Elevate your team's potential by focusing on balance as a coach. Expert advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories delivered to your inbox. Free!
A Message From Jim and Jason: The promise of balance in a busy season.
Guest Coach Reggie Kanagawa on ways to find balance as a coach!
Champions of Change: How legendary coach Pat Summitt found a better way to lead.
The Reality Check: The surprising stats on pressure in youth sports.
The Deep Dive: Understanding the hidden forces behind stress.
The Toolbox: Quick, easy tips for coaches and parents.
Game-Changing Quote: A powerful reminder about the real reason kids play.
Partner Spotlight – BMS Project
Closing Message
The Opening Line From Jim and Jason
A Message From Jim and Jason
The best athletes know the game isn't just about what happens when your playing, it's about how you prepare and how you think. That's true for life, too. The start of a new school year and a new season brings fresh energy, but also fresh pressure. It's a time of packed schedules, big expectations, and the constant feeling of needing to perform.
As coaches and parents, it's easy to get caught up in the wins and losses, but our mission is to help you guide your athletes through a sports season that builds them up, not wears them down. This is a time to focus on their well-being, not just their record.
Remember the words of legendary coach Lou Holtz: "It's not the load that breaks you, it's the way you carry it." Let's make sure we're teaching our athletes to carry their loads with confidence and balance, both in their sport and in their lives. Let's work together to make this season about growth and joy, not just about winning.
Be the leader you want to see
Jim & Jason
A Special Message from Coach Reggie Kanagawa
Former Division I softball player and now youth coach, Coach Reggie Kanagawa, shares three simple ways to bring out the best in your athletes while keeping compassion at the center:
Connect personally – ask about life outside of sports
Encourage more than correct – aim for 3 praises to 1 critique
Celebrate the process – focus on getting a little better every day
She closes with the reminder every coach needs to hear:
“At the end of the day, it’s just a game and it’s meant to be fun.” — Coach Reggie Kanagawa
Champions of Change: Pat Summitt — The Mindset Shift
When legendary coach Pat Summitt started at Tennessee, she was known for her fierce intensity. She wanted every play to be perfect, and her players often felt they had to sit in silence, afraid that one mistake would earn them her sharp stare. The pressure was constant, and it eventually caused many of them to lose the joy of the game.
Over time, Pat realized that this fear was holding her team back. She came to a powerful conclusion: her job was bigger than just winning. It was about helping young women grow into leaders both on and off the court.
Pat changed her approach. While she still held her players to high standards, she began to listen more and offer more encouragement. She created a safe space for her athletes to make mistakes and learn from them. The silence in the gym was soon replaced by laughter, energy, and a renewed love for the game. Her teams not only went on to win championships, but they also found a way to win with passion and joy.
Pat's true legacy isn't just the trophies she won; it's the powerful reminder that when coaches find a way to balance toughness with care, athletes will find both success and happiness. She knew that the fire within her team should burn for excellence, not for ego.
"The fire in you should burn for excellence, not for ego." - Pat Summitt
In the Spotlight: The Pressure to Perform
A new school year and season bring fresh energy, but it also brings pressure. For athletes, it’s more than pregame nerves. It’s the daily grind of practices, games, school, and expectations stacking up.
We see the signs. A confident kid suddenly hesitates. The team jokester goes quiet. These aren’t random… they’re warning lights. Somewhere along the way, joy gets replaced by fear.
When wins and stats become the only measure, kids start believing their worth depends on results. That’s when the game stops building them up and starts breaking them down.
Our role as coaches isn’t just chasing performance, it’s protecting the joy of the game. If we create space to fail, learn, and grow, we remind athletes that they’re more than the score. And that’s when they thrive.
The Reality Check
The pressure Pat Summitt saw years ago is more common than ever. Despite the billions of dollars spent on youth sports, mental health issues among young athletes are on the rise. This trend presents a stark disconnect between the commercialization of youth sports and the well-being of the participants.
Recent studies and findings from sources like the NCAA and Psychology Today highlight an alarming truth:
Mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and burnout, are increasing.
External pressures from coaches and parents often contribute to a fear of failure.
The absence of adequate mental health resources within athletic departments exacerbates the problem.
Many athletes feel isolated and unloved, with their sense of self-worth tied directly to their performance.
This isn't just a sports problem, it's a human problem. Our job as coaches is to understand this problem's magnitude and take action.
