Connections for Life: Finding Family in a Positive Team Culture with Coach Kevin Ye

Today's Play: Kevin Ye discussed the importance of instilling life values like hard work and teamwork in young athletes. He emphasizes the need for perspective, noting that sports should be enjoyable and not all-consuming. He also highlights the significance of aligning college choices with personal goals, considering factors like division level, school size, and team culture. Kevin also reflects on the support from his parents, who focused on process-oriented goals rather than results. 

Today's Coach: Kevin Ye is the co-owner of PATL, a padel company with locations in Atlanta and Louisville that offers coaching, community play, and instructions to all ages.  Previously, Kevin Ye coached college tennis at Emory University and helped the team win the NCAA Championship in 2021, two UAA titles as well as the 2018 National Indoor Team Championship. He was named the NCAA Division III Regional and National Assistant Coach of the Year as well as part of the 2023-2024 UAA Coaching Staff of the Year. He also coached competitive juniors at ACE Academy in Norcross, GA as the Head Professional of Junior Development.  In college, Ye played for Kenyon College, a NCAA Division III program in Gambier, OH. He helped lead the team to four NCAC Conference championships and reach the finals of the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2012, while the following year in 2013, helped lead the team to the NCAA Division III National Indoor Championship. 

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Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents is produced by: Amy Bryant and Sasha Melamud

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Transcript

Amy Bryant: 0:05

Hello, parents. We're back today with Kevin Yee, co owner of paddle, a Padel company with locations in Atlanta and Louisville. Kevin was also my assistant at Emory, and he also coached youth tennis in the Atlanta area for a number of years. You What are some values that you think are important for parents to teach their children, to make sure that they are leading a healthy life with their sport?

Kevin Ye: 0:35

Oh, yeah, that's a good question. Falls down to a lot of just life values, you know, working hard, showing up on time. You know, putting the effort all these things, I think, are very important to kind of hammer down, especially a younger age, to create that has more of a habit, and shape them in those ways. You know, the coach also needs to make sure they're instilling those values, too. And I think at the end of the day, you know, it is a sport. It is it is supposed to be for fun. Let's not be all and be all. I know that's something that I remember you emphasizing as well when I was with you, is that there's other things happening as well in your life, in the world as well, that may sometimes be bigger, but, you know, it's again, it's fun thing, it's something we get to do. And so I think that's also really important to kind of put that in perspective. That in perspective.

Amy Bryant: 1:23

Absolutely. Yeah, I used to feel like, when I was coaching at Emory, that I lived in this bubble, and I never really understood the bubble until I left the bubble, meaning, like we would go to these tournaments and it was like, do or die, like we we wanted to win, you know, almost at all costs, right? Like this is what we've been working for. We wanted this like, you know. We went in there, like, you know, ready to eat nails, to get this done. And then the tournament would be over, win or lose. And I would walk down my street, here in my neighborhood, and not a single soul knew what I had just been through at whatever tournament we were at that felt like the world to me. But there's my neighbor, you know, Susie, pushing the baby with her husband next to her, and they're just enjoying the day in the sunshine with no idea of the war zone I had just come from, or at least the war zone I perceived it to be. It was so baffling to me how, like I would get so consumed with everything that I was doing at Emory, and that's just that perspective piece got so lost because we were a driven coaching staff. We really, you know, we had goals and we wanted to reach them, but sometimes we would lose sight of everything else that's important, and leaving the bubble was really healthy. And so I always, you know, remind my student athletes that I work with now that this feels really important in the moment, like particularly, let's, let's talk about recruiting. Right in recruiting you. Sometimes my student athletes will go to an event and there's 30 coaches lined up to watch them perform. And imagine the pressure that these student athletes are feeling like, holy cow, that's that's a lot of eyes on you. Sometimes they're 15, 1617, years old. So it's really important for them to be able to look at those eyes stare right back at them, but also to recognize that once they walk off that court and leave that tennis center or soccer field and soccer complex, or, you know, wherever they are, the pool they leave, the arena. You know, whatever it is, everyone else is doing something else, like they're all engaged in something like that. That is a small sliver of what's going on in the world right now. So that, that perspective, I think, is really important to remind our student athletes. So let's talk about recruiting. Okay, when a I mean, you always helped with recruiting at Emory when I was there and then afterwards as well. What are you what are some things you recommend recruits consider as they go about their college search?

