From the Founder, Brian Mazza 2/2
Experiences Ignite The Fire That Turns Dreams Into Reality
That truth was on full display this week when a group of our kids traveled to freezing Florida to train with Geoff Cameron and Brek Shea, founders of The Ground.
What I saw over the course of the week was not just improvement. It was transformation.
We completed five professional level training sessions coached by former English Premier League and United States National Soccer Team players. These were not watered down youth sessions. These were real professional environments.
Sessions were demanding. Standards were clear. Accountability was non negotiable.
And here is the part most people get wrong.
The kids loved it.
They were smiling. Competing. Leaning into discomfort. Asking questions. Taking feedback. Showing up early and leaving tired in the best possible way.
This is where the conversation around youth development usually gets twisted.
People argue development versus winning as if they are opposing forces. As if one must be sacrificed for the other. That belief creates soft environments, low expectations, and confused kids.
I believe the opposite is true.
Development and winning are not enemies. They are outcomes of the same thing.
Environment.
When children are placed in environments that expose them to a culture of winning, hard work, detailed constructive feedback, and positive expectations, something powerful happens. Development accelerates. Confidence grows. Identity forms.
Winning in this context is not about trophies. It is about standards.
Winning is learning how to prepare.
Winning is learning how to receive feedback.
Winning is learning how to respond when something is hard.
Winning is learning how to raise your level when expectations are high.
That is real development.
These kids were coached the way professionals are coached. Direct. Honest. Detailed. With belief attached to the feedback. No one was yelling for the sake of yelling. No one was coddled. Every correction came with purpose.
That is respect.
Kids rise to the level of the environment they are placed in. They do not need less pressure. They need the right pressure.
Pressure with structure.
Pressure with clarity.
Pressure with support.
That combination builds confidence that lasts.
As a coach and director, my mission has always been simple and unwavering.
Hold kids to the highest possible standard and give them an environment that allows them to meet it.
When those two things align, kids do not shrink. They expand. They start carrying themselves differently. They speak with more confidence. They trust their preparation. They stop fearing mistakes and start chasing growth.
That confidence does not stay on the field.
It shows up in school.
It shows up in friendships.
It shows up in how they handle adversity in life.
This is why experiences matter. Not because they are flashy. Not because of names or locations. But because they expose kids to what is possible when standards are real and expectations are clear.
The environment always wins.
And when you get the environment right, the results take care of themselves.
