Busy times for youth baseball! The MBL has been immersed in team registration, scheduling, umpire coordination, clinics and much more. We know our players and families have been filling their calendars with practices, games, and tournaments, sifting through their gear bags once again and preparing for the action-packed journey called the baseball season. We love this time of year! Those tournaments on the calendar in May and June will be here before you know it.
(We can’t wait, either!)
In response to the feedback from our off-season Travel Director discussions, the MBL held coaching clinics on March 30th in Burnsville. More than 100 coaches attended either the morning or afternoon sessions – which focused on topics like throwing, hitting, catching, pitching and practice planning. The clinicians included former college coaches Paul Blanchard (Southwest Minnesota State) and Dave Hieb (Northwestern-St. Paul), as well as legion coach Mike O’Brien (Eden Prairie) and Brower Baseball pitching instructor Erik Mueller. We also had Josh Levine from Fortis Academy talking about mental training for athletes and guidance for parents as they navigate the world of youth sports. We cannot thank our instructors enough for the excellent job they did! All the coaches in attendance gained valuable knowledge, new coaching techniques, and new drills to bring back to their teams and associations. We look forward to hosting more of these clinics in the future.
On April 3rd the MBL opened league game scheduling for more than 700 teams. We are happy to report – thanks to the hard work of team coaches and managers – over 4,800 games were scheduled and loaded into the MBL site over the course of four days. It is remarkable how many kids are playing travel baseball and representing their communities right now. That’s a credit, again, to the coaches and leadership of our MBL associations. Let’s keep up the good work and continue to grow the game!
Umpires Still Needed
It’s not too late to become an umpire for this season. Umpires are needed in all MBL associations. There is still plenty of time to attend training and work games. Even if you might only be available for a few games or tournaments, your efforts as an umpire would be greatly appreciated. How do you become an umpire? Your local association can put you in touch with an umpire assignor and clinician in your area. If you can’t find the right person from your association or need any help, contact the MBL. We work with several umpire associations who cover games throughout the MBL, as well as local associations who provide and train their own umpires. Check out our umpire contact page for more info.
Early Season Arm Care
As our season is set to begin and we battle some cooler weather for games and practices, be sure to keep an eye on your young athlete and monitor his/her health and safety when it comes to arm care. We know coaches are tracking throwing and pitching, but many times we find it’s beneficial for parents to talk with their kids about how their arms and body are feeling. It’s a long season; we want our players to pace themselves appropriately, so they are ready for the grind of June and July summer baseball. All this arm care talk reminds us of an interview we did last year with Pitcher Perfect Baseball Academy’s Jamie Eggleston, talking about the proper way to develop arm strength early in the season. Check it out HERE.
Finally, as we dive into the season, we ask everyone to remember the importance of sportsmanship. We know our games can get competitive – that’s part of the reason youth baseball is so fun! But we all have a connection to good sportsmanship and play a crucial role. Coaches and parents, your support is paramount, and we ask you to stay positive, be good role models for your kids and help your fellow coaches and spectators act appropriately when your competitive spirits rise.
Good luck to all MBL teams, let’s all have a great season!