Latest / Arkansas Athletes Outreach / Ep. 3 - Transformational Sports Coaching: Moving Beyond Wins with Tyler Foster

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Ep. 3 - Transformational Sports Coaching: Moving Beyond Wins with Tyler Foster · Arkansas Athletes Outreach

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to the AAO podcast.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: Here at AAO, our mission is to build champions for life through the transformational power of sports.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Here on this podcast, we are aiming to equip you, the parent, the grandparent, the guardian, the aunt, the uncle, leading a child in youth athletics in today's culture.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: So buckle up and thanks for joining us here on the AAO Podcast.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_03: All right, everybody.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome back to another episode of the AAO Podcast, where we come to you and we're just trying to resource uh parents, grandparents, uh guardians of youth athletes, um, and just to better equip you uh for the youth sports environment.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh today I'm really excited to get to spend some time with Tyler Foster.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Tyler is the director of softball operations over at Legacy Sports Academy.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for being with us, Tyler.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, thanks for having me, man.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, tell us a little bit about kind of what you do over there and hey, what is Legacy Sports Academy?
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_03: To those that you know maybe you aren't familiar with what you guys have going on, uh what do you guys do here?
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'll say I'm I'm very fortunate in the position that I have at Legacy.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um this is going on my second year of uh full time of overseeing our softball side of things, and so with that, uh kind of responsibilities that come with that is we have five current teams, um, and those teams range from age-wise from 8U all the way up to 14U.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's that's typically about the furthest that our our sports academy will go with teams.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, just because when after 14 years, you're kind of different, you're doing different specialized programs that are geared more towards college.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as far as legacy, we still train athletes from I mean, I think some of the youngest kids we have are seven all the way up to um college kids, and then we even have some minor league guys that are still coming down to get some work in with some of our instructors.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so with that Legacy Sports Academy, like we have um it is a baseball and softball academy, so we offer we do offer both.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um what is neat is we've also just added a full-time strength and conditioning coach to our facility.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: So then that just ensures that we're able to really focus on the whole athlete, yeah, um, and not just a specific area.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's been nice though.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's really awesome.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_03: And so, and I think you had told me um prior to us recording, you've been coaching for 11 years.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_03: How'd you get into coaching?
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: What's your background?
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: Did you grow up playing baseball or what's another part?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think ultimately going into coaching.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I mean, first as a child I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: That was first.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think m my dad had these the same interests and hobbies, and I think ultimately that's where the coaching side of things came from.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it's pretty neat just looking back on it and knowing that you know, whenever his playing career was done and he coached me throughout uh my childhood, and then even after I'd moved off to college, he was still coaching teams.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um so it's it's pretty neat knowing that I've kind of just followed a little bit in his footsteps and uh and now never thought I would turn this into a full-time gig, and here I am like I've turned coaching into a full-time job.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: Man, I had a mentor really early, kind of uh after after college, kind of stepping into my professional career, and uh he just instilled in me.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: I was working in youth ministry at the time, uh youth sports ministry, and he really instilled in me just the value of a coach, Tyler.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: And man, I just that's just something my family holds dear.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so I know we're just getting to know each other, but man, thanks for coaching.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for having impact.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: Like, you know, I think you you may be familiar with some of the stats, but like the shortage of youth coaches in the country, and yes, maybe even globally, man, it's it's a tough spot right now, and it's hard to be in.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_03: But so I just want to tell you thank you.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for being involved.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_03: I appreciate it.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: So you grew up playing baseball, yes, okay, yes, and so do you have a Hall of Fame moment?
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: Like, do you have a moment from your athletic career that you're like, hey, I'd hang my hat on that little league catch, that home run?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what's your you got a Hall of Fame moment for us?
