The PAW Journey Can't Be Replicated
The Necessity of Creating YOUR OWN Player Development Plan
Did I really start of this newsletter LIKE THAT?! Yes, I did.
Now, I have the utmost respect for the work Mr. Jeff Davis, “The Judge” has done at Clemson. I have come to know Rashard Hall and Antoine McClain personally. When they agreed to join The Player Development Conference as panelists, I was super excited. During the conference, I let them know I would be sending them the Beyond the Field Legacy Award in special recognition of your outstanding commitment to player development and your impact on the player development landscape around the world. So, you can tell by now I have a great appreciation for the work they do so this is not coming from a place of ill will.
I am writing this because I just had a conversation with someone in the space and they mentioned they’ve been given the PAW Journey formula with the expectations but no resources. This is interesting to me because I evaluated a major Power 5 football program who had the same mantra given to them. Although imitation is the highest form of flattery, I feel for these professionals who must adhere to these expectations. From the situations I have heard they are given this plan with no meeting in regard to how it affects the players, university, and the community they’re in.
If you know me, I am all for the expansion of player development and am happy to see the growth across college football and other sports, but the one size fits all does not work.
You must have a player development plan that works for your program, the student-athletes, and one that makes sense based on your university, sport, and geographic location.
I created Beyond the Field as my player development plan at The University of Houston in 2016, when I went to University of Kansas and tried to use the same exact things which brought me success I ran into many obstacles. I had to reassess how I was going to go about creating impact in the player development role. I realized that I could keep the same foundation and core values, but I would need to revise my programming and initiatives. I am thankful I learned this lesson because when I transitioned to Baylor University, I had to once again reinvent the player development plan for the athletes I served there.
Does PAW Journey work? ABSOLUTELY YES! Judge a tree by its fruit and their fruit is abundant. Can you use some of the core competencies they use? YES. Can you replicate the program in an identical fashion? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I am thankful for PAW Journey and the light it has been to one of the most important positions in the world of sports. (If you think PAW Journey’s impact isn’t global think again.)
The key to the success you can have in the role is by creating a customizable plan which will benefit those you serve.
Looking for help creating that customizable plan? Look no further. Beyond The Field is here to help you.
The Player Development Conference
The planning for the conference has been going GREAT. I can’t thank Evin Norman of Next Level Branding, enough for leading the efforts in planning and executing another impactful conference. You can listen to me and Evin speak about last year’s conference here:
I must also give a huge thank you to Lauren King, who is back to help with planning and execution this year. I want to welcome Caitlin Burnett to the team as well. This conference is one that will prepare us for the in-person conference goal for 2025. YES, we are planning to be in person for next year. Here is a conference update video that was shared with the conference mailing list:
The Player Development Conference is less than 3 months away!
Building on the incredible momentum from last year, we are excited to continue to provide a collaborative learning experience for those serving athletes around the WORLD.
More information will be shared in the coming weeks.
Player Development Conference Resources and Opportunities:
PD Conference Mailing List
Interested in Speaking
Want to Sponsor?
Spring Football
Spring football is beginning for most college football programs.
During this time, I backed off of programming and took time to support the players.
Fall camp and spring football are the two times where the players are competing for a position on the field. They are focused on achieving their on-field goals and coaches are way more protective of time during these two periods of the calendar year.
This is a great time to build and deepen the relationships you’ve built with the players on the team.
Take time to take notice of the players body language, grades, and communication with others.
Be at every meal, practice, and lifting session you can be.
Frequent the training room as players are taking care of hurts, pains, and injuries.
And most of all, HAVE FUN! I KNOW I DID. HAHAHAHAHA!
Player Development Resources
COURSES
Guide to Player Development Online Course - Self Paced
Player Development LIVE Cohort Course Interest
WORKSHOPS
BOOKS
Player Development Guide eBook
Head Coaches Guide to Player Development eBook
COACHING
Player Development Coaching Program Interest