Elbow Up Youth Baseball
Tips, advice, experience, and observations, for parents and coaches, to help get the most out of the youth baseball experience! www.getelbowup.com
Thu, December 01, 2022
You Should Play Multiple Sports
I've long been a proponent of young athletes playing multiple sports. There are so many benefits to learning different skill sets, playing with different teammates, and taking mental and physical breaks from the daily grind. As summer and fall youth baseball seasons were winding down, I received a lot of questions about what to do in the off-season to help get ready for next season. I always begin my answer to this question with "take some time off" followed closely with "play another sport." And then of course we talk about lessons, strength and conditioning, family time, etc. I recently saw a Facebook post in a youth baseball group essentially downplaying the importance, or need, for playing other sports. I use this episode to refute his claims and explain why your son should be playing multiple sports in the baseball off-season. What Comes First, the Chicken or the Egg? Kids aren't just born elite athletes. Sure, there are freaks of nature that are born with more natural size, strength, speed, and agility than others, but they don't just come out of the womb ready to play in the MLB, NFL, or NBA. They are elite athletes because they played multiple sports early and often - and mostly with less structure and training than we have today. Again, and as I always say, there are exceptions. But these guys were born into families that encouraged being outside playing with balls of all sports, spent the time learning by doing, and kept their bodies moving at different speeds and in different directions for much of the year. There are others that spent their time outside the house playing football, basketball, baseball, or any other ball that would keep them away from their unfortunate situation inside the house. Often it kept them out of trouble. And the byproduct was becoming a better athlete. What if my son doesn't want to play other sports? Why even give them the option when they're young? It's not an option at my house. I literally tell my son every year, "I don't care what you do or play, but we're going to do some activity that keeps you moving and busy." Can we just do strength and conditioning? Well, you can. But there are at least two likely issues with this. One, it's expensive. The average parent, myself included, does not have the expertise or the facilities to do this correctly. To get what you need out of it, you need to go at least 3 times per week. That's going to run you MINIMUM $100 a week. Why not pay $150 for the whole basketball season, practice or play 3 days a week, learn new skills, put them outside their comfort zone, get coached by new unfamiliar coaches, and do something different? For way less money. My opinion based on experience Bottom line, your son might actually end up a Major League Hall of Famer having only played bas
Wed, November 23, 2022
Reflecting on 3 Years of Elbow Up
It's been just over three years since I published the very first Elbow Up newsletter email. In that time there have been more than 300,000 website visitors, 59,000 emails sent, and nearly 180,000 podcast downloads. While I feel like I've become more polished in my delivery of the message, the message largely hasn't changed. And actually, I'm ready to double down on a few things (definitely controversial). Three Years in Review Looking back at the opens, downloads, comments, questions, and responses, I thought it would be good to revisit the top four topics I've written about over the last three years. These topics generated the most buzz, the most feedback, and frankly the most interest from all of you. ⚾ My Oldest Son Turns 18 Today: What I Would Have Done Differently ⚾ Coaches are Ruining Young Arms ⚾ Over-coaching Ruins the Fun Youth Experience ⚾ Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Development Need Your Help If you like my content, please help me by doing the following: Ensure you're subscribed to the newsletter . Ensure you open the newsletter. It may help to go to your inbox and make sure my email is not in the promotions tab. If it is, move it over to the primary tab. Even better, once you've done this, hit reply and just send me a one-word response. This helps your email provider know I'm not spam. Subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcast player. Leave a rating in your podcast player (and a comment if it's Apple Podcasts). Send me feedback, and let me know how I can better help you! As always, thank you for listening and supporting Elbow Up Youth Baseball! If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Thu, July 22, 2021
Arm Care, Arm Health, and more with China McCarney from Jaeger Sports
🚨 You don’t want to miss this one! In addition to loads of useful information, Jaeger Sports has given me 5 sets of J-Bands along with their Throwing Manual to give away to my listeners! 🚨 Parents and Coaches, Today’s message is partially in response to my recent episodes Coaches are Ruining Youth Arms and Protecting Young Arms in Youth Baseball . I’m excited this week to bring you China McCarney from Jaeger Sports . Jaeger Sports is considered by many to be the industry leader in Arm Health, Arm Conditioning, and Mental Training for baseball players. And if you look around, you’ll see their flagship J-Bands at parks and fields all across the country. Here’s a quick breakdown of the interview, although you’ll miss out if you don’t listen to every single second of this one (plus, you want to know how to win a set of J-Bands and their throwing manual): 0:56 - Introduction 3:35 - Interview starts with China McCarney from Jaeger Sports 4:42 - What is Jaeger Sports? 6:15 - How early should we start thinking about arm health and arm conditioning? 8:42 - What is arm care? 9:48 - Warm up to throw, don’t throw to warm up! 11:20 - Explaining the WHY! 12:45 - What is a throwing program? 15:04 - Watch out for gimmicks and advertisements promising quick and unrealistic returns! 15:45 - Should you be worried if your child throws slower than his peers at a young age? (IMPORTANT!!) 21:00 - Does Jaeger Sports have a youth specific throwing program? 23:00 - How important is time off? And a discussion on year ‘round baseball. 26:00 - The mental aspect of taking time off. 28:45 - Jim Vatcher, Jaeger Sports CEO and former Major League outfielder, and how he approaches his teenage son’s baseball experience. 30:00 - Kids should have fun now so they’ll still want to be around later to develop. 30:50 - China actually founded the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation in 2017 after his own experience with being a competitive athlete. 32:32 - How important is wearing sleeves and staying warm in cooler weather? 34:10 - Pitch counts, pitch counts, pitch counts! What does Jaeger Sports think about pitch counts? 37
Fri, July 16, 2021
When Daddy Becomes Youth Baseball GM
