The landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, but some player development strategies never go out of style.In this episode of the Player Development Podcast, Edward Jones II shares 7 old school strategies that still work in player development, regardless of the changes happening throughout sports.Drawing from his experiences at Houston, Kansas, and Baylor, Ed discusses the importance of building relationships, creating a plan for impact, communicating throughout the program, conducting one-on-one check-ins, practicing active listening, being present, and involving campus partners.Through personal stories and practical examples, Ed explains how these foundational strategies help player development professionals create meaningful experiences for athletes beyond competition.You'll hear how a conversation with a position coach helped a seriously ill father attend his son's football game, why meaningful athlete check-ins don't always need to happen in an office, and how campus partnerships can extend your impact without requiring a larger budget.PLUS: Beyond The Field Athlete EditionEd shares five ways athletes can make their LinkedIn posts more relatable, connect with professionals outside of athletics, and build meaningful relationships through storytelling.In this episode:- Why relationship building remains the foundation of player development- How to create an intentional plan for athlete development- The importance of communication and one-on-one conversations- Why active listening and being present matter- How to utilize campus resources to expand your impact- Five LinkedIn strategies for athletes looking to grow their networksBOOK - Get YOUR copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://amzn.to/3TtnaA8 Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6For partnerships, bulk book orders, or more information, contact [email protected] another old school strategy that continues to work? Share it with us!Beyond The Field: Developing People. Elevating Programs.#PlayerDevelopment #BeyondTheField

Athlete trust isn't automatically given because of your title.It's earned through how you show up.In this episode of the Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II breaks down three areas athletes are constantly evaluating in the adults who serve them: proximity, reliability, and consistency.Are you where your athletes are?Can they count on you?Do you consistently show up as the person you say you are?Drawing from his experiences in player development at the University of Houston, University of Kansas, and Baylor University, Ed shares real stories about earning athlete trust, protecting confidentiality, being present during difficult moments, building relationships with families, and becoming someone athletes know they can rely on.Ed also shares this week's Beyond The Field Athlete Edition: 12 things every college athlete should know before graduating.Topics include:• Treating every interaction like it matters • Preparing for life transitions • Building relationships across campus • Networking with alumni and professionals • Using LinkedIn strategically • Practicing interview skills • Understanding content creation • Building relationships with business and law students • Reading and continuing your personal development Whether you're a player development professional, coach, administrator, or someone responsible for developing athletes beyond their sport, this conversation will challenge you to evaluate how you show up every day.Developing People. Elevating Programs.BOOK - Get YOUR copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://amzn.to/3TtnaA8 Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Great player development cannot be left to chance.You can have great ideas, meaningful events, strong relationships, and people who genuinely care about athletes. But if your approach is not documented, communicated, organized, and repeatable, it becomes difficult to create consistent impact.In this episode, Edward Jones II completes the BEYOND Player Development Framework with the "D," which stands for Development Systems.Drawing from his experiences at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward explains why strong player development requires more than programming.It requires a system.This episode focuses on four important questions:• Have you clearly documented your approach to player development?• How are you communicating your program internally to coaches and staff?• How are you communicating your player development program externally to athletes, parents, recruits, and stakeholders?• What does your development plan look like across the entire year?Edward explains why documentation matters. If your approach to player development only exists in your head, it becomes difficult for coaches, administrators, athletes, and stakeholders to understand what you are building and why it matters.Communication is just as important.One of the biggest lessons Edward learned throughout his player development career was the importance of support from the head coach and coaching staff.You can be great at player development, but if the people controlling the schedule, access, and resources do not understand the value of your work, your potential impact will always be limited.Programs must also communicate player development externally.Athletes should know how they will be developed.Parents should understand what their son or daughter will receive beyond athletic performance.Recruits should see the value.Alumni, boosters, high school coaches, and other stakeholders should understand what your program is doing to develop people.Finally, player development should have a yearly plan.Instead of reacting throughout the year and creating programs whenever an idea appears, build a development calendar that works alongside the natural rhythm of your athletic program.What happens during winter conditioning?What happens during spring?What happens during the summer?What happens during fall camp?What happens during the season?What happens around graduation and transition?Build the system before you need the system.Development Systems completes the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsThese six areas provide a framework for developing athletes with intention, consistency, and impact.Do not leave development to chance.Document it.Communicate it.Plan it.Systemize it.Then execute it consistently.To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Player Development Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Player development is growing, but the profession is also facing some important realities.In this episode of the Player Development Podcast, Ed Jones II shares five realities he's seeing across the player development space:The role is changing. The profession is still growing. Women in the field continue to face unique challenges. There isn't a clear next step for many experienced player development professionals. And despite the growth of the profession, many people still don't understand the full impact player development can have on athletes and organizations.Ed draws from his own experience in college football and conversations with professionals across college and professional sports to explore where the field is today and where it could be headed next.The episode also includes a new Beyond The Field Athlete Edition, where Ed shares a practical LinkedIn strategy athletes can use to get noticed, connect with professionals, and grow their network without sending another cold connection request.If you work in player development, want to enter the profession, or care about developing athletes beyond their sport, this episode is for you.BOOK - Get YOUR copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://amzn.to/3TtnaA8 Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Athlete transition does not begin when the final whistle blows.Athletes are constantly navigating change.They enter new programs. They adjust to college. They suffer injuries. They lose starting positions. They move to the scout team. They transfer. They become parents. They lose loved ones. They graduate. And eventually, every athlete has to navigate life after their sport.The question is: Who is helping them through those transitions?In this episode, Edward Jones II continues breaking down the BEYOND Player Development Framework with the "N," which stands for Navigation.Drawing from his experiences at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward explains why programs need to identify the transitions athletes will experience and intentionally build support around them.This episode focuses on four important questions:• How are you helping athletes navigate the transitions they experience?• What are the key transitions athletes are going through in your program?• Where are athletes most vulnerable during those transitions?• How are you staying connected with athletes during and after transitions?Edward shares why some of his most important player development work happened outside his office, particularly in the training room.An injured athlete is not simply recovering physically. That athlete may also be watching teammates travel without them, seeing someone else take their position, questioning their identity, and wondering what comes next.The same vulnerability can exist for a highly recruited freshman who suddenly finds himself on the scout team, a player entering the transfer process, or a former athlete who wakes up after years of structured schedules and no longer receives the message telling him where he needs to be that day.Those moments matter.Programs should not wait until an athlete is struggling to think about transition.Identify the transitions.Determine where athletes are most vulnerable.Create support systems.Stay connected.And remember that your responsibility to develop people extends beyond the moments when everything is going well.Edward also shares his recent alumni check-in system, which includes intentionally reconnecting with former athletes at different points after they leave the program.Navigation is more than preparing athletes for life after sports.It is helping them successfully move through change while they are in your program and supporting them as they move into whatever comes next.This episode is part of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsTo learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

