What opportunities are you creating for your athletes beyond their sport?

Only a small percentage of athletes will go on to compete professionally. That means coaches, athletic administrators, and player development professionals have a responsibility to help athletes prepare for opportunities that extend beyond competition.

In this episode, Edward Jones II continues breaking down the BEYOND Player Development Framework with the "O," which stands for Opportunities.

Drawing from his experiences at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward shares practical ways programs can connect athletes with careers, mentors, alumni, entrepreneurs, internships, job-shadowing experiences, and professional networks.

This episode focuses on four important questions:

• What opportunities already exist within your program or institution?

• What opportunities can you intentionally create for your athletes?

• What opportunities are your athletes asking for or interested in?

• How are you connecting athletes to careers, mentors, and networks?

Edward shares several real examples of creating opportunities, including reaching out to university alumni networks, using LinkedIn to connect an athlete with an experienced corporate HR professional, developing professional LinkedIn headshots for players, attending career fairs on behalf of athletes, and connecting a student-athlete interested in entrepreneurship with successful business owners.

One of the biggest lessons is simple:

You do not always need to create something new.

Sometimes the career fair already exists.

The alumni network already exists.

The mentor already exists.

The business community already exists.

The opportunity already exists.

Your job is to build the bridge between the athlete and the opportunity.

Programs should also listen to what athletes are actually asking for. Instead of deciding every opportunity for them, learn about their interests and use your network to help them explore those interests.

The logo on your chest can open doors.

Your alumni can open doors.

LinkedIn can open doors.

Your community can open doors.

Your job in player development is to intentionally help athletes walk through them.

This episode is part of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:

B: Belonging

E: Education

Y: Your Purpose

O: Opportunities

N: Navigation

D: Development Systems

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Who are you beyond your sport?

For many athletes, that can be a difficult question to answer.

From an early age, athletes can build their identity around their sport, their performance, and the dream of reaching the next level. But an athletic career represents only a small portion of a person's life.

Player development should help athletes discover who they are beyond the game.

In this episode, Edward Jones II continues breaking down the BEYOND Player Development Framework by exploring the "Y," which stands for Your Purpose.

Drawing from his experience in college football and player development, Edward shares practical questions, personal experiences, and strategies programs can use to help athletes develop a stronger sense of purpose.

This episode explores four important questions:

• How are you helping athletes define who they are beyond their sport?

• How are you creating environments where athletes feel safe to be open and honest?

• How are athletes identifying and defining their core values?

• How are you helping athletes connect their daily actions to a larger purpose?

Edward also shares the story of an athlete who came into his office with something deeply personal to share. His biggest concern was not football, playing time, or his future career.

He wanted to become a great father.

That conversation reinforced an important lesson about purpose. Purpose is not always about a career. Sometimes it is about the person someone wants to become and the impact they want to make on the people around them.

The episode also explores how identifying core values can provide stability when circumstances change. Edward shares his own core values of care, communication, and empowerment and explains why values can continue guiding you even when your job, location, career, or circumstances change.

Finally, purpose has to connect to action.

Want to become a starter? What are you doing today?

Want to become a great father? What are you doing today?

Want to become an author? Are you writing?

Want a career in finance? Are you building relationships?

Purpose becomes powerful when daily actions begin aligning with the person you want to become.

If you work with athletes, do not only prepare them to perform.

Help them discover who they are.

Help them define what matters.

Help them find their purpose beyond their sport.

This episode is part of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:

B: Belonging

E: Education

Y: Your Purpose

O: Opportunities

N: Navigation

D: Development Systems

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

What do you actually want athletes to learn while they are in your program?

That question sounds simple, but too many programs rely on random programming, passive learning, or the hope that athletes will simply "pick up" leadership, accountability, communication, and maturity along the way.

In this episode, Edward Jones II begins the Education portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework.

Drawing from his experience at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward explains why education in player development must go beyond the classroom.

Athletes are already receiving academic instruction through their schools and universities. The responsibility of player development is to identify the additional knowledge, skills, habits, and values athletes need to succeed during and after their time in the program.

This episode focuses on three important reflection questions:

• What do you want athletes to learn during their time in your program?

• Where is your current programming intentional, and where is it random?

• How are you aligning your programming with what coaches want for their athletes?

