What if leadership in youth sports was not about a title, but about choices you make on every play, in every class, and at home every day? In this down-to-earth guide for young athlete leaders, Coach Kevin Lynn McLaughlin shares practical leadership you can use right now. Drawing on years as a coach, teacher, and mentor, plus experience in law enforcement, military service, cybersecurity, and executive leadership, Coach Kevin gives you clear tools that turn effort into influence, and habits into trust. Inside The Young Athlete's Leadership Playbook, you will learn how to own your square, reset fast with E+R = O and PRE, lead when it is hard, serve others first, stay humble and hungry, act like a thermostat who sets the team's temperature, protect the culture, and leave it better. You will practice simple, repeatable habits like Celebrate, Center, Continue, the Power of Three to echo calls, Two Uplifts, One Fix to grow teammates, and Sweep the Shed to respect every space and every person who helps your team run. Short scripts show you what to say in huddles and hallways, clear examples show how leadership looks in youth sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball, softball, etc. and end of chapter actions help you put it to work today. This book is written for leaders in grades five through nine, and for the coaches and families who guide them. Whether you are a starter, a role player, or still learning the game, you can lead from where you are. You can be the leader who keeps calm under pressure, who takes feedback and turns it into better reps, who thanks people by name, and who finishes strong. Programs with leaders like that do not rise and fall with one season, they build a legacy people want to join. This is not just about playing time, this is about becoming the kind of leader others can count on. Preview Quote from the Book: "Stats fade, habits last. Lead with service, reset with purpose, finish with gratitude, and you will leave something in people that outlives the final score."