Jeff Passan, author of the New York Times-bestselling book The Arm, talks about overuse arm injuries among youth baseball players, Perfect Game’s role in that, and more. This is part 1 of a two-part interview series with Jeff on the podcast. Show notes
YBE 035: Embracing Each Child with Fernando Arenado
Fernando Arenado, father of Rockies’ All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, discusses Nolan’s path to the bigs, how it’s different from Nolan’s siblings Cousy and Jonah, and how he embraced each child’s paths. Plus, Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about off-season pitching drills for control. Show notes
YBE 034: How To Do Long Toss with Alan Jaeger
Alan Jaeger of Jaeger Sports (and the most well-known long toss advocate) describes how to do long toss properly, including pulldowns, progressions and differences between 8-12 year olds and high schoolers. He also addresses long toss detractors, plus much more. Show notes
YBE 033: The Value Of Long Toss with Alan Jaeger
Alan Jaeger, the most well-known long toss advocate, explains the value of long toss and proper arm conditioning. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about what to do when a travel team doesn’t meet your player’s needs. Show notes
YBE 032: Commanding the Huddle with Michael Port
Michael Port, author of the best-selling book Steal The Show, discusses how youth baseball coaches can command the huddle. Show notes
YBE 031: Digging Deeper Into Better Pitching (Part 2) with Ron Wolforth
Ron Wolforth, founder of the Texas Baseball Ranch, digs deep to discuss how to teach better pitching to youth pitchers. This episode is part 2 of a two-part series with Ron Wolforth. Show notes
YBE 030: Digging Deeper Into Better Pitching (Part 1) with Ron Wolforth
Ron Wolforth, founder of the Texas Baseball Ranch, digs deep to discuss how to teach better pitching to youth pitchers. This episode is part 1 of a two-part series with Ron Wolforth. Show notes
YBE 029: Improving Hitting Performance Through The Mental Side with Steve Springer
Steve Springer, scout and Performance Coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, explains how to help kids hit better through the mental side of the game. Show notes
Minimizing Use Of The Term “Practice” For Practices
Can a simple change in terminology help increase the rate at which your players improve over the course of the short season? Even without changing any of the content of your practices?
Read the full articleYBE 028: The Art Of Smarter Baserunning
I wrap up my two-part series on important baserunning fundamentals for youth baseball players to make them smarter baserunners. Show notes
Travel Baseball: A Flawed System
While the popularity of travel baseball has soared, so have the problems. Guest poster Larry Owens explains what makes travelball a flawed system.
Read the full articleHitting: The Important Sequence From Batting Stance To Foot Plant
The seeming innocuous sequence of the swing from stance to foot plant is often incorrect among younger hitters. Learn how to diagnose it and how to fix it.
Read the full articleYBE 027: The Case For Smart Baserunning
In Part 1 of a two-part series on baserunning, I talk about why teaching smart baserunning is important and 10 drills to help teach it to our kids. Show notes
YBE 026: High-Level Throwing with Austin Wasserman
Austin Wasserman of AB Athletics and WassermanStrength.com describes high-level throwing and how to teach it to your youth baseball players. Plus, Justin Stone answers the Question Of The Week about making first at-bats in games as good as later at-bats in games. Show notes
YBE 025: Coaching Travel 101 with Ron Filipkowski
Ron Filipkowski, one of the most successful travel coaches, explains how to start and run a successful youth travel baseball team. Show notes
YBE 024: The Elite Swing with Matt Lisle
Matt Lisle, head softball coach at Menlo College, explains what the elite swing is and gives some practical tips on how to teach it. Plus Justin Stone answers the Question Of The Week about helping overmatched hitters. Show notes
YBE 023: Lessons From 50 Years Of Coaching with Jerry Weinstein
Jerry Weinstein, field manager of the Wareham Gatemen and on special assignment for the Colorado Rockies in scouting & player development, explains higher-level baseball concepts and insights gleaned from 50+ years of coaching experience. Plus Justin Stone answers the Question Of The Week about hitting approach at the plate. Show notes
YBE 022: The Power Of A Wise Parent with Lorenzo McCutchen
Lorenzo McCutchen, father of Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen, talks about how he raised Andrew and Andrew’s path to the Major Leagues. Show notes
YBE 021: Nurturing The Love Of The Game
In this second part of our two-part miniseries on Walking Away, I explore four ways to nurture the love of the game in youth baseball players and help reduce the odds they will quit baseball. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about whether it’s possible to help players overcome the fear of being hit by a pitch. Show notes
Assistant coaches: like-minded with head coach, or different-minded?
