Built on Culture : Jimmy Keane

Culture isn’t the scoreboard; it’s the standard you live when no one’s watching. We dig into the real work of building and protecting team culture with Coach Jimmy Keane of North Cobb Christian, unpacking how consistent habits, clear roles, and player ownership turn a buzzword into an edge.

We start by separating results from behaviors: effort, communication, and composure under pressure are the true signals. Coach Keane lays out tangible systems that make culture visible—24-hour retreats that set goals and trust, a “brick” ritual where players label their burdens and leave them outside the lines, and daily practice structures so consistent that athletes can run warm-ups without a whistle. The message is simple and hard: what you teach sets expectations; what you tolerate sets the standard.

Leadership takes center stage without the captain crown. Seniors co-design a unique season, own the tone, and apply a practical framework—greens, grays, and reds—to focus energy on moving the middle. We explore how COVID exposed shortcuts, why the worst season became a turning point, and how empowering assistant coaches deepened relationships and accelerated development. Merit is earned in practice, not promised by age; JV trains with varsity so standards cascade, freshmen feel the real gap, and veterans stay sharp.

Inside the dugout you’ll find joy and precision living together—one-on-one coaching, authentic camaraderie, and a competitive calm that shows up when games get loud. If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete hungry for sustainable success, you’ll leave with rituals, language, and structures you can adopt tomorrow: consistent routines, delayed postgame talks, shared leadership, and clear non-negotiables that survive graduation cycles. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a coach who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. What standard will you raise this week?

Transcript

Redefining Culture Beyond Winning

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the winning mindset. Uh, today on episode four of our second season, we're gonna talk about culture. Uh, I think culture a lot of times can be an overuse word in a lot of sports, especially especially with programs that are trying to recruit or trying to draw players in. Um, but you know, I think culture is more than just a buzzword, right? Uh Jeff, in your opinion, what does culture mean to you in the real life?

When Culture Must Be Intentional

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Yeah, culture is right along those lines with development for me, Chris. You know, you know, you people talk about culture, it's up on the walls and it's on the shirts, and you know, it's it's all the buzz. But you know, people think culture is just about winning. And if that was true, the scoreboard would define culture, but that's not how it works. You know, culture is defined in the moments nobody sees. Um, you know, things like you know, how you act, are you putting max effort in? Are you are you cutting corners or not cutting corners? Are you focusing on the little things, you know, doing the right thing when nobody's watching? Um, you know, the second thing I think about it's it's how you interact and communicate with people and in the organization, in the program. Um, you know, and I think, you know, how you treat others, are you gonna bring energy? Are you gonna be a servant leader? Um, are you gonna encourage, you know, things along those lines? Um, and I think the last thing, which is where I think we we find culture expressed, if you will, I don't know if that's the right term that I'm looking for, but uh how you respond when adversity hits reveals your team's real culture. Um are you gonna are you gonna blame your teammates? Are you gonna take ownership? Are you gonna, you know, are you gonna stay composed under pressure, those type of things. So um, you know, I think to kind of sum that all up, I think culture is a behavior. And um a lot of times we we think culture is just winning, winning culture, but that's not it. So the one thing I do like about uh our culture and the behaviors, um all of these things take intentionality to to be good at. So, you know, here's the real question. You know, when do you realize that culture just doesn't happen to be intentional?

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Yeah, uh, you know, I mean, I think for me specifically, I I think it kind of was a realization about probably two, three seasons ago, right? During during our we we had a tough season. It was just there was a you know, there there was a lot of unhealthy dynamic, right, within our within the coaching staff of the guys that I had coaching with me. Um, you know, and that and that unhealthyness also kind of transcended, you know, kind of flowed down to the players and to the parents and all of that. And you know, I I realized as as a head coach, right, that it number one, it became my responsibility to to be aware of the culture that I was allowing, right? And and to be aware of the culture that ultimately, regardless of whether I was allowing it or not allowing it, I was creating it, right? By you know, by again being intentional with with you know what we're doing and how we're communicating and how you know we're communicating with parents and players and it you know, and and so many things with that. But but you know, I I realize now, right, as you know, my my boys just finished the fifth grade year, now they're going into middle school, they're getting older, right? And I think, you know, at the younger, you know, we're talking youth youth level. I don't think that culture necessarily is is a huge thing that needs to be pressed on, you know, with with kindergartners, first graders, second graders. I think, but you know, as as youth sports get older and they start hitting those double-digit ages, right? You know, your 10, 11, 12-year-old youth sports, you know, I think culture becomes a big thing. I think because awareness becomes a very big thing in in the youth athletes, right? They start becoming aware of, you know, their own their own abilities and and inabilities, and they become aware of, you know, when they're doing bad or when they're playing well. And so, you know, that was for me, you know, creating a culture uh and being aware of creating a culture that taught leadership, that taught accountability, to to be aware of all of that. I think I I think for me that's I guess that's the the the answer. I think another culture thing was was teaching selflessness, right? As far as as far as the kids, understanding what it took what it took to be a team player, right? And what it took to be a part of a healthy culture dynamic as opposed to being part of the the cancer of of the culture, right? And and that and that was that was for me ultimately my realization with it recently, you know, and that's that's just as a head coach perspective. But um, you know, tossing it back to you with that, you know, do you think that culture is built more by what you teach or by what you tolerate?

Teach Versus Tolerate: Setting Standards

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Um man, the one one thing that comes to mind, and all coaches have a different variation of it, is you promote what you permit. And you know, you can you can teach accountability, you can teach toughness, you can teach chemistry. The list goes on and on. But if you're gonna allow excuses and complaining and clicks on your teams, you know, the your teams are gonna learn those habits, and they're that's gonna become the norm inside of your program. And that's when things kind of start to go downhill for the the program, the organization. Um, you know, I think what you teach sets the expectation, but what you tolerate sets the standard. So you have to, you can't have one without the other. I think they kind of have to have a healthy balance. So um, you know, and then the last thing I think of, you know, winning can mask a lot of things going on inside of a program. You could be, you know, 50 and oh, 60 and oh, like the LSU Street Port team last year, and you know, you could have a bunch of turds on your team, it could be miserable. There's no culture there. You just have good players putting it together. So um I think when you start to lose, that's when some things start to become exposed, and that's when you have to address the real issues. So let's touch on that a little bit, Chris. You know, do you think culture matters more when you're winning or when you're losing? Or is there a healthy balance between the two?