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: I I would have to say my Hall of Fame moment would have been um actually in college.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so I I went to Northeastern State University, which is over in Talco, Oklahoma, um, actually not too far from Northwest Arkansas.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so our our rival was uh UCO, which is there in Edmund, Oklahoma.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so that specific year I was a reliever um and that rival is just one of those very um intense rivals.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um like I I would almost compare that to uh what we just saw this this past two weekends was the uh LSU old miss.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like it is You're circling that one on the county.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like that is the match.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so that was it would have been my my red shirt freshman year where I got my first opportunity and and went in there and and performed extremely well and um kept us in the game.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so like just that throwing a couple scoreless innings and keeping us in the game and ultimately we winning that game.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, that's something I have not forgotten.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And against out of all teams, like it was it was big that we win that game.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Out of any game on the schedule, it was the UCO game.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: That one we had that one.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's so cool.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that I'd definitely say that'd be it.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I love asking people that question because it's it's rarely, I mean, occasionally, you know, somebody's like, yeah, it was the championship of whatever, but most of the time, Tyler, it's it's those kind of niche moments that it's like, hey, unless you were there at that robbery, yeah, or you you knew that person that I was competing against, yeah, you wouldn't know it.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_03: And so I love asking that because like, oh, I never would have.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, that wasn't that we weren't in the tournament there.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: We were it wasn't like a conference final.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um like it wasn't the D2 national championship, it was just that game that our coach and the previous players before the upperclassmen just instilled us of like this is the game.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so we just we made sure that we showed up for that.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: We yes, 100%.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: 100%.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um okay, and so you know, kind of getting into what we're here to really dive into today, uh, you know, one thing at AO that we really kind of hang our hats on is development, you know, and that we think that comes in many different forms and many, many avenues, but you know, as you know, we have over at AO, we have just over 23 different programs, and we got, I don't know, just over 19,000 kids running through our building.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but everything we do, Tyler, over here, we want to be focused on development.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: What's I mean, when you think of youth sports development, what's that look like in your space?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what do you think that means in softball, baseball specifically?
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think that is something, just the the word development, um, I think that is something that is not fully understood as far as what we're trying to do or what we're trying to develop in an athlete.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think if I'm gonna speak to like more of today's society and just like kind of our culture on that is is we are really geared towards winning and winning at all costs.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um so then if we're looking at development and then we're looking at our practices to where we're not we're not really teaching kids how to be versatile athletes and how how to be able to play and learn every single different position on a field.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Again, that's just speaking more, say, softball, baseball related.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but as far as development, what and especially a legacy and just my approach with that is um, and I kind of said it earlier when we were talking about Legacy Sports Academy, is the whole development of the kid.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that is not just the the physical traits um that we're working on, that that's also the mental side of that athlete.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um because I think at the end of the day, what what I would want parents to take away, especially from this specific question, is um one day that sports uh sports is gonna end.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and that that time, and that's tough.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's tough for athletes who you know, you kind of define yourself as just an athlete.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think our goal is with that development piece is like we want it we want to create more than just an athlete.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um so like we want to create like just a good human being out out in civilization.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's what I look at as whole development is you know, your characteristics and like your morals or values.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like there's more to it that goes into just the physical skill set that we need to build for our youth.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's good.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_03: Man, there's a lot there, you know.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we talked about hey, sometimes uh it seems like esports are just all about wins and losses.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you know, and that's something I talk to our team about frequently is hey, we we want our coaching and our coaches to be transformational focused rather than transactional.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: 100%.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: What can you give me?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: Well, hey, I'm trying to get this many wins.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_03: You know, hey, I can get you a scholarship, I can get you this.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, how do we reach the whole athlete?
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: And uh so I I really love that.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: And man, uh you know, what do you think?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, okay, so 11 years coaching too over here at Legacy and your role.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, and I think you said in there, like, man, we may be missing the mark for as a society on what youth development looks like in sports.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um like, do you have any any resources just all right off the cusp that you'd be like, hey, if I was a parent, I'd go, I'd go check this thing out, or I'd go listen to this this coach.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_03: You got anything like that in your pocket?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think uh um what what I've been on big recently, and um I made a connection a couple years ago in in Kansas City and met my first ever mental performance coach.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so her name is Patience Williams with uh and and she runs a business that's called Get to Impact.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's get to with a number two.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so what I've been big on recently is is that mental approach of teaching kids how to handle that adversity or failure.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that's been the big thing and big push for me with those kids is is that specifically and and partnering with her, um, even with her being in Kansas City.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um like we've just recently set up a team that I coach, we've recently set up a full nine nine sessions with her that last the entire school year for these kids.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: Man, I love that because so is that the sort of thing, Tyler, like somebody joins your softball team, and then a part of what you're offering at legacy is the practices, the training, whatever, plus the mental conditioning side of it, that's just part of what your team does over there.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, um, and that's that is not something that is for our facility, is something that is required um for any team.