, even up with the T of what you're saying is yeah, when they're on the T, like they need to have the proper footwork, they need to hold the bat the right way.
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They learn it at such a young age.
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I'm not gonna start that stuff with somebody at 12 years old.
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Like, this is stuff that I learned at such a young age, but it's all comes back from having good coaching.
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So it really all does start with the coach.
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And then outside of that, there's so many different options for parents at different levels of clubs, it's expensive and all of that.
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:28.559
Like, where's the money worth it to go?
00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.720
Is it worth it in the gear to have a good, strong gear that's protecting kids?
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.399
Is it worth it in the coaching and the club?
00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:40.960
Like, where should someone who's putting their kid in youth sports, like, where should they focus on putting and investing their money and time?
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:57.360
Yeah, when you go to these tournaments, like when we go to Ripkin in Maryland and you see all the kids walking around and they have their big bags and they have you know four bats in there that are$500 a piece, and then they have the elbow guard, the leg guard, the you know,$200 sunglasses.
00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:01.679
It's like, yeah, all that stuff that doesn't make you play better on the field.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:04.480
Like for me, I had the same glove growing up all the time.
00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:05.679
I had the same bat all the time.
00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.519
And I never wore batting gloves.
00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.440
Like, I don't need all that gear or anything.
00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:19.360
It's more everything has a price tag to it, but it's also when it comes time for the training, okay, it's like where is the most value that I'm gonna get for the money that I'm spending?
00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:21.440
Because even if it's expensive, it's okay.
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:28.240
If there's a tremendous amount of value and I see that my son or daughter is gonna improve by, well, yeah, then I'll make the investment into it.
00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:29.679
Okay, that makes sense.
00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:34.799
So then in that area, are the families paying for development or just access?
00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:42.320
You're saying with the emphasis on gear, the families are paying a lot more there on like access and the fun and the youth.
00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:57.759
But is there gonna start to be a separation now where a parent who's trying to get their kid to the next level and kids playing at the next level and going to these big tournaments, will there be a separation of like wealth and accessibility for a youth athlete?
00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:06.240
Yeah, I think that's the question right there is okay, out of all these tournaments, out of all this training, out of all this stuff, what are we actually spending our money on?
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.200
What should what should we be spending our our money on?
00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.240
Is it the access?
00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.079
Is it the is it the development?
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:19.200
But it all comes back to the same thing of like, okay, what does this group, this team, this organization, what is their philosophy?
00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.279
You know, like what is it when it's broken down?
00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.920
Okay, is it the focus on the development?
00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:26.799
What does that development plan look like for my son or daughter?
00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.400
Are they focusing on the fundamentals?
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:33.359
Are they chasing, you know, to try to win these plastic trophies over the course of a weekend?
00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:41.200
Do they want to have their record where it's, you know, 20 wins and two losses, but they're playing against teams where they're beating up 15 to nothing every single time?
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:44.799
Like there's so many things that that that go into this, you know.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:48.640
But when you kind of fine-tune it, do it, it's like, okay, what do I need to work on?
00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.480
Most of the stuff you can just go outside in the yard and you can work on it on your own.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.039
Yeah.
00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:00.720
So what can how can a parent really tell if the program is actually worth it and their kid is getting what they need out of it?
00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:16.319
Yeah, I'm I that's that's another great question that I guess get asked all the time because what I do with my group too of Let's Go is like I'll partner up with all these different organizations to kind of help them set up standards for what their organization should be doing rather than standards.
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:24.960
The standards of what I said was basically okay, the the coach, the coach, like what are the requirements of the coach?
00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.400
What does that look like?
00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:30.400
With the parents, if you're gonna be a part of this organization right here, okay.
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.319
As a parent, like you have some guidelines too that you have to be going through.
00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:38.559
You can't be at practice the whole time yelling at your kids to do this, do this.
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:45.519
You can't be at the weekend having your lawn chair set up right next to the dugout and screaming at Johnny and telling him A, B, and C to do.
00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:50.799
And it's like, just sit back, you gotta let the coach do his thing, and then let him coach.
00:18:51.039 --> 00:19:01.119
Let him coach, let the coach coach, and then the kids like they have so much added added pressure when it comes to going out there to perform because mom or dad puts that pressure on.
00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:04.640
The coach, if he's not doing it the right way, puts that added pressure on.
00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.640
Then you have your own teammates, then you have the other team on the other side, the other parents.
00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.680
There's a lot that kind of entails into everything.
00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:23.599
But if you just kind of take a step back and you say, Hey, this is what we're gonna focus on today, this is what I need you to do, this is the plan, this is how you're gonna execute it, and we go, then it kind of takes away all that stress and they go out there and have fun.
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.640
Yeah, it sounds like let the parents take a step back.
00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:28.799
You're stressing your kid out, you're stressing your kid.
00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:29.920
They don't know any better, though.
00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:30.880
That's the biggest thing.
00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:38.720
Is yeah, they don't they they kind of just go through the motions because they're like, Okay, Johnny down the street is doing this, so now all of a sudden he's doing this.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.559
Okay, now it's the fear of missing out.
00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:41.599
We're not doing this.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.480
And it's like, okay, I gotta sign up for a perfect game event here.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:46.640
I gotta sign up for this showcase here.
00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:48.799
You don't have to do all of that type of stuff.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.160
If you focus on how can I be the best version of Zach?
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.079
How can I be the best version of Kate?
00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:59.680
Then you map out a plan around that and how to attack that, then you're gonna find out what that really is.
00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.839
So two questions come out of that for me.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:11.519
One, what tournaments are coaches actually going to that parents actually need to be investing their money and time and travel and all of that into for a kid to be at?
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:15.279
And at what age does a kid actually need to start caring about that?
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:20.400
If they're saying, I want to play in college, or they're just, you know, there's the two paths the youth sports go down.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:24.400
It's development as a personality, as a person, as an athlete, all of that.
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.400
It's fun, it's friend connection, all of that.
00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:34.640
And you don't necessarily play at the next level, or eventually it hits a turning point where you want to play at the next level and the family, you have support and you're investing toward that.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:39.119
So, at what age and point should an athlete really, really start to hone in?
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.079
I want to play at the next level and invest their time and money into it.
00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.519
And then when they're investing their time and money, where should they actually be going?
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:47.039
So think about this, right?
00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:57.599
So little league is age like you're doing travel within that little league from nine you up until 12U, and nine you up until 12U, you're using all these bats that are like juiced up.
00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:02.400
So the these U Triple SA bats where they can hit it so much harder than uh a regular bat.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:07.440
So it's not even real baseball yet because you're not even on the real size field until you get to the age.
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:08.880
Sorry to interrupt.
00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:10.960
Do you think that's applicable to other sports as well?
00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:13.119
Or is it primarily baseball?
00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.279
I just know the baseball side of it.
00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.759
I don't want to speak on anything else there, you know.
00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:44.079
But as soon as they get to 13 and now they're on the big field and the regular size field as the major leagues, and you can use these BB core bats or these wood bats, then a lot of those kids start to get exposed because just because they were big and strong and all this type of stuff using a juice bat, now they have a bat that everybody else is using, the game starts to kind of weed out okay, who's here, who's there, and kind of places you into these different tiers.
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:47.200
Um, so that's that's that's the biggest thing there.
00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:51.599
And like when you're talking about showcases and when to go to this one, okay.
00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:54.400
Prep is prep baseball is having this one in Georgia.
00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.400
There's another one that's at Lake Point.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:04.240
If if you're a kid in high school and you want to go to A division one school, I say sign up and go to their camp and just get a feel for it.
00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.720
Go watch a division one game, go watch one of those college world series games that just happened with Oklahoma and UNC.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.440
Can you see yourself playing out there because that game is sped up like there's no tomorrow?
00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:17.519
That looks like a big league game out there, you know?
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:22.960
So that's where you have to put yourself in their shoes and go, okay, do I see myself fitting in there?
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.519
And are these expectations that I'm setting for myself actually realistic?
00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:28.240
Right.
00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:30.799
I look at it though, too, of like with a kid.
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.319
So when they hit 13, when I was 13, I was still playing soccer.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.720
I didn't even like play volleyball full time.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.319
I that wasn't, I was starting to like get interested in the sport.
00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.720
I was starting to say, oh, maybe I want to do this instead.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:51.359
And then it wasn't until about like 14, and then a few years after where I fully started investing in volleyball, moved away from soccer, and then ended up playing that in college.
00:22:51.519 --> 00:23:03.519
So do you think it's that 13 to 16 age range where a kid can really decide where they want to play, what sport they want to play, and like how to invest to take it to the next level?
00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.920
I think it's different from kid to kid.
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:08.960
With without with how they're developing.
00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:15.839
Like when I graduated high school, um, I had a scholarship, I could have gone to the University of South Carolina, which was the number one team in the country.
00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:23.119
And then I had Stanford, I had Notre Dame, but I went and played for Division III school at Alvernia, where my dad was the coach.
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:27.359
But when I graduated high school, I was six foot, 175 pounds.
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:33.599
I'm like, if I would have gone to South Carolina, I probably would have got lost with down there, you know, because I wasn't comfortable with it.
00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:44.400
But then when I go to the school where I went to Alvernia, next thing you know, I put on 50 pounds of muscle, uh, because how I was eating, how I was training, how I was working out, all that type of stuff.
00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:52.319
Then it's like, okay, now that dream of like making it to the major leagues, that all of a sudden turns into a possibility.
00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.559
But I didn't know all this type of stuff when I was in in high school.
00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.880
Everything's so much more advanced now.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:04.559
They're asking these kids at age 13 or 14 where they want to play in college, and I had no idea what I wanted to do.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.480
No, not at all.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.880
I mean, you don't know what environment you want to be in.
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.799
Do you think there needs to be a change though?
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:16.400
Because there obviously is a legal limit now to when a coach can actually respond to a kid and reach out.
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:21.920
So, how should a parent navigate that when their kid is maybe getting talked to at a young age?
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:24.480
That you know, the parent should they push it for that?
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:26.960
Should they wait and say, let's, you know, be transparent?
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:29.200
Like, how should someone navigate that experience?
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.880
Just take it day by day.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:31.599
That's it.
00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.079
You don't want to rush anything, just take it day by day.
00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:39.680
Focus on the little things, focus on the development, focus on how to execute the routine plays.
00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:45.359
If I'm a pitcher, don't worry about throwing the ball 100 miles an hour if you're throwing it over the backstop.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:47.200
Like, there's little things you got to focus on.
00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:48.160
How can I throw strikes?
00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:49.440
How can I throw a good change at?
00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:53.279
How can I, if I'm a hitter, how can I hit that ball to the opposite field consistently?
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:58.559
Those routine balls that are in the infield, how can I make those routine plays every single time?
00:24:58.640 --> 00:24:59.440
Like those things.
00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:04.400
Don't get caught up into all this stuff with social media and what everybody else is doing.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.200
Because a lot of it on social media, it's fake anyway.
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.519
Just go out there and just focus on the little things that are going to be better for you.
00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:12.160
Yeah.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:25.279
What I'm hearing is focus on the game, focus on the fundamentals, develop your fundamentals, be hardworking, be responsive, maturity, grow as an individual, as an athlete, and have that healthy communication.
00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:32.319
Understand like what is actually important and what do you want out of life, and not necessarily what you see online or what you're told by your peer.
00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:35.680
Like you said, little Johnny's doing this, and little other little Johnny's doing that.
00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:37.119
And should they align, right?
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:46.240
Like everyone has their own developmental track and invest the time and money in what you see actually matches a goal for your child or for your family.
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.279
I agree.
00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:50.400
We were talking a little bit about playing multiple sports.
00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:54.240
At what age do you think they should specialize on one sport in a broad way?
00:25:54.400 --> 00:26:02.400
I know it's different per kid, but the fundamentals I've always believed playing multiple sports just makes you a better athlete at whatever sport you try to do.
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.799
At the end, maybe this isn't applicable for everyone.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.480
If someone is just utterly obsessed with baseball, play that, of course.
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:19.200
But if you have a child who wants to do baseball and soccer and football, like when does it really matter to say, hey, I think we need to cut back, invest more money into one sport and focus on it?
00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.799
I would say as the parent, you're not the one that's making that decision.
00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:27.039
You gotta let the kid make that decision, that decision of what they want to do, you know?
00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:35.279
If they want to play all these sports, then let them play all these sports because all of a sudden when they go to college, it's probably gonna be fine-tuned to one sport anyway.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:37.200
Like you don't need to be rushing to do all this.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:43.839
But I also have kids that train with me that they only play baseball, and they've only played baseball since they were nine or ten years old.
00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.839
But that's their love, that's their passion.
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.559
They watch the game on TV, they do all these things.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:49.759
That's what they want to do.
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.160
And I said, Okay, that's great, that's fine.
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:54.640
These other ones, yeah, there's that's it.
00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:02.960
But then all of a sudden, when a kid's playing baseball, basketball, and football, yeah, they have, but they also then have that anticipation leading up until that next sport.
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:06.000
If you would ask me during the season of basketball, what's your favorite sport?
00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:09.680
I would have said basketball during baseball season, what's my favorite sport?
00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:13.680
Yeah, it's baseball, it's little things like that that people over kind of overlook.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:15.279
Right, that makes a lot of sense.
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:24.799
So we've talked a lot about like looking at the price, what is it worth for a family to invest in, how these kids can be coached and raised in different ways.
