Coaching Youth Baseball
92 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 56 ratingsDave Holt shares his 19 years in professional baseball player development experience with youth baseball coaches. Discover the baseball coaching methods, processes, and philosophies that will make you stand out in the crowd and be "THAT" difference- maker coach. Dave helps mentor youth baseball coaches and baseball parents in the vitally important areas of player development. You will hear from someone who has inside experience and knowledge on how to use some of the best coaching approaches and teach player development to your ‘flock’ of players. For all baseball coaching levels and experience from T-Ball to High School. And, you might just get an edge on the ways you can help your kids survive the 60/90’ fields and reach the high school baseball funnel.
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Episodes
CYB: 037 Coaching Your Own Kid
June 16, 2021 20:45 - 33 minutes - 47 MBThankfully we have a lot of Moms and Dads coaching our youth baseball teams. We could not provide youth baseball without the help of parents in the coaching trenches. At the same time we want the parent/kid relationship to stay strong and healthy. It can get real blurry coaching your own kids. Dave goes over some of the issues and some solutions for you try in your baseball coaching toolbox. CoachandPlay Baseball.com
CYB 036: (5) Coaching Tips to Teach Your Hitters
May 27, 2021 22:59 - 37 minutes - 52.9 MBWhat do most all good hitters do? Dave goes over a short list of tips to help develop your hitters to move up the baseball ladder into the 60’ 90’ high school baseball funnel. See how many of your hitters can check the 5 items off their list. Our jobs as coaches is to help as many kids as possible reach proficiency in all 5 of these hitting tips. Coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 035: Coach & Develop Youth Baseball Catchers
May 20, 2021 20:36 - 31 minutes - 44.1 MBDo you have a catcher? Do you have catching depth? Catching is not for everyone that’s for sure. Most kids don’t want to go anywhere near the catcher’s bag of shin guards and chest protectors. Here is what I like to look for in a catcher. And some kids may need be nudged out of their comfort zone to try catching. Coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 034 Infielders Skills & Drills
May 06, 2021 20:36 - 31 minutes - 44.8 MBHow are you on your infield basic knowledge level? If a hig- level baseball person rolled up on your team would they be impressed? Check out these strategies with your infielders and help take your players to a higher playing level. I love working with my infielders and helping them polish their ball handling skills and I hope you do too. CoachandPlayBaseball.com
CYB 033: Have You Ever Played Against “THAT” Team
April 26, 2021 20:44 - 36 minutes - 51.3 MBDo you know that your players and parents kind of mirror your coaching style and approach. Yes, your organization is a bit of a reflection of your actions. Now we have to decide on what that looks like. Do we want to be known as the “classiest team” in the league, or do we want to be known as “THAT” Team…you know, THAT one that nobody likes very much. Coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 032 I Triple Dog Dare You
April 08, 2021 18:17 - 43 minutes - 60.3 MBIt’s is time to go back to review some player development topics and strategies to refresh. This is a 10-year journey down the road to high school baseball funnel. You are dared to implement this philosophy and incorporate these topics in your coaching approach. You might even get double or triple dog dared if you don’t watch out. Coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 031: Hey, What's Your Plan
March 31, 2021 18:59 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBIf you are involved in travel ball, tournament baseball, travel baseball especially for the ages 12 & under you may not be in the best situation to develop ballplayers. Listen to some methods and ideas that are starting to emerge around the country that can better develop baseball players. Small adjustments and tweaks and some imagination can help set up more players for success. Coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 030: Why Travel Ball Does Not Develop
March 18, 2021 19:33 - 32 minutes - 45 MBIs youth baseball travel ball the best platform to develop baseball players? Dave takes a deeper dive into the perils of travel baseball and tournament travel ball. The focus is mostly on the ages 12 and lower as we discuss the most damaging segment of travel baseball that entraps even the best of youth coach’s intentions. Coach and Play Baseball.com
CYB 029 Opening Day Prep
February 19, 2021 00:52 - 40 minutes - 55.3 MBGetting your season off on the right foot takes a little preparation and planning. Dave talks about some the main items to take care of as the season approaches. And don't forget the most important thing that cannot be skipped over...tune in to find out how to sell your kid's parents on your player develop systems. Coach and Play Baseball.com
CYB 028 Coaching Youth Pitchers Smartly
October 20, 2020 16:34 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MBAre you over-pitching your youth baseball pitchers? There is a good chance you are or you have seen other teams go too far with their pitchers. Dave spends some time going over the reasons why we see too much over-pitching of our youth ballplayers today. Get some background and insight to the right Smart Pitching guidelines and get a copy to all the ‘Big-People’ (parents and coaches) today.
