The Village Is Missing: Why Youth Sports Are Broken

The Village Is Missing: Why Youth Sports Are Broken

Youth sports used to be a village.

Parents, coaches, mentors, and teammates working together to develop disciplined, resilient young people through competition.

But somewhere along the way… things changed.

• Parents think they’re buying opportunity.
• Athletes expect coaching to feel comfortable.
• And coaches are afraid to be honest because honesty sometimes leads to complaints.

In this episode, Coach John delivers a direct message to athletes, coaches, and parents about what youth sports is supposed to be and why tough coaching, accountability, and alignment between parents and coaches matter more than ever.

Because the truth is simple:

Youth sports was never just about building athletes.

It was always about building strong human beings.

🎙 FOLLOW @gotlust4life on IG for more conversations on mindset, leadership, and building elite athletes through sport.

message to Athletes - 8:00

message to Coaches - 16:29

message to Parents - 23:00

If you're an athlete, coach, or parent who wants to learn how to develop a true “village culture” within your team, program, or family environment, contact Coach John and ask about the Mindful Path to Greatness framework and one-on-one mentorship sessions.

ALL ENERGY IS CONTAGIOUS

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

What's going on, guys? Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Mining Hours podcast presented by Project Superhero Fit. I'm your host, Coach John. I'm joined by Coach Crystal. Come with us on this transformative journey in which we seek that fitness is inside out. It makes no sense to have a beautiful physique, but an ugly mind, heart, and spirit. Thank you for subscribing and joining each episode. And let's get into this conversation. Man, so welcome back, guys. Um, welcome back to the uh Mind and Hours podcast. Uh, first and foremost, let me say this and let me get this out of the way. It feels good to be back. Um, we have taken a long hiatus um for different reasons. Um, a lot has changed uh with Project Superhero Fit. A lot has changed with Coach John, a lot has changed with Coach Crystal, and most importantly, a lot has changed with Seneca, right? Um, you know, as if you follow us on our social platforms, as you all can see, uh, we are in the middle of a thriving volleyball season for Seneca. Um, very intense. Um, playing at a she's playing at a high level, the team is playing um high competition at a high level. Uh, so it's very exciting, uh, very fun, and um you know it's been a been a great journey, and to see her thrive and to see her excel, uh, we couldn't be more proud as parents. So um, but we'll catch up uh in another episode and we'll catch up some other time. Um, you know, we have a lot to unpack in this episode. Uh, this episode and the topic that we are going to discuss is very uh near and dear to me uh as a coach. Um being a former uh high-level performing youth basketball player, uh playing at a high level, playing at a high competitive level in AAU, travel ball, uh, high school, things of that nature, also in college as well. Um this topic is very, very, very personal. Uh comes from speaking from the heart, from experience, and also being a youth coach and a youth parent currently. Um this topic is very, very, very uh near and dear to us as a family, and I'm very passionate about it. So uh first and foremost, uh we want to talk about a village, right? You know, growing up when, you know, I grew up, uh, you know, being an 80s baby and kind of growing up in the 90s and the early 2000s and things like that, back when we were playing sports, sports was more than just sports, right? Um you had coaches, you had mentors, you had parents, you had teachers. It seemed like everybody worked together not only to uh help us as kids become better athletes, but first and foremost, you know, life lessons, right? They they helped us and they molded us into being giving us fundamental values and morals and standards of what being a human was, a good human being through sports, right? So kind of basically molding us and giving us a foundation of life through the adversity and through the issues and things and the the ups and downs and the emotions of sports, right? But uh somewhere along that way, um, even in today's time, youth sports has changed drastically, right? And honestly, you know, I don't personally I don't think it's changed in a good way. Um, yes, there are some things that uh, you know, that there's a difference in uh you know skill level, there's a difference in, you know, technique and analytics and how you know skill is taught and the X's and O's are taught, and I think that has advanced has advanced and evolved tremendously. But I think the village is somewhat non I can say somewhat, but mostly non-existent. Alright, and I think that it's affected youth sports big time. So before we, you know, dive into the topic, um, just a little bit of a backstory of a lot of this this what we're gonna talk about, and a lot of you know the views and the perspectives that I'm gonna discuss come straight from experience of playing in my youth, and also now, you know, being a youth coach and also now being on the parent side. So I always tell the kids, you know, listen to those that have done it before. Uh so yes, we've been there, you know, not too long ago. We were youth athletes, now we're youth coaches, and now we're parents. So this topic is near and dear to us, uh, like I said, and near and dear to me as well. Um, so this is coming straight from the heart and straight from experience. You know, uh, I'll be honest, you know, when I first thought about you know coaching uh the youth, especially coaching basketball, yes, it was for you know the love of the game, it was for you