Permission to Say No: Colt McCoy's Surprising Youth Sports Philosophy

Colt McCoy: Youth sports is is kind of on steroids around here for sure, probably in probably in most places. Yeah. I don't think it's

Travis: I don't think it's just a Fort Worth problem.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Just, like, the intensity of, like, my kids gotta start playing now. It can get intense.

Travis: Oh,

Colt McCoy: yeah. It can get too much. Quickly. Most of these guys in the NFL didn't start playing until it was a school organized sport.

Travis: Yeah. Like middle school.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. We didn't have peewee football where I grew up. Right? So let's take that. Like, everybody needs to understand that.

Like, I started playing football when I was in seventh grade. And the kids should, you know, the kids should learn some hard lessons. I'm all for that. But we should also boost them up. Like, when I get in the car after after my kids play a game, I'm not asking them questions about the game.

Single sport specialization at such an early age is outrageous. Honestly, like, summer times for me, like, I might be traveling around taking my kids to all these, like, sports tournaments. It's just not gonna happen. Like, I'm gonna be spending time with them. Yeah.

And and you only get a certain amount of hours with your family and your kids until they're gone. Do I enjoy going to the ballpark and pitching a softball and a baseball? Yeah. I love it. I love coaching my kids.

I think it's awesome. Mhmm. But let's let's let's have a let's have an understanding of let's not just let this get out of control. This isn't the most important thing. Right?

Most important thing is my intentional time with my kids and with my wife and with my family. Right? And I'm I'm not gonna let youth sports take over that. I'm just not.

Travis: Yeah. So do you think youth sports has gotten put too high up on a pedestal?

Colt McCoy: A 100%.

Travis: Hey there. I'm Travis Patterson, and welcome to Driving Change. Here, you're gonna find unfiltered insights and hard hitting questions that challenge the status quo in law and in life. As a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas, I see firsthand how challenges like distracted driving and other just general family safety issues really impact our community every single day, but I refuse to accept these problems as inevitable. In this podcast, we're gonna dig deep into real world problems, bringing you practical solutions from my experiences in practicing law, raising a family, and running my own business.

I'm not here to preach to anybody. I'm here to simply ask questions and start conversations that make you think differently and provide you actual advice that you can use right away in your own life. So welcome to driving change. Let's get to it. Alright.

Welcome to another episode of driving the driving change podcast. I am Travis Patterson joined today by a special guest, an old buddy of mine, Colt McCoy. Colt was boaty. Fishing buddy. Fishing buddy.

That's right. I taught him everything he knows.

Colt McCoy: You had the boat, so I was like, you were my friend.

Travis: There we go. That's all it took. Yeah. I remember being in law school. I was dating Anna at the time, and she'd call me.

She's like, are you studying? I was like,

Colt McCoy: I'm studying which lures these fish wanna bite.

Travis: Yeah. Yeah. So we had some good times back in the day in Austin. We did. Colt, of course, fourteen years NFL, pretty good football career at University of Texas.

Recrossed pass, fellow member of the Texas Cowboys. Mhmm. Shout out to the Cowboys. Very special organization to both of us. Married to Rachel for fourteen years.

Colt McCoy: Yep. We'll be 15 in July. Awesome. Congrats.

Travis: And you got four kids. Four kids. Sounds familiar.

Colt McCoy: Life's changed a lot the last fifteen years. Well We had no cares or concerns out there on the water fishing.

Travis: Yeah. It's a little different Yeah. Nowadays. Do you still get to fish as much?

Colt McCoy: I I mean, I haven't. I mean, I lived in Phoenix for the last four years, so you're trying to find water there is awesome.

Travis: In the desert?

Colt McCoy: Yeah. But I love to fish. Taking the kids out a few times since we've been back to Texas, which is fun. Yeah. Still got all the same poles.

They're a little bit you know, I need to grease them up, get them get them back primed and ready.

Travis: But You had some nice rods back in the day. I remember that. Shipley had some nice stuff.

Colt McCoy: Oh, yeah. Jordan Jordan Jordan got into it pretty good.

Travis: Yeah. Very into it. Funny story about Shipley. Remember Town Lake? There's this rule I don't call it Town Lake anymore.

What is it? Like

Colt McCoy: Oh. Lady Bird Lake. Lady Bird Lake. Yeah.

Travis: So most people don't know this, but you can put a bass boat on the lake as long as you take your prop out of the water.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Use your trolling motor.

Travis: So Shipley's out there. Everyone's, you know, on their paddle boards, some bathing and stuff, then Shipley, you come by with this trolling motor, this huge bass boat.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Big bass boat. Yep. Yeah. Like a bass boat deal.

Travis: Yeah. There's a lot of largemouth in that lake. No one most people don't realize that.

Colt McCoy: For sure. We caught a lot of fish. Yeah. A lot of fish.

Travis: I had a little jumbo, not a not a big Yeah. It worked. It did. Yeah. The bass don't know any different.

Colt McCoy: No. Uh-uh.

Travis: But anyway, we're not here to talk about fishing, unfortunately. We should start a fishing podcast on the side.

Colt McCoy: Let's do it.

Travis: Side note. I wanna talk to you about youth sports. Because we had lunch the other day with some guys we went to college with from Cowboys. And I remember just leaving that lunch being like, that was really eye opening hearing your perspective on youth sports because we're all trying to navigate this as dads, you know. Right.

I got four kids, you got four kids, and, you know, obviously, all of our buddies are dealing with this with their own kids. And I thought it was really kinda neat, your perspective on it. Obviously, playing in the NFL and playing college at such a high level. So let's let's just kinda dive right in. Let's start with you and your story.

Tell folks, like, when you as a kid growing up in West Texas, small town, when did you start playing youth sports, and what was your childhood athletic career like?

Colt McCoy: Yeah. I grew up way out in West Texas. There wasn't a whole lot of like, we didn't have Pee wee football where I grew up. Right? So let's take that, like, everybody needs to understand that.

Like, I started playing football when I was in seventh grade, and I was chomping at the bit. I mean, I was I wanted to play so bad. My dad was, you know Right. The football coach. And, you know, I just remember my dad always saying, like, I'd probably be open to you playing, but for a couple reasons, I don't want you to.

One was, like, I don't think you're developed yet. I think you I think just from a body physical standpoint, like, there's other things you can do to get ready to play football. And then number two is always, you know, I want to make sure you learn how to play the game right from a how do you form tackle somebody, keeping your head up. Right? The, you know, the drills and the skills and the the ways to to to to play.

You need to be taught by somebody that really knows what they're doing. And I'm not saying there's not good coaches in in this the younger leagues. Mhmm. I'm sure there's great coaches. Yeah.

But that was his take on that. I my I remember my first sort of competitive thing was, like, third grade little dribblers. Right? Like, basketball. And I was so nervous.

Mhmm. I was I was, you know, wanting to beat your you know, there's three teams in the town that I grew up in or two teams, and Mhmm. You know, everybody on the other team, and it was so much fun. It was just the competitive, like, go out there and, you know Yeah. Jack up some threes and figure out who you know, just go play.

It's your first there's referees, and, you know, you you're with your your friends and Mhmm. And, you know, the dads are coaching, and it was it was awesome. Yeah. And so I I did some of that, played baseball, t ball, and coach pitch, and those sort of things. But on the scale of of of I mean, just in your small town.

Right. I think now transitioning to Fort Worth, it's a little bit different because Fort Worth's a bigger town and there's more teams and there's more coaches and there's more leagues. Yeah. Right? So it's it's it's elevated.

