Elbow Up Youth Baseball

Thank you to all who have followed my youth baseball articles and podcasts. After some time off, here's last week's edition recapping the past three years. Please continue to let me know what you want to hear about (and please share with a friend...or three). Thanks!

🎧 Reflecting on 3 Years of Elbow Up | Elbow Up Youth Baseball Newsletter, podcast, and community for youth parents and coaches by Kevin Burke - dad, coach, and fan.

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🚨 Youth coaches, don’t blow this off! 🚨

Take your responsibility seriously. This isn’t about winning youth baseball games.

You personally can be (and usually are) responsible for whether or not a kid enjoys the game.

Parents, you too!

Whether you’re 7U or 12U, the best teams have the best defense.

Despite this, you’ll still see most youth practices consisting of on field batting practice while everyone stands around.

Spend more time on defense at practice. Spend time away from practice getting swings.

I haven’t always agreed with everything Tom House says, but he’s spot on here.

Batting practice is fun, but the best young teams work on picks, cuts, PFPs, bunt coverages, situations, and more. No exceptions.

We’re giving up on kids at 8 years old. Why?

All to win a plastic ring and post it on Facebook.

Yesterday, our 10U team played up in an 11U one-day tournament. It was a local tournament where we should have gone 5-0. We went 1-3, made 15 errors, didn’t hit well, walked 14. Looked like we forgot how to play.

But guess what? They’re 10. It’ll be fine. And today we’ll spend time with this guy, have fun, and nobody will remember yesterday.

Don’t lose sight of what’s important, and keep everything in perspective!

Start having your catchers shake the umpires hand and introduce themselves before the game, and then do it again after the game, telling the umpire “great game, thank you.” Build character and show respect.

High school catcher baffled by attention for his ‘simple’ act of sportsmanship After a walk-off loss in the state tournament, West Springfield catcher Eric Fila shook hands with the home plate umpire. The video went viral, even appearing on an MLB broadcast.

It’s a Sunday baseball kind of day! ⚾️