Youngsters all over the world (yes, I said world) are breaking out bats, balls and gloves for the youth baseball season.  Whether its for T-ball, Little League,  Pony League or Bobby Soxers you will be hearing the sound of bat on ball and the œHey batter, batter chant from countless young voices.
Baseball and its cousin, softball are played around the world.  The statisticians say over 10 million kids play youth sports every year in the U.S. alone.. My guess is that 50% play some form of the National Pastime-baseball.
My concern is the quality of their experience.  Their purpose in playing is to have fun.  Of course, learning the fundamentals of any game gives a youngster a better opportunity to do just that.
So what prevents these athletes from having fun?  For the most part, it is their parent or coaches, or both.  So much so that I wrote a book titled œHey Mom, Wheres My Glove?  It isnt a scientific presentation nor is it limited to baseball.  It is based on my 50 years of coaching athletes and coaches.
Do not get me wrong.  I think the caches and parents are well-intended.  They just lack training.  For example, one of the toughest jobs in the world is watching your own child perform.  It, also, can be one of the most rewarding.
The problem with parents is that too many times the perspective of very sane people is warped when it comes to their own child.  There is also the parent caught in some unfulfilled expectation of their own and  attempting to fulfill it through their childs experience.
As for the coaches, they can get their ego tied up in winning or losing, and forget that the purpose is to have fun.  There is also an assumption made that because a person played the game they can coach it.  Oh, they may have the fundamentals, but very few players actually know what coaches do.
You can learn and teach the fundamentals from a book. The more you do it, the more skilled you will become.  In œHey Mom, Wheres My Glove I provide a context for being the coach, parent or coach/parent.  Without a proper context to work from there are way too many opportunities to interfere with accomplishing the most important objective”have fun.
One of the conversations that untrained coaches continue to have that is not very effective and often times damaging is whether or not a child is a competitor. The intent to be competitive happens naturally as the child gets older.  If it is forced or driven it will most times damage the athletes experience.
Give the athlete the opportunity to see that they have value, to appreciate their teammates and to know they are loved by their coach and you will have people who have a foundation for competition without losing sight off what is important.
If you are involved with youth sports, get a book.  It will be an investment in your childs future as well as any other children you have the opportunity to work with.  Books may be purchased at YouPublish.com



Youngsters all over the world (yes, I said world) are breaking out bats, balls and gloves for the youth baseball season.  Whether its for T-ball, Little League,  Pony League or Bobby Soxers you will be hearing the sound of bat on ball and the œHey batter, batter chant from countless young voices.

Baseball and its cousin, softball are played around the world.  The statisticians say over 10 million kids play youth sports every year in the U.S. alone.  My guess is that 50% play some form of the National Pastime-baseball.

My concern is the quality of their experience.  Their purpose in playing is to have fun.  Of course, learning the fundamentals of any game gives a youngster a better opportunity to do just that.

So what prevents these athletes from having fun?  For the most part, it is their parent or coaches, or both.  So much so that I wrote a book titled œHey Mom, Wheres My Glove?  It isnt a scientific presentation nor is it limited to baseball.  It is based on my 50 years of coaching athletes and coaches.

Do not get me wrong.  I think the caches and parents are well-intended.  They just lack training.  For example, one of the toughest jobs in the world is watching your own child perform.  It, also, can be one of the most rewarding.

The problem with parents is that too many times the perspective of very sane people is warped when it comes to their own child.  There is also the parent caught in some unfulfilled expectation of their own and attempting to fulfill it through their childs experience.

As for the coaches, they can get their ego tied up in winning or losing, and forget that the purpose is to have fun.  There is also an assumption made that because a person played the game they can coach it.  Oh, they may have the fundamentals, but very few players actually know what coaches do.

You can learn and teach the fundamentals from a book. The more you do it, the more skilled you will become.  In œHey Mom, Wheres My Glove I provide a context for being the coach, parent or coach/parent.  Without a proper context to work from there are way too many opportunities to interfere with accomplishing the most important objective”have fun.

One of the conversations that untrained coaches continue to have that is not very effective and often times damaging is whether or not a child is a competitor. The intent to be competitive happens naturally as the child gets older.  If it is forced or driven it will most times damage the athletes experience.

Give the athlete the opportunity to see that they have value, to appreciate their teammates and to know they are loved by their coach and you will have people who have a foundation for competition without losing sight off what is important.

If you are involved with youth sports, get a book.  It will be an investment in your childs future as well as any other children you have the opportunity to work with.  Books may be purchased at YouPublish.com