Brett Weeks

[Graham Nelson @GrahamD14]

I used to be a coach that thought you shouldn’t tinker with mechanics in season.

Then a friend of mine who played in the minors and spent years on a big league coaching staff said “you don’t think big leaguers tinker with mechanics?”

And I felt dumb.

Can you be mentally strong enough to tinker but not let mechanics consume your thoughts??

[Ben Bizier @TheTruthFromBen]

I have around 20 players right now in pro baseball, from rookie ball up to majors

They’ve said, ‘Ben you should get in pro ball’

I say, ‘Have you met anyone like me in your organization?’

They say, ‘No.’

Me: ‘What do I provide that you guys don’t have?’

Daily Accountability

I would be fired from pro baseball in less than a month, I’m 100% positive of that. I am extremely unlikable on a personal level and that’s because your average person strolling society finds the truth very prickly. I present the truth in a raw way. It upsets the median because our instinct always has us seeking ‘comfort ability.’

The vast new wave of people in player development are younger non-experienced folks who are happy to have their job and one of their main goals is to keep their job.

This is why there has been such a massive shift in player development becoming cornered by the private sector. There is cache in affiliated baseball bc of the commercialization and history, but the player has complete and total control.

Yes there are good and strong leaders but they are rare and far in between. I used to pick apart my players, teams and staff when the standard fell short regardless of what area it fell in.

If you didn’t clean your locker room space - conflict
If you didn’t transition from the clubhouse to the dugout with intention - conflict
If you weren’t dressed properly - conflict
If you didn’t feed a double play by working the ball uphill - conflict
If you didn’t understand our pick system as a pitcher or catcher - conflict
If you didn’t treat service staff with respect before, during and after meals on the road - conflict

It wasn’t always nasty conflict… especially early on. ‘Hey this is how we go from the clubhouse to the dugout, baseball is a game of transitions and this is why it’s important to getting your day started properly and with focus on the field…’ if there was reoffending multiple times yea it got confrontational.

I asked my teams this at least 100 times during my career:

Do you want me to stop being like this? If you guys want me to stop being like this I will. I’ll pat you on the rear and give you a high five no matter what happens. Tell me if you want me to stop being like this.

Every single time they genuinely told me, often times in ways that strengthened our human connection to a very high degree: Ben please keep being that way

What did that tell me?

That even though I was this raging prick who never let any detail slip, they yearned for this level of accountability because they knew it was making them better

Baseball players have an internal system and that internal system has one major undying goal regardless of level

Get better!

They want this goal serviced and it can’t be serviced properly unless they have someone pointing out the areas where they are falling short (because we all do)

This is why we have the issues we have in Major League Baseball and now even college ball to a higher degree than 10 years ago. The promise we make to the player is about how we will help them reach their goals or dreams and what we will give them if they do good… but… we’re not kicking their ass enough or reigniting their flame when they fall short, they just become discarded

And that’s what happens with coaches too, especially in pro ball. Teams are hiring people who don’t have the ‘accountability’ capabilities.

The solution? I only know where to start:

If you’re reading this and you’re in a position of leadership and someone is continually falling short, go put your foot in their ass

[Brett Weeks @BWeeks01]

@nikefreak23 @Warchant @garnetandgold @FSUBaseball @FSU_Softball @noletara Is the grey at garnet and gold as well?

[Dan Furman @Dan_Furman]

The NCAA moving toward 5 years of eligibility in 5 years would be one of the most important business changes in college sports.

Not because it’s cleaner, but because it changes how schools value, recruit, develop, and pay athletes.

Here’s what it impacts:⬇️

[Coach Jeff Barnes @JeffBarnes52]

As an AD, my job is to bring in and retain coaches who can build, develop, and win. At the same time, good coaches want to be in environments where they have a real opportunity to succeed.

If a school’s vision does not prioritize winning or fails to provide the tools, support, and structure needed for success, it will struggle to attract and retain high level coaches. Talented coaches are intentional about where they invest their time and energy.

Winning is not about cutting corners or doing it at all costs. It is about alignment. When you have strong coaches, the right resources, and a clear commitment to success, those pieces work together. When everyone is not aligned, the culture is poisoned. That alignment is what builds a sustainable, competitive program.

[Chris Harvey @CoachCHarvey]

If you’re a HS coach with standards who doesn’t let talent excuse nonsense—I applaud you. Coaching hard still matters.
If you just tell kids what they want to hear, look me up down the road. We are the standard. We’ll gladly get you on the schedule.