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: That is just something that um I I've grown very fond in and have a very like profound interest in that mental side for athletes.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And and you know, I c I I'll catch myself of saying this to all my kids, and I know we've been said this or told this um for a long time is you know, these sports it's 90% mental and 10% skill.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: And we hear that, and that's great, and I'm guilty of saying that, but you know, I had I had a little long look in the mirror of myself.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, okay, I'm I'm saying this, but what am I doing to teach it?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um and once we realize that that's a whole that opens up a whole nother realm for our student athletes or and our youth of understanding how to battle through adversity or how to handle failure.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um because like sports are based on failure.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like you will fail more than you ever will succeed, but that does not mean you're not still a great athlete.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and it doesn't define you.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's like it's like, hey, that's a that's a 90-minute game.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, yeah.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we're gonna go home after this and go have pizza and move on.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yeah.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: And go be a kid.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, go be a kid.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, uh, there's a I don't know, I don't know if you're much of a reader or not, but there's a really good book out there I enjoy.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's called Do Hard Things, and it's written by Dr.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: Steve Magnus.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: Are you familiar with that?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_03: No, no, no.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_03: Not at all.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's really good.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I think he was coaching out at the University of Houston, cross-country track.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: I could be wrong on that, but um, you know, solid book, and he writes it from the perspective of a coach.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_03: And what he talks about in there is how like um in past times, like coaching in sports was like very hard-nosed.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like, hey, we're gonna go to football practice and no water at practice, like and just doing hard things and that and teams and coaches were really committed on just being tough.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_03: And it kind of talks about how in sports now there's just been a change and how we've got to not just throw all of our eggs against a wall and burn somebody out, and we gotta protect our athlete and and take a more wholesome approach to that.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, a lot of what you're saying there kind of reminds me of some of that text there.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: So um, you know, I can I always throw that one out to people if they're ever looking for something but do hard things.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's spot on what you said, is and I think uh probably both of us grew up in that era of it was it was tough coaching, yeah.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and that was just it.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like there were there was no way around it, and I think we were all just used to that because that's all we knew.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, yeah, but like you you hit on the on the spot is this is a different era of athletes.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, so yeah, we've got to be cognizant of that um and make sure that that we're equipped and have the resources in our toolbox to provide them with the best things that they need in order to be successful.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, yeah.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: I uh kind of laugh when you say that.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, I think of my dad.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: My dad coached me uh my first year cross-country back in high school.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_03: And yeah, and you know, dad, if you're listening to this, I'm sorry.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think we really knew what we were doing back then, you know.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_03: And I just remember he we'd be on our way to school, and uh he just like would drop me off and be like, hey, run to school, like run the rest of the way there.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, man, I have I have to get to class, you know.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_03: But he's like, no, you just gotta find your way there.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, I don't know if this has anything to do with cross-country titles.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know, man.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but I guess it worked out.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_03: Like, you know, I mean, I guess I had a decent running career in high school.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_03: I've got to go do it in college.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe it worked out in that case, but yeah, you know, I laugh with some buddies now because we're like, I think you were just doing hard things.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I don't know if that actually contributed, but maybe, yeah.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_03: And but we wouldn't do that now.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: I couldn't imagine dropping dropping my kid off.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_03: Like, just find your way, figure it out.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: Figure it out, and that's gonna make you a great ball player.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but no, that's really good.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, all right, and so we're talking about a wholesome approach to development.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: You talked a little bit about your team uh and and how you guys approach that.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, what else can you share with us about legacy as a whole and what development looks like?
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, what would we see at maybe a Tuesday night practice or you know a lesson that's development focused?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: What's that look like?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I think if I'm if if I'm looking at just a Tuesday night practice, and let's let's say I'll just use my team as an example.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um there's a there's a specific format that I like to follow just for for a practice, and so obviously um proper warm-up care um and then throwing.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um but with that is I like to go into we'll first start with individual defense.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um so then that way each specific position is allowed to be worked and then and kind of hyper-focused on that, so then they're still getting that that training before then we gear into team defense.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um so then, and we'll do the same thing for when we go into hitting, is we'll do individual hitting and then we'll go into team hitting, and then that's gonna be more of like our situational rounds.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, which I think that's something too.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's just I think we just sometimes want the kids to go up there and grip and rip it and hit it.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: But like, you know, we want we want them to be true students of the game and and have that what we call it either softball or baseball IQ, and understand in certain situations this is what we're doing.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think in a in a practice, um that's that's also too whenever like I explain to my kids or any athlete is that's where I want you to fail.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to make those mistakes in practice, and I want you to go a hundred percent.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because I think if we're not treating our practice like a game, then I can't expect my athletes or any athlete to go out and perform at a game level.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um so like we want our practices to be quick-paced.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you don't want um what you see quite a bit in youth sports is that downtime of like, okay, we did this, that's great, what's next?
