Dukes Coaching Philosophy: 

In retrospect of 20 years coaching Travel Baseball and still learning, the following is a reflection and general advise to youth baseball players, coaches & parents in today’s game. I hold no magic wand or feeling of superiority that this is the best way, but do offer it as a proven way to succeed. 

First, have your initial priorities in good order: Players have to have individual goals and must commit to them until achieved, then revise their aim upward. Player goals must including both academic and physical goals. Coaches have to be team goal oriented, with a desire to unite composite skills into a workable unit. Coaches need to enjoy teaching proper baseball skills & techniques, both on & off the field; and must have or learn the knowledge to communicate these team goals to all participants. Parents of travel baseball players are as important as any player or coach. Parents who provide a solid domestic base and regard education as more important than baseball, will assure the success of their child and of the team. Support coaches like teachers.

 Coaches who have a plan in advance of the campaign – and stick to it – will achieve rewards far beyond wins or losses. Coaches who teach proper fielding & throwing, pitching & hitting ~ “the game within the game” and base running, will instill a wealth of baseball passion in their players for life. When your players leave the program with an advanced skill level and the apparent self-disciplines needed to compete at the next level – and you see it – you have already succeeded. While the teaching & learning process advances, coaches must also emphasize the importance of education to their players at all ages. The two fronts are compatible priorities and the combined Parent & Coach support of academics is a gift to their sons / players. Make it clear that: We Hit the Books First, then we Hit Baseballs. Coaches cannot teach or instruct during a game. They must demonstrate these techniques at practice and continue to practice them until – You see – the skill level is ready for game use. With pre-season fundamentals practiced weekly, stay with these practiced fundamental procedures until the players have a comfort level. Win or lose, you will see immediate success in all players. Then, with this solid base, introduce new or alternate plays to the team and to individual players, as their skill level will accept. Practice – practice! Coaches should also give all players individual home assignments as applicable: Pitchers should do their “balance drills”… Infielders should do their “short drills”… Outfielders should do their “crow hop drill” and perhaps most important, all players should “swing their bat 50 times a night”. 

Parents have their own plan for their son in advance as well. And – as well they should. Parents who want the best learning environment for their son, within a geographical area, will find the program that best suits their needs of progress and safety. The parents who allow their child the room to play and fail and still support their effort, will receive the greatest gift in return: growth & love. Parents who observe good practice habits, timely disciplines to schedules, support of the coaching staff and other parental duties such as Snack Bar and/or Field Crew, will contribute directly to the success of their child and to that of the team. Parents who participate are a key to success. Parents who do not participate will not be satisfied with / nor will they understand the result and should not be in travel baseball. Worse, the loser is their child. Parents should not be shy about asking a coach privately, how is my son doing? Is there something he should be doing more of on his own? That being said, parents need to allow their child to play and fail without additional pressure from them. The learning process builds on bumps & falls, combined with the patience to allow for growth. We (players & coaches) learn more from a loss, than we do from a win, so give us the room to make adjustments and grow. It has been my experience that the most successful players are those same kids from supportive parents and receptive coaching direction.

Players need to come to travel baseball with three things: Aspirations, Anticipation & the Gas to go the distance. [1] The aspirations to play quality baseball and achieve the highest level of play possible; [2] the inane or quickly developed ability to anticipate the next play, in advance of the next play; and [3] the gas, a commitment to do the hard work required to attain personal goals. These three qualities will never fail you. You strive to be a good student / athlete, to balance the two ingredients required to get you into the college of your choice. In youth baseball, you look forward to High School Academics & Baseball. In High School, you’re looking forward to the Scholastic and Athletic achievement opportunity to secure your place in College. In College, you’re in the right place to achieve your lifetime career goals, the result of your secondary school skills, which may include professional baseball. But wait a minute, lets get back to travel ball.

 After you’ve made a travel baseball team, stop trying out and concentrate on improving yourself. Some players achieve travel ball status and think: “that’s it” but it’s not. Travel baseball is the best steppingstone to HS baseball but it’s no guarantee of attainment. Surrounded by other good baseball players, you need to believe you belong and believe you can and will make yourself and your teammates better. As your aspirations & hard work turn into anticipation, with practice, your confidence level will allow you to achieve positive results. The players who want to be out there in tight situations are the players who best prepared themselves with proper teaching and perfect practice. Learn the “game within the game” – the Pitcher VS the Hitter. Pitchers need to learn location within the strike zone. Location is more important than a fastball, a changeup or a curve. The benchmark for pitchers is the inside edge of the strike zone. Once attained, all other corners are easy. The batter needs to learn pitch selection within the strike zone and learn his strength & weaknesses within the strike zone; coupled with the discipline to be patient until he gets his pitch. If you imagine a touch telephone dial with 9 digits or numbers and adapt that image to the strike zone, you have 1-2-3 areas as high pitches; 4-5-6 are middle pitches; & 7-8-9 are low pitches, and with that, you can develop the mental image required for good & bad pitch selection within the zone. Taking bad pitches at practice is as important as hitting the good ones.

 Thus far, we have discussed all the positive fundamental aspects of baseball success. Here are some negative things to look for and avoid. The first thing most all youth baseball does wrong at low levels is place the “T” right on top of home plate. This fatal flaw on unsuspecting youth sub-liminally teaches kids that “well” I must hit the ball when it’s over the top of the plate / Wrong! The real hitting zone is just in front of the plate. Those balls go far! Imagine the thousands of kids annually who learn the conceptual art of hitting – the wrong way? Sad indeed. As youth progress, it has become fashionable to have pitchers use a “slide step” with a runner at first base. This is fatal flaw #2 in youth travel ball. The first “T” flaw hurts kids mental conception whereas this flaw can and will hurt kids arms, possible for life. The philosophical premise that a slide step will slow down or freeze a base runner is wrong and worse, is too much strain on growing arms. The “time gained” with a slide step is “time lost” in arm speed and puts too much stress pressure on young arms. I believe the alarming increase in youth arm operations are directly related to the slide step. Once an athlete has reached his full growth maturity, in college – OK, with a healthy arm, you’re ready for a slide step. Until then, please stop for your own sake. Players & Parents: If your travel coach insists that you use a slide step, you’re on the wrong team… That is the third “don’t”. If you're playing for a coach who will do whatever is required to win, even at the cost of a player’s health, then you need a new team. Players are not there to serve the coaches. Coaches are there to teach the game & serve youth… Sometimes this conflict gets turned up-side-down? Take this as your motto and recipe for fun & success: Catch the Ball,  Make the Play,   Support Teammates, Challenge opponents and get down in the dirt.       

Coach DeFrates,
Dukes Baseball