Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | Strategy

Umpires are expected to be perfect 100% of the time. And if you make a mistake—or are perceived as having made a mistake—you get yelled at.

Who would want that kind of job?

Well, I would.

And after taking that kind of job, Rob learned five things in one year of umpiring that he never learned in twenty-one years of coaching.

Also, he answers the Question of the Week (17:17) about when to pull a struggling youth pitcher.

In this 23-minute episode, I share:

• why coaches don't know the rules nearly as well as we think we do (2:32)
• why umpiring is much harder than it looks (10:06)
• the sad reality that coaches and umpires see themselves, by default, as enemies (11:50)
• how becoming an umpire has changed how I coach (14:57)
• why more coaches should be umpires (16:10)

Resources mentioned in this episode:
GamePlan practice planning app (Officially launched!)

Why do you coach?

The answer to that question will dictate everything you do. Is there a "best" answer to that question? Keith Madison, the winningest coach in University of Kentucky history, thinks so. And he shares what it is and what it can (profoundly) do for you in part 2 of this two-part interview.

Also, Rob answers the Question of the Week (33:28) about what the rules are for coaches staying in coaches' boxes.

In this 45-minute episode, you'll learn:

• why coaches coach at the youth level (1:28)
• how youth coaches can communicate that they care (7:05)
• whether it's possible for winning-minded coaches to change their mindset (9:51)
• what we can do if we say the wrong thing to our players (10:52)
• what we can do if we feel burnout (12:26)
• three things we can do to be in it for the long haul (15:26)
• two better ideas than having players set season-long goals (including "baseball math") (18:54)
• what it means to "coach the player", and three ways to do that (22:46)
• how to deal with troublemakers and me-first personality types, including an idea from Lou Holtz (24:56)
• four ideas for team bonding (28:40)
• why you should love your players (29:32)

Are there ways to improve how our practices are? Keith Madison, the winningest coach in University of Kentucky history and the publisher of Inside Pitch magazine, shares some ideas in part 1 of this three-part interview.

Also, Rob answers the Question of the Week (34:13) about ideas/drills for creating pressure-hitting situations in practice.

Plus, Rob gives a practice planning tip of his own (41:31).

In this 45-minute episode, you'll learn:

• how Keith got into pro baseball (2:40)
• what American Legion baseball is (9:21)
• how Keith got the head coaching job at Kentucky (10:44)
• whether Ron Polk's Baseball Playbook can work for youth baseball (24:59)
• recommended hitting tip from Baseball Playbook (28:32)
• recommended hitting philosophy to simplify hitting (29:11)

How can baseball parents help their kids train at a select/travel level? North Texas local rec league commissioner Grant Cowan shares his thoughts in part 2 of this two-part interview.

Also, Rob answers the Question of the Week (30:25) about when a 10-11U pitcher should start preparing to throw from a full-size pitching distance.

Plus, Rob makes a major announcement (35:18) you probably will like. And a bonus second major announcement (38:36) you probably will like also.

In this 41-minute episode, you'll learn:

• five ways parents can help their kids improve their hitting (4:02)
• four ways parents can help their kids improve their pitching (9:21)
• four ways parents can help their kids improve their strength (10:37)
• four ways parents can help their kids improve their speed (12:27)
• one key thing to consider when debating whether to move from a rec league to a select/travel organization (13:31)
• one key thing to consider when debating whether to play fall ball vs individual training (21:49)
• one important philosophy to have when concerned whether your non-select/travel child can make his/her high school team (23:03)
• one overarching tip parents should keep in mind when training your kids (25:59)

Grant Cowan, MBSA coach and vice commissioner, shares how to coach your rec league team like a select-level coach in part 1 of this two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (40:50) about how to manage your kids and coaching staff when losing in a blowout.