Hello parents and coaches! It’s been a few weeks, but I’m back and ready with some great stuff. I shared a Facebook post a couple weeks ago teasing this topic. I had more comments than usual, so I knew it would be 🔥. This week I’m going to gain or lose subscribers (probably some of both) - and that’s okay. I’m not here to make friends (although it is a perk), rather to share my experience and positively impact kids and families through youth baseball. (Listen above or through your favorite podcast app, or continue reading below.) Everyone is Thinking About Next Season As the current season winds down, coaches and parents get to work figuring out what next year will look like. It happens earlier and earlier every year. Everyone has an angle. Many coaches are looking to “upgrade” their team. Some parents just want to win more. Some parents aren’t happy with their son’s playing time or position, so they’re looking to see which area teams will have openings. Here’s the thing…None of those things are bad on the surface. I mean I’m not here to say you shouldn’t want to be better, win more games, and do what’s best for your kid(s). But what about the cost? What about the collateral damage? What about the big, long term picture? And is it even worth it? Here’s a screenshot of the Facebook post I came across. Now let’s unpack all of that and talk about what nobody wants to hear. The Reality I know some guys who have played and coached at really high levels. Off the top of my head, we had an 11 year big league vet on the show , my brother was a first round draft pick, and then just the other day a kid who played on our 9U team 9 years ago was taken in almost the same spot in the draft (I’ll talk about him and that season more below) . All those guys got (or will get) big money relative to what most of us will ever make - especially playing a sport. But here’s the thing - that’s not realistic for 99% of us. It’s just not. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best and help our kids succeed, but it means we shouldn’t treat youth baseball like we’re playing for a World Series and our career is on the line. In fact, what’s on the line is much much more important - the future of our kids. The Root of the Madness There are two main reasons daddy’s become youth baseball General Managers and parents jockey to find the ‘best team’ for their kid. For those that may not know, a General Manager in Major League Baseball is the person responsible for building the best team possible, making trades, drafting and cutting players, and ultimately is held accountable for an organization’s success or
Wed, June 02, 2021
Over-Coaching Ruins the Fun Youth Experience
Parents and Coaches, This week I recorded a version of a written article I wrote back in 2019. Not only is it still relevant, it’s something I personally still struggle with and see every single week on every single team. Please take the time to read below or listen above, and I’d ask that you share this either on social media or with 2 or 3 other parents or coaches today! Thank you for being a part of the Elbow Up community, and if you don’t get these in your inbox each week, what are you waiting for? 😉 Eight year old Tommy steps into the on deck circle and takes a couple of swings, halfway distracted by the young child crying in the stands through the fence. One of his coaches (who is also his dad) looks over at him. “You’re dropping your hands. Come on, swing like you will in the game.” Tommy tries to refocus but before he’s able to swing, the previous batter is out and he’s up to bat. He trots out to the batter’s box, excited for the opportunity to hit! “Back up in the box! Look at your feet! Now get that elbow up!” Swing and miss. “You’re pulling your head out. Keep your head down” Foul ball. “You’re stepping out. You have to step to the pitcher or you’re never going to hit it!” Swing and miss. Strike three. Tommy trots back to the dugout only to be met by his coach (and dad) who repeats everything he said over the past three pitches. Tommy’s disheartened. Not because he struck out. Because he just received 7 different instructions during a live at bat, he struck out in front of everyone, and worst of all he feels like he’ll never be able to do everything his dad told him all at once. It’s a vicious cycle that will only get worse. Over-coaching is one of the worst things you can do as a parent or coach. It’s something I’ve fought myself for years. It really becomes debilitating to the player and amplifies any failure they may experience on the field. At this age, if they don’t have it, or know it, before they get into the batter’s box, they’re not going to. Keep in mind, there are certainly times to teach during a live game. Situational learning happens in a game because it’s very difficult to replicate in practice, especially at a young age. Working on who covers second, who the cut man is, where to throw the ball in a certain situation. Those are all things I may mention to a player between batters or innings in a positive way so they get feedback as soon as it happens. Hitting and pitching mechanics aren’t that easy to learn during the middle of a game. These are things that should be practiced over and over before the game, so that when they get in the game it’s a learned movement or skill that comes natural. I’m actively looking for sponsors for the weekly podcast. I’ll be picky and only partne
Thu, May 27, 2021
Dealing with Umpires in Youth Baseball
Parents and Coaches, This week I’m talking about umpires. Before I jump into it, if you haven’t already subscribed, do so now so you don’t miss any future episodes. It’s free, and I’ll send you an email when I post an article or new episode! Umpires are just as much a part of baseball as are hitters and pitchers, but in almost every game I coach I see other parents and coaches interacting with umpires in ways that not only won’t help them get any future calls but also sets a bad example for their kids and players. In this week’s episode, I talk about what makes a good umpire, my own experience with umpires (I’ve shown myself a time or two), how to interact with umpires, and how to talk to your kids and players about how to handle bad (or questionable) calls. Enjoy the episode, and leave a comment with your feedback, questions, or your own experiences. Thanks for listening - see you next time! Kevin P.S. Would you take a few seconds and share this with a friend? Use the button below or just forward the email! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Wed, May 19, 2021
Part 2: Mike Steele Coaches Cleveland Indians and Son's Youth Team, Talks State of Youth Baseball
Parents and Coaches, In this episode I finished up the Mike Steele interview from last week, and just as in part one - he didn’t disappoint. If you missed part one, go listen to it first , then come back and catch part two here! Please let me know what you think and if you’d like to hear more from Mike. He’s committed to joining me again, as well as collaborating for a monthly listener-generated Q&A session - just for you! Thanks again for listening. Would you consider sharing Elbow Up with a friend? ⚾ 0:00 - Audio Clip from Part One ⚾ 1:51 - Introduction Mike Steele played high school, college, and pro ball. He spent 7 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pitching coach. He’s also served as the pitching coach at three Division I universities - Michigan State University, Long Beach State University, and Wichita State University. Mike is now based out of Phoenix, Arizona with the Cleveland Indians as a minor league pitching coach. He works during Spring Training with all levels of Indians’ pitchers, and then remains in Phoenix throughout the rest of the year with their Rookie level minor league team. In addition to his lengthy baseball career, Mike’s most important job now is being a father, which also includes coaching his son’s 13 year old summer team. I know a lot of youth league coaches that have played the game at a high level, but I’ve never come across a professional baseball coach who also coaches his son’s team (at the same time). ⚾ 5:50 - We’re Forcing Kids to Play Scared The fear comes from a lack of competitiveness. They haven’t done it enough to be confident, so we should focus on competing and how to bounce back. Kids are too young to have the right level of confidence, but we’re also not encouraging them to compete. Instead we’re trying to build mechanical machines. ⚾ 9:11 - Epidemic of Parents and Coaches Focusing on the Wrong Things Specifically, parents and coaches are more worried about winning than developing boys to be men. We should be developing the person first, and then the players. ⚾ 11:15 - Risk of Boys Growing Up Having a Transactional Relationship with Everything in Life This includes baseball, work, women. And if they don’t see immediate positive results, they’ll quit, or give up on it. ⚾ 13:52 - Being Good Doesn’t Always Equal Development Most of the best teams at the young ages just have the best athletes, and is not a good predictor of long term baseball success. The two guys from his 12U little league state championship team, the two guys that ultimately played professional baseball were the last two guys anyone would have thou
Wed, May 12, 2021
Part 1: Mike Steele Coaches Cleveland Indians and Son's Youth Team, Talks State of Youth Baseball
Parents and Coaches, This is one of my favorite episodes so far! It was an hour long, so I split it into two parts. Be sure to subscribe to my free emails so you won’t miss part two! This is definitely one you need to listen to, but here’s an outline of the episode and part one of my interview with Cleveland Indians pitching coach, youth baseball coach, and dad, Mike Steele! (remember, you can also subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast player) ⚾ 1:00 - Introduction Mike Steele played high school, college, and pro ball. He spent 7 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pitching coach. He’s also served as the pitching coach at three Division I universities - Michigan State University, Long Beach State University, and Wichita State University. Mike is now based out of Phoenix, Arizona with the Cleveland Indians as a minor league pitching coach. He works during Spring Training with all levels of Indians’ pitchers, and then remains in Phoenix throughout the rest of the year with their Rookie level minor league team. In addition to his lengthy baseball career, Mike’s most important job now is being a father, which also includes coaching his son’s 13 year old summer team. I know a lot of youth league coaches that have played the game at a high level, but I’ve never come across a professional baseball coach who also coaches his son’s team (at the same time). ⚾ 3:30 - Interview Starts Mike was a good player, not a great player He was middle of the pack compared to his peers Didn’t get any offers out of high school; went JUCO Played 6.5 seasons in pro ball Had Tommy John and shoulder surgery Start coaching career at Michigan State once he got married Left coaching to work for Bo Jackson and John Cangelosi with the Illinois Sparks Went back to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pitching coach and a scout Pitching coach at Long Beach State and Wichita State for two years each Was offered a job and currently coaches with the Cleveland Indians ⚾ 10:50 - Why Mike Reached Out Mike came across my episode about how Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Player Development Commented and agreed saying the current youth baseball environment is destroying our kids’ development Mike recently realized after coaching a tournament, parents have so much anxiety around their kids’ performance And how much pressure is put on our kids during their teenage years And all of it is for the purpose of winning a ring that really means nothing ⚾ 13:55 - Thoughts on Rings for the “Toilet Bowl” Bracket Mike talked about the difference between getting trophies and rings for participating vs the rings he got g
Mon, April 19, 2021
Protecting Young Arms in Youth Baseball
Every week I write an email and record a podcast discussing how we can make youth baseball better for our kids. If you would like to receive it directly in your inbox, subscribe now. Read this week’s email below, or listen to the audio version with more detail above. In my last episode I was extremely blunt about how youth Coaches are Ruining Young Arms . I knew it had the potential to be a controversial post, but instead of controversial, it seemed to have resonated with thousands of parents and coaches across the country - so I decided to do a follow up with some information on how to protect these young arms. In less than a week, it’s already my second most downloaded episode since I’ve been doing the show. It’s also the most shared on social with more than 500 shares, more than 1,500 comments, and more than 3,000 reactions - on Facebook alone! 99.9% of everyone that commented or responded agreed with my message, which is great news for the future of arm care! Now we just have to keep the momentum going, and continue to shine the light on this epidemic. I also plan to do additional episodes where I interview professional coaches and sports medicine doctor’s to discuss at a more granular level. I already have an SEC pitching coach and SEC team physician (from different schools) lined up to appear on the show. If you’re not subscribed, do so now for free, and I’ll send you a quick email when those are published! After reading and responding to hundreds of comments, emails, and messages, here’s a few additional thoughts regarding arm health in young baseball players. What About the Parent’s Responsibility? The most common comment in response was that parents are more to blame. They should step up and not allow coaches to continue overusing their kids. While I agree with this in theory, here’s why I’m targeting coaches. Coaches are the ones in a position of authority. Coaching a team of children (yes, that’s what they are) is an enormous responsibility, and not one we should take lightly. Coaches are the ones making out the lineup. I may have been influenced by parents a time or two in my early coaching days, but I’m the one that penciled in the lineup - not a parent. As coaches, we’re supposed to know better. A parent literally hands their kid over to us for many hours every single week. It’s our responsibility to keep them healthy and safe. Now, parents do play a major role. Parents should not stand idly by while coaches abuse young arms. As I mentioned in the last episode, there’s a way to handle parent-coach communication, and I would ALWAYS start with handling this like adults and away from the field. But if a conversation about arm health and overuse doesn’t work, you must put your foot down. If tha
Fri, April 09, 2021
Coaches are Ruining Young Arms
Help me spread the word and make youth baseball better. Get my newsletter and podcast for free! As we (hopefully) begin to move out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have an epidemic right here in youth baseball - and it’s worse than ever! This is a relatively new issue that has been exacerbated by the increased participation in “travel” and “select” baseball, and coach’s increasing desire to chase wins and trophies (or rings). I talked a few weeks ago about how weekend tournaments are ruining youth baseball , and a large part of that is how chasing wins leads irresponsible coaches to overuse young pitchers. If you missed that one, go back and check it out, but subscribe now for free so you won’t miss anything else! I’ve had this on my mind a recently, and I’ve seen example after example of overuse being shared on social media. GameChanger box scores are being shared showing 9 and 10 year olds throwing 80+ pitches. 9 year olds are throwing complete games on Saturday and then again on Sunday. I see it here locally all the time. And it’s not just one team or coach. There are some that are worse than others, but the bottom line is, we have to do better! ⚾ Why is it bad? There are volumes and volumes of research and publications from orthopedic surgeons calling for less use and plenty of rest in young arms, so I won’t bore you with the details - but the bottom line is elbow surgeries in young baseball players have skyrocketed. Sports medicine experts have called it an epidemic driven by the expansion of youth sports leagues, the rise in the number of kids focusing on just one sport and playing it year-round, competitive pressure, and myths about the procedure. The bigger issue for younger players is they probably won’t see the negative effects right away. In fact, it could be years down the road. That’s what makes this even worse to me. Youth coaches are so selfish, they’re abusing young arms in games that don’t matter, and when the kid gets to a level where it does matter, his arm (and possibly his career) is ruined. ⚾ How to stop it? The best way to handle this is for coaches and parents to just use common sense. Throw a responsible number of pitches and then ensure there is plenty of rest before throwing again. But let’s talk about some specifics. Pitch Counts The very first effort to limit overuse came in the form of regulating innings pitched. A few leagues and tournaments still do this, but a lot of leagues and tournaments are using pitch count guidelines. Even if a tournament only tracks innings pitched, we should all be using our own pitch count tracking as well. I’ve added a nice inexpensive pitch counter to my product idea list on Amazo