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:31.440
One thing I really want to talk a little bit is about we touched on it at the beginning, but burnout and just love for the game and enjoying it.
00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:36.160
You said at the beginning, a kid should have fun, the game should be fun, the sport should be fun.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:46.559
Do you think kids are just falling out of love with sports earlier now and just no longer having fun due to the long hours and hundred plus tournaments a year?
00:27:46.880 --> 00:28:02.480
Yeah, the burnout for me isn't when you love the game, the burnout from it is when you're kind of pushed into doing something that you really don't want to do, but the parents think, oh, this is like my ticket for my kid to get a scholarship or all this type of stuff.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.519
Like, that's the thing.
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:08.640
These kids are going through minor league schedules before they're even at the age of 13.
00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:10.319
Like, I don't have that for my kids.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:14.000
Like, my kids will probably play, you know, 40 games throughout the year.
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.200
Like, that's a good number for my kids at like age 10.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:27.920
But then when I see some of these other ones and they're playing a hundred games from January until November, and even having some tournaments indoors in December, what are we doing?
00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:33.599
Like, it's it's all about that money generating somewhere for some all that revenue has to go somewhere.
00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:38.400
It's like, but that's that's not the I'm not playing baseball indoors at Christmas.
00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:39.920
There's tournaments at Christmas now.
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:40.799
What's the sense of that?
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:45.920
Yeah, that's crazy, and then that's taking away youth.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:51.359
Just like Christmas is a holiday, it's youth time, and that's so important in development as well.
00:28:51.519 --> 00:29:02.000
And that like time as a kid, do you what are the biggest signs you're seeing when you're coaching that you notice an athlete might be starting to burn out or might be starting to just be overworked?
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:05.440
And how do you coach them or as a dad with your own kids?
00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:10.799
As a dad or as a coach, you just have to ask those questions, you know.
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:18.880
I think we're always asking our kids questions, but we're not asking our kids the right questions, or just being like, hey, like, do you need a break right now?
00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:21.119
Like, even like my son is supposed to have a game tonight.
00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:23.039
He's like, Dad, I just need a break, you know.
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:24.480
We've been doing a lot of practicing.
00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:27.279
We've been like, okay, that's that's fine, dude.
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:28.559
I I don't I don't I don't care.
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:30.319
It's whatever you want to do.
00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:35.359
You kind of have to ask those questions that I just said of like, all right, when is enough enough?
00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:36.480
Like, what do we need to do?
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.480
Do we need to go to this tournament this weekend?
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:41.200
Or we can can we go to the beach for the weekend?
00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.480
Like, you even if you don't go to that tournament, you're not missing out on anything.
00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:47.519
There's there's no, there's no, you're not doing it's whatever.
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:48.480
You're just playing games.
00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:49.680
Like, go have fun.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:50.720
I completely agree.
00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:52.000
First of all, I completely agree.
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:55.039
So, how does someone actually balance it today, right?
00:29:55.119 --> 00:30:03.119
Like, you have connections in the baseball world for maybe someone who doesn't have connections, their kid loves the sport, they don't have the connections in the world.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.640
So for them, it's also like I'm getting that extra exposure.
00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:09.680
This tournament could be a defining tournament, you never know.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:17.279
Like, what do we how do we keep sports a balance between competitive and moving forward, but fun and knowing when to take a break?
00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:22.559
I said earlier, too, of like the parents, they're kind of going through the motions of what everybody else is doing, you know?
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:27.599
And it's like, okay, where is the value that I can have for for my kid?
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:29.519
What is that that plan right there?
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:31.119
When is enough enough?
00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.599
Like there's just little things like like that.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.640
Do you know what I'm saying?
00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:35.920
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:44.160
Asking the questions for your family, not based off what everyone else is doing, but what does your child want for your family and how is it gonna grow on their team?
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.599
Yes, exactly.
00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.400
And how do you approach that with your own son?
00:30:48.480 --> 00:31:01.039
You said, for example, taking a beach weekend nowadays with such a competitive schedule, how can you sit, how can you communicate that with maybe a coach and say, oh, you know, like we're not gonna, we can't commit to these many tournaments.
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:05.279
We want to be on this team and we want to be a part of it, but we can't commit to 100 tournaments a year.
00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:07.119
Do they find a different club to be a part of?
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:08.000
Do you have that?
00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:09.359
How does a parent navigate that?
00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:20.400
It's all comes back to the the coaching of it and like how I set up my schedule because every single kid on my team plays multiple sports and they're playing multiple sports throughout the entire year.
00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:22.880
So I know how to give them breaks.
00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:30.640
I knew when to give them breaks, like the whole month of August, like we don't have any games because I know everybody's gonna go on vacation then.
00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:35.599
And then in the fall, we don't have that many tournaments because they're all playing other sports during the summer.
00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:38.720
We don't need to be playing every single weekend.
00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:42.480
We can be playing one weekend and then have two weekends off and then play one.
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:44.000
You gotta just space it out.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:54.160
But when you're gonna sign up for a team and you're like, okay, my entire summer is gonna be 12 weekends of going and traveling to East Jubip to play God knows who?
00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.440
It doesn't matter.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:57.279
Like, why would you want to do that?
00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.079
Yeah.
00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:05.920
How did your perspective change between an MLB player into coaching and then as a dad?
00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:11.279
Like, how did that shift everything for you when you actually became a dad and you're coaching your own kid?
00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:17.200
There's a lot of people out there who coach their own kids, and what how do you keep that relationship there?
00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:19.680
What advice would you have to someone coaching their own kid?
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:25.440
It took many years of me coaching many different levels to kind of figure this whole thing out.
00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:34.960
And I think that's why I'm so glad that I've worked for All Star for the past 10 years is you know, I helped out with so many teams, ages from eight up until 18.
00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:38.880
Um, so many big league guys there, you know, that come back in the offseason.
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:45.680
Like those little things have given me so much information to now I know, okay, what does good look like?
00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:49.279
And how can I help other people with this whole process?
00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:58.720
So that has been huge, huge for me because it is it it's tough as a dad and to coach your kid, but you have to know, okay, what is it?
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:01.519
I you can't give them special treatment, you can't do this.
00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:02.480
Like, think about it.
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:04.319
I went and played for my dad in college.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:10.400
It was the whole thing of like, all right, how's this gonna go with uh dad coaching this kid in college?
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:16.000
But my dad did it the right way, he brought everybody in and was like, okay, this is what Zach wants to do.
00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:17.359
He wants to come and play here.
00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:20.960
I want to get everybody's kind of a check mark and say if this is okay.
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:26.559
And then it kind of all worked out, but it's not giving people these special moments or all this type of stuff.
00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:27.680
You treat them all the same.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.480
I totally agree.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.400
So I agree with what you're saying there that it should be like that for every coach.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:41.039
Every coach all around the block should not necessarily play favorites, it should focus on the talent and look at it, whether it's your child or whether you're coaching a team at any level.
00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:45.119
Um, what do you refuse to do as a sports parent?
00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:47.759
Like is overload their workload.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:53.519
I think that's the biggest thing is like, okay, we practice, like when we're there, we're gonna be there, we're gonna get our practice in.
00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:57.119
It's gonna be an hour and a half, we are gonna get to work and then we're gonna get out.
00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:04.559
Like, even with all these camps that I have throughout like the entire summer, like a lot of these camps that you see kids going to, they're from like 8 a.m.
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:06.079
until like 5 p.m.
00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:20.079
Yeah, it's easier for the parents to just kind of drop them off and then get them after work, but for me, I like having it where it's three hours from nine until 12, and you get in there and we have a whole plan of what we're gonna execute, and then that's what we do.
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.480
It's not being at the field the entire day.
00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:25.679
It's when you're there, it's the quality over the quantity.
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:26.880
That makes a lot of sense.
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:28.000
I completely agree.
00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:30.000
Quality over quantity is very important.
00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:40.320
Um, to kind of close out this area where we're talking about parent advice and youth sports before getting into a couple hard truths about like what the business side of it actually looks like today.
00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:44.639
What if a parent's listening and just feels overwhelmed and they're just confused?
00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:59.280
Because even myself hearing this, I'm not a parent, but I'm overwhelmed just hearing all the different perspectives throughout this conversation around, you know, that balance of I want to take him to the next level, but I don't know where, X, Y, Z, it's confusing to find the right coach.
00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:05.679
What is one thing outside of just the family values we've talked about that they need to focus on?
00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:07.519
For they they feel completely overwhelmed.
00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:14.480
They know I need to find a value aligned with my family, but what do they actually need to focus on in the day-to-day for their child?
00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:15.440
No, absolutely.
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:28.880
I think right now they're focusing on the wrong things, meaning they're always on social media and they're listening to people talk about certain things that have never played at a at a high level or have never really been through it.
00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:33.440
It's like I can't get on there and talk about, you know, volleyball and all this stuff.
00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:34.480
I never played it, you know.
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:43.519
But you have people on social media that have maybe played a little bit in high school and then all of a sudden they're like God's gift at teaching baseball on TikTok or Instagram.
00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:52.880
They have hundreds of thousands of followers, and you're like, dude, what you're talking about is not exactly what happens like in a big league clubhouse or in a pro clubhouse and stuff like that.
00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:57.519
Like those are the things that and it all goes back to okay, what can we focus on?
00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:59.760
And I said it a thousand times already.
00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:03.119
It's about the development, the coaching, and the development.
00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:10.000
Like a good coach is gonna help you kind of set and fine-tune all these things to make that process easier for you.
00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:16.639
Yeah, and what I'm also hearing from you is there's just too many voices of people who haven't lived it, who aren't playing at a high level.
00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:26.559
That's a huge reason why I started this committed podcast was to have clarity for parents, players, and everyone in that sports industry because there's so much online, like you said.
00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:37.119
Do you think that there should be restrictions, or would you recommend a restriction for a parent around like how much content for the sport is consumed by their child on social media and online?
00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:45.599
I think it's crazy right now because you, if you go on to Instagram or you go on to even like LinkedIn right now, there's people doing it.
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:51.760
Like I have a guy, Landon Donovan, that played team USA soccer, like Jeff Francor is worth this company.
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:54.639
I uh we play together with the Mets, but he has this company, pure athlete.
00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:57.679
Greg Olsen with You Think, played in the NFL for years.
00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:02.000
All these guys are saying all this stuff that that I'm saying, right?
00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:12.079
Of like, okay, let's take our foot off the gas pedal here and let's focus on okay, this isn't about whatever we're gonna do, whatever it takes to get that win over the weekend.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:16.639
It's like, hey, let's let these kids just enjoy the moment that they're in.
00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:22.960
We're not forcing anything to to do, you know, like let's get back and let's focus on those little things.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:31.840
Yeah, it sounds like there's a lot of people who've lived it who've now become parents and are getting really concerned and saying, you know, that this is a real problem.
00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:37.519
I mean, one factor that we can talk about is the fact that like private equity is getting into youth sports.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:39.199
Have you seen that coming to light?
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:43.840
Yeah, there's private equity, but then there's also private equity for good too.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:52.000
Um there's a company called Slice Sports, S-L-I-C-E sports, that I'm gonna be doing a lot with um going forward.
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:54.639
And it's private equity in the right way.
00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.320
Okay, where are we gonna put this?
00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:57.440
Where are we gonna put that?
00:37:57.599 --> 00:37:58.559
What is the value?
00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:06.000
How can we help out here and do things the right way rather than okay, we're gonna add more tournaments, we're gonna add more teams?
00:38:06.159 --> 00:38:07.840
That's not what it's it's about.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:11.360
There has to be a whole plan and how to execute that plan the right way.
00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:12.800
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:29.920
Do you think with there is a future where this adjusts and it kind of recorrects itself with the way that so many people, like I said, who have lived it and come out of it and want to help, do you see in long term it kind of readjusting, or with you know, the college level even getting bigger and bigger with NIL and Transfer Portal and all of this?
00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:33.599
Like, how does the future balance itself out from your perspective?
00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:44.800
Yeah, I feel like we're never going to take a step backwards, but I think at times we also need to take a step backwards in order to kind of regroup in order to move you know forwards but stronger.
00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:57.199
So there's there's certain things that we can do as as a country with this of like, listen, all these things, all this money, like it shouldn't should my kid be paying five thousand dollars to play on a travel team at age 10.
00:38:57.519 --> 00:38:58.800
No, what why?
00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:07.039
Like we should be you could you could pay for let's think about five thousand dollars, like per you have you have 12 kids on the team, it's five sixty thousand dollars.
00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:11.199
Like, what we talk you don't have to work work another job then, like right there is your money.
00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:14.159
Like, what I don't know what we're we're doing here, it's crazy.
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:20.480
Yeah, most like I remember so many times until you're on that top level, like your coach also did something else.
00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:34.719
This was like a fun side thing, and I'm I'm sure that is still out there, but we're obviously talking about the like very high travel teams, five thousand dollars a year, or even five thousand dollars for a season, which isn't even the whole year, so you're paying twice a year.
00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:38.800
Um, where do you see then in college?
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.400
Do you ever work in the college level with NIL in baseball?
00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:50.000
And how do you see that shifting for someone whose kid might be about to commit or is going to commit or wants to commit at college?
00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:51.440
Like, how should they leverage NIL?
00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:55.280
And do you think NIL should be in this high school sport realm?
