What coaches actually look for

If you're new here, let me introduce myself. And if you're not new here, why haven't you sent this to your friends who need to know more about youth sports yet?

I'm Doug Freeman. I grew up in Lakeland, Florida. Played junior college ball, then D2, then independent professional baseball. Coached at the junior college level. Started Prep Baseball Florida, then started Groupbook to service hotels and tech partners in group travel. Sold both.

So I've had quite a ride. In my Free Time, I share my insights on youth sports, what you should actually expect, plus business, AI, acquisitions, some culture, and really whatever I think is important or relevant. I'll have some initiatives I want to push, but mostly I want to talk about what's important today, in an ever-changing landscape, from my perspective.

28 Wishes sells ice cream in Los Angeles. Below 70°F, sales fall about 20%. The weather is out of their hands. Rent isn't.

So the owners started putting about $20 a day into Kalshi weather markets, taking the cold side. The days that keep customers away now pay something back.

This is hedging. Big companies have done it for decades, buying protection against bad weather, fuel spikes and rising rates. It used to take a broker, a trading desk, and an order size no corner shop could meet.

Kalshi opens it up. Contracts on weather, fuel prices, inflation, tariffs and regulation, starting at a few dollars. Take a position on the outcome that would hurt you. If it hits, the payout softens it. If it doesn't, the contract expires and the good month was the point.

See how other owners are doing it at Kalshi.com/hedging

I'm going to take this from a baseball lens, because some sports are a bit more straightforward than others. Swimming, track, those have times and a standard. Pretty straightforward. Sports where the standard at 15 doesn't correlate directly to 25 are a bit different.

From a baseball perspective, no college coach is really evaluating prior to high school, and now most not until sophomore year. They might get some early looks, and all that is looking for is athleticism, how they compete, and basic standout skills.

And you might say, well, what the hell does how to compete or athleticism look like?

The best way I can describe it, if you have no clue what to look for, is to take a look at the animal kingdom. Do they look like a gazelle amongst a bunch of giraffes trying to drink water? If so, probably pretty athletic.

How do they compete? This is said a lot but I feel rarely broken down. This isn't yell louder, or a false hustle of diving unnecessarily or running through walls. The compete gene, to me, is pretty simple to identify. How do they handle adversity? When they strike out, make an error, give up a home run, not only their body language, these are kids and emotions are hard to control at 40 so let's be real here, but how do they take the next pitch, the next at bat, and especially how does this compound in big situations? This takes time to evaluate, but when you see it you know real competitors from those just playing for fun. Wanting to win, needing to win, is a necessity for the next level.

This goes hand in hand with you can be competitive as hell but if you just don't have enough talent, well, you might make a great glue guy or gal. But most of you probably didn't ask to see how coaches evaluate compete gene or athleticism but what tools, skills, features, etc. So let's get into that as well.

When you walk up to the field, what are the first two things that are the easiest to see?

The goal of coaches is to eliminate folks they aren't interested in and lock in quickly and intently on folks they think they may be interested in. Because the devil is in the details.

I think a handful of times in six years coaching I saw a kid pitch or hit once and offered them on the spot. Don't look at the 1% and assume that is you right now. Maybe you will be, and when you are you'll damn sure know it.

Recruiting happens over weeks, months, and even years. You could be a really interesting player that may just not be strong enough for some folks. But they are interested and they are watching. The next season, did you trend up or back? Because there is no such thing as staying the same. If you aren't improving you are getting worse.

But what about numbers and analytics, Doug? My kid has a top 1% exit velo and has no offers?

Well, he might not check some other boxes, is going to be really good at men's softball, or needs to understand how analytics and skill work together and what the numbers really mean.

Look, you will never hear me shit on all the analytics like some folks out there. People yelling about launch angle or old school baseball still don't get it. The Rays and Brewers were some of the earliest adopters a decade ago of launch angle and OBP. Why? Because it was a slight advantage where other teams were not focused. Now that other teams are all focused on certain metrics, teams are always looking for an edge, at every level, and so should you.

Understand that a combination of metrics is a baseline to play at a high level. That only works together with understanding your skills, tools, body and mind, and how to improve them. And a coach's job in recruiting is to use all of these tools coupled with their experience to make decisions on how 16 year olds will be at 21. Fun stuff. A lot hit, a lot miss.

What I can say is there is an art and a science to it all, but understanding how to compete and where your talent lies and unlocking more of what you are great at will always compound.

Good luck and go get em.

Coaches eliminate fast so they can go deep on the few. Steal that. In business, in hiring, in what you spend on your kid, the fastest no is the most valuable yes. The longer you stay interested in everything, the less attention the real ones get.

Full Time is the small room I'm building for parents who lived the youth sports ride and built real things beyond it. No cost, no pitch, just good people and real conversation. More on that soon.

— Doug

P.S. If this helped, forward it to one parent. That's how this grows.

Know a parent who lived the travel-ball life and built something real? Forward this.

Own a sports company, or any company, really? I've exited two of my own, and I'm actively helping owners raise money privately or sell. If that's a conversation you want to have, book a call.

Parent in the middle of the youth sports ride who wants one-on-one guidance? Book here.