Guest: Chris Thompson | Senior Manager of Baseball & Softball Programs, Cubs Charities
Travel baseball and softball have become increasingly expensive, but what if families didn't have to pay thousands of dollars for their kids to compete?
Chris Thompson oversees baseball and softball programming for Cubs Charities, including Cubs Nike RBI, an organization with 10 travel teams that operates at no charge to participating families.
But the program goes well beyond what happens on the field.
In this episode, Chris joins Patrick Jones to discuss how Cubs Nike RBI approaches player development, coaching, academics, and building relationships with families.
Chris also shares practical advice on running efficient practices, developing assistant coaches, evaluating players beyond their statistics, and creating an environment where young athletes can succeed.
The conversation explores two challenges facing travel baseball and softball: stay-to-play tournament policies and the shortage of umpires.
In This Episode
Why young coaches often struggle with communication and accountability
How to structure practices to maximize repetitions and minimize wasted time
Why coaches should focus on reinforcing fundamentals instead of constantly introducing new drills
What Chris has learned from Tim Corbin, Nick Saban, Patrick Murphy, and other successful coaches
The biggest issues facing travel baseball and softball
How Cubs Nike RBI provides baseball and softball opportunities without charging families
Why academic support and personal development are central to the program
How Chris evaluates players beyond batting averages and physical tools
What travel organizations should expect from parents
How to build a consistent culture across multiple teams and coaching staffs
Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Chris Thompson's coaching background
02:03 – Advice Chris would give his younger coaching self
04:14 – Lessons from teaching that translate to coaching
05:49 – Balancing new information with fundamentals
09:08 – Coaches who have influenced Chris's philosophy
13:49 – How to run more efficient practices
16:29 – Developing and managing assistant coaches
18:17 – The biggest problems in travel baseball and softball
21:20 – How the Cubs Nike RBI program operates
25:08 – Academic coaching and opportunities beyond baseball
28:35 – What Chris looks for in players and families
30:33 – Why character and accountability matter more than statistics alone
33:59 – Advice for parents of travel athletes
35:07 – The Cubs Nike RBI tryout process
36:58 – Offseason training and player development
39:11 – Managing 10 teams and multiple programs
41:15 – How to learn more about Cubs Nike RBI
Connect with Cubs Nike RBI
Email: CubsRBI@cubs.com
Follow Cubs Nike RBI on Instagram, Facebook, and X for program information and upcoming events.
About RosterPilot
RosterPilot is the recruiting operating system built for college baseball and softball coaches.
Evaluate. Recruit. Manage.
rosterpilot.com
","author_name":"Patrick Jones"}