Fungo Files

Once your season has come to a close, you should set aside some time for reflection and self-evaluation. What did you do well? What could you have done better? And most importantly, what steps will you take to improve? Let's put together that plan in today's episode. You can download your own plan here: https://spiderselite.com/plan Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

If you're a coach, do not assume that your parents and players understand your rules and expectations. And don't assume that all of your expectations are reasonable. Put them in writing and make sure they read those rules before joining your team. You'll thank me later. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

What do you do when you don't get what you want -- when you don't get to play the position that you want to play or hit where you want in the lineup? What do you as a parent do when your child doesn't get what they want? And what do you do as a coach when confronted by either about this? It's today's focus. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

The hitter is at an enormous advantage in some counts and a disadvantage at others. We have the stats to back it up. Do your players understand how the count impacts their results and how that may contribute to their approach? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Most young hitters who struggle do so because they don't have a plan. Let's change that. A simple approach that any hitter can use to find more consistent results is Selective Aggression. Here's how it works... Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

It may sound nerdy, but math can help show your young baserunners when they should be aggressive and when they should be more conservative on the bases. There are three exercises that we've done that you can do, too. It's fun to see the lightbulb go off! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

There are some basic rules of baserunning that young players -- and coaches -- need to understand, and it's all related to risk and reward. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Good process doesn't always lead to good results, but it's important to emphasize and recognize good process -- particularly when a player doesn't get the results they were wanting. Here's how to approach it with your players. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Winning should be a goal in youth sports. We should encourage competition and always try to win. The difference, though, is that our goal shouldn't be to win at all costs. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

First and third may be the trickiest play in youth baseball, and it's going to happen nearly every game. How you execute will often lead to wins or losses. In this episode, learn a very specific approach with five different plays that will give you the best chance at success. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

When given the choice, allow your players to rely on their own instincts in games. Give them plays that they can call. Give fewer signs. Trust them and allow them to make mistakes that you can then work on to fix in practice. This approach may seem chaotic from the outside. But it helps create better and smarter baseball players. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

The Spiders use very few signs. The signs that are used are super simple. The reason for that is it's more important that the player knows what the coach wants him to do than the other team figures it out. Ultimately, we encourage you to limit the complexity and number of signs that you use. If kids are missing signs and you're getting mad at kids for missing those signs, you're probably overdoing it. It can actually be a lot more fun by taking some control away from the coach and allowing the kids to play on instinct. Here's my case for this approach. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Coaches, I encourage you to limit the amount of coaching, correction, and instruction that you do during games. Use practices to work on situations that weren't executed properly. Then let the players apply that work to the game. This approach provides more purpose to practices, but it also removes some of the unnecessary noise and confusion for your players. Try it. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Coaches, I'm begging you: Stop calling every pitch of every game. Stop making the game about you and taking the focus off of the kids. Your calls aren't that good. Your catcher can do it. Trust them. Coach them so that they're prepared on how to call a game. Allow them to learn from the experience. They will become better catchers, better players, and better leaders in the process. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

A catcher's job isn't just catching and throwing the ball. While these may be the most visible, a great catcher satisfies several responsibilities that are more subtle and often go unnoticed. These roles may be less visible, but they are extremely important. The best catcher do these things. If you're a catcher, make them a priority. If you're a coach, make sure to coach them. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Starting at a very young age, the perception begins that playing the outfield is a punishment or demotion. Unfortunately, this often carries on into the older ages, and this just should not be. Outfield is absolutely critical. A great team has a great outfield. A great outfield can make average pitchers who throw strikes look like aces. Embrace the outfield. Highlight the importance of it. And develop good outfielders, starting from the youngest of ages. I explain how to do it in this episode. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

I interviewed Southeast Little League (Davenport, IA) head coach Dave McFate on Friday about his team's journey to the Little League World Series and the experience up until that point. Coach McFate walks us through the Little League season from the regular season to the selection of All-Stars, Districts, Regionals, and now the LLWS in Williamsport. He also explains how both he and his players stay focused while under the public spotlight. Of course, we recorded this after their first game, a heartbreaking loss (but HUGE comeback) against Indiana. Since then, they've won games against both Washington and Utah and are scheduled to play their next game on Tuesday. Thanks so much to Coach McFate for sharing the behind-the-scenes experience from the Little League World Series. Take a listen, you'll love his insight! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Your position does not define you. You may not be a shortstop on this team. You may be a third baseman or second baseman or outfielder. Whatever position you play, be the best one that you can be. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

This is a message for the little guys, who have been scrappy, hustling, and putting in work at young ages. I know it's frustrating. Your time will come. The gap will close. Do not give up! This is also a message for the big kids. Don't take your advantage as a big kid at young ages for granted. If you're not careful, those little guys will pass you up as they grow. And this is also for the coaches. Do not overlook those little guys. Keep encouraging them. You will be a big part of their eventual development. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Possibly the most polarizing topic in youth baseball is dad coaches. The scrutiny is intense -- and sometimes deserved. But, we also need dad coaches. Is that something you want to do? Well, I spent 16 years as a dad coach. I had some amazing experiences in that role. But, there are seven questions that you need to ask yourself before you take this on. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

We've talked before about why you should limit or eliminate the error for the purpose of evaluation of hitters, but it can be extended to your fielders, too. It's a huge adjustment for many, but it's so worth it. The error is a flawed stat that is subjective and lacks context. But it's really less about what the error DOESN'T say than anything. There are much better ways to evaluate defensive performance without worrying about assigning blame. Learn how the Spiders do it in this episode. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review from your favorite platform!