But if I look back on my time, I would just say, I I loved it as a kid. I loved it. I wanted to play everything. But my parents were very strategic in how that how that happened. And now being a parent, like, I fully understand why.

Like, it can get intense.

Travis: Oh,

Colt McCoy: yeah. It can get too much. Quickly. Like, it can get you know, you know, dad's yelling and mom's screaming and and Yeah. You know, they want little Timmy to be the best there's just a there's a lot going on there.

I I think this is something we we can unpack a little bit. But I'll I'll say this, like, I was in my probably twelfth or thirteenth season in the NFL. Mhmm. And when I was playing in the NFL, my kids I have a nine year old girl, eight year old girl, six year old son, and a four year old girl. Mhmm.

We didn't play sports when I when I was playing in the NFL. This is our first year to kinda get into

Travis: Oh, your kids didn't.

Colt McCoy: Youth sports. My kids didn't. Because my time and my commitment at work and Yeah. The hours that you spent we when I was at home, I just wanna let's let's play basketball in the front yard together. Right?

Let's throw the football or the baseball or hit the wiffle ball.

Travis: Because you were gone so

Colt McCoy: much I was gone, and it just we couldn't squeeze all that in. Yeah. And my wife is incredible. I mean, she's the glue to to all that we do. But adding one more thing on her plate like that, it was just it was impossible.

But I went in the locker room because some of the some of the kids of a few of my teammates were playing, you know, young soccer, and Yeah. He was like, they're talking about, man, we're traveling to Tucson, and we're traveling to wherever playing these soccer tournaments. It's it's embarrassing. It's hard. It's stupid.

Everybody's yelling and screaming. I just want my kids to have fun. You know? And I Right. And so I started thinking about all that, and and I I took this poll.

So there's 53 guys in the locker room. Walked around to everybody, and I just said, like, hey. How many sports did you play growing up?

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: And when did you start? And it was shocking to me, like, the answer that that everyone gave me. First of all, I've only I've only met one person in the NFL who only played football.

Travis: That's crazy.

Colt McCoy: One. Yeah. So of all the and I did this on I did this on a few teams, but I'm I'm recalling what I did when I was in Arizona. Mhmm. Of all the guys that I I pulled, I think out of the 53 guys, I think probably 50 played three sports or more in high school.

Right. Whether that's basketball, most of them played basketball. A lot of them played baseball. A lot of obviously, Mhmm. And and, you know, there's other sports in the golf or Track.

Track. Everybody ran track. Right. Right? So so you're talking about the best athletes in the world.

Maybe maybe outside of the NBA. NBA is freak athletes Right. That that played multiple sports growing up. And then the question was, like, when did you start playing? K?

Age three. I mean, most of these guys in the NFL didn't start playing till it was a school organized sport.

Travis: Yeah. Like middle school.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Middle school. Or they they they played basketball and ran track as a kid. And when they got into school and they they figured out maybe I'll be good at football, they started playing. Right?

So Yeah. I guess my point in saying all that is, like, youth sports is is kind of on steroids around here for sure, probably in probably in most places. Yeah. I don't think it's

Travis: I don't think it's just a Fort Worth problem.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Just like the intensity of, like, my kids gotta start playing now. You know, talking to these baseball dads, it's like, it's it the more at bats they can get, the the the better chance they're gonna have someday. Yeah. And and maybe that's true.

But from my perspective, like, it's a little much at times. It's and it's a little much for me. It makes me a little bit uncomfortable sometimes Uh-huh. Where you just you know, I'm throwing batting practice in in the cages and, you know, the dads are standing around and it's just kinda like, this intense. And, like and you were talking about six and seven and eight year olds, and and some of them are really good.

Some of them might have a chance. Sure. But if I was to ask you how many how many baseball players from Westside Little League are gonna go play in the big someday?

Travis: I don't know.

Colt McCoy: Maybe one, maybe two. Percent, maybe. And that's awesome. It really is. Maybe maybe five to 10 of them are gonna play in college someday.

Great. Right? But, like, I guess what I'm saying is, like, as a parent now and this being my first year into youth sports, I'm coaching my daughters in softball. Mhmm. And that's so much fun.

Yeah. And I'm coaching you know, I'm the assistant coach on both teams, but I'm coaching my son in baseball. We're having a blast. Yeah. It is fun.

But it can like, it should be. Right? It should be a place where we go and we have fun and and you work hard and you and you learn lessons. You learn how to win. You learn how to lose.

Travis: Totally.

Colt McCoy: You know, you you get that competitive feeling and, oh, I wanna we lost tonight, I really want I could have played better. I wanna win. All those are are great. Yeah. In context.

Right? Like, when we start putting the you know, we gotta we gotta be, you know

Travis: Number one.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Like, it it's it it can it can be a little much. And I guess my point in saying all that is, like, you know, when did I know that I was gonna go to the NFL? Mean, not until I'm, like, halfway through college, and and I think, like, well, maybe this that could be that could be an opportunity. Right?

Yeah. And so I I just wanna keep the like, I think sometimes it's hard to get that perspective out there because it is fun. It's a it's a social scene for the parents, and and the kids should, you know, the kids should learn some hard lessons. I'm all for that. But we should also boost them up.

Like, when I get in the car after after my kids play a game, I'm not asking them questions about the game. Yeah. I'm just saying, you know, whatever. You know? Like, some of these six year olds have been in kindergarten all day, and they didn't get a nap, and they're tired.

And they're playing a baseball game at 07:00.

Travis: 07:00 in the night.

Colt McCoy: And they swing three times and miss, and then they start crying, and then and they're pissed. And it's like like Yeah. I shouldn't be pissed at him for that. No. No.

Like, he should he it should be fine. It should be learning lesson. Yeah. Sure. Like, he'll he wants to get better.

Great. Like, let's but am I gonna go take him to go get batting lessons?

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: And and get a strength trainer Put that in your schedule. And get a pitching coach and a throwing coach and no. Yeah. Like, no. There's there there'll be a time for that.

Travis: There'll be

Colt McCoy: a time for that. Think just keeping all that in perspective, for me, makes a whole lot of sense.

Travis: So I I love the survey you did with your NFL teammates. I did a similar kinda deal with a baseball guy, a high school baseball coach. He's an amazing baseball coach. Because I said, like, let's just say so, you know, I have a kid who's super into baseball, and I want him to be successful, if he wants to be successful. Right?

Yeah. Do I have to do year round baseball? You know? And he's like, I'd actually prefer it if he didn't. Mhmm.

Right? Because what I deal with is, like, once they get into high school is burnout. Right? It's just like something that most parents or, like, little kids don't think about. That I might burn this kid out.

Right? If I'm playing summer ball and fall ball Mhmm. And spring ball. It's like burnout's a big issue, obviously, for these kids who are specializing early in any sport. Yeah.

I assume football, baseball, bat it's all the same. Yeah. And injuries, if these kids are throwing a baseball year round, they're gonna tear their elbow apart. Kids are getting Tommy John surgery now in at 12, 13 years old. Yeah.

I don't think that's good for him

Colt McCoy: No.

Travis: Probably in the long run.

Colt McCoy: No. I would say I would say two two things along that line. Number one, I am sensitive to moms and dads who want their kids to have opportunities and to be successful. I think that's wonderful. Yeah.

Right? You know? And for most kids and families, like, they see that we have eight or nine or ten years of of sports, be it, you know, at, you know, little leagues and basketball games, and then they get into junior high and high school, and then their their career's likely over. And so being able to spend time with your kids and take them to the parks and travel them around, like, that's a cool thing. Like, I I get it.