If you are a youth baseball head coach, do you know if your assistant coaches are like-minded or different-minded? Do you care? What should they be?
Read the full articleYBE 020: Why Talented Youth Players Walk Away From Baseball
In part one of a two-part miniseries on Walking Away, I explain four evidence-based reasons why talented youth baseball players walk away from the game. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about preparing players for the next level. Show notes
YBE 019: Unlock Your Players’ Potential with Gina Parris
Gina Parris of Built To Win Coaching shares her tips for connecting with your players and unlocking their potential through the mental side of the game. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about aloof players. Show notes
Do you tell your kids to “get more hits”?
An all-too-common coach-speak after a loss is “We need to get more hits, guys!”. Few realize how foolish it is to say this. But it’s not just foolish to say; it’s actually harmful to your team. I explain why and what to do instead.
Read the full articleYBE 018: Helping Kids With The Mental Game Of Baseball with Justin Su’a
Justin Su’a, the Boston Red Sox Mental Skills Coordinator, shares his strategies for helping kids navigate the mental side of the youth baseball game. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about whether travel ball is required for high school ball. Show notes
YBE 017: Baseball Tricks Of The Trade with David Klein
David Klein of the Menlo Park Legends shares his coaching tricks of the trade. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about arm bar in an 8-year-old swing. Show notes
YBE 016: Nature Over Nurture: The Ben Zobrist Story with Tom Zobrist
Tom Zobrist, father of Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist, talks about how he raised Ben and how Ben got to the Major Leagues. Show notes
Why saying “Throw strikes!” is not just dumb but dangerous
Tons of coaches say to their pitchers “throw strikes”. A few people know it’s dumb to say that and crack jokes about it. But did you know that saying “throw strikes” goes beyond being an odd statement and is actually harmful to your pitchers? Find out why and what you should say instead.
Read the full articleYBE 015: The Dark Side Of Travel Baseball with Larry Owens
Larry Owens of Bellarmine University reveals the dark side of travel baseball. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about exit speed. Show notes
It’s Time For Coaches To Stop Showing Up Kids In Practices
Every practice, every coach unwittingly shows up their kids, publicly embarrassing them in front of their friends and peers. It’s time to be aware of what coaches are doing and just as important, how we can avoid doing that.
Read the full articleYBE 014: How To Teach Catching (Part 2) with Xan Barksdale
Xan Barksdale concludes his master class on how to teach catching (the catcher position) to youth baseball players. This is Part 2 in a two-part interview series with Xan. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Ask Justin Question Of The Week about hitting the outside pitch. Show notes
YBE 013: How To Teach Catching (Part 1) with Xan Barksdale
Xan Barksdale breaks down how to teach catching (in the catcher position) to youth baseball players. This is Part 1 in a two-part interview series with Xan. Show notes
The Secret Alternative To Developing Pitching Prospects
With the sharp increase in Tommy John surgeries in baseball pitchers, is there a way in developing pitching prospects that lowers that risk?