In this 47-minute episode, you'll learn:

• how travel ball can do it right (12:06)
• what problems rec coaches have when leading their teams (15:19)
• how to program your pre-practice routine (19:13)
• when to schedule your pre-practice routine (25:01)
• how to plan your defensive part of practice (25:50)
• how Grant plans his team's hitting practice (27:33)
• what hitting corrective drills are and how to use them (29:45)
• how to include pitching in practices (32:59)
• how to incorporate pitchers in batting cages (35:41)
• one recommended high-energy drill (38:05)

Rob Tong shares his top seven tips for 2024 that he learned from 2023.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to teach kids situational awareness.

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Joey Greany, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, finishes up his tour de force on youth baseball strength training with a conversation about nutrition and answering listener questions in part 2 of this two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (24:29) about whether rec kids should be allowed to use both USSSA bats and USA Baseball bats.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Speed (and strength and agility) is not just an asset in football and soccer. Youth baseball athletes can greatly benefit from this type of training and Joey Greany, the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, explains why and how in part 1 of this two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about about how to handle a team with no catchers.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Host Rob Tong looks back on the spring and fall seasons for his three teams in 2022 and whittled down seven lessons that he thinks might be helpful to you for 2023 and beyond.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about about why not teach a level swing if it produces higher batting averages.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

While the majority of 1B coaches in youth baseball tend to be spectators rather than coaches, 3B coaches in youth baseball also tend to not fulfill their responsibilities well and/or not know all their responsibilities. Toby Gardenhire, manager of the St. Paul Saints, is back to break it all down for us again in Part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what age is appropriate for kids to focus on 1-3 positions.

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What exactly does a first base coach do in youth baseball? A LOT, actually. Toby Gardenhire, manager of the St. Paul Saints, breaks it all down for us in Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether players can be first base coaches.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Test your knowledge of more commonly misunderstood baseball rules with Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/DII/DIII level. Coaches should know these rules before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 4 of a four-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what his hitting philosophy is and how to train it.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Test your knowledge of fair vs foul, batter's box rules, granting time, the infield fly rule, batted balls hitting objects, how to make appeals and the legality of stealing signs, as well as whether common arguments are myths or truths. Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/D2/D3 level, is back to explain these commonly misunderstood rules coaches should know before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 3 of a four-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether to play up for challenge or stay at current level for confidence.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Test your knowledge of the rules as Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the collegiate D1/D2/D3 levels, explains more rules every coach should know before arguing with the umpires in Part 2 of a four-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to handle players who don't hustle on the base paths.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Admit it. You think you know the rules as much as the umpires do. I'll bet you don't. Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/DII/DIII level, explains some rules coaches ought to know before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to control young teams in the dugout.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

David Klein explains the details of how the game of Speedball works and what its unique rules are in Part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob (and Austin Wasserman) answer the Question of the Week about whether jump ropes are beneficial to 8U players.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

We as coaches work hard to revolutionize youth baseball practices so that it's no longer long, slow and boring. But is there a way to make games less slow and boring? David Klein is back (again) to share his idea for fast-paced youth baseball games where everyone gets lots of reps and no one sits the bench in Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to manage rotation of a lot of kids in and out of games.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

If a kid came up to you and asked you to help him with his pitching, would you know how to help him? Jim Brower of Brower Baseball shares his tips on how to analyze and help your youth pitchers in Part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week  about a clear plan of where to start with beginner to intermediate middle schoolers.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Jim Brower of Brower Baseball explains why he values training accuracy over training max velocity, plus more of his philosophy on training youth pitchers and how to get started in Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus, Rob answers the Question of the Week about practice plan help for head coaches who don't have any helpers.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Reflecting back on the past year is a productive way to see what went well and what could have been better. Consider doing that with your own team to get your own specific lessons learned! In the meantime, Rob shares seven lessons that he learned this past year that may help you for the upcoming year.

Plus, Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether to strictly train your kid to hit against the travel tryout pitching machine speed for the upcoming tryout or let the kid hit faster speeds.

