Jay Sanders

Longtime Wichita State Pitching Coach @BrentKemnitz joined the Shane Dennis show today, recounting how he got his start with the Shockers. @ShaneDennis34 Check out the full interview here: omny.fm/shows/shane-de… #WichitasSportsLeader

Russell High School Baseball (3A ⚾️) is led by Head Coach Brandon Ridgley. As of the lastest KBCA rankings, the Broncos sit at the #6 spot. As a team, they have a record of 15-1 on the season and slayted to play #1 (2-1A) Thomas More Prep Marian this Friday. Rylee Hackmann of Sports in Kansas was at practice yesterday and caught up with Head Coach Brandon Ridgley and players Max Evans, Sam Thielen, and Jared Ford.

On the "welcome home" the girls wrestling team received after winning a State championship this year... @rhsladybwr @RussellUSD407

As an AD, I often remind parents that attraction and recruiting are not the same. Attraction is when the culture, development, and reputation of your program make athletes want to come. Recruiting is when you have to go convince and offer them something to come. When you build something people want to be part of you don’t have to recruit.

WHEN THE —— HITS THE FAN

When I was a high school principal, I interviewed a teacher named Jake Huggins. He seemed like a good candidate—friendly, experienced, and thoughtful. I believed he could be a solid addition to our faculty. But any lingering doubt disappeared when he answered one particular question. It has always been my favorite. I asked him, “Jake, in every school in America, you can place teachers on a continuum. On one end are those who don’t seem to want to be there. They’re always complaining. Their colleagues wonder why they haven’t retired yet. They drain the energy of the building. But on the other end are teachers who are excited to come to work. They love their students. They value their colleagues. They lift the spirits of everyone around them. When graduates come back, these are the teachers they want to see. So Jake… what’s the difference between these two teachers? What is the X factor? Because that’s what we’re looking for.” Most teachers answer that question by talking about passion. Or purpose. Or the desire to make a difference rather than just earn a paycheck. Those are good answers. But Jake said something different—something I’ve never forgotten. He said, “I think almost every teacher starts out idealistic. They love kids. They want to change the world. But after a few years, you hit a wall. You realize how hard this job really is. There are endless papers to grade. Some students make it incredibly challenging to teach. And parents aren’t always supportive. Some teachers never move past that reality check. They burn out. But others do. They keep their sense of purpose in spite of the challenges. The work is hard, but they remain convinced it matters. Some students are difficult, but they know those students need someone who refuses to give up on them. They face adversity, but they don’t let it steal their passion. Those are the teachers who make a difference year after year.” We hired Jake. A few years later he was named the school’s Teacher of the Year. So today, I salute Jake—and every educator who has faced that “reality check” and chosen to keep going. The ones who remember their whyon the hard days. The ones who refuse to let frustration turn into cynicism. The ones who continue to believe, even when the work is exhausting. Because those are the teachers who change lives. And they do it… year after year. Cheers, Danny

Head Coach at 26. Principal at 33. No clinic taught me these lessons. Experience did. Here are 9 lessons every young coach should hear. [THREAD] 🧵

James Franklin on having favorites: "People wonder if I'm going to have favorites. The answer to that is yes. My favorites are high production and low maintenance coaches, players, and staff."

Appreciate the NOW. Rick Pitino is spot on. Every player’s hourglass runs out faster than they think. One day, the practices, the games, the grind - it’s all gone. Cherish every rep, every moment, every opportunity. Don’t waste your sand. ⏳

Athletic Directors: You can make your own, but make sure you have some kind of checklist to ensure you get everything done pre- and post-season this fall. Here is an example of the checklist we used "back in the day". Maybe it can help someone out today.

Does your team/group/organization have rules or standards? There's a difference!!

I cannot emphasize enough how strong athletic programs can help turn around a campus academically. There may be other ways, but it is definitely a formula that works.

Great reminder! #toughallday 🤘🏽

“Some coaches brag about having 25 years of experience, but if they never grew or learned or got better — they got 1 year of experience repeated 25 times”

A must read…change your mindset, change your outcomes.

Control vs Command Control is the ability to throw strikes. Command is the ability to throw quality strikes to locations, and make hitters chase by design. Big Difference

Honestly, a quote that can be pretty applicable to just about anything in life.

Nick Saban with one of the best definitions of self-discipline: (🎥EliteSportsOS)

This is a fantastic piece of content. Well worth the 2 minutes (whether you like baseball or not).