Wed, March 03, 2021
A Better Approach to Weekend Tournaments
I’ve spent the last two articles/episodes talking about how weekend tournaments are ruining youth baseball player development. Just to clarify one last time - I didn’t say weekend tournaments are ruining youth baseball - I said they are ruining youth baseball player development! This time, I want to talk about a few things you and I can do to help fix this and allow our players and teams to get the most out of their current experience without sacrificing their long term development. Listen 🎧 above or read 📖 below! Enjoy! Also, subscribe for free so you don’t miss any of my articles and episodes! Quick Recap of the Problem The thing is, it’s not really just the tournaments. It’s how we as parents and coaches are doing it. And remember, there are exceptions, however we’re all at risk of falling into this trap. I went into detail of the issues in part one here and part two here . Don’t just take my word for it. Check out this comment on the original post that came from a current pitching coach in the Cleveland Indians organization (who is a former college coach and also a dad of good youth baseball players): Here are the headlines, but listen to the audio version for a quick summary of each: ⚾ Coaches (and parents) chase the wins instead of long term development. ⚾ Young players are not ready for this type of baseball. ⚾ High costs keep many from being able to play. ⚾ Week after week grind monopolizes time. ⚾ Being good and winning doesn’t always equal development. ⚾ It’s not like any other level of baseball. ⚾ Kids don’t get to learn how to be baseball players. How to Fix or Avoid These Pitfalls I’ve got a few ideas, and I could talk about this for days. For now, I’ll break this up into two sections - what I like to call the the strategic and then the tactical approaches. The Strategic (or Philosophical) Approach This is your mental approach - your philosophy as a parent and/or coach. Literally how you think and approach the season, the games, the practices, the ups and the downs. This is the culture you have on your team, or in your house. To figure out what your approach is, and more importantly what it should be, ask yourself, and answer, these questions: ⚾ What are your goals? ( check out one of my first episodes about this ) ⚾ Is winning going to be the priority? ⚾ What about development? Where does that fall into the priority list? ⚾ How about fun? Where does that fall? ⚾ What do we wa
Tue, March 02, 2021
More Reasons Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Player Development
🛑 This is a follow up article and episode to my last post where I explained why weekend tournaments are ruining youth baseball player development . Don’t worry, there will be a third part where I outline some ideas to fix this! You can click play above to listen 🎧 or scroll down to read 📖 the article below. If you enjoy my content, consider subscribing for free. You’ll get an email every time I release a new article or episode, and you’ll have access to my archive of public posts! Wow! 😮 🤩 What a response to last week’s episode on why weekend tournaments were ruining youth baseball player development . At the time of this recording, which is about 80 hours later, there have been over 32,000 views and more than 29,000 podcast downloads. So before I go any further, thank YOU for reading, listening, and subscribing so you don’t miss the next one! The purpose of Elbow Up was to share my experiences in hopes I could help a few parents or coaches get the most out of their youth baseball experience. What’s great about the response to this topic is not just the views and downloads, but the fact that so many people are passionate about this topic. I even appreciate those that disagree with me. The conversation is what’s important, and that’s the first step! Now, I really was planning to publish a part two where I outlined some of the ideas I have for fixing this systemic issue I outlined in part one. But after reading literally more than 2,300 comments on various social media posts, groups, and threads, I decided I needed to go a little deeper into the issue. I want to explain a few of the things I said in part one, and then add a few more things that I’ve been thinking about since. Let’s Clarify a Few Things ⚾ There are always exceptions. It’s important to note that teams who I believe do it the right way really do exist. They’re just few and far between. A few folks left feedback saying they never had an experience like I had explained. Or their coach focused on development first. Or they only played in a tournament every other weekend. That’s wonderful! Unfortunately though, that’s the exception and not the rule. ⚾ I’m not Hating on Tournament Directors It’s not tournament directors’ job to develop our kids, nor did I say it was! I believe most of the feedback that had to do with this was people reading the headline and not listening to or reading the context and details. Most of the tournament directors I know do a fine job. There’s nothing wrong with hosting a tournament every single weekend throughout the
Fri, February 26, 2021
Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Player Development
🛑 Before you go any further - this is part one of a two part series. Links for parts two and three are at the end of this! You can click play above to listen 🎧 or scroll down to read 📖 the article below. If you enjoy my content, consider subscribing for free. You’ll get an email every time I release a new article or episode, and you’ll have access to my archive of public posts! This may be one of the most controversial posts I’ve written or recorded since my Dizzy Dean post that helped kick off the Elbow Up era! In that article I argued that they, and many other ‘Little League’ type organizations, had doomed themselves with a failure to evolve as the youth sports landscape had shifted. Now, as those organizations have seen a mass exodus of young players, the pendulum has swung in the completely opposite direction. All we have now are two day tournaments every weekend for 9 months out of the year that is killing youth baseball player development. The answer is not to go back to the old way of recreational leagues and all-stars, but to find a middle ground that promotes player development AND competition, while remaining flexible and affordable. And that’s going to be difficult. ⚾ The Problem I’ve been thinking about this for some time, but didn’t really know which angle to tackle it from. Simply put, the current “select” or “travel ball” environment fails at player development because it puts coaches in a must-win mentality every game, every week. Coaches are constantly thinking about seeding, the elimination bracket, who they’re going to play next, how many runs can they give up, who might pitch next, and who would be available to pitch then. None of that is really something that should be a priority week in and week out for youth coaches. Now before everyone gets upset and sends hate mail, I’m not against tournaments. I’m also not against winning, or playing to win. As I’ve stated on here regularly I want to win every time I step onto the field. ⚾ Young Players Aren’t Ready for this Type of Baseball Let’s start backwards with the older age groups and more advanced baseball. I’m talking 15U and above select, or travel, baseball. Weekend tournaments are fine. Teams are typically built for them. By this age, the player pool has been somewhat filtered, and the talent gap has closed (relatively speaking). Coaches know who pitches and who doesn’t, and the focus begins to shift from fun and development to competition and working on playing in college. At this age, most kids still playing are playing in high school, they have a primary position or two, and they understand the game (again, relatively speaking). You’ll even see quite a few POs, which is short for ‘pitcher-only.’ <br
