In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into how coaches can invest in the "middle-bottom" players of your roster (forgive us for that label, it's tough to describe). But, how do we keep them motivated, and how do we help them understand their value.

We’ll talk about:

• Why and how the middle-bottom players often set the tone for team culture

• How to define success beyond playing time

• Practical ways to keep these players engaged and motivated

• How to use practice to build their confidence and skill

• The bigger picture: coaching every player is a "big picture" skill for coaches

Whether you coach youth sports or a high school sport, this conversation is about making sure every kid on your team is seen, valued, and developed. Because at the end of the day, it’s the whole roster that builds a team’s culture.

Coaching isn’t just about practices, games, and strategies — it’s about the little things in between.

In this episode, Chris and Pat talk about the subtle but powerful moments that shape a team’s culture: conversations on the bus, greetings at practice, building connection, being intentional about gratitude.

These “in-between” moments often go unnoticed, but they build trust, connection, and buy-in over time. Whether you coach at the youth, high school, or college level, the little things you do outside of the game can leave the deepest impact.

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into one of the most important—and sometimes, most underprepared—aspects of youth and high school sports: practice.

Are we practicing the right way or the wrong way? Do drills actually build transferable skills, or are they just busy work? How much of our time should be spent on fundamentals versus competition?

We tackle questions like:

• Are our practices preparing players for real game situations?

• How can we design drills that force decision-making instead of mindless repetition?

• What’s the right balance between technical, skills work and competitive reps?

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  We also challenge coaches and parents to rethink the purpose of practice and to ask tough questions about their own routines and to even discuss with your players, "What did you learn today?"