We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jocques Robinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jocques thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

Working in a low-income area, or Title I school as it’s officially called, you come across kids from all walks of life. Every student has a story — some shared, some hidden — and while many have left a mark on me, there’s one student who will forever hold a special place in my heart. I will not say his name but meeting him propelled me into what I now call the sweet spot of my career: the “why” behind my passion for education and youth athletics.

It was the beginning of the school year, and like most football seasons, coaches were on a mission — walking the halls, popping into classrooms, and visiting PE classes, all in search of potential players to fill our roster. My colleagues and I did our due diligence and felt confident about the team we assembled.

But once practice started, it hit us — we didn’t have a single player who could throw the football five yards. Not one.

Frustrated, we regrouped in the locker room, and out of nowhere, one of our players quietly said, “You know, this specific kid won the Punt, Pass, and Kick competition last year at the intermediate campus.”

I was stunned.

The same soft-spoken, shy student who barely spoke two words in my class? The last person you’d expect to have a cannon for an arm? I had to know more.

The very next day, I approached him during class. In his usual quiet way, he looked down and said, “I can’t,” when I asked why he wasn’t playing football. That answer didn’t sit right with me, so I asked him to stay after class.

That’s when I learned the truth.

his mom, and his sister were living in a local church shelter for homeless families. His mom was doing everything she could to get them back on their feet, but they could be moved at any time. They had no money for football gear, no way to pay the participation fee, and no transportation to and from practices or games.

My heart sank.

I looked him in the eyes and told him I’d speak with his mom — and we’d figure it out. If he wanted to play, we would make it happen.

And we did.

I promised his mom that her son would never have to worry about a ride home, that he and his sister would be fed, and that the coaching staff would cover his equipment and fees. It didn’t even matter if he was any good at football. Just knowing what he was enduring, and still showing up every day as a straight-A student? That was enough.

For the next two years, our coaching staff kept that promise. When the athlete moved on to high school, we kept in touch and showed up at some of his games. Our conversations were short, but meaningful.

Then came his senior year.

Every year, graduating seniors come back to the middle school in their caps and gowns, walking the halls to celebrate with former teachers. That day, the former athlete found me. He walked straight over, gave me the biggest hug, and with tears in his eyes, said one simple word: “Thank you.”

He had become a three-year varsity letterman and was being recruited by several colleges.

That moment? That was everything.

That moment reminded me that the impact we make goes far beyond wins and losses. It’s about showing up for kids, believing in them when they don’t yet believe in themselves, and helping them see a future they might not have known was possible.

That’s my “why.”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

There’s only one way to say this: I’m a guy’s guy — I’ve been about sports my entire life. From early pickup games of basketball and football, all the way to competing at the elite collegiate level in track and field, sports have always been my safe haven. They were my outlet as a kid, my structure as a teen, and my guide into adulthood.

That passion led me to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Houston Baptist University — now known as Houston Christian University. There, I didn’t just learn the Xs and Os of sports; I studied the science behind performance. Partnered with the School of Nursing, the Kinesiology program at HCU was no joke. Every class was challenging, but every hour spent gave me the foundation I needed to deeply understand the human body — how top-tier athletes maintain peak performance, and more importantly, how to build programs that develop those same fundamentals in youth athletes.

That education became the backbone of my coaching career. For the past 13 years, I’ve been teaching and training in the East Aldine community, working with thousands of kids. And one thing has always stayed the same: youth athletes need fundamentals. No matter the sport, success starts with a strong foundation.

In the classroom, we teach from the ground up — basic knowledge, then intermediate concepts, and finally complex ideas. I apply the exact same approach in my coaching: start with the basics of footwork, balance, and form, then layer in skill work, and finally grow into more advanced, sport-specific movements. Too often, coaches want to work with the “finished product” — but in East Aldine, we learned quickly that the finished product is rare. Many of our kids didn’t even know the rules or terminology of the game, let alone how to execute it.

That’s when I knew I had to create space — extra time blocks after school for kids who wanted to get better. No pressure, no judgment, just real skill work. Time to focus on the little things that make a big difference: proper footwork, game awareness, technique. Watching an athlete grow and reach a level they once struggled with — that’s the greatest win for me.

A lot of parents tell me the same story: “We paid for AAU thinking our child would get better, but after 10–15 games, they’re riding the bench and not improving.” I get it. That’s why I focus on giving kids exactly what they need — reps, development, confidence. Whether it’s shooting, dribbling, or agility, my training programs and camps are built for growth.

Last June, we held our first annual Hambrick Basketball Development Camp for ages 10–16. Over three days, we welcomed 60 boys and girls from seven different schools. We focused on building their basketball IQ, sharpening their skillsets, and giving them a platform to showcase what they’ve been working on. It was an amazing turnout — not just numbers, but energy. Giving back to the place I came from — as an Aldine I.S.D. product myself — means everything to me. I know what it’s like to grow up with limited access to gyms, courts, and resources. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to provide cost-effective, high-quality training for families in our community.

At the end of the day, this is bigger than sports. It’s about giving kids a safe place to grow, learn, and find confidence in themselves. That’s what youth development is all about — and that’s why I’m here.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Succeeding in this field takes two core traits: patience and positivity.

Patience is essential because no two kids are the same. As a trainer or coach, you have to understand that every athlete has their own timeline. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach — not every kid fits a cookie-cutter prototype. That means meeting each athlete exactly where they are — mentally and physically — and building from there. It’s about recognizing their strengths, not just pointing out their weaknesses, and learning how to guide them with both intention and empathy.

It also takes listening — really listening. Hear what the athlete wants, then blend that with what they need to grow. That’s how trust is built, and that’s where development starts.

But above all, the most important trait when working with youth is positivity.

Some kids carry weight we can’t see — they have every reason to shut down, tune out, or head down the wrong path. Being a positive presence, even for an hour a day, can be the spark that shifts their mindset. You might be the one person who believes in them, and that belief can change the trajectory of their life — both in sports and beyond.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I never really set out to build a reputation — I was just the young coach on staff for a long time. My goal wasn’t recognition; it was simple: make sure we got every ounce of talent out of the athletes we had on campus. Whatever sport I was coaching — football, basketball, track, or even supporting soccer — I gave it everything, because the kids deserved that.

The more I poured into my athletes, the more I began to see something deeper take shape. It wasn’t just about wins and losses (and trust me, we had plenty of tough seasons). It was about how I carried myself and how I treated my teams, win or lose. I never believed in yelling or belittling kids — instead, I taught. I explained. I gave them expectations they could understand and rise to. Because at the end of the day, no one knows everything, and every athlete needs someone to guide them in the right direction.

Especially in secondary education, working with teenagers, I’ve learned that real respect comes from real conversations. They respond when you take time to explain — not just demand. They don’t want to be barked at; they want to be led.

Over time, parents began to notice that approach. Many saw me coach their kids year-round — football in the fall, basketball in the winter, track in the spring — and they saw consistency. They saw someone cheering for their child no matter the sport. And when a younger sibling came up, those same families would say, “We hope Coach gets to work with them too.”

That kind of trust is earned, not claimed.

Of course, having true knowledge of the sport matters too. I continue to learn and grow, staying active as a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association and the USA Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association. That ongoing education sharpens my perspective and helps me bring the best to the athletes I serve.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: HTXRobinsonCoach_