Kevin Ye: 4:11

Yeah, I think there is the obvious, d1, d2, d3, option. I mean, I JUCO, all of that. So think there's different perspectives to kind of consider in terms of what their experience wants to be. Think in the general speaking term with division one, I think it's a little bit more sport forward. Their focus is a little bit more on their tennis and wanting to kind of surround their whole, I guess college experience around the tennis, I think that may be a little bit more for that student. I don't, I can't speak personally in D, d2 but d3 you know, it's a little bit more on the all around experience. Generally, some of the d3 schools are more academic focused as well as tennis and so. Is a little bit emphasis on a all around experience in those terms, not saying you're not gonna get that the other divisions, but that's just kind of speaking on some personal experiences there. So I think that's one thing to consider as high schoolers are looking into their schools. Are they more wanting to go to a high academic, go to more tennis focused school? Those kind of things to consider. I think the size of the school is also important to some people, like I went to a school 1600 students, and that was okay for me. For some that may not be the best choice. So I think size of school is going to be somewhat important as well as location. But I think overall, regardless of what school you you want to go to. I think it's really important to kind of, kind of consider it the coach, and then also the team, because you're going to spend a lot of time with those people. And I think I definitely encourage a lot of people to go on college visits, to be able to get to know the team, get to know the coach more kind of spend a little bit more personal one on one time with everyone is, I think, very, very important, and also kind of explore a little bit into the team culture. I think it's very important as well, and I think that's something that's sometimes can be missed. And also it's very sometimes, sometimes hard to be able to find out or kind of gather, because that is going to be also very important part of the process for players, and as they kind of figure out where they want to go to as well, and what those values of team culture could be, there's times where I've heard quite a bit, you know, going afterwards like, oh man, it just didn't have the best. So you kind of want to find that out, if you can, and kind of see, you know, how, how people enjoy being at that school and playing for that coach. I think so, important as well.

Amy Bryant: 6:41

So what, what do you think is a healthy team culture? I mean, you've been around teams. You played, like you said, at a smaller school in middle of Ohio, and farm country, Amish country, played there. You coached with me for many years. You've worked with many other athletes. Have gone to other places. What is healthy team culture, from what you've seen and what you've heard,

Kevin Ye: 7:03

yeah, I think the it's going to be definitely set, the set from the coach to start. I think a team, a healthy team culture, is everyone has very similar goals for the team, and everyone does things for the team, being able to have that mindset, like at the end of the day, you know, we're playing for each other, playing for conference championship, playing for a national championship. And so from that, showing up to practice, showing up to privates and and training. Think you know having that singular goal is good, but also, I think really importantly, is to be able to find an understanding within your teammates too, because you're not gonna be friends with every single person on your team. You're not I mean, you're gonna spend a lot of time with them. You're gonna have good friends on the team and have lifelong friends with them as well. But there's also some people you're just not gonna get along with, and that's okay, but I think at the end of the day, as long as you find that middle ground with them, you know, while you are together, while you are with them, you know you're gonna be traveling with them too and going places and playing alongside them. Sometimes they're devils partner too. And as long as you kind of find understanding, I think that's also a really good kind of life skill to have as you kind of move into the professional world, you might have to get along with every person you work with, and you're going to have to work with them directly. And if you are not able to find an understanding between them, you're not going to be able to get that common goal or a common job done. And in this case, for tennis, you know, winning a national championship, that could be that could make or break a match as well. So that is probably, in the core, root of things, one of the most important things of a team culture.

Amy Bryant: 8:41

Yep, that's great. That's really good. And you mentioned lifelong friends, didn't you start your company with a friend from Kenyon?

Kevin Ye: 8:50

That's actually correct. Yes, it's a teammate of mine. He said two years younger than me, so he came in as a freshman. I was a junior, and that's, yeah, we started this. This is almost two years ago. Now, we were out, actually, on a cabin trip out with Montana, with the eight college guys. When we're out there, not to say, I guess, too much, but you know, sometimes 3am business ideas hit, and we, we came up with this idea, and at that time, and after that, we didn't really follow up with each other for a few weeks. And he called me up and was like, Hey, I was like, Hey, I was kind of serious about doing it. And I said I was kind of serious too. And so we went from there. So six months after that, we had started breaking ground on our location here in Atlanta, and opened up just about a year ago.