Winning Masks, Losing Exposes

Introducing Coach Jimmy Keane

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, I I would go with option C. Um, it's funny that you say that because I, you know, we we obviously working on our show notes and we were, you know, putting our notes together on this, and and I saw that question and I was like, ooh, and I had to sit on that one for a minute, honestly. But you know, I think I think this, you know, I don't know what just happened there. My my earbud all of a sudden started playing audio. Um but I I think ultimately you're you're gonna revert back to your standards, you're gonna revert back to your training, right? And so I think in winning culture, and it, you know, and it when when you're winning, right, there's you know, I think culture, culture is just setting those standards, those day-to-day standards, those day-to-day habits, right? This is what's expected of us as a team. This is what's expected of us as a program. You know, I think that you know, culture and bad culture specifically, I think a bad team culture becomes a lot more evident in those moments when a team is losing. I think that's when you really see um, I think that's when you really see bad team culture, right? You'll start to see, you know, players, you know, blaming each other. You start to see players at each other's throats. You know, it's it's nobody wants to take accountability for what's going on. Um, you know, I think I think specifically back to this, you know, I think about a baseball team that Harlow was on a couple seasons ago, you know, the the the the dugout culture just was, I mean, it sucked, you know, like the the it was just and it and and I'll say like for you know the the travel baseball level, like I mean that that culture like it starts with the team, but like that culture grew and like and and that just cancerous culture expanded all the way to the parents, right? Like yeah, everybody was sick and tired of what was happening and just constantly you know getting drug across the mud, you know, and it just um but but specifically in the dugout the the team culture, right? Like the kids, you know, weren't teammates to each other, right? They were, you know, I'm better than you, you know, oh you suck, you know. Like you like you know, you're hearing kids say that, you know, it goes back to what you know, like I 100% agree with you where you promote what you permit. Like, yeah, you know, what the you know, when you got when you got coaches kids that are walking up that you know, don't that they're not any better, but they're walking up to kids who just struck out and telling them that they suck. It's like, dude, that's that's a terrible culture, man. Yeah, and I mean, you know, and I'm sure that you see it in, you know, I'm sure that you see it in in advanced levels, you know, as as far as like in a in a collegiate level or professional level. I mean, you see, you know, you see in the MLB teams, right? Like when bad culture comes around on those dugouts, you can tell those teams are just miserable, right? Like, you know, they're it's everything. You there's no enjoyment in it. But um, but yeah, I I think ultimately, I think, I think culture matters in both perspectives. I think but bad culture becomes a lot more prominent and evident in a losing team than then bad. I don't think bad culture stands out on a winning team, because I think exactly what you said, I think hiding, you know, I think winning hides a lot of of a lot of that bad culture symptom uh when they are winning.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yeah, I the one thing I think about too is everyone thinks culture just comes and everyone reports to campus in August or you know to spring training in February, March, and the culture's there. Like culture can take years to build. I don't I think back to my days at Reinhardt and you know it takes a while to where what we're trying to uh I guess disallow in the team, those are things that you eventually want to turn over to the players, you know, being late to practice, missing class. You're like, those are things that coaches don't want to deal with, but you want the leadership within your team um to handle those those those certain instances. But you know, I think you learn there's certain behaviors that go along with winning. And if you don't have those behaviors, when you start losing, you have nothing to fall back on, like you hit on. So, you know, I think there's a healthy balance between the two of them. Um, and you know, I think culture's not culture is something that can't be rushed, like it's gotta be implemented over time. I mean, I I I don't think anybody's turned a program around, you know, in one or two years, minus Kurt Signetti at Indiana, but you can tell there's a culture that that man um expects within his organization. Um, you know, but other than that, it's gonna take time. So I think you have to be patient. And, you know, sometimes the road to winning a national championship takes two, three, four, five years because, you know, when you come in as a head coach, you know, you have a vision for where you want your program to be in five years. You can't just skip, you know, to the end. You've got to build along that way. And I think culture is part of getting there.

Keane’s Path And Early Lessons

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Oh, yeah. No, I I 100% agree. And, you know, I'm I'm excited about our guest today having Jimmy Keane on. You know, he he's the head baseball coach at North Cop Christian, um, which is uh a very reputable baseball program within our community and within the Atlanta metro area. Um, you know, we and and Rebecca Dyer, who we had on last season, actually connected us with him. Um, but the but the thing that the thing that she said in the email was like Jimmy is is always done a very great job with creating a great culture within our athletics and within the baseball team. And you know, and then we had Jared on uh, you know, the last episode, and uh, you know, he he kind of hit culture and it was like buzzword, and I think you and I kind of after we finished everything with editing and and and doing all of our stuff, we you know, we were kind of meeting and we were like, I think I think we should talk culture. Like, what is culture? What does culture look like? So I'm I'm very excited for everybody to get to listen to to Jimmy kind of share his perspective on what it looks like to build a you know a great culture and and talk over, you know, uh every point and aspect that he has to share with it. So um let's transition over to Jimmy and and and bring Jimmy on and uh and let him share his his vision. Coach, thanks so much for being on with us uh today. Uh we greatly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule. I know we're we're in the in the very beginning of baseball season, so your your schedule is running wild right now. You're probably on the ball field more than you are home right now. So we greatly appreciate you carving out some time with us. Um, why don't you take a little bit of time and introduce yourself, share your background, kind of who you are, and then and then we'll dive a little deeper into our discussion.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

Yeah, I first of all just thank you guys for having me on. Um super excited about it. We're uh we're starting a little bit of a couple days of a break. So my wife actually does appreciate the fact that I'm home. Um so I I it's been it's been nice. We we didn't do anything today. I got to watch the USA hockey game, so I was pretty pumped about it. But um Yeah, I uh I actually this is my 10th year at North Scott Christian School. Um I actually graduated from the school in 2006, so I'm an alum of NCCS. Um I'm originally from Boston. My mom's one of 11 kids, um, huge Irish Catholic family. Um we moved down here when I was in about fifth, sixth grade. Um, you know, I feel like everyone you guys probably hear about with baseball is like, you know, had the dream, play ball. Um I actually when we moved down here, I you know didn't know anybody. I got bullied horrifically when I was in like fifth and sixth grade. Like it's like those memories that still like come out to you, like you know, they you still kind of like flinch every once in a while. But you know, baseball was kind of the thing that I could kind of go out there and prove myself on and and and loved it. But um, you know, in high school, I went to Harrison High School and uh I got cut my freshman year, I got cut my sophomore year, and my junior year, I was like, I'm not even gonna try out. Um, and my stepdad actually brought me down to the basement, and he was like, Look, you know, if you don't want to play baseball, it's fine, but I think you should go, you know, let's let's kind of see if there's an opportunity for you to go maybe play some some fall ball or something. And I was playing in a fall league, and there were like nine guys from North Carol Prison on this fall team. And I afterwards the coach was a guy, uh Terry Vanita was like, Man, you should go to North Carol Prison school. And uh we toured it, and uh I looked at my mom and I was like, I'm not going there. Like that's there's no shot. And uh, and then um I had a great uncle who was a priest, and uh he he ended up passing away that year, but he loved baseball, and he was we're at his funeral, and it's like all these people are pouring in telling us these stories. He used to moonlight as a baseball player, and they wanted to draft him, and and then all of a sudden he was like, No, I feel convicted about being a priest, I'm gonna go this route. Wow. And I was at the funeral and I was like, I really want to play baseball. So I went to my mom and stepped up. I was like, I think I want to go back. And uh, you know, and we went back to school and I played for Chris Stafford my junior year. And uh junior year, my best friend, uh actually met he was one of the few guys that kind of met the first round of the moved here. He had had open heart surgery, and Harrison cut him. So I was like, dude, you need to come to the school. So um he comes to the school in 2006 when I saw for open heart surgery, and uh we ended up winning a state championship in 06. Um, I went on to play college baseball at Andrew College, um, and uh, you know, played the JUCO, had an experience, tore my shoulder once, um, you know, tore it again. I went to West Georgia, played a year at West Georgia, and then decided I wasn't gonna play baseball anymore. I was like, I'm done, I'm over the grind. Um, I actually went into radio at one point. I was working at Project 961 as an intern, making no money, and uh got a paycheck for like$1.93. And I was like, this isn't gonna work. Uh moved to Nashville. Um, was in Nashville for like seven years, and honestly, while I was there, I was playing adult baseball. I picked up and I was like, let's see if I can do it. And I kind of fell in love with the game again, and then just God started opening up doors of like working in baseball again and doing some things. And uh Chris Stafford called me in uh God, it was 20 2015, was like, Northtower Christian wants me to come back and coach. He's like, They've been terrible since I've left. Would you want to be an assistant? And I was like, Yeah. And then he like got all the way to the end and he was like, Never mind, I don't want to do it. So I was like, Well, I mean, you know, let's let's see how desperate they are and take a shot on me. You know, I'm I'm coaching travel ball. So I ended up uh I ended up applying, and I was I'd have been like the first guy to apply since Chris told him no. So I had to call him like once a week for like six weeks. I'm sure Todd Klingman was, you know, just like, I'm done with this guy, and uh and they get they they gave me the job. So um, and here we are 10 years later. So it's kind of been uh it's it's been a winding road, but it's been a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