Edward also explains why the same programming will not work for every team, every year, or every coaching staff. Rosters change. Leadership changes. Needs change.

That means effective player development requires regular evaluation and intentional planning.

Random programming can sometimes produce success.

Intentional programming creates impact.

Whether you are a player development professional, coach, athletic director, administrator, or someone responsible for developing athletes, this episode challenges you to stop assuming development will simply happen.

Decide what you want athletes to learn.

Structure it.

Teach it.

Reevaluate it.

And make sure your educational efforts align with the vision of the program.

This episode begins the Education portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:

B: Belonging

E: Education

Y: Your Purpose

O: Opportunities

N: Navigation

D: Development Systems

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

How do you intentionally build belonging before the season even begins?

In this episode, Edward Jones II closes out the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework by sharing one of his favorite player development initiatives from his time at Baylor University: the Summer of Belonging.

The program was coming off a disappointing season, navigating the effects of COVID, adding new players to the locker room, and preparing for another demanding season.

The goal was simple.

Create belonging before fall camp.

But instead of relying on meetings and motivational speeches, Edward was tasked with creating experiences that allowed athletes to build relationships while competing together.

The Summer of Belonging included competitive events such as Topgolf, dodgeball, and a 3-point contest. The most important part, however, was how the teams were constructed.

Players could not simply compete with their closest friends.

Teammates were intentionally placed with athletes from different position groups, different sides of the ball, different classifications, and different social circles. Teams constantly changed so players had to communicate, compete, encourage, and build relationships with people they might not normally spend time with.

The result was bigger than a few fun summer activities.

Players learned how to communicate under pressure.

Veterans developed relationships with newcomers.

Teammates learned how to encourage each other during competition.

Players became more comfortable holding each other accountable.

And relationships formed that the team could lean on when the difficult days of fall camp and the season arrived.

That team eventually went on to win the Big 12 Championship.

The championship was not won because of Topgolf, dodgeball, or a 3-point contest. But those intentional experiences helped strengthen relationships and create a locker room that could stay connected when adversity arrived.

This episode provides a practical example of what belonging can look like when player development moves from theory into implementation.

If you are a coach, athletic director, administrator, or player development professional looking for ways to strengthen your team culture, consider creating your own Summer of Belonging.

Create the environment.

Mix the groups.

Build relationships.

Compete.

And give athletes experiences they can lean on when the season gets difficult.

This episode concludes the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework:

B: Belonging

E: Education

Y: Your Purpose

O: Opportunities

N: Navigation

D: Development Systems

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to help your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

When a group of athletes starts making poor choices, creating cliques, becoming negative, or separating themselves from the rest of the team, you may be looking at more than a discipline problem.

You may have a belonging problem.

In this episode, Edward Jones II continues the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework by breaking down the warning signs that athletes are becoming disconnected from the program.

Edward shares the story of a freshman class that struggled during its first weeks on campus. After being heavily recruited and constantly contacted by coaches, the newcomers arrived and quickly felt like the program had moved on to recruiting the next class.

That disconnect started showing up in their actions.

The solution was not simply more discipline. Edward and the program strengthened their Big Brother system, established clear expectations for veteran players, and created consistent check-ins between newcomers and established members of the team.

Edward also discusses another common belonging challenge: athletes who are not traveling or playing significant roles.

When athletes begin thinking in terms of "them versus us," leaders need to pay attention.

In this episode, you'll learn how to recognize warning signs such as:

• Groups consistently making poor choices together

• Cliques developing within the team

• Negative comments from disconnected athletes

• Non-travel or scout-team players separating themselves from the program

• Newcomers feeling forgotten after the recruiting process ends

• Athletes believing attention and value are reserved for starters

• Influential players pulling others toward a negative team culture

The goal is not to eliminate every bad decision. Athletes will still make individual choices.

The goal is to recognize when repeated behaviors are revealing something deeper about the athlete experience.

Sometimes what looks like a behavior problem is actually a belonging problem.

Find the disconnect.

Address it early.

Remind athletes that they are seen, valued, heard, and necessary to the success of the program.

This episode is part of the Belonging series within the BEYOND Player Development Framework:

B: Belonging

E: Education

Y: Your Purpose

O: Opportunities

N: Navigation

D: Development Systems

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or bring Edward Jones II in to work with your program, complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

What does it actually take for an athlete to feel like they belong?