Wed, February 24, 2021
Parent-Coach Communication is Critical to Team and Individual Success
What’s up, youth baseball nation! On today’s episode I spend about 20 minutes talking about communication between coaches and parents - communication that’s a two-way street. We had our first team practice of the season last night and kicked it off with a parent meeting. While I had another topic teed up for today, I felt like this was a great topic for everyone to see/hear at the beginning of the season. While I keep saying there’s no magic pill for success, your youth baseball experience will be greatly improved if healthy communication remains a priority for you and your team! If you can’t listen, the audio transcript will be available online by end of day! Thanks again for being a part of the community. Please leave a comment, like the post, and share with a friend. Kevin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Mon, February 22, 2021
One Size Fits All Approach Doesn't Work
While this is a podcast episode, I’ve provided the written form below in case you’d prefer to read. Thanks again for supporting Elbow Up Youth Baseball! I’ve also changed it up a little moving into 2021. This episode is only 6 minutes long! Less time per episode allows me to publish more content and cover more topics. It’s also easier for you to listen to the whole episode during your commute or quick break. Give it a few weeks and let me know if you like it! It's Monday, February 22, and Spring baseball season is all but here. Major League pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training last week, high school's can now officially practice in many parts of the country, and youth teams are ready to begin. While we all want to be successful - whatever that means - there's something important I want to remind you of. Every youth player, parent, coach, and team is different. There is no one size fits all. Skill level is different. Talent level is different. Success has a different meaning for each of you. And that's okay! That's what I want you to remember as this season gets underway. I try to talk about topics at Elbow Up that most of you can relate to, or that have the best chance of helping the majority of my audience. That being said, there will always be some of you that can't relate to what I say….Or maybe my advice won't help in your specific circumstance....and that's okay too! Just as each of you listening is different, we must remember the kids we are coaching are different as well. And we should keep that in mind when teaching, coaching, and mentoring them. Some come from affluent two-parent families where baseball is just another fun activity. Others come from families where they get no support or encouragement from their home, and the baseball field may be their only chance at getting that, or seeing success. Think about this - as a coach or parent on a team - you may be the only encouragement that kid may get for the entire week. Don't miss the opportunity to tailor your approach to make the most positive impact on that kid's life. As usual, I like to relate everything to sports. I use this approach at work with my employees. Every person's circumstances are different. Every person has a different background and set of life experiences that shape their outlook, and I have found the most success in approaching them all differently. This doesn't mean we have different standards across our teams. We should maintain high standards for all of our players, parents, and coaches...It's just important to remember that how we influence and approach each of them must be different in order to maximize the experience and outcome! If this email was forwarded to you, join the community for free and get notified when the next episode or article is published! For parents - Don't get caught up in comparing your child
Thu, January 14, 2021
012: A Good Off-Season is Critical to In-Season Success
Happy New Year! 2021 is here, and the Spring baseball season is right around the corner. How have you handled the off-season? Do you have a plan for your son or team for the next couple of months? If not, it’s not too late! Click play to listen 🎧 or read below 📝 ! First, some housekeeping. Everyone’s schedule is crazy towards the end of the year, so in case you’ve had other things on your mind, here’s a few updates: ⚾ If you missed my last podcast with 11-year MLB veteran turned youth baseball coach and dad, Shawn Kelley, you’ve got to go back and listen . I can’t wait for part 2! ⚾ My youth off-season throwing program went live. Premium subscribers should have received it in their email and can access it here . If you’re not a premium subscriber but still want the program, you can purchase it here . ⚾ As you prepare for the upcoming season, I’d like you to revisit one of my favorite posts - Focusing on Winning is a Race to the Bottom . The off-season has always been important, but it’s more critical than ever now that young kids are playing organized baseball 9 and 10 months out of the year. As we approach the end of 2020, there is still time to take advantage of the off-season, and get ready to show up healthy, refreshed, and improved for 2021. A successful (and healthy) off-season includes three key components: Time Off / Rest Developing a Plan Accountability (Sticking to the Plan) Time Off Young guys are playing longer than they ever have before. Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons run together, and arms are being overused everywhere and at all ages - but especially the younger ages! While it can be tempting to continue to throw into the winter months, it’s extremely important to take some time off and let the body rest - specifically the arm. It’s also important to do other things. Clear the mind of baseball and get another hobby, spend family time together, learn something new. Enjoy it! Common myths, or excuses, I hear from parents who continue to work without rest often include: “My kid just loves it so much. He wants to be out there throwing every single day.” I understand this, however you are the parent and adult. Rest is important, and taking weeks (even months) off from throwing is healthy and needed. Your child also loves playing XBox but yo
Tue, December 01, 2020
011: MLB Veteran Shawn Kelley on Youth Baseball Today
All subscribers get my weekly article or podcast delivered directly to their inbox. If you are reading this and aren’t subscribed, what are you waiting for? Shawn Kelley played 11 seasons of Major League Baseball from 2009-2019, pitching in 493 games with 6 different teams. Now he’s a dad coaching his son’s 9 year old baseball team. We spent half an hour talking about his youth baseball experience and now his experience coaching his son. And it’s pure gold! So far I’ve written 20 email newsletter articles and recorded 10 podcast episodes telling you many of the things I’ve learned as a player, coach, and dad. This week I recorded my first interview on my quest to share other perspectives and provide you with as much information as possible. I couldn’t think of a better one to start with than a guy who had a successful career at literally every level of baseball, retired, and now coaches his own son’s team. His transparency and frustration with today’s youth game is compelling, and it makes sense. We talked about… his youth baseball experience; his son’s youth baseball experience; playing multiple sports; playing baseball year ‘round; parent and coaches having a fear of missing out; learning/having a high baseball IQ; how to handle your son not being the best player; his thoughts on the current state of youth baseball; and much more! Click the play button above, or listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or Google Podcasts to this week’s interview. If you like it, be sure to share with a friend! If you enjoyed this format and new perspective, hit the ❤️ button, leave a comment, and share with a friend. Thanks again! Kevin P.S. The first premium content is ready. Thank you for your patience! The off-season throwing program will be sent out to premium members tonight. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Wed, November 25, 2020
010: Maximize Player and Team Development with the Right Team Size
Good evening! As we enter our third week of the off-season, I’m really looking for topics that challenge the way everyone does things. There are so many examples in youth baseball of coaches and parents doing things just because everyone else does. Instead of falling in line and being like everyone else, let’s look at how we can do things differently, and better, and create a better experience for our kids and families. There are many factors that influence how fast (or slow) a player and team develop. One often overlooked factor is team size - how many kids are on the team. This week I talk about the right team size and how it impacts player and team development - both for the good and the bad. Are you carrying too many kids on your team? Listen above for my thoughts, and then I’d love to hear your comments, questions, and feedback. Hit reply and let me know. You can also like and comment with the big blue button at the bottom of this email. Thanks for supporting youth baseball and the Elbow Up community. I hope you have a happy, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving! I’ve been talking for several weeks about my youth off-season throwing program and other resources to help youth baseball coaches and parents. I’m finally ready to make some of those available! Look for an email Thursday night or Friday morning with more info! Premium subscribers will get access to everything at no additional charge. If you’re not a premium subscriber, consider supporting my work for just $6 a month or $60 a year. It’s easy, and something every parent and coach should have! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Wed, November 11, 2020
009: Start Planning for the Off-Season and Listener Q&A
My weekly article and podcast will always be free, but if you find value in the work I do, consider becoming a premium subscriber today for the full experience! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Most teams have finished up their fall baseball seasons, while a few lucky enough to have good weather may have a few weeks left. Either way, it’s time to start planning for the off-season. In preparation for next week’s episode where I’ll focus solely on the off-season, this week I give you some homework to be done before the next episode. Also, I answer three questions I’ve received from readers and listeners over the past couple of weeks. Topics include: ❓ AA, AAA, Majors classifications ❓ How much it costs to play and operate a team ❓ Factors to consider when choosing a team Please take a listen, leave a comment, reply with feedback, and tune in next week as things are really picking up in the Elbow Up Youth Baseball community. As always, thanks for listening, and please consider sharing with another parent or coach! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Tue, November 03, 2020
008: Team Practices are for Team Activities
Happy Tuesday, and happy Election Day! I will not discuss politics except to say, go vote ! And no matter who wins the election, we’ll continue to play youth baseball, and I’ll continue to do Elbow Up! Before I get into this week’s topic, I wanted to clarify something from last week. If you missed it, you can go back and listen here . I talked about not coaching mechanics during games. I got more push back last week from parents than I have with any other topic so far. Push back isn’t necessarily bad, but let me clarify. I’m not saying you should never mention mechanics in a game. There are small things or simple cues that you can mention during a game in some situations and depending on the skill level and ability of the child/player. You’ll treat this different if you coach a more advanced 15U team than you would a 9U team. The point is to let them play. Focus on playing the game, the situations, how they react. Video and take notes so you’ll remember and can show them later. Use individual practice time to work on mechanics. Now, this week’s episode may seem to be geared towards coaches, but it’s just as important for parents to hear. In fact, developing your child into a better baseball player is a partnership. I encourage you to listen for the full details, and here’s a few of the things I hit on: Quick clarification of last week Disagreeing with me is not bad We don’t practice enough We need team practice to practice ‘team things’ Individual practice doesn’t really happen at team practice (for most) Coaches need to schedule planned team practices Coaches should partner with parents, set expectations, and encourage work at home and on the side Parents also need to understand and have realistic expectations Keep listening to and reading Elbow Up for how to help get this done Become a premium subscriber for even more help! Obviously there are exceptions, but this is all accurate for more than 90% of 12U and younger teams unless you have a very large coaching staff, a lot of time, and many practices I loved all the feedback from last week. Hit reply to this email, click through to leave a comment, or look me up on Twitter or Facebook to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and listening! Have a great Tuesday! Kevin About Kevin Kevin Burke is a dad and coach, having coached baseball at all ages tee ball through varsity high school over the last 18 years . He currently coaches his younger son’s 9U “travel” team, Tennessee Prime, based out of Chattanooga, TN. Get in Touch Follow on <a target='_blank' href='htt
Tue, October 27, 2020
007: Just Say No to In-Game Mechanics Coaching
My weekly article and podcast will always be free, but if you find value in the work I do, consider becoming a premium subscriber today for the full experience! We all do it. We have the best intentions, but unfortunately we’re not helping. We’re hurting. Stop the in-game coaching mechanics, and let them play. Let them use what you’ve taught them during the week, what they already know. Let them have fun. Don’t criticize everything. Don’t turn what should be a fun game into a negative experience. NOTE: There are times when making a simple correction is okay, especially for older players. But not a weekend goes by where I don’t see multiple coaches and parents making multiple adjustments during the game to their kids and players. As always, listen to the podcast above or on your favorite podcast player here . I don’t think most of us realize how turning a youth league baseball game that’s supposed to be fun into a near-constant negative experience can negatively impact a player’s development. What we say is intended to adjust and help. What they hear is “I’m doing it wrong again…” I really wish you would listen to this week’s episode. Writing it out just doesn’t do this one justice. Here’s a quick overview that may help with navigation if you’d rather not listen all the way through: 0:39 - Episode Introduction 3:19 - My Weekend Recap: 93-pitch complete game by 10U pitcher 🤨 9:03 - Coaching mechanics during the game, and why it’s bad 16:39 - How many things a human brain can focus on at one time 19:50 - My personal story related to this Once you listen, please consider sharing with other parents and coaches that you know. If you’re receiving this email from a friend, subscribe so you don’t miss future emails and episodes! Click the ❤️ below and leave a comment 💬 to let me hear from you and what you thought about this week’s message. Thanks again for your support and helping make youth baseball better! Kevin About Kevin Kevin Burke is a dad and coach, having coached baseball at all ages tee ball through varsity high school over the last 18 years . He currently coaches his younger son’s 9U “travel” team, Tennessee Prime, based out of Chattanooga, TN. Get in Touch Follow on Twitter Contact directly in Messenger Like Facebook page This is a public episode. If you would like to dis
Tue, October 20, 2020
006: What Should Your Off-Season Look Like?