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think too if we're if we're honing in on that development, say for Tuesday practices, coaches need to go in with a plan.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Oh like they have to have a plan.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think for me that uh my background in in teaching before going into this position, I think that helps with the um amount of lesson plans that I wrote in the classroom, is I view that just as the same thing as coaching, is I have to have a detailed plan to the minute of what we're doing.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then I'll read that to my athletes before every practice and let them know, like, hey, this is what to expect today in this order.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um now, again, a lot of similarities to teaching and then coaching is um you may get into that that classroom or that practice, yeah, and you may have what you envision as the perfect plan.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then one thing happens and it's like well, hey, forget the rest of that.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: We've gotta we've gotta adjust and then address this now.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_04: That's right.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think that's also kind of the joy in coaching is that ebb and flow is of like it's a big puzzle, and you're you're constantly trying to put all the pieces together.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_04: I like that.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: That's an exciting thing for me, I would say personally.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, and I I love the ownership there of hey, I can't expect my athlete to do something in a game that we haven't gone over or I haven't coached to.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um do you think coaches fall into that trap often, frequently?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_03: Why is that?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: I I think I think that kind of ties back to what we had mentioned earlier, as far as like as a society, what we are geared to right now as as adults and what we're imparting on our youth is the it is win at all cost.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think sometimes we go and we'll review situations um just to get that certain out or to to to get that win.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think we're kind of neglecting the the part of actually teaching them the game and teaching them to understand like, you know, you're gonna have your ups and downs, but how do you battle back from that?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: Or them being able to one one of the I coached with a guy a couple years ago um and he made a comment to me that that has stuck, and I've used it for every single team.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um it goes into and he would say it's it's what if and what next.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so I want my players to have that thought process of what if that ball comes to me, what's next?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so if I'm not, my practices I'll say are a little slower because I'm I'm constantly talking to them, uh, and then I'll flip it on them and ask them a question because I know the second that they're able to teach that to someone else, I know that's stored in their long-term memory.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then and then they'll retain that information even better if they can answer that question and then turn around and tell another athlete, another player on the team's like, hey, this is what he said, we're doing this in this situation.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think that's big for again for our athletes.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, well, there's a and there's actually studies out there on peer-to-peer coaching in sports.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_03: And the nature of, hey, you know, football player, softball player, I want you, instead of me as the coach explaining this, I want Sally over here to to show you, you know, this bunting technique.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: What I think too with that is like, you know, all and this is what makes us special, and especially athletes, um, is we all learn in different means.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so we've got to as coaches is is be understanding of like, you know, my approach or my verbiage to a certain kid may not resonate with that kid.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it may take another an assistant coach, or even if it's a parent that you're bringing in, it's like, hey, I've I've I've worded this every way I possibly can for this specific kid.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have any other ideas?
