The Winning Mindset
The Winning Mindset is for empowering athletes, parents, and coaches to excel in sports and life. We focus on building mental toughness, positive attitudes, and promoting personal growth through shared insights and motivational content.
The Winning Mindset
Back In The Game
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The mics are on again and we’re kicking off season two with the reason we started: helping families and teams find the sweet spot where joy and discipline can actually live together. After a six‑month break filled with showcases, travel, and youth football playoffs, we sit down to reset the mission, share what we learned, and get real about coaching, parenting, and culture without the clichés.
We dig into the toughest tightrope of all: coaching your own kid. What does it mean to be a parent first and a coach second when the emotions are highest in the car ride home? We share the “hat rule” that prevents blowups, the quiet heartbreak of missing your child’s best moments while coaching everyone else, and small, repeatable habits that protect trust. Then we wade into the multi‑sport vs early specialization debate with lived examples. Some kids need variety to stay fresh and avoid burnout. Others are wired to go deep on one thing and thrive. We lay out practical signals to watch—curiosity, energy, resilience—so you can adjust without breaking momentum.
Team changes and roles come up too. We talk about presenting unbiased facts to your child, letting them lead big decisions, and pushing for role clarity with coaches before frustration hardens into stories that aren’t true. Overcommunication reduces frustration, and culture shows up in the details: how families talk at home, how coaches set expectations, and how leaders handle conflict when nobody’s paycheck is on the line. We even zoom out to college football, pulling lessons from system‑driven programs—standards, consistency, ownership—that scale to youth teams and Saturday mornings.
Season two is built for coaches, parents, and former athletes who want practical tools and honest conversation. If you care about growth, grit, and keeping sports fun without losing the edge, you’re in the right place. Press play, share this with a friend who needs a fresh perspective, and leave a review to help us reach more families this season.
Jeff, we're back. We are officially back. Well, I guess uh do we welcome ourselves back because there's no one else to welcome us back.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I would like to welcome myself back, and I would like to welcome you back.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you. It's been six months. It doesn't feel like six months. That just tells you how time goes.
SPEAKER_00:I know. Well, that's what, yeah, I I opened up everything. It was kind of, I guess, blowing the dust off of the uh of the old uh podcast episode uh recording stuff, and uh all of a sudden it was like, it's been six months since your last episode. I'm like, man, we uh time flew. I remember we did the one with Jeff, that's what we were just talking about. We did the episode with Jeff, and then it was like football season got crazy, showcases and stuff for you got crazy, and it was just like I think what we probably texted six, seven times throughout the like those six months. It was like, let's do an episode, and then it got busy. And then after that, it was like, oh boy, let's just get through the holidays, breathe, and uh and and hit the ground running. So um, but no, I'm I'm I'm pumped, I'm excited to to be back, getting things rocking and rolling again with this. Um it's uh a lot of people have asked, like, I I think you know they were wondering if it if it would just if we just rode off into the sunset and we're never coming back. Because I had several people that were like, You guys still doing that podcast?
SPEAKER_02:Just put to one season witness.
SPEAKER_00:That's right, that's right. We're gonna try season two. We're gonna try season two, and uh hopefully this one keeps going. But you know, the podcast is a year old now, and uh, you know, maybe we can uh maybe we can make it to two years old and see if we can't get this thing out of uh out of infancy, I should say. So um, but yeah, just uh, you know, super grateful for for for all the love and support that we've gotten over the last season and um very excited about kickstarting this season. I got you know, I got in my mind, you know, I was actually sitting this morning uh on the treadmill thinking about it, and I'm like, who are we gonna bring for season for season two? Who are who are some people that you know, I think we have a list of people that we talked about for season one and then um didn't get around to bringing them on. So um I'm very excited to get our get our roster, if you will, built up and uh and get this rocking and rolling. But you know, just to remind people what we're here for, obviously our you know, our goal in this podcast is just um you know, essentially to to grow and to support and encourage each other as far as being coaches, athletes, former athletes, um, you know, from perspective of uh of being coaches from perspectives of players and and even perspectives of parents. So um, you know, I think uh I think season two will pick up right where season one left off. Um I think we'll have have a lot of a lot of great uh guests on with us. But um what about you, bud? What uh what what what's your what's your hopes for for season two as we as we get this thing rolling?
SPEAKER_01:Well, something I really enjoyed about the first season was just getting to hear from um the guys that we spoke to, guys like Jeff Fry and from all different sports, and it just it kind of goes to show that these these guests that we've had on, they've found ways to blend uh leadership, discipline, faith, um, and all those stories have grit into their into their mindset. And I think, you know, it helps me because you know, I'm not playing sports anymore, I'm not coached anymore, so I feel like I get a little jolt of of energy when I you know hear how people do it and and things like that. So uh I'm excited just to keep learning um and for the messages that you know we're lucky enough to hear and share with the audience that we have.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure, for sure. Oh, side note, I grew hair. I don't know, uh I wear a hat a lot of times when we're recording, but you know, I got a got a got a head full of hair now and were you gonna last time we showed? I clean I was like clean shaving it for for years and then uh Yeah, and then we uh we ran into some friends uh back in June. We were in Mexico for a wedding and uh ran into them and had not seen them in gosh, I think it was like 13 years was the last time that we saw them. And uh and he grew his hair out like really long. And I and I told Caitlin, I remember like I want to grow my hair out like Steve, and I got it about this length, and I was like, this is it. I can't.
SPEAKER_02:I'm so used to it.
SPEAKER_00:So used to it being short, I don't think that I can I can grow it that long again. But you know, it's uh my a buddy of mine like didn't see me for a while and I took my hat off and he was like, dude, did you go to Turkey and get implants? So I uh I I laughed. Right, yeah. So it's uh but yeah, so now I got hair and you know, new uh new personality with it and all that.
SPEAKER_01:I think the kids say new year new me.
SPEAKER_00:That's right, that's right. But uh I guess I guess I've had it for maybe three months now. It is I forget like how much you have to get your hair cut, you know, when you have hair. It's like you know, it's like when I when I shaved my head, it was like every week or so, I'd be like, well, probably time to shave it. You know, I didn't really think about it, but now it's like the minute it like touches my ears, I'm like, oh time for it. So that's right. I think I'm like two and a half, three weeks at the most with it. So um but let's talk about um let's talk about what what we let's call it our off season, right? Our off season was really our on season for in our in our real lives, it was our on season, but for the podcast it was the off season. Let's let's talk about what was going on with us. I obviously um you start first. You start why don't you why don't you yeah you you share with the with the fine folks what you were up to.