00:39:55.599 --> 00:40:14.880
Yeah, uh for me, I kind of stay out of that whole realm of the NIL and the college, but I do know everything about it as well because when you look at the College World Series that just happened and you look at certain teams that were in it, and you're like, okay, this team, Kansas, you have all nine of their kids in the starting lineup came from a junior college.
00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:20.000
So it's like almost like a draft every year with this transfer transfer portal.
00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:36.000
You can go and you can have an outstanding year at University of Louisville, like my guy Teg Davis did, and then all of a sudden you have LSU, you have Tennessee, you have Navy, all these teams you know, saying, Hey, okay, tell us what the number is for us to get you to come there.
00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:39.039
That's not what this is uh about, you know.
00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:43.840
When you go to a school, I want them to be committed to that school and focus.
00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:46.559
Okay, how can I make this program to turn this program around?
00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:52.960
It's so difficult being a college coach right now because college coaches they just go on the transfer portal and they're like, okay, this kid's available.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:55.760
We don't even need this kid right now, but look at his stats.
00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:56.639
He's available.
00:40:56.719 --> 00:40:58.960
We're gonna try and get him, we're gonna kick this guy off.
00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:01.280
It's like it's the wild, wild west out there.
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:01.840
It's crazy.
00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:02.880
It really is.
00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:04.400
Yeah, it really is.
00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.039
It really is.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:09.519
I actually talk to people often and I'm like, if you don't want that, look into D2 and D3.
00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:12.239
And I actually had a guest on here earlier, Kevin.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:13.119
He's amazing.
00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:19.920
He had the full experience, started JUCO, and then went to D1, played D2, played back to D1, has done all of it.
00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:26.559
Do you think that in baseball specifically, it's almost sometimes smart to go JUCO than transfer portal to make it D1?
00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:30.960
Or are you seeing a decrease in recruitment of high school athletes?
00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:34.000
I think you just got to go where you're gonna play, you know?
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:37.679
Like when the when the kids in high school, they're like, hey, I want to go play D1.
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:39.039
Yeah, that's great.
00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:50.239
Like you might have talent, you might be able to go and do it, but you're probably gonna be sitting that whole first year and possibly that whole second year, and then next thing you know, you're gonna be lost by the wayside.
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:53.440
Go where you can play, go where you can perform, you know.
00:41:53.599 --> 00:42:05.519
Like even when I was at Alvernia and I was first team All-American as a as a freshman, like I could have gone to South Carolina, but there was no NIL, there was no money that was involved or anything like that at the time.
00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:09.519
But I just it was I was fine with where I with where I was, you know.
00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:15.039
But like you said, you got these kids going JUCO and then they go D1, then they go D2, then they go back to D1.
00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:22.079
So when they're done college, there are like four or five different schools, and you're like, holy smokes, like this is this is wild.
00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:28.000
So then for me, if I'm a business owner and I look at these people and I'm like, okay, what are they chasing here?
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:31.519
Are they just chasing the money side of all this?
00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:40.320
If I want to hire somebody and they keep going from basically location to location, I know, team to team, what's gonna happen right here if they come to me?
00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:44.400
Is there gonna be another good option that comes up and they're just gonna be like, hey, yeah, I'm all in.
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:47.519
Next thing you know, six months go by and then they're out the door.
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:54.639
I have never heard someone point that perspective out, and that is very interesting when they've talked about the changing.
00:42:54.800 --> 00:43:10.079
We've I've talked with a lot of people, the business I worked to build Sport X at ASU, like it's talks about NIL through career development, but that perspective of looking at a resume as an employer and seeing that you jump around and what are you actually chasing is incredible advice.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.599
Yeah, that's not your ticket.
00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:25.679
You're you're on your resume when you see, okay, you were at this JUCO, then you went to um, I don't know, Division T went to the University of Tampa, and then all of a sudden you go to LSU, then you go to Florida, and it's like, okay, well, let me take a step back here.
00:43:25.760 --> 00:43:27.920
Okay, what what's the process here?
00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.119
What happened without that?
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:30.559
It's the same thing with any jobs.
00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:35.760
If you look and within the past three years, an individual has had four or five different jobs.
00:43:35.920 --> 00:43:38.159
Okay, what is what's going on here?
00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:40.000
You know, there's got to be something that's going on.
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:41.280
Are they a good team player?
00:43:41.440 --> 00:43:42.800
Are they not a good team player?
00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:47.440
Like, there's gotta be something that that that comes up behind this that that we're not talking about.
00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:48.719
That's very interesting.
00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:49.679
I like that a lot.
00:43:49.840 --> 00:43:59.519
That my circle question to that that I had around recruitment NIL at the high school level have you seen as a coach a change due to like transfer and NIL?
00:43:59.679 --> 00:43:59.840
I mean.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:04.880
Primarily, honestly, the transfer portal that kids are getting recruited less and less out of high school.
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:05.920
Is that actually a problem?
00:44:06.079 --> 00:44:07.599
Because I know it's talked about.
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:08.960
Yeah, no, absolutely.
00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:12.880
But I think that's where you have to do your due diligence due diligence.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:16.400
And you have to be like, okay, what's the best route for this kid?
00:44:16.639 --> 00:44:17.920
You know, is it for me?
00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:27.679
It's not about okay, I can send this kid to North Carolina as a as a baseball instructor or as it as an academy owner just so I can post it on social media.
00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:32.000
Because next thing you know, they go to North Carolina, but they don't play the entire year.
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:33.760
So they missed out on an entire year.
00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:36.880
So for me, I'm looking at, okay, what is the good fit right there?
00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:38.559
Should this kid you know what?
00:44:38.639 --> 00:44:40.159
I see him as a good JUCO fit.
00:44:40.239 --> 00:44:46.960
He needs to go, he's got to get in the gym a little bit more, and then we can make that decision of like, okay, what's the next school he's gonna go to?
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.559
Go in division three.
00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:51.679
I made it from division three and made it up to the big leagues.
00:44:51.760 --> 00:44:53.679
Like, there's always people will find you.
00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:57.679
It's not about jumping from ship to ship looking for certain things.
00:44:57.760 --> 00:45:06.079
It's like just focus on those little things and just stay, stay coarse, stay true to what you're doing, and know when to make a calculated correct next decision.
00:45:06.239 --> 00:45:11.199
Yeah, not take taking risks is important, but have some thought behind the risk taking almost as well.
00:45:11.440 --> 00:45:15.760
And then something else you called out that is interesting at the youth level.
00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:26.239
Um, this was something I always talked about with my younger brothers, is you know, when you're picking as a youth in high school to be not picking, but maybe you get the offer to be in JV or varsity.
00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:27.920
That happens often at youth, right?
00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:32.639
It's like JV, you could be on it, or they're disappointed they made JV instead of varsity.
00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:35.199
But you're actually gonna play, you're gonna develop.
00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:36.400
And that's what we've talked about.
00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:40.639
The whole big theme is having a good coach and being able to develop as a youth player.
00:45:40.880 --> 00:45:46.480
And when you're as a youth player, maybe making the B team isn't necessarily a step back.
00:45:46.639 --> 00:45:57.760
And I think nowadays stuff can be so flashy, but on that B team, you're gonna get reps and you're not gonna be subbed in and out, and you're not, you know, maybe you're traveling a little less even, but you're actually developing.
00:45:57.920 --> 00:45:59.199
Do you agree with that?
00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:11.280
Yeah, this is wild because this is the first time I was asked this question, and I'm glad that you brought this up because I've been on probably a hundred different podcasts, radio shows, and all this other stuff, and nobody has asked that question, right?
00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:19.840
So it's like, okay, just because you're a freshman, you're in ninth grade, and then the parents are like, Oh, I really want him to be on that varsity team.
00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:20.960
Yeah, but for what?
00:46:21.039 --> 00:46:22.239
Like to be a cheerleader?
00:46:22.320 --> 00:46:23.679
Like, he's not gonna play.
00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:28.000
He's gonna be over there keeping the scorebook where he can play on that freshman team.
00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:29.920
Oh, he's gonna be on JV, he's not gonna be on.
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:30.880
Is he playing?
00:46:31.039 --> 00:46:32.320
Yes, that's all that matters.
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:32.800
Right.
00:46:33.199 --> 00:46:35.199
On freshman year, I played on the freshman team.
00:46:35.360 --> 00:46:38.800
My sophomore year, I played on the JV team.
00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:50.559
Somebody got hurt, and then I got the opportunity to come up there, and I made a good impact, and then I stayed there the rest of the year, and then my junior and your senior year, I earned my spot of what I was doing.
00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:55.519
It's not nothing, nothing was given, there was no politics, everything was just earned.
00:46:55.679 --> 00:46:59.360
And I'm glad that we brought this up because parents they get so caught up in hey, you know what?
00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:01.679
My kid's a freshman and he's on the varsity team.
00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:02.480
Yeah, that's great.
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:04.000
How many at bats does he have?
00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:04.559
Zero.
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:06.320
How many innings pitch does he have?
00:47:06.559 --> 00:47:07.039
Zero.
00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:09.599
Well, that's the he's he's not even on the team.
00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:11.840
He's just his name's there, but he's not even on the team.
00:47:12.159 --> 00:47:12.719
Completely.
00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:15.039
I mean, I had the same exact experience.
00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:17.280
My younger brother, and you know, went on to play D1.
00:47:17.440 --> 00:47:20.239
Younger brother for basketball, very similar experience.
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:25.440
He's playing D3 at a high academic school who's who's now has an Apple internship, right?
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:31.119
So that goes into priorities and what you're looking for, whether you're playing, whether it's academic for your sport, whatever it may be.
00:47:31.280 --> 00:47:32.400
But I completely agree.
00:47:32.559 --> 00:47:35.599
Playing making as a junior, I made JV.
00:47:35.679 --> 00:47:37.440
And I was so frustrated.
00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:38.159
I was like, why?
00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:40.159
Like, I want to play JV and varsity.
00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:43.840
And same thing by the time I got pulled up at one point, I was able to rep.
00:47:44.079 --> 00:47:47.119
But that junior year, I was able to actually get reps.
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:50.880
I was I able actually to be better as a player, right?
00:47:51.280 --> 00:47:53.039
And same thing in club.
00:47:53.199 --> 00:47:57.440
You you know, I wasn't on the first team the first time I tried out for volleyball.
00:47:57.519 --> 00:47:58.400
It was the second team.
00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:05.280
Same thing with my younger brother, and it sounds like the same experience for you and many athletes you're coaching, where it does come down to rep and not the title.
00:48:05.519 --> 00:48:07.760
Yeah, it's all about the development process, you know.
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:13.440
There are some kids that are gonna be freshmen that are gonna play varsity, and that's okay.
00:48:13.519 --> 00:48:16.079
But then when you look at him and you're like, you know what?
00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:23.840
I get it, I understand why he's on varsity because he absolutely rakes, or he's throwing cheese, or he's making all these places a crazy athlete.
00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:24.880
It makes sense.
00:48:25.039 --> 00:48:34.000
But just because your name is on that roster sheet of varsity, but you're a freshman and you're not getting any playing time, that's not doing anything for you.
00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:36.719
So, you know, parents, put the ego to the side.
00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:37.679
Nobody cares.
00:48:37.840 --> 00:48:41.760
You know, I want to hear, okay, how my kid did that day, how many at best did he get?
00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:42.559
What did he work on?
00:48:42.639 --> 00:48:43.280
What was his plan?
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:44.320
What was his approach?
00:48:44.400 --> 00:48:45.280
All those things.
00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:46.880
Yeah, I completely agree.
00:48:47.039 --> 00:48:49.119
And tell your kid to also not worry about the ego.
00:48:49.280 --> 00:48:51.280
And that in itself is a good life lesson.
00:48:51.440 --> 00:49:03.599
That's a good long-term life lesson for careers, post-college, relationships, whatever it may be, too, which is a huge factor of sports and always has been is the life skills aspect of building those life skills.
00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:04.559
Um, amazing.
00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:16.480
Well, I know we're coming up on time, so I want to get into our quick TMI section where we have too much insight, TMI, too much insight, where I ask you some rapid fire questions um for a quick one-word, one-sentence answer.
00:49:16.559 --> 00:49:21.599
Um, they're a little repetitive, but they're just kind of the one takeaway from our themes of these conversations here.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:22.320
Gotcha.
00:49:22.719 --> 00:49:27.760
Um, the first one is what is the worst advice you hear parents giving their kids today?
00:49:28.079 --> 00:49:28.880
Rankings.
00:49:29.440 --> 00:49:32.719
To worry about rankings, yes, worry about rankings.
00:49:32.800 --> 00:49:33.840
Yeah, good to know.
00:49:34.079 --> 00:49:37.760
Have you ever seen a situation where a kid was clearly being pushed way too far?
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:39.280
And how did you respond?
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:44.800
Yeah, I see that pretty often with how parents can be just overbearing with everything.
00:49:44.880 --> 00:49:46.719
And you just need to have that conversation with them.
00:49:47.039 --> 00:49:48.960
Listen, just pump the brakes here, just trust me.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:53.840
You don't need to be here breathing down my neck the whole time or breathing down Johnny's neck the whole time.
00:49:53.920 --> 00:49:56.559
Just trust the process and we'll we'll we'll take care of him.
00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:04.159
If you had one just like snap of the fingers could happen, wish almost one thing in youth sports you could fix immediately.
00:50:04.239 --> 00:50:05.679
If you could, what would it be?
00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:08.400
It's what I said, clarity over the chaos.