know kind of filling my cup up a little bit more from you know the the joy and it being over for me as a player. So, yes, initially, you know, when I first thought about you know coaching or helping out with any type of basketball environment or things like that, um it was kind of a personal thing and wanting to still be attached to the game. But once we started our business, Project Superhero Fit and working with the youth and actually you know becoming a strength, uh a strength and conditioning coach and kind of tapping into the mindset of you know the youth when it comes to working out, when it comes to how they should approach the routine and you know, just building habits, you know, it was evident that the village is severely missing in today's time. You know, parents are seeking certain things, uh, kids don't have certain expectations of themselves and things like that. When and coaches also, as well, coaches you know, aren't really establishing clear expectations and standards anymore because their values aren't aligning, aren't aligning with the parents or the athlete and things like that. So, you know, my mission and my purpose as a coach shifted from it being personal to what can I do to help bridge the gap of the village or or play my role in the village as a coach. You know, there's many, many different factors of you know why youth sports, you know, is suffering in today's time, but you know, honestly, it's it's it's it's alignment, you know. What it comes down to is you know what the standard and expectation of becoming a good human being and what the foundation is, it's shifted so much across coaches, across parents, across athletes, there's no alignment as far as what the village needs to align on, the so-called village needs to align on to make our youth athletes better human beings first before you know becoming better athletes. When we were young, it it became a thing where when you played the a sport, you knew that someone in your circle or someone around you was gonna hold you accountable. Um, you know, I remember the coaches, uh, not the ones that, you know, were necessarily the exes and no coaches and things like that, or the coaches that were showing me the best drills and the best ways to, you know, dunk a basketball and things like that, um, or become better at my crab. I remember the coaches the most that you know wanted to help me be a better young man. Um, I remember the coaches that were tough on me. I remember the coaches that told me the truth. You know, I remember the coaches that, you know, would say, hey, I'm gonna call your mom and dad, you know, if you, you know, aren't, you know, doing what you need to do in practice or if you're goofing off. You know, those are the coaches that I remember the most. And I think that um those type of coaches uh are needed in today's time more than ever. Um the parents aligning their values with the coaches and what needs to be done rather than what they want, you know, for themselves or what they want for you know the investment rather than what their kid needs, um, I think that those things need to align now more than ever. So let's get into it, man. So today, um, again, we're gonna be talking about the village, right? And if there's no village, guys, whether you're a club, whether you're a high school team, college team, professional team, whatever it may be, it does not matter. If there's no village, then there's no culture, right? And without culture, you're not gonna have a championship legacy, you're not gonna have uh a championship standard, and you're not gonna have a championship expectation, right? Dominance comes from an expectation, and if you want to dominate across the board, you have to have some type of village culture where everybody's on one accord and everybody's vision and mission aligns, right? So today I'm gonna be talking to three groups, right? I'm gonna be talking to athletes, I'm gonna be talking to coaches, and I'm gonna be talking to last but not least parents. So, athletes, uh, you're up first, okay. So if you're an athlete listening to this, I need you to understand something very, very, very important. Okay, after the age of 13, coaching and expectations for you, and depending on what the goal is for yourself and what you want out of this sport, the expectations for you change. Okay, and let me explain a little bit, okay. So from the ages of five to twelve, and maybe a little bit thirteen, okay, you're learning the fundamentals, you're having fun, you're being introduced to competition, and you know, it's it's it's a good time, right? But once you hit the age of 14 and you're expected to develop, this is when you have to make a decision, okay? And what I mean by making a decision is for instance, if you're a uh say a football player, okay, are you gonna be someone who plays football or are you gonna be a football player? If you're a volleyball, are you gonna be someone at the age of 14 and beyond, right? Are you going to be someone who plays volleyball or are you gonna be a volleyball player? And when I say that, what I mean is that at the age of 14, the expectation and the development level and the development piece begins, all right, depending on what goal you have in mind and depending on what expectation you have set for yourself, right? If the goal is to go to a high level, if the goal is to play, you know, division one, division two, uh, whatever have you, and then go on and to to play beyond college in the pros, then the expectation of you and the expectations you have for yourself has to shift. Okay, it's it's at this point, you're you know, the development piece isn't meant to be comfortable, right? Yes, there's levels, okay, you know, there's certain levels to everything, and especially if you you know, if you just want to continue to play for