SPEAKER_01:So fall, I think six months ago was pretty much end of summer, end of summertime. Um the fall's busy for for me. We're uh we have a few events in September and October in the showcase division, and then a lot of what we do in November and December is with individual organizations. They host their tryouts, and we cover it from um uh social media data metric, you know, point of view. Um so I mean it's pretty cool. I was at University of North Carolina and Wake Force back-to-back weekends um in November. Um got to cover a lot of good baseball over those two months, see a lot of good players. Uh I think the last I think there was in the last 10 weeks of the year, I was gone eight of the weekends. Running events and manning events for organizations. Um, it's cool. I get to see and meet a lot of coaches and players, and um, I mean, we're in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, we're everywhere. So um a lot of travel, which can be exhausting around the holidays with Thanksgiving and Christmas, but um a good time to kind of run around, and now we're heading into slow season. So that's right. High school baseball starts, travel baseball slows down a little bit, and we're running into that here in the spring. So um what about you? What about the fall? I know we had a little s semi-emotional end of fall with Harlow's.
SPEAKER_00:It was uh it was it was bittersweet. It was bittersweet. Um, yeah, so we uh we wrapped up season seven of uh me being Harlow's head coach. Um he's officially done with uh with elementary school football, if you will, youth football is what they call it. But um, yeah, finish that up. But uh it was cool, man. We uh in I guess it was August, yeah, beginning of the season, kind of kind of right around the time frame. We always uh get to uh the program recognizes kids um and they give them what they call this Iron Man trophy. And I mean the things like almost three foot big and the uh the program gives each kid and and they recognize kids that have played five years or more um within the program consistently through the years just to recognize them. And I think there was like eight kids that we gave the trophy out to this year from my team, and those those kids all basically played from first grade through fifth grade. Um and it was uh it was cool just thinking about that and seeing not just Harlow, but also those those seven other kids that just seeing how much they've grown and developed, and like just not just as football players, but but as young men and seeing who they've become over those years, and it's just it's humbling and honoring uh to get to know that I played a very, very small part in that, um being their coach and uh and seeing who they've become and and just you know the relationship that I've I've developed with them over the years. But um, but yeah, we we wrapped it up, uh, finished the season in the second second round of the playoffs. We played a very tough team that um they actually I mean they they beat the bricks off of us in September when we played them and um came back and I think we only ended up losing by like you know two scores. It wasn't really it was a regular closer game and just a couple couple things that didn't go our way, a couple you know, a couple calls. But um, but no, super proud of the kids, you know, and then we always travel up to to Chattanooga right after Thanksgiving and go up and just do a weekend tournament up there. It's called the Choo Choo Bowl. It used to be way bigger of a deal than it is now, and I think it's slowly dying because the the director actually told me uh after we did weigh-ins that day, he was like, hey, if you guys sign up before I think like October next year, he was like, You can you can register for like a hundred bucks. And I was like, you guys must be struggling. A hundred bucks to register a whole team is is not good, but but it's fun. You know, we it it's just you know, it's it's kind of low-key chill for me as a coach, you know, get to kind of literally just stand there with my hands in my pockets and just you know have fun. We we let the kids call the plays the last game. We ended up going two and one on the weekend. We I think the the third game was like for the third place uh championship, if you want to call it. But um we ended up letting the kids call the plays the whole first half.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, that's cool.
SPEAKER_00:Obviously, it it stalled out and they were a little slow with getting things going just because of you know, not everyone's arguing what play they want to run. Right. I think it I think between that and I think the you know, they don't necessarily know the you know the scheme side of things with coaching yet and play calling. And so they're you know, everybody wants the glory, you know, the glory pass and the you know, and it's just some of it you gotta you gotta think differently. But but it was fun and the and the kids had a blast. And um I got called Bush League uh at the end of at the end of that uh that tournament. That was a that was a burst for me. I uh right, yeah, you know, and it's uh you know, I I from I I will say like from his perspective, I understand why he why he felt that way. Um to I guess justify my actions in it. Obviously, like I said, that tournament is is just fun, man. I I I go out there and watch kids to have fun. It's not none of our coaches are streaming and going irate and losing our minds and coaching like we would a normal regular season football game. Um and it was a kid that that had the ball. I mean he's he's all heart, you know, but he's he's he's a he he looks like a chihuahua in a line sometimes. He's just he's a small guy. Um but he's got he's got so much heart and and and works his butt off just as hard as anybody else on the team. Um he's he's one of our cornerbacks, and I mean he's just he's absolutely killer. But uh we gave him the ball on a jet sweep like the first half, and I think he had like 40 yards, but they were sideline to sideline instead of you know end zone to end zone. And so we get we gave uh we gave him we gave him the ball again like right there at the end of the game. It was like 18 seconds left. He got tackled on the two-yard line, and I called a timeout, and I was like, I just I wanted him to score. You know, that was it. That was I wanted him, I wanted him to score and and be able to look back on that. And uh the white cap looked at me and just shook my head, shook his head no and just and just ran the clock anyway. So the guy, the guy, the head coach shook my hand at the end and was like, I just want to let you know that was Bush League.
SPEAKER_01:And I was like, Oh, geez.
SPEAKER_00:I I get it. I understand why on the receiving end of that it felt like that, but you know, that you didn't nobody saw me post on Facebook about how we you know how we won that tournament and all that. I wasn't it wasn't for my ego, it was for the kids. So I'll take it. If that's if that's how it felt, you know, it's you know, it is what it is. So um, but yeah, it you know, end of the end of the season, end of an air. Um I'm excited about I know we were just talking about it before we started recording, but um excited about what the new chapter is. You know, I'm gonna get to stay on board with the team. Um, I'm just gonna step into an assistant coach role, um, which I'm I'm all for. I'm ready for a change of pace and just to just to breathe a little bit. And it'll be good uh mentally and emotionally as well because I'm not the one that's gonna have to deal with the uh the parent side of coaching. And so it'll uh I get to show up. Yeah, I get to show up, I get to I get to pour into the kids, I get to coach and you know, and and you know, your parent complaints, I get to point to that guy over there. That's his his job now to deal with that. So um, but I'm excited. It's it's a the guy who's gonna be the head coach is is a great man. And um I you know I have a lot of respect for him. And I you know he's been a part of our program for a year, so I'm uh I'm excited to kind of kind of to learn from him and and things like that. So um but on to baseball season for us. We're we're in the middle of basketball. Yeah, we're in the middle of basketball season right now. You know, it's rec rec level basketball, and it's you know, it's a ton of fun. We got I think gosh, I think there's out of our team of eight, I think five of them are all football players. And I mean, we're just it's a it's a rolling right into it. Like they're just they're just aggressive, man. I we we like somebody fouls out every game, and it's just it's a but it's a it's a ton of fun, you know. It's it's and the boys enjoy it. So um that's fun.
SPEAKER_01:But uh let me ask you this. What you just got done, you've coached Harlow for seven years now, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um hit us with some things you learned about coaching your own son.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, there's a whole podcast episode about that.
SPEAKER_01:Like um, if you could take away one thing, like you've sat back, you've had reflection of seven years, like what did you learn in coaching your son? A that you didn't know about yourself, that you didn't know about Harlow. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah. I want to see where you're at.