00:50:08.559 --> 00:50:14.719
Like that's what I want people to kind of understand and kind of latch on to of like, listen, this is the route that you're going.
00:50:14.960 --> 00:50:17.039
This is the route that you don't have to go down.
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:18.400
This is another route right here.
00:50:18.480 --> 00:50:22.000
There's different forks in the road that we can choose of where to go to.
00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:28.719
But for me and what I'm doing, I'm trying to steer you down the right direction because what's that's what's going to be what's best for your kid.
00:50:28.960 --> 00:50:31.760
Yeah, what's best for your kid ultimately is right there.
00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:35.440
Do you think social media has made youth sports better or worse?
00:50:35.679 --> 00:50:36.159
Worse.
00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:38.559
Do you think that there's coming back from that?
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:39.199
No.
00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:40.639
Okay.
00:50:41.199 --> 00:50:43.519
I want to like unpack that, but this is our section.
00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:45.039
We're gonna have to ask one more question.
00:50:45.199 --> 00:50:49.280
Have you ever disagreed strongly with how another program was run?
00:50:49.599 --> 00:50:51.519
And did you do something about it?
00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:53.760
Yes, disagree with it.
00:50:54.239 --> 00:50:55.840
Can I do something about it?
00:50:56.159 --> 00:50:56.400
No.
00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:57.440
Amazing.
00:50:57.679 --> 00:51:01.679
What is something parents spend money on that is completely unnecessary?
00:51:02.239 --> 00:51:02.719
Gear.
00:51:03.599 --> 00:51:04.079
Really?
00:51:04.480 --> 00:51:04.800
Yeah.
00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:07.599
The excessive gear or just gear?
00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:11.599
The gear or the gimmicky training devices.
00:51:12.159 --> 00:51:13.119
Okay, okay.
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:17.679
Um, and then is travel actually making athletes better or just more tired?
00:51:17.920 --> 00:51:18.320
Better.
00:51:18.559 --> 00:51:20.320
Is too much travel a thing?
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:20.800
Yes.
00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:24.559
Are ranking and exposure platforms helping or hurting your kid?
00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:25.440
Hurting.
00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:28.960
What does a good coach actually look like at the youth level?
00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:38.159
Uh, one that communicates, one that has a plan, one that has a good practice plan, one that has good game management, and one that is very good with positive reinforcement.
00:51:38.320 --> 00:51:38.880
I love that.
00:51:39.039 --> 00:51:41.840
What is separates kids who make it versus those who don't?
00:51:42.079 --> 00:51:50.239
I think the easy answer would be work ethic, but there's also so many things that come into it with the timing, being at the right place at the right time.
00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:54.559
So yeah, but you know, just find your path, what your path is.
00:51:54.880 --> 00:51:55.519
Work hard.
00:51:55.679 --> 00:51:55.920
Yeah.
00:51:56.079 --> 00:51:59.039
I always say luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity.
00:51:59.280 --> 00:51:59.679
I agree.
00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:05.199
Before I get to the last question that I like to close every episode out with, do you want to expand a little bit on that social media?
00:52:05.360 --> 00:52:06.320
You said you made it worse.
00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:08.639
You said you don't think there's coming back from it.
00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:12.639
So, what should a child do, or what can a parent do about that?
00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:15.039
It's about following the right people.
00:52:15.199 --> 00:52:23.280
There's so many people that are on Instagram or TikTok or you know, Twitter, all this type of stuff, but they haven't been through it.
00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:36.960
So I think that's why people connect with me and they trust me because of where I've been, what I've been doing for the past 10 years, what I did 10 years professionally, how I'm looking out for the kids and the kids in their future.
00:52:37.199 --> 00:52:37.760
I love it.
00:52:37.920 --> 00:52:38.400
I agree.
00:52:38.559 --> 00:52:42.400
My last question of every episode is what does being committed mean to you?
00:52:42.639 --> 00:52:44.880
Being committed, it's just like my let's go brand.
00:52:45.039 --> 00:52:49.119
I'm committed to bringing that clarity over the chaos to everything that's going on.
00:52:49.280 --> 00:53:04.320
I'm committed to, you know, everything that's going on in youth sports right now just to kind of make it a little bit easier, a little bit smoother for people, you know, so that they can trust what um what I'm doing with this whole process and kind of give them that clear pathway.
00:53:04.559 --> 00:53:04.960
I love it.
00:53:05.119 --> 00:53:05.440
I love it.
00:53:05.519 --> 00:53:09.119
And more people definitely um need to do that and be out there doing that.
00:53:09.199 --> 00:53:16.000
At the end of the day, it really should be about the kids, helping them grow, love the game, and just ultimately become better people while enjoying the sport.
00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:26.000
I think this conversation has really brought that focus back, has been hopefully beneficial to parents listening out there who are trying to navigate not only baseball, but youth sports in general.
00:53:26.239 --> 00:53:28.960
Any last remarks before we close out and say thank you?
00:53:29.199 --> 00:53:29.840
Nothing for me.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:30.800
Just let's go.
00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:32.239
All right, I love it.
00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:34.079
Well, thank you everyone for tuning in.
00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:38.079
We will be back with another episode of Committed very soon, and have a great rest of your day.
00:53:38.159 --> 00:53:38.880
Thank you, Zach.
00:53:39.039 --> 00:53:39.920
Yeah, thanks, Kate.
00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:40.880
Appreciate it.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.480
They're playing 140 to 150, 160 games a year, and they're like, man, this is like way too much.
00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:08.640
It's just game after game after game after game.
00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:13.119
You guys are going through like a minor league schedule and you're not even getting paid for it.
00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:15.919
You're paying an arm and leg to play for it.
00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:20.960
Should my kid be paying five thousand dollars to play on a travel team at age 10?
00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:21.519
No.
00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:22.559
What why?
00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:23.920
That's crazy.
00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:25.039
What are we doing?
00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.839
I think right now they're focusing on the wrong things.
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.440
Do you think social media has made youth sports better or worse?
00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:32.240
Worse.
00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:34.640
Do you think that there's coming back from that?
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:35.280
No.
00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:36.479
Okay.
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.600
Don't get caught up in all this stuff with social media.
00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:42.320
Because a lot of it on social media, it's fake anyway.
00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:46.240
Do you think kids are just falling out of love with sports earlier now?
00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:47.600
Holy smokes.
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:48.799
Like this is wild.
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:53.920
What does it really take to make it to the next level in sports, and is it worth the sacrifices?
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:59.039
If you could ask a caller for athlete one filter question about their journey, what would it be?
00:00:59.119 --> 00:00:59.679
And why?
00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:01.600
And are the choices you're making today?
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:07.359
The teams, the coaches, the training schedule, and a study of the six steps of 30 out of 42.
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:16.560
I'm Kate Fitzgerald, a C1B five player, welcome to scholarship athlete, female sport leader, and now the founder of two businesses, filter NIL.
00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:18.799
But none of that can easily interest me.
00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.519
Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Committed Podcast.
00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:27.280
I am your host, Kate Fitzgerald, and today we have another amazing guest.
00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:31.200
In fact, today's episode is one I think every sports parent needs to hear.
00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:36.879
We're diving into how youth sports are changing, what's working, what's not, and what's actually developing athletes.
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:49.760
Formerly a pro player for the MLB for over 10 years, now leading all stars for over 10 years and soon transitioning into his very own company called Let's Go, which is providing clarity over the chaos for youth sports.
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.640
You've seen it as a pro, now as a coach, and as a dad.
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.400
So I'm so excited just to have a real conversation about youth sports with you today.
00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:57.599
Please welcome Zach.
00:01:57.840 --> 00:01:58.400
Thanks, Kate.
00:01:58.560 --> 00:01:59.359
Pleasure to be on here.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:01.519
I'm so excited to have you on here.
00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:04.719
It is a conversation that I think is very much needed.
00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.360
Youth sports has changed tremendously, especially in the last five to 10 years.
00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:11.280
And you've seen it from every angle, right?
00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:17.599
You were a youth athlete, you played at a high professional level, and now you've dedicated to coaching and training youth athletes.
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:27.919
So I can't wait to share your insights and hopefully help another parent who is trying to navigate the chaos of youth sports today and kids with a lot of big dreams because they see it everywhere all the time.
00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:30.240
So I'm excited to dive into it.
00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:31.439
No, absolutely.
00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:32.479
Let's get it going.
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:33.199
Amazing.
00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:40.319
So to start, I always like to take it back, take it back to when you were playing and what youth sports looked like when you were growing up.
00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:42.719
Well, it wasn't as chaotic as it is now.
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:43.840
That's that's for sure.
00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:50.639
It was basically I would go down to the local playground and I was playing all types of different sports all the time.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:57.919
You know, I was either playing wiffle ball, I was playing baseball, basketball, kickball, you know, rollerblading, all that types of different stuff.
00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:04.240
Now it's all these parents and these kids are focused on playing one sport at such a young age, you know.
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:10.960
So then all of a sudden, by the time these kids even get to the age of 13, they're burnt out from everything that they've been doing.
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:16.879
So for me, my goal at 10, like 10 years old, it wasn't make it to the major leagues.
00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:18.400
I didn't know what I wanted to do.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:20.960
It was basically just going out there and having fun.
00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:23.680
I wanted to be the best version of myself.
00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:27.520
So I put in all the work and the hard work and the dedication to do it.
00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:36.479
But yeah, I mean, we got to get back to where everything was kind of just slowed down instead of everything's fast paced and just going out there and let the kids have fun.
00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.879
Let them have fun, I think is one of the key sentences you just said.
00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:45.599
Even at a college level, at a professional level, if you're not enjoying it, you're probably not gonna play well.
00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:51.439
You might play well because you're athletic, but you have to enjoy your sport, and kids have to find the fun in it.
00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:52.960
If not, they're gonna feel forced.
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:57.919
When you transitioned even to the pro level, did you still have that same mentality?
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:30.879
Yeah, I think that's that's the part where a lot of people don't understand is like when you're in the minor leagues, like it's a grind because you're traveling everywhere throughout the country for eight months out of the year, and you have these long 15-hour bus rides, and it's not like you're getting paid all that well up in the in the minor leagues, but you have to have that love for the game where a lot of them, you know, all of a sudden they get into this where they're playing 140 to 150, 160 games a year, and they're like, Man, this is like way too much.
00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:40.160
So then guys that I played with that just played Pro Ball for a couple of years, they end up getting burnout from it, and then they move on to doing something else and having success with it.
00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.759
But it all goes back to like it's just a game, you know?
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.920
There's so much added pressure that's put onto these kids all the time.
00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:57.439
But when you sit back and you take a look at it and you're like, hey, we're just playing a game, it's a sport, just relax, go out there, make the most of it because it's gonna end at some point for everybody.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:58.079
Yeah.
00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:08.079
Do you think there's a point in youth sports where it does need a transition a little bit past like it's a game into I need to take this seriously to play at a higher level?
00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:09.439
And what is that point?
00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:14.480
Yeah, so I think in Little League, when these kids are seven through 12, right?
00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:19.920
They're there's so much focus right now here in the states of games.
00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:22.319
It's just game after game after game after game.
00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:32.720
Where I was fortunate enough to play in Japan and Dominican and Korea, and there's so much emphasis on the fundamentals, you know, and the development process for each kid.
00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:48.639
So yeah, there's a time and and place for it, but like when for nine to twelve, you have to have good coaching, you have to have people that have kind of been through it to kind of steer the way, and that's why I've started my Let's Go brand is to bring that clarity over the chaos, help these kids.
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.600
Okay, my son or daughter is eight years old.
00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.720
What did they need to be doing at age eight from the start of the season to the end of the season?
00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:57.839
And how did they improve?
00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.800
Like, let's try let's start to track that type of stuff rather than all the stats and everything.
00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.319
Because the stats for me, I don't I'm the only coach I think that doesn't keep game changer because I don't care about the stats.
00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:11.439
I don't even know what half that stuff on there even means.
00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:15.759
I just want them to learn the game and learn how to do it the proper way.
00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:16.639
I love that.
00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:17.279
I love that.
00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:27.680
You're teaching, as you said, the fundamentals, something that is very important for an athlete at every level and also can be used across different sports, which kind of leads me into my next question.
00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:32.399
Do you think there's a value to being a multi-sport athlete before honing in?
00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:35.920
And are people honing in too early on a specific sport?
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:36.800
Absolutely.
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.600
So I was always playing uh baseball, basketball, and football.
00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:41.519
Even at a young age, I was playing soccer.
00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:45.920
I was always doing something because you want the kid to figure out what his path is, you know?
00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:50.079
And for me growing up, my dad was a uh college baseball coach.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:51.279
He still is to this day.
00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:59.040
He's got over 40 years coaching, but it's just the fact that I just kind of fell in love with the game, but I was also playing all these different sports.
00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:09.360
So all these different sports were making me better at the other sport, and I think that's what people don't understand is like even when I was in college, like we were always like long tossing with the football.
00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.240
We were always playing flag football, we were always playing basketball.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:21.279
I didn't I didn't fine-tune it until just being baseball as my only sport, until I signed on that dotted line to be a professional with the New York Mets.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:22.560
You know, that's what I do.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.399
I believe so, you know.
00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:33.759
And I I think it's people try to make this way more difficult than than it is, but I think that's why you see it.
00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:37.519
Like the the the training aspect of everything, it's so much more advanced.
00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:41.279
You see how big and strong these kids are, starting at such a young age.
