Chasing Baseball Dreams Parent Advice

09/13/2026

“We only want a team with a paid coach.”

I understand wanting to avoid another bad experience. But you can rule out a good coach before you ever watch him run a practice.

Having his son on the team doesn’t tell you whether he can teach. Getting a paycheck doesn’t answer that either.

Before you commit, ask to watch a practice. Follow a player who’s having trouble with a drill. Pay attention to what the coach does after the mistake.

Does he explain the adjustment and give the kid another rep to work on it, or just keep telling him he’s doing it wrong?

Recognizing a mistake and knowing how to help a player fix it are two different things.

Then watch what happens when the best player doesn’t hustle. The expectations shouldn’t change because the kid hits third.

When you talk to the coach, ask, “What would you work on first with my son, and how would you work on it?”

“We develop players here” doesn’t answer that question. You should leave knowing what your son would actually be working on. Then watch whether that instruction shows up at practice.

That gives you something to evaluate beyond whether the coach has a kid on the roster.

A paid coach should be able to pass that test. So should a dad coaching his own son.

Don’t pass on a good coach because his kid’s on the team and then pay more for someone who teaches less.

09/12/2026

The machine gets paid whether your son ever plays college baseball or not. 
 
You’re trying to give him every chance. When somebody makes an opportunity sound essential to his future, passing on it can feel like you’re letting him down. After a while, you’re spending because you’re afraid of what might happen if you don’t. That fear is good for business.  
 
There’s plenty of good in youth baseball. But convincing parents that early rankings and accolades are helping secure their son’s baseball future is something I’m going to keep questioning. Celebrate what he accomplishes at 10 or 11. Be careful about treating it as evidence that he’s on his way to college baseball.  
 
Before the next commitment, finish this sentence: 
 
“My son needs _____ right now, and this is worth our money because _____.” 
 
Start with what he needs before you listen to what somebody’s selling. Ask them to explain how their opportunity addresses that need. Get an answer specific to your son and his age. “Everybody’s doing it” doesn’t tell you how it helps him. 
 
And you can spend money because your family enjoys baseball together. A good experience has value on its own. You don’t have to justify every dollar with a story about where he might play someday. 
 
What concerns me is a parent stretching the family budget for something they can’t explain beyond, “We don’t want him to miss out.” 
 
Before you pay, you deserve to know what he’d actually be missing. 
 

09/12/2026

09/11/2026

“That’s how they do it in the big leagues” still doesn’t explain why your son needs to do it. 
 
Josh Reddick brings up Josh Donaldson describing his hitting approach. Reddick says that approach fits Donaldson. He wouldn’t apply it to himself or every other hitter. 
 
Think about that before changing your son’s swing because somebody pulled up a video of a big leaguer. 
 
At his next hitting lesson, ask: “What are we trying to improve with this change, and why does it fit my son?” 
 
That’s a conversation you should be able to have with his instructor. You don’t need to become a hitting expert to ask for an explanation. 
 
Reddick talks through different hitters’ approaches and stances, then brings the discussion back to what happens at contact. He leaves plenty of room for individuality. 
 
Your son can work on his mechanics without having to look like somebody else. 
 
My full conversation with 13-year Major League veteran Josh Reddick is on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. 
 
Send this to the parent who’s trying to sort through all the different hitting advice their son gets. 
 

09/10/2026

Your son isn’t going to rake every weekend. 
 
There are going to be days when he goes 0-for-3. Days when nothing feels right at the plate. 
 
But Josh Reddick made a point here that I wish more young players understood. 
 
Can he still help his team win? 
 
Run first to third. Make the play on defense. Pick up a teammate. Stay in the game instead of sitting in the dugout feeling sorry for himself. 
 
Those things don’t show up in a batting average, ranking or highlight video. 
 
But baseball people notice them. 
 
And as parents, we should too. 
 