Elbow Up is a free weekly newsletter and podcast for youth baseball parents and coaches. I recently launched a premium subscription with a few extra benefits. Check it out ! Playing year ‘round baseball is a rather new phenomenon. I’m 36 years old, and 20 years ago playing outside of Spring and Summer was not mainstream. Now, you’d be challenged to find a “travel” team that doesn’t play a fall season and workout during the winter months. If we consider playing a fall season is a given for most “competitive” teams and players, what should the off-season look like? And by off-season, I mean November through February. Take Some Time Off First, it’s really important to take some time off. Don’t take a week off. Take two months off! Let your body rest, relax, and heal While younger athletes’ bodies don’t necessarily need as much time to recover than older players, it’s still important to let our bodies heal. Baseball is particularly tough on joints like shoulders and elbows. Playing March through October can really put a strain on these joints. Take some time (months!) completely off from throwing. Give your family a break from the grind We all LOVE spending time on the baseball field. Our family loves the other families we play with. They’re really our big extended family. But we still need a break from the multi-day baseball commitment each week. Spend some time outside, doing different things, hanging out with different people, and catching up on everything you got behind on since baseball season started. Work on other sports, and being a better athlete Besides resting your body, this one is the next most important reason to take time off from baseball. Young players especially need to do different activities. Play flag football, play basketball, do a non-sports activity, just do something. Kids need to learn how to compete in other activities. Being exposed to new and different challenges, learning how to compete in a different environment, and experiencing new coaches and teammates will ultimately make them a better baseball player in the long run. Put in the Work to Get Better For players under 13 (and maybe even older), I’m a big fan of taking November and December completely off. Once the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to work. Establish goals and focus on YOU When the time does come to start back, focus on YOU. Listen, if you plan to chase the best players at a young age, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Work on what YOU need to work on. Create specific realistic goals, and then work towards accomplishing those goals. If you’re 9 years old and in the bottom third of the pitchers on your team, it’s unrealistic to
Tue, October 13, 2020
005: Q&A from Parents and Coaches
This week’s podcast took a slightly different format. Instead of a specific topic, I answered five questions I’ve received from the Elbow Up community over the past couple of weeks. I’ll do this again next month, so hit reply and send me your questions! I’ve included a list below of each topic and the time in the episode where you can find my answers and discussion. I spend between 2 and 5 minutes on each. 1:59 - Making defensive substitutions when a player makes an error 5:54 - Teams making noise while the other team delivers the pitch 9:57 - Should batters take the first pitch? 14:06 - How many players should you carry on your team? 21:01 - My thoughts on playing up an age group I appreciate everyone who participated in my last 3-question survey. It really helps developing content and direction for the newsletter. Would you take 15 seconds and answer these 3 questions ? It’s quick and anonymous. Thanks in advance for your help! And if someone forwarded this to you, make sure and subscribe so you get the next one! Thanks! Kevin P.S. In case you missed them, my last two episodes have over 20,000 downloads. Get them here: 003 - My Oldest Son Turns 18 Today: What I Would Have Done Differently 004 - The Little Things Matter the Most P.P.S. Don’t forget today is Amazon Prime Day - tons of deals to be had! About Kevin Kevin Burke is a dad and coach, having coached baseball at all ages tee ball through varsity high school over the last 18 years . He currently coaches his younger son’s 9U “travel” team, Tennessee Prime, based out of Chattanooga, TN. Get in Touch Follow on Twitter Contact directly in Messenger Like Facebook page This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and the
Tue, October 06, 2020
004: The Little Things Matter the Most
Elbow Up is a free weekly newsletter and podcast for youth baseball parents and coaches. I recently launched a premium subscription with a few extra benefits. Check it out ! Happy Tuesday, and thanks again for reading and listening to Elbow Up Youth Baseball! Last week more than 15,000 people read or listened thanks to all of you sharing the article and podcast. If you missed me talking about the things I would do differently now that my son is 18, you can read or listen here . This week I talk about how important the little things are. Read below for a short version, or listen to the podcast for more details! Our 9U team traveled about an hour south to north Atlanta this weekend and played a couple of good teams we haven’t seen before. We ended up going 0-0-2 in pool play, tying both teams 7-7. We blew a 6-run lead in the first game starting the last inning up 7-1 before ultimately giving up 6 runs and finishing with the tie. The second game went back and forth, with us scoring a run in the last inning to end in the tie. Looking back on the game there were several things we did that might have cost us a run here or there. A dropped fly ball that should have been caught. Several strikeouts in key situations. An throwing error. Several walks and passed balls. But it wasn’t just those things. Looking back at all 12 innings we played, there were 15-20 small things that happened that contributed to the final result of each game. As one of our coaches said after the game, “We probably made 15 mistakes today. If we take just a couple of those away, we probably win those games.” Now what you didn’t hear is the context of the conversation. It wasn’t to point out the mistakes and blame them for the loss. It was to continue to stress the importance of the little things at practice like we do every week. For young guys, that’s hard to do! Everyone wants to hit and throw. Everyone wants to pitch. But paying attention and focusing on the little things is key to success. Remember, the whole equals the sum of all the parts. The end result of a game or a performance isn’t how well you hit or pitched. It’s the sum of every little thing that happened during that game. The next time a player points out an error by his teammate late in the game, or the next time you hear another parent in the stands talking about a mistake one of the kids made, remind them that one play didn’t cost the team the game. Every little thing along the way added up to the outcome. Things like base running mistakes, missed signs that nobody but the coach saw, missed cutoff man from the outfield that gave up an extra base, etc. Those things add up and can be just as costly as
Fri, October 02, 2020
Tip 001: Take Notes During Games
