Coaching is part art, part science, and all love. Championship coaches Kevin Hogendorp and Nate Alvarado answer the youth baseball questions you have. From house ball to the hall of fame, we'll cover topics such as:
• How to create an effective practice plan
• Communicating with parents
• Tournament selection
• Arm care and appropriate pitcher development
• Tryout preparation
• And much, much more
Whether you’re new to youth sports or a long-time veteran, join us each week as we discuss all things Youth Baseball and Beyond.
Coach Tom McGovern and the host explore how youth baseball players can successfully transition to high school baseball, covering communication with coaches and understanding roster construction in this interview.
11 Jun 2025
Tryouts - A Parent's Perspective
Hosts Chris Modrzejewski and an unnamed co-host explore youth baseball tryouts from a parent's viewpoint, covering preparation, support after cuts, and offseason strategies to help children advance their baseball careers in this interview episode.
4 Jun 2025
Sports Stories #1
Hosts and frequent contributor Chris Modrzejewski recount humorous anecdotes from their coaching experiences, highlighting the unpredictable and memorable moments that shape youth sports.
28 May 2025
Team and Player Motivation
The episode explores methods for youth baseball coaches to revitalize team motivation by diversifying training techniques and fostering stronger player connections, ultimately reigniting their passion for the game.
21 May 2025
My Way or the Highway
Today’s episode discusses a series of recent interactions between a dad and a coach. Dad felt the coach showed clear favoritism towards his son. The coach didn’t think it was appropriate for the dad to express his opinion.
Who was right and who was wrong? Find out what happened and learn about effective communication techniques both dad and coach could have used to engage in constructive dialogue.
00:00 - Introduction
01:35 - Setting the scene
02:35 - Parent initiates communication with the coach
03:10 - Dad’s mistakes explained
04:15 - Using effective communication techniques
05:30 - Sample of an effective email to the coach
06:15 - Improvements the coach could have made
06:50 - What happened in Game 4?
07:30 - Post game events
08:25 - Parents don’t lose the right to ask questions because they didn’t volunteer
10:00 - Move players around in the batting order to help the develop
12:15 - My way or the highway
13:20 - A better approach
14:25 - Free template to organize your game day roster
14:50 - Recap
Be sure to like and follow us on whichever platform you’re using to listen to our podcast. We’d love to hear from you. Please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) with your thoughts or to suggest a podcast topic. We’ll see you at the diamond!!
14 May 2025
Mid-Inning Episode: Avoid the dreaded ground ball line
While walking by a house league practice the other day I became sad when I saw a coach having his players in a single-file line while hitting ground balls to one player at a time. I saw that and wanted to rush out there and offer a few tips to that coach.
That’s where this episode comes in. In today’s mid-inning broadcast I share why the infamous ground ball line is bad and offer several options on how that coach could have improved his practice INSTANTLY by making it more effective and fun without needing any more equipment.
00:00: Introduction
01:35: Setting the scene
02:45: Explaining the inefficiencies
03:55: Effects of players standing around
04:55: Dead air
06:15: Instant improvement #1
07:30: Instant improvement #2
08:30: Instant improvement #3
09:15: Using proximity to build connections with players
10:55: Instant improvement #4
12:10: Instant improvement #5
13:50: Increase your efficiency by 400% in < 3 minutes
15:55: Other options with a hitting net
16:20: Keep in contact with our podcast
We’d love to hear from you. Please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) to leave comments or offer up a show idea or two. Be sure to like and follow wherever you’re hearing out podcast to be notified every time new content drops. We’ll see you at the diamond.
7 May 2025
Mid-Inning Episode: Playing Time
Today’s Mid-Inning episode extends our discussion from our earlier “Transitioning From House Ball to Travel Ball” broadcast.
While Coach Chris Modrzejewski and I covered a variety of topics in that episode, we didn’t touch on playing time.
Today I share how playing time regulations and expectations differ once you enter the travel ball world.
00:00: Introduction to our mid-inning episode
02:00: Explaining house ball playing time rules
03:30: Travel ball playing time rules
04:45: Ensuring competitive balance
06:25: Do tourneys regulate playing time?
06:55: Discuss organizational playing time philosophies
07:40: Pros and cons to the different sets of regulations
10:00: Wrapping up the episode
Please hit that follow button to get notified each time new content drops. We’d love to hear from you, so if you have any comments or want to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com). Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond.