SPEAKER_00:Uh I will say, and and I and I still see this a lot in uh in in coaches that are that are coaching in the same program with me. Um, and I think it's advice that I I try to pass on a lot now. But I I say, you know, and this is you know, I guess to continue with this before I say it is I wish I would have known this from day one. But um my biggest thing is is that that your relationship with your child should always supersede your uh as your your relationship with your child as his father and him being your son, or you know, it could be daughter or however you look at it, but um that relationship should always supersede the relationship of the coach athlete dynamic. You know what I mean? And and and and what I mean by that is how you coach them and and when you learn the balance of when it's time to be dad and when it's time to be coach, you know, you don't you you have to remember that you when you get in the car, you know, to drive home, you need to be dad. You know, you need to be you need to be the parent, you need to be the one listening, you need to be the one hearing them out. Um you don't need to be coach, you know. You get you no other no other kid on the team, well, with with the exception of assistant coaches, but no other kid on the team, let's just say Johnny, you know, little Johnny gets in the car with mom and dad. Coach is not in the car with little Johnny, right? And that's you need to treat your kid the same way. Um and I wish I would have known that and thought about that sooner. Um you know, I think there's a lot of times that I, you know, I obviously put a lot of attention on mine and Harlow's relationship because of that, you know, it was he did give him the opportunity to to breathe. And I think that you know, we have to recognize that home and cars are a lot of times safe places for kids, especially athletes, you know, after a game, after, you know, especially after our tough loss, you know, we need to we need to be able to give them that. And that, you know, we've talked about it in an episode before that, you know, that was when I started learning that that was a lot of uh the hat rule, you know. We brought the whole hat rule thing in. Um, you know, if Farla wants to talk about the game, let's talk about the game. Harla doesn't want to talk about stuff, that's fine. Let's not talk about it. Let's, you know, let's talk about where we're going for dinner or talk about you know whatever. So um, but that's a big one, you know. That that for me, that that's that's a big one as far as being a coach. I'd say I'd say the number two with that is you know, to remember that your kid is sacrificing, you know, is making a sacrifice as a child that they didn't sign up for in the regard that they don't get to have mom and dad. Well, I said they do, usually, you know, if one parent's coaching the other one's on in the stands watching, but you know, your if you're the coach, you're your kid doesn't have two parents sitting in the bleachers cheering them on, right? You're gonna miss a lot of things that your child does, you know, especially on the football field. You know, baseball's a little bit different, basketball's a little bit different because it's a little bit more individualized in those moments. But you know, football, it's it's it's 11 people doing a job, you know, on one side of the ball and 11 people doing a job on another side. And you know, you may be watching the ball on the backfield and your kid maybe making an insane block on the back side of the field that nobody sees. You know, and that for him, you know, that was a lot of what he did. He played a lot of offensive line and he'd walk up to me and be like, Dad, you see that, you see that block I and I'm like, you know, and it stinks because I had to be honest sometimes to be like, no, but I'm sorry I didn't see it. And you could just you could see the you know the the him deflate a little bit, you know, in that. And so I think that's a big thing to encourage somebody is and remember that your kid's making a sacrifice that they didn't ask for. You know, they want their parents, they want their dad to be watching them. And a lot of times when you are the coach, you're you're having to wit, you know, you're you're having to watch more than one thing. And so um just just recognize that with some grace too, you know what I mean, and in your relationship with the kid and how they're feeling about things. You know, it's tough. You know, he he makes a lot of he makes a lot of sacrifices, and you know, with with as far as like positioning and stuff, I'm not a I'm not a coach who's gonna just tell my kid, oh, he wants to play running back, so he's gonna be running back. You know, I treat him like anybody else and tell him you're gonna earn it just like somebody else. That's a hard thing for him to understand because he's like, Well, you're the head coach, you could do it. And I'm like, but that's that you know, that that's that's taking advantage of the position that I'm in. So um it it's things like that. But that that's really the biggest thing is is just to remember that at the end of the day, like he's gonna hang those sleeves up one day and be done with force, you know, and what's important is that that relationship is still there, you know, between he and I, not you know, not the not the athlete thing.
SPEAKER_01:It reminds me, uh, you've may have seen this. I mean it's it's pretty common knowledge, but Deion Sanders obviously coaching both of his kids. Um I think right before the game when the teams came out, I think he would grab both of his kids and he would walk from the goal line to the half to the 50 with his arm around him, and that was his last moment, like, hey, this is my last moment before we start that I'm dad, and now it goes to coach. So um I thought that was neat. Just the fact that he recognizes he's dad and coach, and he's has that last moment as a dad um before they go out of coach mode.
SPEAKER_00:So um he's uh he he's probably like one of my one of my favorite people to to listen to and and watch as a coach. Just yeah. I mean how much I mean how much wisdom he has to bring that in. So um what about like for you know with showcases? I wanna I wanna jump back to that. I know we're we're kind of bouncing back and forth a little bit, but um I did notice obviously, you know, what social media, you know, we we text and see each other and uh you know at church and Keep up, but um I did notice obviously pictures that looked like maybe, you know, there were some times that you did some of those travels travel weekends that the family went with you. What was that what was that like for you?
SPEAKER_01:Um a lot of it was a lot of fun. Um uh crazy, but I mean life with a four-year-old and two and a half year old's crazy no matter how you shake it. But um I what I like about it is I like having my kids and my wife with me when I'm doing the thing that I love, you know. Um I'm out there running an event with a bunch of players and Brooks is behind home plate, you know, with a baseball bat and stuff like that. Like I'm I'm lucky to to be able to let him hang out. Emerson and Haley are helping with the check-in process and and all that. So um the extra hands are fun. And I don't I obviously we can all say this, um, at least I hope. I I don't like being away from my family. So anytime I can go on a trip and bring the family, um, it was good. But um we went to Haley's got some her her grandma lives in North Carolina, so when we did the event at UNC, we went and saw our grandma. She's not doing too well, but she's getting by and we went and saw her, and um, you know, we got to spend a weekend as a family at UNC where um Haley's parents met. They have a lot of history there, and Brooks was on the field at UNC. It was kind of cool. So um just having them um in the mix on the road is fun.
SPEAKER_00:Um I think it's I think it's a what else what else that you're so we lose we can there we go. I think we I think we lost it.
SPEAKER_02:I think we lost yeah we're good.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I was it's a weird connection thing. I was just saying, no, I think it's important that your kids are involved with you know with with what you do for a living as well. I mean that's I think that that's huge. I think it's it's it's big for them to see, you know, what what you know what you do for them to be able just to, you know, not say I don't want to say have an appreciation, but it also builds a level of involvement, you know, for on their end, you know, to where they feel like they're part of it too, and not you know, I think that they as they get older they understand why you do what you do, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01:Well, let me tell you, uh you never knew how much a hotel and a rental car were fun until you have a four-year-old and a two-year-old.
