KC’s Weekend At the St. Jude Country Cares Seminar in Memphis

It was a wonderful, enlightening, impactful weekend at the 2023 St. Jude Country Cares Seminar. The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee was swarmed with country radio DJs from across the nation, all of them eager to learn more about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital before their annual radiothons to raise money for the children.

And now that I'm back from my trip I'm so excited to share a glimpse of my experience!

This was actually not my first Country Cares seminar. I attended another in 2019 where I was able to experience the magic of St. Jude for the first time. So this time around I thought I was emotionally prepared for what was coming.

Boy was I wrong.

Throughout the weekend the ALSAC staff showed us many of the amazing ways St. Jude was fighting childhood cancer. We heard firsthand testimonies from doctors, staff, and even the patients themselves along with their parents. We were also given a tour of the facility so we could witness the amazing work of St. Jude with our own eyes.

Obviously a lot has changed in the world over the four years since my last visit. But despite the challenges that COVID and different worldwide crises have posed, St. Jude has remained steadfast in their mission. And that mission has been the same since Danny Thomas founded the hospital over 60 years ago: defeat childhood cancer once and for all.

This mission is very near and dear to many people's hearts, and the people of country radio are no exception. Randy Owen from the legendary country group Alabama has been an instrumental advocate for the children of St. Jude from the very beginning. And since then many country artists have answered the call to action and done everything they can to help the hospital.

In fact, over the weekend Brothers Osborne were presented with the Angels Among Us award for their tireless efforts to help the hospital raise money and awareness. John and T.J. were as humble as ever in accepting the award, making use of their platform to continue spotlighting the children bravely fighting some of the worst illnesses you can imagine.

In the six decades since it opened its doors, St. Jude has never once sent families a bill. The hospital completely covers medical, lodging, travel and food expenses so all the parents have to worry about is being there for their child. They're able to do that through the generosity of people like you and me.

I could go on and on, but I want to save some of my personal stories and reflections for BIG 95.7 WKML's St. Jude Radiothon in December. What I'll tell you right now is that St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the real deal. You don't often think of words like "amazing" and "incredible" when describing a hospital, but that's exactly what St. Jude is. Every doctor, nurse, and staff member there works tirelessly to give hope to families that desperately need it.

We'll have more information about our upcoming radiothon soon, but in the meantime click here to learn more about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

There are many life lessons to be taken from coaching youth sports. Sometimes, they can be the same lessons your little players are also learning. Perhaps as an adult, you are simply learning these lessons again. Or you may just be interpreting them through a different lens.

This is the first memory I have as a kid playing basketball. It's a sentence I will never forget. My coach was a former standout at the University of South Carolina. He treated us as if he was the actual Division One South Carolina coach, and we were his 5-star recruit players about to enter March Madness. We were ten years old. It sounds intense, I understand, but herein lies the first rule of coaching youth sports. There are some values that are non-negotiable.

When you break it down, these values are all centered around respect. Respect for yourself and those around you. Respect becomes a way of life. It's how an athlete carries themselves and how they approach the game. Therefore, it's important as a coach to ask yourself if respect is present in the environment you and your team are creating. It has a way of applying to everything while also being an evolving process.

Speaking of which, more often than not, youth coaches are volunteers. This means that they are not paid. Sometimes, they never even played the sport they are coaching. However, they care enough to dedicate their time and attention to help make the sporting experience memorable for the youth program. So keep that in mind and cut them some slack. This is true of referees and umpires, as well.

Coaching youth sports can be a year-round commitment. We often end one season and immediately transition to the next sport. Here are five life lessons learned from coaching youth sports.

There’s no better feeling than working tirelessly for something you really want, and then accomplishing it. Especially if you are an underdog. You learn to enjoy the struggle. It makes the reward that much sweeter. The most valuable lesson from this piece is that once you dedicate yourself to putting in whatever it takes, this becomes a mindset. No win comes for free. You aren't entitled to playing time. Both of those must be earned. There's nothing wrong with reminding yourself of that while preaching to your kids about how to get playing time.

Your definition of exercise might be a sweaty cardio workout in the gym. But as a coach, exercise has a broad meaning. Certainly, getting yourself outside with a team and teaching them the importance of stretching and preparing your body is essential to physical success. Coaching a sport like football, for example, your two hours a day on the field are laser-focused on just that. There, you are giving yourself some mental exercise, taking a break from all the other work, stress, or life-circumstances. You can forget everything else when you hit the field, court, or rink.

Whether you manage a soccer team or a sales team, you're leading a collection of individuals. What makes your top performer tick is not the same as what makes a lesser player (or employee) with potential, tick. This lesson centers around relationship-building and listening. How you run your team is about you, and how your players apply these guidelines is about them.

...Nor are they getting a full scholarship offer to a top NCAA college at this age. You may see things in your kid or another on the team where your experience makes you think a certain player has a shot at the big time. But that time is not right now. Your coaching duty is to give the best experience possible to your players. How does creating an entire game plan around one super-talented 10-year old give the other 20 kids a fair chance? How does it give them a memorable experience? Or something to build off for next year. Or confidence. Again, those refereeing your games are most likely high school or college kids themselves. They're just trying to work and earn some money. Again, cut them some slack.

Your tone in addressing your players, the refs, and the other team matters, too. Be cognizant of how you deliver your messages. You may have an incredibly impactful point to make, but if you don't articulate it correctly, and cater to your audience, it can be useless. Coaching youth sports is about the overall experience, not the final score, and not the final record. Your stats don't matter, your voice does.