Elbow Up Youth Baseball – Détails, épisodes et analyse
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Elbow Up Youth Baseball
Kevin Burke
Fréquence : 1 épisode/32j. Total Éps: 28
www.getelbowup.com
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🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
24/06/2026#99🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
23/06/2026#86🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
22/06/2026#68🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
21/06/2026#48🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
09/06/2026#81🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
08/06/2026#59🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
07/06/2026#40🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
21/05/2026#82🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
20/05/2026#57🇨🇦 Canada - baseball
16/12/2025#82
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You Should Play Multiple Sports
jeudi 1 décembre 2022 • Durée 21:59
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 baseball his entire life.
But in reality, there's a close to zero percent chance he ends up a Major Leaguer anyways, no matter what he does.
Just as high schoolers aren't equipped to determine their ultimate career path, nine year olds aren't equipped to know what's best for their athletic development.
Get them experience in uncomfortable situations. Let t
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
Reflecting on 3 Years of Elbow Up
mercredi 23 novembre 2022 • Durée 32:47
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!
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
A Better Approach to Weekend Tournaments
mercredi 3 mars 2021 • Durée 37:07
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 want to get out of all this time, energy, effort, and money?
⚾ Would I rather be the best team now, or have my players ready for later?
It’s important to actually think about all those questions. Write down the answers. Talk about them as a family. If you’re a coach, talk about them with your team and parents.
Talking about this will help with accountability a
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
More Reasons Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Player Development
mardi 2 mars 2021 • Durée 20:45
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 summer - but that doesn’t mean as a coach I have to play in it.
In fact, more tournaments allow teams to be flexible with their schedules instead of having to play on specific weekends just to get their games in.
The tournament directors cannot be blamed for the issue, and I certainly didn’t mean for it to come across that way.
⚾ There is Nothing Wrong
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
Weekend Tournaments are Ruining Youth Baseball Player Development
vendredi 26 février 2021 • Durée 23:41
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.’
Compare that to the 9U and 10U landscape today.
Coaches have zero clue who will be pitchers, players haven’t matured enough mentally or physically to know where they might fit best on the field, and they certainly don’t know the game.
The best teams typically have the best athletes, which is not a good predictor of who will be the best baseball players when th
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
Parent-Coach Communication is Critical to Team and Individual Success
mercredi 24 février 2021 • Durée 21:18
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
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
One Size Fits All Approach Doesn't Work
lundi 22 février 2021 • Durée 06:08
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 to others. Sure, it's important to have a realistic view of where your child may stand, but that should not be what drives or motivates you as a parent.
Compare your kid to themselves! Compare your child this year to your child last year. How have they improved over time? How did they improve just since last practice? It's dangerous to expect the same outcome from every
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
012: A Good Off-Season is Critical to In-Season Success
jeudi 14 janvier 2021 • Durée 23:42
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 you don’t let him do it all day and all night without a break. I’m sure he’d eat snacks and candy for dinner if you’d let him. But you don’t because you’re the parent and you know what’s healthy.
There’s no difference in baseball when it comes to arm health.
“You don’t understand. To stay competitive we have to keep working. We only do a lesson or two indoors
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
011: MLB Veteran Shawn Kelley on Youth Baseball Today
mardi 1 décembre 2020 • Durée 36:06
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
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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!
010: Maximize Player and Team Development with the Right Team Size
mercredi 25 novembre 2020 • Durée 19:53
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
Thanks for listening to today's episode of Elbow Up. Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast player so you won't miss future episodes. I also publish additional content in my weekly newsletter. Sign up for free at https://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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