SPEAKER_00:My kids my kids love a love a good hotel. That's what we we actually New Year's Eve, we we went and saw uh Kate's grandfather. He lives up in Cleveland, Tennessee, which is like just outside of Chattanooga. Um and we decided we were gonna stay in downtown um Chattanooga for New Year's Eve. We were like, we'll do that, we'll kinda go find some New Year's Eve festivities. And um, we're in the middle of the beautiful West and then downtown Chattanooga. And my uh you know, Harlow just is is a freaking clumsy animal at times and just does dumb stuff. We just call him a big dumb animal sometimes, but um decides to ride the the rolling suitcase, you know, like it's like a little toy, and there's like this beautiful 19, I don't know, car years or something. This is like beautiful, restored, like cross lead vertible in there, you know, gorgeous. And he's riding that thing and like the suitcase falls, right? And handle smacks the ground. And I mean it sounded like a gun went off in the middle of the lobby, like right next to this car. Like I I heard it before I saw it, and I was like, he just hit that. Yeah, I was like, he just ran into that car, and I was like, and so yeah, it's the same thing. It's uh it's always an adventure when our kids are in a hotel room. So I I get it. It's uh but it's a ton of fun, you know. And it's those like those become core memories for your kids, you know. It's like they'll remember those those things and and and little things about those trips for great years to forever, yeah. You know, yeah, it becomes something special for them. So um let's talk uh let's talk about um I lost notes. We kind of jumping around, so now I'm having to look at my notes to figure out where we need to jump back on the map here. Um what about um what about let's see, transitions. We talked about that. Sorry everybody. We we kind of jumped around all over the place there and kind of lost track. Um let's talk about this. Let's talk about um let's talk about you sports culture a little bit. I know we were kind of talking about it off offset um and kind of talking about some some some things and transitions and stuff that you know that we're we're making um as far as like with baseball teams and things like that. But um when's uh when's Brooks start playing playing sports? When are you when are you planning on that happening?
SPEAKER_01:I feel like everything is sped up by like five years now, since I was a kid.
SPEAKER_00:Kate's signing uh Kate's signing Riggs up for uh I guess for Adams Park.
SPEAKER_01:There they do like a little like he's three, right?
SPEAKER_00:He's three, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But he's a little bit older. Okay, so he's about a year older than Brooks. Well, I guess in a year and I guess yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um but no, let's let's talk about but let's let's do talk about, you know, we were talking about that a little bit with with what you know with with when we had Jeff Fry on, and we were talking about it on the side a little bit about how important, you know, I felt it was with Harlow transitioning to another baseball team about you know just being with friends and having fun. Like you know, in your opinion, and and I'm sure we've talked about this in the past, but just to kind of, you know, people who are just picking up with us on on it, let's let's talk about as far as your opinion being a you know a collegiate player to a collegiate coach to you know doing what you do now and showcasing like and and you know there's been several podcasts that have talked about the same thing, but like when do you think that that shift is necessary where it goes from you know kids kids, I think at some point sports level everybody needs to there needs to be a level of seriousness, right? But there also needs to be a level of fun, right? And it's like I guess you look at those like there can only, you know, you can't be so much fun that it turns into chaos, but there also needs to be that level of seriousness where it creates competitiveness. Like when do you like when do you see in your opinion with where you're at now, when do you see that shift becoming necessary as far as shifting away from the let's all go out there and have fun to okay, let's treat this let's treat this for real, let's be serious about it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, I think if if I'm speaking to it, you know, from experience, I'd probably say around that high school age, it may trickle into 13 and 14, but really even still at 13 and 14, you're still in middle school. Like you should be playing basketball, football, doing all the things. I mean, um I think the biggest time than that, I think when you really start to see a clock towards quote unquote next level or college and professional sports is right when you get into high school. That's when kids are starting to, you know, make that that distinction. You know, some do play multiple sports still, which which we think is great, but um I think it needs to go from a little bit more fun to serious, probably around, you know, when you're a freshman in high school. Um, you're not really thinking about where you're going to college as an athlete in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, but you get to high school, okay, what's next for me? Like the next for me is an unknown, so I've got to start putting in the work tour to either play baseball, basketball, football, whatever sport it may be. But um I think high school, right when you start high school is probably when you should am I doing this for fun or am I doing this because I want to do it at the next level?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. What do you think, like what do you think are like potential long-term effects of like a kid? Because I I I can I could just, you know, offhand, like think of a few kids that we maybe cross passed with over the years that like you know, I remember thinking like, man, like their parents are are taking this a little too serious too quick. So that you know, it's always my matter of opinion. I'm never gonna tell a parent like how they should raise their kid, but you know, I'm just like that's for me that's that's not it. That's not the answer. And again, from from where you are in your role now, what what do you think is a long-term effect of a kid starting to take, you know, if if we want to call it individualizing too fast, um, or just taking it, you know, taking it too seriously too quick. What what do you think the long-term lasting effects are on that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, if you're just gonna pick one sport, I mean, uh obviously there's pros and con there's pros and cons to it. Like, I could see really the only con being like getting burnt out. I remember like when I was growing, I mean, I played football and baseball all the way through until I graduated high school. Um now I went to a smaller high school where I could play football and not really worry about getting hurt, but um for me it was keeping baseball fresh. Like I enjoyed doing something else, like I enjoyed playing football. Um, and I think it just broke up the monotony of training one way for one sport at all times. Um I think it it helped with mindset, but really the only the only con I can think of is if you get too serious too young. I do feel like unless you're just completely built different as a you know, a young teenager, like I think really the only thing you gotta worry about is burnout because you know a lot of kids when you focus on one thing for so long, like it gets tough. I mean, I'm looking at my career now, like I've done baseball my entire life. I mean, that's basically since I picked up a bat at five years old until now. I mean, that's 31 years of my life that has been baseball. Like I've thought about getting out of baseball, you know. I mean, there comes a time where it becomes too much or you're just ready for something new, but um I still think there's more pros um than cons. I mean, the only con is the burnout, so which you know it happens and it doesn't happen. So as long as you can find ways to keep it fresh, I don't think um you know there's really any long-term effects, in my opinion. Well about you as a parent, like what do you think the consensus is as a parent?
