Baseball We Have a Problem
Let me start off by saying I love the game. I love everything about it because it is the only sport that truly teaches young players about life lessons. Yes, other sports do as well, but as a 4-sport athlete in high school, I learned more from baseball than any other sport. I have 2 master ‘s-level degrees and still believe that I learned everything I needed to know by playing this wonderful sport.
So, I look at baseball and feel sick to my stomach because it is by far the worst youth sport for young athletes. I have coached club soccer, travel baseball, basketball, and volleyball, and it is bad out there. I am not surprised by the number of parents who do not allow their kids to play travel baseball.
The sad truth is, it is not the players’ fault; it is the coaches, the parents, and the priorities of baseball culture. I mean, we have more drama in baseball than any other sport. Who needs a sliding mitt when you have never been taught how to slide headfirst, and you are not taking leads?
So, this series, blog, or podcast will take a look at the landscape of youth baseball. It will focus on the issues I see. I will add my 2 cents on how to fix it. I know that there is a better way to do youth sports, but it starts with a conversation. So, let’s start and see what ideas we can come up with.
The Cost is Too High
I am going to talk about the easy one first. The cost of entry is way too high.
The other day, I saw a Facebook post in a travel baseball group talking about the price of baseball. A comment said they paid roughly $10,000 a year and then said that it did not take much.
The average American household earns $83,000 per year, and $10,000 per year is unaffordable for these families, keeping many very good players on the sidelines and out of the game. Yes, they can afford Little League baseball, but don’t even get me started on the most political organization in sports.
Here is the issue: when sports are not accessible for our youth athletes, we see bigger issues in the future. Studies show that girls who play sports are more likely to become leaders after their sports careers end. 94% of women in leadership roles played sports as kids.
The cost of playing youth sports is too high for our future children. We need to ensure that they have a path to play.
My Fix: We need to partner with our school to build our teams and leagues. Here in my school district, each K-8 school has fields with lights, but they are rarely used because of the complexity of renting the facilities. The school should partner with our youth organizations to help reduce costs and provide students with a place to play; this could also help the school earn money to address budget shortfalls.
Life-Lessons Are Not the Main Goal
Youth sports are important to me. I truly believe that every success in my life was due to playing sports as a kid. This is where I learned how to be a teammate, build resilience, learn from failure, lead, and more. I believe this is why youth sports are more important than ever.
However, the goal of youth sports is no longer about teaching these lessons. It is about making as much money as possible and winning games. This is very obvious in the new reality TV series showcasing a sports academy in Arizona. The goal is no longer about life-lessons; it is about showcasing the showboating, drip, and toxic culture baseball has become.
There are still coaches out there who believe in the true meaning of youth baseball, but this is a dying breed. I put the blame on the parents, looking for the fastest road to the show.
Hot take: The players who make it to the bigs and retire because of baseball have learned the lesson baseball taught them; they did not take the shortcuts most baseball organizations show.
Play-To-Win Culture Is Hurting Kids
We are told that the measure of success is wins. While I agree that winning is a major part of the journey, we are looking at this all wrong. The measure of success is improvement and development, not wins.
Here is what I mean. Every weekend, our teams trot out on the field looking to win a championship. We spend our whole weekend chasing a banner and a ring. The issue is that many teams are deliberately playing at lower levels just to win games. This does not help the player develop.
Here is the thing: when our goal is to get points, get rings, and stack wins, we are hurting the players’ development.
Think of it this way. You have a 14U player; his next step is high school. If he is not seeing high school-level pitching because your team wants to win a plastic ring, you are not preparing him for the next level.
Play-to-win is fun, but it is not getting you ready for your next chapter, when it really matters. Our priorities are wrong; we need to focus on player development, not meaningless rings.
My fix: We need to build developmental leagues. These leagues need to get away from the draft; they need to dismantle dominant teams and spread talent across the league. These leagues need to be hyper-focused on teaching the game at a high level; this means all players should play every position on the field. There is no need to specialize in a position before 15. This will help players see the game from different perspectives. This will help them develop when it really matters.
Stacking Little League Teams – Leagues Must Do Better
This is something I cannot wrap my head around. I was part of a Little League season in which the team’s run differential was +35 through 2 games. This means that the average margin of victory was 17.5 runs. The worst part was that the league player agent was the assistant coach. In Little League, this should never happen. There should not be such a top-heavy team that other teams don’t have a chance.
I know this happens in club sports as well. A gold-level or majors-level team will play down to bronze or AA to get a ring or win the league. In youth sports, there is really no reason for this. I mean, even pro teams, when it is a blowout, do what they can to move the game along.
The point here is simple: if you have a league so one-sided, it will drive kids away from the league or, worse, from the game. It takes years for kids to develop the skills needed to be successful in the game. Putting all your experience on one team does not help anyone.
In leagues and tournaments, we have to do a better job. We have to ensure that the kids playing are learning and having fun. Not getting beaten down so your league board members look good.
Hot take: When your board members have a +35 run differential through 2 games, it does not look good. We need to ensure this is not happening, and it is the league’s responsibility to ensure our teams are evenly distributed.
