When Opportunity Knocks: How I Bought a Training Facility.

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"Have you ever seen the movie We Bought a Zoo? Well, I just bought a baseball and softball training facility."

What happens when parental support meets opportunity? In this deeply personal episode, I share my recent decision to purchase a training facility near our home—a move that aligns perfectly with my triplets entering ninth grade and their growing passion for baseball, softball, and volleyball. 

This acquisition represents something far more significant than a business venture. It embodies the core philosophy I advocate for all sports parents: creating environments where our children can flourish. When our kids display the magical combination of interest, skill, and passion for a sport, our responsibility shifts from spectator to facilitator.

For some families, this might mean traveling farther for the right team or investing in specialized coaching. For others, it could involve making sacrifices to provide better competitive opportunities. Whatever form it takes, our role as parents is to honestly assess our children's abilities and desires, then surround them with the support systems that maximize their potential for success.

The reality is that age or circumstances will eventually determine when competitive play ends for everyone. Until that moment arrives, I believe in giving our young athletes every reasonable opportunity to develop—not just as players, but as individuals who understand discipline, passion, and excellence. What opportunities are you creating for your young athlete today?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you ever seen the movie we Bought a Zoo?
Well, I just bought a baseballand softball training facility.
Welcome back to RaisingAthletes.
Raising Athletes the thingsthat causes all dads to go bald
and moms to buy minivans.
Empowering parents to helptheir kids succeed.
Welcome back to RaisingAthletes.

(00:21):
So there was a movie that cameout in 2011 called we Bought a
Zoo, and I remember when it cameout, I was all jazzed to see it
with my family and I did.
And then, when my kids got alittle bit older, we then also
like we rented at home, whateverand we saw it, and I remember,
after watching the movie, wewere all like, okay, let's go

(00:42):
see if there are any zoos forsale.
It was a great movie and for us, like we literally, literally
like we have chickens and goatsand rabbits and fish and birds
and dogs, whatever.
We have a lot of animals.
So we're already sort of likehalfway there.
So when we saw that movie, wewere into the idea of buying a
zoo.
Now, that wasn't a realistic umambition, um, I don't know if

(01:07):
that really should have been onour bucket list, but I did just
buy a training facility and thisis a perfect topic for today's
discussion here on raisingathletes, because something that
is a theme for parents is ourjob is to surround our kids with
as much opportunity as they canso that they can be successful.
That's what we want to do,whether that be you know, give

(01:30):
giving them an opportunity to beon a great team, or giving them
an opportunity to to train withthe with great instructors and
trainers, or maybe signing themup for showcases and clinics and
workshops and introducing themto people.
As parents, we want to surroundour kids with those type of
opportunities so they've got thebest chance at success.

(01:50):
Now, this is not about tryingto inspire people to buy a
training facility, like me, butthe point is is when our kids
express interest in somethingand that interest matches their
skill and ability, and then thatalso, then you can layer in
their personal passion.
Once you have that conversationwith them, well then, as

(02:11):
parents, it's our job to helpour kids get there, not sort of
leave them to be independent andassume that they know exactly
what they need to do and theyknow how to accomplish these
goals that they have, but tocome alongside them and surround
them with opportunities so thatit gives them the best chance
of success, and it's like someof the things that I mentioned

(02:31):
earlier.
That could be maybe we travel alittle bit further, make some
sacrifices to get them on afantastic team with an amazing
coach, with incredible teammates, or maybe it's investing a
little bit into an incredibleinstructor.
Maybe your son or your daughterexpressed interest in a position
that maybe you're not an expertin.

(02:52):
Well, all right, maybe make theinvestment into giving them
that level of training so thatthey can refine this new sort of
skill that they love, that theyhave raw talent, but maybe
they're a little green, thatthey are developing passion, but
they need someone to focus it alittle bit.
And, as parents, that's our job.
Our job is to help our kids tobe successful in all areas of

(03:17):
life, not just as an athlete,but also in academics as well.
Maybe your child is an academic, maybe your child is an athlete
, regardless of what route theychoose as parents I in academics
as well.
Maybe your child is an academic, maybe your child is an athlete
.
Regardless of what route theychoose as parents, I want to
encourage you to surround yourkids with as much support as you
can so that it gives your childthe best chance of success.

(03:37):
So in this case, an opportunitypresented itself to me that I
just could not pass by.
The timing in my life and in myfamily's life it's perfect.
My kids are in ninth grade.
As you guys know by now, I'vegot triplets.
My kids are in ninth grade andmy daughters love sports and
they're incredibly skilled andthey've also developed that

(03:58):
passion.
They love baseball, they lovesoftball and they love
volleyball.
That's their world right now.
And when this opportunitypresented itself to take
ownership of a training facilitythat's close to where we live,
it was perfect, and so we jumpedon it.
And we're so excited about thefuture of owning this place but

(04:18):
letting it be a home for my kids, but also being a place that I
can really just help thecommunity of Long Island, all
these young athletes, to learnto play, to grow, to develop and
maybe refine to the point wherethey get to play beyond their
years of middle school and highschool, maybe college and beyond
.
And now I get to be a part ofthat journey even more than I

(04:40):
have been in the past.
So for me this made sense.
I'm the executive director of abig youth organization.
My kids are immersed intosports, and now here's an
opportunity for me to furthermyself into this community by
being a part of this incredibletraining facility, and I am
looking forward to it.
So sometimes, as parents, it'sabout sacrifice.

(05:00):
Sometimes, as parents, it'sabout helping them, our kids,
make the right decision insteadof maybe the one that they want,
because those two things don'talways align.
But as parents, you get to bethat overseer, and it's
important I don't want to end onthis.
It's important to be honest,though, also about your, your
child.
So because your child, maybe hemight like a sport, but maybe

(05:23):
he has not developed yet.
Or maybe your child loves, orrather, maybe your child is as
good as a sport, but theyhaven't developed the passion
yet.
So in this case, we don't wantto force, but we do want to come
alongside them to be supportive.
I think that once we have thatconversation and once we are
very self-aware and help ourchildren to be self-aware, we

(05:46):
can then help create anenvironment for them that
nurtures success in thatparticular arena, and I want
this sort of opportunity that Ijust took advantage of and I get
to be a part of.
I wanted to inspire everyone tosimply just reflect a little
bit and answer a couplequestions One what can I do to

(06:10):
help my child achieve the dreamsand goals that they have?
Number two, maybe what type ofconversation can I have with my
young athlete that'll help themto understand a little bit more
the discipline and work that itmight take in order to get to
that next step?

(06:31):
And three, maybe it's aquestion for yourself Is this
something that's good for myfamily?
If you can answer all thosequestions, it helps now you to
direct a path accordingly andpick that path and go all in
with it.
Because here's a truth and Ishare this with a lot of parents
that I get to talk toone-on-one but here's a truth

(06:53):
Age will determine when yourchild stops playing.
That's just a fact.
We all can't play the sportthat we love forever.
There are certain variablesthat come into play that make
the decision for us.
That could be age, that couldbe skill, that could be the
community.
Right, there are things that,at play, that'll make the

(07:14):
decision for them.
Until that time comes, that atplay that'll make the decision
for them.
Until that time comes, go allin.
Give your child everyopportunity that you possibly
can that's within your means, sothat your child has the best
chance of success.
So for me, I bought a trainingfacility.
For you that's going to lookcompletely different, but the
one thing that we have in commonare our kids, and we want

(07:37):
what's best for them.
Thanks so much for tuning intothis week's episode of Raising
Athletes.
I'm looking forward to growingthis community together.
Take care.