fun, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But if the goal is to compete at a high level and play at a high level, you know, you you have to understand that it's uncomfortable, all right. And what I mean by that is that the people in your village, right? Your coaches, your teachers, you know, your your parents, you know, the adults in your village, it's not their job at after the age, after the young age of you know five to thirteen. Once you hit 14, it's adults in your village. It's their job to help mold you into a you know what you're gonna face in life, right? It's their job to prepare you how to be disciplined, it's their job to, you know, prepare you and hold you accountable, to challenge you, to correct you, and to demand more of you than you expect from yourself. Because as an athlete, how do you know what the expectation level for yourself is if there's no bar set for who you need to be and who you're becoming? Right? But the thing is, you as an athlete, you have to stop looking at tough coaching as punishment, right? Too often, you know, youth athletes in today's time, you all look at tough coaching as punishment. It's not. You know, it's it's it's really preparation, right? It's preparing you for the things that your coach expects from you. It's preparing you for the things that your parents are gonna expect from you, it's preparing you for things that you know helping you set a higher expectation for yourself going into this society which has lowered its standard in many different areas. So when you receive, you know, honest hard coaching as an athlete, you shouldn't look at it as, oh, you know, woe is me, oh, you know, this, that, and other. You know, and take it negatively. I'll tell you a secret. When a coach stops believing in you, that's when they stop talking to you. But when a coach is hard on you and they push you, they see potential in you and they want more from you. So embrace tough coaching. Okay. Great players don't run from great coaching. They chase it. Right? People look at the greats, you know, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, um, you know, all of the greets. They didn't win until they had a coach that coached them and pushed them to the next level. Right? You know, if if if things are feeling comfortable, if things are, you know, feeling easy, if you're not uncomfortable as an athlete, then you're probably not growing. So when when when a coach is giving you direct direction, that's all they're doing, is giving you direct direction so you can understand which way to go. Because, you know, at the tender age of 14, and you know, that's also a pivotal moment in your life as an athlete of finding your identity. You know, so it's it's the village, it's the village's job, parents, mentors, coaches, teachers, to help you find your direct identity as an athlete and a human being. So don't run from honest, hard, direct coaching from your coaches, from your teachers, or your parents. Athletes, uh, I want to leave you with this and leave you with this challenge, okay? So when it comes to why and what you want out of this game, okay, what is your why? Okay, that's that's number one. What is your why? What what is your purpose behind what you do? What is your purpose, and what is your why behind why you play the sport that you play? Alright. Number two, what do you expect the game or your sport to give back to you or or for you to get out of ultimately what do you want to accomplish? And what do you want out of the sport that you're playing? Okay, again, what is your expectation of what you want out of the sport that you're playing? Alright, number three, all right. What are the expectations of your your village, right? What are the expectations of of of what you need or what you want from your parents, your coaches, you know, your friend circle, anyone who influences who you're becoming as a human being and who you're becoming as an athlete? What is your expectation of your village and the people around you? Alright, and then last but not least, number four, all right? What are you expecting to sacrifice for what you need to do to get to the level that you wish to reach and what you want out of this sport? Again, what are you willing, what are you expecting to sacrifice? Alright. Simply to get what you need out of your expectation for the sport and and what you want from the sport that you're playing. I challenge you to those four things. Alright? Alright, now, coaches, okay, you guys are up next. Alright. So, coach, to be honest with you, um, I understand, right? I understand that you know you have great knowledge, I understand you have great X's and O's, I understand that you have a lot of experience, credentials, and all of the above, right? But I want to let you know something and let you in on a little secret, okay? You are a part of a village that needs you more than ever in today's time. Alright, I'll say that again. If you are a youth coach, you are a part of a village, whether you realize it or not, you are a part of a village that needs you more than ever when it comes to your players, when it comes to your parents, when it comes to the culture of your team and your organization. Okay, we're we're we're far removed from the times where you know you can just run drills, you know, manage the rotations and the lineups, you know, just win tournaments and things like that, right? Now we're filling the gaps that a lot of our youth athletes are missing at home. And that's being just being uh being honest, you know, um coming from experience, coming from you know, working with many different youth athletes, still working with many different youth athletes and many different, you know, parents, you know, from different backgrounds, from different dynamics, and you know, whatever have you, but it's always been the same kind of consensus