I’ll share something personal. Like many parents, my wife and I bought plenty of gear over the years. The cleats.The bat.The training tools. And I remember thinking:“OK… they asked for it. We got it. We’ve done our job.” But looking back, here’s what I learned as both a parent and a coach: Buying the tools isn’t the same as building the plan. Gear creates excitement. Direction creates confidence. This time of year, excitement is high—and so is pressure. There’s a name for that pressure that I coined. FOBB—Fear Of Being Behind. Before the new year starts, it’s worth asking: Are we investing in things…or in direction? No judgment. Just perspective. I’ll be talking more about this next week. Parents—what’s been the most valuable investment you’ve made for your athlete so far? (It doesn’t have to be equipment.)