So man, what a cool story. I think my favorite part about all that is if anyone listening is wondering what recruiting at the high school level looked like in the early 2000s, yes um, you recruit players that get cut from the private school or the public school. That's how the public school, that's how it goes, man.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

That's that was I I tell you, that whole team was a bunch of guys with misfits that like weren't good enough or had gotten kicked out, and it's like you end up in private school, and uh man, it was fun. I I my senior year I go, I I peaked my senior year, you know, the whole thing, everything was great.

Daily Habits That Create Consistency

SPEAKER_01 17:26

So it was but it was funny. Um so you get the job in 2015, and obviously you're probably like fish out of water, don't know what to do. Um, I think a lot of times when coaches first take over programs, one of the biggest things they start to think about um is culture. So let's dive into culture a little bit. Um, coach, talk about this. Let's start with this. Um, what daily and seasonal habits create and maintain your programs' culture? What are what are some things you think about when you start to talk about culture?

SPEAKER_02 18:00

I think the biggest thing is just you think about consistency. And I've had some great mentors. Like I talk about Chris Stafford, and when I got the job at North Cop Christian, I was like, there's such a great bedrock and foundation of what people believe to be just what a good coach should be. And you know, Chris is held in such a high regard, and you know, I think about consistently how he was always, you know, he was he was going in the Bible and he was he was talking about scripture and he was talking about scripture while he was making us run. Like it was the most frustrating thing in the world, but like he's out there just belting out lines and you're like, I can't breathe. Um, but you know, when I got the job, the first thing I did is I we did a parent meeting. I just told the parents, I said, the goal is to win a state championship. And I had a parent laugh at me, like you're at the wrong school. And I just felt very much like, look, like there's only one way to do it. And you know, again, like I mentioned, like I'm I'm from Boston, like I love hockey, you know, USA is going on, like I love Herb Brooks, love all the you know, the stuff with Miracle, and it's just like you create big goals because you want to pursue them. And I think when kids understand that, I think kids will want to kind of get behind that. There's a whole lot of stuff that happens in between, but you have to be consistent with it, and you can't bend on it. Um, and I've had to learn some really hard truths. I mean, I it's easy to sit there and be like, this is how it started and this is where it went, but like there were some middle parts where I was like, This is we got to get back to certain things that I even knew we got away from. So, but consistency is the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

So that's solid. Circling back when you were telling your story. Uh when you said that you moved to Nashville, I was like, he's about to say he tried to pursue.

SPEAKER_02 19:39

I have zero musical, musical ability in my body. I I like seriously, I I and I honestly don't even like country music, so that probably is a whole nother level of like, but yeah, no, that's what everyone's sister goes, oh, you play music? You're like, no, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Clearly, you've never walked down Broad Street in Nashville or Broadway, whatever it is, and and heard all the shit.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

I I've been way too many times.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

Either, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

No, they're not. I've been way too there are not, but then there are some that are amazing, oh yeah, uh, which also make you go, I'm not gonna do music. Like so, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

I I totally get it, but man, I I I love I love the phrase consistency, and I think that that's you know, like I I I've been pushing that with my son specifically. He he plays he's he's almost 12, he plays baseball, football, and it's like teaching him to understand like what consistency looks like as far as you know working out, doing you know, doing your workouts, you know, doing your D work and all that kind of stuff, and and just letting him understand that you know big goals aren't achieved over what over a matter of one day, right? A lot of times those big goals, it it's it's it's showing up and consistently doing the little things every single day. But um, as far as that goes with you, coach, what are what are specific routines that you refuse to skip because they because they protect your standard?

Retreats, Bricks, And Player Buy-In

SPEAKER_02 21:00

So, you know, it's interesting because um we've gone through a couple like iterations of the program where I feel like I mean the first thing I I will tell you is that every year in high school baseball is different. And I think there's a lot of coaches that try and rinse and repeat because they go, This works. And I know, and I think a lot of coaches know that the hard part about high school baseball is you got a whole different group every year. And you know, so identifying where those things need to happen, but then also organically being like, I have to be comfortable with this team going this way or that way, and me being able to adapt or our coaches adapting. Um, we start every season um in January after the first week of practice on Friday. We go on an all like a 24 hour lock in. Um we used to go up to Nashville. I had some buddies of mine that had a facility up there. I used to bust up the entire team, and it's 24 hours of baseball and it's team building, and it's like laying out what our goals are. Um, I make them do crazy things like take personality tests. I've made them do like the love language test. Um I I've had uh Dave Franco, who's a metal metal coach, he was with the Rangers for a while. I've had him come in and talk to the guys, um, you know, and we start to kind of come up with what is the the the beef of what we want to look at. Um, but that's really, I think, been a big one for me because it gives us and our coaches a chance to understand what's motivating these kids. Um, you know, this year we're doing something interesting where um every kid has to walk around with a brick and uh they write their name on the brick, but what's on the brick is is basically everything that they feel like weighs them down. And they take these bricks and before we walk in the field, we make them stack them in a wall. And the idea is that you know, Satan's gonna be able to put things in your life that are just gonna be heavy and they're gonna weigh on you. But when you put it on that brick and you you're kind of recognizing, hey, this is this is something I'm struggling with, when I set it down outside the field and I hit the lines, like I don't have to worry about it right now. But the reality is it's still gonna be there. Um and I've had coaches with brakes on, but land, like the the words that come up, like I've seen the word anxiety this year more than I've ever thought I would. Um self-doubt, um, self-esteem. Um so it just gives me kind of a kind of a roadmap of where we go from there with it. But you know, the the lock-in's kind of where we identify that. And you know, I think from from a you know, from a value standpoint, it's just making sure we understand like we're not here to just teach the game. We're here to be with the kids and be able to walk with them in this bubble of you know, it's life and you know, the ups and downs of it. It's not just about getting in the cage and doing tea work and doing mechanics, it's about like what's weighing these kids down, what's what's causing them to kind of go through the struggles they're going through.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

So yeah, I love that. I mean, I think the brick is such a cool idea. And you know, thinking from a coach's perspective, when those kids set that brick down, that's a way for you to connect with them when you see those words like that's a moment at practice, a moment at M VP, a moment in the pen, a moment in the cage that you can walk up and have that conversation with them. So, you know, and it's in those little moments that you build the culture of your team. So, you know, one thing I I showed up really early last week. I I like to do that just to kind of see. I knew we were gonna be talking about culture, and I kind of wanted to, you know, see what the I'd never been in the baseball field, I'd never seen you guys play at home. And you know, I got there early. I think I was there like an hour and a half before the game started, and I was trying to notice things that you know contribute to a positive culture. You know, I saw 10 guys rolling up the uh the turtle and putting it away. Um, you know, all from that to kids sitting in the stands knocking out homework before the game, to you know, I could tell just the entire complex there was there was no dirt, no bleeds, no grass on the concrete, you know, little things like that that I think um you know speak to the culture of your program. So, you know, speaking on that, if we showed up to one of your games of practices, what would we immediately notice outside of if if I said some of them, sorry, but if what would we immediately notice that kind of reflects the culture you're trying to create there?

