While walking by a house league practice the other day I became sad when I saw a coach having his players in a single-file line while hitting ground balls to one player at a time. I saw that and wanted to rush out there and offer a few tips to that coach.

That’s where this episode comes in. In today’s mid-inning broadcast I share why the infamous ground ball line is bad and offer several options on how that coach could have improved his practice INSTANTLY by making it more effective and fun without needing any more equipment.

00:00: Introduction

01:35: Setting the scene

02:45: Explaining the inefficiencies

03:55: Effects of players standing around

04:55: Dead air

06:15: Instant improvement #1

07:30: Instant improvement #2

08:30: Instant improvement #3

09:15: Using proximity to build connections with players

10:55: Instant improvement #4

12:10: Instant improvement #5

13:50: Increase your efficiency by 400% in < 3 minutes

15:55: Other options with a hitting net

16:20: Keep in contact with our podcast

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Today’s Mid-Inning episode extends our discussion from our earlier “Transitioning From House Ball to Travel Ball” broadcast.

While Coach Chris Modrzejewski and I covered a variety of topics in that episode, we didn’t touch on playing time.

Today I share how playing time regulations and expectations differ once you enter the travel ball world.

00:00: Introduction to our mid-inning episode

02:00: Explaining house ball playing time rules

03:30: Travel ball playing time rules

04:45: Ensuring competitive balance

06:25: Do tourneys regulate playing time?

06:55: Discuss organizational playing time philosophies

07:40: Pros and cons to the different sets of regulations

10:00: Wrapping up the episode

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Look in any dugout and you’ll see thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Is it all really necessary? In today’s episode, Chris Modrzejewski and I break down the different pieces of equipment, important restrictions to know, and how you can save money and still get quality gear that’s right for you player.

00:00 - Introduction

01:40 - Bats

03:45 - Drop restrictions by age

05:00 - USA vs USSSA bats

06:05 - Importance of bat size

07:10 - Alloy vs composite bats

09:50 - One-piece vs two-piece bats

11:50 - How to save money when buying bats

16:15 - Fielding gloves

18:30 - Saving money when buying gloves

19:15 - Characteristics of a proper glove

22:00 - Taking care of a glove

23:15 - Catcher’s gear

26:40 - NOCSAE certification for high school

27:45 - Footwear

30:45 - Miscellaneous gear

36:20 - Episode review

You can click on this link to go to Sideline Swap, an online marketplace for used equipment. https://sidelineswap.com/

Drop a comment on what you thought on today’s episode. Click that like and follow buttons to always be notified when new content drops. You can also email the show at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond.