← Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen
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- [00:00]
A
What's up, everybody?
- [00:01]
B
Welcome back.
- [00:01]
A
Another episode here on youn Think. We got a great episode in store today. Right off the jump, we're going to go into a little this or that little fun game that we're playing. Some really tough questions. Really actually had to take a couple seconds, like process what my answer was. So that's a lot of fun. Got a really great episode. Conversation kfc Kevin Clancy Barstool sports made a viral video. Just all the emotions as a sport dad, his kid almost quitting baseball to then season opener pitcher and all the emotions that every mom and dad in America can. Can very much relate to. If you've ever watched your kid in this whole youth sports journey. So super relatable, really fun conversation with him about just being a dad, a sports parent. At the end, we got some more Q and A. Keep sending your questions to us. We love hearing from our listeners, our followers. We try to answer as many of them as we can. Appreciate you guys following along. Follow us on all of our social channels, you think, our YouTube page and look forward to continuing to bring you guys premium content all around the world of youth sports. Youth sports in America are at a crossroads and I'm here to help lead the conversation forward. I'm Greg Olson. Each week we're sitting down with top athletes, coaches and more to talk about what's working, what's broken, and what's next. Welcome to you think.
- [01:19]
C
Hey, Greg, what's happening?
- [01:20]
A
Hey, what's up, Shelby? How are you doing?
- [01:22]
C
I'm doing great. We're hat twins today. I'm excited.
- [01:24]
A
I love it. Represent the brand always.
- [01:26]
C
You got it. You got it. All right, we're going to do. Would you rather. Would you rather coach against your dad or coach against Luke and Stu?
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A
Man, that's tough. I think I'm going to have to pitch coach against my dad. Stu and Luke are like two of my best friends in the world, but you only get one dad. And I think to be on the opposite sideline from your dad would be hard. We got a lot of history, a lot of games together. This is picking your favorite kid, you know, but yeah, I don't want to. I'd rather coach against Luke and Stu. I don't want to coach against my dad.
- [01:59]
C
I love that. All right, next one. Would you rather have an undefeated season, lose in the playoffs or have a Cinderella playoff run?
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A
Does the Cinderella playoff run result in a championship?
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C
Yeah.
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A
Oh, all day? Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, everybody wants to win all, all their games, but the ultimate goal when every season starts is you want to win your last game. And if you don't win them all. Okay. I mean, that's the goal, certainly. But, yeah, you. You'd much rather win your last game than lose your last game. So that. Yeah, that's easy for me. I'm going Cinderella, playoff run to a championship.
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C
Absolutely. Those are my favorite type of teams, especially in March Madness. All right, next up, Would you rather ref football or be a home plate umpire?
- [02:39]
A
Oh, easy. I want to be a home plate umpire. No question. My strike three call would be. I think it'd be subtle. It's not about the umpire. I don't love umpires who make the game about themselves. So, I mean, it could be a subtle. These kids are young. We don't need, like, a theatrical, you know, ha. And make it a whole scene. But I feel like the home plate umpire. You can control the game. I'd have a really good strike zone. I'd be consistent, and I've never done it. So I think being on the field controlling a baseball game. Yeah. Home plate umpire. If nothing else, but just the novelty, I love it.
- [03:10]
C
Cease. Okay. All right, next one. Would you rather never coach again or never broadcast again?
- [03:16]
A
Oh, man. I know we just put out that video where I said I'd never. There would never be a scenario where I wouldn't coach. I don't need fox watching this and firing me. So I guess I'd rather never coach again. I guess I could just coach in secret. I'm not losing my broadcasting job, that's for sure. It certainly pays a little bit better than youth sports coach, definitely.
- [03:36]
C
All right, last one here. Would you rather coach in the snow or coach in 95 degree heat?
- [03:42]
A
Yeah, I'd rather coach in the snow. There's an energy. Last year, we were getting ready for the playoffs, and we were helping out with the high school team, and we had night practice one night, and we got a very rare snowstorm. I actually have some pictures I can send you guys. We had a very rare snowstorm that came in during the last, like, hour of practice. The energy, the excitement again, the novelty of it here in North Carolina. Maybe if I was living in Wisconsin, it would get old, but, yeah, I think there's an energy to coaching in the snow. Playing in the snow was always fun. There's nothing fun about 95 degrees dying. So I'm going to. I'd rather coach in the snow. It's. It's exciting for all. This episode of you think is brought to you by Academy Camps, A camp for today's athlete. To learn more, I spoke with the camp's executive director, Mike Murillo. Just for people that don't know, just kind of give us a little background on what exactly is Academy Camps.
- [04:33]
D
Yeah, so we are a sleepaway camp experience. We offer one week and two week sessions. We have a real focus on obviously developing young athletes. What makes us pretty unique though, is we create a really well rounded experience. So the way we talk about it is half the day you're getting better at the sport you love. The other half a day you still get to be a kid. At camp, we offer 12 different sports. Our campers come in and say, you know what, Baseball is a sport that I really want to improve in this summer. So they will train twice a day, every day for about an hour and a half in each session with our, our professional coaches and the other athletes that are there for baseball. But then the second half of the day, which to be honest, makes up another, you know, eight or nine hours a day, they get to choose from a lot of different, other activities. Other sports. We get into mindset development, wellness, obvious strength and conditioning. But depending on which campus you're on, you can also go fishing or you can do wall climbing or ropes course. And we get into traditional camp stuff like Color wars, which is actually a great platform to learn how to be a teammate, where we're competing as an entire camp against each other. So it really is about bringing those two worlds together, together. Sports specific camp and a traditional sleepaway camp. You know, we meet our athletes wherever they are in their journey as a young athlete. So, you know, if you want to come in and say, I played lacrosse for a year and I love it and I want to get better, you know, absolutely. Come to Academy camps. If you've been a soccer player playing at the highest academy level and you've got aspirations for college, absolutely. Come to Academy Camps. You know, we don't in any way kind of segment our athletes in that way. What that also means is that our coaches have experience in coaching that full spectrum.
- [06:20]
A
All right, well, safe to say I'm excited for this conversation because if you, unless you live under a rock, you are very familiar with today's guest and Kevin Clancy, better known as kfc, a guy that I've known for a really long time. Barstool. We go way back to the early, early days of him in Portnoy and, and Big Cat. I mean, probably before. So super cool. Kevin, kfc. Appreciate you joining, but I want to talk about your Video. We reached out to you because we're like, dude, as a dad going all the emotions in your video, last week it went viral. Like, dude, you are officially living every dad's greatest dream and worst nightmare, which is being a sports parent. So I want to hear all about it.
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B
Yeah, that's exactly it, man. I got a 8 year old son who plays football, baseball, basketball, and I got a 10 year old daughter who is a dancer and also plays basketball. So between the two of them, you know, it's constant chauffeuring, coaching, parenting, dealing with the trials and tribulations, the nerves, but the excitement, it is a whirlwind and a roller coaster, dude.
- [07:25]
A
All right, so your video, the one I'm referencing and we're, we, we're going
- [07:28]
B
to share it to my 8 year old son, Keegan. Yesterday was Little League opening day and it was probably a top five day of my life as a father. I signed him up for a travel team, the Westchester Giants. And they were awesome. Incredible coaches, immaculate facilities, the team was great. His first year he won a championship, but he personally was a six year old playing with seven and eight year olds and he was in over his head. And this is where the competition part comes in because in my mind I'm like, iron sharpens iron and competition breeds success. And when he comes of age, he'll be the big kid and he'll be the star. Meanwhile it's like, bro, he's six and he wasn't having fun.
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A
Go check out KFC's Instagram account because it's great. So your son Keegan and you give like a really big, but like a quick kind of synopsis of his journey in baseball from starting out and not liking it. Like, did you think that it would get the reaction among like youth sports parents that it got when you shared it?
- [08:23]
B
No, I, I, I, I'm actually so pumped for a multitude of reasons, but also like this is something I've kind of wanted to do. I've actually looked to you for inspiration because I've always, my content has always just been the life that I'm living and, and when you're 25 and you're partying and having fun, that's your content. And now what I do all day is, is, you know, coaching and, and, and sports with my kids. So I, I, it was kind of just testing it out and the response from other parents, from yourself. I got a couple sponsorship interests so like I realized how much it resonated just off of one video. And, and, and yeah, the Amount of parents who said, like, I live this exactly. Scenario or gone through the exact things that you're talking about. It was. It gave me a lot of hope for what this can be going forward. And me. And I'm pumped to, like, do it with my kids and turn it into work, but also have fun. It's just there's a lot of opportunity for the next, like, 10 years for me and the kids to really do it. So I'm pumped about it.
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A
Oh, you're just getting started, brother. You're just getting started.
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B
Yeah.
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A
What jumped out to me the first. I watched it like 10 times, but the first thing that jumped out to me is, you know, and again, you said it tongue in cheek. But like, you gave you. You said, like, iron sharpens iron. And when he was young, we put him with this travel ball team, and these kids were nasty and we were good. But then you kind of showed the other side of that coin. And I think it's all of a lot of dads, but moms too, and I certainly am guilty of it with my own kids. Like, the allure of being on a great team as opposed to the allure of being on the right team was, like, a big part of your journey. So, like, again, dive into that for those of us, for those who haven't seen the video, like, give everyone the idea of, like, how you first approach this and what it almost did to your son and fact that he almost never played again. And then obviously it culminated in this, like, amazing moment of him having a ton of success and, you know, he's smiling and loving it. So, like, talk about how you made that transformation and flipped approach.
- [10:19]
B
So he was six years old and we were playing in one league, and then they had a bunch of drama with Township Borders, and he got kicked out of one league, and then the second league, they kicked him out. So a lot of kids were scrambling looking for a team, and I signed him up with this program, the Westchester Giants. This is a team. Actually, I. I sent you a DM a long time ago. I don't think you ever saw it, but I. I reached out because I knew you were doing the youth sports stuff, and I was like, I would love to put you on with this coach. His name's Anthony and he is. Their program is unbelievable. Great coaches, amazing facilities. They take it seriously, but not like, in a toxic way. I was like, you know, as a baseball fan, this is my dream. He was six years old and he was playing with seven and eight year olds. And, you know, I wasn't thrilled about that, but I was like, this is how, you know, this is how he's going to get better. He's playing with the bigger kids, the better kids. And then when he comes of age, by the time he's 8, he'll be the man. And. And so that, that plan didn't really come to fruition because I come to realize this, this team is so good and the program's so good that These kids play 365 days a year. They're in indoors during the winter, they're tutoring, practicing coaches, all that. And so when it came time for, you know, 7 and 8 and him, man, he just, he wasn't, it wasn't translating. And it got to the point where he was almost out on the whole sport. Like, he was struggling at the plate. And, you know, it's also baseball in general, I think is, is. Is a tough sell for this generation where, like, there's a lot of standing around. You're not always active and engaged. And he loved basketball and football, much more fast paced. So he was on the verge of being done. And I'm really trying to be a engaged father, but not overbearing and toxic and living vicar. I named the series kind of tongue in cheek, vicariously, because we're all living vicariously through them. But I try not to do that. And so when he told me, like, I'm playing these other sports and I don't want to do this, I was like, gonna respect his wishes. And his mom, God bless her, was like, I really think we're giving up too soon. You know, we know he's good at it, so, like, let's give it one last shot. So I drag him to the try house. It was cold, it was early, and even I was like, I don't know, what are we doing here? Let's just go play the other sports. He gets placed on this team, and the first practice we're just throwing the ball around and the coach can tell that he can play a little bit. And he says to him, keegan, what, what, what's your favorite position? And Keegan looks at me and he's like, right, right field. Because that's like, they've always just stashed him out there when he wasn't succeeding. And the coach is like, are you nuts, dude? You are our starting shortstop. Like, you are going to be a star on this team. And I one that one comment, I could see, like, the confidence, like, he just started to carry himself differently, starts throwing the ball around and he goes hey, Dad, I think I want to pitch this year. And again, the coach overhears him and he's like, you think you're going to pitch? You are our opening day starter, I can tell you that right now. And, and so then our first game was a couple of days ago. Pitches the first two innings, four strikeouts, like, fielded his position through to first at shortstop, caught a pop up. And like, I watched my kid transform before my eyes. And I'll never forget this. He was sweaty from playing, red face, hair's a mess. And he looked over at me after, like, a great game and everyone's talking, he goes, dad, I think this is going to be really good for me. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, that's like, all I've ever wanted.
- [13:46]
A
You're like, I'm done. I've. I'm done. I'm done as a dad, I've accomplished everything. So I want to unpack a couple things there that you said that I think are like, again, we joke and we have fun with it, but these are, like, very real elements. And we talk to people all across the youth sports landscape, parents, coaches, instructors, trainers, former Olympians that look back with a lot of regret to, you know, quote unquote and hesitation and whatnot. But the first thing I want to talk to you about is you guys making him go. Quote, unquote, making him go. And I think what we hear from a lot of, and this is something we struggle with even in our house, is they're young in the sense that they don't really know what they want. They don't really know what's in their best interest. They look at things very, like, in the moment, right? I want to do this now without really having the ability to, like, project forward into what they really want to do later. So I think every parent struggles with the, how much do I make my kid do? How much do I push my kid? Even because I, as a parent, I think it's in their best interest. Without going over that the other side of the hill and say, now I'm the parent that's like, my kid's doing things against his will. Like, I'm that overbearing parent. We've struggled finding that balance. So, like, now going through it, like, where do you guys stand on that? Like, are you going to continue to push? How do you make sure you don't push too far? But also, if you guys never got involved as the adults, he's not playing baseball, making you cry, you know, at his first game.
- [15:23]
B
I do not Know the answer. And I firmly believe every kid's different, every league's different. So there's no right or one size fits all. But the way I posed it to him was, let's go to the tryout, the evaluation, and. And we'll take it from there. Because I said to him, if we don't go to that, then you're out altogether. Like, you can't be on a team. But if.
- [15:42]
A
If.
