Coaching With Danny

For me, this journey started when I was four years old. I played every youth sport I could. With excellent coaches guiding my development, a fun and competitive environment surrounding me, and a supportive group of teammates who shared my passion, I grew in more ways than I can count.  It helped that I was a strong athlete, but by no means elite.  I was on baseball teams that went deep into the state tournament.  I was on teams that won 3 state championships in soccer.  I captained 3 varsity sports in high school.  I share this so you get a sense that I am into competition.  I am into intense experiences that drive my peak performance.  I share this so you know that when I promote long-term development of life skills over winning, I'm coming from a place of having won.  I still choose development over winning every time.  I still choose love for the game, love for my teammates and love for improving over winning every time.  I still love to win and still hate to lose.  But those are just pieces of the puzzle.  I was reminiscing recently with a teammate from one of the state championship teams.  We both agreed that while winning the championships was fun, the deeper, more meaningful thing we remember was how tightly knit our team was and how we battled together, for each other.

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After having run 4 businesses, with two successful exits, I have decided to combine 20 years of business experience with 40 years of sports experience to make the best impact I believe I can on the world.  Business taught me the power of being intentional and aligning approaches with intentions.  When these foundational beliefs are practiced, I have found that teams and individuals can create things that the leaders never thought possible.  The infinite potential of people is something that excites me beyond belief.  It is what I hope a vast number of people get to discover for themselves in their lives through an intentional approach to youth sports.

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After I created this site, my approach shifted substantially for the better as both a coach and as a parent to my kids as they play and practice sports.  I have become more patient for the better.  I have been able to bounce back and forth between their immediate needs and long-term development.  I am able to catch myself before I say or do something that could have negative unintended impacts.  I am able to see so much more in each moment of youth sports that I ever saw before.

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I am clear on this site that I believe the most important purpose for youth sports is to foster long-term development to help kids thrive in life and reach their full potential.  I also believe that a focus on this purpose will also lead to maximum individual and team performance.  With that said, if you don't agree with me, I hope you at least agree that an intentional approach to youth sports is what is needed to make sure each decision around each experience is the best it possibly can be, no matter what your goals.

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Full Interview with Danny About The Impact of Youth Sports on His Life