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Or like you said, is and I'm I'm I love that is that peer-to-peer coaching is and for for those kids, I feel like that just means more coming from another kid on the team.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that's another thing that's not utilized as much as I feel like it should be.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: Is that opportunities, because then that goes back to the whole approach for the kid, is then we're teaching that kid how to have that conversational skills or that accountability to be like, hey, I I know what we're doing in the situation.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna make sure my teammates know as well.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um that carries over, I think, honestly, to so many other areas of life where I'm like, hey, yes, I'm gonna have you come teach my staff whatever budgeting technique.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Alright, so you got 30 minutes, man.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_03: You know what you're gonna go do because you're kind of dialed in, you should be like, I'm gonna go learn everything I can about this thing.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes so I'm prepared.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: And now you know more about it, and then you're talking probably and teaching in terms that the rest of these cats understand.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_03: Because you're you're like at their level in it.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_03: You know you're not speaking above them.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so absolutely.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: Again, just that I really admire that ownership there of like, hey, we gotta we gotta communicate in ways that they can understand.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_03: Like, it's we gotta get down there to that level.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, and you know, I think of, you know, there's a I don't know the, I'll tell you, Tyler, I don't know the validity of this, but I've been told this story numerous times that John Wooden, most winning as basketball coach in CAA history, he started every season with, hey, this is a basketball and this is how you tie your shoe.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_03: And just down to that granular level of not assuming that anybody knows anything.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_03: And just not taking any assumptions.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: He's just taking such a high level of ownership behind his program that he's like, I'm gonna make sure you guys know what's going on, every to every degree of that.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_03: And um, I don't know if we're just moving too fast as a society or in esports, that we're just skipping some steps.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_03: But I think we gotta slow down.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_03: I think we gotta look at ourselves as as leaders in esports and say, hey, how can we pump the brakes a little bit here and better better position some of those?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: But I think too, like I think what we as a whole could do better for for our youth sports and and especially for our our coaches is your your majority of your youth sports coaches are are unpaid volunteers.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um and they are they are giving up their time weekly um to provide for these kids.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think something that I that I would like to see more of is is providing with our our coaches with resources uh for practices and understanding, like an outline of this is what needs to be addressed in the practice, or these are the right fundamentals on how to like like you said, it's like this is a basketball, or like how to field a grumble or how to run to first.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Something as simple as that that and it's no offense to like to the coaches who are volunteering their time, um, because usually what happens is it is crickets whenever that question is asked of who wants to volunteer, and then ultimately ends up being a parent's like, Well, I want my kid to have this opportunity, I'm going to do it.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think what we could do better, and this is definitely just with my realm of experience in the baseball softball community, is like I think we need to do we need to do better in in that part to then level the playing.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: field for all kids in youth sports, not just kids who are fortunate enough to receive this specialized training in a in a in an organization, in a private organization.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like our our recreational sports should have the same um resources and and opportunities as our student our our athletes that are in travel sports.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I think our goal is to try to bridge that gap um for for our athletes.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_03: I mean that and I'd say like that certainly aligns with with my heart and what we're trying to do at AO.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_03: And I mean then the stats are out there like a a coach that feels equipped, they're gonna come back.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_03: And then you know hopefully and theoretically like the impact they have is going to be greater.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_03: You know if they stick with it.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_03: And you know one thing we've done over at AO that we're really jazzed about.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: So our largest league the largest thing we do Tyler it's called the NWA league.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_03: And this year it'll have around uh maybe around 230 teams in it from third grade up to sixth grade um boys and girls.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_03: And so kind of a large program across the community.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_03: And what we started doing before the season begins we just offer a free coaching clinic.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: And then we go and we'll host all these coaches I mean you're talking 150 coaches just volunteers.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah and the craziest thing is they showed up last year and they actually came to this and we brought in some sub quote unquote subject matter experts.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah and what was cool is those coaches brought their high school athletes to come run drills.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: Oh that's perfect and come show.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's perfect.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: And man it was just an incredible site that somebody's like hey I'll give up an extra hour just so I can maybe take something away from it.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: Because that's the thing is and I I I do think that's a barrier to a lot of volunteers and we need volunteer coaches.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: They make up the majority I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they make up a majority and we need them to be equipped.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah we we need to retain them and so we need their experience to be good and we we need them to you know have some resources.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm right there with you on that so that's that's a tough that's a tough barrier to break down.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: It is but one thing actually I don't know if this is the intent but I saw this on y'all's website because I was checking it out.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_03: I was kind of doing my homework a little bit yeah um clue me in a little bit clue our audience in on what it was I was looking at it looks like you guys have a an online platform of some videos or some coaching that someone can take or purchase from you guys and go do at home.