We discuss what coaches and players need to do to have effective bullpen sessions - both practice bullpens and pre-game bullpens. Matt Whiteside is our guest and provides another great interview, full of information for both coaches and players.

Coaches Corner

Episode 14 - Effective Bullpen Sessions

This entire episode is focused on the baseball statistics in youth baseball that can be used to teach players how to win and how to play the game right. Both team and individual hitting and pitching statistics are covered.

Episode 18 - Statistics That Matter

We focus on pitch selection - from a pitcher's perspective. Our guest is Matt Whiteside, former big leaguer with 17 years of professional baseball experience. Matt talks about the "on or out in 3" approach to pitching. This is a great interview for every youth coach and pitcher.

Episode 17 - Pitch Selection From Pitcher’s Perspective

We focus the entire episode on pitch selection, from the hitter's perspective. Steve Hacker, former college baseball All-American and professional hitter with the Braves and Twins organizations, is our guest once again. This is a great interview, full of information that coaches can directly apply to help their hitters improve.

Episode 16 - Pitch Selection from Hitter’s Perspective

We discuss two great topics in this episode of Coaches Corner. First, we discuss coaching behavior during games. To be an effective coach, your behavior during needs to be consistent with your team mission and philosophy. A recipe for controlling your behavior is provided. Second, we discuss how to use statistics to help you develop young baseball players. This is a controversial topic, because I recommend that you throw out the most common stats and develop an completely new language of statistics with your team. The shownotes of more details on this subject.

Episode 15 - Coaching Behavior and Statistics That Matter

The listener feedback has caused me to re-think what is meant by “select baseball”.

Special - What is Select Baseball??

This episode focuses on batting practice. Steve Hacker, former All-American and professional hitter, is our guest. Steve gives us insights into effective and efficient BP sessions, from both the coach's and player's perspective.

Episode 13 - Effective Batting Practice Sessions

We discuss Pitcher Fielding, which is worth 3 outs per game to your team. The approach to improve pitcher fielding focuses on fundamentals, repititions and mental toughness. We also discuss how to develop well-rounded baseball players that will succeed at the next level. This is an important topic. Besides teaching fundamentals and developing skills, select level coaches can do more. Four additional development areas are discussed: athleticism, mental toughness, multi-dimensional skills and passion for the game.

Episode 12 - Pitcher Fielding and Developing Players for the Next Level

Good defense is the hallmark of well coached baseball teams. In this episode, we discuss how to prepare you infielders and outfielders during your preseason practices. The two messages are: 1) Emphasize proper footwork and 2) Lots of high quality reps. Also, a lot of coaches are facing roster decisions as part of the preseason program. We provide some tips and advice on how to assess players and make decisions. For physical skills, you need to measure, don't rely on reputation and heresay. Mental skills are just as important, so be sure to have a system in place to assess mental skills. Finally, John Wooden's book "The Essential John Wooden" is reviewed and highly recommended for all coaches.

Episode 11 - Infield and Outfield Work and Making Preseason Roster Decisions

Coaches' Corner episode 10 is another special edition. The entire episode is dedicated to positive coaching. We have an extended interview with Brendan Sullivan, co-founder of Headfirst Baseball. In the interview, we discuss the foundations of positive coaching and the challenges of being a double goal coach.

Episode 10 - Positive Coaching

Episode 9 of the Coaches' Corner is a special edition. We dedicate the entire podcast to one topic - select baseball and academics. Brendan Sullivan, a former pro pitcher and co-founder of Headfirst Baseball, provides his perspective on the importance of academics and the unique link between baseball and academic performance.

Episode 9 - Select Baseball and Academics

In this episode, we discuss how to plan and run practices that are focused on developing fundamental baseball skills. Our guest is Bob Byrd, long time youth baseball coach in Florida and co-founder of Baseball Excellence.com, one of the great internet resources for select baseball coaches. The interview with Bob is full of great information and advice. We also discuss how coaches should help players set individual goals for the upcoming season. Guidelines for effective goal-setting and a process for setting individual goals are reviewed. Finally, a book titled "The Mental Game of Baseball", by Harvey Dorfman and Karl Kuehl is reviewed. This book should be on the shelf of every serious high school baseball player.

Episode 8 - Developing Baseball Skills and Setting Individual Goals

We discuss preseason work for catchers with Ben Margalski, one of the leading catching instructors in St. Louis. Great advice for how coaches can help 12-16u catchers prepare for the season and improve at this important position. We also discuss setting team goals. Team goals allow you, as a coach, to define how success will be measured for your team. As a coach, you need to take control of your own success. Guidelines and a process for setting team goals are provided. Finally, some free internet materials from Baseball-Excellence.com are discussed and recommended.

Episode 7 - Preseason Catching Work and Developing Team Goals

In Episode 6 of the Coaches' Corner, we discuss how to plan and run an indoor practice session. We also discuss how to set behavior expectations on your team.

Episode 6 - Planning Indoor Practices and Setting Behavior Expectations

In Episode #5 of the Coaches Corner we discuss an offseason arm strength and conditioning program with Matt Whiteside. We also discuss what it means to be a part of a team and review the actions a coach can take to teach players how to be strong member of a team.

Episode 5 - Offseason Arm Conditioning and What It Means to be a Team

Information and advice for coaches (and parents) of select level baseball teams.