[Next Level Baseball @nextlevelbb]

This is what accountability looks and sounds like.
He wants game hitters and not showcase hitters.
Players that can take productive at bats.
Players that understand that different situations require different approaches and different swings.

[Brett Weeks @BWeeks01]

Bingo…

[Baseball Scouting @BSBSCOUT]

They want baseball players. Not metrics.

[Coach Jeff Barnes @JeffBarnes52]

As an AD, you learn quickly that the loudest voices are not always the right ones. Many are driven by personal agendas, not the mission of the program. Volume does not equal value. Stay anchored to the people and principles that actually move your program forward.

[Brett Weeks @BWeeks01]

This should be sought after and valued at every level of the game.

[Robbie Faulk @robbiefaulk1878]

This is what championship level coaches sound like when their teams win 12-0 and don’t play up to expectations.

[Rob Blanc @coachblanc]

Position of the Throwing Arm at Front Foot Strike: It's All Downstream

[Coach Jeff Barnes @JeffBarnes52]

As an AD, the three most common questions I get from coaching candidates are:
1.What does the roster look like, and will I have a chance to be successful?
2.What kind of support will I receive, especially when it comes to parents and facilities?
3.What is the mission of the athletic department? Are we here to compete and win, or just to hand out participation trophies?

These questions matter and they should. Because great coaches aren’t just looking for a job, they’re looking for alignment. They want to know they’ll be supported, held to a standard, and part of a program that values both development and competitive excellence.

[Matt Carpenter @MattCarp13]

The biggest thing baseball taught me:

It’s life in a uniform.

Good days, bad days, and everything in between. Let go of what you can’t control. And commit to what you can. Your effort, attitude and response to failures will continue to shape who you are. So keep stacking days.

[Jonathan Lucroy @JLucroy20]

At higher levels, 99% of hitting issues come from being late, or in other words, not being ready to hit. When we are late we chase bad pitches and miss good ones.

[Jonathan Lucroy @JLucroy20]

I talk about this with my guys all the time.
My HS kids are lectured daily on this.

My sons team played in an 8U tournament this past weekend. We tied first game on Saturday, and was shellacked 2nd game.

On Sunday we showed up in losers bracket, told the boys no chirping, no goofing off, let’s go out, compete, and see what happens.

We won first game, won second game (beat the team that smashed us the day before), and then faced a TikTok baseball team for the championship. Their kids had eye black, sliding mitts, pink cleats, and the flashy colored belts. All show.

We are a city league select team. This other team was a 2k/season travel team. At 8U. Wild if you ask me.

Anyway, we beat them.

Yes, they are 8. Yes, they got a gaudy, cheap rings.

My point is, teaching kids to compete and let their play do the talking is what separates the mediocre from the best.

We must have “necessary arrogance” when we take the field.

@nextlevelbb is correct. Find me a group of gritty, tough, and courageous players that don’t care what they look like or what expensive equipment they have and you will find winners. No talk, no show, just grind.

High level baseball people look for these characteristics when they scout players.

[Coach_Phil_Austin @CoachAustinFC]

Hard coaching is under attack! I appreciate all the coaches that poured into me and helped me develop into a better man. Sometimes that came with tough love. Young people today need real old school coaching, not cheerleading

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

"Your job as a coach is to coach your players.
If their parents and their friends are getting mad because you're getting yelled at, get better parents and better friends."

Coaches aren't calling you out.
They're calling you up!
Build connections so they hear the corrections.

[Next Level Baseball @nextlevelbb]

All parents and players should listen.

[Brett Weeks @BWeeks01]

Congrats Coach! @jeffcoat32

[UWF Baseball @UWF_Baseball]

𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝑪𝑶𝑨𝑪𝑯

With 689 wins, Coach Jeffcoat secures his spot in UWF Baseball History👏

#goargos

[Next Level Baseball @nextlevelbb]

Public Service Announcement
If your son was dismissed from his high school team for missing the teams spring break tournament, to go on vacation (beach trip, etc.).
Or
Your son isn't getting playing time because he missed the spring break tournament for vacation.
Do this.
Call the school's athletic director or principal and request a meeting.
Tell them it's important.
At the meeting, tell them how much you appreciate the coach caring enough about your son to teach him about life, and how much you appreciate him holding your son accountable.
Then thank them for hiring a coach that cared about commitment, sacrifice and teaching the kids that being a great teammate comes with responsibilities.
Then suggest they give the coach a raise, shake their hands and reiterate how much you appreciate them.