Is stealing more bases as simple as telling your kids, "Be aggressive! They can't throw you out!" As kids move up the ranks, defenses CAN throw you out. Then what? Tyler Gillum of South Mountain Community College and the Savannah Bananas tells you what—and how—in part 2 of our two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (38:11) about when your kid should play up.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Can advanced baserunning be taught to youth players? Tyler Gillum from South Mountain Community College and the Savannah Bananas says yes, and explains how to teach advanced baserunning to your kids in part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether establishing concrete rules of thumb would be better than trusting your gut when it comes time to pull a pitcher out of an inning.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Teaching entry-level players is arguably the toughest job as a baseball coach. Hitting a baseball is hard enough for adults, much less teaching it to uncoordinated kids. Same goes for pitching/throwing. And then the many rules in the game. How do you help grow beginner players? Justin Sherman from justintimebaseball.com shares his tips in part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (23:41) about how to handle playing time for disinterested players.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

What do you do for entry-level players, be they tee-ballers or 10U? Justin Sherman from justintimebaseball.com shares his techniques for helping the kids who need the most help. This is part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether 18-20 players is too big for a varsity team.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Finishing our discussion of catcher attack angle from the previous episode, Jay Weaver from catchingcamp.com also jumps into one-knee stances for youth catchers as well as simple methods for youth catchers to call pitches and pickoffs. This is part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about considerations for doing warmups and what age to start.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

What is catcher attack angle when receiving? Why is it useful and how do I teach it to my youth catchers? Jay Weaver from catchingcamp.com discusses this significant new development in catching in part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to defend against overly aggressive 3B baserunners in 8U.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Perry Hill, the first base coach and infield coach for the Seattle Mariners, breaks down how you can properly train your second basemen (plus the remainder of our chat on first base play). This is part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help kids new to kid pitch get over the fear of getting hit by pitches.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

If catchers wear the "tools of ignorance", then first basemen play the "position of neglect" because many youth coaches don't teach much to their first basemen even though it is a highly important position. Perry Hill, the first base coach and infield coach for the Seattle Mariners, breaks down how you can properly train your first basemen. This is part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a kid who's hitting grounders in games but fly balls in practices.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

What is "drive" in pitching and is it important? Zak Doan, whose clients range from youth pitchers to Gerrit Cole, shares his thoughts on the subject as well as other pitching issues. Part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a kid who's hitting grounders in games but fly balls in practices.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

How can we help our young athletes to improve their pitching accuracy? Zak Doan, who works with youth pitchers and whose most famous client is Gerrit Cole, shares some helpful pointers to help kids throw the ball with more accuracy. This is part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to get over the feeling of being under-qualified as a youth baseball coach.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

How can we create more positive experiences in youth baseball? How do we help youth athletes are struggling to succeed in baseball? Deven Morgan, Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball, shares some ideas to help kids have more positive experiences.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether any GameChanger stats can be used to help inspire relevant coaching drills for practices.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Training youth pitchers is not easy (safe to say that's an understatement). What does Driveline do and recommend? Deven Morgan, the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball, shares some tips in part one of this two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a batter who mashes in training but is late to load in games.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

2020 may have been a crazy year but there were still youth baseball lessons to be learned. Host Rob Tong looks back on 2020 and distills many things he learned into eight lessons that he shares in this episode.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether 8U kids should give verbal pre-pitch defensive reminders.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Steve Ferroli says three crucial things are killing youth baseball. Is the sport of youth baseball—and the millions of kids participating in it—in serious danger? Does youth baseball need to be saved? Can it be? This is part two of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob (and Deven Morgan, the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball) answer the Question of the Week about whether it matters if kids pitch from flat ground instead of raised mounds.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

What can the Science of Hitting teach you about hitting, and can you improve on the Science of Hitting? Steve Ferroli, the personally-chosen successor to Ted Williams' theory of hitting shares some of his thoughts in part one of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what travel teams can do in-between games at tournaments.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Bonus segment #2: Tom Griffin shares his story of becoming a Christian.

Bonus segment: Tom Griffin talks catcher's mitts.