CYB 027 The Ball Never Stops
October 02, 2020 18:20 - 36 minutes - 50.9 MBOne of the ‘5-Tools’ of baseball is labeled “Fielding”. Within the content of fielding is ball-handling. The transition from the time the ball hits the glove to the release of the throw. During this time the ball never really stops. It becomes one fluid motion from the catch to the release. Dave goes over some practice ideas and drills to help your baseball players master the vitally important art and skill of ball-handling.
CYB 026 Building Your Culture of Hitting
July 27, 2020 18:00 - 32 minutes - 45.8 MBWant to create a hitting environment on your teams just like professional baseball teams do it? Listen and take notice of the best ways to build a culture of hitting on your youth baseball teams. What is more fun than unleashing your aggressive hitters and dominating the offensive game by outhitting your opponents? Hitters will have a blast and really help your kids swing-it!
CYB 025: Are You Over-Coaching Hitters?
July 09, 2020 17:58 - 28 minutes - 40.8 MBWe like to help our kids by coaching them during ballgames. Sometimes this might backfire. Especially when kids are batting. Giving too much advice and scolding kids when they chase bad pitches can do some long-term damage to hitters. Listen to Dave and see if you might be over coaching or doing things the right way.
CYB 024 It's OK to Lose a Game
June 22, 2020 19:46 - 32 minutes - 45.4 MBAs a youth baseball coach, are you embarrassed to lose games? You are allowed to lose sometimes. In fact, it is healthy and necessary to lose some games. In order to properly develop the most players teams will likely lose a few more games. You are using more pitchers, catchers and shortstops with kids playing multiple positions. And hitters are going to swing the bat aggressively. All good things but raises the risk of losing. Losing is expected or you may be in the wrong league if you win ...
CYB 023 Know the '5' Tools of Baseball Skills
June 04, 2020 18:36 - 29 minutes - 41.7 MBEveryone should know the ‘5’ Tools of baseball skills. This is the basis for player evaluation and physical value that players bring to their teams. The Major League teams use the ‘5’ Tools to grade their players and decide on which players to draft and what round. The ‘5’ Tool player can “do it all” as they say. One of our biggest jobs as baseball coaches is to provide plenty of opportunities for our players to build up their ‘5’ Tools. Once kids reach high school their ‘5’ Tool abilities w...
CYB 022 What is Next for Youth Baseball
April 30, 2020 17:39 - 30 minutes - 43.3 MBWhen we get youth baseball back on the field are things going to be different. What will youth baseball look like? Dave talks about some adjustments that might come out of youth baseball as we look to play ball again. Coach and Play Baseball.com
CYB 021 More Home Baseball Drills
April 13, 2020 20:50 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBIdeas for Practicing baseball drills at home. Dave has shared some additional skills and drills that kids can do at home and without a need for much equipment. Listen for pitching and catching drills, pepper hitting for all ages of baseball. In addition, you will get some ideas on some fitness activities that can be done near home or even inside your home without any workout equipment. Make sure it turns into a fun activity using small competitions, tracking points and reps, using a stop wat...
CYB 020: Easy Baseball Drills to do at Home
March 25, 2020 17:04 - 28 minutes - 40.9 MBAny time our kids can get some reps in outside of organized practices and games is a bonus. If your kids are motivated ballplayers then Dave is going to give you some ideas on some home baseball drills. Embedded in the drills are ways to make some mini-games out of the drills so kids feel more like it’s just a fun competition instead of the drudgery of doing a drill. You don’t need much special equipment. The biggest thing a parent needs is to set up some time to be available for your kids.
