This Week in Player Development
Five conversations to help you develop people, strengthen culture, and elevate your program
This week, I shared five different conversations about player development.
Each video approaches the work from a different angle, but they all connect to the same mission: helping programs become more intentional about developing the whole person.
Whether you are currently working in player development, trying to enter the profession, coaching athletes, or leading an athletic program, I believe there is something here that can help you.
Here is what we covered this week.
Monday: The Biggest Misconception About Player Development
In this episode of Player Development in 60 Seconds, I answered one of the most important questions in this space:
What is the biggest misconception about player development?
The misconception is that player development should be viewed as an additional program.
We have our athletic program, plus we have player development.
I believe it should be viewed differently.
We have our athletic program, and player development is part of it.
Player development should not be something added to the side of the program. It should be built into the culture, daily operations, relationships, and overall student-athlete experience.
Watch the episode here:
Tuesday: The Summer of Belonging
When I served in the player development role at Baylor, we created Summer of Belonging initiatives to help bring our team closer together.
We intentionally created opportunities for players to connect with teammates outside of their normal position groups and social circles.
The goal was not simply to entertain the players.
The goal was to strengthen relationships, build trust, and help every person feel more connected to the team.
Belonging does not happen automatically because people wear the same uniform.
It must be intentionally developed.
That season, our team went on to win the Big 12 Championship. I believe the relationships built during that summer played an important role in what we accomplished together.
Learn more about the Summer of Belonging here:
Wednesday: The BEYOND Framework
On the Player Development Pod, I shared my full presentation from the 2026 Player Development Summit.
During the presentation, I broke down the BEYOND framework and explained how programs can organize player development under one umbrella.
One of the biggest challenges in player development is that the work can become scattered.
One person is responsible for leadership.
Someone else handles career development.
Another department manages community engagement.
The athletic department may provide mental wellness, financial education, mentorship, and transition programming.
All of those areas matter, but without a clear framework, they can feel like disconnected activities rather than one intentional development strategy.
The BEYOND framework helps programs bring those efforts together and create a clearer plan for developing their athletes.
Watch the full presentation here:
Thursday: Does Player Development Lead to Winning?
For this week’s Player Development Myth or Fact, I addressed a major question:
Does player development equal winning?
Player development does not guarantee that a team will win games.
Talent matters.
Coaching matters.
Execution matters.
Preparation matters.
However, player development can help create an environment where winning becomes more sustainable.
It can strengthen relationships, communication, confidence, accountability, leadership, culture, and trust.
Those things may not appear directly on a scoreboard, but they influence what happens before the team ever reaches the field.
Player development can also create additional winning opportunities throughout the year.
A player improves their GPA.
A player completes a resume.
A player grows as a communicator.
A player discovers a career interest.
A player learns how to lead.
Those are wins.
When athletes learn how to win in different areas of their lives, they begin developing habits that can also influence their athletic performance.
Watch the full Myth or Fact episode here:
Friday: What No One Told Me About Building a Player Development Program
In this week’s Five Minute Fridays episode, I talked about something no one told me when I started building a player development program from scratch.
No one told me that I would need quantitative data to support qualitative work.
Much of player development is relational.
You have conversations.
You build trust.
You encourage athletes.
You help solve personal problems.
You create meaningful experiences.
You help people grow.
That work matters, but coaches, administrators, and decision-makers may still ask:
How many athletes participated?
What changed?
What were the outcomes?
How do we know this was effective?
What value did this create for the program?
Passion is not enough.
Good relationships are not enough.
A great event is not enough.
You must learn how to document, measure, communicate, and present the impact of the work.
That is one of the biggest lessons I learned while building a player development program.
Watch the Five Minute Fridays episode here:
One Mission, Five Conversations
Although these videos cover different subjects, they all connect.
Player development must be integrated into the program.
Belonging must be intentionally created.
Programming needs a clear framework.
Development can contribute to a winning environment.
Impact must be measured and communicated.
This work is bigger than hosting events or checking boxes.
It is about creating an intentional environment where athletes can grow as people, students, leaders, professionals, and competitors.
I hope one of these conversations gives you an idea, a strategy, or a different perspective that helps you serve the athletes and programs around you.
What player development topic would you like me to cover next?
Reply to this newsletter or leave a comment and let me know.
Developing People. Elevating Programs.