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B
If we go see how it is, and, like, if you really, really hate it or if the first practice comes along and it's more of the same, then we can. Then we can talk. Like, I. I really. I don't know. I'm so torn between, like, quitting. Like, I never want to quit. I'm a big. Like, if you sign up and you make a commitment for anything, sports or anything, you got to follow through on it. But I was, you know, just trying to give him a little bit of, like, I guess, agency, where it's like, if you really don't like this, I'm not going to force you, but I want it. I want you to have the opportunity. And he kind of gave me, like, all right, fine, dad. But it wasn't like a screaming and yelling, stomping his feet. I don't want to do this. So I could tell it was, you know, it was in there for him as well. So I think kind of giving a little bit of that, like, half measure. But now that we have an example of it, it'll be a lot easier because I've already used it in other things, reading games and other stuff. I'm like, remember how you didn't want to do that? And now you love it. Because, dude, it's not even just the game and the practice all. All weekend. He was like, can we go outside and throw the ball? I was icing my shoulder yesterday. I haven't thrown this many pitches in, you know, 20 years. So now he's. He wants to watch, he wants to play, he wants to do it with me. And so I'm hoping that this is a really good example for all things going forward of, like, remember when you hated this one thing? We. We told you to do it, and it ended up being one of the best decisions we have ever made. So I hope going forward, it's a lot easier to make that choice.
- [17:09]
A
That's awesome. Little did you know, now that his love for the game. You're having Tommy John surgery. You're in there just. Absolutely, just dying. Your. Your rotator cuff is on fire. The other really important. And again, whether it's baseball or the other thousand, you know, you could. You can kind of abstract this to school. There's a million different ways that apply, but, like, the idea of fit, right? So I've been guilty of it at times, too. You get so caught up in finding the best team and the most winning team and the team with the best coaches, in the sense of what you're describing, it sounds like you guys check all those boxes, but ultimately it's not the right fit. So, like, it's. It's something again, that everyone is really struggling. Am I better off having my kid be the best player on maybe a team that's not going to go win the Little League World Series? Or am I better putting my kid on the best team that I can find? And in a lot of cases, the best team money can buy. But their opportunities are limited, and they're at the bottom of the barrel, but they're finding a lot of team success and they're building a role, and there's a lot of really good lessons that can be built there. So, like, again, going forward, like, how do you envision yourself approaching this when it's time for basketball, when it's time for dance class, or just in all of your parenting measures, like, how do you see yourself moving forward with that?
- [18:30]
B
So the first thing I wanted to make sure, too, like, the. The Westchester Giants was the. The travel program. And, like, just because we moved on from them, like, I really can't say enough good things about them because they really were. They're the best. Meaning, like, they won, but they also really ran a great program. And so I wanted that because I was like, this is great instruction. And. And they were teaching them how to be like, boys and men. So there was a lot that went into it, and I. And I also don't want to paint the other league as, like, this, you know, scrub, crappy league. Like, it was just, like you said, the right fit. And. And what I. The way I posed my video was competition versus confidence. That I thought playing against the best competition. The Iron Sharp Zion thing was, that's, to me, that's all sports, right? That's how it works. But I looked back at my own, like, career. I mean, I never did anything past high school, but I played basketball. And I remember being like, I was the consummate high school pro. Like, I listened to the coach, I hustled, I took charges, I dove on the floor for loose balls, and I wasn't flashy, and I was always unselfish and that's a great way to play. But also I just didn't ever have the personal confidence because I was always worried about everyone else. And so I did want to try to make it known, like, you gotta have confidence, you gotta be the man, you gotta want this. So the fact that that's at least for my kid, what he was going to learn by getting beat up by bigger and better kids pales in comparison to him feeling good and being confident about it. But what I will say was interesting was on that first practice, all these other kids already know each other. Keegan's kind of the outsider and the coaches is yelling things out. So if the balls hit to the left side, who's covering second, who's the cutoff man? Ba, ba, ba. And he knew every answer. So while he maybe wasn't on the field as much as he wanted to be or doing the things he wanted to do, he was learning everything from those great coaches. And he took that knowledge and now brings it to a place where he gets the playing time and the attention and the, you know, the time he needs. So I think at least for me and my kid, the confidence is, is key. And then because I feel like, you know, you can always maybe go back to those leagues or get back to the competition, but you can't ever really get the confidence if you're the 10th guy on the bench and always playing right field. So as of right now, I, I, I would be team confidence. But I guess you really got to look at your own kid. Like if, if I knew he was a freak, if I had a sense that he was like a prodigy and we really had a chance at scholarships and whoever knows beyond that, maybe it would have been different. But I, I really, you know, I think he's going to be a middle school and high school player and I just want him to like have fun and have great memories. So for us it was kind of a no brainer.
