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Player Development Blogs
Deeper detail into the player development position and field.
The Elephant In The Room
WHY IS HE NOT IN THE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT ROLE AT THE CURRENT MOMENT?
Now, to be fair nobody has straight up asked me this, but in conversation it is felt. Honestly, if I was reading this I would ask the same questions as well. So, let me answer the number one reason I am not currently in a player development role.
The answer is…..ME.
I am the reason why I am not currently in a player development role
Player Development Guide Course
The course will allow those in the cohort to create a player development plan, create player development messaging, create a first 90 days gameplan, create a yearly programming calendar, quantify player development achievements, provide interview preparation and create an external relationship gameplan. These topics will not only ensure the foundational understanding of player development will be understood but will also ensure those who complete the course will have a toolkit which will prepare them to succeed immediately in the role increasing their value as a professional.
Thank You! The Player Development Conference was a SUCCESS!
The first panel began, and it was on from there. The panelists crushed it as I knew they would, but they crushed it on another level I was not prepared for. The networking night went on until 1AM EST, shoutout to Alexander Martin for being a man of the people. I had to shut it down or he would’ve stayed on to the next panel. I remember when I ended the Zoom on Day One and the feeling of awe of what just happened overcame me. The panelists, the engagement, the elite chat, and the networking all came together to create an experience I knew would continue Day Two.
Starting in Player Development -You're Making A HUGE Mistake If You Don't Follow Up!
FOLLOW UP!
This may be surprising to many but the biggest mistake I see people trying to get in player development is not following up when they have had the opportunity to connect with a player development professional.
Starting in Player Development -Intentionality Pays Off When Networking
BE INTENTIONAL!
When you are reaching out to those in the player development field please be intentional.
This blog is part four of the five part Starting in Player Development series. In this blog I am discussing the third action one must take to position themselves to get in the player development role.
Starting in Player Development -What Value Do You Provide RIGHT NOW?
You have garnered the attention of a player development professional or someone that works in sports. After hearing your passion and plan, they ask you what value can you provide today?
WHAT VALUE DO YOU PROVIDE RIGHT NOW?
This may seem unnecessary but is a valid question. The person in the role most likely has a lot of what you mentioned covered and wants to know how you enhance the work they are doing.
Starting In Player Development - NOBODY CARES, Until You Have A Plan.
I am passionate about athletes and their well-being. I am passionate about what happens to them when they are done playing. I am passionate about them, understanding they are more than an athlete.
WHO CARES!
That may seem harsh, but it is true. No one cares about your passion for athletes if you don’t have a plan.
Starting in Player Development - Do Your Research
How do I get into player development?
I am asked this question weekly. Honestly have about five hundred conversations and talks around this question. Because of this I wanted to ensure I created avenues for those interested in player development to take steps towards this role.
Player Development Conference - UPDATES
I wanted the logo to be plain and clean. Player development can look like a lot of things in between programs, teams, sports and coaches. My mission is to set a clear path for what player development is and can be. So I focused on a clean look with that in mind. I made a circular logo because player development has a 360 degree effect on every athlete. The work in a sense never stops. The impact never stops. The need for more player development professionals in sport won’t stop either. So the circle represents the continuation of many aspects seen in player development. There it is, I hope you like my artistic description.
50th Episode - Top 5% of Podcasts
David Shands of Social Proof Podcast says, “95% of podcasters will never make it to the 50th episode.”
50 EPISODES! WE DID IT! We are in the TOP 5% of podcasts!
This would not have been an accomplishment without your support. For those who have listened to the The Player Development Pod, THANK YOU. For those who haven’t, what are you waiting for? I kid, but seriously please give the podcast a listen. If you’re interested in player development this podcast will benefit you greatly.
Why I Love Player Development
In this series I will highlight one person from a field that provides services to the role. Although these professionals work externally in the athletic department, they are passionate about student-athletes and impacting their lives.
These guests will talk about financial literacy, podcasting, public speaking, intentionality, transferable skills, mental health and so much more. If you are a player development professional you know it’s about that time when you start preparing for summer programming so I want to bring the impactful individuals you need straight to you.
Beginner’s Guide to Player Development
One of my goals with this company (Beyond the Field - Player Development) is to help educate people on the role and help provide them with foundational tools to create impact.
With that said I get a lot of questions about where to start. Well, I have that answer for you. The Beginner’s Guide to Player Development is here. This resource will help you focus on and center the impact you want to make in player development.
Player Development Established
Today we will talk about player development being established in a program when a coach is taking over. I have been a part of this once in my career and I wish the administration would have done things differently. Here are my three suggestions on how a coach should handle a situation where player development is set and they are in the process of taking over the program:
Hiring Player Development
Part Four of The Head Coaches Guide to Player Development Series - Hiring Player Development
There are three scenarios head coaches will see when it comes to player development.
Scenario One: They will have to create player development
Scenario Two: They will have to hire someone in the player development position
Scenario Three: They will take over a program where player development is established
Today we will talk about hiring player development for your program. There are three foundational areas you need in the person you hire in this role:
Head Coaches Guide to Player Development eBook
In preparing for this series, I had the thought of “Hey. let me create an actual guide as well.” Well, the guide is HERE. This blog is here to share with you what to expect from the actual guide.
The goal of this guide it to:
A. Define player development
B. Explain the impact player development can have on a program
C. Give advice on three different situations a head coach may experience in staffing this role
D. Give a reflection of what the player development department wants the head coach to know
Creating A Player Development Program
Today we will talk about creating player development in a program. There are three main questions coaches must ask themselves when creating player development in their program:
What are the most important skills you want your players to have in life?
What experiences do you want your players to have while in your program?
Outside of wins, what actions of your players would bring you the most pride?
3 Ways Player Development Impacts YOUR Program
We defined player development in part one of the series. Naturally, the next question coaches ask after understanding player development is how can it impact their program.
Well player development impacts programs in three areas:
The players
The program/staff
The external relations of the program
What Is Player Development?
What is player development? There are many answers to this question. This is one of the questions I hear the most. Head coaches I want to help define it for you as well as you may also have so many answers to this question. You may have seen it done different ways in the programs you’ve worked for. I want to help define the role for you as I know it will impact your program for the good.
Head Coaches Guide to Player Development
This year we are starting it off with the “Head Coaches Guide to Player Development” series. I am excited about this series as I am catering the first five episodes of the year to head coaches. Player development’s impact can only go as far as the support of the head coach. With this reality, I wanted to make sure head coaches had a better understanding of player development. I’ve said multiple times on my show how player development can help a program, now we will dive deeper into the topic.
Player Development Pod Season Two Review
Season Two of The Player Development Pod is complete. Season Two was a massive success because of the guests who came on the show. I would first like to thank them for taking the time to come on and share with us their experiences, expertise and passion for this space. Thank you Lamonte Winston, Dr. Lacee’ Carmon-Johnson, Tony Hull, Chris Smith, Darien Harris, Alexander Martin, Tobruk Blaine, Syndric Steptoe, Tony Washington Jr, Ashley Goodman, James Sherman, Andre Sims Jr, Dr. Lori Robinson and Gus Felder.
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