00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:56.079
But when you see them at, you know, 12 or 13 years old, and they're playing over a hundred games for baseball over the course of the year, you're like, you guys are going through like a minor league schedule and you're not even getting paid for it.
00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.120
You're paying an arm and leg to play for it.
00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.759
So that's where it's all gets kind of tied into.
00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.160
It's like, okay, what is the end goal here?
00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:06.079
What are we really trying to do?
00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:16.079
You just brought up so many points with so many questions I want to get to from like what a coach is looking for, the development, the arm and the leg payment that I'm gonna start at the beginning.
00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:24.639
But when you were saying that your dad has coached for over 40 plus years, you now coach, you have a son, you are a parent who is coaching a youth athlete.
00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:26.399
What do you think actually stands out?
00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:31.680
Like, what are you looking for as a coach to a travel team, or then a coach looking at a next level?
00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:38.159
What are they actually looking for in these athletes besides their training a hundred hours and they're going to 100 games?
00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.120
Three things.
00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.080
I have it written on my board and we're on the dugout too.
00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.240
Attitude, effort, and hustle.
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:45.519
That's what I want to see.
00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:47.679
You may not have the most talent in the world.
00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:51.679
I never really had the most talent in the world, but I always hustled.
00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:53.440
I always sprinted on and off the field.
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:55.360
If I got out, it didn't matter.
00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:02.799
I wasn't getting back in the dugout, taking my helmet off and throwing it and disrespecting all my teammates and everybody else, and disrespecting the game.
00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.200
I was always there to pick each other up.
00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.080
Like that, that's what I'm looking for in a kid.
00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.600
That's what I install with every single kid on my 10U team right now.
00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:13.840
My son, he does such a great job at it.
00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:23.360
You know, he battles through some things that he does with his own health, but then all of a sudden, when he's there and he's focused and you know he makes a mistake, it's not, oh pal.
00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:24.559
And it's like, okay, you know what?
00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.320
Next one, pick each other up.
00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:27.360
That's how we do it.
00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:28.320
That's incredible.
00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:29.519
I completely agree.
00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:32.879
I think even when at the college level, that's still what a coach looks for.
00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:37.120
They want, they don't want to put up with like the attitude or the pushback or the talk.
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:44.799
If it's valid, of course, like constructive feedback is always good, always a benefit to stand up for yourself, but it needs to be in a way where you're coachable.
00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:48.799
You're a team first, you're not focused on your individual goals entirely.
00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:53.039
Um, and you're able to just work hard because consistency always wins, right?
00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:55.200
And that hard work will outwork talent.
00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.639
Do you Yeah, and and I have I have so I have 12 kids on my team.
00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:00.000
So I have 12 kids on my team.
00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:03.679
I have to realize as a coach, you know, what makes them tick.
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:08.240
Every single kid on my team is different, every single kid on my team has a different personality.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:16.879
So I have to figure out how to connect with them, not just them in general, but also connect with the parents too, because I don't know what's going on at home, you know.
00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:24.879
But when they step over on the field with me, I want to make them feel comfortable and I want to be there with that positive reinforcement to help out bring the best in them.
00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:25.919
Yeah, of course.
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:26.639
Of course.
00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:30.960
I mean, that's the goal of a parent at the young ages and of a coach at that young age.
00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:35.519
It's to bring out the best athlete of themselves, but also teach them well-rounded how to be a good human being.
00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:42.240
Sports, and I'm sure you can talk way more to this, but like sports apply so much to life skills and like youth development.
00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:44.559
Can you speak a little bit more about that?
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:55.360
Yeah, I think that's the most difficult part is playing baseball, such a mental game, you know, and it teaches you those life lessons of, you know, after the game's over, okay, what did I go through?
00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.960
Okay, so I learned how to set up a routine for myself.
00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:04.320
You know, just little things, like all tied together of like, okay, what is it that I learned from it?
00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:05.679
Okay, how to deal with adversity.
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:11.840
You're playing a game of baseball where you're gonna fail more times than you succeed in it, you know, so it's like, okay, how can I bounce back?
00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:14.080
And that's how it is in life after you get done.
00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:20.159
You're gonna get told no, you're gonna get told all those different things, but how can I turn all those setbacks into kind of comebacks?
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:27.600
Ultimately, what we're talking about here is the development, development of skills, development of life skills, development of your athlete all around.
00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:34.879
Do you think sports today is turning more into a focus about business than the development of these kids?
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:51.840
Yeah, and it's starting at a young age too, where there's you know, NIL, there's all these sponsorship, these partnerships, all this stuff, even with these younger kids in in high school, you know, they're out there getting all these deals already, these brand deals, and it's like we've lost the plot of what this is supposed to be.
00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.120
This is the game of baseball.
00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:56.080
We're supposed to go out there and train, be good teammates.
00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:06.799
Like I said, like it teaches so many things about the life lessons, but we're focusing more on the business side of an athlete rather than the development side of an athlete.
00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:12.799
So that's the main reason why I started my my brand of Let's Go is like bringing that clarity over the chaos.
00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:14.720
Hey, let's focus on A, B, and C.
00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:20.320
And then all these other ones here, let's put those to the side because everything else is gonna kind of take care of itself.
00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:28.000
So then what is a solution when there's a parent who's maybe listening to this and maybe they don't have access to let's go or they don't know they're in another state.
00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.840
So, what is a solution when they're going to put their kid in a travel team?
00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:36.799
They're looking, their kid loves baseball, soccer, volleyball, any sport, and they're looking to grow.
00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:41.840
They're a student and their student athlete, their child, where should they focus?
00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:48.639
What I'm looking for in a good coach is like, okay, someone that's going to bring out the best in my son or daughter, right?
00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:53.759
Like, who's always asking questions, always wanting to help them, positive reinforcement, all those things.
00:12:53.840 --> 00:13:00.879
It doesn't have to be where they play at the highest level, you know, because some of these, some of the best coaches out there, they haven't played at the big leagues.
00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:06.480
But even some of these ones that have played in the big leagues, they don't know how to connect with kids of the younger generation.
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:07.519
That's what I'd want to know.
00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.720
I want to ask these in-depth questions of okay, who's the coach?
00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:11.600
What's the plan?
00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:12.720
What's the philosophy?
00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.200
What does a practice plan look like?
00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.159
What does the game management side look like?
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.559
But people aren't asking those questions, they're kind of just going through the motions.
00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.600
But those questions, what does a good practice look like?
00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:28.639
That's where I come into play and help people out with practice plans.
00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:30.799
Hour and a half, two hours, two and a half hours.
00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:31.759
I'll break it down.
00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:35.519
So these kids are moving, they're grooving, but they're learning on top of everything.
00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:41.039
So separate the age groups, let's say we have the younger youth, youth, youth, like under eight years old.
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:42.159
That should be pure fun.
00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:47.600
There doesn't need to be a big practice plan, it should be just pure enjoyment and they're hitting the ball, right?
00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:48.799
Yes and no.
00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:53.600
Okay, so what should it look like by age group for a good practice plan on a good team?
00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:57.679
So the biggest thing, so I have like a curriculum set up for each age group.
00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:05.279
And like I said earlier, I said for each age, okay, even if they're six, all right, even if they're six, but at the beginning of the season, where are they at?
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:07.519
At the middle of the season, how have they improved?
00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.279
And at the end, where are they at?
00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:11.039
What are things that they should have accomplished?
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.679
What are some boxes on that checklist that they could check off because they accomplished them, right?
00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:17.840
And it goes back to the very basic things.
00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:25.840
This is a hand-eyed conditioned sport, so it's little things of just throwing a tennis ball up in the air and just washing it into the hand and catching.
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:32.159
Learn how to catch the brawl, catch the ball the proper way, learn how to field the ball the proper way.
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:42.080
Like if you're gonna hit if you're gonna hit off a T, put that T at home plate, put the ball in there, and try to hit a backspin line drive up the middle and do it over and over and over again.
00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.759
But at six years old, not at six, not at six.
00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:46.720
Oh, okay, okay.
00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.919
No, no, no, no, no.
00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:49.279
Okay, not at six.
00:14:49.360 --> 00:15:05.200
I'm saying from like from like six to probably eight or nine, it's the focus on like the the little things of like the test ball, even up with the T of what you're saying is yeah, when they're on the T, like they need to have the proper footwork, they need to hold the bat the right way.
00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.960
They learn it at such a young age.
00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.559
I'm not gonna start that stuff with somebody at 12 years old.
00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:16.000
Like, this is stuff that I learned at such a young age, but it's all comes back from having good coaching.
00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:18.399
So it really all does start with the coach.
00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:25.519
And then outside of that, there's so many different options for parents at different levels of clubs, it's expensive and all of that.
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:28.559
Like, where's the money worth it to go?
00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.720
Is it worth it in the gear to have a good, strong gear that's protecting kids?
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.399
Is it worth it in the coaching and the club?
00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:40.960
Like, where should someone who's putting their kid in youth sports, like, where should they focus on putting and investing their money and time?
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:57.360
Yeah, when you go to these tournaments, like when we go to Ripkin in Maryland and you see all the kids walking around and they have their big bags and they have you know four bats in there that are$500 a piece, and then they have the elbow guard, the leg guard, the you know,$200 sunglasses.
00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:01.679
It's like, yeah, all that stuff that doesn't make you play better on the field.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:04.480
Like for me, I had the same glove growing up all the time.
00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:05.679
I had the same bat all the time.
00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.519
And I never wore batting gloves.
00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.440
Like, I don't need all that gear or anything.
00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:19.360
It's more everything has a price tag to it, but it's also when it comes time for the training, okay, it's like where is the most value that I'm gonna get for the money that I'm spending?
00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:21.440
Because even if it's expensive, it's okay.
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:28.240
If there's a tremendous amount of value and I see that my son or daughter is gonna improve by, well, yeah, then I'll make the investment into it.
00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:29.679
Okay, that makes sense.
00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:34.799
So then in that area, are the families paying for development or just access?
00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:42.320
You're saying with the emphasis on gear, the families are paying a lot more there on like access and the fun and the youth.
00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:57.759
But is there gonna start to be a separation now where a parent who's trying to get their kid to the next level and kids playing at the next level and going to these big tournaments, will there be a separation of like wealth and accessibility for a youth athlete?
00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:06.240
Yeah, I think that's the question right there is okay, out of all these tournaments, out of all this training, out of all this stuff, what are we actually spending our money on?
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.200
What should what should we be spending our our money on?
00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.240
Is it the access?
00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.079
Is it the is it the development?
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:19.200
But it all comes back to the same thing of like, okay, what does this group, this team, this organization, what is their philosophy?
00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.279
You know, like what is it when it's broken down?
00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.920
Okay, is it the focus on the development?
00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:26.799
What does that development plan look like for my son or daughter?
00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.400
Are they focusing on the fundamentals?
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:33.359
Are they chasing, you know, to try to win these plastic trophies over the course of a weekend?
00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:41.200
Do they want to have their record where it's, you know, 20 wins and two losses, but they're playing against teams where they're beating up 15 to nothing every single time?
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:44.799
Like there's so many things that that that go into this, you know.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:48.640
But when you kind of fine-tune it, do it, it's like, okay, what do I need to work on?
00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.480
Most of the stuff you can just go outside in the yard and you can work on it on your own.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.039
Yeah.
00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:00.720
So what can how can a parent really tell if the program is actually worth it and their kid is getting what they need out of it?
00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:16.319
Yeah, I'm I that's that's another great question that I guess get asked all the time because what I do with my group too of Let's Go is like I'll partner up with all these different organizations to kind of help them set up standards for what their organization should be doing rather than standards.
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:24.960
The standards of what I said was basically okay, the the coach, the coach, like what are the requirements of the coach?
00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.400
What does that look like?
00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:30.400
With the parents, if you're gonna be a part of this organization right here, okay.
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.319
As a parent, like you have some guidelines too that you have to be going through.
00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:38.559
You can't be at practice the whole time yelling at your kids to do this, do this.
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:45.519
You can't be at the weekend having your lawn chair set up right next to the dugout and screaming at Johnny and telling him A, B, and C to do.
00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:50.799
And it's like, just sit back, you gotta let the coach do his thing, and then let him coach.
00:18:51.039 --> 00:19:01.119
Let him coach, let the coach coach, and then the kids like they have so much added added pressure when it comes to going out there to perform because mom or dad puts that pressure on.
00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:04.640
The coach, if he's not doing it the right way, puts that added pressure on.
00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.640
Then you have your own teammates, then you have the other team on the other side, the other parents.
00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.680
There's a lot that kind of entails into everything.
00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:23.599
But if you just kind of take a step back and you say, Hey, this is what we're gonna focus on today, this is what I need you to do, this is the plan, this is how you're gonna execute it, and we go, then it kind of takes away all that stress and they go out there and have fun.
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.640
Yeah, it sounds like let the parents take a step back.
00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:28.799
You're stressing your kid out, you're stressing your kid.
00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:29.920
They don't know any better, though.
00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:30.880
That's the biggest thing.
00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:38.720
Is yeah, they don't they they kind of just go through the motions because they're like, Okay, Johnny down the street is doing this, so now all of a sudden he's doing this.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.559
Okay, now it's the fear of missing out.
00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:41.599
We're not doing this.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.480
And it's like, okay, I gotta sign up for a perfect game event here.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:46.640
I gotta sign up for this showcase here.
00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:48.799
You don't have to do all of that type of stuff.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.160
If you focus on how can I be the best version of Zach?