Amy Bryant: 9:34

That's amazing, amazing. See, I mean these relationships that you have in college, no matter whether or not you're best friends with everyone on the team which you aren't going to be, you're still going to have these connections for life. And your network that you create in college is a network that you call upon for your future career and your future livelihood. So your perfect prime example of that, I love that to go back to the team culture. Have you ever coached anyone that just didn't have the same goals as everyone else on the team? ,

Kevin Ye: 10:07

Sure yeah, that can happen. You know, everyone has different priorities, and that's okay. I think that's it's okay to have that until it's affect the team itself. At that point, there's gonna be a crossroad of, you know, continue here, at the standards here, or goals, and if that's something that you can keep going forward with, great if not, then I think there's other paths that may be better for you and better time to spend for you as well. That could be a hard conversation to be had, but again, at the end of the day, it's that's that's just the reality of it. Maybe sometimes they didn't want to come and play tennis at that school, and could have been driven by other forces, you know, coming out of high school, and that's I've seen that happen more oftentimes, and not as well, you know, from college, from high school, from junior kids, that coach, and that's just the reality of it. And and again, at the end day, that's okay. What sometimes we see is it's tough because it's tough on the team, but also, if that's what kid wants and what that person wants, that's probably could be better for them at the end of the day.

Amy Bryant: 11:05

Yeah, yeah, they're if their goals aren't aligning with what the team goals are. So it's like you said, it's sometimes it's just better to cut ties and move on without that person. I love that. You mentioned that sometimes student athletes come to college and they're driven to join a team by other forces. What are those forces?

Kevin Ye: 11:26

Might not been their goal to start with,

Amy Bryant: 11:29

whose goal? Whose goal is it?

Kevin Ye: 11:33

I think you're trying to lead me into saying things, yeah, sometimes I think we go back to the parents, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's what we're talking about, right? So it means sometimes could be their goals. And I think it gets a point where, you know, they create that independence as well for themselves to to see, okay, maybe this isn't for me. Maybe this isn't something I wanted to and I want to explore other things, and that's okay. Nothing on the flip side, once they get to college, maybe their intention was tennis. It may not been outside forces, but other life items happen in the way. You know, I think a lot more times than not, a certain career path tends to kind of open up for them, and they want to add a little bit more. A few friends of mine growing up, they were on path to go into the medical field, and they're having two clinicals and during undergrad and things like that, and sometimes they weren't the closest, so they had to choose between tennis and their career, and that can be a tough choice in the moment. And so I've seen people, my friends, to have to make that choice and stop tennis, or almost have to choose the career path, because that's what they're going to do in the future. So I think there's sometimes parents, but also sometimes other forces like that that could create and start to shift priorities for a student athlete.

Amy Bryant: 12:49

Yeah, and you know also, I mean, sometimes to look at this in even more positive light. Sometimes student athletes come in thinking they don't really want to do this. They are pleasing their parents, like we talked about, but then they get there and they realize, oh, wait a minute, this team is exactly what I didn't even know existed. This is exactly what I needed. This is exactly like I love this family that this positive team culture has created. And again, all of that's dependent upon the culture of the team, but having that positive team culture can totally switch a young person's mindset in terms of their passion for the sport and their willingness to compete and and all that. So it can, you know, we talked a little bit about burnout before, but it can completely reverse those effects if there's positive team culture,