I asked 13-year MLB veteran Josh Reddick what ONE trait he’d want most in a 12-year-old player, besides talent. 
 
His answer: heart. 
 
The full Josh Reddick interview is now available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast. 
 

09/10/2026

One of the easiest mistakes to make in youth baseball is confusing early success with long-term potential. 
 
At 9U, parents notice the obvious stuff. 
 
Who’s the biggest. 
Who hits third. 
Who plays shortstop. 
Who drives the ball farther. 
Who looks “advanced.” 
 
But you’re watching a kid in the middle of becoming who he’s going to be. 
 
That’s why, at 9, 10 and 11, I’d spend a lot less time asking, “Is my son ahead?” and more time asking: 
 
Is he getting real reps? 
 
Is he learning how to compete when things don’t go his way? 
 
Is he being challenged without constantly feeling overmatched? 
 
Is he getting opportunities to learn the game instead of being defined by one position or one spot in the lineup? 
 
And maybe most important, does he still want to go back to the field tomorrow? 
 
Your son’s current batting average, size, lineup spot or team status matters a whole lot less than most parents think it does at that age. 
 
Development isn’t a straight line. 
 
Don’t let somebody else’s early lead convince you that your son is behind. 
 
Keep him developing. Keep him competing. Keep him loving the game. 
 
There’s a lot of baseball left. 
 

09/08/2026

A lot of baseball parents look at the Dominican Republic and say, “See, that’s how we should be developing players.”

But there’s a lot more going on than just kids training instead of playing tournaments every weekend.

Private academies in the DR are NOT MLB team academies. Many of these kids enter independent academies years before they’re eligible to sign professionally. The academy trains them, may help support the family financially, and can receive 40% of the player’s signing bonus.

So if Kevin Sosa eventually signs for $4 million, 40% would be about $1.6 million.

That doesn’t mean the Dominican system is bad. And it doesn’t mean our travel-ball system is better.

It means we need to stop pretending one system is purely about development while the other is about money.

They’re training players for different outcomes. They have different incentives. And there’s a lot of money involved in both.

Before we start copying another system, we should probably understand how it actually works.

09/07/2026

Not every post needs to teach something. 😂 
 
But I heard this audio and thought… yep. 
 
After 35+ years around this game, I finally feel like I’ve found exactly what I’m supposed to be doing with all of it. 
 
The good decisions. The bad ones. The stuff I got right with my boys and the stuff I’d give anything to do over. 
 
And maybe the coolest part has been the validation along the way. 
 
Dozens of former Major League players, current and former college coaches, and parents who’ve already been through this journey have told me these are conversations baseball parents need to be having. 
 
Then there are the messages I get almost every day from moms and dads saying, “I wish I had found you three years ago,” or simply, “Thank you. I needed this.” 
 
That means more to me than the views or the follower count. 
 
So yeah… 
 
I like it in here. 😂⚾️ 
 

09/07/2026

Most baseball parents aren’t making bad decisions because they don’t care.
It’s usually the opposite.

We care so much that FOMO gets involved. We see what another kid is doing and start wondering if ours should be doing it too. A teammate changes teams. Somebody signs up for another showcase. Another kid is bigger, throwing harder, getting more attention.
And suddenly we’re making decisions based on fear, comparison and what everybody else is doing instead of what our own son actually needs.

I’ve been guilty of it too.

Your son’s baseball journey doesn’t need to look like anybody else’s.
Different kid. Different development clock. Different path.
Make the best decision for the kid standing in front of you right now.

09/06/2026

At 13 or 14, getting seen isn’t the goal. Giving someone something worth seeing is.

Before you spend money on another showcase, ask what your son actually needs right now.

More strength? More speed? Better bat-to-ball skills? Better command? A tool that separates him?

A showcase can tell you where he stands. It can’t do the development for him.

There will be a time when exposure matters. But spending money to get evaluated before he’s ready doesn’t move him forward.

Build the player first. Then worry about who’s watching.