SPEAKER_00:I you know, because cause we kind of run into this, we're we're kind of running into this with Scout specifically, you know, that that kind of in the back of my mind, I'm like always suggesting like, hey, why don't you look at doing this? Because so like obviously for Harlow, right? He does football. Football and baseball are kind of his main two sports, you know, and then in the the rule kind of for us is always in the winter that he always does like a winter sport, whether that's wrestling or or basketball. Um selfishly, I wish he did wrestling because it's I I think that you know, seeing so many of these kids that that wrestle is just I mean, I think wrestling out of any other winter sport is compliments, you know, every other sport so well. And uh but he doesn't like it, you know, and and obviously for him, if he doesn't like it, I'm not gonna force him into it because he's not gonna I don't think, you know, for that matter, I don't think he'll take it as seriously and I don't think he'll put as much heart into it. But um, you know, he came to us and he was like, I want to play basketball, and some of our good friends were coaching, and I was like, hey man, I you know, let's let's let's coach together. I make a heck of a bench coach. So, you know, I'll I'll I'll handle that. And uh but uh but you know I think for Harlow, you know, it's important for him because of you know he is the easily distracted, you know, and you know get bored, you know, and he's kind of the one that you have to you know keep waving shiny objects, you know, to keep you know to keep him engaged. And uh and so for him, you know, for a kid like him, I think changing it up and and and rotating it around, it keeps it fresh for him. I think it keeps him engaged. I think that you know, you know, you always kind of notice it at the end of the football season, you kind of feel him like this is starting to feel routine. Yeah, right. And it and it's you know, you kind of get that like right after, you know, right after Halloween, like that last track to the end. It's kind of like, okay, this is just starting to feel routine over and over again. I'm nothing's changing, I'm doing the same thing. Um so I know he always looks forward to basketball because then all of a sudden basketball's a transition into something completely different and it's fun again, right? It's it's an enjoyable thing because it's something different. Then we transition from basketball into baseball, and then baseball is something completely different, you know. Then you know, baseball arrives all the way through end of June, you know, and so um I think for me, as far as like looking at that perspective, I think it's good for kids because I do think so many sports complement each other and people don't realize it, right? Doing different things. I think that there's nothing against baseball because I love baseball, but I think that there is something in football, you know, and and wrestling probably falls in it too, but there's something there's something as far as discipline, I think a level of mental toughness, I think a level of discipline, um just character development, not even physical attribute attributes. Like I think that there's so many things that football teaches and wrestling teaches that baseball can never and football or sorry and basketball can never teach. Vice versa to that, I also think that there's things that baseball and basketball teach, football can never teach. And um you know, so I think that every sport compliments each other, you know, and that's that's always like my big thing when people are like, especially within, you know, have kids our age group and they're like, oh, you play, you know, baseball year round. I'm always like, you know, some kids, you're right, there are kids that you know they're just gonna fall in love with it and do it year round and love it, and it doesn't affect them whatsoever, and they're just good and engaged. And I think it's all personalities, you know what I mean? I think I don't think I don't think that kids, I don't think that you can lump every kid into the same category and say that they're all gonna you know be affected the same way. Um, you know, for that for that note, you know, that's what I was kind of alluding to a second ago. You know, we're running into that with Scout right now, where you know, she does in the in the fall, she does competitive cheer where she's on a competition team, um, she does sideline cheer, right? They're they're different but the same, but different. You know, there's obviously, you know, they both they both have different qualities of you know what they can what they can bring. I think for her, competitive cheer is a lot more exciting. You know, it's a lot there's a lot more to it. Um, you know, and then and then you know this spring now she's doing a competitive cheer team, you know, a half-year team um out of Carterville. And um, you know, for her, that's what kind of like what I worry about right knowing how Harlow is. I'm like, hey, why don't you consider playing softball? Why don't you consider playing basketball? Why don't you consider playing, you know, and she's like, no, she doesn't want anything to do with it. She's like, I I love cheer. Um, you know, for her, she's somebody who is very attention to detail and can stay focused in on things. And so for her, I'm like, well, maybe this won't affect her um in a negative way. And I think, you know, for her, as long as she's enjoying it, you know, we've seen her grow and develop and and and blossom into something pretty cool, you know. I mean, seeing her her confidence, you know, two years ago, probably would have never seen her, you know, being willing to do, you know, a tumble off where she goes out there and you know, in front of, you know, hundreds of thousands of people, not thousands, maybe maybe eight thousand people, but um, but you know, her her going and and hitting a map by herself, you know, and everybody watching her, I probably two years ago would have bet money she would have never done that. And then this year, you know, she went out there and and and during her competition, they do the tumble offs kind of in between each set. Um and she did it. And I think she took like third place out of probably 10 girls, and I was blown away and proud of her for the level of confidence that that sport brought to her. So um, you know, I don't know. I mean, our kids are different personalities, so I think that that's they're they're a good testament to that. That maybe, you know, for some kids they can focus on one individual sport and be great and be fine, you know, and then there's other kids that you know it does, you know, it needs people. Yeah, and they're and and and and I'll say this, like as a football coach, you know, we kind of always have a joke about kids that we can tell have never played football before because there's there is that there is that lack of toughness. Um and you and you see why it is important to have that, you know, and there and and again, there are exceptions to that. I know that there's kids that play baseball year round that beat the living crap out of a football player in a heartbeat, you know. So I know there's different kids to that, but um, you know, my my biggest thing and perspective of it, you know, coming off of coaching as long as I have, you know, I I would encourage anybody to at least make sure that your kid is trying multiple things before you just commit to one thing out too quick, you know, and then all of a sudden they've never tried anything else and they don't realize how every sport kind of compliments one after another.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I think that's one thing I noticed about Scout. Uh we went up and watched we met Scout and um Caitlin up there at the Tumble Place, and we just wanted Everson to watch Scout. And um I could tell from my perspective that she's a very determined person. Like I could tell when she would maybe be a little off. She would want to go until she gets it right. And some kids are built like that. I I don't I can just see that my two kids at their age, but um I would you agree or maybe at least uh agree that um that's probably a male-female thing. Like females can probably stay a little more locked in on one thing. Brooks is all over the place.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, that's I definitely I mean, as far as like what I can tell between having two boys and then having having scout uh our daughter is to yes, there's there's definitely a big difference in that too, you know. And I forget, oh, I forget who the comedian is. I I just watched it a bit on on Facebook. He was talking about that where you're like he has two sons and his sons are like all over the place, and like you know, his two nieces came over and they were like, Can we color please? And you know, they were like calm and and he's like, My boys, I would be like, Where did the boys go? Oh, in the street. Well, where are the crayons? Oh, in the neighbor's mailbox. Like it's just it is the difference between boys and girls, and and yeah, I would say that a lot of that is that is a difference. I think I think girls carry a maturity level. But I'll say that Scout is a savage, um competitive person that we didn't realize until you know, you know, she she very much like if somebody can do something that she can't and they're the same age or the same, you know, like there's a closeness of skill set, you know, she'll become very determined to accomplish that because somebody else her age can do it, or or things like that, you know, and her and harlot go back and forth and have those back seat of the car arguments of like, well, I can do this and I can do this, and you know, they they start getting competitive with each other about who's more athletic, and we're always like you both are same team, different skill sets. Yeah. She's funny, like she made some comment to Caitlin about like she like after their team won the last the last meet that they had, like she had they were hanging up her medal and putting their trophy in her room, and she was like, Carlo better watch out. I'm gonna have more trophies than him before like before long. But yeah, no, I would agree with that. I think that definitely there's a difference between girls and boys with that too, you know, and and and and how they are with that.