What Great Culture Looks Like At Practice

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Well, I think from a from a practice standpoint, the first thing you're gonna notice is all our coaches were baseball fans. Um and I think it's been I it's funny because when I first started, that wasn't the case. And um I kind of told the parents, I said, you know, if it if we're gonna expect the kids to adhere to a dress code and adhere to what you wear matters, then it's gotta start with the coaches. And if we're gonna be consistent with what we're saying, we have to be consistent in the actions of what we're doing. So, you know, when you come to practice, that's the first thing you're gonna notice is our coaches are dressed to coach baseball. Um, you know, the other thing you're gonna notice that I that I hope parents and you know people from the outside look at the kids. If if I walked away, they could run a dynamic warm-up by themselves. They could run the first hour of practice almost by themselves because we're consistent with practice. Um and that bleeds over in games. I mean, we our kids know the times of when things are supposed to happen, but I think they also look forward to it. Um, you know, 15 minutes before we go out, you know, an hour before game time, our kids have quiet time. Um, you know, the kids are already, I mean, they've got like a song picked out already, like they're already like, you know, this is what we're gonna, I I cut the lights off, it's dark in the hitting facility. But um, you know, obviously there's the the jobs of things kids do that I think shows their leadership, the culture of things. But my hope is is the other thing you would notice is you look at things and you go, if our guys are stretching on a line, my hope is you guys are sitting there going, outside of the size difference, you couldn't tell who a senior was to a freshman. And they just look like they're all together working together, and they all kind of start to just hit their paces, and there's not a coach over there just going, all right, now this, now this, now this.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

So yeah, that's solid coach. And I think I think a lot of what I'm hearing you say too is you know, when you're talking about that as far as as far as the kids that you know, they can run the dynamic warm-up alone, you know, that that that they're you know, they're they're together all and in all unison, you know, in unison with the way that they operate and the way that you guys practice and the way that you you warm up and all that, right? But ultimately, even with that, you've got you've got kids that that are stand out as leaders in that, right? Like you've obviously have leaders that guide with that. And and let's transition and talk a little about uh leadership with with team culture, right? What what are responsibilities of your team leaders when it comes to creating and protecting the team culture?

Leadership Without Captains

SPEAKER_02 27:14

Yeah, so so I don't pick I don't pick captains. Um I had a I I had a coach, Coach Norfleet, Wayne Norfleet, he told me he was like, man, he's like you pick a captain and then that's the one kid that you want to kill on a daily basis. And it's just you spend more time policing the captain than you know, because he's self-ordained. But you know, what my hope is is that the leadership is it starts from seniors and it goes down. Um and I think what what I I meet with the senior the incoming senior group at the end of every season, and I tell I've told the same group that you know the same guys the same thing every time, and I just said, My job is to make this year the most unique year that we've ever had. And we're not trying to do what we did last year, we're trying to make this year the most special senior year for you. And I think it creates ownership for them because it allows them to have conversations with me of, hey, these are some things that I don't want to do, or these are some things that we did last year that I liked or didn't like. And you know, and again, they come out in little team building things, like, you know, we do we do things where identify green, red, and and gray guys, red are bad guys, green are great guys, and then the grays are kind of the middle, and it's like, who in the team do you think is a green guy? Who's a red guy? Who are the gray guys? And the goal is to focus on all the gray guys and not focus on the red guys. Um, but it's interesting to hear the responses because then you start to build the team. And I think when they are they're involved in those conversations, that's where you start to see the ownership and the leadership happen, is that you know they they they want to be a part of it, you know, and they they want to ask questions and they want to be a leader on the field and they want to be a leader in, you know, whether in stretches or whether it's just you know when things happen in games, because you know, baseball, the beauty of baseball is like you have all these rules and then you'll go to a game and go, Man, I've I've never seen that happen before. And you know, you want to allow that creativity to happen, but you want the kids to feel prepared for the unexpected like that. And I think when your leaders are are invested, um, they they they kind of respond in in a way that's pretty exciting. So, I mean, you know, for me, it's just kind of I call them collision moments. It's like as many collision moments as I or coaches can have with those kids, the leadership starts with us, but it kind of trickles down, and you know, you're building the crop below them to kind of feel like they've got the ability to have some some communication avenues, but then those seniors are kind of sitting there going, This is my year, you know, this is our year, and I think it's really intentional to do that.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

So Jimmy, let me ask you this takeover in 2015, you guys you're in year 11 or 12 um with North Cobb Christian. At what point were you able to take this team from coach led and let the players do it?

From Coach-Led To Player-Led

SPEAKER_02 29:49

So COVID was probably the biggest test. I had a cre an incredible group of kids when I got hired that kind of by 2019 had that that was their senior year. Um and I I loved them. I mean, they were just they were my first group, like they were my first class that I saw on. Um we had a bunch of guys that went and played, you know, big league or you know, college baseball and all that, but we we kind of got away from doing like the retreat that their senior year. I kind of was like, we don't need to go anywhere. We got it all figured out. Then COVID happened. Um, so we lost the season. We played 11 games, and then the next year we came out, and I I didn't, I really didn't do a lot of the things that I was like, okay, like these are all the things we need to do. Um, and it was the worst year we've ever had. I mean, we I think we ended the year, we were in the playoffs at Kings Ridge, and it was at the um, it was at the the uh the field they had over there off site, but like I was in the dugout and the last out was May, and I go, I will never do this again. Like I have to change. It starts with me. Um and honestly, like that's when we started to sit down and I go, okay, like what what's missing? And then it turned into what do I need to lean into? So I have a very unique coaching staff. Um, and I I'll be honest with you, it starts with it's it's a big one. Um, yeah, everyone this year everyone's making making sure I notice that too. So um, but uh but my uh the guy I told you about Ryan Moore in fifth grade, he's our pitching coach, he's also director of the business academy at the school. Um Edgar Mercado is a part of it. I met Edgar in Nashville, I convinced him to come down, and then Gil Navarro was one of my coaches when I was a senior in high school. So when I got the job, he was the first guy I called, and I was like, Gil, I don't know what I'm doing. And he was like, I can give you two days a week, and he's been with me the whole time. But I I always say that because I'm like, I kind of look at it like my job was to find the right people that were the right coaches that teach the right way, and then let them do a really good job. So when COVID, like that year after COVID, I was just like, I need to do a better job of leaning into them and stop trying to do all the things myself. Um and I think it really kind of changed, and then it kind of allowed me to look at the skill set that I had and you know, the kind of leader that I wanted to be and being able to connect with kids. And, you know, I think we have in our mind what we think great coaches are, but at the end of the day, we've got to be, you know, I I want to be able to be the coach that I'm supposed to be, not a coach that I think I'm supposed to be like. Um and you know, after that, I really I mean, we we we definitely went through some growing pains, but I felt like I could see a shift in just how I approached things and I felt how the coaches felt like they were empowered to do more and and connect with kids. And then uh, man, we went on a we won an incredible run. I mean, 22 we went and lost the state championship to Wesley, and then 23 we won the state championship against Mount Harren, and then we come back again in 24, we win another state championship, and you know, even last year, I mean we lost the elite only lead eight to Prince Abbott, but like there just has been just a really great connective tissue amongst the guys that have done it and the guys that you know are doing it now, and there's guys that come back. I mean, we've got guys that'll be in college, they'll come back and hit VP with our guys, and you know, so I think that's about you know about 2021, 22 is when I kind of was like, all right, we're start I'm starting to figure it out. But it started with me and it's maturity. I mean, I give the school a ton of credit, I give I give my head of school Todd Klingman a ton of credit because I mean he could have just looked at like this was a mistake, like we're gonna move on. But I mean he he stuck with me, and and I think it just you know, I I definitely I had to learn and grow, and I think that's just the beauty of it, and it's cool to look back on it.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