CYB 019: (9) Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Coaching Baseball
March 03, 2020 19:59 - 36 minutes - 51.3 MBThere are many aspects that go into youth baseball player’s player development journey. As baseball coaches and parents we want to follow the best methods and systems that give our players the opportunity to reach high school baseball. Mastering the 60’/90’ fields is very difficult for the large majority of players. If we do follow Dave’s playbook and systems we have a much better chance of helping more kids reach the high school baseball funnel.
CYB 018 Baseball Coach Duties: Helping Ballplayers Throw Better
February 18, 2020 19:19 - 38 minutes - 54.6 MBOne of the top responsibilities we have as youth baseball coaches is to help kids throw better. How do help kids throw better? It just takes an easy plan and some effort to set up a warm-up throwing routine. Want to help kids survive baseball at the 60’/90’ fields and make the high school baseball funnel? Well, Dave Holt helps talk us through a plan of action to maximize our kids throwing arms and ball handling skills. If we neglect our kids throwing development it may end up to an early exi...
CYB 017 'True' Baseball Coaches Player Development To-do List
February 06, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutes - 48.9 MBWhat should youth baseball coaches focus on to best develop their ballplayers. How do the best youth baseball coaching methods propel the most kids into the 60’/90’ baseball fields? Dave narrows the to-do list into a checklist for coaches and baseball parents to build a player development system to prepare players for high school baseball. You will get a clear idea what you need to focus on the most during your baseball season. www.coachandplaybaseball.com
CYB 016 Baseball Parent's Survival Checklist
January 30, 2020 19:42 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBYouth baseball should be a positive family endeavor filled with mostly enjoyment and pleasure. Often baseball mom’s and dad’s get off the rails when emotions overlap into player performance. How do we as baseball coaches help our baseball parents keep the game in proper perspective? We have to nurture and communicate to the parents some suggested helpful tips. Here are some informational items to share with your player’s parents to help make the youth baseball journey a positive family activ...
CYB 015 Why Is Baseball Player Development So Hard?
January 16, 2020 20:48 - 30 minutes - 43 MBTrue youth baseball player development does factor in some losses. Unless you are willing to lose some games here and there you might be a ‘win-at-all-costs’ coach. Now the Big-People’ (adults, parents, grandparents, peers) really, really want to win games. Oh, they say they want coaches to develop players but, deep down the ‘Big-People’ mostly care about winning. How can you coach youth baseball and avoid falling into the ‘win-at-all-costs’ trap? Check out this episode and see how Dave wa...
CYB 014: My Name is Not 'Blue' Umpire Relations
December 17, 2019 19:56 - 32 minutes - 46 MBYouth Baseball Coaching and Umpires have been and always will be a necessary element and factor in the game. Youth baseball coaches do not always agree with their judgements or like the way they interpret the rules, but we will always treat umpires with worthy and high respect. Umpires are not our enemy. They are part of the process and we use umpires to build character into our players and parents. It starts with finding out their names. Are you able to treat umpires with respect and disagr...
CYB 013: 6th Tool: How Baseball Coaches Teach the 'Intangibles'
October 28, 2019 16:06 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBMore important than baseball’s 5-tools is the 6th Tool: the ‘Intangibles’. Great baseball coaches know what is the most important of all their duties. Top baseball coaches use youth baseball as our vehicle to teach more than the game and always look for opportunities to share the 6th tool. Want to impact your players for a lifetime? Come and listen to Dave’s podcast on how to be on the lookout for teaching moments so you can really be a difference maker while coaching baseball.
6th Tool: How Baseball Coaches Teach the 'Intangibles'
October 28, 2019 16:06 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBMore important than baseball’s 5-tools is the 6th Tool: the ‘Intangibles’. Great baseball coaches know what is the most important of all their duties. Top baseball coaches use youth baseball as our vehicle to teach more than the game and always look for opportunities to share the 6th tool. Want to impact your players for a lifetime? Come and listen to Dave’s podcast on how to be on the lookout for teaching moments so you can really be a difference maker while coaching baseball.