There are a few basic rulings that youth baseball scorekeepers routinely get wrong. And while scorekeepers are often parents who mean well, I'd suggest that most coaches would get these wrong, too. Let's clear up the confusion! All of these plays that are outlined here are related to stealing bases. Why does stealing bases create so much confusion? We often apply a lot of subjectivity when it just isn't necessary. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review from your favorite platform!

Before you join that new youth baseball team, make sure that you ask these basic questions before it's too late. You want to be sure the team is a good fit, and you can address any potential problems early by having some key questions ready. Some of these questions may seem obvious, but others are often neglected, and the coach may even appreciate that you're asking them. This will help you get on the same page early and feel better about your decision to either join the team or keep looking. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review so that you'll know the next time a new episode is published!

During the 2022 season, we started tracking and recognizing "Saving Butts." This is when a player makes an above average play to complete an out -- not only completing the out for a teammate who made an inaccurate throw, but saving him from an error. By recognizing "Saving Butts," you help your players fully appreciate their impact -- not just on a play, but on their teammates. By saving a teammate's butt, they not only help their team but they also help that player feel better about themselves. Instead of dreading an error, they helped convert an out. In this episode, learn about how the Spiders applied this during the 2022 season. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

What I suggest here is going to make a lot of people crazy -- or think that I'm crazy. But, just for a minute, forget everything you think you know about scoring errors -- at least for when your own team is at bat. Let me rant. Allow me to make my argument for while you should limit, if not completely eliminate, the scoring of errors when your own team is batting. You may actually thank me for it later. If I can convince you of that, we'll discuss eliminating it when you're in the field. Oh, I know. That's craziness. One thing at a time. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Today marks the start of the final tournament of the Spiders' 2022 season. But it also marks the final few moments when these boys will play in a Spiders uniform. Their next step is high school. It's an exciting, sad, and emotional time -- for these boys, their coaches, and their parents. But this Spiders coach has a message specifically for them. Maybe you aren't a Spider, but you or someone you know is a 14u player playing out their final days in youth baseball. This may help them, too! Feel free to pass this on. And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Your child is looking for a new team. Before you send that coach a text or email, stop yourself. Listen to this episode. From a coach's perspective, there's very little that a parent needs to do to get this started. Express interest. Share your child's name and the team he played for before. Answer any questions the coach has. But beyond that, resist the urge to overcompensate. Resist the urge to share three paragraphs of stats. You can actually do more damage than good if you aren't careful. Let's discuss... After listening, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

It's tryout season, so you may be running through various tryouts right now for the 2023 season. Make sure that you're prepared. While your physical skills matter, other factors can make or break your tryout. In this episode, Jon breaks down the eight things that you need to be aware of that matter more than you think in tryouts. They may not be the reason you make a team, but they are tie-breakers that may be why you didn't make it. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! You can also learn more about the Spiders at www.SpidersElite.com.

We hear a lot about the evils of specialization in youth sports, and about how you shouldn't play only one sport year-round. What should you do? In this episode, Jon discusses the value of playing multiple sports and the things you should consider, whether a parent or coach, related to playing more than one sport at the youth level. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! You can also learn more about the Spiders at www.SpidersElite.com.

If you're just finishing up your summer baseball season, you don't need to play fall baseball. But, that doesn't mean that you should sit around playing video games all day either. In this episode, Jon breaks down the specific things you should be doing instead of playing fall ball. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! You can also learn more about the Spiders at www.SpidersElite.com.

It's that time of the year. The summer baseball season is wrapping up and fall teams are forming. If you're a coach, should you have a fall season? And if you're a player (or a parent of a player), is it important that you play fall ball? In this episode, Jon breaks down what fall seasons tend to be like and the reasons you might want to play fall ball as well as the reasons you might not. If you're a coach who is considering having a fall season, he also provides some advice on how to approach it. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! You can also learn more about the Spiders at www.SpidersElite.com.

In this first episode of Fungo Files, Jon talks about the things that matter most in youth baseball. These things ultimately make up the core values that will drive the themes of this podcast. Along the way, Jon shares a bit of his perspective as both a coach and parent. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! If you don't see Fungo Files on your favorite platform, let us know.