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.079
How can I be the best version of Kate?
00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:59.680
Then you map out a plan around that and how to attack that, then you're gonna find out what that really is.
00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.839
So two questions come out of that for me.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:11.519
One, what tournaments are coaches actually going to that parents actually need to be investing their money and time and travel and all of that into for a kid to be at?
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:15.279
And at what age does a kid actually need to start caring about that?
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:20.400
If they're saying, I want to play in college, or they're just, you know, there's the two paths the youth sports go down.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:24.400
It's development as a personality, as a person, as an athlete, all of that.
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.400
It's fun, it's friend connection, all of that.
00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:34.640
And you don't necessarily play at the next level, or eventually it hits a turning point where you want to play at the next level and the family, you have support and you're investing toward that.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:39.119
So, at what age and point should an athlete really, really start to hone in?
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.079
I want to play at the next level and invest their time and money into it.
00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.519
And then when they're investing their time and money, where should they actually be going?
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:47.039
So think about this, right?
00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:57.599
So little league is age like you're doing travel within that little league from nine you up until 12U, and nine you up until 12U, you're using all these bats that are like juiced up.
00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:02.400
So the these U Triple SA bats where they can hit it so much harder than uh a regular bat.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:07.440
So it's not even real baseball yet because you're not even on the real size field until you get to the age.
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:08.880
Sorry to interrupt.
00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:10.960
Do you think that's applicable to other sports as well?
00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:13.119
Or is it primarily baseball?
00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.279
I just know the baseball side of it.
00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.759
I don't want to speak on anything else there, you know.
00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:44.079
But as soon as they get to 13 and now they're on the big field and the regular size field as the major leagues, and you can use these BB core bats or these wood bats, then a lot of those kids start to get exposed because just because they were big and strong and all this type of stuff using a juice bat, now they have a bat that everybody else is using, the game starts to kind of weed out okay, who's here, who's there, and kind of places you into these different tiers.
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:47.200
Um, so that's that's that's the biggest thing there.
00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:51.599
And like when you're talking about showcases and when to go to this one, okay.
00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:54.400
Prep is prep baseball is having this one in Georgia.
00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.400
There's another one that's at Lake Point.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:04.240
If if you're a kid in high school and you want to go to A division one school, I say sign up and go to their camp and just get a feel for it.
00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.720
Go watch a division one game, go watch one of those college world series games that just happened with Oklahoma and UNC.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.440
Can you see yourself playing out there because that game is sped up like there's no tomorrow?
00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:17.519
That looks like a big league game out there, you know?
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:22.960
So that's where you have to put yourself in their shoes and go, okay, do I see myself fitting in there?
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.519
And are these expectations that I'm setting for myself actually realistic?
00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:28.240
Right.
00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:30.799
I look at it though, too, of like with a kid.
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.319
So when they hit 13, when I was 13, I was still playing soccer.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.720
I didn't even like play volleyball full time.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.319
I that wasn't, I was starting to like get interested in the sport.
00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.720
I was starting to say, oh, maybe I want to do this instead.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:51.359
And then it wasn't until about like 14, and then a few years after where I fully started investing in volleyball, moved away from soccer, and then ended up playing that in college.
00:22:51.519 --> 00:23:03.519
So do you think it's that 13 to 16 age range where a kid can really decide where they want to play, what sport they want to play, and like how to invest to take it to the next level?
00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.920
I think it's different from kid to kid.
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:08.960
With without with how they're developing.
00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:15.839
Like when I graduated high school, um, I had a scholarship, I could have gone to the University of South Carolina, which was the number one team in the country.
00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:23.119
And then I had Stanford, I had Notre Dame, but I went and played for Division III school at Alvernia, where my dad was the coach.
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:27.359
But when I graduated high school, I was six foot, 175 pounds.
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:33.599
I'm like, if I would have gone to South Carolina, I probably would have got lost with down there, you know, because I wasn't comfortable with it.
00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:44.400
But then when I go to the school where I went to Alvernia, next thing you know, I put on 50 pounds of muscle, uh, because how I was eating, how I was training, how I was working out, all that type of stuff.
00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:52.319
Then it's like, okay, now that dream of like making it to the major leagues, that all of a sudden turns into a possibility.
00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.559
But I didn't know all this type of stuff when I was in in high school.
00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.880
Everything's so much more advanced now.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:04.559
They're asking these kids at age 13 or 14 where they want to play in college, and I had no idea what I wanted to do.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.480
No, not at all.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.880
I mean, you don't know what environment you want to be in.
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.799
Do you think there needs to be a change though?
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:16.400
Because there obviously is a legal limit now to when a coach can actually respond to a kid and reach out.
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:21.920
So, how should a parent navigate that when their kid is maybe getting talked to at a young age?
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:24.480
That you know, the parent should they push it for that?
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:26.960
Should they wait and say, let's, you know, be transparent?
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:29.200
Like, how should someone navigate that experience?
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.880
Just take it day by day.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:31.599
That's it.
00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.079
You don't want to rush anything, just take it day by day.
00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:39.680
Focus on the little things, focus on the development, focus on how to execute the routine plays.
00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:45.359
If I'm a pitcher, don't worry about throwing the ball 100 miles an hour if you're throwing it over the backstop.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:47.200
Like, there's little things you got to focus on.
00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:48.160
How can I throw strikes?
00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:49.440
How can I throw a good change at?
00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:53.279
How can I, if I'm a hitter, how can I hit that ball to the opposite field consistently?
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:58.559
Those routine balls that are in the infield, how can I make those routine plays every single time?
00:24:58.640 --> 00:24:59.440
Like those things.
00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:04.400
Don't get caught up into all this stuff with social media and what everybody else is doing.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.200
Because a lot of it on social media, it's fake anyway.
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.519
Just go out there and just focus on the little things that are going to be better for you.
00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:12.160
Yeah.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:25.279
What I'm hearing is focus on the game, focus on the fundamentals, develop your fundamentals, be hardworking, be responsive, maturity, grow as an individual, as an athlete, and have that healthy communication.
00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:32.319
Understand like what is actually important and what do you want out of life, and not necessarily what you see online or what you're told by your peer.
00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:35.680
Like you said, little Johnny's doing this, and little other little Johnny's doing that.
00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:37.119
And should they align, right?
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:46.240
Like everyone has their own developmental track and invest the time and money in what you see actually matches a goal for your child or for your family.
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.279
I agree.
00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:50.400
We were talking a little bit about playing multiple sports.
00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:54.240
At what age do you think they should specialize on one sport in a broad way?
00:25:54.400 --> 00:26:02.400
I know it's different per kid, but the fundamentals I've always believed playing multiple sports just makes you a better athlete at whatever sport you try to do.
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.799
At the end, maybe this isn't applicable for everyone.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.480
If someone is just utterly obsessed with baseball, play that, of course.
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:19.200
But if you have a child who wants to do baseball and soccer and football, like when does it really matter to say, hey, I think we need to cut back, invest more money into one sport and focus on it?
00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.799
I would say as the parent, you're not the one that's making that decision.
00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:27.039
You gotta let the kid make that decision, that decision of what they want to do, you know?
00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:35.279
If they want to play all these sports, then let them play all these sports because all of a sudden when they go to college, it's probably gonna be fine-tuned to one sport anyway.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:37.200
Like you don't need to be rushing to do all this.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:43.839
But I also have kids that train with me that they only play baseball, and they've only played baseball since they were nine or ten years old.
00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.839
But that's their love, that's their passion.
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.559
They watch the game on TV, they do all these things.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:49.759
That's what they want to do.
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.160
And I said, Okay, that's great, that's fine.
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:54.640
These other ones, yeah, there's that's it.
00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:02.960
But then all of a sudden, when a kid's playing baseball, basketball, and football, yeah, they have, but they also then have that anticipation leading up until that next sport.
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:06.000
If you would ask me during the season of basketball, what's your favorite sport?
00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:09.680
I would have said basketball during baseball season, what's my favorite sport?
00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:13.680
Yeah, it's baseball, it's little things like that that people over kind of overlook.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:15.279
Right, that makes a lot of sense.
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:24.799
So we've talked a lot about like looking at the price, what is it worth for a family to invest in, how these kids can be coached and raised in different ways.
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:31.440
One thing I really want to talk a little bit is about we touched on it at the beginning, but burnout and just love for the game and enjoying it.
00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:36.160
You said at the beginning, a kid should have fun, the game should be fun, the sport should be fun.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:46.559
Do you think kids are just falling out of love with sports earlier now and just no longer having fun due to the long hours and hundred plus tournaments a year?
00:27:46.880 --> 00:28:02.480
Yeah, the burnout for me isn't when you love the game, the burnout from it is when you're kind of pushed into doing something that you really don't want to do, but the parents think, oh, this is like my ticket for my kid to get a scholarship or all this type of stuff.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.519
Like, that's the thing.
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:08.640
These kids are going through minor league schedules before they're even at the age of 13.
00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:10.319
Like, I don't have that for my kids.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:14.000
Like, my kids will probably play, you know, 40 games throughout the year.
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.200
Like, that's a good number for my kids at like age 10.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:27.920
But then when I see some of these other ones and they're playing a hundred games from January until November, and even having some tournaments indoors in December, what are we doing?
00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:33.599
Like, it's it's all about that money generating somewhere for some all that revenue has to go somewhere.
00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:38.400
It's like, but that's that's not the I'm not playing baseball indoors at Christmas.
00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:39.920
There's tournaments at Christmas now.
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:40.799
What's the sense of that?
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:45.920
Yeah, that's crazy, and then that's taking away youth.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:51.359
Just like Christmas is a holiday, it's youth time, and that's so important in development as well.
00:28:51.519 --> 00:29:02.000
And that like time as a kid, do you what are the biggest signs you're seeing when you're coaching that you notice an athlete might be starting to burn out or might be starting to just be overworked?
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:05.440
And how do you coach them or as a dad with your own kids?
00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:10.799
As a dad or as a coach, you just have to ask those questions, you know.
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:18.880
I think we're always asking our kids questions, but we're not asking our kids the right questions, or just being like, hey, like, do you need a break right now?
00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:21.119
Like, even like my son is supposed to have a game tonight.
00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:23.039
He's like, Dad, I just need a break, you know.
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:24.480
We've been doing a lot of practicing.
00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:27.279
We've been like, okay, that's that's fine, dude.
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:28.559
I I don't I don't I don't care.
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:30.319
It's whatever you want to do.
00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:35.359
You kind of have to ask those questions that I just said of like, all right, when is enough enough?
00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:36.480
Like, what do we need to do?
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.480
Do we need to go to this tournament this weekend?
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:41.200
Or we can can we go to the beach for the weekend?
00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.480
Like, you even if you don't go to that tournament, you're not missing out on anything.
00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:47.519
There's there's no, there's no, you're not doing it's whatever.
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:48.480
You're just playing games.
00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:49.680
Like, go have fun.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:50.720
I completely agree.
00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:52.000
First of all, I completely agree.
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:55.039
So, how does someone actually balance it today, right?
00:29:55.119 --> 00:30:03.119
Like, you have connections in the baseball world for maybe someone who doesn't have connections, their kid loves the sport, they don't have the connections in the world.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.640
So for them, it's also like I'm getting that extra exposure.
00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:09.680
This tournament could be a defining tournament, you never know.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:17.279
Like, what do we how do we keep sports a balance between competitive and moving forward, but fun and knowing when to take a break?
00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:22.559
I said earlier, too, of like the parents, they're kind of going through the motions of what everybody else is doing, you know?
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:27.599
And it's like, okay, where is the value that I can have for for my kid?
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:29.519
What is that that plan right there?
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:31.119
When is enough enough?
00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.599
Like there's just little things like like that.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.640
Do you know what I'm saying?
00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:35.920
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:44.160
Asking the questions for your family, not based off what everyone else is doing, but what does your child want for your family and how is it gonna grow on their team?
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.599
Yes, exactly.
00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.400
And how do you approach that with your own son?
00:30:48.480 --> 00:31:01.039
You said, for example, taking a beach weekend nowadays with such a competitive schedule, how can you sit, how can you communicate that with maybe a coach and say, oh, you know, like we're not gonna, we can't commit to these many tournaments.
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:05.279
We want to be on this team and we want to be a part of it, but we can't commit to 100 tournaments a year.
00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:07.119
Do they find a different club to be a part of?
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:08.000
Do you have that?
00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:09.359
How does a parent navigate that?
00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:20.400
It's all comes back to the the coaching of it and like how I set up my schedule because every single kid on my team plays multiple sports and they're playing multiple sports throughout the entire year.
00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:22.880
So I know how to give them breaks.
00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:30.640
I knew when to give them breaks, like the whole month of August, like we don't have any games because I know everybody's gonna go on vacation then.
00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:35.599
And then in the fall, we don't have that many tournaments because they're all playing other sports during the summer.
00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:38.720
We don't need to be playing every single weekend.
00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:42.480
We can be playing one weekend and then have two weekends off and then play one.
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:44.000
You gotta just space it out.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:54.160
But when you're gonna sign up for a team and you're like, okay, my entire summer is gonna be 12 weekends of going and traveling to East Jubip to play God knows who?
00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.440
It doesn't matter.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:57.279
Like, why would you want to do that?
00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.079
Yeah.
00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:05.920
How did your perspective change between an MLB player into coaching and then as a dad?
00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:11.279
Like, how did that shift everything for you when you actually became a dad and you're coaching your own kid?