Learn from one of the best as Tom Griffin breaks down more advanced basics for catchers with the finer points of receiving, blocking and throwing, plus strategies, in part two of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob (and Nick Esposito) answer the Question of the Week about how to help nine-year-olds build strength for pitching.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

If receiving, blocking and throwing are the fundamental aspects of the catcher position, what are the key teaching points of those aspects? What information goes beyond the basics for your catchers to give them more of an edge? Tom Griffin shares some helpful tips in part one of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how many practices per week a 7U rec team should have.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Practice planning is one of the most frequently asked topics for youth coaches. With so many topics, how do you know what to work on, and when? Bo Ashabraner has some helpful advice so you can plan smarter, not harder, for your practices in part two of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about the benefits of batting lefty instead of righty.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Do you have a plan when you start your team? Or when you start a new season? Aside from what drills you want to run, what philosophies do you have for your team—or as Bo Ashabraner puts it, what philosophies do you enforce or tolerate? Bo is here to help us break down some things you may want to consider for your team or season in part one of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether a 27-foot home indoor batting cage will be adequate to help a 9-10U hitter who's struggling.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Taming a wild swing in your youth hitters? The Swing Whisperer is in. Giving advice specifically targeted at the youth and high school level, Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", is back to help calm those free-spirited hitters in this finale of a three-part interview. 

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether the travel baseball landscape has improved since the early days of this podcast for 7-8 year olds.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

At some point, we're going to have to teach hitting mechanics to our kids if the kids are going to advance to the next level of hitting. Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", returns to help give us some insight on hitting mechanics that could literally be game-changers in part 2 of a three-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to teach timing during hitting to 7-10 year olds.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

There is no shortage of hitting advice, particularly on the internet. Some good. Some not so good. And some just plain awful. Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", helps us sort out some of the information from the misinformation in part 1 of a three-part  interview.

Plus Rob (and Austin Wasserman) answer the Question of the Week about what age to teach kids to pronate when pitching, especially with a change-up.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Mental health is declining for more young people than ever before, thanks to digital technology. Is there anything youth baseball coaches can do to help young athletes? Or is this only a problem for counselors? David Klein gives practical, actionable advice to help our team grow closer together and improve our players' mental health in part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether kid pitchers should be more conscientious about hitting batters with pitches or to not worry about hitting batters.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Video screens (video games, mobile phones) are probably one of the last things we consider when it comes to baseball. Yet screen time leaves a bigger footprint in our kids' lives than we think—yes, even on the baseball field. Former guest David Klein returns to discuss this important yet under-recognized aspect of our kids' athletic lives in part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how two competitive tryout rejections in a short span might affect an 8-year-old, and how to prepare.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

As we start the new year and the new season, you can make significant strides by remembering to avoid mistakes (and repeating successes) you made in the past. Rob Tong shares lessons learned from several members of Edge Nation, Pete Caliendo, and three lessons Rob learned in 2019.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (47:31) about what tee to buy for a four-year-old.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

Most high school players are not showcase-type players. What must these players do to get to the next level? Do they have any chance? Joshua Band, founder of PlateCrate, addresses these issues and more in Part 2 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what one product a middle school coach on a limited budget should purchase.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

What must a top high school baseball prospect do to get to the next level? What is important in a player promo video? Joshua Band, founder of PlateCrate, shares his thoughts on how players & parents can help propel towards playing college baseball in Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether a full-time travel program or a rec-based travel program is better.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!

With so many baseball products and ideologies competing in the marketplace, how do you know which ones work and which ones don't...or even worse, which ones make you worse? Are things like long toss and weighted baseballs just hype by their promoters? Are things like the Core Velocity Belt, Rope Trainer or the Durathro sock just hype by their inventors? Dr. Chris McKenzie, a board-certified sports & orthopedic physical therapist, discusses some products & protocols in Part 3 of a three-part interview.

Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a team when kids have quit on themselves and their teammates.

Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!