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm probably explaining that terribly but I was really fascinated by that concept do you know what I'm talking about in your website I'm sorry I didn't preface you no no I was hoping you could with our organization we do have uh two owners and so uh Matt Vincent is one of our owners and and Ryan Cochran is another one of our owners.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so with that really I want to say last off season is whenever they started this big push of um trying to reach even more athletes just beyond just our community.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I think what they came up with the approach of you know we're gonna put together this kind of program um and I believe what they what they've called it is the backyard series.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay that's it that's what I was talking about.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so with that and if you look at any one of our socials um is to where almost every other day there's a new video okay um that's being posted.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it covers everything to where whether it's fielding, pitching bass running, um some of the mental approach of things, um different mechanical things that we can look at within a swing.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's just another option of like kind of what I was saying like for those coaches is like hey here's here's something like a program or resource that that you can purchase and has almost all of it just in one.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: And just the fortunate thing that it is digital so as soon as you make that purchase you have access to that material.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: I love that research it's not like you once you have access to that you have it.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: There's no like no subscription necessarily it's like hey you just get it you got it yeah um so um yeah no but they kind of our owners Matt and Ryan did that behind the scene um and they they spent a lot of a lot of time um putting that together it looked well done I mean yeah no I mean I had really no I had no baseball softball experience but I I kind of clicked through a little bit and I was like oh I think I could do this with my son he's seven yeah and again I don't know much about baseball but he enjoys it yes kind of trying to get into it and um my uh my my coaching to him in the backyard is frequently like hey gator hands that's the best I know it to call that you know and keep your eye on the ball but this seemed like something that you guys provided that I was like oh I I really like this and I felt like with my um low knowledge base I felt like I could come in and and help my kid with that.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_03: So I like that that was something you guys were doing.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Oh I am too is you know I'll I'll say this the the majority of the kids that I feel like we have that do come and are and I think not just our facility this is probably every facility in the nation for for specialized training.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of the parents are are equipped and and and know what it is that they need to be teaching their kid.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now on the flip side of that because I was this kid is even with my dad playing at the highest level and you know he played at Kansas State and then ended up transferring to Labette Community College there in Kansas even him playing at that highest level in my eyes my dad knew nothing.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_03: Oh really that's so funny yeah because I'm like I'm sitting over here I'm like wow like he must have been the man.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah from where I'm coming in like it must have been so I think that's the majority of these kids that we have in our youth it's like I'm not listening to my mom and dad on this when it comes to their hitting or something and so like that's whenever I think that that specialized instruction from someone that I may be saying the exact same thing as the parents my verbiage may be a little different but then like I said earlier it's like that might resonate more with that kid hearing it from someone else that's not mom or dad.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah yeah probably similar to you I mean I'm I'm in a position both vocationally and just the stage of life I'm in where I'm around a lot of sports and I'm I'm in a lot of practices from basketball to cheerleading to volleyball now and some jujitsu and so I'm around a lot of sports and I would say one frequent and consistent mark of a what I at least in my broken opinion is like hey that's a quality coach is they know how to they know how to communicate things in several different ways.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yes and and that's what you really keep coming back to is like hey I need to find a way for you to understand what I'm saying and that's either by me communicating that or getting someone else to come alongside us and say hey here's how we can do this thing.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_03: But I find that really consistency very consistent across a lot of sports.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that clear communication that that we've kind of been discussing there I think that you don't have that unless you have a solid coach to player relationship.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's and I think what what our youth athletes especially need now is is they need to fully trust that they have a coach that no matter how they are performing that still believes in them and that is still going to instill that confidence in that child to know that like hey you're going to mess up but that does not mean that you mess up once and that that's it for you.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think the second that your your athletes realize that about a coach is those are then the athletes that will then run through the wall for that coach.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely and I think as a coach that's what we desire as athletes so it's like hey I'm gonna give you everything I got and we're gonna be transparent with each other and but this on the same side is I'm gonna hold you accountable to what to what we're working on.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that just helps again that whole that whole athlete approach.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: Man I had a team like that I was coaching volleyball this was man this must have been eight years ago now I was coaching club volleyball out in Flagstaff Arizona me and my wife were and I was coaching a 14s team and man that's where I had those kids and that's the relationship we had yeah and they just knew like and I'd tell them before every game hey you know you can't mess up you know big enough for me to love you less and you can't succeed or win enough for me to love you more.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah it's like let's just go play and man that's exactly it you just said like they'd run through a wall and we kind of had that relationship and dynamic.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_03: It was so fun I mean and it it just it was a good environment and it was really healthy.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so love that there.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_03: As we're closing out I got one more question for you.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: You referenced this a little bit earlier in our conversation was um you know and I could be misquoting you here just a hair but um you were alluding to hey no matter if you're at a an elite club or an elite organization um wherever you're at in the spectrum of where you're playing sports at you should have access or the ability to develop.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: Can you speak a little bit more to you know does being at an established you know high-end club I don't know if that's what we would consider legacy but I'm talking about travel ball.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah does that mean you're going to develop more than being at a parks and rec or or more rec league?
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_03: Can you speak to some of that?