Baseball is About Community
I am going to blast baseball coaches here. Please know that this is not directed at all of you.
Baseball coaches, you are the biggest group of jerks I have ever met.
For some reason, baseball players who played through their JV years think they have earned something, or maybe they never fulfilled their dream of playing in the MLB. For some reason, this community is full of toxic coaches. Don’t even get me started on the parents.
The baseball I know was about my friends, my teammates, and good sportsmanship. This is not the case anymore, maybe because we all have 4 coaches telling us how good we are, so that check keeps coming.
Baseball is a place for community; you never know who you’ll meet. The further you go, the smaller your network gets. This is the same for life. Don’t burn your bridges because you think you are playing on your last team. Build your network, build your community.
Baseball Is Not Your Profit Center
We are in a very weird youth sports world right now. More money is being poured into youth sports than ever before. We have private equity buying fields, clubs, and teams. We are looking at youth sports as a profit-center, not an educational vehicle for kids.
Now, I understand the need to make money. It is how we pay for uniforms, tournaments, and coaches who need to earn a living. I totally get that.
Here is my issue: Youth sports are not a profit center. When you take private equity money, there is an expectation that you will see a return. They are going to expect that $10M to turn into $25M. This growth is pushed onto the players, the families, and the system.
We also know that when youth sports are viewed as a profit center, operations and finances are under the microscope, with every dollar cut to increase profitability. This means you pay more for less. Maybe that is going from 3 practices per week to 2. Maybe that means your uniform cost was passed through to a 20% markup.
What I know is that youth sports can’t be looked at as a profit center. Youth sports are too important for the future. We need to find new ways to fund the things that matter in life.
We Need to Support Our Coaches
For the most part, people in the baseball community are supportive of one another and help each other. Coaches, help coaches, and leagues do their best. However, a large percentage are in it for the wrong reasons. I also believe that this percentage is growing.
The other day, I was in a Facebook Group, and I knew I was already looking for a fight, LOL. The comment in the group was, “Most coaches do not know how to put together a practice plan. In fact, most baseball coaches look like they are running a circus.”
What, who are you to tell the entire community that you are the better coach? Or by the way, there was a link with his team’s tryout information in the post as well.
This is the type of stuff that tears the community apart. Instead of blasting everyone, help. Share a practice plan or two that actually helped your player develop. Give some insightful tips to help new coaches.
The point here is that baseball is about community, not tearing it apart. We should be here to help our players, not beat our chest because we hit .274 and batted 8th in high school.
It’s Not My Fault Culture
I know that this is a bigger issue than just baseball. It is a societal issue. The results are never their fault. They fail because they are not taking accountability for their actions.
- My teacher did not grade my paper. Stop turning it in late.
- The umpire can’t make a good call. Don’t rely on the umpire for the outcome of your games.
- My coach did not train me. You need to be coachable and put in the work.
- My bat is too heavy. You need to get stronger.
- I can’t do strength training because I have a private lesson later tonight.
I could go on and on about this topic. Baseball is about failing and learning from it. Our players fail and blame anything, anybody but themselves. We are looking for the easy way out because the hard way is looking internal, because you know you could do more. You know you can put in more effort at practice. You know you can get the tee out at home. You know your warm-up catch could have an intention.
The blame culture in baseball is the exact opposite of what it should be. We need to change this.
My Fix: Every Monday, I have our student write their goals and reflect on the week prior. If they did not meet their goals, they can see that the work they put in did not get them where they wanted to be. We need to hold our players accountable for the effort they put in. If they are trying, they will see improvement.
The Lack of Athletes
This is just an observation because I know there are athletes in the game. I also believe that baseball players need to be athletic to do the things on the field that are important.
That said, we do not have baseball players. This might be because we are too concentrated on teaching proper mechanics. I agree that the right swing will help players improve. Again, this is just my observation: baseball players can’t throw a football, they can’t do agility work, they can’t jump high, they can’t run for distance, and they can’t do many of the athletic things required to be successful on the diamond.
Here is my assumption: soccer works on agility every day. Football works on footwork and agility every day. Basketball requires body movement every day. Baseball sits in a cage, swings the bat, and throws the ball.
I am going to give you a real-world example. Every summer, I try to take my teams into a basketball league. My girls’ soccer teams would dominate. They would run up and down the court, pass the ball, and shoot. They would play defense, rotate, and execute a pick-and-roll. My baseball boys can’t even do layup drills.
Maybe it is just the boys I have, but there is one kid on our team who plays club soccer that can shoot, dribble, and execute a layup every time.
My Fix: Here is my concern for baseball players. If we don’t train them like athletes, they are going to get pasted up in the future. Once they turn 13 or 14, we can perfect their swing. We can’t train them to be better athletes. True athletes will pass them once they learn how to swing the bat, throw a ball, and play the game.
We All Agree, But Do Nothing
As we close out on this topic, I have spoken to so many people who agree with many of these points. Many of the parents want something different, but do not know where to look. They do not know what to do. They know they want something better for their kids, but at every turn, another issue arises.
To fix the issues, we need to come together. We need to unite and build a solution. If not, we will lose not only youth baseball but also youth sports.