So so I have to ask, because you're you're transitioning right into where we are, and this is my ADD. I have to ask, did was Edgar pursuing a music career in Nashville when you picked him up?

SPEAKER_02 33:40

I honestly I I I can be honest with you, the only thing I know Edgar can do musically is maybe dance. Um, but you know, the only one of us that actually can play a guitar is Ryan, who never went to Nashville. So I I don't I uh you kept the one musician out of Nashville.

SPEAKER_00 33:58

That's that's funny, man. That's right. That's right. Yeah, I yeah, I I love where you're transitioning to this because it's going right into the next segment that we really wanted to talk about, which is is is kind of shifting, you know, what are the what are the you know, what is your responsibility and what are your assistant coaches' responsibilities as far as you know maintaining that culture and and you know as far as that goes with the responsibilities, you know, what responsibilities do you put on yourself and what responsibilities do you put on your assistant coaches to make sure that you're maintaining that culture every season in and out?

Roles For Assistants And Trust

SPEAKER_02 34:31

I think for me, I mean, the biggest thing is understanding my role first. And and I know my role is to kind of organize and facilitate everything. And um, you know, my job is to allow them, they're hired because they're great coaches, but they're also incredible personalities and they're incredible people that want to pour into kids. Obviously, we all want to win, but like they just genuinely care about the kids. And I think like that's what's been cool about the bricks this year is like a coach can walk over and look at the brick and be like, man, this kid's trouble with this, and walk up to him, and it has nothing to do about baseball. But you know, it's something that that I feel like my job is to create those things and those frameworks, and then it allows them to have those moments with those kids. And honestly, I mean, you know, there's some kids in the program that probably have better relationships with the assistant coaches than they do with me, and that's okay. Like, that's to me, that shows a healthy program. Like, I don't have the ego in it to where I'm like, oh man, like why isn't he talking to me? Like, I would I love it when the coaches come to me, like, hey man, like this kid's struggling with this, or hey man, this kid really wants an opportunity, wants a shot. You need to talk to him. Um, and I think a lot of that comes from because we have great relationships with each other as coaches, but I think it shows a healthy coaching staff. Um and I think it shows a healthy environment. And and you you mentioned we have such a big staff this year. I mean, honestly, I've got a couple guys that are just volunteers, like Drew Startup is you know he's at North Star, but he just loves pouring into kids and he's like, I just want to be around. And then we got another guy, Marshall Rich, he's a catching guy, and he just was like, Look, man, like I'm transitioning this area, like, how can I help? How can I serve? And I think they just love hanging the dugout more than anything else, but they're just really good at what they do. And you know, for me, it's I have a very detailed practice plan that I put out every day. Um, I want the coaches to have input on it. On Mondays, we kind of do a bit of a staff meme for practice. Um, you know, they kind of give me feedback. This is what we think is working, this is what's not working. Um, you know, and I think we just we we're very intentional about that. I'm intentional about not talking to the kids for an hour after a game because they don't care. Um, and I'll probably end up saying something I want to say. So um, but you know, I think for me that first and foremost, understanding my job is important, but then allowing them to do their job. Um and if they do, and if it works that way, man, like it's there's always gonna be little things. I mean, Edgar, me, Ryan, Gil, we've all known each other so long. I mean, I'm sure we've gotten each other's nerves. I've you know, Edgar's probably you know told me to go cool off a couple times. I'm a very sore loser, by the way. Like it's almost like gotten like I I say all this and it's like we lose the game. I'm like, that's it, it's over, like you know, whatever. You know, they're just great at they're they're great at being a support for me too, because that's that's what I've needed in my life.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

So yeah, I think that's a big thing too. Talking to I know I know we're talking a little bit about your staff, but are there are there I know you have staff meetings and stuff like that, but like outside of that, are there things that you do with your coaching staff to you know help them align with culture? Are you trying to teach them how to you know be a head coach one day? What's what's kind of your opinion on you know your assistant coaches aligning with your culture?

Passing Culture To New Classes

SPEAKER_02 37:29

It's interesting because you know the the the first thing is the low-hanging fruit for me is like three of us, me, Gil, and Ryan, really came from times of preparation to begin with. So I think having people that understand what makes our school unique is important. Um, and I will tell you, like what we do at our school is unique because the school gives us the platform and the ability to do that. Um, so there's a lot of things that we talk about internally that you know this school allows us, it gives us kind of that platform, or the kids hear it daily, so we can kind of piggyback into it. Um, you know, a great lesson to that is like we have to our our our school takes a spring term mission trip every year. And for the last few years, it falls in the middle of baseball season. So we've turned it into kind of a baseball mission trip where we now get an opportunity to kind of work and serve a community, but also play baseball at the same time. But um, you know, in terms of me pouring to the coaches, I mean, honestly, like I think it's just us checking in and having accountability. I mean, you know, we uh about five years ago, I started having everybody over. We do a coach's Christmas party every year. Um, we bring our families together. Like, honestly, if you come to the field, you probably see my kids running around. You probably see Edgar's daughter running up in the middle of practice. Like, um, you know, um, you know, Gil Navarro, he's my son's godfather. Um, you know, like I said, Ryan Moore, I've known him since fifth grade. I mean, he's one of my best friends. Like, I mean, his family, it's just I there's such a family connection to it um that that I love. Um, I always joke with people. Have you ever seen the movie American Gangster when Denzel Washington's like building like his little empire? I'm like, that's what we've done. Like we're like the we're modeling it after an Italian mob is really the is really our goal here. So um, but yeah, man, like it's just I think that's the biggest thing for me is like just feeding those connections with all of us, and like that's what's gonna make us want to work. And some of it's not easy, like you know, like after this year, um, you know, like Ryan, Ryan wants to transition more into administration at the school. Like his vision isn't to be a head coach, and you know, supporting him and knowing that baseball might have brought him here, but he's now found a career path after that. Edgar Mercado's our our head strength coach, like he probably has a he's he's got more of a desire to pursue that professionally than being a head baseball coach. Um so I mean I think it's just kind of knowing where they're all at, and you know, it's been interesting because over 10 years it's like you know, we we've accomplished a lot. So I feel like for the first time now, I've been some of our guys, me, some of your coaches, it's like, well, what's next? So yeah, but it's cool to see them pursue that.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