In this episode, Edward Jones II continues the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework by breaking down three foundational elements every athletic program should consider:

Seen. Valued. Heard.

Being seen can be as simple as knowing an athlete's name, acknowledging them when they walk into the building, and recognizing progress that may never appear on the scoreboard.

Being valued means athletes know they matter beyond their athletic performance. It means being honest with them, respecting their goals and backgrounds, and having difficult conversations when necessary because you genuinely care about their future.

Being heard means creating opportunities for athletes to communicate what they are experiencing, what they need, and what they believe could improve their experience. Listening does not mean agreeing with every request, but athletes should know their voices matter.

Edward shares real examples from his player development career, including difficult career conversations with athletes, advocating for players during fall camp, and how listening to a player during COVID helped create an experience that brought a team closer together.

This episode challenges coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and player development professionals to ask:

Are the athletes in your program truly seen?

Do they know they are valued?

Do they believe they are being heard?

Belonging is not created through one team-building activity or one motivational speech. It is reinforced through everyday interactions that tell athletes, "You matter here."

If you want to strengthen belonging in your program, start with these three areas:

Seen. Valued. Heard.

To learn more about the BEYOND Player Development Framework or get support implementing it in your program, complete the BEYOND Assessment using the link in the episode notes.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Do the athletes in your program actually feel like they belong?

Belonging is more than team chemistry. It is a foundational part of the athlete experience and the first component of the BEYOND Player Development Framework.

In this episode, Edward Jones II begins a deeper breakdown of belonging and challenges coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and player development professionals to think intentionally about how athletes feel inside their programs.

Drawing from his experience at the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Baylor University, and Beyond The Field, Edward explains why belonging matters and how easily athletes can become disconnected, especially during injuries, role changes, redshirt seasons, and the transition from being heavily recruited to becoming another member of the roster.

This episode focuses on two important reflection questions:

• How do you want athletes to feel when they are part of your program?

• Where in your program are athletes most likely to feel disconnected?

Edward also discusses why coaches and player development professionals cannot assume athletes know they are valued. Programs must identify the moments where disconnection is most likely to happen and intentionally reinforce belonging in those spaces.

Whether an athlete is a starter, injured, on the scout team, redshirting, or adjusting to a new environment, every athlete should understand that they have value within the program.

Belonging does not happen by accident.

It must be intentionally created, communicated, and reinforced.

This episode begins the Belonging portion of the BEYOND Player Development Framework, with more practical strategies coming in the next episode.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6

Your network is your next opportunity.

In this special episode of the Player Development Podcast, Edward Jones II takes you inside a live Beyond The Field workshop with the Duke University Football program focused on networking, LinkedIn, career development, and communicating who you are beyond the game.

Ed's message to the athletes is simple:

Don't wait until you need an opportunity to start building relationships.

Networking is an action, a process, and something that must continually be developed.

Drawing from his career in coaching, player development, and athletics, Ed shares how relationships helped create opportunities throughout his own journey and teaches Duke student-athletes how they can intentionally begin building their networks today.

The conversation goes beyond theory.

Ed walks the players through how to leverage Duke's alumni network on LinkedIn, identify professionals based on career interests and location, create meaningful connections, and develop an elevator pitch that serves as their "verbal highlight tape."

The athletes then put it into practice by developing and delivering their own elevator pitches in 60 seconds, 30 seconds, 15 seconds, and eventually just seven seconds.

You'll hear why being concise matters, how athletes can shift conversations beyond football, and why a simple conversation today could create an opportunity years from now.

One principle drives the entire conversation:

"When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare."

You prepare for opportunities before they arrive.

Build relationships.

Ask questions.

Cast the net.

Work the net.

And remember: your network may become your next opportunity.

This episode is especially valuable for student-athletes, coaches, player development professionals, athletic administrators, and anyone helping athletes prepare for life beyond sports.

Developing People. Elevating Programs.

Get YOUR SIGNED copy of the Beyond The Field Player Development Guide: https://forms.gle/AJozwnjEw4UHNaH29

Player Development Newsletter: https://substack.com/@btfprogram

Complete the BEYOND Framework Assessment https://forms.gle/CC6DoBQGF8UkJj5h6