Kevin Ye: 13:36

great. I agree with that, and I think one aspect also that I didn't really touch up on which I think is somewhat important, as they are looking for for a team and getting recruited. But also, I guess it kind of ties into this priority and and the love for the team. And I think playing time is also a big goal to that, as well as I get into this. But I remember one player that I was coaching, he was going to college. He really wanted to play for a highly ranked team, or higher ranked team, as I'd say. And all the players are coming in are very also, highly recruited, highly talented. Some were more highly ranked than him, and so the coach had also noted, as like, Hey, you might not come in and start and play. He may have to be on the bench and train for a while before you have the opportunity. So I think that's something that you also have to weigh in as a player to know that is a possibility, and if that is okay with you, there is also other colleges that were maybe not as highly ranked, that were maybe a little bit below that school in terms of tennis rate rankings, that he could come in and instantly make an impact, and, you know, climb kind of that those lines become a higher line, whatever. And so I think that's something that they also have to think about too, because you're going to be able to get those experiences immediately from the get go, and be able to get those match experience. I call it tennis experience, kind. Quickly in those regards, as being a starter versus not, and sometimes I can be tough to have to be on the bench. But in those regards, it's everyone has a role as well. You know, whether you're not playing that day or playing that day. I mean, everyone has an important role in in in winning. And again, comes back to team culture too, is, how are those players practicing? How are, how is their attitude as well, when they don't get to play? And that could be a tough conversation to be had sometimes as well. That's really important. Something that we emphasized, I think, with you and also with Bridget too, is, you know, that's, that's an important role to play. You may get your chance, you may not get your chance. And that's a real possibility. So again, you know, kind of going back to the recruiting part of that, what is important to you, because the reality of it, as well as as more kids are coming in the next year, you may not get those experience, you may not get those master experience. And these kids are coming in arguing this match experience as a junior player, playing every day, and that could outweigh it sometimes, and that could that could make a break, but more often times than not, someone that does not get much playing time tends to continue on that, and it's hard to break out of that sometimes too. So it's something to think about, as students are going into college and choosing tools

Amy Bryant: 16:19

absolutely so what did your player do? The one that was looking at the highly ranked teams, what did he choose? He chose a highly ranked team and how to how much did he play?

Kevin Ye: 16:28

His first year, he didn't play much, and he ended up transferring out. Uh huh.

Amy Bryant: 16:33

Where did he transfer to? Did he continue with tennis or to give it up?

Kevin Ye: 16:36

No, he continued Tennessee. He transferred to another school, but where he got my time, where he could play, and how was his experience at that place? I think he had a lot better experience. You know, you go through these practices, you're training hard, you're getting up, you know, 6am go to school. You're having to balance all these and you want to see that hard work come to fruition as well. That doesn't it can be frustrating, it can be tough, and then you start to question, all right, what? What am I doing this for? And, you know, also work my whole Junior career for this experience, and I may not be getting the experience I want. So you know that that also becomes crossroads. Do I do I then focus a little bit more on other things and spend my time other ways, or do I want to go somewhere else that can make a impact right away and get that playing experience?

Amy Bryant: 17:27

Absolutely? Yeah. I mean, these are, these are big crossroad decisions, like you mentioned before, and I imagine that this player of yours was really fortunate to have you as his coach from a young age all the way through, to be able to talk these things through with him. So on that note, like, what is your fondest coaching memory?

Kevin Ye: 17:51

Oh, there's a lot. There's a lot to winning nationals in 2021 being there for that. So of course, we can't, can't beat that. I remember in 2023, we were at Nationals, and we were playing Leslie, and we always have a battle with them as the quarterfinals. And it came down. We were up four, three, and I remember look down the line six with Alexa. She was just battling out there. And, you know, starting to get tired, you know, cramping a little bit. It was, it was tough, you know, going to the third set and just trying to fight and tooth and nail and light for also, she was upset, lost second set. And, you know, both, both players are getting super tired. And, like, I unfortunately couldn't pull that one out. So it became four, all Lyda was just battling out there. It was just not of just grit at the end of the day, because the other girls started to cramp up a little bit. Eventually, when the light was a five, one couldn't really move much, kind of came down for that one moment. And, you know, I hate for the other teams that have to end it like that. It was cool, that cool, but it was good to see everyone just kind of fighting that day, you know, having that common goal, as we talked about the other day, and trying to win and win that national championship. And but it was just cool to see everyone kind of fighting to the variant. Fortunately, next round we lost. But it was a, it was a good it was a good moment for us. And so I think that was a really cool experience to have to go to the DR Dominican Republic. So I was fortunate to be in a year that we coached to have to be able to go on a national trip. Well, Eliza winning individual fall. Ita her freshman year. That was really cool to see her do that as a one last one we were at Elon, and with us was the very last match we had before we go home. So this is Sunday night, it's getting dark, long weekend full of matches. Iris was playing this one girl from Campbell University, and this was probably a two or three hour match, probably closer to three hour match. And I know some people had exams the next day. Need to go study. And so you know. So, you know, at that moment and when was just there for her, which was pretty cool, he was just grinding and battling. And it came to, I think she saved four match points and won 1513, the last, last set tie breaker. We'll just see. Like everyone was just very supportive, putting their own personal things aside for I think that was also somewhat a turning point for IRS two to realize some things that she was capable of doing.