across the board is that parents are signing their kids up to fill in some of the gaps that are missing from home. You know, as a youth coach, you know, we're we're now being tasked, you know, with the job of, you know, setting a discipline standard, you know, setting a expectation, um, you know, giving clarity through consequences and and expectations and raising the bar to help, you know, athletes, you know, from the age of 14 and beyond to understand that, you know, in order to be successful in life, you know, there has to be uh a level of expectation and a bar set of direct direction of where you should go to accomplish the goals that you wish to accomplish. And yes, as a youth coach, we've been tasked to teach that through sports. So, you know, as a coach, just like I just like I uh just got finished speaking to the athletes, as a coach, it's gonna be uncomfortable moments as well. You know, it's gonna be uncomfortable setting a standard with some parents, it's gonna be uncomfortable setting a standard with some kids, it's gonna be un uncomfortable, you know, handing out consequences to, you know, uh your your best player down to your worst player. It doesn't matter, you know, because at the end of the day, consequences are necessary because they they they teach, you know, um it's it's a bigger picture to it than just punishment, right? Consequences for making mistakes, you know, yes, let them work through the first two, maybe three mistakes, right? We don't want to strip confidence, but we have to help youth athletes understand that there's consequences behind the choices that they make, right? And just as little as, you know, a shank ball or a misfortune. Free throw or a fumble in football, you know, though those mistakes can cost big time, you know, in in a clutch moment of a game. So why not help them in practice understand that hey, that error, it should try to be avoided, you know, through consequences. So those are the life lessons that we've been tasked as youth coaches to teach. You know, so it's it's vital that as a coach you understand that in order to build that championship culture that you want, in order to build that legacy and that dominance that you're you're looking for as a program or organization, the village has to be on board and has to be aligned with the expectation that you're setting. So not only dealing with the athlete, you have to deal with the parents as well. Right? You know, you have to set that standard across the board with with all parents. You know, uh, yes, yes, you know, uh youth sports has changed into a business in a sense because there is a big investment that is made, you know, for the athletes, you know, to go on trips and you know, uh travel and do whatever, you know, is asked of the clubs and things like that. So yes, it has in a sense you know turned into a business. But if the goal is to develop and help the youth understand solution-based development through sports, then the village has to be aligned at home as well. So those conversations have to be had with parents as well, you know, and that's across the board, you know, because a standard isn't can't be set when there's um you know, picking and choosing of what athlete or what parent, you know, needs to have this treatment and that treatment or whatever have you, right? It has to be set across the board, and that goes for all athletes and all parents. So it's really, really a crucial time in society where from the age of 14 and beyond, these youth athletes are very impressionable. Um, they're very influenced by many different things. And as a coach, our purpose or from experience, I can say my purpose is to help guide, you know, the youth athlete and the parent in the direction and giving the foundation that the athlete needs to succeed later on in life. And, you know, not based on what I want as a coach or based on sometimes what the parents want as parents, but what do what does the athlete and that parent need to grow in that moment and the organization or the club need as well. You know, so uncomfortable conversations, you know, may have to be had as coaches as well. You know, it's you're we're being tasked with shaping future adults, right? So sometimes that means being firm, it means being honest, and it means demanding more from the village as the as the athlete and the parent as well. You know, uh a coach who never challenges the athletes or the parents aren't trying to develop the kid, and that's just being honest. A coach that never challenges the athlete or the parents aren't trying to develop and give direct direction to the kid, right? So, coaches, I challenge you, you know, how how do you want to be remembered as a coach? You know, what do you want players to say about you, you know, years later? You know, are you gonna be one of those coaches where a player, you know, succeeds later on in life but always mentions your name? You know, so what type of imprint are you leaving on the future for your athletes and your parents? You know, that's the type of questions that you have to ask yourself. Alright, now I want to talk to the parents, okay? So, really quickly, parents, before, you know, we continue and before I say anything, I say everything I say, everything that we're gonna discuss, I say it with love, and I say it with all due respect. Alright, again, honest conversations are uncomfortable, alright. So, some things that I'm probably gonna say, some things that I'm gonna talk about. It may you may find it uncomfortable and you may not agree with it, but guess what? Again, it's a village, all right. Villages should be able to come together and you know talk about things and talk about you know different views and different different perspectives. So that's what I'm gonna do, okay? So I don't want you all to you know uh take anything personal that