So man, I I I think about that and what you're talking about as far as like your coaching staff. And I I coach football on the rec level, but like I think about the guys that I've had coach with me over the last five years, and they they've become like brothers to me. And it's it's very similar in that same field. Like, you know, my my three-year-old, you know, he'll he'll run out on the field doing football practices, and my coach is just it's just understood if if he's if if Riggs, uh our three-year-old, is on the football field and he's closest to that coach, it's that coach's responsibility to maintain for that time. But like, but I love that, man. And I I I love having that that that brotherhood of coaches, and that that it's all it's a family. It becomes a family. I mean, the these are.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

It becomes a family, you're you're you're with everyone so much, and it's like you just you see a lot of life happen. And it's like when I started coaching with these guys, like none of us had kids, like you know, some of us weren't married, like, and now it's like we've got kids, and I mean, my you know, it's cool. My parents moved here three years ago. My stepdad keeps our stats now in our dugout, like you know, and it's like his you know, my I probably because my mom was like, he's gotta do something, but like also because I'm like, I love having him around because it's just it's it's uh selfishly like it's an opportunity for me to be with him and connect with him too, like yeah, and and then he can connect with other people and porn to them. But like, man, it's just when you see your kids running out in the field, it's awesome. Like, I'm my stepson Hudson, he's uh he's 11 now, but I mean, like kids like Jackson Ugla, who are his little Timothy program mentor in the school, like when Jackson comes back to visit from college, like Hudson's like, is Jackson here? Can I hang out with him? But I'm like, that kid's you know, he's he's he's 20 years old, and you're wanting to hang out because you think you're supposed to, and I love that. Like, that's what you want to say.

SPEAKER_00 41:34

Yeah, oh yeah, that's awesome. Well, let's you know, you you hit on it a little bit earlier uh when we were kind of talking, obviously with high school baseball, there's there's turnover, right? And that that like you hit on how every year starts over fresh, and you know that's let's dive into that, you know, a little bit deeper, you know, with with seniors graduating every year, you know, how how do you make sure that culture passes down, you know, without having to completely reset what you started with last year? I know that you're saying every season is is completely new, but obviously there's standards, right, with the culture that you try to maintain. And I guess that's more so what I want to kind of make sure we we we unfold a little bit.

JV With Varsity: Standards Downstream

SPEAKER_02 42:14

Yeah, I mean, I and again, it's the hardest thing. Like it's you know, every year you get a new group of kids and new dynamics, but like you have to have things that are kind of your non-negotiables. And you know, to me first and foremost, it's why are we doing it? And to me, it's like our kids and and our coaches I are there because they feel like God's given them a unique opportunity and unique um ability to be able to impact kids, and you know, and and from a cultural standpoint, it's making sure the kids know that like there's certain certain benchmarks that we have from an expectation standpoint. Um, you know, whether it's how they show up to, you know, they have to show on game days, they have game day dress on you know they're what they're wearing to practice, how they're talking to people, um, you know, how they present themselves. Um, you know, but for me, I think the the the hardest part you run into when you're dealing with seniors leaving and the new ones is you know, you have to start to unpack whether or not they had a good experience as a junior, and then you're gonna figure out whether or not what you have as seniors. So um we've had some really overbearing senior classes that has been no, and that's not a bad thing, like they're just they dominate, you know, and it's like they're very big personalities. And you know, we've had guys like Blake Dean and Matty Go and Cooper Williams and Michael Molinax. It's like, I mean, they walk in a room and that's the only people guys want to hear from. But you know, it's like you look at this year's team specifically, and I'm like, I've got guys that have some residuals from those guys, but they also have things that they go, well, I didn't like how they did XYZ. And you know, for me, those the little micro adjustments that can happen to where I go, are those things that we allowed, or are those things that we just kind of we all we they were allowed to happen because we didn't know about it? Um, you know, and for me, I think from a cultural standpoint, like that's really where you have to be willing to adjust. Us, but from an overarching standpoint, you've got to just be able to hit on your main things every year so kids know this, you know, we get to do retreat this year. We're going to pick our theme verse this year, like we're going to do something that requires me to have to speak in front of my guys. Like, and again, most of the stuff I do is all stolen. Like, I mean, it's like we all steal stuff that's comfortable. Like, that's what we do. Like, so I mean, I you know, none of it's stuff that none of us have done, but you know, for me, it's how can I kind of come up with new things, but I'm really trying to get the same things out. You know, what's going on in your life? What are you doing? How are you doing it? Um, you know, what's your relationship with Christ? Like, it's a crazy how much of a platform you have in kids' lives where you just go, man, like, you know, are you saved? Are you not saved? Like very personal questions that you want kids to feel like, hey, I can have this conversation with a coach. Um but you know, I think that's how you protect your culture too, by being honest. You know, I think a lot of times coaches want to kind of you know glaze over it and be like, you know, well, my guy, you know, I've got guys that do this and our guys do this. And I'm like, man, every every year it's different, but it's like the intentionality behind what we do is not different. You know, that's the consistency that we really kind of strive for. Is like, why are we doing it? Who's you know, who are the guys we need to really look at? But you know, from seniors all the way down, I think that's the hope is that we just invest on them consistently and daily.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

So Jimmy, I know I want to talk about a little a little bit about your your younger teams, your JV, and if you've got middle school, you can speak to that. I know you've got um kind of a unique way of doing things at practice. You include JV with your varsity, don't you? You have them all out there at the same time. What what kind of and I'm sure it's intentional, but talk to us a little bit about the intentionality of having your JV out there so they can understand um the expectations and the standards when they when they get to varsity and how that plays into a factor.

Inside The Dugout: Fun And Focus

SPEAKER_02 45:50

It it's it's twofold. I mean, first, we want it it allows me to utilize the most amount of coaches in the best sort of way. Um you know, if I've got nine coaches on our staff, that means that I've got nine coaches that can focus on one position and it's not having to worry about something else, or you know, I can walk around and see it. So you you get coaches now that are coaching their positions or coaching a group without having to feel overwhelmed. And then from a from a kid, you know, a JV standpoint, um, you know, they're able to see the older guys do it. And I think they start to see there's that you know, some of it's by design. Like you get some freshmen to walk in and go, I'm I'm I'm a starter, and you're like, okay, that's that's the guy you gotta beat, like go beat them. And and the gap's this, and it doesn't, and you know, in a high school baseball season, it's not that long. So the odds of that gap going like this in in a three-month period is slim, but you want them to see it, you want them to feel it, because I think that's how they kind of grow and they get some respect about what they need to be doing. Um, so yeah, it is intentional in that way. Um, and then the other thing is is like we're blessed to have a middle school, so our guys have access to those kids to go down there and work with them when they can or just be around them, support them in their game. So I think it gives our middle school guys something to be like, I want to be a part of that because they see the older guys working with them. But um, yeah, I mean, I I that was one of the changes we made coming out of COVID was practicing everybody together. I kept everything separate, and I just kind of was like, look, like, we can't do it anymore. Like, I need to be able to kind of see not just what we have, but I need to be able to invest in them. Like, I can't just invest with them, invest them in just a three-month period of time and be like, oh yeah, well, next year they're gonna be good. It's like, no, like they just they're not gonna trust you and they don't want to work with you if you're not gonna be able to show them the time of day. And man, like it's led to some really cool, powerful things. It's honestly probably led to more freshmen playing in the last three years than they played before when I started, because I kind of got hung up in like, well, they're juniors and seniors, and now I'm like, dude, like that that kid. I mean, true and staffer was a freshman last year, and I'm like, he's just good, man. Like, you know, like you gotta play him. Like, I'm a bad coach if you don't play. So, you know, and I think I think I think when parents look at our program, that's what they want to see is like, are you playing guys just because they're juniors and seniors? Or are you playing guys because you know, when we practice together, I'm like, look, you earn your opportunities in practice. Um, the games, the games are a culmination of those opportunities. But I, you know, as a coach, we don't owe you anything in a game, but in practice, man, you get every rep. You know, I mean you get the same reps that the starting shortstop gets. So if you want to be the starting shortstop, beat them out. And that's I think it's a really cool thing to see.

