Field Notes · Game Ready Labs

The archive.
The work.

Writing from inside the game. For athletes, coaches, and programs who are serious.

Featured
01
No. 01 · Mindset
Start acting
like a pro before
anyone treats
you like one.
Mindset · Featured
Start acting like a pro before anyone treats you like one
The players who make it were not waiting for a scholarship offer to start taking it seriously. They already had the routine, the film study, the professional habits — before anyone was watching. That is not a coincidence.
Read the essay →
No. 02
Development
Why starting young matters more than talent
Reps compound. The player who starts at 10 has four more years of foundation than the one who starts at 14.
Development4 min
No. 03
Recruiting
What a college coach sees in the first 30 seconds
Before they watch a single clip, they have already formed an impression. Here is what it is built on.
Recruiting3 min
No. 04
Coaches
The five minutes before practice starts
Culture is not built in the season-opening speech. It is built in the five minutes before practice, every single day.
Coaches4 min
No. 05
Recruiting
The recruiting email that actually gets read
Most recruiting emails fail in the subject line. The formula that gets a response is simpler than you think.
Recruiting4 min
No. 06
Development
Film study is a skill. Most players never develop it.
Watching film of yourself is uncomfortable. That is exactly why most players avoid doing it seriously.
Development5 min
No. 07
Mindset
The gap between where you are and where you want to be is infrastructure
The distance is not talent. It is not opportunity. It is the decision to build the scaffolding around your game.
Mindset4 min
No. 08
Programs
What makes an AAU program worth a parent's investment
Parents spend real money on AAU. Most are making those decisions on incomplete information.
Programs5 min
No. 09
Coaches
Your players cannot be seen if you are not visible either
The recruiting chain has a new link. When a college coach finds your player, they are going to find you too.
Coaches4 min
No. 10
Recruiting
The one thing you can control in the recruiting process
Most of recruiting is out of your hands. Your infrastructure is not. Own that part completely.
Recruiting4 min
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