I and I think that's I think it's fine. Like, can can navigate that the way that they want to. I think number two, I would say, if you look at the poll I took in in in the NFL locker room, it's like, what that tells me is single sport specialization at such an early age is outrageous. Yeah. It just is.

Travis: Which is pretty, like, unanimous. I mean, because when you talk to professional athletes or hear about them talking about this, they're almost to a t against this, like all of

Colt McCoy: them. Everybody. The the well, that I know. Yeah. And and the reason I say that is because if you if you're if you're into youth sports and kids, great.

Like, let them play things. Mhmm. If you just throw a baseball year round, like, you're not developing. Right. You may you may be a better pitcher for a time being, but when everybody grows up and everybody's played all these other sports, they're gonna be better Right.

At some point. So I'm all about, like, figuring out ways to to just play. Right. Play sports. Right?

Kick a soccer ball. Cut and move and dribble a ball around a cone. Like, that's a skill. Right. Right?

Learn how to jump rope. Learn how to shoot a basketball. Right? Learn how to catch a football or use a glove or a lacrosse stick or what like, all those things are just developmental tools that allow your son or daughter to be a better athlete.

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: And as they get older and as they get into seventh, eighth, ninth grade, and, like, all of a sudden, they kinda have an avenue of, like, hey. They're pretty good at whatever. Like, great. Like, now now you can kinda like, oh, maybe I wanna go get a coach to help him or her out

Travis: or Yeah.

Colt McCoy: Or I wanna get on a travel team. Right? I I think they're they're really into this. Like, awesome. I'm what I'm saying is, like, when they're young, like, you can ask any NFL athlete or professional athlete or at least for me, anybody that I've been around, and they would say the same thing.

It's like, it's all about physically, it's all about the skills you develop. Like, all none of that's gonna hurt you. The second piece is like the is like the, you know, social emotional piece of learning how to win and lose on different teams with different athletes and different players. Mhmm. Right?

And and the exposure you get there and and your leadership skills or your your team skills or your commitment or your, you know, learning how to sacrifice one thing in order to, like, be on this team and, like, all the things that you learn from a developmental standpoint, from a physical and a social emotional side Mhmm. Goes a long ways. Like, I would tell you that I wouldn't have been the the leader or the quarterback I was without learning how to, you know, be on different teams growing up

Travis: Mhmm. And

Colt McCoy: and getting on long bus rides after a baseball game that we lost, and why'd we lose, and everybody's upset and disappointed. And it's like, well, like, helps me as a as a person, as an athlete, as a as a human being, as a player, as a competitor, like, okay. Like, what are some things that we have to do as a team to kinda figure this out for the next one so we so we win? Right? And and I just I don't think we talk about that enough.

I think we get sometimes can get in our own ways, and and I really want my son to be a incredible lacrosse player.

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: So I'm gonna I'm gonna pour everything I have into lacrosse, lacrosse, lacrosse from when he's seven years old to when he's 17. Well, guess what? Like, odds are he's probably gonna be done when he's 17.

Travis: Sure.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Because he's burnt out or he's he's tired of it or whatever. He's been doing it since he was seven. Right? And then he missed out on a lot of other things.

Now is there some that, like, go on to be, you know, superstars? Of course, there is. Sure. But that's that's the anomaly.

Travis: Yes.

Colt McCoy: Right?

Travis: Yes.

Colt McCoy: And so I just keeping those things in perspective to me, you know, I just I think, you know, reminding myself about that or or being able to talk about it. Like, it's okay to it's okay to play them all.

Travis: And what about okay. So, like, going back to your childhood, like, parents protected you from tackle football until seventh grade. Yeah. I mean, obviously and I because I've known you a long time. Your priorities, I know where they are, and it's your faith, and then right after that, your family.

That's something that I always kinda think about is, you know, if you say yes to every single athletic opportunity for your kids Mhmm. You know, you're saying no to something else. Sure. And really, you're saying no to someone else.

Colt McCoy: Your your yes is always worth less to somebody else.

Travis: There you Like,

Colt McCoy: if you if you say yes every time, like, somebody else or something else is getting way less of you. Yeah. And and, you know, I get pulled in a lot of directions. That's no secret. And I I'm still learning how to navigate, like, the things that I say yes to and no to.

And, honestly, like, summertime's for me, like, I might be traveling around taking my kids to all these, like, sports tournaments. It's just not gonna happen. Like, I'm gonna be spending time with them. Yeah. And and you only get a certain amount of hours with your family and your kids until they're gone.

Right? Like, I had an opportunity to go be an NFL head coach

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: For, you know, easy transition. I tear my elbow up, have can't play anymore. Mhmm. Played fourteen years, all my service time and relationships and friendships up. Like, it was an easy avenue for me.

Yeah. Right? But what are your what are your values? Like, what what do you what do you wanna do? Right?

I didn't wanna turn around in ten years, and my daughter should be graduating and moving on, and I don't even know them. And I don't I don't have a relationship, you know, that I wanna have with my wife because I you I can't. I couldn't do that. I know how I'm a competitor. Right?

Travis: That would have taken more your time than planned, probably.

Colt McCoy: Exactly. Right? And so I think it's important to understand, like, if you say yes to all these things, like Mhmm. That's gonna be your life, and you're gonna look up, and it's gonna be, like, when did I take my kids on a camping trip? When did I Yeah.

When did I go on to a family camp somewhere? When did I travel with my kid? When we go what like, and where do you when do you normally do that in the summertime? Right? But if you're playing sports all summer and that's all you do, like,

Travis: it's Yeah. You you

Colt McCoy: just gotta be cognizant of that. And and I and I really respect my parents looking back for saying, like, hey. Like, all I wanted to do when I was in sixth grade was play all star baseball. Mhmm. It's all I wanna do.

Made the all star team. I was, you know, starting to hit some home runs, and you kinda like, that's all I wanna do. I played in one all star all star tournament, and then the rest was like, nope. We're gonna spend time as a family together. Yeah.

Did it kill me?

Travis: Yeah. Totally.

Colt McCoy: I was upset at the time. Did it did it affect my career?

Travis: But were your parents correct?

Colt McCoy: But my parents were right. Absolutely. And did it did it affect, like, my growth as an athlete? And no. Not one bit.

And that's one of

Travis: the main reasons why I wanted to have you on because I think parents have you know, that there's something in their gut. Right? When they get this opportunity for a kid to play and, you know, a lot of a lot of my buddies' kids play on travel teams also. Like, they have a blast doing it. God bless them.

But, like, I know some parents out there, especially if you have a ton of kids like we do, and you get those invitations, there's something in your gut telling you, like, like, this sounds cool for a minute, but, like, there's gonna it's gonna take a toll on the family. Yeah. You know? And it is it it might be okay to say no to that opportunity because plenty of opportunities are gonna come along Yeah. Beyond the age of seven or eight or whatever it is.

I mean, this stuff really doesn't probably start mattering until, like like you said, middle school, high school. Yeah. That's right. So we can we can say no to stuff now.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. I mean, last I checked at the Little League fields a few nights ago, I did not see any scouts there. You know? Right. I mean and and and I also get the piece of, like, the social piece.

Like, it's a it's a you know, you're traveling with families and and, you know, you there it's your buddies and and you get to have and that's great. And and that may be for some people. And and I've there's this is no judgment zone here. I'm just saying, like, you guys you gotta establish when you're talking about youth sports and time and I've got four kids. Right?

