Explore every episode of the podcast Youth Baseball and Beyond

High school baseball is a different experience from travel ball. In Part 1 of our two part episode, high school and travel ball coach Tom McGovern and I discuss several topics on how players can prepare for that transition and be ready to begin this new adventure.

00:00: Introduction

02:10: Thinking about high school before high school

04:45: A second natural break at 14u

06:05: Learn how to speak with a coach

07:25: Understanding the landscape of travel / club / feeder baseball

08:40: Becoming a part of your high school baseball community

11:45: How players can prep as youths to play in high school

17:35: Understanding high school roster construction

21:20: Wrap up

If you have any questions or show ideas, please leave a comment or email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com. Be sure to like and follow so you’ll be notified each time we drop new content. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.

Tryout season is just around the corner and it can be a stressful time for players and parents. In today’s episode, Chris Modrzejewski and I discuss what tryouts are like from a parent’s perspective.

We share how you and your child can prepare for the tryout process, how you can support your child if he gets cut, and what you can do in the offseason to help him prepare for a new chapter in his baseball career.

00:00 - Introduction

02:10 - Our own kids getting cut

03:30 - Being honest with yourself

04:45 - Metrics when evaluating your child

06:50 - Talking with your coach in-season

10:30 - Helping your child learn self-advocacy

12:40 - Execute the feedback

13:35 - Keeping your options open

14:50 - Trying out for the same organization

16:05 - Tryout fees

17:10 - Trying out with multiple organizations

19:15 - Be respectful of the announcement process

21:25 - Set a good example for your child

24:30 - Supporting your child after being cut

26:05 - Appropriate ways to ask for feedback

28:55 - Advice from a player

29:50 - Finishing the current season with class

30:55 - Offseason approach

33:35 - Wrap up

If you liked what you heard today, drop a comment and share what your tryout experiences have been like. Feel free to email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com to suggest show ideas or to let us know what you think of this episode. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.

When you coach long enough you experience some moments. Looking back, you undoubtedly encounter some fun times where you can only shake your head and laugh.

Today’s episode touches on the “beyond” portion of our podcast. Frequent contributor Chris Modrzejewski and I share some fun anecdotes in our first edition of Sports Stories.

00:00 - Introduction

01:10 - When you gotta go, you gotta go

02:05 - Juuuuuusssst a bit outside

05:55 - Off to Europe

08:00 - Checking in

09:55 - A missing group

11:45 - A player’s rant

13:20 - The last night in Italy

15:55 - Creating memories for your players

If you like what you heard make sure you like and follow to always be notified when new content drops. If you have an idea for an episode, drop us an email at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.

When your team is in a slump, players and coaches can dread coming to practice. If what you’re coaching isn’t resonating, maybe it’s time to shake things up a little to reconnect with your team. 

Today’s episode provides a variety of ways you can add variety to your routine by introducing different ways for your players to improve their tactics and techniques, along with using unique motivational methods to help them once again find the joy of the game.

00:00 - Introduction

01:40 - Identifying when things aren’t clicking

02:35 - It’s not personal

03:00 - Help me help you

04:00 - People first - athletes second

06:10 - Coaching isn’t linear

08:05 - Improving tactics and techniques

14:00 - Breaking up your routine

17:10 - Remembering moments, not scores

18:25 - Ace of the Game

21:40 - Game day award tally

23:20 - Helmet stickers & point system

26:40 - I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream

29:10 - Connections with players

Be sure to like and follow to always be notified when new content drops. If you have a show idea, email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com and we’ll be in touch to discuss your thoughts and even possibly have you join us as a guest. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.

Today’s episode discusses a series of recent interactions between a dad and a coach. Dad felt the coach showed clear favoritism towards his son. The coach didn’t think it was appropriate for the dad to express his opinion.

Who was right and who was wrong? Find out what happened and learn about effective communication techniques both dad and coach could have used to engage in constructive dialogue.

00:00 - Introduction

01:35 - Setting the scene

02:35 - Parent initiates communication with the coach

03:10 - Dad’s mistakes explained

04:15 - Using effective communication techniques

05:30 - Sample of an effective email to the coach

06:15 - Improvements the coach could have made

06:50 - What happened in Game 4?

07:30 - Post game events

08:25 - Parents don’t lose the right to ask questions because they didn’t volunteer

10:00 - Move players around in the batting order to help the develop

12:15 - My way or the highway 

13:20 - A better approach

14:25 - Free template to organize your game day roster

14:50 - Recap

Be sure to like and follow us on whichever platform you’re using to listen to our podcast. We’d love to hear from you. Please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com with your thoughts or to suggest a podcast topic. We’ll see you at the diamond!!

While walking by a house league practice the other day I became sad when I saw a coach having his players in a single-file line while hitting ground balls to one player at a time. I saw that and wanted to rush out there and offer a few tips to that coach.

