Seven Reasons Against Specialization and Travel Ball

This is an old article, but an informative one: Seven Reasons Against Specializing in a Single Sport and Travel Team Play at an Early Age by Brooke de Lench of the MomsTeam website.

This is actually a series of articles with some thought and research devoted to each of her arguments. The main point is that kids should participate in various activities (may I add, not necessarily at the same time) for several reasons. If you are a parent of a talented athlete, this is worth checking out.

MLB Network's Diamond Demo's

The best channel on TV has a gold mine of expert baseball information. It's MLB Network's Diamond Demo's, where former pro players like Harold Reynolds, Billy Ripken, my man Sean Casey and others head to Studio 42 for instructional segments on all aspects of the game.

Whether you're a coach, a player or a parent, you can learn a lot from these valuable five-minute demonstrations. The Network's website has a video library will all the clips - nearly 100 so far.

Youth Sports Psychology Blog

I recently came across a blog about the psychology of youth sports. Topics include such things as confidence, mental toughness, parenting, bullying, etc. There is also a link to a partner site specific to the mental aspects of baseball. Yes, they have products to offer, but also some good information. Might be worth checking out.

Umpires Are People Too

ESPN's Outside the Lines has run a good story about Jim Joyce, the MLB umpire whose incorrect call at 1st Base cost Detroit Tigers' pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game with two out in the 9th last season. The call changed Joyce's life forever, and this was his first national interview since that fateful night of June 2nd.

This is a story about sportsmanship, and the fact that everyone is human and nobody's perfect. If this can happen at the highest level, you know it is bound to happen at the youth level, where the umps are even more "human." The video is below. The article is on ESPN.

No Science Behind Power Balance Bracelets

Somewhat related to my previous post on Titanium Necklaces...

...The makers of a similar product, Power Balance, have admitted that there is no scientific evidence behind their hologram-embedded bracelets and other products. The company still claims though, in about as vague a manner as possible, that the holograms interact with the human body's natural energy flow.  Who needs science when you've got $35 million in annual sales.

They Don't Make 'em Like Bob Feller Anymore

Baseball legend Bob Feller died yesterday at the age of 92. It's almost hard to believe the outspoken, dominant right handed pitcher and war hero was mortal, when you consider his amazing life.

He came from humble beginnings, but rose to stardom quickly. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians at age 16, and struck out 15 batters in his Major League debut at the age of 17. He returned to high school after the season for his senior year. His graduation ceremony was broadcast by NBC on national radio.

Feller would have won almost 400 games if he had not given four years of his career to the US Navy during World War II. He served on the battleship Alabama and saw action in the North Atlantic and the Pacific.

He pitched as recently as last year at age 90 in the Baseball Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown.

Feller was one of the hardest throwers ever. But more importantly, he was a great American. He was the "Ace of the Greatest Generation." It's hard to find heroes like him anymore.

How to Balance Sports and Family

We may not all be as perfect as the happy family on the left (even the dog is happy), but we can at least have a healthy balance between youth sports and family life. Moms Team offers nine ways to achieve that balance.

Book Review: Until It Hurts by Mark Hyman

There has been plenty of talk nationally about Mark Hyman's latest book, Until It Hurts, since its release about a year ago. And a couple of parents in our own league have mentioned it to me. So I decided to give it a read and report back.

Hyman's book is essentially about what he calls the "hostile takeover" of youth sports by adults. As he says in his introduction, "adults rule youth sports." It isn't a new trend. It has gone on for decades.

Hyman uses anecdotes and statistics to show the disturbing patterns of behavior among many misguided and ultra-competitive parents and coaches throughout various sports, both team and individual. One story is that of his own family and what led to his son's Tommy John Surgery.

Throughout the book, Hyman examines a number of things considered wrong with today's youth sports culture:

- The big business it has become, including national TV broadcasts;

- Parents who relentlessly pursue athletic success for their kids, over-scheduling them to the point of exhaustion, with hopes of rare college scholarships, even more rare million dollar contracts, or just the social status of having raised an elite athlete;

- Early sport specialization and adults who push athletes to be the best, no matter the toll it takes on their minds and bodies, sometimes working them to the point of injury; and

- The focus on winning over fun, fairness and health.

Hyman is an advocate for organizations designed with fun and the best interests of the kids in mind. He says we should be listening to doctors' advice, and to what the kids themselves have to say about what they want to pursue and how they want their athletic experiences to be.

He's done a good job of painting an honest picture of what youth sports in America has become, although some of the anecdotes could be considered extreme cases. This book is an important look into what is best for kids and what we, the parents and coaches of young athletes should keep in mind as we guide them.

Until It Hurts by Mark Hyman is currently available at Amazon for around $10.

How Much Exercise Does Your Practice Provide?

It is widely accepted that youth sports are beneficial for general health and obesity prevention. Experts recommend an hour of moderate to rigorous physical activity per day. But a new study conducted by San Diego State University and UC-San Diego suggests what we may have suspected about organized team sports practices.


Researchers placed accelerometers on 200 young soccer, baseball and softball players aged 7-14 to measure how much activity they were getting in practice. The findings show that overall, only 24% of participants met the one hour recommendation during their team's practice. Baseball, and especially softball players, got significantly less physical activity. Check out the study for all the details.


This tells us that (1) team sports aren't enough - school PE and neighborhood recreation are very important to the health of our nation's youth, and (2) our practices could probably include more exercise.


How can we get our players moving more in practice? Here are some ideas. If you have other suggestions, please leave a comment below.


- Have the team run a couple of warm-up laps before starting. This, followed by stretching, also helps prevent injuries.


- Practice baserunning often. Baserunning is a quarter of the game (pitching, hitting, fielding and baserunning) and often gets neglected.


- Utilize stations to keep the players engaged and minimize standing around waiting. Use the nets and batting cages for hitting stations like tees, soft toss and BP.


- After your instruction periods, reward the team with an intrasquad scrimmage or quick game of Pull-the-Trigger. This not only gets the players moving, but it's fun and sends them home wanting more.

Girls Can Play Baseball Too

Found a website for an organization called Baseball For All, which promotes the idea of girls playing baseball, not only in youth leagues, but beyond.

Baseball For All (BFA) is managed by Justine Siegal, who played competitive women's baseball and later served as a coach for a professional men's team, the Brockton (MA) Rox. The organization provides opportunities and instruction for girls wanting to continue with baseball beyond the young age that most are encouraged to make the switch to softball. The website includes some good information, including an informative education page.

Myers Park Trinity's history includes several standout female players. Katie Boyer was the first, playing for Al Browne in 1978. Some of her teammates actually thought she was a boy, until one of them asked the coach one day, "Why do you always call him Katie?"  Krissy Culler may have been the best, earning a spot on the league's Major League All-Star team. One of my own favorite players, Betsy Barnhardt, was an outstanding catcher and pitcher for AB.

So while the league does have a quality softball program, there are options for those girls wanting to stick with hardball. And they can excel at it. Don't believe me? Check out the story of Chelsea Baker on ESPN E:60.