Like, they're all gonna be decent athletes probably. Sure. Like, you you gotta establish, like, what's my what's my time that's, like, our family and and and us spending time together versus, like, traveling and playing sports and buying hotels and and doing the whole deal. And, like, it's not not neither one's wrong, but as you just gotta establish, like, what's what's important. Yeah.

And, you know, and I guess that I guess that's it. Like, there's no right or wrong. Yeah. I just would say, you gotta you gotta start thinking about those things now before you jump in. And all of a sudden, like, well, shoot.

I spent my last six summers every lacrosse and baseball and softball tournament. I don't Yeah. We didn't even do anything. You know? And, like

Travis: No. No. Thanks.

Colt McCoy: You know, I think you I think it's easy to get caught up in that.

Travis: Yeah. Well, I think you and I both agree on just the importance of, like, just that unstructured time with your kids. I mean, that that's the goal Yeah. As a family. I mean, Anna and I have started carving that out, you know, pick a night one night during the week where we might miss some practices.

Yeah. We might miss a scrimmage or something, and that's okay. It's like, this is family night this week.

Colt McCoy: It's okay.

Travis: We're gonna go to the backyard.

Colt McCoy: It's okay.

Travis: We'll play. You'll probably get more reps just in the backyard playing with Yeah. Me than you will at your practice anyway.

Colt McCoy: That's right.

Travis: And it's totally okay. You know, the other thing with youth sports too is, like, it gets so competitive sometimes that you wonder, like, how much fun are the kids having sometimes? And it's like, you look at the number one reason kids drop out of youth sports. They did Ohio State published a study last year. And no surprise, like, the biggest reason by far was they just stopped having fun.

They stopped enjoying the sport Yeah. Which is really sad because you, like, you kinda sometimes you see this happening in slow motion. Like, if we yell at these kids enough, like, eventually, they're just gonna be like,

Colt McCoy: I'm out.

Travis: Like, this sucks. Like, I know I'm supposed to run as fast as I can to first base.

Colt McCoy: Like Right.

Travis: I got it. Yeah. You don't have to yell at me that 10 times.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. And and and listen. Like, I'm not saying everybody's gonna turn into a, let's call it, a college athlete. Sure. Especially not a professional athlete.

What I'm saying is, like, that could happen, but more than likely, it's not. And so establishing your your time and your commitment and your values and how you wanna approach this is okay. Like, there's, you know, there's no limitation on what you can and can't do. And and, you know, I think I think it will be it's I think it's hard. It's hard.

This is my first year into youth sports. It's hard. It's hard to decide. Like, I'm not if if I if I both my girls are on the same team and I'm coaching my son, every night of the week, I I have either a practice or a game. That's hard.

Yeah. You know what I value? Why I left the NFL? It's like having a night around the table together as a family and talk about school and what's going on.

Travis: Totally.

Colt McCoy: And and hearing them talk about, you know, I'm learning, you know, the state capitals in the Northeast and let's quiz, you know, let's quiz each other. Let's have a con like like, you miss those times.

Travis: Oh,

Colt McCoy: no. Because you're because you're because you're playing

Travis: sports every You're so spread out.

Colt McCoy: You're spread out. And sometimes, you know, like tonight, for example, I've got a baseball game at 7PM and a softball game at 7PM. I'm the assistant coach on both. Like, now what do I do? Right?

There's just a lot. Yeah. And it and it and it's fun times. We enjoy times at the ballpark.

Travis: We do. Yeah.

Colt McCoy: And it and, you know, it's for it's for a month or so. But, like, let's not let's not make it more than more than what it is. Right? Like, let's let's be cognizant of how many hours you're gonna have with your kids before they turn 18 and they leave.

Travis: I hate I hate doing that math.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Not much.

Travis: I know. Like, right after now with our oldest kids, like, out they're of the house.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. And I'm I'm I'm behind the curve. Like Yeah. I haven't had those. I've been I've been in the NFL for fourteen years.

Right? So Yeah. Youth sports and I are kinda banging heads. Yeah. You're like Figuring out, like, I left what what I had so that I could I could have this time with my kids.

Totally. And and do I do I enjoy competition? Probably more than anybody.

Travis: Right.

Colt McCoy: Do I enjoy going to the ballpark and pitching a softball and a baseball? Yeah. I love it. I love coaching my kids. I think it's awesome.

Mhmm. But let's let's let's have a let's have an understanding of let's not let's let this get out of control. This isn't the most important thing. Right? Most important thing is my intentional time with my kids and with my wife, with my family.

Right? And I'm not gonna let youth sports take over that. I'm just not.

Travis: Yeah. So do you think youth sports has gotten put too high up on a pedestal?

Colt McCoy: A 100%. Yeah. Yeah.

Travis: I agree.

Colt McCoy: And and I do. And it's not necessarily, like, wrong. It's not necessarily bad. Like like, we're talking about things that that are good things. Like, the kids learn a bunch.

And if you're around them and you're spending time with them and it's it's kinda part of the part of the the month of the great. But, like, let's just you know, there there's some extreme things that I'm seeing in youth sports that are that are a little bit disturbing. Yeah. And when and and overall, like, establish what the most important things are.

Travis: When do you think that started? Like, so you talked about youth sports is on steroids right now, and I agree. I I think this obviously was starting before NIL a couple years ago. But, like, when I was a kid playing baseball, for example, and I'm sure you're you probably have a similar situation, We had two bats on the team. We had, like, a heavy bat and a small bat, and I think we had four helmets.

And I remember it was kinda funny when I come up to the plate, if I didn't have the because my head was the biggest. If my helmet wasn't there, I had to have to, like, go out and switch with the guy on second base if the bases were loaded or something. Right. We had four helmets, two bats. I would just show up with my glove, and we'd play baseball with our buddies.

Correct. And that's how, like, every team was. It was just you played with your buddies, you shared bats, and you made great memories. You know, now you go to Little League Baseball games anywhere across the country, and you look in that dugout, and there's thousands of dollars worth of bats hanging up there. Buddy.

Every single kid has their own bat.

Colt McCoy: Right? It's insane. T ball.

Travis: Every kid has their own bag, their own

Colt McCoy: helmets, their initials on it.

Travis: Their own

Colt McCoy: their own water bottle. Yeah. Their own you know, in softball, you gotta have a face mask and a helmet and a bat All the swag. And a glove. Right.

Right? And, you know Yeah.

Travis: It's crazy.

Colt McCoy: It's a lot. I'm with you. We had, like, one or two bats on the team and and They

Travis: worked fine.

Colt McCoy: And everybody played all the positions, and you're with your buddies, you had fun.

Travis: And played all the positions. Yeah. You don't see that anymore. No. When do you think this started?

I mean, so it was don't I know if you have a theory or not.

Colt McCoy: I I do. Here here's my theory. And I I want I want kids to play different things. Yeah. If they don't wanna play sports, play learn to play an instrument.

Play a piano.

Travis: For sure.

Colt McCoy: If you don't wanna play an instrument, go learn how to be a great artist. Like, do something outside of math and science and history at school. Mhmm. K? Like, I'm all about education in school.

Also all about, like, expanding in your knowledge and your learning. Like, when I was in sixth grade, you had to pick do you wanna go to fine arts, or do you wanna go to band? Because you gotta do one of the two.

Travis: That's

Colt McCoy: great. Athletics is after that. So when I was in sixth grade, I learned how to play the trombone. I played the trombone all the way to the first chair. It wasn't hard.

There's only two trombone players. But all the way from sixth grade on to high school, I never did the I never did marching band, but I did the choir band. I did I I I competed in, you know, concert choir band. Right? Because that's what we that's what we did.