That’s where this episode comes in. In today’s mid-inning broadcast I share why the infamous ground ball line is bad and offer several options on how that coach could have improved his practice INSTANTLY by making it more effective and fun without needing any more equipment.

00:00: Introduction

01:35: Setting the scene

02:45: Explaining the inefficiencies

03:55: Effects of players standing around

04:55: Dead air

06:15: Instant improvement #1

07:30: Instant improvement #2

08:30: Instant improvement #3

09:15: Using proximity to build connections with players

10:55: Instant improvement #4

12:10: Instant improvement #5

13:50: Increase your efficiency by 400% in < 3 minutes

15:55: Other options with a hitting net

16:20: Keep in contact with our podcast

We’d love to hear from you. Please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com to leave comments or offer up a show idea or two. Be sure to like and follow wherever you’re hearing out podcast to be notified every time new content drops. We’ll see you at the diamond.

Today’s Mid-Inning episode extends our discussion from our earlier “Transitioning From House Ball to Travel Ball” broadcast.

While Coach Chris Modrzejewski and I covered a variety of topics in that episode, we didn’t touch on playing time. 

Today I share how playing time regulations and expectations differ once you enter the travel ball world.

00:00: Introduction to our mid-inning episode

02:00: Explaining house ball playing time rules

03:30: Travel ball playing time rules

04:45: Ensuring competitive balance

06:25: Do tourneys regulate playing time?

06:55: Discuss organizational playing time philosophies

07:40: Pros and cons to the different sets of regulations

10:00: Wrapping up the episode

Please hit that follow button to get notified each time new content drops. We’d love to hear from you, so if you have any comments or want to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond.

Look in any dugout and you’ll see thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Is it all really necessary? In today’s episode, Chris Modrzejewski and I break down the different pieces of equipment, important restrictions to know, and how you can save money and still get quality gear that’s right for you player.

00:00 - Introduction

01:40 - Bats

03:45 - Drop restrictions by age

05:00 - USA vs USSSA bats

06:05 - Importance of bat size

07:10 - Alloy vs composite bats

09:50 - One-piece vs two-piece bats

11:50 - How to save money when buying bats

16:15 - Fielding gloves

18:30 - Saving money when buying gloves

19:15 - Characteristics of a proper glove

22:00 - Taking care of a glove

23:15 - Catcher’s gear

26:40 - NOCSAE certification for high school

27:45 - Footwear

30:45 - Miscellaneous gear

36:20 - Episode review

You can click on this link to go to Sideline Swap, an online marketplace for used equipment. https://sidelineswap.com/

Drop a comment on what you thought on today’s episode. Click that like and follow buttons to always be notified when new content drops. You can also email the show at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond.

Setting your tournament pitching rotation, defensive lineup, and batting order requires some foresight and thought to place your team in the best position to succeed. How you choose your pool play roster will greatly impact your bracket game play. Join us as we share our thoughts on how to prepare your team for a tournament.

00:00 - Introduction

02:15 - Pool play pitching rotation

06:10 - Playoff pitching rotation

06:55 - When to use your #1 starter & #1 reliever

10:20 - Using your league play pitching rotation to strengthen your tournament potential

12:30 - Defensive setup

13:45 - In-game communication with players 

17:45 - Tournament batting order philosophies

20:40 - Parent & player communication regarding lineup philosophy

23:10 - Keeping a fluid lineup

27:55 - Wrap up

In this episode we discussed using a Baller Board to facilitate in-game lineup and position changes with our players. You can use this link (http://www.ballerboards.com) to check out their products from their standard models to custom designs for your program.

Email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com to share your thoughts about this episode or to suggest a topic for a future broadcast. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.

Preparing your game lineup isn’t as simple as just writing down names on a piece of paper. Having a different approach between league games and tournament games allows you to develop your players to be ready in high leverage situations while preparing your team for long-term success.

00:00: Introduction

01:35: Using league play for player development

06:00: Letting go of your ego for successful failures

07:20: Getting lost in the moment

09:15: Organizational emphasis

10:40: Making purposeful mistakes

12:25: Do purposeful mistakes harm the development of others?

15:40: Why use league play to structure a tournament pitching rotation

18:00: Planning your weekly pitching rotation

22:30: Structuring your season schedule

27:15: How to stay in touch with the podcast

Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts on today’s episode. Click on the follow button to be notified when new content drops and feel free to email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com with any comments or to suggest a show topic that’s important to you. Thanks for listening.

Welcome to another episode of Youth Baseball and Beyond. So this is your first year in travel ball? Congratulations. This is the episode for you. In today’s show we cover what you can expect this season from cost, to commitment, to league play, tournaments, and more.