00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:17.200
There's a lot of people out there who coach their own kids, and what how do you keep that relationship there?
00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:19.680
What advice would you have to someone coaching their own kid?
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:25.440
It took many years of me coaching many different levels to kind of figure this whole thing out.
00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:34.960
And I think that's why I'm so glad that I've worked for All Star for the past 10 years is you know, I helped out with so many teams, ages from eight up until 18.
00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:38.880
Um, so many big league guys there, you know, that come back in the offseason.
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:45.680
Like those little things have given me so much information to now I know, okay, what does good look like?
00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:49.279
And how can I help other people with this whole process?
00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:58.720
So that has been huge, huge for me because it is it it's tough as a dad and to coach your kid, but you have to know, okay, what is it?
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:01.519
I you can't give them special treatment, you can't do this.
00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:02.480
Like, think about it.
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:04.319
I went and played for my dad in college.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:10.400
It was the whole thing of like, all right, how's this gonna go with uh dad coaching this kid in college?
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:16.000
But my dad did it the right way, he brought everybody in and was like, okay, this is what Zach wants to do.
00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:17.359
He wants to come and play here.
00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:20.960
I want to get everybody's kind of a check mark and say if this is okay.
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:26.559
And then it kind of all worked out, but it's not giving people these special moments or all this type of stuff.
00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:27.680
You treat them all the same.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.480
I totally agree.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.400
So I agree with what you're saying there that it should be like that for every coach.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:41.039
Every coach all around the block should not necessarily play favorites, it should focus on the talent and look at it, whether it's your child or whether you're coaching a team at any level.
00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:45.119
Um, what do you refuse to do as a sports parent?
00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:47.759
Like is overload their workload.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:53.519
I think that's the biggest thing is like, okay, we practice, like when we're there, we're gonna be there, we're gonna get our practice in.
00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:57.119
It's gonna be an hour and a half, we are gonna get to work and then we're gonna get out.
00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:04.559
Like, even with all these camps that I have throughout like the entire summer, like a lot of these camps that you see kids going to, they're from like 8 a.m.
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:06.079
until like 5 p.m.
00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:20.079
Yeah, it's easier for the parents to just kind of drop them off and then get them after work, but for me, I like having it where it's three hours from nine until 12, and you get in there and we have a whole plan of what we're gonna execute, and then that's what we do.
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.480
It's not being at the field the entire day.
00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:25.679
It's when you're there, it's the quality over the quantity.
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:26.880
That makes a lot of sense.
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:28.000
I completely agree.
00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:30.000
Quality over quantity is very important.
00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:40.320
Um, to kind of close out this area where we're talking about parent advice and youth sports before getting into a couple hard truths about like what the business side of it actually looks like today.
00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:44.639
What if a parent's listening and just feels overwhelmed and they're just confused?
00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:59.280
Because even myself hearing this, I'm not a parent, but I'm overwhelmed just hearing all the different perspectives throughout this conversation around, you know, that balance of I want to take him to the next level, but I don't know where, X, Y, Z, it's confusing to find the right coach.
00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:05.679
What is one thing outside of just the family values we've talked about that they need to focus on?
00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:07.519
For they they feel completely overwhelmed.
00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:14.480
They know I need to find a value aligned with my family, but what do they actually need to focus on in the day-to-day for their child?
00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:15.440
No, absolutely.
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:28.880
I think right now they're focusing on the wrong things, meaning they're always on social media and they're listening to people talk about certain things that have never played at a at a high level or have never really been through it.
00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:33.440
It's like I can't get on there and talk about, you know, volleyball and all this stuff.
00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:34.480
I never played it, you know.
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:43.519
But you have people on social media that have maybe played a little bit in high school and then all of a sudden they're like God's gift at teaching baseball on TikTok or Instagram.
00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:52.880
They have hundreds of thousands of followers, and you're like, dude, what you're talking about is not exactly what happens like in a big league clubhouse or in a pro clubhouse and stuff like that.
00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:57.519
Like those are the things that and it all goes back to okay, what can we focus on?
00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:59.760
And I said it a thousand times already.
00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:03.119
It's about the development, the coaching, and the development.
00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:10.000
Like a good coach is gonna help you kind of set and fine-tune all these things to make that process easier for you.
00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:16.639
Yeah, and what I'm also hearing from you is there's just too many voices of people who haven't lived it, who aren't playing at a high level.
00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:26.559
That's a huge reason why I started this committed podcast was to have clarity for parents, players, and everyone in that sports industry because there's so much online, like you said.
00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:37.119
Do you think that there should be restrictions, or would you recommend a restriction for a parent around like how much content for the sport is consumed by their child on social media and online?
00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:45.599
I think it's crazy right now because you, if you go on to Instagram or you go on to even like LinkedIn right now, there's people doing it.
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:51.760
Like I have a guy, Landon Donovan, that played team USA soccer, like Jeff Francor is worth this company.
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:54.639
I uh we play together with the Mets, but he has this company, pure athlete.
00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:57.679
Greg Olsen with You Think, played in the NFL for years.
00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:02.000
All these guys are saying all this stuff that that I'm saying, right?
00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:12.079
Of like, okay, let's take our foot off the gas pedal here and let's focus on okay, this isn't about whatever we're gonna do, whatever it takes to get that win over the weekend.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:16.639
It's like, hey, let's let these kids just enjoy the moment that they're in.
00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:22.960
We're not forcing anything to to do, you know, like let's get back and let's focus on those little things.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:31.840
Yeah, it sounds like there's a lot of people who've lived it who've now become parents and are getting really concerned and saying, you know, that this is a real problem.
00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:37.519
I mean, one factor that we can talk about is the fact that like private equity is getting into youth sports.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:39.199
Have you seen that coming to light?
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:43.840
Yeah, there's private equity, but then there's also private equity for good too.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:52.000
Um there's a company called Slice Sports, S-L-I-C-E sports, that I'm gonna be doing a lot with um going forward.
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:54.639
And it's private equity in the right way.
00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.320
Okay, where are we gonna put this?
00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:57.440
Where are we gonna put that?
00:37:57.599 --> 00:37:58.559
What is the value?
00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:06.000
How can we help out here and do things the right way rather than okay, we're gonna add more tournaments, we're gonna add more teams?
00:38:06.159 --> 00:38:07.840
That's not what it's it's about.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:11.360
There has to be a whole plan and how to execute that plan the right way.
00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:12.800
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:29.920
Do you think with there is a future where this adjusts and it kind of recorrects itself with the way that so many people, like I said, who have lived it and come out of it and want to help, do you see in long term it kind of readjusting, or with you know, the college level even getting bigger and bigger with NIL and Transfer Portal and all of this?
00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:33.599
Like, how does the future balance itself out from your perspective?
00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:44.800
Yeah, I feel like we're never going to take a step backwards, but I think at times we also need to take a step backwards in order to kind of regroup in order to move you know forwards but stronger.
00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:57.199
So there's there's certain things that we can do as as a country with this of like, listen, all these things, all this money, like it shouldn't should my kid be paying five thousand dollars to play on a travel team at age 10.
00:38:57.519 --> 00:38:58.800
No, what why?
00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:07.039
Like we should be you could you could pay for let's think about five thousand dollars, like per you have you have 12 kids on the team, it's five sixty thousand dollars.
00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:11.199
Like, what we talk you don't have to work work another job then, like right there is your money.
00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:14.159
Like, what I don't know what we're we're doing here, it's crazy.
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:20.480
Yeah, most like I remember so many times until you're on that top level, like your coach also did something else.
00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:34.719
This was like a fun side thing, and I'm I'm sure that is still out there, but we're obviously talking about the like very high travel teams, five thousand dollars a year, or even five thousand dollars for a season, which isn't even the whole year, so you're paying twice a year.
00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:38.800
Um, where do you see then in college?
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.400
Do you ever work in the college level with NIL in baseball?
00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:50.000
And how do you see that shifting for someone whose kid might be about to commit or is going to commit or wants to commit at college?
00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:51.440
Like, how should they leverage NIL?
00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:55.280
And do you think NIL should be in this high school sport realm?
00:39:55.599 --> 00:40:14.880
Yeah, uh for me, I kind of stay out of that whole realm of the NIL and the college, but I do know everything about it as well because when you look at the College World Series that just happened and you look at certain teams that were in it, and you're like, okay, this team, Kansas, you have all nine of their kids in the starting lineup came from a junior college.
00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:20.000
So it's like almost like a draft every year with this transfer transfer portal.
00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:36.000
You can go and you can have an outstanding year at University of Louisville, like my guy Teg Davis did, and then all of a sudden you have LSU, you have Tennessee, you have Navy, all these teams you know, saying, Hey, okay, tell us what the number is for us to get you to come there.
00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:39.039
That's not what this is uh about, you know.
00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:43.840
When you go to a school, I want them to be committed to that school and focus.
00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:46.559
Okay, how can I make this program to turn this program around?
00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:52.960
It's so difficult being a college coach right now because college coaches they just go on the transfer portal and they're like, okay, this kid's available.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:55.760
We don't even need this kid right now, but look at his stats.
00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:56.639
He's available.
00:40:56.719 --> 00:40:58.960
We're gonna try and get him, we're gonna kick this guy off.
00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:01.280
It's like it's the wild, wild west out there.
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:01.840
It's crazy.
00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:02.880
It really is.
00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:04.400
Yeah, it really is.
00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.039
It really is.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:09.519
I actually talk to people often and I'm like, if you don't want that, look into D2 and D3.
00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:12.239
And I actually had a guest on here earlier, Kevin.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:13.119
He's amazing.
00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:19.920
He had the full experience, started JUCO, and then went to D1, played D2, played back to D1, has done all of it.
00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:26.559
Do you think that in baseball specifically, it's almost sometimes smart to go JUCO than transfer portal to make it D1?
00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:30.960
Or are you seeing a decrease in recruitment of high school athletes?
00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:34.000
I think you just got to go where you're gonna play, you know?
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:37.679
Like when the when the kids in high school, they're like, hey, I want to go play D1.
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:39.039
Yeah, that's great.
00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:50.239
Like you might have talent, you might be able to go and do it, but you're probably gonna be sitting that whole first year and possibly that whole second year, and then next thing you know, you're gonna be lost by the wayside.
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:53.440
Go where you can play, go where you can perform, you know.
00:41:53.599 --> 00:42:05.519
Like even when I was at Alvernia and I was first team All-American as a as a freshman, like I could have gone to South Carolina, but there was no NIL, there was no money that was involved or anything like that at the time.
00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:09.519
But I just it was I was fine with where I with where I was, you know.
00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:15.039
But like you said, you got these kids going JUCO and then they go D1, then they go D2, then they go back to D1.
00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:22.079
So when they're done college, there are like four or five different schools, and you're like, holy smokes, like this is this is wild.
00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:28.000
So then for me, if I'm a business owner and I look at these people and I'm like, okay, what are they chasing here?
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:31.519
Are they just chasing the money side of all this?
00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:40.320
If I want to hire somebody and they keep going from basically location to location, I know, team to team, what's gonna happen right here if they come to me?
00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:44.400
Is there gonna be another good option that comes up and they're just gonna be like, hey, yeah, I'm all in.
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:47.519
Next thing you know, six months go by and then they're out the door.
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:54.639
I have never heard someone point that perspective out, and that is very interesting when they've talked about the changing.
00:42:54.800 --> 00:43:10.079
We've I've talked with a lot of people, the business I worked to build Sport X at ASU, like it's talks about NIL through career development, but that perspective of looking at a resume as an employer and seeing that you jump around and what are you actually chasing is incredible advice.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.599
Yeah, that's not your ticket.
00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:25.679
You're you're on your resume when you see, okay, you were at this JUCO, then you went to um, I don't know, Division T went to the University of Tampa, and then all of a sudden you go to LSU, then you go to Florida, and it's like, okay, well, let me take a step back here.
00:43:25.760 --> 00:43:27.920
Okay, what what's the process here?
00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.119
What happened without that?
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:30.559
It's the same thing with any jobs.
00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:35.760
If you look and within the past three years, an individual has had four or five different jobs.
00:43:35.920 --> 00:43:38.159
Okay, what is what's going on here?
00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:40.000
You know, there's got to be something that's going on.
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:41.280
Are they a good team player?
00:43:41.440 --> 00:43:42.800
Are they not a good team player?
00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:47.440
Like, there's gotta be something that that that comes up behind this that that we're not talking about.
00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:48.719
That's very interesting.
00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:49.679
I like that a lot.
00:43:49.840 --> 00:43:59.519
That my circle question to that that I had around recruitment NIL at the high school level have you seen as a coach a change due to like transfer and NIL?
00:43:59.679 --> 00:43:59.840
I mean.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:04.880
Primarily, honestly, the transfer portal that kids are getting recruited less and less out of high school.
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:05.920
Is that actually a problem?
00:44:06.079 --> 00:44:07.599
Because I know it's talked about.
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:08.960
Yeah, no, absolutely.
00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:12.880
But I think that's where you have to do your due diligence due diligence.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:16.400
And you have to be like, okay, what's the best route for this kid?
00:44:16.639 --> 00:44:17.920
You know, is it for me?
00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:27.679
It's not about okay, I can send this kid to North Carolina as a as a baseball instructor or as it as an academy owner just so I can post it on social media.
00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:32.000
Because next thing you know, they go to North Carolina, but they don't play the entire year.
