Is Youth Baseball In a State of Decline in Quality?
I just recently returned home from Anaheim, California where I attended the annual ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) National Conference. I was one of approximately 6,000 coaches from the MLB ranks to the high school ranks there to share ideas and learn more about our great game. Of the many topics discussed, there was one that seemed to resonate continuously throughout presentations and general conversations among coaches over the four days of the event. The simple fact is, higher level coaches are concerned with the current trends at the youth levels, and no one seems quite sure how to reverse them, address them, or even slow them down.
Concerns range from over zealous parents, to inadequate coaching at the youth levels, to everyone gets a trophy. However, the greatest concern was the overwhelming emphasis that is placed on the number of games kids are playing, (rather than practicing more) in order to develop the fundamental skills needed to eventually play the game successfully at the higher levels. It seems that an attempt has been made on the behalf of parents to accelerate the development of their children at the game of baseball through total number of games played, and the result has actually been the contrary. For instance, travel baseball has grown from something that was only considered in the summer at the high school varsity level, to the current state where travel ball teams are being formed at the Tee Ball level, and they play 40-100 games throughout the year. On the surface, playing an abundance of games does not appear to be a bad thing. How can playing so many baseball games be detrimental? However, if we dig a little deeper, we can begin to see why this trend is quickly deteriorating overall player development.
The problem is most parents have turned a blind eye to the importance of critical skill development assuming playing an abundance of games would automatically equate to improved skill and acquired knowledge. In addition, parents and youth coaches have taken their focus off the processes of age appropriate skill development and mistakenly placed it on wins, losses, and their child’s statistics. It seems that everyone is in a race to create the next MLB superstar.
The perceived solution for a lack of quality coaching, their child’s lack of playing time, or not winning enough games is start yet another travel team. Too many parents view practice time as simply signing their child up for personal hitting lessons. Personal hitting instruction can be beneficial to some degree, but what about pitching, fielding, base running, and learning to execute situational baseball?
We all know that knowledge is power…therefore we must educate parents, coaches, and even players, that they must start practicing more and play less games in order to become more skilled. Parents should begin to expect their child’s team to practice at least two times for every game that is played by the time the season is complete. Coaches must get back to their roots and educate themselves on the necessary skills, drills, and overall team skills needed for their players to learn how the game is played and give their players the best chance to advance to higher levels of competition. Standing in the third base coach’s box chirping instruction or advice as a player attempts to bat, is no longer acceptable and does not yield exceptional results. The greatest challenges coaches face are creating practices that are fun, educational, productive, and competitive. By doing this, the result will be improved concentration and game performance. Then parents must become parents and make choices that will truly benefit their kid. Encourage your child to play other sports and take time away from baseball. This will keep the child’s fire burning for the game they love as opposed to physically, mentally, or emotionally burning out before they reach their senior year in high school.
In summary, players should practice much more in order to develop their necessary skill sets. Coaches and parents should reduce the emphasis of winning championships at the lower levels and place a premium on teaching processes associated with the game, and then the state of youth baseball, from a skill development standpoint, will improve dramatically. Then we must turn our focus towards improving the many other critical issues that are having a negative impact on youth baseball in order for kids to learn the game and have the most fun they can possibly have playing the great game of baseball! For those of you in the youth baseball world that are already doing an exemplary job…keep up the good work and continue making the positive difference that you are!
Negatives of playing too many games and not practicing enough
-Games reinforce a player’s bad habits , they don’t eliminate them.
-Games make it difficult for players to make necessary adjustments within various skill sets
-Players get very few chances (i.e. three at bats, 2-3 fielding attempts) as compared to the repetitions they should receive during a quality practice.
-A player’s temporary success in games can give the player and his parents a false sense on his actual ability level as compared to the size, age, and competition level of his opponents.
-Pitchers can be overused and abused at the expense of the coach’s desire to win games or tournament championships.
-Players burn out from playing games all year long and never get the mental or physical rest needed to recover for future seasons.
-Teams that are not prepared become victims to the teams that have prepared by practicing the skills of hitting, bunting, fielding, pitching, team defense, pick-off plays, rundowns, etc.
-Overuse injuries
Obvious benefits of participating in games…after an adequate number of quality practices
- - Games are more fun to play and confidence is improved.
- - Players learn to compete against others.
- - Players are exposed to pressure and adversity.
- - Games provide an opportunity to implement critical individual and team skills worked on in practice.
- - Players learn to embrace the “team” concept.
- - Players learn certain elements of game play from trial and error and watching others.
