JoJo and I go way back. I first met him when he was a young professional baseball player, full of raw talent and potential. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring him, watching him evolve not just as an athlete but as a leader. He’s also spent time coaching within LEAD Center For Youth, where his influence has shaped the lives of many young Black boys in Atlanta.
Recently, JoJo reached out to me with some deep and meaningful questions about today’s youth. His concerns resonated with me because they align with the work I’ve dedicated my life to—helping Black youth overcome crime, poverty, and racism through baseball and mentorship. These aren’t just questions for discussion; they are challenges that require action. I decided to turn them into a blog because I believe questions are a gift, and the answers we develop can serve coaches, mentors, and leaders who are working toward the same mission.
At 49 years old, I have been involved with baseball professionally for over 25 years. It is widely stated that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to develop mastery in any skill, a concept made popular by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers. The idea is that expertise is not born, but built—through focused, intentional effort over time. I’ve gone beyond that benchmark, coaching for over 50,000 hours. This means I’m operating at a level where my success is no longer about personal achievement but about service—using my mastery to help others achieve their greatness.
Coaching is my earthly talent, but prophecy is one of my spiritual gifts. And prophecy, inasmuch as it is about predicting the future, is about challenging the status quo. This blog is an extension of that work.
- Where Are We Going Wrong with Our Youth?
The problem isn’t that kids don’t have potential—it’s that many of them lack a standard. Excellence isn’t about “going above and beyond”; it’s about meeting a high standard consistently. Too many adults have stopped setting high expectations, and when that happens, kids fall into mediocrity. Accountability is essential. Without it, we produce a generation of youth who believe that failing to meet expectations comes without consequences.
Four Signs a Coach Can’t Help You (Base Running Model):
- Home to 1st: They focus more on winning than on developing character.
- 1st to 2nd: They allow bad habits to continue without correction.
- 2nd to 3rd: They prioritize short-term success over long-term growth.
- 3rd to Home: They don’t hold themselves to the same standards they set for players.
- Do We Have Enough Quality Mentors?
Mentorship isn’t just about guidance; it’s about creating a thirst for growth. The goal isn’t to lead kids to the water but to make them thirsty for it—to stir something deep in them that makes them want more for themselves. Many kids are disconnected from their purpose, and many mentors are too wounded to help them. Healing has to happen on both sides for real mentorship to work.
Four Convicting Questions for Coaches and Players (Base Running Model):
- Home to 1st: What is one thing you believe you were created to do?
- 1st to 2nd: What’s one thing stopping you from doing it?
- 2nd to 3rd: Who in your life challenges you to be your best?
- 3rd to Home: What legacy do you want to leave behind?
- What Impacts Our Youth’s Mindset & Behavior?
The brain is a muscle, and the mind is its operating system. Thinking is hard work, which is why most people avoid it. Trauma damages the brain, leading to negative behaviors. But the right coaching, rooted in trauma-informed methods, can help rewire a young person’s mindset.
Four Fundamentals of a Good Mindset (Base Running Model):
- Home to 1st: Self-awareness—Knowing who you are and where you need to grow.
- 1st to 2nd: Emotional regulation—Learning how to control impulses and reactions.
- 2nd to 3rd: Growth mindset—Believing that effort leads to improvement.
- 3rd to Home: Purpose-driven action—Making choices based on long-term goals, not short-term feelings.
- Youth Gun Violence & Solutions
Violence is often a response to unresolved trauma. Kids are turning to guns because they don’t have the emotional tools to handle conflict. We have to keep equipping them with those tools. Sports-based youth development (SBYD) is one of the best ways to do this.
My wife, Kelli Stewart, is a global thought leader in SBYD. She defines it as “the intentional use of sports to help children make healthy transitions into adulthood.” Sports are a proven antidote to help young people buffer stress so that it doesn’t turn into trauma. When stress goes unmanaged, it can lead to violence, disengagement, and self-destruction.
Four Ways Movement Reduces Stress (Base Running Model):
- Home to 1st: Physical release—Sports give kids a healthy outlet for anger and frustration.
- 1st to 2nd: Discipline—Training teaches patience and delayed gratification.
- 2nd to 3rd: Social support—Team environments build trust and emotional resilience.
- 3rd to Home: Identity—Athletics help kids define who they are beyond their environment.
- How Do We Expose Kids to Better Things?
Kids don’t just need to see more positive things—they need to experience them. Exposure shapes perspective. If a child never sees something better, they don’t know to strive for it. We need to be intentional about providing experiences that help them identify their calling.
Four Questions to Help Kids Discover Their Calling (Base Running Model):
- Home to 1st: What’s something you could talk about for hours without getting bored?
- 1st to 2nd: What’s something that excites you and makes you feel alive?
- 2nd to 3rd: What’s a problem in the world that you would love to help solve?
- 3rd to Home: If you had all the resources in the world, how would you spend your time?
JoJo’s questions reflect the struggles we’re facing today, but they also point to solutions. The work isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. If we don’t set a higher standard, provide real mentorship, develop strong mindsets, reduce the impact of trauma, and expose kids to more opportunities, we’re setting them up for failure.
Success is what you get. Significance is what you give. And as I step into my 49th year of life, I’m committed to using my 50,000+ hours of coaching experience to create significance. These conversations aren’t just about baseball—they’re about saving lives.
But we also need to understand something critical:
Mentorship is the floor, and sponsorship is the ceiling.
Our youth are over-mentored and under-sponsored. Mentorship provides guidance, but sponsorship provides opportunities to put into action what they’ve been mentored to do. Too often, young people—especially Black youth—are given advice but not the access to apply it in meaningful ways. Sponsorship means opening doors, making introductions, and giving young people the chance to prove themselves.
Let’s commit to both mentorship and sponsorship—because knowledge without opportunity is just unrealized potential.