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:33.760
So they missed out on an entire year.
00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:36.880
So for me, I'm looking at, okay, what is the good fit right there?
00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:38.559
Should this kid you know what?
00:44:38.639 --> 00:44:40.159
I see him as a good JUCO fit.
00:44:40.239 --> 00:44:46.960
He needs to go, he's got to get in the gym a little bit more, and then we can make that decision of like, okay, what's the next school he's gonna go to?
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.559
Go in division three.
00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:51.679
I made it from division three and made it up to the big leagues.
00:44:51.760 --> 00:44:53.679
Like, there's always people will find you.
00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:57.679
It's not about jumping from ship to ship looking for certain things.
00:44:57.760 --> 00:45:06.079
It's like just focus on those little things and just stay, stay coarse, stay true to what you're doing, and know when to make a calculated correct next decision.
00:45:06.239 --> 00:45:11.199
Yeah, not take taking risks is important, but have some thought behind the risk taking almost as well.
00:45:11.440 --> 00:45:15.760
And then something else you called out that is interesting at the youth level.
00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:26.239
Um, this was something I always talked about with my younger brothers, is you know, when you're picking as a youth in high school to be not picking, but maybe you get the offer to be in JV or varsity.
00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:27.920
That happens often at youth, right?
00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:32.639
It's like JV, you could be on it, or they're disappointed they made JV instead of varsity.
00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:35.199
But you're actually gonna play, you're gonna develop.
00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:36.400
And that's what we've talked about.
00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:40.639
The whole big theme is having a good coach and being able to develop as a youth player.
00:45:40.880 --> 00:45:46.480
And when you're as a youth player, maybe making the B team isn't necessarily a step back.
00:45:46.639 --> 00:45:57.760
And I think nowadays stuff can be so flashy, but on that B team, you're gonna get reps and you're not gonna be subbed in and out, and you're not, you know, maybe you're traveling a little less even, but you're actually developing.
00:45:57.920 --> 00:45:59.199
Do you agree with that?
00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:11.280
Yeah, this is wild because this is the first time I was asked this question, and I'm glad that you brought this up because I've been on probably a hundred different podcasts, radio shows, and all this other stuff, and nobody has asked that question, right?
00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:19.840
So it's like, okay, just because you're a freshman, you're in ninth grade, and then the parents are like, Oh, I really want him to be on that varsity team.
00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:20.960
Yeah, but for what?
00:46:21.039 --> 00:46:22.239
Like to be a cheerleader?
00:46:22.320 --> 00:46:23.679
Like, he's not gonna play.
00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:28.000
He's gonna be over there keeping the scorebook where he can play on that freshman team.
00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:29.920
Oh, he's gonna be on JV, he's not gonna be on.
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:30.880
Is he playing?
00:46:31.039 --> 00:46:32.320
Yes, that's all that matters.
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:32.800
Right.
00:46:33.199 --> 00:46:35.199
On freshman year, I played on the freshman team.
00:46:35.360 --> 00:46:38.800
My sophomore year, I played on the JV team.
00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:50.559
Somebody got hurt, and then I got the opportunity to come up there, and I made a good impact, and then I stayed there the rest of the year, and then my junior and your senior year, I earned my spot of what I was doing.
00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:55.519
It's not nothing, nothing was given, there was no politics, everything was just earned.
00:46:55.679 --> 00:46:59.360
And I'm glad that we brought this up because parents they get so caught up in hey, you know what?
00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:01.679
My kid's a freshman and he's on the varsity team.
00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:02.480
Yeah, that's great.
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:04.000
How many at bats does he have?
00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:04.559
Zero.
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:06.320
How many innings pitch does he have?
00:47:06.559 --> 00:47:07.039
Zero.
00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:09.599
Well, that's the he's he's not even on the team.
00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:11.840
He's just his name's there, but he's not even on the team.
00:47:12.159 --> 00:47:12.719
Completely.
00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:15.039
I mean, I had the same exact experience.
00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:17.280
My younger brother, and you know, went on to play D1.
00:47:17.440 --> 00:47:20.239
Younger brother for basketball, very similar experience.
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:25.440
He's playing D3 at a high academic school who's who's now has an Apple internship, right?
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:31.119
So that goes into priorities and what you're looking for, whether you're playing, whether it's academic for your sport, whatever it may be.
00:47:31.280 --> 00:47:32.400
But I completely agree.
00:47:32.559 --> 00:47:35.599
Playing making as a junior, I made JV.
00:47:35.679 --> 00:47:37.440
And I was so frustrated.
00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:38.159
I was like, why?
00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:40.159
Like, I want to play JV and varsity.
00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:43.840
And same thing by the time I got pulled up at one point, I was able to rep.
00:47:44.079 --> 00:47:47.119
But that junior year, I was able to actually get reps.
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:50.880
I was I able actually to be better as a player, right?
00:47:51.280 --> 00:47:53.039
And same thing in club.
00:47:53.199 --> 00:47:57.440
You you know, I wasn't on the first team the first time I tried out for volleyball.
00:47:57.519 --> 00:47:58.400
It was the second team.
00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:05.280
Same thing with my younger brother, and it sounds like the same experience for you and many athletes you're coaching, where it does come down to rep and not the title.
00:48:05.519 --> 00:48:07.760
Yeah, it's all about the development process, you know.
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:13.440
There are some kids that are gonna be freshmen that are gonna play varsity, and that's okay.
00:48:13.519 --> 00:48:16.079
But then when you look at him and you're like, you know what?
00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:23.840
I get it, I understand why he's on varsity because he absolutely rakes, or he's throwing cheese, or he's making all these places a crazy athlete.
00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:24.880
It makes sense.
00:48:25.039 --> 00:48:34.000
But just because your name is on that roster sheet of varsity, but you're a freshman and you're not getting any playing time, that's not doing anything for you.
00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:36.719
So, you know, parents, put the ego to the side.
00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:37.679
Nobody cares.
00:48:37.840 --> 00:48:41.760
You know, I want to hear, okay, how my kid did that day, how many at best did he get?
00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:42.559
What did he work on?
00:48:42.639 --> 00:48:43.280
What was his plan?
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:44.320
What was his approach?
00:48:44.400 --> 00:48:45.280
All those things.
00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:46.880
Yeah, I completely agree.
00:48:47.039 --> 00:48:49.119
And tell your kid to also not worry about the ego.
00:48:49.280 --> 00:48:51.280
And that in itself is a good life lesson.
00:48:51.440 --> 00:49:03.599
That's a good long-term life lesson for careers, post-college, relationships, whatever it may be, too, which is a huge factor of sports and always has been is the life skills aspect of building those life skills.
00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:04.559
Um, amazing.
00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:16.480
Well, I know we're coming up on time, so I want to get into our quick TMI section where we have too much insight, TMI, too much insight, where I ask you some rapid fire questions um for a quick one-word, one-sentence answer.
00:49:16.559 --> 00:49:21.599
Um, they're a little repetitive, but they're just kind of the one takeaway from our themes of these conversations here.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:22.320
Gotcha.
00:49:22.719 --> 00:49:27.760
Um, the first one is what is the worst advice you hear parents giving their kids today?
00:49:28.079 --> 00:49:28.880
Rankings.
00:49:29.440 --> 00:49:32.719
To worry about rankings, yes, worry about rankings.
00:49:32.800 --> 00:49:33.840
Yeah, good to know.
00:49:34.079 --> 00:49:37.760
Have you ever seen a situation where a kid was clearly being pushed way too far?
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:39.280
And how did you respond?
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:44.800
Yeah, I see that pretty often with how parents can be just overbearing with everything.
00:49:44.880 --> 00:49:46.719
And you just need to have that conversation with them.
00:49:47.039 --> 00:49:48.960
Listen, just pump the brakes here, just trust me.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:53.840
You don't need to be here breathing down my neck the whole time or breathing down Johnny's neck the whole time.
00:49:53.920 --> 00:49:56.559
Just trust the process and we'll we'll we'll take care of him.
00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:04.159
If you had one just like snap of the fingers could happen, wish almost one thing in youth sports you could fix immediately.
00:50:04.239 --> 00:50:05.679
If you could, what would it be?
00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:08.400
It's what I said, clarity over the chaos.
00:50:08.559 --> 00:50:14.719
Like that's what I want people to kind of understand and kind of latch on to of like, listen, this is the route that you're going.
00:50:14.960 --> 00:50:17.039
This is the route that you don't have to go down.
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:18.400
This is another route right here.
00:50:18.480 --> 00:50:22.000
There's different forks in the road that we can choose of where to go to.
00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:28.719
But for me and what I'm doing, I'm trying to steer you down the right direction because what's that's what's going to be what's best for your kid.
00:50:28.960 --> 00:50:31.760
Yeah, what's best for your kid ultimately is right there.
00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:35.440
Do you think social media has made youth sports better or worse?
00:50:35.679 --> 00:50:36.159
Worse.
00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:38.559
Do you think that there's coming back from that?
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:39.199
No.
00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:40.639
Okay.
00:50:41.199 --> 00:50:43.519
I want to like unpack that, but this is our section.
00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:45.039
We're gonna have to ask one more question.
00:50:45.199 --> 00:50:49.280
Have you ever disagreed strongly with how another program was run?
00:50:49.599 --> 00:50:51.519
And did you do something about it?
00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:53.760
Yes, disagree with it.
00:50:54.239 --> 00:50:55.840
Can I do something about it?
00:50:56.159 --> 00:50:56.400
No.
00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:57.440
Amazing.
00:50:57.679 --> 00:51:01.679
What is something parents spend money on that is completely unnecessary?
00:51:02.239 --> 00:51:02.719
Gear.
00:51:03.599 --> 00:51:04.079
Really?
00:51:04.480 --> 00:51:04.800
Yeah.
00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:07.599
The excessive gear or just gear?
00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:11.599
The gear or the gimmicky training devices.
00:51:12.159 --> 00:51:13.119
Okay, okay.
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:17.679
Um, and then is travel actually making athletes better or just more tired?
00:51:17.920 --> 00:51:18.320
Better.
00:51:18.559 --> 00:51:20.320
Is too much travel a thing?
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:20.800
Yes.
00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:24.559
Are ranking and exposure platforms helping or hurting your kid?
00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:25.440
Hurting.
00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:28.960
What does a good coach actually look like at the youth level?
00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:38.159
Uh, one that communicates, one that has a plan, one that has a good practice plan, one that has good game management, and one that is very good with positive reinforcement.
00:51:38.320 --> 00:51:38.880
I love that.
00:51:39.039 --> 00:51:41.840
What is separates kids who make it versus those who don't?
00:51:42.079 --> 00:51:50.239
I think the easy answer would be work ethic, but there's also so many things that come into it with the timing, being at the right place at the right time.
00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:54.559
So yeah, but you know, just find your path, what your path is.
00:51:54.880 --> 00:51:55.519
Work hard.
00:51:55.679 --> 00:51:55.920
Yeah.
00:51:56.079 --> 00:51:59.039
I always say luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity.
00:51:59.280 --> 00:51:59.679
I agree.
00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:05.199
Before I get to the last question that I like to close every episode out with, do you want to expand a little bit on that social media?
00:52:05.360 --> 00:52:06.320
You said you made it worse.
00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:08.639
You said you don't think there's coming back from it.
00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:12.639
So, what should a child do, or what can a parent do about that?
00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:15.039
It's about following the right people.
00:52:15.199 --> 00:52:23.280
There's so many people that are on Instagram or TikTok or you know, Twitter, all this type of stuff, but they haven't been through it.
00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:36.960
So I think that's why people connect with me and they trust me because of where I've been, what I've been doing for the past 10 years, what I did 10 years professionally, how I'm looking out for the kids and the kids in their future.
00:52:37.199 --> 00:52:37.760
I love it.
00:52:37.920 --> 00:52:38.400
I agree.
00:52:38.559 --> 00:52:42.400
My last question of every episode is what does being committed mean to you?
00:52:42.639 --> 00:52:44.880
Being committed, it's just like my let's go brand.
00:52:45.039 --> 00:52:49.119
I'm committed to bringing that clarity over the chaos to everything that's going on.
00:52:49.280 --> 00:53:04.320
I'm committed to, you know, everything that's going on in youth sports right now just to kind of make it a little bit easier, a little bit smoother for people, you know, so that they can trust what um what I'm doing with this whole process and kind of give them that clear pathway.
00:53:04.559 --> 00:53:04.960
I love it.
00:53:05.119 --> 00:53:05.440
I love it.
00:53:05.519 --> 00:53:09.119
And more people definitely um need to do that and be out there doing that.
00:53:09.199 --> 00:53:16.000
At the end of the day, it really should be about the kids, helping them grow, love the game, and just ultimately become better people while enjoying the sport.
00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:26.000
I think this conversation has really brought that focus back, has been hopefully beneficial to parents listening out there who are trying to navigate not only baseball, but youth sports in general.
00:53:26.239 --> 00:53:28.960
Any last remarks before we close out and say thank you?
00:53:29.199 --> 00:53:29.840
Nothing for me.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:30.800
Just let's go.
00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:32.239
All right, I love it.
00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:34.079
Well, thank you everyone for tuning in.
00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:38.079
We will be back with another episode of Committed very soon, and have a great rest of your day.
00:53:38.159 --> 00:53:38.880
Thank you, Zach.
00:53:39.039 --> 00:53:39.920
Yeah, thanks, Kate.
00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:40.880
Appreciate it.