CYB 012 Walks & Bunts Beware
October 10, 2019 18:00 - 24 minutes - 34.8 MBYouth baseball coach should build a culture of hitting with your kids. Dave has a strong viewpoint about how to look at bunts and walks in the pre-high school player development years. You might want to check this out and make sure you are developing hitters for high school or you might be a ‘ring-chaser’. Coach and Play Baseball.com
CYB 011 Avoiding the 'Daddy-Ball' Label
May 30, 2019 15:56 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBIt is estimated that 85% of youth baseball coaches have their own child on their teams. Everyone is familiar of the term ‘Daddy-Ball’. Dave talks about several items that can help coaches successfully maneuver the coach/parent-child/player scenario and avoid the ‘Daddy-Ball’ label. Want to have a healthy relationship while coaching your child? Here arr some ideas to make it work. Dave talks about playing for his own Dad while in college and how he made it work.
CYB 010 Adding Competition to Youth Baseball Practice
May 01, 2019 14:25 - 30 minutes - 43.8 MBDave Holt explains why adding competition to your baseball practice plans is vitally important for baseball coaches. Many competitive baseball drills are discussed as examples of easy ways and methods to incorporate mini-competitions in your everyday baseball practice planning. Competition in practice starts with catch and throw warm-ups and is embedded in your entire youth baseball practice, including batting practice and ending with the sandlot scrimmage. Want to make baseball fun, enjoya...
CYB 009 Easy Sandlot Baseball Practice Scrimmage Plan
April 10, 2019 14:22 - 25 minutes - 36.7 MBDave Holt talks about the benefits and features of playing a “sandlot’ style scrimmage at every practice. Want to build baseball skills and increase the ‘fun-level’ then make sure you incorporate some type of scrimmage in your practices. Using the 3-Team format it is pretty easy to plan and execute an incredibly fun practice scrimmage in under 30 minutes. Listen to some of Dave’s suggestions to increase your player’s fun-level and bring back the sandlot days of baseball. Coach and Play Bas...
CYB 008 Rapid-Fire Fungo Drill
April 03, 2019 15:48 - 35 minutes - 50.4 MBHow do we as youth baseball coaches provide practice opportunities to help our players build ball handling and throwing skills? Dave Holt’s Rapid Fire Fungo Drill is an excellent drill template to follow and use at any level of baseball. Our kids need to be able to perform the most basic ball handling skills at a pretty high level and at the same time build arm strength to prepare to excel on the 60’/90’ fields. And, this drill is an instantly ramps up the player’s fun-level by embedding min...
CYB 007: Coaches Role Coaching Baseball Games
March 20, 2019 15:37 - 34 minutes - 49.3 MBDave Holt helps baseball coaches understand the real important stuff that coaches should emphasize during ballgames. Are you really a ‘baseball coach’ or are you performing for the parents. Often times much of the game coaching is just a show. Find out how to best serve your players and give them room to do what they do. Games are the player’s “time to shine”. Coaches step aside and release the kids to play the game…just like the pro’s do it. Free Coaching Tools
CYB 006: Managing Your Baseball 'Flock'
March 14, 2019 13:51 - 37 minutes - 52.3 MBMaybe more important than baseball knowledge is being able to ‘manage’ a group of (12) players. Being able to communicate verbally and non-verbally, teach, complement, critique without being critical and establish your rules, procedures and expectations is vitally essential for effective coaching. Having ‘classroom management’ skills can carry a coach a long way to being a good leader and getting the most out of your ballplayers. More on Team Management Coach and Play Baseball.com
CYB 005: Baseball Coaching Style
February 19, 2019 14:59 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBDave dives deeper into your baseball coaching mind to see what you are thinking about your coaching approach and philosophy. Are you going to be a difference maker and leave a life-long impression with your players? What do you think about winning, hitting approach, playing time. baseball practice, game coaching, teaching the intangibles, communication styles, player development and what is your ‘end-game’ goals. At the end of the day are you going to make a difference.
