Lew Cook

[Wayne Stein @SteinWayne]

Truth!!!

[The Sport Parent @TheSportParent]

Good Sport Parent vs. Bad Sport Parent

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@shoccoe @blake_levine In Louisiana zones are a suggestion. Public schools don’t enforce zones. Most even take kids across a parish line.

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@shoccoe @blake_levine I agree about private school typically have higher participation rates. I also agree that the consequences of the sanctions on the privates will likely cause what they don’t want the recruiting of the local public school kid

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@shoccoe @blake_levine So public school can enroll 100% of zone and has no barrier to entry. Private school does and they’re the ones being multiplied and limiting the scope of who can attend when not all can. Doesn’t make much sense to me. I can see where needs to be Mississippi kid.

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Most parents think they’re helping their child.

Their coach sees it differently.

Here are 9 things coaches want parents to understand.

1. We care about your child.
Even when playing time is limited, nothing is personal. Every player has a role. Every role matters. Help us celebrate theirs.

2. The time commitment is real.
Only two people truly understand a coach’s schedule: the coach and their spouse. We are always on. We sacrifice family time to invest in your child. We don’t need a pat on the back. Just respect that fact.

3. We love this job.
But it is a hard job. Don’t steal our joy. Our passion. Our commitment. We are losing too many coaches.

4. We want to win more than you do.
We are competitive. We put our heart and soul into this. Strategy matters less than you think. We are at every practice. Trust what we see.

5. Everything is earned.
Don’t blame the coach. Encourage your child to do the work. The weight room. The driveway. The gym. You get what you earn.

6. Trust the process.
Team sports are the ultimate lab for life. There will be bumps. That is guaranteed. Accept it. The life lessons will last long after the final score.

7. Winning is hard.
Other teams want it too. Learning to win and lose is part of it.

8. Your child gets it.
They are at every practice. They know their role. Don’t feed their insecurities by questioning the coach. It hurts them and the team.

9. This is your child’s experience, not yours.
Let them enjoy it. Don’t judge. Don’t be critical. Just be there. Tell them you love watching them play. Be a fan of the team.

Share this with a parent who needs it.

Follow me for ideas on coaching, leadership, culture, and teams.

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, Great Teams Better Leaders.

Link in bio.

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@14_0productions @blake_levine I guess the biggest multiplier question I have would be why wouldn’t a public school have to use a multiplier for an out of parish kid on their campus but every kid, even those in zone, on a private school campus would be multiplied?

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@wooyocat Congrats

[Kerry Goode @KerryGoode]

I’m a day late, but I pray to God I’m not a life short. Yesterday marked the first day of summer, and I’m writing this as a life‑or‑death warning from someone who’s lived the “almost.”

Almost twenty years ago, I made a mistake that could have changed my entire world. A mistake that has cost some children their lives and some adults their freedom. I’m sharing this because I need you to understand how quickly it can happen — even to someone who loves their child deeply.

Back then, my wife Tanja handled the morning daycare drop‑off for our daughter Ariel. But on this particular morning, she had to be at work early. I told her, “No problem, I got it.” I buckled toddler‑Ariel into her car seat, kissed her cheek, and started driving.

Then the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

By the time I reached work, my mind had slipped into autopilot. My routine never included daycare. My route never passed it. My brain followed the pattern it knew — and my baby girl, asleep and silent in the back seat, was forgotten.

An hour later, I walked back to my SUV to grab something I’d left behind. When I opened the door, I heard a soft cry. Ariel. My daughter. My heart stopped. She had slept through the entire ride, and I had completely forgotten she was in the back seat

I scooped her up, checked her, held her tight, and thanked God over and over that she was alive and unharmed. Then came the hardest moment — calling Tanja to tell her what I had done. I can still feel the shame, the fear, and the weight of that confession.

The very next day, I turned on the TV and saw a story about a father who made the exact same mistake. Except his child didn’t survive. And he was sentenced to prison.

The only difference between him and me was grace.

If not for the mercy of God, that could have been my story. My child. My life shattered.

And here’s the part that hits me hardest today:

That little toddler is now 21 years old.

A grown woman. A blessing I still get to see, talk to, and love — all because of a miracle.

So hear me clearly:

This can happen to anyone.

Not bad parents. Not distracted parents. Human parents.

If you have infants or toddlers in your life, build a habit that forces you to check the back seat every single time you exit your vehicle. Put your phone back there. Put your shoe back there. Put your purse back there.

Do whatever it takes.

Because “Look Before You Lock” is not just a slogan.

It might be the reminder that lets your child turn 21.

[Zach Even - Esh @ZEvenEsh]

Before athletes or parents blame the Coach, you must also look within. There is always responsibility & accountability on the athlete's part.

How does the athlete practice? Eat? Sleep? Lifestyle? Mindset? Sports Skill? Sports IQ? Weight Room Commitment & Effort?

[Jermaine Curtis @JermaineCurtis]

When I was with the St. Louis Cardinals, I saw Carlos Beltran doing a Barry Bonds drill with a twist.

He had a glove on his hand.