SPEAKER_01:So um I think you have this written down too. I think along along these lines is like when you're talking about this with your wife and your kids, like you want them not to feel pressured to do it, you want them to have passion to do it, you know. So if they feel pressured to play multiple sports, they may not want to, or if they feel pressured to play one sport, they may, you know, grow not to like it. So I think just kind of and and you guys have you you and Caitlin have done a good job of just you know, hey, you don't have to do what we want you to do, just do something, you know? Like do something in the winter, do something in the spring, like do something to be outside, but just be passionate about what you're doing. And I think you know, until you get to whatever age you have to make a decision, I think as long as you have a passion for it and you don't feel pressured to do it, I think that's probably a good tell tell sign that they're in the right.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you know, and I and I think two points to that. Like w like two things that that we've learned and witnessed and experienced as far as not just us being parents, but you know um you know also you know also having friends that that have have you know made the decision the right way and maybe maybe made an error on the way that they made a decision is is for us it's it's learning to follow your kids' lead. You know what I mean? I think that there's a certain age where you do have to guide them. And I think it is important that we are guiding our kids to experiencing new things and and trying out new things. And um, you know, it's the same thing as like, right, like we didn't teach our we didn't try to, you know, introduce our kids to different foods, they would eat chicken, nuggets, and hot dogs, and mac and cheese their entire life, right? So it's important that we do that we are encouraging them to try new things and showing them new things and and you know, offering new experiences for them. But you know, at some point, like you do have to recognize your kids for who they are, right? And you do have to you do have to recognize and realize that you know there there are kids that you know there are kids that don't like sports. And you know, for for dads especially, you know, I think that that's hard. You know, I think that that's hard when, you know, when I think for most of us when we find out we're having a son, it's like, you know, we've already picked out their jersey number before, you know, before we even have the name. And um, you know, and and you know, we we have friends that have forced their kids in sports and their kids are miserable and resented them and hated it, and we're you know, and it was always such a such a high you know level of contention between the two of them because they the kids didn't want to play sports. And um, you know, then we have some friends that you know that were like we recognize that he doesn't like sports and you know we're gonna support him and encouraging him and whatever he does. And like, you know, we have you know, and I think that that's cool to see that there are parents and people out there that realize that like you know, not it's not one size fits all for every kid. And you know, and it kind of goes back to what we're talking about with sports. You know, I I do think that you know every every kid's different, you know, and and it is important to follow their lead, you know, just like for us with Harlow, we were in a situation in the fall with the team, and um, you know, we were kind of trying to decide we at the time, you know, at the time we were, you know, we were trying to figure out exactly what to do, what the next step was. And uh Kate and I were kind of back and forth, back and forth, back and forth about it for about a week. And you know, I finally said to her, I was like, why are we making this decision like without Arlo's involvement? I was like, I think he's at the age, I think he's at the level of maturity where I think we I think it is time that we pull him aside. And there were a couple of different options on the table, and um, you know, we we sat him down and you know, we were like, hey, look, here's what here's here's the information, you know, like here's here's the circumstances, here's the situation, here's what here's what we're thinking, but what we're thinking doesn't necessarily determine what you decide, you know, and we want to make it very clear with with you that like we we feel like you're mature enough, we feel like you're old enough that you can make these decisions on your own. Um and our job as a parent is to transition from being the leader to more of being being counsel to you, right? And as far as like helping you make these decisions. And so um, you know, it was a cool experience with him. Um I think it was I think it was neat to to I think for him it was the first time where he really felt heard as far as like making decisions on on things like that, and I think he really enjoyed that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I think it did, I think it did you know create something special, you know, for him with that feeling like feeling like that level of involvement. So that's that's a big thing I would encourage parents to also do. You know, obviously, we gotta figure out at some point we have to stop leading to be start becoming more of a guide to taking a backseat council.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I don't think there necessarily is a correct age for your kids with that. I think it's a matter of, you know, I think it's a matter of just figuring out, you know, knowing their maturity, you know. I think some kids, you know, they're gonna be 18 years old and you know, you're still having to remind them to brush their teeth, but you got some kids that are you know 12 years old and they're up and coffee's made and breakfast is made before you even as a parent get out of bed. So it's just kind of figuring out where your kid is at individually. So um, but yeah, I I I agree with that. I you know, as far as you know what we're talking about, whether there has to be a level of passion there for a kid to really want to dive into something. Um you know, but I also think to that counter of that, as far as the parents, I think it's important that we don't uh accidentally, you know, diminish that passion either on accident, you know, and that kind of goes back to what the whole premise, I guess, behind this podcast was for me was realizing that I was doing that as a parent and realizing that I was doing that as a you know, as a dad, you know, putting so much pressure on my kid, and and you know, I think you know, there's the saying, right, pressure makes diamonds, but you know, I think you have to do realize you do need to realize that too much pressure can also fracture, you know, and and and not formulate like you want.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, you know, from from an outsider's perspective, just to hit on a little bit of what you said is um I obviously being in the space, people talk to me about their families and their kids. We've had plenty of conversations about Harlow and other kids. And um the interesting thing, the one thing that I always think about when teen kids are like, I'm just deciding to transfer him from this college or I'm moving this travel team to that travel team or this high school to that high school is my first thing that goes to my head is Did this come up by the kid or is this the parent? You know? Because you know, a lot of times I feel like it's just the parent. Like, and going back to what you and Caitlin did with Harlows, like you prov you presented him the information. I think where some parents can go wrong, they present their kids with bias information, like, hey, this is the information that we have, but I'm gonna give the information to you in a way that says, um, you need to move, you need to leave this team because it's not a good fit. So, you know, you can kind of tell when you're talking to a player or a parent on the decisions that they make to leave a team. Um, you can kind of decide if, hey, that's the parent talking or that's the kid talking. And um, so I do agree with with what you said in terms of like present your kid the information, but don't make it bias information because you want him to think how you think. Um so that that is always goes through my head. It's like, is this what the kid wants? Like, maybe he's not playing as much as he should on that team or that you want, but like you what if he loves all his teammates, he's having a good time. Like, are you gonna pull him off that team just because he's not playing? Maybe he wants to stay, you know, and maybe that's something Harlow wanted. You may have thought it was a good in his best interest to leave a team and um whatnot, but he wanted to stay. Like, then what do you do?