In addition to the weekly podcast, I’ll be publishing a weekly tip that can help you immediately. I’ll provide a small actionable tip for you to implement in your next tournament or games. Read below and/or listen to the podcast by clicking play above! When talking to parents and coaches, I find two common problems: Coaches don’t have a good plan for their practices (or a plan at all) so they default to the standard taking a round of infield/outfield and batting practice (which is typically not a good use of anyone’s time). Parents want to help, but don’t know what to work on with their kid. Coaches and parents don’t mean to allow this to happen, but it can significantly hinder development of a team or player. Taking notes during games can help with each of these. For Coaches Taking notes during the game is critical for getting better during the week. If you’re like most teams, you’ll play at least four games over two days during a summer tournament, or anywhere between two and four games over the course of a one-day fall tournament. It’s easy to say, “we need to work on hitting,” or “base running killed us this weekend so we should work on that at practice.” But what exactly are you going to work on? And who needs to work on it? What was the situation you need to recreate to drive home the lesson? Also, even if you make a mental note during one of your games of a specific player or situation that needs to be addressed later, chances are you’ll have twenty more of those mental notes by the end of the tournament. Then, three days later when you’re thinking about practice you can’t remember them all! Don’t overthink this, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are two EASY options, both of which I have done. Choosing between the two comes down to personal preference. Get a card stock piece of paper and keep in your back pocket along with a pen. When something happens you want to refer to later, simply write it down. Any paper will work, but I have found a thicker card stock is easy to handle and lasts throughout the game and tournament. Use your phone. If you keep your phone in your pocket, take it out and use a note taking app to keep track of your thoughts and observations. This option is also good if you want to easily share with other coaches later on. TAKE ACTION: This weekend, take notes. Spend your brain power managing the game, not remembering all your mental notes. Then when it’s time to plan practice for next week, take out your notes and put them together. You’ll be amazed at how it all comes back to you! For Parents While the overall idea is similar, there are a few key differences. Taking notes specific to your child as things happen can help. You’re typically focused on your child more than the others, so you’re paying closer attention to the little things.
Tue, September 29, 2020
003: My Oldest Son Turns 18 Today: What I Would Have Done Differently
Elbow Up is a free weekly newsletter and podcast for youth baseball parents and coaches. I recently launched a premium subscription with a few extra benefits. Check it out ! How time flies! It seems like yesterday I was coaching him in 5 & 6 year old coach pitch! Now here we are on senior night a couple of weeks ago…and he’s an adult! I’m currently coaching my 9U son’s team, and fortunately for him (and you) I have the advantage of looking back on my entire body of work as a parent and coach for my now 18 year old son. Here’s what I learned, and here’s what I would have done differently. The list is below, but details for each are included in the podcast! If you’re new here, I do at least one newsletter and one podcast per week. NOTE: I should clarify that our older son did not have a terrible experience, but now I know I could have set him up for better long term success while enjoying it a little more along the way. While he would tell you he enjoyed playing baseball and hanging out with his friends in those younger years, I know there were days (games and practices) where he and his teammates just did not enjoy being there. I certainly don’t look at this as a regret, but as an opportunity to share what I learned with other parents and coaches. 10/10 high school, college and professional coaches would agree with these things, so if you want to ignore them, fine. But do so at your own child’s detriment. My 25 year old self might look at my 36 year old self and say I’ve become soft! I think I’ve just grown wise to what’s really important and how things work. In no particular order, here’s what I would have done differently (more details on each in the podcast): I would have put much more of an emphasis on development than winning. I would have reacted much differently to errors and poor performance. I would have paid closer attention to my own body language during games, especially when our team or my son was faced with adversity. I would have spent more time at home working with my son 1-on-1. I would have never missed an opportunity to teach a life lesson. I would have only told my son after his games that I enjoyed watching him play, nothing related to an out, error, poor hitting or pitching performance, etc. I would have planned practices better, focusing on a more well-rounded development of all players. I would not have made cuts in 9 and 10 year old “select” baseball. I would not have hosted tryouts for my 9 and 10 year old “select” team. I would have moved players around much more, sacrificing short term team success with longer term team and individual development. I could probably list 10 more, but you get the point. I’d love to hear
Wed, August 05, 2020
002: Gut Check - What Are You Doing?
The first time I wrote about why I started Elbow Up, it was just the second ever newsletter, and it only went to 61 people. Now that I’m on my second podcast episode and have over 1,000 subscribers, I thought it was a good opportunity to explain my why . Take a few minutes and listen to what happened between me and my 7 year old that really got me asking myself, “why am I doing this, and what am I really doing?” This is an important message that we need to share with everyone! Please share with your coaches and other parents on your team! I’d love to hear from you after you listen. Just click the button here and leave a comment! If you’re new, welcome! If someone sent this to you or you found it through social media, please take a quick second to subscribe so you don’t miss another episode! Lastly, I’d really like future podcast episode content to be driven by you! If you have questions or topics that you’d like me to discuss in future episodes, please leave it in the comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
Thu, July 30, 2020
001: New Youth Baseball Podcast for Coaches and Parents
Finally! My first youth baseball podcast episode is now live! If this was forwarded to you, or you found this from an external source, subscribe now so you won’t miss future episodes! Check it out by clicking play above - or you can listen in your favorite podcast player such as iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. If you prefer to listen to podcasts in a podcast player, just be sure to click “Listen in podcast app” above, and be sure to subscribe and rate once you get there! Please like this email and comment with your feedback (I need the good and the bad). As I get more comfortable and receive feedback, I’m sure the content and quality will continue to improve! Lastly, use the comments below to let me know what you think of the podcast artwork that will show up in all of the podcast directories: Thanks for listening! Make it a great weekend on the ball field! Stay safe! Kevin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.getelbowup.com If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it more than you know. And be sure to check out my weekly newsletter and website over at Elbow Up Youth Baseball ! I'd love to have you join the community. It's free and there's no spam!
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