07/30/2026
Last night, I caught myself thinking about something I tell my 11U+ Speed & Agility group all the time: “Be an athlete.”
Then I asked myself, What am I really telling them?
The definition of an athlete is a person trained or skilled in sports, games, or physical activities that require strength, stamina, and speed.
But to me, being an athlete means so much more than that.
It means being balanced. Being confident. Running with purpose. Cutting with intent. Competing with discipline. Being respectful. Pushing your teammates. Doing things the right way when nobody is looking. And, most importantly, being coachable.
Being an athlete isn’t just about what you do on the field, it’s about how you carry yourself every single day. I want my athletes to walk into a room in a way that makes people say, “I bet he or she is an athlete,” before they ever see them play.
An athlete may have a dictionary definition, but when I say, “Be an athlete,” I’m asking for something that carries a lot more weight ⚡️
