In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat talk about artificial intelligence in youth and high school sports.

From breaking down swing mechanics and optimizing practice plans to helping parents understand their child’s development, AI is becoming a tool that coaches, players, and families can use to enhance everyone's experience of the game.

Whether you’re a coach, player, or parent, this conversation is about how AI can be a helpful teammate in the ever-changing world of technology and sports.

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.