SPEAKER_00 48:21

So yeah, I I I think, you know, to that what you're saying, I mean, obviously, is it number one, it motivates your younger players to take it serious, right? Like they're not having to sit here and think, like, I just have to go through the motions the next two seasons before they're even gonna recognize me on the varsity team, right? Like, like, you know, no, I mean you're motivating them, but also to that, to that same, you know, it keeps your it keeps your older players on notice, right? Like nobody, yeah if you're a junior and senior, you don't want to be beat out by a freshman at you know at your position because you know they're better than you, right? So it keeps them from being you know complacent. I mean, honestly, I mean that's that's really the way I I see it is it keeps you know it keeps them motivated to keep working at at their craft and and obviously I think obviously with your your team culture coach, I don't think that you have players that obviously are sit, you know, sitting in your dugout that are just complacent, right? I I don't I don't mean that in any way, but I I just I I think about that as far as the the motivation tactic behind all of that too on on both ends of that. But um speaking, you know, as far as as far as somebody who's never known anything about your program, right? You know, um my my wife graduated from North Comp Christian as well, and you know, we've we've been to a handful of games, and um, especially when you know we before we started recording, you know, uh Brock was a player that you know my son looked up. We came to a couple games to see him. And um, but if somebody walked into your dugout tomorrow, right, how how would they know your culture without you having to say a word? Man, it's it's just fun.

Eagle Story And Culture Ownership

SPEAKER_02 49:51

Like, I mean, I I'll be honest with you, like um, we have a really cool, unique I every year I say we have unique, it's a group of kids, but like man, like um, I don't know, probably about four years ago, we we start we started getting some kids in from Panama that like you know, very you know, Latin guys and they're they're like playing the the water jugs as drums and all that stuff. And it's like the crazy thing is it's stuck. Like those kids have left, and like we're still like they're they're they're chanting Spanish, you know, the Spanish word for ball, like in the middle of the dugout, and I'm like, no, let's speak Spanish. Like we're you know, it's just I it's just a fun atmosphere. And it's like I think what you see is you see um, you know, my you know you see guys that just are are excited to play a game and they want to have fun with it. And you know, and they they they kind of can chirp at each other a little bit and they kind of you know, they they like to chirp at the other team, which you know we gotta kind of keep in check every once in a while. But you know, I think it's what I've learned is that I I really just love the fact that our guys want to play and they want to compete. Um and I think you're gonna see guys like if you were in our dugout, you see hopefully you see a lot of coach kids that will come up and the the interactions with coaches are very one-on-one. You know, there's not a whole lot of like me pulling the whole team together and talking to everybody. It's you know, going up to one kid or seeing a kid walk back from an advent and seeing a coach meet him and talking to them there, and you know, you see the pitchers walking off the field and you see the pitching coach intentionally walking to them or the the you know, guild talking to the catchers. Like I think you see a lot of those moments, and I think that's what I hope people realize is like that's the real coaching part of it. Um, you know, I I I joke. I'm I'm not a great coach. I think I've hired really good coaches, but um, I think what I've hopefully tried to do is allow these really good coaches to have some really intentional moments with these kids, and you know, you just see that in the dugout, and you know, it's it's a blast. Like, I mean, you know, especially this year, I it's been it's been a fun group of kids to be around because they just they've really just kind of let loose, but they've they're very coachable. And when you have a competitive and coachable team, which is very rare, by the way, because usually there's one or the other, um, and they've got talent. I mean, you know, one of our best players the other day was talking to to Edgar for 10 minutes in the middle of practice about just face stealing technique. And I'm like, and and the cool thing is because the way we're practicing, like, Edgar can give that time, it's not like he's having to hold up the rest of the guys to do it, but you know, when you walk in the dugout, I think you feel that, and I think you see it. Um I think you see kids that are comfortable with themselves, like you know, I think they're comfortable with each other, um, and then they get to do a lot of fun things. And and I like to say our job is to just give them opportunities and let them run wild with it. So they they try, they do.

SPEAKER_01 52:25

Man, I love that. I think you know, we talked a little bit about this before you hopped on, and you know, I think you kind of hammered the point home. Culture is created in the moments nobody sees, you know, those one-on-one moments with your coaching staff and your assistants, yourself, each other. Um, you know, that that's that's where culture is built. And you know, a lot of people, you know, we were talking beforehand, a lot of th a lot of people think culture is tied to winning and the scoreboard. But if that was true, like the culture would be great everywhere, and that's just not the fact. So um hey, I appreciate I appreciate you coming on, Jimmy. I there's a lot to unpack here um with culture. I'm excited to to get this out. So we appreciate you coming on and and talking about it. Obviously, we wish you the best of luck, and you know, we'll be following you throughout the rest of the season.

SPEAKER_02 53:12

Come out to any games you want. I'd love to have you.

SPEAKER_00 53:14

So yeah, thank coach. I we greatly appreciate your time and uh and um good luck the rest of the season. Uh also let's tell the the Jimmy not Jimmy story, Jeff. You want to share?

SPEAKER_01 53:25

Oh yeah. So and and this this is so uh going back to Gil, I called Gil my Georgia dad. When I when I moved up here in 2015, I got involved with the Sundalt League and met Gil. And I mean, he was like a father for me up here. So Gil and I, we go all back, but um I thought I had asked him for your phone number at one point, and you know, I'd always been texting this Jimmy Jimmy Keen guy about players, and I never got a response back. Well, I bring up the podcast, right? And I get a response back. He says, I'm not Jimmy. And I was like, wait a second, I've been texting the wrong Jimmy this entire time. And I was like, Well, do you want to call the podcast? I gotta know, but that's our Jimmy Belt Jimmy story.

SPEAKER_02 54:08

So you knew you knew Gil then with the Sunbelt League and all that when he was at Reinhardt, right?

SPEAKER_01 54:13

Um way before that, way before that. Like I can I was I good.

SPEAKER_02 54:20

Well, so Gil used to coach in the Sunbelt League, and I used to, I think he used to be like out of Reinhardt or that was their home field. Well, like in 2019, I'm gonna totally out these guys for doing this, but I guess there was an eagle, like a giant eagle that was in the dugout at Reinhardt, and Gil's coaching, and three of our players in high school went to go watch you like him coach in that league, and he looks at him and goes, that would be awesome in the dugout. Like six months later, we're in our senior day, and these guys walk out with that eagle to give to Gil. They'd snuck into Reinhardt and stolen it, like and then tested. And so Gil is like both excited and not like, and then like, dude, what do we do? So, but I will tell you that the eagle is still in our dugout. So if you come to our home dugout, you walk in and in the corner, there's an eagle that Edgar was like, we gotta spray paint it because someone's gonna see it.