Baseball Coaching Style
February 19, 2019 14:59 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBDave dives deeper into your baseball coaching mind to see what you are thinking about your coaching approach and philosophy. Are you going to be a difference maker and leave a life-long impression with your players? What do you think about winning, hitting approach, playing time. baseball practice, game coaching, teaching the intangibles, communication styles, player development and what is your ‘end-game’ goals. At the end of the day are you going to make a difference.
Ep. 004 3-Team-It Baseball Practice Plan
February 13, 2019 15:01 - 31 minutes - 45.1 MBOne the best if not the best baseball practice planning tool is the 3- Team-it template. Dave explains the way he organizes baseball practice to make coaches look like baseball experts. Your players maximize their time, get plenty of rep, touches, and swings while embedding the drudgery of drills into mini-competitions. No standing around anymore. No boring practices that chase kids to play soccer. Highly energized practices and kids have a ton of fun at the same time. For more baseball inf...
Baseball Coach/Parent Relations
February 05, 2019 17:04 - 35 minutes - 49.6 MBDave Holt explains advises youth baseball coaches to put all their cards on the table and communicate with baseball parents. Parents want to know who they are dropping their kids off with. This is a great time to share with parents about your style, philosophies and approach to coaching youth baseball. As the season ebbs and flows you can always fall back on your style, approach and procedures when issues emerge. Parent/Baseball Coaches Meeting Free Mini Coaching Course
CYB 003: Baseball Coach/Parent Relations
February 05, 2019 17:04 - 35 minutes - 49.6 MBDave Holt explains advises youth baseball coaches to put all their cards on the table and communicate with baseball parents. Parents want to know who they are dropping their kids off with. This is a great time to share with parents about your style, philosophies and approach to coaching youth baseball. As the season ebbs and flows you can always fall back on your style, approach and procedures when issues emerge. Parent/Baseball Coaches Meeting Free Mini Coaching Course
Developing an Endless Supply of Pitching
February 04, 2019 19:25 - 33 minutes - 47.2 MBHow do you as a baseball coach approach building and developing pitchers? One of the biggest and vitally important responsibilities of our youth baseball coaches is to develop a large amount of pitchers. Dave talks about the importance of looking at every kid as a pitcher in 12 & under age levels and build an endless supply of pitchers at all levels. Pitching depth is vital to building a quality, sustainable baseball organization.
CYB 002: Developing an Endless Supply of Pitching
February 04, 2019 19:25 - 33 minutes - 47.2 MBHow do you as a baseball coach approach building and developing pitchers? One of the biggest and vitally important responsibilities of our youth baseball coaches is to develop a large amount of pitchers. Dave talks about the importance of looking at every kid as a pitcher in 12 & under age levels and build an endless supply of pitchers at all levels. Pitching depth is vital to building a quality, sustainable baseball organization.
CYB 001: Everyone is a Shortstop
February 04, 2019 17:14 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBDave Holt, from www.coachandplaybaseball.com talks to youth baseball coaches, ballplayers and parents on the value and merits of developing and training baseball players via the shortstop position. All non-lefthanded players workout at shortstop during practice. Dave gives the pros on why the benefits are so high to train all your players at shortstop during baseball practices. Avoid the ‘pigeon-hole’ approach putting your players at 2B, OF only. Expose players to the left side of the infiel...
Everyone is a Shortstop
February 04, 2019 17:14 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBDave Holt, from www.coachandplaybaseball.com talks to youth baseball coaches, ballplayers and parents on the value and merits of developing and training baseball players via the shortstop position. All non-lefthanded players workout at shortstop during practice. Dave gives the pros on why the benefits are so high to train all your players at shortstop during baseball practices. Avoid the ‘pigeon-hole’ approach putting your players at 2B, OF only. Expose players to the left side of the infiel...