Fungo Files

Survive the world of youth to high school baseball from both a coach's and parent's perspective. Subscribe for short episodes designed to help you navigate the ups and downs and chaos of competitive and travel baseball for ages 10 and up.

Your End of the Season Evaluation 11/08/2022

Your End of the Season Evaluation 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24462957

Put It In Writing 11/01/2022

Put It In Writing 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24440397

Getting What You Want 10/25/2022

Getting What You Want 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24440142

How the Count Impacts Hitting Results 10/18/2022

How the Count Impacts Hitting Results 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24424908

The Selective Aggression Hitting Approach 10/11/2022

The Selective Aggression Hitting Approach 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24424539

Baserunning is MATH 10/04/2022

Baserunning is MATH 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24422877

The Rules of Baserunning 09/27/2022

The Rules of Baserunning 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24245181

Process vs. Results 09/20/2022

Process vs. Results 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24045336

Winning at All Costs 09/15/2022

Winning at All Costs 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24045165

First and Third Situations 09/13/2022

First and Third Situations 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23964276

Give the Kids Control of the Game 09/08/2022

Give the Kids Control of the Game 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23963220

A Case for Simpler and Fewer Signs 09/06/2022

A Case for Simpler and Fewer Signs 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23944011

Limit Your Coaching During Games 09/01/2022

Limit Your Coaching During Games 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23943732

Allow the Catcher to Call the Game 08/30/2022

Allow the Catcher to Call the Game 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23941746

Underrated Roles of a Great Catcher 08/25/2022

Underrated Roles of a Great Catcher 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23941428

Outfield is Not a Punishment 08/23/2022

Outfield is Not a Punishment 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23941008

The Little League World Series and Coach Dave McFate 08/22/2022

The Little League World Series and Coach Dave McFate 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. /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/24126819

You Are Not a Shortstop 08/18/2022

You Are Not a Shortstop 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23940462

When the Little Guys Play Big 08/16/2022

When the Little Guys Play Big 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23902479

So You Wanna Be a Dad Coach? 08/11/2022

So You Wanna Be a Dad Coach? 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23901717

Trash the Defensive Error from Scorekeeping -- Do This Instead 08/09/2022

Trash the Defensive Error from Scorekeeping -- Do This Instead 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23780897

Youth Baseball Scorekeeping Plays that are Most Often Screwed Up 08/04/2022

Youth Baseball Scorekeeping Plays that are Most Often Screwed Up 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23779862

Questions to Ask a Coach Before Joining a New Team 08/02/2022

Questions to Ask a Coach Before Joining a New Team 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23778371

Saving Butts 07/28/2022

Saving Butts 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23770748

Scoring Errors and Offensive Performance 07/26/2022

Scoring Errors and Offensive Performance 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23770463

A Message for the 2022 Spiders 07/21/2022

A Message for the 2022 Spiders 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23769059

How to Present Your Child to a New Coach 07/19/2022

How to Present Your Child to a New Coach 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! /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23768714

Factors That Matter More Than You Think at Baseball Tryouts 07/14/2022

Factors That Matter More Than You Think at Baseball Tryouts 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 . /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23607791

Should You Play Multiple Sports? 07/12/2022

Should You Play Multiple Sports? 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 . /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23605862

What to Do Instead of Fall Baseball 07/07/2022

What to Do Instead of Fall Baseball 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 . /episode/index/show/557b8632-a779-456f-ae8b-6a6ee60658fb/id/23598809

Fungo Files

TOPICS