I say, and I say everything with all love and respect, okay. But listen, parents, you've got to stop treating you sports like it's a purchase. Alright. You know, you buy things from Amazon, you know, uh what your your favorite retail store, whatever, whatever it may have you, okay? But parents, listen, you cannot, you cannot purchase greatness. You cannot purchase your athlete becoming the GOAT, okay? Alright, so just because you're paying club fees, you know, travel calls, private lessons, and things like that, that does not mean that your child is guaranteed or it's all on the club or the coaches to make your child become this elite human being and this elite athlete. Okay, money does not produce greatness. Yes, it can it's a great resource to have, you know, private lessons and extra work on your child's craft. I'm not saying that that's not beneficial, all right, but greatness comes from discipline, it comes from coaching, it comes from accountability, it comes from expectations, it comes from clarity of expectations, it comes from direct direction, repetition, and sacrifice. Alright. Uh again, those things that I just said don't cost money. Alright. Everything that I just said, greatness comes from, does not cost money. Alright. Parents, analyze your village, okay? Analyze what you want from your village. Alright. Your youth coach of your child is a part of your village. Alright? Does the values and the morals and standards for what you want or what your child needs, does it align with your coach? What is your expectation, okay, as a parent, when it comes to what your child is learning from this season or playing sports? Right? You know, is is your expectation of what is going on with your your your child what you wanted as a kid, as an athlete? Or are you expecting them to develop in their own path? Right? Is is the expectation for the development of your child into this great athlete and great human being, is your expectation of it to be easy? Do you expect your child to learn the things that you learned as a kid? Manners, discipline, you know, kindness, respecting authority, respecting adults, not talking back, you know, those type of things, are you expecting your child to learn those things through sports and from the village that your your child is in? If a coach is holding your child accountable, helping your child develop the right way, teaching standards, teaching life lessons, teaching um, you know, your child to fail forward because failure is necessary for your child, and failure is you as you know as an adult, failure is necessary as well. Are those things being reinforced at home? You know, because if they're not, if if something different is being taught is taught at home, guess what? The village is already broken. Right? When when when a parent is not aligning, you know, with the teachers, with the coaches, and and and with the the necessary foundational pieces that the athletes and the children need to become who they're becoming, then we're already building a house from the roof down, and you can't do that because you won't have a foundation. You know, athletes and and young adults need clarity and direct direction. And if there is no noticeable village alignment of what's expected and what the standard is, then there will be no clarity for the athletes, no clarity for the coaches, and no clarity for the parents, and no absolutely no clarity for the culture of the village. Okay, so as parents, right, I I challenge you all to analyze your parenting. Analyze what what values and morals and standards that you want or you're expecting from your child and expecting from the sport to teach your child. I'll say it again. As a parent, I want you to analyze your expectations of what your child playing sports is teaching your child about life. Because that's what this is about. Alright. Again, private lessons and more reps, that is awesome. That is awesome. But that is not gonna teach competitiveness, it's not gonna teach discipline, it's not gonna teach accountability, it's not gonna teach effort, it's not gonna teach expectations, sacrifice, and and any of that. It's not gonna teach any of that. Alright. And just because you pay for the club doesn't mean that you're not supposed to help align those values, those morals, and those standards at home along with your coaches and along with the village. So I want you to analyze that and I want you to challenge yourself and look at yourself wholeheartedly in the mirror and ask, Am I expecting those things from my my coach, my the my my child's coaches and the club and the organization and me as a part of this village? So, you know, now that we have talked about, you know, all three groups, athletes, coaches, and parents, we talked to all three. So now let's kind of shift our focus and talk about the village philosophy. Back when I was playing, and I know what the village meant to me, right? And I know what the village, I know like great athletes and great human beings are built by villages. They're surrounded around people that are on one accord when it comes to like pushing them. You know, when it comes to wanting more out of them. Right? They they they grew up in a in a village, you know, that was on one accord. So it's like, you know, parents are to reinforce the values, you know, coaches are there to push them, push the values. Mentors are there to, you know, keep the the athlete or or whoever it may be in line when the coaches and the parents aren't around, and then teammates as well. You know, teammates should demand excellence and be a part of that village as well, because at the end of the day, when you have an environment like that, you build leadership from top to bottom. And organizations and clubs, you know, teams can be good, but teams and organizations leave, they excel and leave legacy when there's