Amy Bryant: 20:26

Yeah, it's been fun. I love, I love hearing these stories of coaches moments, because really, I mean your stories, yes, you had a couple winning stories. I just want to point out that in 2021 I was coaching, and we won the national title. In 2023 I was not coaching, you did not win the national time, just pointing that out there, not that winning is, you know, everything, as you pointed out, because you did have some memories, you know, like traveling with the team. I have so many wonderful memories, traveling with the team internationally and domestically, of course, and then, but I but the common thread through everything, really, I mean, on a serious note, the common thread is really just the grit, right? Like being as able as a coach to witness your teammates develop and execute grit in a competitive situation is, I think, the crowning achievement for a coach you know, truly. So I love that you shared those, those moments there. So as we as we wrap it up, and this is a podcast, mostly for parents, but you know, for anyone loving sports, but when you look back at your youth in college, playing career, and now your professional career in sport, with your company and coaching adults all levels, really. What was the most helpful thing your parents did to support you? ,

Kevin Ye: 21:49

Everything really? I think one of the things that we talked about Amy touched on is I didn't feel that they put that much pressure on me to perform and achieve result based goals. And I think that's a really important thing as also coach to not to focus on this. I know I wasn't, maybe in the day to day conversations when I was coaching with you, I was born part time, but when me and Bridget have conversation with the with the players, and soon at the very big thing to not have as a goal, because that's something that's out of your control. And she talked about, very happy about is, you know, controlling, controllables, and that was a big thing. That's, I think it's very important, as a parent, supporting their kids. You know, what can they do to better themselves as well? Not anything else, right? Like, that's best things that you can control. You know, the stealing, little work ethic instilling, you know, that kind of positivity to be able to kind of grind through some of the hard times, because you're going to face a lot of road bumps, you're gonna face a lot of hardships. And so question why you're doing it, and long as you have the end goal, which is okay to have an end result based goal, knowing that it may never been be achieved, that's okay, but that's something to strive for. And I think that's important to be able to have that path forward, to know that. But along the path, are you getting better at the things that you want to get better at those things that you can control? Are they being achieved? And I think that's kind of very fortunate that I've had parents to allow me to be able to have that freedom, to be able to do that. And, you know, they've always been pretty supportive of of whatever I do and going through, you know, working in the business world, they've also helped me in those regards. I feel like I've gone through an MBA throughout my childhood and fall down without having the other schools, you know, been fortunate in those regards to but, yeah, I mean, despite the cultural stigma of having Asian parents, I think they they provide me with a little bit more freedom to be able to succeed. So I appreciate that.

Amy Bryant: 23:59

That's amazing. That's amazing, like the freedom to explore process oriented goals instead of results oriented goals, which mistake across all cultures, for all parents, you know, focusing on those end results rather than the process itself. And I love that, if that's the one message that we can leave with our parents today, is to let your kids chart their own path and have their own journey and just support them on the process as they go Be great.

Kevin Ye: 24:31

I guess. One last shout out to the Emily parents. You know, when we were when I was coaching. I mean, I'm sure you can attest to this throughout your 23 years, they're very supportive as well, you know, supportive of their their kids, supportive of the team. You know, like we went to TR honest. Parents hosted us and showed us a good time. But, you know, make sure we're welcome at home. Went to LA alright. Says. Parents invited us for dinner. Went to St Louis for nationals. They host us for dinner. I remember you. Know the cash business be super, super helpful, super supportive, just a loving family. And guess it was very hot and we're running out of coolers, because I would have to fight for coolers at the at the site to give to their players. And I remember the catch business, you know, just went in and got six coolers for everyone. That was very, very nice and amazing of them. So again, it's just, you know, in those small gestures this, it's you feel, you feel that support on team like this. So it's a, again, it was tough to leave that kind of culture and that that group, but definitely, definitely miss it.

Amy Bryant: 25:40

Yeah well, I know that they missed you too, and I know those parents miss you too, because you're a great, great person. First of all, you are a great leader and a mentor to all of the students that you coached, both at Emory, both in juniors and now through Padel. I would like a Padel lesson, so let's get that on the books, Kevin and thanks again for for being here today. We appreciate it.

Unknown: 26:06

I appreciate you.

Amy Bryant: 26:13

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