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think I don't think necessarily it has anything to do with the specific organization that you go with.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think it more has to deal with who you have within that organization.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um coaching wise yeah um and and so I think I think that does come into play to where like we had mentioned for our recreational sports is um when you're getting more volunteer coaches and I think sometimes in our travel wall sports is you're gearing more into those paid coaches or or guys that are fresh out of college that um have that eagerness to impart their knowledge on on the youth.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: So where I think that's something that our recreational sports are are not having the same they're not positioned for necessarily they're not um so one thing you know that that's kind of been a a subject for us at legacy recently is that is is how do we bridge the gap um to where it's not just trying to grow legacy sports academy is like we want the game to grow as a whole that's cool for our whole community.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_00: So one thing I did um this summer with with legacy and partnering with legacy and then also partnering with the city of Centerton is is we put on a completely free camp softball camp.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow um yeah and so we kind of coined that as like the legacy gives back cool um and so with that um I brought every single coach within our organization softball coach came um and I told parents at that were attending and their kids were attending I said hey if if you guys have any questions throughout this entire session is like please feel free to ask yeah um and it's like I'm also okay if you want to come out on the field and film certain things that we are doing so then you can take that with you.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: And we also I was very fortunate um I've struck a relationship with with a gentleman that moved here um a couple years ago his name is Tom Optenbrou he's got an incredible resume um and he showed up and even I mean he's he's coached collegiately for over 20 years.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: And for him to show up there for a free clinic and provide resources and and he even was sat to the side and talked with the parents I think we need to do more of that to to bridge that gap for it just for everything that barrier is what I'm really doing there is you're trying to remove as many barriers as you can for people to get in there.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah I love that yeah thanks for speaking to that uh okay hey as we're kind of wrapping up our time I got some rapid fire questions for you there all right hey the biggest misconception about youth softball is what?
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_03: It's all about winning.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_03: It's all about winning that's a misconception you think that's right there for sure right that that's that is the furthest thing from what what youth sports should be.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: We're fighting against that I love that hey a coachable player is someone who I I would say a coachable player is someone who's able to um handle the truth.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um and some sometimes like not sometimes the the truth is is being able to correct and and being able to take that correction or or take um what we what I like to use is constructive criticism.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah is being able to take that and know like my coach is not yelling at me because they think I'm inadequate or incapable of performing this is we know your potential and and we're going to push you.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's what a coachable player kind of resembles.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah they're burying their ego and they're they're taking it with a humble approach and saying hey how can I how can I just get better?
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_03: And what do I need techniques I love that all right hey at the end of the day I hope every kid who plays sports learns it's fun.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's fun yeah and it's fun for get that and that's that's another thing I think we've lost is like we've we've got to keep it simple and like if you're not having fun then like why are we why are we doing it?
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah man take us back to fun.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah that's yeah I love that yeah well uh hey Tyler you know this could kind of wrap up our time here uh if if someone wanted more information about legacy sports academy uh where can they find that where can they go to learn a little bit more about what you guys have going on.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah so I'd say uh our easiest platform to go to is probably our website and so that is legacysportsacademy.com and within that uh I believe that our our other socials are also listed there and so um our owners Matt and Ryan have access to where we have Instagram um as far as socials we we do have an X account as well where we're frequent posts are made there.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_00: I like that you went X not Twitter you you were I hesitated there because I I was thinking Twitter I was like okay I gotta make sure um and then also Facebook and so we pretty much cover every platform there is um as far as if if you have any questions about anything um and I tell parents too like it doesn't necessarily mean you have to just you want to be a part of legacy if you have questions of just like navigating this travelable world because it is a lot for a new parent to that is I hope that parents feel comfortable enough to approach us and ask us like hey this organization may not be the fit for my kid but I just need assistance in figuring out what I what steps I need to take.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think ultimately that's what we want.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_00: We want that for our community of like even if it's not with legacy like come ask us and we will find you a home and if it's at legacy that's great and if it's not that's great too.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_03: That's great man yeah absolutely so hey check them out they're doing some great things over there.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_03: Hey Tyler's gonna be back with us on episode four we're gonna dive into kind of more of those development things and we're gonna talk a little a little bit more on culture.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_03: Hey in the meantime if you want to know what we have going on at AO just head over to aoteam.org we got leagues camps training uh we want to help you progress just in your athletic journey and we want to equip you the parent.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_03: So thanks for being with us thanks for listening and stay tuned for episode four.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_01: That wraps up our episode today if you like what you heard and you want to stay tuned and you want to help us in our mission we would love if you'd like subscribe and follow along as we're on this mission to build champions for life through the transformational power of support