- [21:16]
A
I had a coach give me a really good piece of advice so maybe you can carry forward this. So I don't claim this, this was given to me and I try to share it with everyone. They said at any given moment, when your kid is young, you know, we'll call it middle school, high school, they should always experience a season where they are the best player. They're the shortstop, big balls in their hand, they're the point guard, the ball's playing through them. In basketball, they bat three hole regardless of how good the team is. And they should also experience a season or multiple Seasons where they are a role player, they are further down the hierarchy. They are not the shortstop, they're not the free hole, they bat at the end. They might be a sub, they might be a fifth, sixth man off the bench and be a role player in basketball, whatever it is. And I always thought that was a really good. Because his point was, every kid needs to feel the power of the team being on your shoulders. You're a critical component. Come on, Johnny. We really need you to make every play at shortstop, both for the feeling of accountability and all that, but also just to know you're the man. When you walk into a locker room or to a field is a good thing. Too much of that leads to an overconfidence. It leads to a false sense of reality and has a whole nother litany of issues when you get older and then when you flip it to the other side, it. You can, at some point in your life, as you get older in sports, you are going to be a role player at some level. 99% of people are going to experience being the low man on the totem pole. And if you've only been the best player on your team forever, whenever the end of that journey comes, when you've now taken that step back, it's going to be shocking to the system. So I always thought that was really good advice. Like, everything you're saying, we don't have to pick one. Like, it could be season by season. It could be if you're playing year round, like, there's no reason you can't play your main season with this team and he's the shortstop in the pitcher. And if there's another more competitive team where maybe he has a different role, but he's getting great coaching, he's playing great competition. Like, there's no rule that you have to just do one thing. And I. That's something I've always tried to carry with me these last couple years since he kind of put that in my brain.
- [23:27]
B
It's funny how much you start to realize that these things do prepare you for, like, all of life. Like, I'm thinking about when you have a job down the line and you're not picking up a ball or a glove that you have to know how to do, you know, both sides of the operation. And then. And then from my point of view, I'm like, I'm thinking about me watching him in both those roles. And like, when we found out he was going to be the opening day starter, I was the. The whole day leading up to that game, I was a wreck. I was so nervous, man. And he was fine. He was a little bit nervous, but he was, like, ready to rock. And. And you know, when your kid out there on the mound, like, all alone and there's no clock, you know, like, you got to get these outs. You might walk the ballpark. You might give up five runs. Like, we don't know. I was so nervous. And then he had one pitch, one out. The. The very first pitch was hit right back to him, and he. And he threw it first. And I was like, the exhale that I. I was. So it was the. The change that I experienced. It was. And it's not him. Like, it's not just him. My daughter's in dance, and she had a competition this weekend, and she does all of her numbers, but then they also have this improv challenge where you just got to get out there and dance, you know, freestyle. And she did that for the first time, and that was, you know, like, I felt the same way about her dancing as him pitching. So they're having fun and they're, like, getting after it. I'm on the sidelines just like, oh,
- [24:49]
A
my God, I can't take this. And pitching is a unique one to watch your kid do. Both my boys have pitched a pretty decent amount on their teams over the years. There's nothing that prepares you for that, I would imagine, like, dance in gymnastics. I watched those gymnastics parents, like, during the Olympics, and they're, like, cringing with every jump on the beat. So I say all of that, like, all right, during the game, what kind are you a pacer? Are you, like, out by yourself? Are you with the other families behind? Like, give us a sense of, like, what kind of game day dad are you?
- [25:22]
B
So I've been doing like a half coaching thing, and I'm on the verge. I wanted to ask you about this, like, getting in, getting into coaching, because I. I think I could do it, and I think I would love it. I just didn't, you know, with this job of, you know, you never know when an interview is going to pop up or I got to fly to Chicago to do the Family Feud or whatever. I didn't want to be the guy canceling practices or not showing up for games. So I've been like, an assistant coach for a lot of their teams. And so on this team, I was. I was first base coach for the. For the first game and kind of hanging around the practice. And I'm always like, hey, coach, you know, I'm here if you need a hand, but not trying to overstep my bounds. So I am like a little bit in the mix. But if I'm not, or let's say I'm just, you know, kind of watching him as I'm on the bench, I try to stay. I try to stay out of it. Like, I. There was this. This girl who played on my daughter's team a couple years ago, basketball. Unbelievable. Played AAU with the boys. Like, amazing player. But I noticed every time she did anything on the court, good or bad, she looked over at her parents on. On the bench. And it might. It might have been in a good confidence building way. I'm not. I don't want to. I don't know for sure, but it felt a lot to me. Like I was watching this kid be like, I'm looking for approval on every single play, and I'm trying to strike that balance of like, I support you and I'm here if you want to come talk to me. Give me. I can give you some pointers or whatever you need. But I'm also. I'm not, you know, up on the fence screaming and yelling. I'm not going to be, you know, one of those guys. So I'm trying to figure out that balance. And. And I do think, especially as he's gotten more into it and I. I liked basketball, so I'm starting to coach a little bit with his basketball teams. I feel like I want to just coach. I feel like I want to try at least for when they're young and they're kind of like the friend group is still the team. I don't know if I, you know, have. Have what it takes for when it gets, like, really competitive, but I think I'm kind of on the verge there. Do you have any words of advice as, like, I know you do some coaching, but I'm sure you just kind of watch as a spectator in other sports. So what do you think?
