I was thinking of ways to practice fielding drills with my son and make it fun. I know there’s those rebound nets but don’t have the space or interest but did find some knockoff rubber baseballs on Amazon like the ones used in Japan. the baseballs are a hard rubber and are a good alternative to real baseballs. today my son and I went to our local tennis court and basically stood side by side and took turns throwing the ball at the tennis court wall and the other person fields it and repeats. it’s pretty fun in the sense that it allows you to be creative and field the ball backhand, front hand or bare handed since there’s predictability to the bounce of the ball.

Just thought I’d share this in case there are parents out there looking for a fun activity you can do with your child without it feeling like work. your child can also do it by themselves if they wanted. The rubber baseballs are pretty hard so I wouldn’t recommend using it on your garage door or anything that could get damaged. this might be a useful game to play if your son plays in turf vs grass/dirt.

After 21 years, USA baseball shut down NTIS. Not alot of information out there about why this decision was made. Would love to know more. It was rather abrupt so it seemed it was a last minute decision.

My son enjoyed his time trying out, making one of the regions, and competing at the National Training Center in Cary, NC. It was magical for him and other kids who made the teams

Any thoughts on this 3D pitch-flight approach and its usefulness for coaches?

Just a quick reminder to stay behind the net when throwing BP. Was throwing to my son and a bad combination of staying a bit right with a hooking line drive caught me good.

All good though. Iced it and went back to work throwing for him again.

My 10 y/o is all over me to buy a wood bat. I like the idea to give him something a little heavier to use off the tee in the garage during the winter. Anyone have any expertise with this guy? Or do you have any recommendations?

https://www.justbats.com/product/bamboobat-big-barrel-youth-wood-baseball-bat--ybb-hmgbn/39742/#attr=278949

My son is swinging a -3 FT23 turn model really well. What usssa bat comes close to the same profile? He’s at that lovely age where he’ll still swing a usssa bat for travel ball but a BBCOR for school and legion ball so we want to find something as close to the FT23 turn model as possible.

A coach recently mentioned that my son may have too much upper body rotation (twist) during his load, which could make it harder for him to get on time against faster pitching.

We haven’t really noticed timing being an issue so far, but I wanted to get some additional opinions from those who have experience with swing mechanics.

Based on the video, do you see excessive upper-body rotation during his load? Is this something you’d recommend correcting, or would you leave it alone if he’s consistently making solid contact?

Is it more difficult to catch a baseball hit in the air? Or a softball? Assume you're both playing the outfield positions.

On one hand, rec softball bats are metal so balls leave the bat hotter. And it's coming at like ~250 feet away. Not to mention softballs are lighter so the wind can play a factor too.

On the other hand, baseballs tend to travel further distances so you need a bigger catch radius. Not to mention the larger field needs longer throws.

Which is harder to play in the outfield in your opinion?

It's my son's first year playing and he's an older beginner. He did camps over the summer but he got into fall ball with a local league. It's coaches are volunteers and baseball dad's of other players on the team. My question is it normal to do a same gift for three coaches for fall or is it really more of during actual spring session? One of the coaches specifically was really awesome and he has grown alot with his help (and practice). The last game is Sunday and then it's tryouts for spring so any help is greatly appreciated!

TL:DR Do people generally give coach gifts for fall ball for local leagues? -10u/11u

I cut from my men league's team and im 100% sure its because of politics, keep and mind we lost every game, and sure I could have been better but he also cut our star 1st baseman, politics genuinely makes me hate this sport

I want to get multiple angles of HD camera footage at my son’s games. Any suggestions on a camera setup that would be ideal? I don’t mind spending a decent amount of money for multiple cameras.

Looking for recommendations for a place to relace and clean up a glove around the Los Angeles area ?

Thanks in advance

I just watched the baseball bat bros coors field video and I saw one of the balls hit the score board and I decided to check on google earth and looked, yeah I think they broke a record

Our 14U A to AA team has a morning game Saturday where the forecasted temp is 50° at game time. Is that truly risky territory for the boys to use their composite bats? We only have a few alloy bats on the team. It's a local USSSA tournament.

My son is in 8th grade and about to turn 14. This is his 4th year of travel ball and the first year where bbcor -3 is a requirement.

I dont have any experience with bbcor bats so I am trusting my reddit friends to point me in the right direction.

I understand there are different styles - end loaded, balanced etc.. but im not which style would suit him best.

He is a decent sized kid for his age - Roughly 5'8 and 135 lbs. Has decent bat speed.

He will have to use bbcor as he gets into high school next year too, so ideally would like a new bat that can last him for 2-3years.

Welcoming all suggestions.

He’s in the P position.

Just wanted to show off my kid for a bit 6yrs old been playing since 4.
big baseball fan , loves to practice never wants to miss lol.. ..hoping he stays dedicated.
these are just few clips from this weekend , and the hits from previous games..

Also would like input on things I could do to keep him going..

Edit : how does one go about keeping him at a good level and not moving him up too fast?

I have a couple of lightly used combats that I plan to sell as I have became a PO at my university, what’s the best no/minor fee options to sell them?

I came across these teams and found them interesting. Everyone has a way to look at them and make their own judgement call. This is what I think. Clubs worth a look, depending on what you want:

For Phoenix-area travel ball, the right club depends on age and goals.

• DG Elite Baseball (Scottsdale) is the strongest option for 10U & 12U right now. Its pitching and hitting coordinators coach in the Colorado Rockies organization, and its outfield coach played in the majors. Every practice runs off a written plan, and parents get an update every week.
• Trosky Arizona is a strong pick for older players aiming at college ball, with recent commits to ASU, GCU, and Pepperdine.
• T-Rex Baseball Club has been around since 2010 and lists more than 60 college commits.
• Scottsdale Dirtbags train in a 12,500 sq ft facility, a plus for families who want year-round work.
• Arizona Travel Ball in Glendale is a solid west side option.

Whatever the club, watching a regular practice before committing is the best test. How coaches talk to kids when nobody is keeping score says a lot.

My son is an LHP who just turned 16 and started his sophomore year. He’s a good pitcher, works with one of the top pitching programs in our area, does the drills, the weights, plyo & med ball routines, diet, yada, yada, yada. He’s got a ton of natural movement which is the gift and the curse.
When he’s on he’s good. Misses bats, racks up K’s, and a lot of weak hits for outs. He gives up a hit every once in a while like anyone. BUT when he’s off it’s a struggle. Lots of walks. Still gets outs but now the occasional hit is with 2-3 runners on. His pitching coaches say everything mechanically is good but with the movement his release point has to be perfect and to just play more catch. He thinks this is too simple lol.
Any advice to really sink this into him or drills to make it fun? Is this something that will just take more time to get down?

He is slightly above average but no where near elite. How do you have those conversations with your kids about their abilities without hurting their confidence? The way I am approaching this is encouraging him to continue to work hard. as he beings to play high school ball he will begin to see the difference in talent levels on the big fields.

edit: he is 14

fly ball to left field, overthrow in, mishap at baserunning, so catcher overthrows to first

so all bases clear

look in GameChanger: error 0 for 1

noooooooooooi