We just you know, it was was and I played all the sports. Mhmm. Right? And I had a I would never I wouldn't go back and change any of that because I I was around different people at all times. And my theory is youth sports are great.

Go play. Like but have a have a a gauge or a meter on, like, where this is on our on our priorities or on our part of this. One I'll be honest. One of the things I love about the school that my kids go to is that in the fall, all the coaches who have spring sports Mhmm. Will will take classes of kids and come let them play at school after school

Travis: The skills and drills stuff.

Colt McCoy: With your buddies. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. So, like, my son goes after after school a couple days a week during the fall and goes and plays basketball with the basketball coaches.

Travis: Yeah. No. That's great.

Colt McCoy: Them how to shoot a layup. Mhmm. Teach them how to dribble. Right? Let them have fun games with, like, who can dribble behind their back and between their legs.

Like, stuff. But it's great. And you're all the meanwhile, you're just learning and having fun. And in the and in the in the spring, they'll go out there and they'll play football with the football coaches, and they'll throw the ball around, and they'll run routes, and they'll Mhmm. Learn different positions.

And, you know, you put your hand in the dirt, you know, you line up every like, they just and it's awesome. Right? My girls are, like, right now playing field hockey. I don't even know field hockey. I don't even know what you've used.

I don't even know what the puck or ball looks like. Yeah. But they're they're out there having fun and swinging a stick and playing lacrosse, whatever it is. So they're getting exposed to all these things. Mhmm.

I would rather do that than play youth sports.

Travis: Yeah. Like, that's it.

Colt McCoy: That's it. That's all you need. Right? Because you're you're with your friends. You're learning skills.

Travis: You're having fun.

Colt McCoy: You're you're learning how to compete in a good environment. You're getting coached from good coaches. Right? As opposed to, hey. We're loading up this weekend.

Fill up the coolers. Take all the bats and balls, and we're gonna go play in a baseball tournament. We're gonna play nine games in three days and just be exhausted. Mhmm. Right?

Because that doesn't sound fun to me. Yeah. And and so, you know, that's just me. That's that's that's my opinion. Yeah.

And then as you get older and as time goes by and, you know, you kinda you're you see your kids starting have a real interest in, like, I really like to play the piano. Like, okay. Well, let's get some more lessons. Yeah. You know, let's let's let's

Travis: Go for it.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Let's go. Or my son is, like, getting good at basketball. Great. Like, well, let's let's maybe, you know, go to some camps.

Mhmm. You know, let's go let's let's spend some time there. Let's see what this turns into. Whatever it is, think I that it's a natural thing. I just I think the the the the disease of youth sports is like, we gotta do it now.

If I don't get him lessons, if I don't get like, I want if he doesn't start hitting the ball, if he and and then it's like, no. Like, he mighta had a he mighta had a long week of testing at school, and he's just wiped out, he's fighting off a cold. Right. And he had a bad night. It's huge sports.

Travis: Yeah. I there's so much pressure on parents. Right?

Colt McCoy: Like It's the same thing in the NFL, bro. Like, people have off days.

Travis: Uh-huh. Like

Colt McCoy: Yeah. Dude, why did you run the route this way? You you ran this route perfect all he tweaked his ankle and he's tired, and, like, it just Yeah. It didn't work that day. It'll work next week.

Uh-huh. Right? So we can't get caught up in the in just the the intensity of, like, the keeping up with, I gotta do this. I gotta get him this lesson. I gotta get like, no, man.

Like, first of all, his growth plates aren't even connected yet. Right. He's gonna grow another foot. Who know he's gonna be lanky. He who what is he who?

Doesn't matter. Right? Like, I think we just have to keep that perspective sometimes.

Travis: I totally agree. But yeah. Like, I I mean, I was saying, I just there's so much pressure on parents. They don't want their kids I think what a lot of this comes down to is they don't want their kids to fail. Right?

They don't want their kids to, like, not be the best. Mhmm. When we all know that, like, letting our kids fail sometimes is probably the best thing for them.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. You've learned I I would even I'll go I'll go this far. I'm talking about letting your kids fail. I think that's the that's one of the beauties of youth sports that we don't talk about. Yeah.

I think if a kid fails, the natural reaction for me as a parent is to, like,

Travis: come on, man.

Colt McCoy: What are you doing? Like Yeah. Choke up on your bat. Like, scoot up to the plate. Let's go.

Swing that ball.

Travis: Check their plate.

Colt McCoy: Swing that bat. Yeah. Whereas, no. You know what's really going on? What's really going on is that there's a lot of parents in the back and there's all his buddies are out there

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: And he's a little bit nervous. Right? And it's it's an and what made me thrive in the NFL, and I learned this in college, was learning how to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Right. All the pee wee kids are going through that.

Some of them are more developed than others. Great. Yeah. Some of the kids that are playing the outfield right now are gonna grow up that are gonna be the best players on their baseball team when they get older. K?

Mhmm. It's all about the the teaching moments for me is not getting mad at my son because he missed the baseball and he didn't get on base. Right. The teaching moment for me is like, hey, man. What were you feeling up there?

Like, what was going through your head?

Travis: That's cool.

Colt McCoy: You know, what what what you know, I don't care if you didn't hit the ball. I'm proud of you, man. Yeah. Like, I'm I'm proud that you you stepped up there and tried. Right?

But let let's learn from it. Like, do you wanna get better? Like, talk to me about how what what you were seeing? What were you feeling? Were you nervous?

Like Yeah. And and then you'd be amazed at, like, the answers that they'll come up with or what they'll say. Or it's like, you know, I was hungry. You know, it's like Wanted to snack. Are you hungry or was your stomach having, like, butterflies?

Yeah. You know, like, what like like, he's six. Right. Right? So so as a parent, instead of going, like and it's natural.

It would be I mean, listen. I'm the ultimate competitor. Like, I thrive for competition. Like, I won it so bad. Yeah.

Probably what I miss the most about the game. But channel that into, like, getting down in your kid's life, in their world, talking about their day, talking about what you were feeling, talking about, like, hey. If you wanna if you wanna fix this, we can go to the backyard and we can kinda talk about it. You know, we I'll I'll throw you a couple pitches when we get home and If they wanna do let you get that feel. Only if they wanna do it.

Yeah. I'm I'm not asking to go do that. You know, the the the work and the requirement for me is gonna be a lot more than it is for him to make that happen. Yeah. But you but just be there.

Right? Be their support. You know? There's not a night that goes by when I put my kids down to bed. I don't tell them I'm proud of them.

Right. I'm proud of you. Yeah. Proud that you that you're doing this. I'm I'm proud to get to go watch.

Like, I'm I'm just I'm just proud. Like, I'm here to help you, and I'm always in your corner. Right? And and the teaching moments that youth sports provides are awesome for that reason, for, hey. Like, when you're out there, I want you to hustle.

Right? There's there's a couple of things that you can control. You can control your attitude

Travis: Yeah.

Colt McCoy: And you can control your effort. Right? If you're if you're running hard and you're play playing hard, proud of you. If you're if you're if you're giving your best effort all the time and you're being a good teammate to to little Timmy and little Johnny, like, I'm proud of you, man. Like, all the other stuff will come.

Travis: So what would Colt McCoy do if his son started arguing with the umpire on balls and strikes or something? Go out there and grab him?

Colt McCoy: I would snap for sure.

Travis: I could see you just losing

Colt McCoy: from that. Like the but yeah. And, like, those are

Travis: because we see you see that out there a lot.