- [27:21]
A
Do it.
- [27:22]
B
Yeah.
- [27:22]
A
If you're on the fence, do it. Because I can tell you, and it's not going to always be easy, and it's not easy coaching your own kid. And as they get older, we have all these, like, this is how I'm going to do it. And I'm going to be the. You're not. You're going to have some games where you break your own rule and you're going to come down too hard on them and you're going to coach them unfairly. Like, it's going to happen. I'm just telling you now, but I will say when you strip all that away, the time you can spend with your kid, the impact you can make not only on them, but their friends, their teammates watching these young boys and girls. I also have a daughter, so I've coached a lot of her things too. Like seeing these young boys and girls, the light bulb go on the parents when they get to you and they say hey, my son, I don't recognize it. So we do the most, what we coach now is the kids middle school football team and we coach it like high school. I mean we're doing like 6am off season morning workouts with seventh and eighth graders. We do off season workouts, we do summer, summer program, three days a week on the field. I mean it's a full program and these kids are like rising seventh and eighth graders, but they all go to our school. A lot of these kids are kids I've coached since they were five years old in baseball, basketball, you know, just outside school sports. But now that they're all in middle school, we play through school. It is the best experience. It doesn't mean it's not frustrating, it doesn't mean it's not annoying at times you don't want to, you lose your patience with the kids. All of that is true. None of it, none of the negative comes even close to make, to canceling out the fun. The positive, the growth, the fight, the grind that watching these kids just compete their ass off. And it, it is such a unique experience doing it with your own kid, but just all the other kids that like man, when it's done right, I can't say enough amazing things about it. So do it while you can and if you have the time. It's not about who knows the most about basketball. It is not a contest to new who knows the most about baseball. If it is, I would have only coached. I've coached girls basketball, I try to help my daughter do track. I've done boys basketball, baseball. And I don't pretend to be an expert at those sports. But dude, if you have the time and you have the desire to do it, the impact you can make on all these kids, let alone your own, it'll be one of the best that you're going to look back in a couple years and go that's one of the best things I've ever done.
- [29:52]
B
Yeah, I mean that's, that's the vibe I'm getting and that's, that's the way I'm leaning and I, and I feel like as much as I, I haven't coached in the past because of, like, the possibility of an interview or, like I said, travel. I also think that, you know, the position we're in, it does allow us the time. If I was working some 9 to 5 job and couldn't get off work till 6 o' clock and had to commute home, you know, I wouldn't even. It wouldn't even be an option. So I'm thinking, like, I'm lucky enough to be in this position. I. I might as well take advantage. And an extra wrinkle is that we're divorced. So I'm always looking for every. Every extra minute I can get with the kids. So even I would go to practices. Like, I'm trying not to be that helicopter parent as this is going on. But, you know, other parents just drop them and leave. And I was like, I can get another hour with my kid here. I want to watch him. I'm going to film him. I want to see it, you know. So for me, it's just about the time with the kids. And, yeah, I'm getting to know, like, all of his friends and stuff. So it's. And they, they're kind of taking to me as well, so it seems like they would embrace it. So. But here's the next level. I don't know how much time you have here, Greg, but I'm. I could talk about you, you know, forever. I feel like I'm stepping on toes of some of the previous coaches and there's dads who have been, like, doing this for four or five straight years where it's just kind of assumed they're the guy. And I don't want to, like, ruffle the friend group and all that, but I do want to do this. So.