SPEAKER_00:You know, like you give yourself a day, and and that's something, and that and do that note, like that's something that we were very, very concerned about with all of that, with the transition out of what we what we're doing. Because we literally we finished the season with the with a team in I think June. Um and we knew we weren't coming back to that to that team, you know, and and and my biggest thing, man, is is you know, I don't I don't ever want to label my kid as you know somebody who's you know gonna a journeyman, if you will, right? Like I don't I don't you know my my ultimate goal is to be part of a team and and stick and stay, you know what I mean? And and that's that's that's what our goal is. But um, you know, I also as a parent, you know, um, you know, I as a parent, it's my goal, it's my job and my goal really to to make sure that you know I I am making sure my kid is happy, and you know, as far as placing them in a situation where where they feel like they're thriving, you know what I mean? And and I don't mean happy as far as like, oh, you're not playing first face and you wanted to play first face, we're leaving the team. That's not that's not it for me. Like my my thing is is like we teach our kids like you're gonna you want something, you go out and earn it. It's not right. It's you know, I'm not no I'm not gonna be a parent that it's gonna be the you know the the top gold tier sponsor for your baseball team so that you can you know you play whatever position you want. Like that's not that's not my goal. I want my kids to learn and understand, but like if my kids are miserable in a team culture because of the team culture, right? And it's it's you know, Carlos specifically, like I feel like he does a really good job and has the ability to really thrive wherever he's at, as far as because he is he's likeable, he is he is, you know, and I sound like I'm bragging about my kid, but you know, he is likable, he is somebody who is very respectful, he is a team player, he is a very coachable player, you know, and and you know, he's very much a yes sir, he's not a defiant player, he's not if the coach does, you know, run, he's gonna say how fast, you know, coach does, you know, do this, he says yes, sir. So so I say all that to say, like, you know, my job as a parent at the end of the day is to go, okay, this is not working. And and for that, you know, with with with the current situation that we were that we were in, I think ultimately he was happy in a lot of regards, but I think you know, there were also things that he was very displeased with. And I think that he's smart enough to know the writing on the wall, you know, and read the writing and realize kind of where this is going. And that was exactly like you said, like we we try to be very careful and not be biased about it because he would have come to us and say, you know what, I'm happy here. I love this, I love this team, I love us a soldier. Cool, let's stay. You know what I mean? Like that's that's 100%. And that was and that was one big thing with him when we did have the conversation with him. He was like he was like, Well, what do you guys think? And I was like, We're not gonna tell you what we're that's where we start to, you know, force impression on you. And I want you to make an opinion based off of the facts and how you feel um and not not how we feel about it. And that was that was important for us. So yeah, and and yeah, that's and I've just learned that as is as far as like being a co a coach and and seeing so many parents, you know, ruin ruin things for kids because you can tell, you know, with with youth athletes especially, you can tell when conversations are being had at home and when conversations are being had in the drug about the team, about coaches, about you know, about the culture of the team. You know, you can you can tell it on it, you can tell it in a kid, by the way, the kid starts responding to you as a coach. You know what I mean? And and when you're when the when the kid you know looks you like looks through you, you know, when you're trying to coach them, you know, you know those conversations are being had at home about coach doesn't care about you, coach doesn't, you know, coach, you know, these coaches are idiots. I mean whatever it could be, you know what I mean. So like that's one big thing I would always make sure to to encourage parents is to be aware of that, you know, to be aware of when those conversations are being had, you know, and not to have those in front of your kids because I think parents are the number one person that are gonna leave a lasting impression on kids, you know what I mean? Yeah, and you can ruin I mean, you know, you can ruin a team or a kid, you can ruin the culture of a team just by telling your kids something that's not true, or you said something in the in the heat of the moment and and out of passion that you know you you know you you're not happy with the coach, you think the coach is an idiot. Well, okay, keep that to yourself. Yeah, talk to you know, talk to your wife about that, you know, when when the kids go to bed, you know, not in the car on the way home and the kids talking about it, you know. Your kid comes up to you and goes, you know, coach so-and-so doesn't know what he's talking about, you know, I can tell, you know, your response as a parent should be, well, he's your coach, you know, and and your coach doesn't have to be right, you know, and it coach could be wrong, you know. But if that coach is doing the best that he can, you know, and it's a volunteer position, you know what I mean? Like you you you signed up for this. Now, you know, when I think when you get into the select, you know, when you get into the select world, you know, and you're starting to pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for your kids to play in sports, I think there is a level of expectation as a parent that you have the right to have. You know what I mean? And I think that's where where conversation you know can start happening happening. But but that's my biggest thing is like, you know, and I I say this in the sales world all the time is like overcommunication reduces frustration. Like if you're you're upset with something, if you're frustrated by something, you know what I mean? Like a lot of times you're frustrated by something in a situation that you fabricated in your own mind, you know what I mean, what's happening, you know. You know, Coach Billy, you put your son at right field because you know, because that's where he felt like your kids were born best, you know. Uh you can't be mad at Coach Billy because you didn't have a conversation with him to talk to him about it, you know. I mean, I I had the same situation happen this year with you know with with one of my parents. He reached out to me and you know, his kid is a is an absolute stud of an athlete. I mean, like this kid in you know fifth grade, I can tell you he's going place, you know, and and and I I think that you know if he keeps his head down and keeps working and keeps trying and has the attitude he has, he he's gonna be a phenomenal kid, you know, player. I think, you know, realistically he's he's he's a nasty running back, you know, one day. And uh but you know, he unfortunately, because we're limited in youth football with a roster of 25 kids, sometimes those kids who are absolute freak athletes have to step into other roles and play other positions to help the team out. And you know, I think then the kid was feeling some kind of way about it, and his dad reached out to me and I said, Look, you know, fast forward to next year when they're playing one side of the ball, you know, and we have a roster of you know 50 kids, it's probably different circumstances. But you know, obviously he'll continue to play that running back position. But I need you and I need him to understand that like we also as a team need him here from time to time to help us out in in certain packages. And you know, it was great. And and and he understood that and he said, I I respect where you're coming from with that. I appreciate you being open-handed about that. We'll have a conversation with him. And I was like, you know, I'd be happy to have a conversation with him as well, so that we're all on the same page. And that's the thing. And I think that that's what happens a lot of times. Is I don't think that you know, I don't think that we do a great job, and I'm guilty of it too. I don't think that we do a good job about communicating enough. You know what I mean? And I think that that's what a lot of times we create assumptions in our mind, and then those assumptions become the reality, whether it's truth or not.
SPEAKER_01:So well, I mean, look, you're preaching to the choir on this one. I mean I think a lot of times when things go wrong, it's like there's no communication between coach and player, whether that's high school, whether that's college, like whether that's travel ball, like we have a we have the um tendency to assume, you know. We all know what they say about assume, you know. So um I think just when you are if you are a coach out there, um, or you're playing, like communication's huge. I remember um Coach Burton, who we had on, like uh this dude communicated literally everything. Like I knew when he had his doctor's appointment for his his kids, like he literally communicated everything. Like there's no questions, but you know what? Kids never left. Everybody knew their role within the team, they had they knew their expectations. Like, no, it's it's clean, like the culture's good. Like, and I think all of that stems from communication. I think that's where a lot of you know things go wayward is when communication breaks down. So I agree with all that. Retweet. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think I think that's huge. You know, and I and I think to that note, like something like I know that I've been guilty of, and I can I can think of circumstances and situations like just in this season alone, you know, there there were there were things within my coaching staff and within my team, you know, that I I probably could have and should have handled differently as far as you know having conversations with coaches and saying, hey, we're not gonna do this, hey, we're not gonna do that, you know. But for me, you know, my my big thing was that, you know, number one, like this is a volunteer position. This is not my job, but is not on the line, right? My mortgage is not on the line, and we end up losing, you know, the the the playoffs, right? Like I'm not gonna get fired for it.
