Player Development? Tell Me More
New to Player Development?
Seen this position on college football staffs and want to know more?
Found yourself on this website and want to learn more?
Well in January of 2016, I was in the same position that you may find yourself in right now. I was a high school football coach and had an on the spot interview for the Director of Player Development position at the University of Houston Cougars Football Team. Fortunately, I was offered the position and accepted with the instruction to create meaningful relationships with the players on the team.
As I write this blog I am heading into my fifth year in player development. I have two main goals in this space as a professional. One is to create a unity between myself and other professionals at the collegiate and professional level. The other is to educate others on what player development looks like and how they can create success in this role for their players. My hope is that this blog brings insightful exposure to a career that creates impact.
Below I will share some of the things you need to know about player development:
Player Development is not uniform, but is defined by each program.
The player development roles that I have been in have been focused on the development of the student-athlete. I have learned a lot from student-athlete professionals at different universities (s/o to them, they are MVPs for the student-athletes they serve). With that said, I have met player development professionals that are closely affiliated with the coaching development of performance for competition. I have seen some programs identify player development as the strength and conditioning or performance staff. So if you are looking to connect with player development professionals it is important to know what their role looks like for their program.
Player Development is all about relationships.
Relationships are the most vital piece to this role, specifically the roles that I have had. There is no success if there aren’t genuine relationships built with the players or student-athletes that are under your influence. They must know that you care deeply about them and the things that they are passionate about for you to create an impact. You must also create strong relationships with their families. There are many interactions with the player’s family during the recruiting process and eventually when the student-athlete enrolls. Relationships with those close to the student-athletes will enhance the influence and impact you can make in their lives. Getting to know the player’s friends and eventually significant others are important also.
Relationships in the athletic department, campus, and city are key to success also. In this role, you work with everyone that has any access to the player. In my role, I have been a liaison in many areas to help ensure the progress of players as student-athletes. It is imperative to get to know and build relationships with those who will have direct contact with your player.
Player Development is all about servant leadership.
As mentioned before relationships are key to the position. The way you serve those that you have built relationships will ensure that there will be a collective development goal in the program. In this role I have been a liaison to so many departments. This is a role where many will look for your help because of the relationship you have with the team. If you are not a team player or if servant leadership is something that you won’t put effort towards, this career is not for you. One of the best examples you can give the players under your influence is the servant leadership that you operate in daily.
Player Development is a growing career field in sports.
Specifically speaking on the overall development of the players as individuals, this is a role that is increasing in importance in the college football realm that I have experience in. Coaches and administrators are beginning to understand the importance of developing these players outside of football. This is extremely important with the creation and expansive impact of the transfer portal. There are and will be greater efforts towards the interest and futures of student-athletes in the athletic programs.
There is a lot of interest in the Player Development position.
I constantly get messages from many on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms about player development. For me, this is an exciting experience as I was one who reached out to many who were in the position when I first started. Most of the correspondence I have received has come from college students as sports management programs explore this position. One of the things I have enjoyed is that many in this position are more than helpful and are willing to provide information for those asking.
Player Development is not babysitting.
I picked my wife up from work one day and her coworker asked me about my role with the football team I worked for. After telling him my title, he said, “Oh! You're the team babysitter.” Calming my frustration, I let him know the specifics of my role and how I help develop the players. There are people out there who don’t think highly of the position. That’s okay, the importance of being a servant is not valued by all.
Player Development is rewarding.
I have been blessed to be in this position and create generational impact in the lives of my players. The most rewarding part is seeing the seeds that were planted grow. The return on investment in this position is grand.
This past month I reconnected with one of my former players, Roman Brown. Roman currently is the owner of Vail Athletics (https://www.instagram.com/vailathletics/) and is host of The Startup Podcast. I was a guest on his podcast recently and we spoke about entrepreneurship, transferable skills and so much more. I truly enjoyed this experience as I was able to see the impact that I made reach out to others through Roman’s efforts. My impact in Roman is truly generational as he is now providing a space for new entrepreneurs to learn. Check out our talk here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-generational-impact-with-ed-jones/id1550876439?i=1000507795237
Hope that this quick overview of player development has helped you. There are many more things that you will discover about player development on this website. Have a great day.
Have specific questions about player development? Please email them to info@btfprogram.com.