1. Hit your first finger ever
2. Run off the field in sheer joy
3. Come back and hug Dad

I wouldn’t trade being present for this moment for a billion dollars

So...we’re a month or so into this quarantine. At the field around 2-3 days a week, when the kids want to do. I bring it up, but I don’t force it.

D cracked a 211ft bomb on HitTrax when we were doing off-season training. But he hasnt found it on the field. Starts pressing.

Big Sister on the other hand is hitting bombs. He isn’t. He’s getting pissed off, frustrated & it shows.

Gets to the point that when I tell him that Cora & I are going to the field he elects to stay home. This is highly unusual. Ends up being off the field for 5 days straight.

It’s his choice & I’m going to let him make it.

So today he wants to go to the field. We start side soft toss with a 4 bat mix & @DrivelineBB mini hitting plyos:

30” Viper wood bat
29” Axe Speed Trainers Green & Red
30” Combat Da Bomb B1

Then I start mixing speeds up. Trying to get him to hold the trigger as long as possible before go. We talk about it like a KaaaaaaaaaaaPOW type of feel to stay in control in the load phase:

We move onto short distance (maybe 10-12ft) front flips. About 6 swings per bat. Not rushing - trying to find a good tempo between pitch / swing / reset:

And then this happened:

Sure, it was with a “hot bat”. But it happened. And it took a kid who was frustrated and maybe a little disappointed in himself and made him feel capable. It reassured him (at least I think it did) that all of the time and effort he invests in his dream is being validated.

He deserves to feel that way. Every kid deserves to feel that way. And not go switch tracks too quickly, but this is the fundamental idea behind a data driven approach to youth baseball training. Quantify progress toward a goal. Help them get better & let them know when they do.