SPEAKER_01:And so you're not using policy to gamble on your youth sports.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Right. And and and you know, so like for me, like the big thing was like I you know I chose relationships over over football a lot in certain sit in certain certain situations because for me it was like, you know, and it and it it was it it led to tough conversations in in other regards, but like, you know, for me, I was like, I you know, I at the end of the day, I want to have relationships with these people, and I want to have friendships with these people down the road. And it's not to me the game, like the youth football in fifth grade, you know, and our kids being able to walk around in college, their sophomore year of college, trying to pick up a girl and being like, I won a Super Bowl in fifth grade, you know, like nobody's gonna be like, oh wow, that's awesome, you know. And so like for me, like that, you know, that's where it was like one of those long-term things, like right, I I know I you know, it's it's one of those like in leadership you have to make those weird judgment calls, you know what I mean? Where it's like, is it worth attacking head on? You know, but there's collateral damage this way, right? Like, what does collateral damage look like if you attack it head on, or do you avoid it and take the collateral damage that happens by avoiding it, which is gonna be worse, right? Are you you know do you run through the building or do you hit the guardrail? You know what I mean? Like which is which is worse of the two damage damages, you know, that you create. And so for me, like that was a lot of it. And there were several circumstances within that that happened this year, just within parents, you know, within the group of parents, within the group of coaching staff, you know, that you know, for me, I was like, relationships are more important to me than disagreeing about this, you know, or or making some forcing some kind of change to this when you know, at the end of the day, I want to be friends with these people. I want to have these long-term relationships. And um, you know, these are people we've done life with for five, six years, you know, it's not worth, you know, it's not worth ruining a relationship and a friendship over with. So um, you know, it's tough. Leadership is tough, you know, and that's that just goes back to what we were talking about, why I'm like, I'm so glad to step into the assistant coach role and and not have to make those those tough decisions and those those hard decisions where it's you know, it's you know, I can read a little and and and get the point to the kids and and you know, not have to worry about all the logistics side of things with it all seeing. But yeah, man, I know we kind of went off on a on a tyrant, you know, about a tyrant rant. I think more of a rant than a tyrant. But uh but yeah, I went on a rant a little bit about that. But yeah, I um what about you? Let's talk. We're just I feel like we're just we're just we're just vibing here. What about you? What you got on your on your on your heart with the sports world? You want to talk about college football?
SPEAKER_02:I don't know. I'm kind of getting no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01:Actually, yeah, we can have a how'd Georgia do last week?
SPEAKER_00:I don't anyway. Uh we didn't play defense. No, oh transition, huh? You know uh, you know. That's funny. Dude, I don't know. No, I'm excited we really say I'm excited. We did that weird.
SPEAKER_01:I said I said I'm excited for the next couple games with all of these Nick Savannah. Uh proteges. So um yeah we'll keep it.
SPEAKER_00:I think it'll be good. I think who are you pulling for? Who are you pulling for?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know, man. I I want to see Indiana do it, man. I want to see Indiana do it. I feel like them and Old Miss are playing the best.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, Old Miss looked great, man.
SPEAKER_02:Like Old Miss is great.
SPEAKER_00:But um Yeah, I think I think something about it, you know. It's uh it's it's something about the Indiana thing, you know. Like like he like like the coach said at the end of the uh interview at the end of the game. He was like, it'll make one hell of a movie, you know.
SPEAKER_01:So it's uh I think it's yeah, I think what I love about Signeti is everyone was like, who's this guy going from JMU to Indiana? Like you're taking over the losing program. This dude, before he even plays a game, said I win, Google me, and here we are two years later. Like that dude was right.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you know, you know what's like kind of crazy about all that with the college football thing is I literally just I posted on I finished listening to it the other day, I think it was like last Friday, I can't remember when exactly I finished it. Um listening to to Nick Saban's leadership book. Um and it wasn't it wasn't him who wrote it, but it was somebody who wrote it and like took all the principles and and stuff. But like learning and hearing all of that as far as like how he built the system and knowing, you know, one one thing that stood out to me that was crazy is like when Nick Saban took the Alabama job, right? The very first staff meeting he had, he brought anybody who stood into the in if you had a role and your responsibility was inside of that football facility, you were expected to be that meeting. From you know, from the cafeteria workers to the janitorial staff to the actual recruiters to the the the personal trainers, coaches, everybody was in there. And he said, you know, he was like, even like there's an expectation even with the janitorial staff, because he was like, if you think about it like this facility is all used for recruiting. And if a player walks in here and a trash can is full, or there's trash on the floor, what impression do you think that that's leaving to a recruiter? That we don't take it seriously enough. And so I you know, just for like him to like think that small picture, and then it was also funny, there was another thing where they were talking about, you know, he had when he had that hip replacement or knee surgery a couple seasons ago, um, they installed like a uh like one of those like mobility toilets in his office, and he lost his absolute mind about it because he was like, I don't want to recruit walking in here and seeing that, and you know, thinking I'm I'm too old to be able to coach and all that. So it's just but I I say all that to say like listening, I say listening because I I do audiobooks more than I do actually read books, but like listening to that audiobook um and hearing all of his like leadership principles and secrets, like it makes sense why the coaches who coach under him are so successful now because you know there's no doubt that they took that same system that he always implemented and basically put their own you know their own nuances into it, but that's why they are successful is because of because of what he taught them and how he taught them to use a system and coach through a system and not you know just coaching with the wall.
SPEAKER_01:So Billy Napier must not have been paying very much attention because he didn't do the job.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I would agree with that. I would agree with that, but it's something about that orange and blue. So I think it's just uh orange and blue are terrible color combinations anyway. So it's uh but yeah, man. Well, I'm excited for this season, you know. I think um, you know, we'll we'll definitely hop on and try to get you know, try to get in our bi-weekly rotation again um and uh and and get some people on. I've got a couple couple guys in mind. Uh obviously off air, you and I will get our heads together and try to get a try to get a lineup rocking and rolling. But um, you know, do have uh do have a great great roster of people that we need to get on here and talk through some things. But yeah, very excited for this season. I think this was uh was a great uh episode back. We went on uh went on rants here and there. But yeah, I think uh I think it's gonna be a great season two, and hopefully we have enough people who like season two that we can uh we can bring a season three once we finish this one up. So do it. Alright, man. Well, good talking to you. We'll uh we'll holler at you later on.
SPEAKER_01:Awesome. Thanks, guys.
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