Colt McCoy: See kids

Travis: talking back to the umpires, talking back

Colt McCoy: to coaches, and Like, you know, I'm I'm an assistant coach in baseball, and and our head coach is great. And one of the things he always says is like, hey. Listen. Like, we're gonna we're gonna keep our eyes up, and we're gonna look each other in the eyes. When you're talking to a teammate, we're gonna look into your eyes.

When you're talking to a coach, eyes up. Oh, that's great. Right? Yeah. It is we're gonna say yes, sir, and no, sir.

That's what that's what we're gonna do. That's that's the rules here. Right? We're gonna have fun. We're gonna work hard.

We're gonna try to get better, and we're gonna encourage each other. We and after games, we do a lot of, like, encouragement for for kids to other kids and what they did well. Right? And then, you know, to me, that helps it there will always be a winner and a loser. Our kids will learn that.

They if they don't already know it, they do. Like, they feel that. They feel it from parents. They feel it from coaches. They feel it from like, you know.

And that that's fine. That's that's the way the world works. That that will always be the case. That's why I love sports. Yeah.

But when we're young, let's use this time to encourage, to truly teach, to get down on their level and and communicate with them and and and talk to them about what are you feeling? You know, what did you see? Like, how can I help you? I just want you to know I'm proud of you. Yeah.

Right? Like, I'm I'm so proud of you. Like, you're gonna be you're gonna be great. Like

Travis: I I mean, our kid I I know your kid's coach. Our my kid's coach is great, very similar wildlife lessons, encouragement, all that. But you see it out you see it out there with other teams sometimes. Like, coaches just, like, losing their cool of kids trekking out or something. It's like, what are we doing here, guys?

Colt McCoy: I know.

Travis: And if my kid got drafted on that team, I'd be like, uh-uh. Draft again.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. We're we're That's I I mean, I'm I'm I'm with you. I think that's where I think that's where I draw the line. Yeah. It's like, no.

I I just I don't I don't like that.

Travis: Have that power. Like, if you're you know, you don't if your kids is a toxic environment or something in the sports world, like, get them out of

Colt McCoy: it. Yeah.

Travis: Keep trying. Because I agree. There's so many awesome life lessons out there. If you keep youth sports where it belongs, which is not the whole it's not your whole life. You're not living vicariously through these kids.

This isn't your ticket to professional sports No. Or anything like that. I wanna switch gears real quick while I have you and talk about NIL. I'm sure you wish there was a little bit NIL back when you were in college.

Colt McCoy: But besides We might have had a bass boat, man.

Travis: Of those guys who are making the money. Like, just big picture, what is your kinda general thought on what's going on? Because, you know, I think a lot of people agree that some of these guys a lot of these guys should get some economic benefit from what they're doing for these universities. Mhmm. But it is the wild wild west right now.

You see that a lot. I mean, what's going on, like, at the University of Tennessee is pretty wild with guys now holding out, and there's no binding contracts and all this kind of stuff. So what's your general thought on that? And then I wanna circle back to, do we think how is NIL affecting youth sports? Because I think there's some kind of connection that we can make.

But, yeah, I wanna get your thoughts on NIL first.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. I mean, listen, I I think, you know, I am wholeheartedly, like, happy that players can get paid on their name, image, and likeness. Fine. Like, you work really hard. You are, you know, you are uniquely gifted to be able to play college sports.

Yeah. Right? And and there may be a way to make some money on that. I think the problem and I'm I I don't love, like, regulations, and I don't love, like, you know, not getting put like, big government, like like, that I don't. But the NCAA has failed everybody.

Right? That that's we've we've established that. And what's going on now is that there's everything's gray. There's no black. There's no white.

Like, you don't know what you can do, what you can't do. So you're just kinda living in this world of, like, there is there's there's no rules, really. I mean, there is some, but, like, you look at the Tennessee situation and it's like, whatever side you wanna look at it from, like, neither are technically wrong. Right. Right?

Like, it's not wrong for him to think he's worth the value and try to go get it. Whether we whether you or think he's worth that or not, that doesn't matter. Yeah. I'm saying his representation, whoever's telling him, like, this is what you're worth, like, there's no there's no penalty for him to just not leave and go try to go get Yeah. Right?

And, you know, you can you can back the school and say, like, hey. Great job. Like, we're not gonna put up with that. Fine. That that's your that's your choice, but the the whole system is broken.

Right? Until we until there's some version of a of a regulation, a, you know, a, you know, governing sort of system over who can transfer and when and why and, you know, nobody has to pay that money back, like, what you know, how you get paid. Like, there's Yeah. There's collectives. There's talking to be a you know, there's gonna be sort of a system where, you know, everybody's kinda equal and

Travis: Like, revenue sharing.

Colt McCoy: Revenue sharing. Like, there's so many things that are that are out there, but there but but as it stands now, there's just there's no there's no guidance on this, and it's and it's wild. It's crazy. It's not cool. Like, if you're a coach, like, how are you supposed to I mean, the big schools are are fine.

Yeah. Right? But, like, how are you supposed to compete? How are supposed to know like, my kid might ball out in spring and be like, everybody knows how good I am. I'm out.

I'm leaving. Like, how do you build a team? How do you so and and then you talk about it trickles down into into high school. Well, yeah. Because these kids are these kids are starting to see their value, and they've got

Travis: Are they signing deals in high school?

Colt McCoy: They've got oh, yeah. They've got agents and marketing agents and financial guys preying down on them and saying, like, I can get you this deal, but you gotta sign with me, and we'll get you this. You know? And so it's and and then they get with the parents and all of a sudden, little little, you know, little Johnny's in, you know, tenth grade, and he had a great year. Like, let's just sign let's just sign we might sit out our senior year and just go somewhere else because we're gonna make more money.

You know? And it's like, ah. Oh my gosh. It's just it's wild. And There's a lot here.

I mean There there's there's a lot to unpack because, like, I'm not I'm not against, like you know, let's let's just use Arch Manning for example. Sure. Right? NIL was designed for a guy like Arch to say, like, sure. Go get a Red Bull commercial.

Go get a Nike shoe. Go go get a, you know, Viore contract. Sure. Great. There's that's literally what it was for.

What it's not designed for is for your performance, how well you play, now you know your value, now you can just transfer four times. Look look at look at the quarterbacks who've gone in the NFL draft. You can even go back to last year and this just just say last year and this year. Caleb Williams transferred. Mhmm.

Jayden Daniels transferred. Bo Nix, transferred. Mhmm. Look at this year's class. There's not a quarterback in this draft class that didn't transfer.

Travis: Is that right?

Colt McCoy: Right? Shadur Sanders, transferred. Cam Ward, transferred three times. Quinn Ewers, transferred. Will Howard, transferred.

You can go down Jackson Dart transferred. Right? So the landscape has changed. Why do you think they're transferring? Are they transferring for, like, a better opportunity?

No. Right. They're transferring for money.

Travis: Okay. Carson Beck. He's just now delaying NFL to go Yeah. Yeah. Get paid.

He's getting paid by Miami.

Colt McCoy: Right? So the amount of respect I have for a guy like Arch to, like, stick it out, now he's an anomaly. Right? He's got uncles who are hall of famers. His granddad's a hall of fam I mean, that that's a different deal.

But he stuck it out. He's went and did NIL the right way. Mhmm. And, hopefully, he goes out and performs and and plays well. Who knows?

Like, I guess that that part really doesn't matter because, like, he's he's done it the right way, and I respect it. Yeah. But at the end of the day, like, until they're structured, like, I think one thing that would help, and and I'm not here to tell you I have all the answers, would be, like, if you go if you sign a contract to go play and you're making NIL money, like, can't leave. You can't just transfer because you think your value's gone up. You can't put a hard stance on that.