30 Apr 2025
Selecting the Right Equipment
Look in any dugout and you’ll see thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Is it all really necessary? In today’s episode, Chris Modrzejewski and I break down the different pieces of equipment, important restrictions to know, and how you can save money and still get quality gear that’s right for you player.
00:00 - Introduction
01:40 - Bats
03:45 - Drop restrictions by age
05:00 - USA vs USSSA bats
06:05 - Importance of bat size
07:10 - Alloy vs composite bats
09:50 - One-piece vs two-piece bats
11:50 - How to save money when buying bats
16:15 - Fielding gloves
18:30 - Saving money when buying gloves
19:15 - Characteristics of a proper glove
22:00 - Taking care of a glove
23:15 - Catcher’s gear
26:40 - NOCSAE certification for high school
27:45 - Footwear
30:45 - Miscellaneous gear
36:20 - Episode review
You can click on this link to go to Sideline Swap, an online marketplace for used equipment. https://sidelineswap.com/ (https://sidelineswap.com/)
Drop a comment on what you thought on today’s episode. Click that like and follow buttons to always be notified when new content drops. You can also email the show at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com). Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond.
23 Apr 2025
Structuring Your Tournament Roster
Setting your tournament pitching rotation, defensive lineup, and batting order requires some foresight and thought to place your team in the best position to succeed. How you choose your pool play roster will greatly impact your bracket game play. Join us as we share our thoughts on how to prepare your team for a tournament.
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Pool play pitching rotation
06:10 - Playoff pitching rotation
06:55 - When to use your #1 starter & #1 reliever
10:20 - Using your league play pitching rotation to strengthen your tournament potential
12:30 - Defensive setup
13:45 - In-game communication with players
17:45 - Tournament batting order philosophies
20:40 - Parent & player communication regarding lineup philosophy
23:10 - Keeping a fluid lineup
27:55 - Wrap up
In this episode we discussed using a Baller Board to facilitate in-game lineup and position changes with our players. You can use this link (http://www.ballerboards.com (http://www.ballerboards.com)) to check out their products from their standard models to custom designs for your program.
Email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) to share your thoughts about this episode or to suggest a topic for a future broadcast. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the diamond. Good bye.
16 Apr 2025
League Play vs. Tournament Play
Preparing your game lineup isn’t as simple as just writing down names on a piece of paper. Having a different approach between league games and tournament games allows you to develop your players to be ready in high leverage situations while preparing your team for long-term success.
00:00: Introduction
01:35: Using league play for player development
06:00: Letting go of your ego for successful failures
07:20: Getting lost in the moment
09:15: Organizational emphasis
10:40: Making purposeful mistakes
12:25: Do purposeful mistakes harm the development of others?
15:40: Why use league play to structure a tournament pitching rotation
18:00: Planning your weekly pitching rotation
22:30: Structuring your season schedule
27:15: How to stay in touch with the podcast
Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts on today’s episode. Click on the follow button to be notified when new content drops and feel free to email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) with any comments or to suggest a show topic that’s important to you. Thanks for listening.
9 Apr 2025
Transitioning from house ball to travel ball
Welcome to another episode of Youth Baseball and Beyond. So this is your first year in travel ball? Congratulations. This is the episode for you. In today’s show we cover what you can expect this season from cost, to commitment, to league play, tournaments, and more.
If you’re looking for a specific topic, just jump to the chapters below:
00:00 - Introduction
02:30 - Avoid sticker shock
04:40 - Understand the commitment
06:00 - Indoor winter practices
07:00 - Awareness of team assignments
09:15 - Outdoor season begins after spring break
12:00 - Organizing your child’s schedule
13:50 - What to expect during the week
15:05 - Specialization of positions
18:50 - Leagues vs. Tournaments
22:45 - The structure of tournaments
24:30 - Pitch counts and advocating for your child
28:35 - Be prepared for entrance or parking fees
29:45 - Late night baseball
31:10 - Out-of-town tournaments
32:25 - Team bonding & creating memories
35:05 - There’s a travel program for you
Click on the follow button to be notified when new content drops and feel free to email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) with any comments or to suggest a show topic that’s important to you.
2 Apr 2025
Matt Shepardson Interview - Part 3
In the final part of our interview, Matt shares the qualities he sees in successful players, discusses the increase in arm issues at the youth levels and how modern metrics contribute to this.