If you’re looking for a specific topic, just jump to the chapters below:

00:00 - Introduction

02:30 - Avoid sticker shock

04:40 - Understand the commitment

06:00 - Indoor winter practices

07:00 - Awareness of team assignments

09:15 - Outdoor season begins after spring break

12:00 - Organizing your child’s schedule

13:50 - What to expect during the week

15:05 - Specialization of positions

18:50 - Leagues vs. Tournaments

22:45 - The structure of tournaments

24:30 - Pitch counts and advocating for your child

28:35 - Be prepared for entrance or parking fees

29:45 - Late night baseball

31:10 - Out-of-town tournaments

32:25 - Team bonding & creating memories

35:05 - There’s a travel program for you
Click on the follow button to be notified when new content drops and feel free to email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com with any comments or to suggest a show topic that’s important to you.

In the final part of our interview, Matt shares the qualities he sees in successful players, discusses the increase in arm issues at the youth levels and how modern metrics contribute to this.

00:00: Introduction

00:45: Common characteristics of successful players

02:35: Player self-reflection & coachability

05:15: Having a short memory

07:00: Being a good teammate

08:35: Why the increase in youth arm injuries?

09:35: Quantity and quality of throws at the youth levels

10:25: Nobody cares how hard you throw ball 4

11:20: Adding a variety of activities to the routine

12:30: Bo knows

14:15: The effect of modern-day metrics

17:45: Removing the human touch in evaluations

19:55: What Matt reviews when evaluating pro players

Keep up-to-date with our podcast by clicking that follow button and you’ll be notified each Wednesday when we drop new content. You can always email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@email.com with any questions or comments. Thanks for listening!!

In part 2 of our 3-part interview, Matt Shepardson, Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier Baseball League, discusses the humble beginnings of his club and what organizations can do to improve their coaching, how leaders can develop and institute an organizational vision, and what he would do if the baseball gods granted him the title of “youth baseball czar.”

00:00: Introduction

00:55: Humble beginnings

05:00: How organizations can improve 

06:30: Individual coaching growth

07:25: Helping organizations gain a vision

13:20: Becoming the Youth Baseball Czar

15:40: Monitoring the “arms race”

17:40: Honestly leveling your team

18:50: Mandate play & letting kids be kids

19:45: Travel investments into rec programs

21:20: The “tyranny of the urgent”

Next week we conclude our interview with Matt as he shares the qualities he sees in successful players, discusses the drastic increase in arm issues with our youth players, and how the modern metrics high level coaches use can impact player health.

Keep up-to-date with our podcast by clicking that follow button and you’ll be notified each Wednesday when we drop new content.

In this episode we interview Matt Shepardson. Matt is the Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier League, an independent professional baseball league, while also serving on the board of the Illinois Hawks Travel Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball Organizations. Previously, he coached the Joliet Slammers, where he won the 2023 Frontier League Manager Of The Year.

In Part 1 of our interview, Matt shares his thoughts on the overall state of youth baseball today and his experiences on setting up a club for success.

00:00: Introduction

01:20: Matt shares his view on the current state of youth baseball

03:45: What’s causing this “low point” in kids understanding baseball?

05:55: Balancing accessibility of the game vs. high-level training

08:25: Incorporating technology into training

11:40: Coaching the coaches

17:55: Keeping the bar raised high

Don’t let poor communication undermine your season. Clear communication is a cornerstone of any good team.

In this episode, Kevin and Nate share how to effectively communicate with parents before, during, and at the end of a season. Learn different tactics and tips on how you can set yourself up for success.

00:00: Introduction

01:35: First contact

04:40: Making your pre-season meeting accessible

06:50: Organizing & holding your pre-season meeting

10:25: Playing time discussions with parents

15:32: Sharing season logistics at pre-season meetings

16:35: Communication during the season

19:45: Creating a newsletter 

22:40: Team vs. Club communication 

23:35: Communication with unhappy parents

28:35: End-of-season discussions

Email ⁠Youth Baseball and Beyond⁠ to get free newsletter and player evaluation templates & follow us to stay up-to-date when new episodes drop .

In the famous words of Allen Iverson, "We're talking about practice."

Learn how (2) championship coaches create a practice plan - starting with the why, to the who, to the what, to the how.

Looking for ways to have your players improve their baseball IQ on their own? Kevin & Nate offer some tips to help your players continue their learning at home and on their own.

00:00: Introduction

03:30: Why create a practice plan?

06:04: Personalizing practice for your players

10:55: Effectively using assistant coaches

13:30: Creating your practice plan & timing

15:10: Practice atmosphere & setting expectations

20:04: Importance of self scouting

21:44: Ending practice

26:15: Practicing at home and improving baseball IQ

31:42: Life lessons away from baseball

Email Youth Baseball and Beyond to get a free practice plan template & follow us to stay up-to-date when new episodes drop.