- [31:05]
A
Yeah, again, but that comes down to. Trust me. I've stepped on plenty of toes and I'm sure there's people out there that have been on my team or in a. Well, here's. Here's two things that I'll say. One, it comes down to just communicating your intentions, right. And I'm with the adults, right. At the age you're talking with the boys, they're happy who. They just want someone to show up and give them the time and the energy to coach them. They're not judging you based on how, you know your double cuts and how, you know, first, the kids aren't evaluating on any of that basis. It's strictly this guy shows up all the time and he's reliable. And when I ask him questions, he gives me time and energy. I like that guy, like for the kids, it's that, you know, it's no different than parenting, right? Like, it's that simple. Now with the adults as anything, it gets way more complicated. So I think as long as you're clear in your intentions, like, hey guys, this ain't my team. I have the time and energy. I love being out here with my kids. I'd love, give me a drill, give me a station, give me a area, whatever the sport is, give me something that you want me to make my own and I'll handle it. You need a guy to shag fly balls, I'm your guy. You need a guy to throw bp, I'm your guy. I'm here to help. I'm not here to make decisions. I'm not here to take over your practice. Every single youth coach, especially in a sport like baseball, will never turn down extra helping hands because you can never have enough guys. Now if they do, that's probably a separate conversation. You need to kind of look into like what this dude's issue is. But like, if you just clearly say why I'm here and what I'm looking to be done, you're going to have no issues. So again, that's the simplest advice. I would say I had been in those shoes, like even at the kids school, you know, we're coaching the middle school and then the expectation becomes, you know, when do you and Luke and when are you guys going to be the high school coaches? And I tell every person that I ask, I am not the program head coach. I am not the varsity football coach. Don't come to me with your varsity problems. Don't come to me with your high school problems. I'll help coach the defensive end. I'll help run wide receiver drills. I'll help you in football and school and all those things. But I don't pick who plays. I don't do playing time. I'm not the program director. So like, it's about clearly stating your own goals and your own position. And if you again, like anything, if you do that, I think you're going to be fine. And I wouldn't worry about stepping on people's toes.
- [33:35]
B
It's funny how much it's. The complicated part is always the parents, not the kids.
- [33:41]
A
It's always the adults. Well, dude, kfc, I've known you for a long time, man, and just to be able to now, you know, we've connected over kickball, we've connected over barstool trivia, We've done name it, we've probably been in the same boat. But to be able to have a conversation as just dads and sports parents is a really cool kind of evolution. So appreciate you taking a couple of minutes here to chat. We're going to keep an eye on vicariously, we're going to chronicle your journey as a sports dad.
- [34:09]
B
I really appreciate it too because I think of you guys and you think is like the gold standard of this stuff. And the fact that you guys reached out like right away off of that one video has given me like so much confidence. It's, it's all about confidence. Like my kid pitching, like I, I'm really this, I'm hoping that this can be. I just ended KFC radio after 15 years and I'm looking for something new and if this could be it, that would be amazing. And the fact that you guys, you know, showed interest and co signed it like this means a lot to me. So for the people listening right now I'm on Instagram at KFC Bar Stools where the videos are. But I, I'm going to try to turn it into a more long form, polished, produced type show and that'll be on my YouTube which is currently KFC radio. So there's a little bit moving, moving pieces right now. But if you're interested in this stuff, give me a follow and I'll, and I'll direct you to where we're putting it up because I think I, I hope that we'll be talking about this for years to come because I got a lot more questions and I know you got a lot more wisdom.
- [35:04]
A
Half the shit that I give as advice is just stuff that I've either screwed up already firsthand or advice from really smart people that they give to me and I just steal it. So I by no means am an expert. I've just done a lot of things wrong and try to help people not do the same shit that I do.
- [35:20]
B
Amen, brother. That's the name of the game, dude. So I appreciate it.
- [35:22]
A
Well, it's good talking to you. Well, we'll keep in touch. We're going to be following your sports dad journey and I'm sure this won't be our last convo. We'll be right back with more from Bryce Young. But first a quick word from today's sponsor, Academy Camps. To give you a sense of the top tier coaching at the camp, we sat down with their executive director of soccer, Rick Warren.
- [35:41]
E
My name is Rick Warren. I am the director of soccer here at Academy Camp. Just love teaching kids the game. This is a game I love to play. You know, I've played for most of my entire life. And so being able to teach it to these kids is that are eager and love the game as well and to also, you know, share that passion with them on in the summertime and and also seeing them grow each day is unique in itself like your ability and the understanding the tactical part of the game and when I explain it to them and then doing the technical stuff that they need to do as well. So I think that just watching and there's not just a high level set of kids right? There is level of all different levels. But we try to break it down where we are able to touch each kid at the level that they are and more about working together to get better and helping each other and caring about each person that is there. It's just a friendship that develops within a week.
- [36:48]
C
Now it's time for the part of the show where Greg answers questions that you, the listeners submitted. As a reminder, DM us your questions on Instagram or email us at Amauth Inc. This was sent from a fan. I walked by my local fields the other morning with my dog and I noticed that so many discarded water and Gatorade bottles were on the field. Are there any off the field non negotiables that you put into place for your team and how do you enforce them?