The Deep Dive: Rooted in Balance
Youth sports are at a crossroads. By the age of 13, 70% of kids stop playing organized sports. Most walk away because of burnout, injuries, or simply because the joy has been replaced with pressure. By their mid-teens, nearly 80% have quit sports altogether. (Aspen Institute, JAMA Pediatrics)
But here’s the good news: staying active makes a huge difference. A long-term study of over 16,000 kids showed that each extra hour of daily physical activity at age 11 lowered the risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder by 12% before turning 18. Even more encouraging—kids in organized sports at that age had a 23% lower risk for boys and 12% lower risk for girls. (Washington Post, News-Medical)
So what does this tell us? It’s not just about wins and losses. When kids play in environments that celebrate effort, learning, and growth, they stick with it longer and leave with more confidence, resilience, and joy. The research is clear: when we shift the focus from results to relationships, we don’t just keep kids in the game—we give them tools for life.
Takeaway: Sports thrive when effort is valued over ego and growth over perfection. Every practice, every game, every moment is a chance to help kids get “1% better every day.”
The Toolbox: 3 Game-Changers for Coaches
Coaching is about more than X’s and O’s… it’s about shaping lives. The research is clear: when kids feel supported, valued, and encouraged, they stay in the game and thrive long after the final whistle. Here are three simple but powerful tools you can start using today:
1. The 5-Minute Huddle Check-In
Why it matters: Nearly 75% of young athletes report at least one symptom of burnout. A quick check-in helps catch stress before it grows.
How to do it: Take five minutes once a week. Ask: “How are you feeling? What’s been fun? Any worries?” This simple act of listening builds trust and shows your players they matter beyond performance.
2. The Effort Praise Ratio (3:1)
Why it matters: Almost 70% of kids quit sports by 13, often because of pressure or constant criticism. Growth-focused environments help kids stay engaged and build confidence.
How to do it: For every one correction, give three effort-based praises. Say things like, “Love your hustle,” “Great energy,” “Way to bounce back.” When you highlight effort, you fuel confidence and resilience.
3. The “1% Better” Mindset
Why it matters: A study of 16,000 kids found that each extra hour of daily activity at age 11 reduced the risk of future mental health struggles by 12%. Small steps add up in a big way.
How to do it: Ask your team, “What’s one thing you want to get 1% better at today?” Then celebrate the little wins. When progress becomes the focus, perfection loses its grip.
Bottom line: You don’t need to overhaul your whole program. Start with these three game-changers. They’ll help your athletes love the game, grow as people, and carry lessons that last a lifetime.
"Success isn’t just the score—it’s knowing you gave your best and kept growing." – John Wooden
Focus on Effort Over Ego
🏃 Small Wins Matter: Celebrate daily improvement.
💡 Learning is Growth: Mistakes are part of the journey.
📊 Data-Backed Impact: Research indicates that a task-involving or growth-focused climate in sports can significantly reduce the risk of depression and burnout in athletes.
Source: P.A. Biddle et al., "A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis of the Motivational Climate and Hedonic Well-Being Constructs," PMC (PubMed Central).
This research, published in a credible, peer-reviewed database, validates that a focus on effort and personal mastery is linked to improved mental well-being in athletes.
Quick Tip for Coaches: Use every practice and game to highlight effort, teamwork, and progress. Kids who feel safe to try and improve stay longer, play happier, and thrive on and off the field.
The Joy of the Game: Coach Bob Green
“A True Football Genius, A Philosopher Of Our Time”
Legendary coach Bob Green reminds us that coaching is about more than wins and losses, it’s about connection, character, and sometimes, a really good laugh. His quick one-liners are packed with wisdom and humor that every coach can relate to.
Partner Spotlight – BMS Project
“Together… here for our youth!”
theBMSproject was founded in 2022, post Covid pandemic. It was initially founded primarily to promote mental health awareness and contribute to suicide prevention. The early mission was to assist youth sports advocates to create safe, healthy, positive competitive environments for young athletes and their families. Over time the scope of providing that assistance has broadened. theBMSproject programs now incorporate a catalog of resources currently arranged in categories of Body (physical), Mind (secular mental health) and Spirit (metaphysical well-being resources). In 2026, theBMSproject website navigation will be expanded to provide” Teen,” “ Early Adolescent” and “Children” Programs. It is through collaboration with organizations such as 4D Leaders, ShareWaves and others that as a community we are coming together to jointly contribute to the good health, safety and well-being of our young athletes. Please click on the provided QR code to access Pillar #1, a single sheet, two-sided Introduction to theBMSproject, as we join hands to form a vanguard to contribute to tomorrow’s better, safer and healthier society.
As we start this new season, we want to remind you that the real win isn’t on the scoreboard. It’s in the growth you see in your athletes. Trophies will fade, but the confidence, resilience, and character you help build will stick with them for life.
Teach them to compete, but more importantly teach them to be complete
Thank you for being the kind of coach who leads with heart, keeps the game fun, and chooses balance over burnout. When we do that, we’re not just building better athletes… we’re shaping stronger people.