Host Takeaways And Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 55:12

Someone's gonna know. Oh my gosh, that's funny. I'm gonna have to I'm that was before I got to Reinhardt. I got to Renhart in 21, but I know a lot of the alumni that were there to pass. I'm gonna ask them if they know whatever happened to the eagle.

SPEAKER_02 55:23

I I I I feel like enough time has passed to where I can say that without getting a phone call from someone, but I didn't organize it. That was complete. If you if you want to know what culture is, culture is when a kid decides or a group of kids are like, Coach said he needs it, we're going in, and they hop a fence at 12 30 at night and carry that thing out. So that's funny.

SPEAKER_00 55:42

That's I never knew that.

SPEAKER_02 55:43

That's culture.

SPEAKER_00 55:44

So this so this cannot be a social media clip that we put on Instagram because Reinhardt is a good idea.

SPEAKER_02 55:51

Who at Reinhardt's gonna get mad now? If anything, we could give it back. And I feel like it would be a good it'd be a good gesture, right? Like we could go. Well, they may be able to add it.

SPEAKER_00 56:01

So well, coach, we greatly appreciate your time, and uh, you know, we we we wish you the best of luck this season. Thank you so much for for for all the wisdom.

SPEAKER_02 56:10

No, I enjoyed it. Thank you guys.

SPEAKER_01 56:25

Well, Chris, I really enjoyed that time with Jimmy talking talking shop and talking culture. Um let's get a few takeaways. I know there's a lot to unpack out of that. Um, you know, one of my favorite things that he said was um, you know, he was talking about he has his coaches in pants, and the reason he does it is, you know, what he what he asks his players to do, he wants his coaches to do. And I heard a every year at ABCA when I was coaching at Georgia Gwynette, our head coach made us go listen to the longtime head coach at Western Michigan. He always gave a talk about um it was like a new head, a new uh a new coaches seminar. And it was like all the little things that you know new coaches need to know and need to learn. And you know, that was one of the things that he said is don't ask your players to do anything that you wouldn't do. And you know, I I like I like that uh that connection he made with pants. And you know, when I was coaching, you know, those were always, you know, those are instances where you know you can go grab a raker and practice and rake and and things like that. But I really liked, you know, the fact that you know, whatever he asks of his players, he asks of his coaches.

SPEAKER_00 57:29

Yeah. The only caveat to that I'll say is on the football side of things, I uh I refuse to run stairs and I don't like to run stairs and it wouldn't work out. So I won't, I won't, but uh my my uh my thing with that is uh I I did that back in the day, so you know it's your turn nerve, but uh I'm not you're not catching Coach Chris running stairs these days. So um but uh which by the way, speaking of that, I I feel like we need to talk about the picture that I sent you when I was at the gym today about the guy that had the treadmill on 20% incline.

SPEAKER_01 58:00

Hey, everybody's training for something.

SPEAKER_00 58:03

I don't know what it was like he was walking one mile an hour, hands behind his back at 20%, and I was like, dude, that's um unbelievably wild. Um I I I still I still can't get it. Six six percent will kill me, so that's uh that's what I'm running. But um, you know what the something in line with that as far as like talking about his coaches that I I I really enjoyed was talking about being okay with not having a close relationship with every player, but allowing his his other coaches to be be those guys that have those close relationships with other players. And I think that just shows such a such an incredibly strong dynamic, but with with the diversity of relationships with that. But you know, I mean it also goes to like I hate using the word delegating because I don't think it's delegating necessarily on his end, but you know, allowing allowing your coaches, which are your teammates as a coach, to to do what they do best, right? And and and that stuck out to me a lot was was was that was trust trusting his his his guys to be able to pour into those kids that he may not necessarily be as close with. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:12

You know, I coach Burton always tells us uh told us as when we were on staff, you're an extension of me. Um whatever I do, you do. You know, you should be able to run practice when I'm gone. And you know, that's that's evident within his program. The other thing that I loved is I've talked about the 1080-10. Um, I think I talked about it on my episode. I mentioned it a few other times. Just, you know, he used uh green, gray, and red. You know, you have your green, which is 10%, your gray, which is your 80%, and your red, which is 10. And you're trying to get the the green guys to pull everybody out of the red into the gray. And you know, that that's those things matter. We use it in recruiting the 1080-10. We use it with team culture. Like it's it was really cool to see you know another program using the same thing in different terms. So I really appreciated the you know the breakdown of the green, gray, red.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:02

Yeah, yeah. And you know, the the thing that really stuck out to me, you know, when we were talking about culture with with obviously transition, you know, there there being you know players transitioning out every single year, right? So there's gonna be turnovers, it's inevitable, especially at the high school level. And I mean, gosh, it's even more inevitable at the college level now at this point with NILs and players transferring left and right. But you know, hit him saying, you know, every year is gonna be different, right? Oh, I I understand that going in. And obviously there's there's standards to the culture and expectations to the culture, but but being you know of the mindset knowing, hey, we're going into this season with it, with it being different than what last season was like, and and understanding that you know we we need to adapt and change. I think I think knowing that and the adaptability, you know, and being able to and willing to adapt every season was you know, that that that stood out to me a lot with with you know, I mean, it's a testament to the success of that program, you're right. Like that's that's a that's a playoff contender program every every single season, you know. And that I mean that says a lot behind you know what he's doing with with his team and with the you know the baseball program as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:11

Yeah, and you know, I we talk about it, I I mentioned it beforehand that culture takes time and winning takes time sometimes. And you know, he said when he took the job in 2015 he wanted to win a state championship, and you know, people looked at him like it was crazy. Took him eight years to get there. It's not a quick process, like culture takes time. The thing about it is once you have that culture in place like he has, each year gets a little different. The expectations and the standards stay the same. Every player that enters the program comes up to varsity, whatever it is, they know what to expect. And that that's when it's easy to turn your program over to the players and just let them run with it because that's what it's about. It's their team, it's their year, like you mentioned.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:54

Yeah. Oh yeah. No, I uh I think I this was a solid episode. I I'm I'm I'm so grateful that Jimmy took the time to to be with us today and um you know spend some time with us kind of talking about culture. I think that's you know, I think we definitely uh definitely you know unpacked you know the buzzword, if you will, and and and really dove into what culture truly means. But um man, I'm you know, we we we went we went two for two with baseball. Um, you know, I'm excited about the next episode that we're gonna bring up and you know having um having uh our guest on and I I don't want to unpack too much about it, but we're gonna we'll let's let's leave it at this. We're we're shifting to uh to soccer. I think that's gonna be a uh Hey, some people still call it football, Chris.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:39

You know that.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:40

Sorry. Uh uh sorry. I might be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:43

That may resonate with you more.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:45

Yeah, yeah. Um, but uh, you know, I you know it's gonna be cool. I I'm gonna be stepping out of my comfort zone with this one, you know, having to have to study. But um, but the gentleman we're gonna have on, you know, he he works with youth athletes specifically, um, teaching them and understanding that, you know, teaching them strong mental resilience. Um, and I I think it's gonna align so much with what our core values are, obviously, with us, you know, being called the winning mindset. I'm I'm I'm very excited about that. Um, you know, we'll that should launch in about two weeks from now. So um very excited for that. But just want to thank everyone for for tuning in and listening to this episode with Jimmy and hope, you know, as always, that the there's there's huge takeaways from this episode.