The Player Development Pod is back.In this episode, Ed Jones II shares five mistakes he made while working in player development at the University of Houston, University of Kansas, and Baylor University, and the lessons those experiences taught him.From trying to build programs before understanding the resources already available to entering a new role without enough clarity, Ed breaks down the decisions he would handle differently today.You'll hear why player development professionals should:• Learn the systems and resources already in place • Research the head coach and program before taking a position • Get complete clarity about their role and responsibilities • Pay attention to the first assignment a head coach gives them • Document systems and procedures so the work can continue without them Ed also introduces a new weekly segment designed specifically for athletes.This week's Beyond The Field Rep teaches athletes how to use LinkedIn's alumni tool to find and connect with alumni based on location, career interests, and future opportunities.If you work in player development, athlete development, student-athlete development, or you're trying to break into the profession, this episode gives you practical lessons you can apply immediately.And if you're an athlete, stick around. Beyond The Field is bringing player development directly to you.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

What opportunities are you creating for your athletes beyond their sport?Only a small percentage of athletes will go on to compete professionally. That means coaches, athletic administrators, and player development professionals have a responsibility to help athletes prepare for opportunities that extend beyond competition.In this episode, Edward Jones II continues breaking down the BEYOND Player Development Framework with the "O," which stands for Opportunities.Drawing from his experiences at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward shares practical ways programs can connect athletes with careers, mentors, alumni, entrepreneurs, internships, job-shadowing experiences, and professional networks.This episode focuses on four important questions:• What opportunities already exist within your program or institution?• What opportunities can you intentionally create for your athletes?• What opportunities are your athletes asking for or interested in?• How are you connecting athletes to careers, mentors, and networks?Edward shares several real examples of creating opportunities, including reaching out to university alumni networks, using LinkedIn to connect an athlete with an experienced corporate HR professional, developing professional LinkedIn headshots for players, attending career fairs on behalf of athletes, and connecting a student-athlete interested in entrepreneurship with successful business owners.One of the biggest lessons is simple:You do not always need to create something new.Sometimes the career fair already exists.The alumni network already exists.The mentor already exists.The business community already exists.The opportunity already exists.Your job is to build the bridge between the athlete and the opportunity.Programs should also listen to what athletes are actually asking for. Instead of deciding every opportunity for them, learn about their interests and use your network to help them explore those interests.The logo on your chest can open doors.Your alumni can open doors.LinkedIn can open doors.Your community can open doors.Your job in player development is to intentionally help athletes walk through them.This episode is part of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsTo learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Who are you beyond your sport?For many athletes, that can be a difficult question to answer.From an early age, athletes can build their identity around their sport, their performance, and the dream of reaching the next level. But an athletic career represents only a small portion of a person's life.Player development should help athletes discover who they are beyond the game.In this episode, Edward Jones II continues breaking down the BEYOND Player Development Framework by exploring the "Y," which stands for Your Purpose.Drawing from his experience in college football and player development, Edward shares practical questions, personal experiences, and strategies programs can use to help athletes develop a stronger sense of purpose.This episode explores four important questions:• How are you helping athletes define who they are beyond their sport?• How are you creating environments where athletes feel safe to be open and honest?• How are athletes identifying and defining their core values?• How are you helping athletes connect their daily actions to a larger purpose?Edward also shares the story of an athlete who came into his office with something deeply personal to share. His biggest concern was not football, playing time, or his future career.He wanted to become a great father.That conversation reinforced an important lesson about purpose. Purpose is not always about a career. Sometimes it is about the person someone wants to become and the impact they want to make on the people around them.The episode also explores how identifying core values can provide stability when circumstances change. Edward shares his own core values of care, communication, and empowerment and explains why values can continue guiding you even when your job, location, career, or circumstances change.Finally, purpose has to connect to action.Want to become a starter? What are you doing today?Want to become a great father? What are you doing today?Want to become an author? Are you writing?Want a career in finance? Are you building relationships?Purpose becomes powerful when daily actions begin aligning with the person you want to become.If you work with athletes, do not only prepare them to perform.Help them discover who they are.Help them define what matters.Help them find their purpose beyond their sport.This episode is part of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsTo learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