There's no antitrust laws. There's no there's no collective bargaining agreement. There's no union. There's no any of those things. So it's it's just the Wild West.

Yeah. And until somebody can come up with an answer to this, like, it's I don't know what's gonna happen. And Yeah. For the less than 5% of college athletes who really get to take advantage of the system, it's really financially amazing for them. For the 95% of the college athletes, there's nothing.

Travis: There's nothing financially.

Colt McCoy: And I don't think that's the way it was all designed to be.

Travis: Well, it's gotta be crushing, like, team camaraderie as well. Like, you're bringing

Colt McCoy: corporate. It's all corporate. More there's no more team. It's all professionalized college sports. Exactly.

Travis: Obviously. And, like, when I think about, like, with you, you know, you started four years for UT. Like, I don't know if we're ever gonna see that again. And it's not just like, that was cool that you did that, but, like, like, the bonds you have without, obviously, all those teammates, but, like, to the community, like, to Austin Yeah. The the university and how tight that is and, like, what an ambassador you are for our university.

Like, you know, are we gonna see that those kinds of deep bonds and relationships? And

Colt McCoy: I mean, I think you can just look at the last two years. I just listed all those quarterbacks. Yeah. It's it's not gonna happen anymore. It just won't.

Like and I and I was sort of an anomaly back then. Like, there's not very many guys have the chance to play as a freshman and to play four years. Right? And you gotta stay healthy and all that.

Travis: Being on a team for four years.

Colt McCoy: Right. And just Same team. It just it's not gonna happen anymore.

Travis: And so going back to youth sports, like, theory, it's like, yeah, there's obviously some anomalies, some amazing 16 year old athletes somewhere talking to agents and getting NIL deals probably. But, like, trickling down to, like, the little guys, all NIL does to me and I don't think we're here yet, but I I I'm trying to, like, look ahead. I just feel like it's dangling that carrot out there for families, and it's just bringing that carrot just a little bit closer to their face. Like, it used to be like, okay. If my kid is that rare exception, the Colt McCoy, maybe they'll be in the NFL someday.

Colt McCoy: Well But

Travis: now it's like, how do I do is get them to be a pretty good high school player or a college player, and they can start impacting our family and start

Colt McCoy: You used to think, well, maybe I can get my school paid for. Right. That's where it started. You gotta get a scholarship.

Travis: Scholarship?

Colt McCoy: I mean, do you I mean, I don't know where a lot of guys came from. I mean, I do, but, like, that affected my family in a very positive way. Like Mhmm. I I I wouldn't be able to pay for college, probably. I mean, my my parents would have scratched and clawed and made it happen.

But, like, that's Yeah. Now it's like, oh, no. No. It's more than you. I probably not even go to class.

Like, how much money am gonna pay? Right? And so I I just I to to somehow keep the sanctity of college football because it is my favorite thing in the world Yeah. From a sports perspective. Like, I love college football.

It's broken right now. Yeah. And it's and it's hard. And and and, you know, to keep them as student athletes. Right?

Like, school's important.

Travis: Right.

Colt McCoy: Like, your education's important. That's gonna take you a lot farther than you know, let's just break this down. Let's just I don't know who we're not using anybody's example. Let's say the quarterback from, you know, Tim Buck two is making a million dollars. Mhmm.

K. Well, is he making a million dollars? Right. Well, because you're gonna take, you know, 40% of that or whatever is gonna be gone in taxes Mhmm. Right away.

Well, then 20% is gonna go to your agent. Mhmm. You know? So the and then probably some of that's gonna go to to your to your parents or to your friends or like, you're you're gonna take care of some of the people in your life because likely that person is not, you know, just extremely well off. So then you got, let's call it, a 150,000 in your pocket.

Mhmm. So then what are you gonna do with that? Well, you're probably gonna buy yourself a car. But Yeah. And then you you might you know, since you're

Travis: It's gonna go quick.

Colt McCoy: You're still getting a scholarship check, but that's not that much. So you're probably gonna either buy a house and have a mortgage or find a nice place. So it's gone. Mhmm. Right?

You're getting preyed upon. And second of all, you're 17 or 18 years old. You like, you you're probably gonna have to find a tax guy, and you're gonna have to find a financial guy because you don't know how you don't have any any Yeah. Like, know or idea of wisdom of, like, how to handle your money or how to invest or, like like so I'm saying is, like, great. These kids are getting paid a lot of money.

Is that better than my situation when I was in college? I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, I knew the overdraft guy by his first name. Like, please don't take $33.

I don't have $33. Like Yeah. Yeah. Like, the check will be in tomorrow. Right?

Yeah. You you struggled and grinded. I'm not saying one way or the other is right. I'm just saying, like, it's more on an athlete's plate now to be able to handle all this and the relationships and your contracts and your agents and your parents and your friends and your family and all the all the while going out there and performing and playing. Some of these guys are making more money than what you make when you go to the NFL.

I think there might be some guys that just play in college and make, you know, 7 or $8,000,000 and and, like, I'm good.

Travis: Call it day. Yeah. That's wild. So if you could fix NIL, what would be your solution? Just contracts?

Colt McCoy: I know. People ask me this all the time. I I think the the first start would be, like, the transfer portal. Yeah. I think that's ridiculous.

Especially, like,

Travis: when, like, you know, LongHorns

Colt McCoy: are the final four. Like, a guy can't get caught in a situation that's not great. You know, he doesn't see a path to play in the next couple years. Yeah. And and or there's a coaching change, and the new regime comes in, and he's not really favored by them, like, they're yes.

Yeah. But the whole idea of, like, three different year times of the year, you can jump in the portal and, you know, put your name in there to see, like, how much how much I'm gonna make, you know, what my agent thinks my value is, all that. Like Mhmm. And, again, it's not the player's fault. It's the system's fault.

Totally. So to me, if you can if you can limit that or get or or lose that, then all of a sudden, a coach can build a team. Yeah. And a guy might not be happy with his number, but, like, at least you can you can have a team. Like, what I loved about college football was that when I checked in as a freshman, like, there was also a freshman class.

And, like, I was with those guys for three years until a few of them went to the league. Mhmm. But mostly with all those guys for four years. Like, they're your boys. Mhmm.

They're your running buddies. Like, a coach can rip you upside down and inside out and, like, you can't go anywhere. Right? You just we just gotta figure it out. We're this together.

We're in this together. Like, I got your back, bud. Like Yeah. And and now it's like, if coach raises his voice or gets sideways with the player because he messed up and he needs to be coached, but he doesn't want to be, he's out. You gotta go find the next guy.

And then, like, it's it's hard. It'll be hard to be a coach. Yeah. I just there's just the some things in the I think if the transfer portal could could could get fixed, I think that would be a good step towards all the other things, and and maybe there could be some more you know, the incidentally is done. Man, you're we're gonna look up into like, in an area, they they they're done.

Yeah. So, like, some somebody, somehow, someway, president Trump's gonna have to step in and, like

Travis: Need some government

Colt McCoy: out college football. Yeah.

Travis: Yeah. Because I think without the transfer portal, then you then you would stop the bidding wars where, you know, like this quarterback from Tennessee, obviously, is just let's have a bidding war.

Colt McCoy: Yep.

Travis: I'll go to the highest paying, you know, team, and that's

Colt McCoy: In the spring. Like, spring football is about over. Like, it's wild.