- [37:15]
A
Yeah, it's a great point. You know, every once in a while you'll see like a, a viral video of, you know, the College World Series or you know, a player staying behind cleaning up the dugout. You know, we have a rule with our kids in baseball. We're going to leave the dugout cleaner than we found it. Typically at the youth level, someone is coming into that dugout after you. We're not going to leave behind all of our trash and all of our rappers and all of that. So yeah, we're going to leave our dugouts better than we left it. You know, with the football team. We stay on them. We are lucky at the school. We do get a middle school locker room every once in a while. I do get a message from the athletic department like we gotta stay on the kids. They're not doing. So we hound them like all those little things matter, right? Like how we do some things is how we do everything. So you show me how you keep your locker room and your dugout, I'll show you how you value the team, how you keep your uniforms, the way you present yourself. It might seem like small details, but typically it is the small Details that build the culture and the fabric of what your team represents. And if you ignore those little things, eventually they become big things.
- [38:16]
C
Absolutely. Both go hand in hand. Even in college, my coach was like, you never know who's going to walk in at any point, whether it's a recruit, whether it's our ad. It just, I thought that was a great point. Next question. As you know, the NFL draft was last week. Are there any storylines or different types of players that you find yourself wanting to tell your players about?
- [38:36]
A
Yeah, you know, I, I always, I always find, you know, we spend so much time always talking about the first round pick, and a lot of times, at least early, you know, years ago, the first round pick was the star Heisman Trophy winner. He's been the best player on every team that he's ever been on. Right. You know, Bryce Youngs and, you know, we can go down the list. The last two years, the number one overall pick, the quarterback, right. The star of the class was a very unheralded high school player, right. And you know, Fernando Mendoza and the year before it was Cam Ward, you know, so I, I think those are the stories that are a little bit more relatable, right, because, you know, how many kids can relate to the five star, the first, you know, first, you know, first team all American starter as a true freshman, and then he's the first overall pick. There's just not a lot of people that can relate to that. But everyone can relate to, you know, the kid with, you know, virtually no offers out of high school, the kid that worked his way up and, you know, in the case of Cam Ward, he went to, you know, Ferris State where he started his journey. And obviously, you know, we've learned a lot about Fernando Mendoza. And he was going to go to the Ivy Leagues and then Cal came in, obviously a highly academic institution, took that offer late, worked his way up, and then has a magical season this past year and eventually becomes the number one pick. So, like, I love those stories because I think more kids can see themselves having that sort of a journey. And too often as a society, especially in youth sport, we only value and really only talk about the top, top elite tier when the vast majority of the kids that end up making it do take a little bit more of a, of a blue collar kind of a longer, more difficult journey. And I think we need to celebrate those just as much.
- [40:16]
C
Couldn't agree more. Fernando is such an example for the next generation. This kind of question goes hand in hand. Who are you really excited to talk about next year on the broadcast, you
- [40:26]
A
know, I think, you know, obviously having the number one overall pick, there's going to be a lot of expectations and conversation around Fernando Mendoza. Does he start right away? They help. They also signed Kirk Cousins, you know, prior to the draft. So, like, do they go with the young guy wait or the young guy play? I think that's going to be a fascinating decision for Clint Kubiak, the new head coach with the Raiders. I think you look at, like, the Giants, big market, you know, made a big coaching change, brought in Harbaugh, Obviously highly accomplished, two top 10 picks. They trade Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati. They sneak an extra top 10 pick. They take Maui Noah, the offensive tackle from Miami with the 10th pick. And then with their own pick, you know, they. They take Reese, the. The linebacker, rush guy, whatever you want to call him, from Ohio State. So that defense just continues to get better. Can Harbaugh kind of organize them, get some of that young talent back with Malik Neighbors and Jackson Dart and Cam Scatterboo. So I think they're a really fascinating conversation, and we typically get a lot of NFC games, so the Giants will probably be a team. We get a great deal. So, you know, I think, you know, the draft always highlights new talking points, and I think it always. What makes, you know, each season so unique and exciting in its own right. A special thank you to Academy Camps for sponsoring today's episode. To learn more, visit academy camps.com before we wrap up, let's hear from someone who's experienced camp firsthand.
- [41:46]
F
My name is Harrison Zimmer. I'm from Rye, New York, and I just attended Academy Camps for the first time in the summer of 2024. Definitely went in trying to, like, build up my confidence and work on my technique more, which I definitely accomplished because after that, going to my high school season, I definitely felt like I could be on the ball more dribble and ended up being successful for me as I made my varsity team. I definitely felt like Academy Camps helped me a lot to, like, discover my ability on the ball. It's definitely an experience very unique and that probably they haven't experienced before with the food and the nutrients and then having, like, a blast with, like, your friends. Made a lot of friends. I've kept in touch with a few and trying to, like, figure out to go this year, like, what session and kind of, like organizing that just so we can be together again. I think you should come to Academy Camps because it gives you a chance to create new friends and new memories.