Read the full articleYBE 012 – How To Teach Pitching (Part 2) with Travis Kerber
Travis Kerber of Elite Baseball Training concludes his master class for youth baseball coaches and parents on how to teach kids how to pitch in part 2 of a two-part interview. Also, Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv goes deep in our “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about the value of choking up on the bat. Show notes
Harness The Power Of Your Smartphone In Practices (And Do Your Own Video Swing Analysis)
One of your most powerful tools for baseball practice is also the one least used: the smartphone. It can help you do your own youth baseball swing analysis. But why would we want to do that? And if we did want to do that, exactly how do we do that?
Read the full articleYBE 011 – How To Teach Pitching (Part 1) with Travis Kerber
Travis Kerber of Elite Baseball Training gives a master class for youth baseball coaches and parents on how to teach kids how to pitch in Part 1 of a two-part interview. Show notes
YBE 010: Video Analysis In Youth Baseball with Chris O’Leary
Chris O’Leary shares how to do video analysis of your youth players’ pitching and hitting mechanics, with particular emphasis on healthy pitching deliveries. Plus Justin Stone answers a question about specialization in our “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week. Show notes
YBE 009: Turning Around A Dying Program with Joe Perona
Joe Perona describes his blueprint for turning around a dying program (that even his son’s friends didn’t want to join) into a two-time state champion that kids are now clamoring to join. Show notes
YBE 008: Unique Strategies From A Contrarian Mind with John T. Reed
John T. Reed shares his unique, contrarian—and sometimes controversial—youth baseball strategies. Plus Justin Stone answers a question about the ideal practice for our “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week. Show notes
ConvertKit vs AWeber vs GetResponse Review
I compare ConvertKit with AWeber and GetResponse, revealing the pros and cons of all three.
YBE 007: Offseason Strength & Conditioning with Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson of Cornerstone Coaching Academy shares his offseason strength & conditioning program for youth baseball, particularly high school players. Plus, Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers his first “Ask Justin” Question Of The Week about how a 9-year-old hitter should be taught to swing. Show notes
YBE 006: Indoor Training with Jim Price
Jim Price, owner of Chicago’s most well-known indoor baseball training facility, gives tips on how to maximize indoor baseball training.Show notes
YBE 005: The State of Youth Baseball Coaching with Jim Cromer
Jim Cromer, the host of the Youth Baseball Talk Powered By Baseball Youth podcast, sits down to chat in a wide-ranging interview, including his assessment of the state of youth baseball today. Show notes
YBE 004: Using Sabermetrics in Youth Baseball with Sam Miller
In this episode, I chat with Sam Miller, the editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus, one of the most widely respected sabermetric web sites, to tackle the subject of using sabermetrics in youth baseball. Show notes
YBE 003: Proper Infield Play in Youth Baseball with Justin Stone
In this episode, I chat with Elite Baseball Training founder Justin Stone as he gives a master class on proper infield play. Show notes
YBE 002: The Psychology of Youth Baseball with Joe Hallinan
In this episode, I chat with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and youth baseball coach Joe Hallinan about how psychology permeates youth baseball and some things coaches can do in both combating it and utilizing it. Show notes
YBE 001: Welcome to the Youth Baseball Edge Podcast
In this brief inaugural episode, I introduce myself, my vision for the show and how it will benefit you, and the show format. Show notes
The 80/20 Rule For Youth Baseball (And How Knowing It Will Radically Change How You Organize Your Practices)
Most practices are equal parts hitting, throwing and fielding. But do those parts affect the game equally?
Does the 80/20 rule (a.k.a. the Pareto Principle) apply to youth baseball? And if so, what does that mean for how coaches should plan practices?
Read the full articleWhy (Most) Youth Baseball Drills Are An Utter Waste Of Time
Youth baseball coaches love drills…lots of them. But has anyone stopped to ask: are most drills a waste of time? How can you tell if a drill is a waste of time? Which drills are actually helpful?
Read the full articleHow To Optimize Your Batting Order Lineup
Most youth baseball coaches don’t think twice about whether their lineup is the most optimal lineup. This post explains why the traditional batting order is flawed for use in youth baseball and proposes a more appropriate way to arrange your lineup.
Read the full article