leadership from top to bottom, from the coaches, the directors, the parents, and and also the players. That type of environment builds resilience. Solution-based environment where athletes can use sports as a way to solve problems, like real life problems. Humility. You know, that type of environment creates humility and and and toughness as well. Because honestly, how many youth athletes are gonna become professional players? Just be honest. Not all of them, not many, to be honest, you know, but every athlete through what they learn through sports has the potential to become a pro-human being or a successful human being or a successful adult. So sports should prepare athletes for that, and that's what a village brings to the table, especially when the village is on one accord. You know, how do how do the athletes respond to failure? How do they lead? How do they work through adversity? How do they handle pressure? Those are the real values that youth sports were teaching us when we were young. So it's our job as coaches, parents, and even athletes today. It's our job to bring that village back that that sets that tone and sets that standard. So over the years of, you know, working with athletes and you know, kind of, you know, understanding the mindset piece behind it and realizing that their habits and the routines and how they approach their way of thinking towards, you know, the elite athlete that they want to become. I realize that you know, a lot of youth athletes aren't lacking talent, they're just lacking the framework of how to think. And the thing that they're missing the most is the village helping mold that mindset and that way of thinking. You know, we we we were guided, you know, from various various different angles and various different influences in our lives to kind of think a certain way that will help us build that framework of how to think when it became um, you know, when it came to you know becoming a successful athlete and and becoming the human being that we needed to become. So, you know, that's why I developed, you know, for those of you don't know, you know, I have a mindset program that's 36 weeks called the Mindful Path to Greatness, right? To help athletes and to help not only the athlete, but to help the village understand, right? You know, for parents, directors, coaches, you know, athletes all across the board, you know, the program is designed to, you know, build that framework of how to think and create that elite culture of you know the village of everybody becoming a development solution based, you know, organization or sports program instead of just chasing the youth sports to what it's become today. And, you know, kind of putting the values and the morals and standards and the expectations on the back burner and it just becoming business or kids just jumping from club to club. With that being said, um, before I close out this podcast and this episode, you know, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a huge shout out to number one, you know, um my village as a kid, right? Um shout out to my parents, shout out to, you know, my siblings, shout out to all my friends, teammates, everybody. Um, you know, shout out to all my youth coaches that, you know, helped kind of mold my journey, mold my path, and and give me the tools that I needed to become, you know, the young man that I've become and the gentleman and the adult that I've become today. You know, um, all of the coaches, you know, many of you guys, you know, I don't I won't name any names because it's so many, you know, but shout out to all of the parents as well that um you know allow me to um work with their kids, you know, from the beginning of this journey of Project Superhero into what it's become today, you know, from my day one clients to the clients that I have now, you know, shout out to all you guys, you know, because it's it's through experience and through lessons and through um, you know, life's journey of that's how you learn. You know, life is uh our biggest teacher, and you know, life is understood backwards, but you gotta live it forward. So shout out to all of the learning experiences that I had as a coach and all of the parents that I built relationships with as well. Thank you guys so much for trusting Coach John to work with your youth athlete, right? And also a super shout out to Winter Park Volleyball Club, you know, for embracing the mindful path to greatness this season. Um I'm I'm thoroughly enjoying uh the progress that we've made thus far, um, both on the boys' side and the girl side of all divisions and all age groups. Um looking excited and looking forward to the second half of the season and what's to come in the in the future. You know, a huge shout out to uh Coach Aaron and Coach Shauna for presenting the opportunity for me, and also a huge shout out to what you guys are doing for you know our daughter and helping her, you know, join uh uh a prestigious club, the best club in Florida, um, and you know, a platform to thrive. So a huge shout out to you guys and thank you guys for that. So again, guys, you know, youth sports is not just about raising athletes, right? It's about raising strong human beings. Coaches are meant to push them and develop them. Parents, you're meant to align with the program and support the culture and expect the the the organization to help your child develop and grow in an uncomfortable manner. Right? Athletes, right? Stop chasing comfort and start chasing growth because the truth is that it still takes a village, and the best villages don't build champions on the scoreboard, but they build champions in life. Alright, so I appreciate you guys you know joining me. I appreciate you guys, you know, uh listening in. If you haven't, like, comment, share, and subscribe. Alright, and we'll see you on the next episode.