What do you actually want athletes to learn while they are in your program?That question sounds simple, but too many programs rely on random programming, passive learning, or the hope that athletes will simply "pick up" leadership, accountability, communication, and maturity along the way.In this episode, Edward Jones II begins the Education portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework.Drawing from his experience at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward explains why education in player development must go beyond the classroom.Athletes are already receiving academic instruction through their schools and universities. The responsibility of player development is to identify the additional knowledge, skills, habits, and values athletes need to succeed during and after their time in the program.This episode focuses on three important reflection questions:• What do you want athletes to learn during their time in your program?• Where is your current programming intentional, and where is it random?• How are you aligning your programming with what coaches want for their athletes?Edward also explains why the same programming will not work for every team, every year, or every coaching staff. Rosters change. Leadership changes. Needs change.That means effective player development requires regular evaluation and intentional planning.Random programming can sometimes produce success.Intentional programming creates impact.Whether you are a player development professional, coach, athletic director, administrator, or someone responsible for developing athletes, this episode challenges you to stop assuming development will simply happen.Decide what you want athletes to learn.Structure it.Teach it.Reevaluate it.And make sure your educational efforts align with the vision of the program.This episode begins the Education portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsTo learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

How do you intentionally build belonging before the season even begins?In this episode, Edward Jones II closes out the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework by sharing one of his favorite player development initiatives from his time at Baylor University: the Summer of Belonging.The program was coming off a disappointing season, navigating the effects of COVID, adding new players to the locker room, and preparing for another demanding season.The goal was simple.Create belonging before fall camp.But instead of relying on meetings and motivational speeches, Edward was tasked with creating experiences that allowed athletes to build relationships while competing together.The Summer of Belonging included competitive events such as Topgolf, dodgeball, and a 3-point contest. The most important part, however, was how the teams were constructed.Players could not simply compete with their closest friends.Teammates were intentionally placed with athletes from different position groups, different sides of the ball, different classifications, and different social circles. Teams constantly changed so players had to communicate, compete, encourage, and build relationships with people they might not normally spend time with.The result was bigger than a few fun summer activities.Players learned how to communicate under pressure.Veterans developed relationships with newcomers.Teammates learned how to encourage each other during competition.Players became more comfortable holding each other accountable.And relationships formed that the team could lean on when the difficult days of fall camp and the season arrived.That team eventually went on to win the Big 12 Championship.The championship was not won because of Topgolf, dodgeball, or a 3-point contest. But those intentional experiences helped strengthen relationships and create a locker room that could stay connected when adversity arrived.This episode provides a practical example of what belonging can look like when player development moves from theory into implementation.If you are a coach, athletic director, administrator, or player development professional looking for ways to strengthen your team culture, consider creating your own Summer of Belonging.Create the environment.Mix the groups.Build relationships.Compete.And give athletes experiences they can lean on when the season gets difficult.This episode concludes the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:B: BelongingE: EducationY: Your PurposeO: OpportunitiesN: NavigationD: Development SystemsTo learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to help your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.Developing People. Elevating Programs.Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogramComplete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6