00:00: Introduction
00:45: Common characteristics of successful players
02:35: Player self-reflection & coachability
05:15: Having a short memory
07:00: Being a good teammate
08:35: Why the increase in youth arm injuries?
09:35: Quantity and quality of throws at the youth levels
10:25: Nobody cares how hard you throw ball 4
11:20: Adding a variety of activities to the routine
12:30: Bo knows
14:15: The effect of modern-day metrics
17:45: Removing the human touch in evaluations
19:55: What Matt reviews when evaluating pro players
Keep up-to-date with our podcast by clicking that follow button and you’ll be notified each Wednesday when we drop new content. You can always email us at youthbaseballandbeyond@email.com with any questions or comments. Thanks for listening!!
26 Mar 2025
Matt Shepardson Interview - Part 2
In part 2 of our 3-part interview, Matt Shepardson, Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier Baseball League, discusses the humble beginnings of his club and what organizations can do to improve their coaching, how leaders can develop and institute an organizational vision, and what he would do if the baseball gods granted him the title of “youth baseball czar.”
00:00: Introduction
00:55: Humble beginnings
05:00: How organizations can improve
06:30: Individual coaching growth
07:25: Helping organizations gain a vision
13:20: Becoming the Youth Baseball Czar
15:40: Monitoring the “arms race”
17:40: Honestly leveling your team
18:50: Mandate play & letting kids be kids
19:45: Travel investments into rec programs
21:20: The “tyranny of the urgent”
Next week we conclude our interview with Matt as he shares the qualities he sees in successful players, discusses the drastic increase in arm issues with our youth players, and how the modern metrics high level coaches use can impact player health.
Keep up-to-date with our podcast by clicking that follow button and you’ll be notified each Wednesday when we drop new content.
19 Mar 2025
Matt Shepardson Interview - Part 1
In this episode we interview Matt Shepardson. Matt is the Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier League (http://frontierleague.com), an independent professional baseball league, while also serving on the board of the Illinois Hawks Travel Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball Organizations. Previously, he coached the Joliet Slammers (http://jolietslammers.com), where he won the 2023 Frontier League Manager Of The Year.
In Part 1 of our interview, Matt shares his thoughts on the overall state of youth baseball today and his experiences on setting up a club for success.
00:00: Introduction
01:20: Matt shares his view on the current state of youth baseball
03:45: What’s causing this “low point” in kids understanding baseball?
05:55: Balancing accessibility of the game vs. high-level training
08:25: Incorporating technology into training
11:40: Coaching the coaches
17:55: Keeping the bar raised high
12 Mar 2025
Communicating With Families
Don’t let poor communication undermine your season. Clear communication is a cornerstone of any good team.
In this episode, Kevin and Nate share how to effectively communicate with parents before, during, and at the end of a season. Learn different tactics and tips on how you can set yourself up for success.
00:00: Introduction
01:35: First contact
04:40: Making your pre-season meeting accessible
06:50: Organizing & holding your pre-season meeting
10:25: Playing time discussions with parents
15:32: Sharing season logistics at pre-season meetings
16:35: Communication during the season
19:45: Creating a newsletter
22:40: Team vs. Club communication
23:35: Communication with unhappy parents
28:35: End-of-season discussions
Email Youth Baseball and Beyond (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) to get free newsletter and player evaluation templates & follow us to stay up-to-date when new episodes drop .
5 Mar 2025
We're Talking About Practice
In the famous words of Allen Iverson, "We're talking about practice."
Learn how (2) championship coaches create a practice plan - starting with the why, to the who, to the what, to the how.
Looking for ways to have your players improve their baseball IQ on their own? Kevin & Nate offer some tips to help your players continue their learning at home and on their own.
00:00: Introduction
03:30: Why create a practice plan?
06:04: Personalizing practice for your players
10:55: Effectively using assistant coaches
13:30: Creating your practice plan & timing
15:10: Practice atmosphere & setting expectations
20:04: Importance of self scouting
21:44: Ending practice
26:15: Practicing at home and improving baseball IQ
31:42: Life lessons away from baseball
Email Youth Baseball and Beyond (mailto:youthbaseballandbeyond@gmail.com) to get a free practice plan template & follow us to stay up-to-date when new episodes drop.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
80
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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