Welcome to “3-3-3 with YB” — three key insights in three minutes for education-based athletics leaders.

I’m Jon Youngblood, Co-Founder of Play Axion. From 33 years in Texas education, including 500+ wins as a head basketball coach, plus serving as Stadium Manager at Dragon Stadium and Game Operations Manager, Ticket Manager, and Athletic Webmaster for all athletic events in Southlake Carroll ISD from 2012–2014, our team at Play Axion has seen what works and what doesn’t.

Today’s focus: Facility Management & Game Operations — here are three things that should make you think differently, share with your staff, and take action on.

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Insight 1: The Foundation — Your Facility Is Your Program’s Face

It’s 6 PM on Friday. The visiting band can’t find parking. Two scanners are down. Officials need locker room assignments. Parking control is battling tailgaters. Welcome to game day reality.

From my time managing Dragon Stadium, I learned this: your facility isn’t just a building — it’s your public reputation. Southlake Carroll’s standing wasn’t built only on wins; it came from delivering experiences that made every fan, player, and official feel valued.

Facility management is more than upkeep. You’re running a live event for thousands — balancing safety, revenue, and team success. 80% of game-day issues trace back to poor planning and communication gaps, which is why we built Play Axion’s facility management tools to keep operations consistent and predictable.

Bottom line: Your operations set the tone for your program’s standards. Build systems first, then layer in experiences that make people want to come back.

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Insight 2: The Challenge — Game Day Coordination Nightmares

Across the country on Friday nights, ADs juggle 20 moving parts while trying to watch the game. The biggest failure? Communication breakdowns between staff who don’t know what the others are doing.

At Dragon Stadium, we saw it firsthand: a gate crew without the latest schedule, officials arriving at the wrong locker room, and parking staff missing the updated traffic plan. One missed message can ripple into multiple failures.

What we’ve learned at Play Axion is that winning operations require three non-negotiables:

1. Clear roles for every staffer.

2. Real-time communication before, during, and after the event.

3. Contingency plans for inevitable curveballs.

Too many programs still rely on group texts and hope.

Action Step: This week, list everyone involved in game ops. Assign roles, create a shared contact sheet, and test your communication channels before you’re under pressure.

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Insight 3: The Opportunity — Tech Is Finally Catching Up

In 2025, the gap is huge: some programs run like pro franchises, others like it’s 1985. Integrated systems are the difference.

From 500+ wins to founder, I’ve seen the best programs prevent panic through preparation. At Dragon Stadium, every scenario had a protocol. Now, our team at Play Axion builds tech that anticipates problems before they start.

The payoff? Reduced stress, safer events, and community pride. Fans notice when things run smoothly — and they remember.

Challenge: Pick one headache from last season — late gate workers, lost officials, broken equipment — and explore how a digital coordination system could eliminate it. The programs that master operational tech will deliver championship-level experiences every week.

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That’s your 3-3-3 for August.
Pick one insight to share, and one action to take this month. That’s how we grow — together, one improvement at a time.

Your 3 Action Steps:

• Think: Which insight hits home for your program?

• Share: Pass one takeaway to a colleague.

• Do: Take one concrete action this month.

From 500+ wins to founder, our team at Play Axion builds solutions for the problems that matter most to educational athletics.

— YB (Jon Youngblood)
Co-Founder, Play Axion