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fielding

Cutoffs and Relays for 10U Teams

The Play That Made Me Rethink Everything Last week I watched a left fielder catch a clean single and then throw it directly to second base while the runner from first was already rounding third hea...

2026-08-17 · 9-10
 mental game

Teaching the Mental Game in Practice

I had a kid last spring, twelve years old, good hands, could read the ball off the bat better than most kids his age. But every time he stepped into the box with runners on, he'd bail on inside pit...

2026-08-17 · 11-12
 parent management

How to Run a Pre-Season Parent Meeting That Actually Works

The Meeting I Almost Skipped Last year I pulled into the parking lot for our first practice and had three parents flag me down before I even got my bag out of the truck. One wanted to know why her ...

2026-08-10
 player development

When Your Best Player Is in a Slump

I had a kid last spring — Tyler, nine years old, best bat on the team by a mile — go eleven at-bats without a hit. Not weak contact, not bad luck. Swinging through fastballs he used to crush. His d...

2026-08-10 · 9-10
 pitching

The Windup vs. the Stretch for Young Pitchers

When I Made a Kid Throw From the Stretch for an Entire Season Last week I had a 10-year-old on the mound who was bouncing every third pitch into the dirt. Dad's hollering from the fence about his e...

2026-08-03 · 9-10
 hitting

Tee Work: Why Most Coaches Do It Wrong

I watched a kid hit off the tee for twenty minutes last spring and wondered why I was even there. He was just swinging. Ball after ball, same spot, same height, same lazy loop through the zone. His...

2026-08-03
 mental game

How to Coach the Mental Game at Practice

Last week I had a kid stand at the plate for six straight pitches without swinging. Good pitches too. Not nervous, not confused — he just kept waiting for something perfect that was never coming. I...

2026-07-30 · 11-12
 fielding

Teaching Kids to Read the Ball Off the Bat

I had a kid last spring — Marcus, nine years old, rangy little left fielder — who was flat-out fast. Could run down anything once he got going. But he was always late leaving. Ball would drop ten f...

2026-07-27 · 9-10
 parent management

When Parents Disagree with Your Lineup

I had a dad corner me in the parking lot after a 10U game, three minutes after we'd won, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Why was Tyler batting seventh?" Not "great win." Not "the kids pl...

2026-07-27
 pitching

Pitch Count Rules and Why They Exist

I had a 12-year-old kid on my travel team — big arm, good spin on his curve, the kind of pitcher every coach wants on the mound in a close game. His dad came to me after our third tournament and as...

2026-07-20
 hitting

Why Kids Step Out on Inside Pitches and How to Fix It

I had a kid last spring, nine years old, good athlete, could hit anything middle-away all day long. But the second somebody threw him inside, his front foot flew open toward third base like he was ...

2026-07-20 · 9-10
 fielding

Catching Fundamentals for 8U and Up

I had a kid last spring — Mason, eight years old, gap in his front teeth, wore his hat sideways until I fixed it — who was flinching every single time a ball came at him. Not blinking. Full-on turn...

2026-07-13 · 7-8
 mental game

The Pre-Game Routine That Calms a Nervous Team

I had a team of 10U kids last spring who were visibly shaking before a tournament opener. Hands fidgeting, eyes darting around, nobody talking. I'd seen nervous teams before, but this one felt like...

2026-07-13
 parent management

Managing Playing Time Without Losing Parents

I had a mom corner me in the parking lot after a Tuesday practice, kids still on the field, and she went straight for the throat. "My son played two innings last game and you had him sitting while ...

2026-07-06
 pitching

Teaching Pitch Sequencing to Young Pitchers

I had an 11-year-old on the mound two summers ago — kid had a legitimate fastball for his age, maybe sitting 62-63, and he just kept throwing it. Same spot, same speed, over and over. First inning,...

2026-07-05 · 11-12
 hitting

Teaching the Swing to 7-8U Without Overcomplicating It

I had a kid last spring — seven years old, maybe 50 pounds soaking wet — who came to his first practice with a swing that looked like he was trying to swat a hornet. His dad had been watching YouTu...

2026-06-15 · 7-8
 mental game

The Pre-Game Routine That Settles a Nervous Team

I had a 10U team a few years back that was playing in their first tournament game ever. We showed up to the field and I could just see it — kids standing around with their hands in their pockets, n...

2026-06-08
 fielding

First-and-Third Situations for 10U Coaches

Last week I watched a first-and-third situation absolutely fall apart for a 10U team, and it had nothing to do with the kids. The coach had no play called, the catcher looked into the dugout, the s...

2026-06-01 · 9-10
 player development

When Your Star Player Has a Slump

I had a kid two seasons ago — Marcus — who could flat-out rake. Nine years old, best contact hitter on my 10U team, the kind of kid who made your lineup easy. Then one Tuesday night he went 0-for-3...

2026-05-29 · 9-10
 practice planning

Teaching 8U Kids to Back Up Bases

I watched my shortstop just stand there last Tuesday while a throw sailed past first base and rolled all the way to the fence. Runner scored from first. Game over. And my shortstop — sweet kid, gre...

2026-05-27 · 7-8

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