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Former Colorado Rockies Pitcher Jason Hirsh, radio personality Andy Lindahl on youth baseball coaching, sport specialization

ByDaniel Wettstein II|
A coach speaks with a boy as he practices baseball skills at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2018. - On a searing hot summer's day in Washington, a group of children are playing baseball in a pristine park that stands at odds with its surroundings in the city's rough-and-tumble southeast.Parents and grandparents shout encouragement from the stands as they chow down on hot dogs, some seeking shelter under the shade of a blue tent. This quintessential scene is taking place in little leagues across the United States -- and would be unremarkable if it weren't for the stark color divide in the stands: one section is entirely white and the other all black, reflected in the players on the field.Currently batting are an African American youth team of 12-year-olds representing the Mamie Johnson league of southeast DC. (Photo by Issam AHMED / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSAM AHMED/AFP via Getty Images)
A coach speaks with a boy as he practices baseball skills at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2018. - On a searing hot summer's day in Washington, a group of children are playing baseball in a pristine park that stands at odds with its surroundings in the city's rough-and-tumble southeast.Parents and grandparents shout encouragement from the stands as they chow down on hot dogs, some seeking shelter under the shade of a blue tent. This quintessential scene is taking place in little leagues across the United States -- and would be unremarkable if it weren't for the stark color divide in the stands: one section is entirely white and the other all black, reflected in the players on the field.Currently batting are an African American youth team of 12-year-olds representing the Mamie Johnson league of southeast DC. (Photo by Issam AHMED / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSAM AHMED/AFP via Getty Images)
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DETROIT, MI – MAY 20: Jose Iglesias #1 of the Detroit Tigers poses for a photo with a group of youth baseball players prior to the start of the game against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park on May 20, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Rangers 9-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MAY 20: Jose Iglesias #1 of the Detroit Tigers poses for a photo with a group of youth baseball players prior to the start of the game against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park on May 20, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Rangers 9-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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In all cases, information, education, and training were the common themes for remedies to what ails what should be a safe space within the eye of the storm these children call lives.

I want to take a second to remind you to say these 5 words as much as possible to your young athlete, “I love to watch you play”.

Make sure when you are headed home from the game this is a time of fun, win or lose, not a time of coaching. We all need to ensure we are informed on how informed our child’s coach is, what is their level of expertise?

We, as parents, are the controlling factor, we make the drives, we pay the dues(literal and figurative). I would like to apply an old bit of wisdom: “Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws!” -Amschel Mayor James Rothschild.

In other words, whoever controls the purse-strings, controls everything. Remember to wield all power with respect, but stand firm in your convictions that are backed by facts and realism so you can best arm your athlete to navigate this world of distractions while making it enjoyable.

In closing, I will leave you with this pot-o-gold: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

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