And instead of swinging, he was catching baseballs coming out of a pitching machine.

But there was something different.

He told the coach:

"Mix them up."

Some pitches were strikes.
Some pitches were balls.

So I asked him:

"Why are you doing that?"

He smiled and said:

"To learn the strike zone."

The funny thing is...

Barry Bonds had taught me the exact same drill years earlier.

The only difference was Beltran wanted balls mixed in with the strikes.

Barry's rule was simple:

"If I can catch it, it's a hittable pitch."
"If I can't catch it, I let it go."

At first, it sounded too simple.

Then I started doing it religiously.

And over time, something changed.

-I stopped giving away at-bats.
-I got into better counts.
-I made harder contact.
-I walked often

By the end of my career, I was getting on base nearly 40% of the time.

Not because my swing changed.
Because my decisions did.

Most hitters spend their time trying to fix their swing.

Sometimes the fastest way to improve is to improve your decisions.

Try it tonight.

Put on a glove.

Have someone throw or use a machine.

Catch the pitches you would swing at.

Let the others go.

You might be surprised how quickly your strike-zone awareness improves.

Thank you for reading,
Jermaine Curtis

P.S. - If you enjoyed this, share it. That tells me you want more content like this.

[Lew Cook @LewCook3]

@Coach_SG That’s cutting edge

[Dirt Bro Diamond Training @DirtBroUSA]

Important message for baseball and softball parents on helping their son or daughter embrace failure, overcome adversity, and ultimately reach their full potential.

Growth doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens in the challenges that teach resilience, toughness, and perseverance.

@CoachMongero

[Sports Psychology @SportPsychTips]

As a parent, don't try to live out your dreams through your children. Allow them to live their own lives and help them become well-rounded adults. Do what's truly best for their future development and well-being.

[👉M-Û-R-Č-H👈 @TheEXECUTlONER_]

This father had never missed any of his son’s baseball games in his life.

He had to miss this tournament because his best friend was getting married and he was a groomsman.

He woke up at 3:30AM and drove
100 MPH that Sunday morning to try to and at least make the Sunday games after missing the
Saturdays games. And, of course this was the only tournament all year that his son’s team lost their first game on Sunday, so he didn't make it in time because the first game was at 8 and there was no second game.

When he pulled up his son saw him and he ran full speed and jumped into his arms and wouldn’t let go. Dad said his son told him, “daddy, you can’t ever miss again. I love you so much. Not having you with me this weekend made me feel so empty, please never miss again, I'm so thankful your my daddy!” 🥹

His wife filmed that video. ❤️

I remember those days well. Speeding like a bat out of hell to make it on time. I have always made my kid’s games and activities. It’s what I live for. And the few times I had to miss, I felt like I let them down.

What a great father he is. That boy is fortunate. 💯

Do you remember this feeling? Trying your hardest to make it to one of their activities and just feeling sad that you couldn’t be there?

[Kevin | Large Fam Dad @LargeFamDad]

🚨 PSA to PARENTS!!

NEVER, EVER, EVER let your children access online chat platforms.

Top platforms to avoid:

⚠️ Roblox
⚠️ Discord
⚠️ SnapChat

Others:

Wizz
Yubo
TikTok
Reddit
Fortnite
Telegram
Minecraft
Instagram
WhatsApp
Call of Duty

PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM PREDATORS!

[The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox]

Tom Brady reveals the overlooked reason practice squad players never succeed in the NFL

It’s not a lack of talent.

Brady watched it happen for 20 years. The pattern was undeniable.

As soon as a practice squad player got promoted and had to perform under real pressure, they crumbled. It took years for Brady to understand why.

“There’s 53 guys on the active roster and there’s now 15 guys on the practice squad. So there’s 68 players. But those practice squad players are important because if anybody on the active roster gets hurt, they can get elevated to the squad.”

“These scout team receivers would come in and practice with the scout team and they do really well. And I’d be watching. I’m like, ‘Man, we got to get that guy. Let’s get him up on offense. He’s making a lot of plays.’”

“Then all of a sudden, we’re like, ‘Hey man, you’re doing really well. You got to come over here and deal with the pressure of succeeding now that you have expectation.’”

“And these guys are like, they weren’t prepared for it. So whatever we saw in practice against where there was not a lot of pressure, now when they’re put in a situation where there’s an expectation for performance, they’ve never had to personally deal with that and then they fail.”

“And then what I realized was a lot of guys on those practice squads, they don’t want to be elevated to the roster.”

“They’re very happy living this life where they could tell their family and friends, which I have no problem with that. But the reality is a lot of guys don’t want the pressure of dealing with top.”

Twenty years in the league and seven Super Bowl rings later, Brady learned that talent wasn’t the hardest thing to find.

It was people who actually wanted the pressure that comes with being great.

[Coach Swit @CoachSwit]

In the stands, a H.S. parent complains to anyone who will listen that his kid isn't playing much.

Another parent: "Team is 15-2, Top 5 in the state, winning the league."

Response: "I don't care about that."

And there you have it.

For some parents, it's never about the team.