Youth Sports

Although its participants are still in grade school, Pop Warner football is serious business in Miami, where local teams routinely advance to the national championships. Games draw thousands of fans; recruiters vie for nascent talent; drug dealers and rap stars bankroll teams; and the stakes are so high that games sometimes end in gunshots. In America's poorest neighborhood, troubled parents dream of NFL stardom for children who long only for a week in Disney World at the Pop Warner Super Bowl.

This is The Shift, where “for the love of the game” has given way to an exclusive world of wealth and greed. Learn about it from someone who has lived it as a coach, mentor, and most importantly, as a father.

As the parent of two sons who went on to play baseball in college as well as a former head baseball coach at the NCAA level, I want to share alternatives with parents that will allow their children to avoid the anxiety and stress that many face within the overstructured and overorganized world of travel baseball. The hamster wheel of travel ball is a business model and not a baseball development model. For kids, baseball should be all about one thing—having fun! We play it as kids, watch and listen to it as adults, and pass down our love of it through generations.

Jesus Christ, the greatest teacher who ever lived, was able to connect so well with his audience because he used unique parables, metaphors, and similes that related to the lives of his students. Farmers, fisherman, tax collectors, and shepherds were given the "keys to the Kingdom" through a clearer understanding of truth. This book is designed for today's baseball player to understand Christianity in a new and profound way through the teaching of the Bible through the game of baseball.

A player who could hardly defend. A bleak soccer future as a bench-warmer. An athlete who lacked confidence in their game. Are you or a loved one enjoying soccer, but can’t stand not being confident on how to defend? Do you or a child have a problem stopping the team from shooting? Are you a parent or player that would love to stop the dribble of each opponent, but struggle even stopping the foot skills of one player? If any of these situations describe you, you are not alone. Coaches of soccer are good at having the team work together. Sadly, your abilities as an individual are often lost in the team’s tactics unless you are the star player on the team. The coach lets the best player do as they please but every other player must do their job, even though the coach may not always teach exactly how to do that job.

En cualquier libro de béisbol o búsqueda de Internet, encontrará cientos de rutinas o ejercicios de béisbol fácilmente disponibles. El reto no es conseguir los ejercicios, sino determinar cuáles se adecúan para sus prácticas. Muchas rutinas son complicadas, repetitivas y redundantes o requieren equipos costosos. También resulta difícil determinar cuáles ejercicios son apropiados en vista de la edad de los miembros de su equipo.

Coaching youth baseball can be a rewarding, fulfilling, and enjoyable experience for you and the kids. Or it can be a nightmare. This guide is based on one coach's experience, and lessons learned coaching the game. It is an accumulation of ideas - some practical, some philosophical - designed to help you be the best coach you can be. From Coach to Coach, I wish you a successful baseball season!