The Player Development Pod

WHY IS HE NOT IN A PLAYER DEVELOPMENT ROLE AT THE CURRENT MOMENT? This may be a question you ask yourself as you listen to The Player Development Pod. How does this guy help so many people and not find a role for himself? Or maybe you ask: if he knows so much why is he not with a team? These are valid questions I would ask if I were in your shoes consuming this content. In this episode I explain t...

Interested in The Player Development Guide Course? Click the link: https://forms.gle/tqTpGhShufwcwwAS8 In this four-to-five-week live course we will: -          Create a player development plan -          Create player development messaging -          Create a first 90 days gameplan -          Create an integrated yearly programming calendar -          Quantify player development achievements -   ...

WOW! It really happened. We did it y’all! THE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE WAS A MAJOR SUCCESS! “Everything from the panels to the networking and the words of encouragement were much needed as I start my career in the field. It helped me grow and think about takeaways that I can use to provide value.” – Attendee After taking time to rest in the success and reflect on his thoughts Ed Jones II, wan...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and today we have mental health empowerment speaker and author Ivy Watts on The Player Development Pod. Ivy is passionate about the mental health space as she dealt with anxiety, depression and self-worth during her time as a student-athlete. Mental health is growing in discussion in sports and is usually tied into the role of the player development professiona...

Follow Up We just completed the first ever Beyond the Field Player Development Conference this past weekend and there were a lot of connections made during the conference. The best thing to do after getting connected with someone is to follow up. Following up is one of the keys to getting in the player development field. Do you want to work in Player Development, but don’t know where to start? Thi...

Director of Player Development Role in Three Years. Arkeem “Mell” Byrd is the Director of Player Development for the Temple Owls Football Team. Arkeem has known he has wanted to develop student-athletes since his football career was ended by a knee injury while at Wake Forest University. Our host, Ed Jones II, was originally introduced to Arkeem on LinkedIn in 2019 when he reached out with a messa...

Real Estate and Athletes. Athletes use real estate terms in their trash talk with phrases like, “This is my house” and “I’m living rent free in your mind”. Real estate is more engrained in sports than we realize, and real estate has a huge effect on athletes. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II sits down with the PLATINUM SPONSOR for The Player Development Conference Mrs. Te...

Real Estate and Athletes. Athletes use real estate terms in their trash talk with phrases like, “This is my house” and “I’m living rent free in your mind”. Real estate is more engrained in sports than we realize, and real estate has a huge effect on athletes. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II sits down with the PLATINUM SPONSOR for The Player Development Conference Mrs. Te...

Intentionality PAYS OFF. Do you want to work in Player Development, but don’t know where to start? This episode and this series is for you. This is part four of a five-part series detailing how to start working in player development. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II discusses the fourth step in getting closer to your first player development position. You need to be inten...

Ja Morant has allegedly been spotted on social media again with a gun during a live video. Rather than poke fun at or tear this young man down, I have decided to share the 3 ways I would help him. I sincerely hope he changes and matures off the field. He is young and still has a lot to learn. If anyone from the Memphis Grizzlies needs help with this process I am here. Follow Ed Jones II here: Twit...

What VALUE do you provide RIGHT NOW?! Do you want to work in Player Development, but don’t know where to start? This episode and this series is for you. This is part three of a five-part series detailing how to start working in player development. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II discusses the third step in getting closer to your first player development position. You nee...

The Kelce Brothers talked about player development on their NFL Draft themed New Heights podcast episode. I found what they shared to be very informative and wanted to bring the awareness they brought the position to the ONLY podcast dedicated to the player development they defined. In this episode I break down five clips in which Jason and Travis Kelce shared their experiences with and the benefi...

“No one cares about your passion until you have a plan.” Do you want to work in Player Development, but don’t know where to start? This episode and this series is for you. This is part two of a five-part series detailing how to start working in player development. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II discusses the second step in getting closer to your first player development...

* The audio of this episode was taken from a YouTube video I created on the topic.* Dillon Brooks is getting COOKED right now for his words and actions during the 2023 1st Round matchup versus the Los Angeles Lakers. BUT, my passion is player development and as I was scrolling through social media, I stopped and thought about if I were in the role of player development for the Memphis Grizzles how...

Do you want to work in Player Development, but don’t know where to start? This episode and this series is for you. This is part one of a five-part series detailing how to start working in player development. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II discusses the first step in getting closer to your first player development position. The first thing you must do is do your research...

The Player Development Conference is less than TWO MONTHS AWAY. In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II discusses the mission, vision, and goals of the conference. He also provides multiple updates about the Player Development Conference as well. If you’re interested in attending, take the time to listen to this episode. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE REGISTER TODAY: https://www....

The way we do things can be more effective than how many times we do them. Quality Over Quantity is not only a reality we’ve all experienced in life, but it is the company Drew Davis has created to continue his impact around the world. This series is about the reasons I love player development and one of the main reasons are the people who impact your program. Drew is a certified life and performa...

The Player Development Pod is ONE YEAR old! Where has the time gone?! It has been ONE YEAR since this podcast was launched on March 20,2022. In creating this podcast, I had no clue the impact it would have. Today, I share the three things I’ve learned from my first year of podcasting. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE Join The Player Development Conference Mailing List HERE: https://forms.gle/QdZjtcFc...

“Podcasting is intimate. You have the opportunity to intentionally build a one to one connection with someone even though the model is for man.” – Jonathan Jones With 400+ podcast episodes recorded Jonathan Jones is an expert in the podcasting world. He has helped many others, including OUR HOST Ed Jones II, begin successful money-making podcasts of their own. In this episode of The Player Develop...

The transition after competition can be tough, very tough for athletes. Jonathan Orr experienced this himself, now he helps athletes win during their season of transition. Jonathan is the Executive Director of Athlete Transition Services (ATS). In this episode of The Player Development Pod, Ed Jones II sits down with Jonathan as he details the work he does in the athlete transition space.  Athlete...

The NFLPA released team report cards for all 32 NFL. The report cards were grades give to the teams by the players around the league. These grades and reports were very transparent and will bring HUGE change to the player experience in the NFL.   In this open mic episode, I share my thoughts on the grades and talk about what I've known about players from my 13+ years of experience working foo...

David Shands of Social Proof Podcast says, “95% of podcasters will never make it to the 50th episode.” 50 EPISODES! WE DID IT! We are in the TOP 5% of podcasts! Enjoying The Player Development Pod? Fill out The Player Development Pod Survey here: https://forms.gle/76kJmv9ZRjpD54eS9 We couldn’t have done this without the support of YOU! Thank you for making this a reality. To celebrate this milesto...

WHY I LOVE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT One of the reasons I love player development is the fantastic professionals who help those in the role. Today we kick off the series with Planned to A.T. Planned to A.T. is a nonprofit organization driven by the understanding that financial knowledge is power and can lead to creating a framework for a successful livelihood!  It is run by two educators, Ashley Rut...

Happy Valentine’s Day! I LOVE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT! I am excited to start our new series called “Why I LOVE Player Development!” Download your FREE Valentine’s Day gift the Beginner’s Guide to Player Development HERE: https://www.btfprogram.com/btf-program-resources  Enjoying The Player Development Pod? Fill out The Player Development Pod Survey here: https://forms.gle/76kJmv9ZRjpD54eS9  P...

Get your copy of The Head Coaches Guide to Player Development here: https://www.btfprogram.com/btf-program-resources/p/head-coaches-guide-to-player-development   Head Coaches Guide to Player Development - Part Five HEAD COACHES. What do you do when player development is established in the program you are taking over? Player development’s impact can only go as deep as the support of the head c...