The Monday Mound Visit

In 2024 we had two 14u teams and of the 26 or so players, around 25% have gotten reps on the varsity team as freshman.

There is one thing I’m working on driving home with our 13u teams, that is the compounding effect of drive and work ethic. 13u is

I wanted to share something that happened after a tournament that is more important and extends beyond the game. Our 13u Grimes team were not having

My pitching philosophy is simple. I have 4 big KPIs for all my pitchers in our organization and the older kids can recite this: 60%

Our big message this weekend was ANTICIPATION. Anticipate the ball hit your way. Anticipate the pass ball to get the next base. Anticipate the play

I want to highlight the Futures App, a valuable tool our players use for development. Following our recent tournaments, we’re focusing on how this app

You hear many youth baseball organizations claim to focus on player development. It is one of the most important things; however, I honestly believe it is a term so loosely used. Using games at youth ages to validate development is not the most practical way. Games are very chaotic environments with so many uncontrollables. Young players have not yet mastered a skill set that is needed in a game that prides itself on being one of the highest skilled sports to master. Simply put, it takes time!

The last couple weeks I have been stressing the importance of LTAD (long term athletic development) as the fundamental principle for everything we do at 706. So many clubs use development as a loose term but only use games as a way to display that development. I think it’s flawed; however, I want to clarify that I am not painting this picture with a broad brush. There are many great coaches and organizations around and I know we are young and still make mistakes but my vision has always been through a lens of how WE can do this better. To enforce development and practice what we preach, I sent out resources last week for nutrition guidance and a 2 month, 3 day per week lifting schedule with intended outcomes that sets them up for November and December training. IF you need them or did not get them, please let me know. 

The number one goal for any youth sports organization under the age of 16u should be primarily focused on development. First and foremost, developing the HUMAN. We happen to use baseball as a platform for that. Second, develop the baseball player. We call this long term athletic development (LTAD). LTAD places the primary goal on long-term benefits and having a desired outcome that may years from now. That is a paradigm I try to use when looking at how 706 Baseball Club works with youth players. Our goal is to prepare kids for the next level. It is future minded. 

Preparation is one of the most important factors in building confidence. Player’s that attach their confidence to results create a fickle sense of confidence where they thrive on the peak of victory and wallow in the valley of defeat. With confidence built on preparation, players navigate the season in a more healthy mental state. The wins become validation of the preparation and the defeats serve a purpose of identifying areas of growth. I understand that winning is important to build up confidence but it needs not be the only source, especially with our youth. Results don’t define them. Their character and work ethic have more influence on their confidence than their wins and losses. Results take precedence later in their career when the stakes are attached to incentives such as money, NIL, scholarships, etc. but I digress.