Travis: Yeah. It's wild. Well, and the other thing too is, like, when the Longhorns were in the final four last season, also having to defend against the transfer portal. Like, why we're trying to coach these guys on the field at the most important

Colt McCoy: Not only that. They're defending they're defending their players. Yep. They don't have a spring game. There's players that they have brought in from the portal on the sidelines that played all year for a different team, standing on the sidelines of the of the Cotton Bowl.

That's weird. With a jersey on. It's like, if you're a coach, like, how do you balance all that? Like Yeah. I'm like, oh my goodness.

Travis: Getting ready for the biggest game of year.

Colt McCoy: But let

Travis: me introduce you to all this new

Colt McCoy: Let me introduce you to this new defensive line and two new receivers.

Travis: This guy has been sacking you all year. He's now one

Colt McCoy: of if you don't get them at that point, they're gonna go somewhere else. You got you you're constantly figuring that out.

Travis: Well, let's let's wrap up. So yeah. I I think the NIL stuff is fascinating. I agree it's everybody looks at agrees it's broken, but they're just all, like, looking around. Someone's gotta fix it.

Like, no one knows who.

Colt McCoy: I know.

Travis: Maybe it's the president. I don't know. But let's circle back to where we started, youth sports. If you had one piece of device for parents today who are navigating youth sports based on your perspective as a professional athlete, college athlete, and everything that you're doing and now a perspective as a parent in the same boat. Mhmm.

Like, what is your best piece of advice for parents today?

Colt McCoy: Yeah. I think we I think we hit a bunch of those things, but I would I would just encourage parents from my perspective as a as a professional athlete and the people that I've talked to and people I've been around, I would just say, like, be very careful on single sports specialization at such an early age. Right? Play all the sports Mhmm. Or do do something.

Mhmm. But, like, don't don't be seven years old, and I'm I'm only gonna do this. Yeah. And I'm gonna travel, and I'm gonna I'm gonna compete, and I'm be really good when I'm nine years old. And by the time you're 12, it's, like, kinda over.

Yeah. You know, like, guard against that. If you're a parent, guard guard against that. Like, guard against the like, there's gonna come a time where it's gonna be super competitive. There is.

Mhmm. Like, at your at your junior high, high school levels, like, that's that's really where, you know, kids grow up and the competition is all heated up and high and and it's fun. And if you were to ask me what's the what's the favorite times I've had in my career, I would say high school football.

Travis: Mhmm.

Colt McCoy: It's awesome. Yeah. With your buddies. Yeah. You've you practice hard.

You go through two a days. Like, it's fun. The the whole town's involved in the school and

Travis: Yeah.

Colt McCoy: The band and the cheerleaders and the just everything. Friday pep rallies, like, that's fun. K? Don't burn them out before they get there. Yeah.

Right? Like, guard against that. Guard against, like, you know, I gotta do more and more and more for, you know, little Susie. Mhmm. Like, maybe just come alongside her and and encourage her and be proud of her and help her out.

And if she's really interested and she really wants to keep going, great. Provide you can provide those but, like, let them play all the sports. Yeah. You know, like Totally. After school with their buddies, on the weekends.

You don't have to play in leagues. Like, going to these travel tournaments is really gonna do nothing. Just it's just not. Like Yeah. I went to Jim Ned High School, Tuscola, Texas.

Everybody knows what that is. 700 people. Yeah. It's a consolidated school district. There was no reason why I should find myself at the University of Texas as a quarterback.

Yeah. Zero reason. K? I didn't play travel ball. I didn't have travel ball.

I didn't play football till the seventh grade. Mhmm. I wanted to be a basketball player. That was my favorite sport. But somehow, someway, somebody found me on Friday night in a little two a town where there's 3,000 people at the football game.

It was like, I think this kid might be able to play college football. K? If you're good enough, they're gonna find you.

Travis: Mac Mac Brown took a four.

Colt McCoy: Just exactly. So just, like, don't don't get caught up in the I have to do this. I have no. Yeah. Like, single sport specialization drives me nuts.

Travis: Well, a new around specialization kinda drives me nuts. Like, told told my sons the other day, he's like, hey. Next fall, guess what? It ain't baseball season, steer season. We're we're gonna focus on that for

Colt McCoy: a while. And y'all

Travis: can play baseball in the spring.

Colt McCoy: And there's and I don't wanna offend anybody by saying that. I'm not trying to offend anybody by saying that. Yeah. That's my experience. And and I would just I would guard against that.

I would. Because I I think your your kids will grow up happier. I think they'll grow up better athletes by learning how to shoot a basketball, by learning how to throw a football or baseball, by carrying a stick, by whatever rollerblading on the weekends. Like, all those things are fun, and they're kids, and let them grow. But but by the way, like, they're not fully developed.

Travis: Right.

Colt McCoy: To to you know, really, I grew an inch and gained 30 pounds when I got to college. Right. So, you know, I I get it Mhmm. And I and I get the drive and I get the competitiveness. Like, if anybody understands that, it's me.

I would just say guard guard against that.

Travis: Yeah. And yeah. I agree. There's no offense, man. I mean, this this whole podcast is not about offending or casting judgment or preaching anybody.

It's Yeah. Hey. Let's just kinda rethink the way we do things. We don't have to do things just because everyone else is doing it.

Colt McCoy: Yeah. So I I last thing I'll say is, like, I think we I think we get lost in games Mhmm. More so than in, like, skills and drills and practices.

Travis: 1000%.

Colt McCoy: And I think, you know, a lot of times, like, playing games and and, you know, doubleheaders and weekend tournaments and all this, like, okay. But, like, we could get a lot better if we Mhmm. Did some did some skills and drills and made it fun. You know, like, at practice the other day for baseball, I'm like, I'm so sick and tired of these six and seven year olds who were just dragging and tired and, like, we're trying to play a baseball game. Like, nope.

Let's go buy some of these, like, gel balls, and we started playing home run derby. Mhmm. Do you can do you know how fun practice was after that? Yeah. The kids who don't hit that well hit one They got a little ball.

Yeah. And it's like, throw me a 100 more. Yeah. Right? And it's just the kids are out you know, and if a kid catches it with their glove, they get to come back and bat.

You know, they're just hitting moonshots because it's just it's fun. Yeah. And I bet at the end of the year, if you were to ask any of the little kids, hey. What was your most fun piece of baseball this year? Yeah.

They're not gonna say the the time that we went to, you know, Rocker B Ranch and played 17 games on the weekend. They're gonna say, when we played home run derby with the moon balls at practice, that was my favorite part. Yeah. That's fine. So what does that tell you?

I mean, get it?

Travis: Like Yeah. No. Yeah. I I don't get asked to coach very much, but I was I was a coach once, and I brought water balloons to practice. And I was like, smash these water balloons.

And I did. And I still get little kids who come up to me, and this was like three years ago. And they're like, aren't you the water balloon

Colt McCoy: Yep.

Travis: Coach? Like, that's me, buddy. Smash those water balloons. Yep. Well, buddy, thanks.

Let's let's keep this conversation going on a fishing boat sometime. I'm in for that. Alright. Spring spawn season.

Colt McCoy: Let's go. I've already been out there once. It was fun. Alright. Let's get out

Travis: of here. Thanks, buddy. If you like today's episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review. It really does help us get the word out. As we dive into these important conversations about safety and about community, I'm reminded of why I became a personal injury lawyer in the first place.

Every single day, I see people whose lives have been turned upside down because of some accident in one form or another. It's a confusing and overwhelming time, and it can feel impossible for folks to know where to turn. If you or someone you love have been in an accident like that and you need honest guidance, give us a call. We'll get to know you, get to know your story, and we will be with you every step of the way. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next time.