All sports · Sport guide
Baseball, for the parent in it.
Every read, drill, calendar, pathway, rule, and recruiting note we have on baseball. Use this as the front door.
167 pieces.
From The Drawer for baseball
Cost
What does baseball actually cost?
Pre-filled annual estimates by tier. Edit any line.
Pathway
Baseball by age
What good looks like at 7, 10, 13, 15.
Calendar
The baseball year
Spring rec baseball through Little League International. Practices start in March, games run April through June, postseason in late June. Optional fall ball for the kids who want more.
Rules
Rules at-a-glance
Five-minute primer.
Reads
Baseball articles
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Building a Baseball Recruiting Profile That Works
A folder full of highlight clips isn't a profile. Coaches want numbers they can trust and video that shows the whole player.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Varsity Baseball: The Real Odds of the Roster
Twenty jerseys, nine starting spots, and a coach who has watched some of these kids since Little League. The tryout is the smallest part of it.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
When Your Baseball Kid Doesn't Get Recruited
He played travel ball for eight years. The email inbox is empty senior fall. Here's what's actually true, and what to say tonight.
age 11-12 · Jun 11, 2026
After a bad at-bat: what to say on the drive home
Short, real, and focused on keeping the relationship instead of fixing the swing.
age 8-10 · Jun 11, 2026
Baseball pitch count rules explained for parents
Why pitch counts exist, how they work, and what rest-day rules actually mean.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
Baseball parent sideline behavior: what actually helps
What helps your kid, what embarrasses them, and the thing most parents don't realize they're doing.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
What Goes in the Baseball Bag: The Pre-Game Pack
From the helmet to the cup to the belt nobody checks until they're at the field in the wrong color. Here's the full list.
age 15-plus · Jun 11, 2026
Baseball recruiting: what parents need to know
How college coaches find players, when the process starts, and what the money actually looks like.
age 13-14 · Jun 11, 2026
High school baseball: what to expect in 9th grade
The jump to high school ball is real. Here's what changes and what your kid needs going in.
age 8-10 · Jun 11, 2026
Little League vs. travel baseball: which is right for your kid
Two different experiences, two different costs, and the question nobody asks before they pick.
age 11-12 · Jun 11, 2026
When your kid is the pitcher: what parents need to know
Arm care, pitch count rules, handling the pressure, and what not to say after a rough inning.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
Youth baseball cost breakdown: what you'll actually spend
From Little League registration to full travel circuit, here's what baseball actually costs.
Drills
Baseball drills
116 drills total. Most recent shown.
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· warm-up
Pitcher Arm Circle Warm-Up
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· fundamentals
Arm Slot Mirror
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· fundamentals
Backhand Pickup
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· fundamentals
Bare Hand Rolls
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· situational
Bases Loaded Force Out
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· fundamentals
Bent Leg Slide
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· fundamentals
Bottom Hand Tee
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· fundamentals
Bullpen Rhythm
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· fundamentals
Bucket of Grounders
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· fundamentals
Bunt Pivot
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· situational
Bunt Coverage Roles
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· fundamentals
Bunt Square Around
The Sideline File
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Batting helmet face guards: C-flap, full cage, and when each makes sense
The optional face protection on batting helmets. What the published data supports, what state laws require, and when the cost-benefit math leans toward yes.
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Catcher's gear safety: foul tips, throat protectors, and fit
The mask, the throat protector, the chest protector, and the kid behind the plate. What good gear looks like and what fails parents miss.
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Cleats and foot safety: metal vs molded, fit, and the growth question
When metal cleats are allowed, when they're not, and the fit rules that prevent the most common youth-sport foot injuries.
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Hand and finger fractures: the kid's growth plates change the math
Buddy-taping a 'jam' that's actually a Salter-Harris fracture can cause permanent deformity. The on-field triage and the X-ray threshold.
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Heat exhaustion vs heatstroke: the line that matters
Both look bad. One is recoverable with rest and water. The other is a true emergency. The signs that distinguish them, and the protocol for each.
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Helmet, bat, and mouthguard certification: the stamps that matter
NOCSAE for helmets. USA Baseball and USA Softball for bats. State-by-state rules for mouthguards. What stamps to look for, what's expired, and what used gear is fine.
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Helmet recertification: the dates inside the shell
NOCSAE-certified helmets get reconditioned every year or two. After 10 years, they're done. How to read the stickers and when to replace.
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Humidity and dew point: practice modifiers when WBGT isn't on hand
WBGT is the gold standard for heat decisions, but most youth programs don't have a reader. Humidity and dew point are the backup metrics, and they tell you more than air temperature alone.
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Mosquito-borne illness in outdoor youth sport: West Nile, EEE, and the basics
Outdoor practices at dawn and dusk during summer carry small but real risk of mosquito-borne illness. The repellents, the timing, and the regional patterns.
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Pollen and allergic conjunctivitis: the spring eye-irritation kids underreport
Itchy red eyes during outdoor practice. The seasonal patterns, the over-the-counter management, and when to see a doctor.
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Rib injury and the splenic concern: the hit that looks like a bruise
A blow to the lower-left torso can be more than a bruised rib. The signs of splenic injury, the timeline to watch, and when the kid goes to the emergency room.
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Sun and skin: youth athletes, sunscreen, and the melanoma math
The cumulative-exposure problem with kids in outdoor sports. SPF, the two-finger rule, when to reapply, and why hats and shirts are still the best UV protection.
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Tick prevention and Lyme disease: the protocol for outdoor youth sports
The repellents that work, the post-practice tick check, the bullseye rash, and when a tick bite needs the doctor.
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Wet field decisions: when surface conditions make play unsafe
Standing water, soft mud, ice in cold months. The published thresholds and the questions to ask before a game starts on a marginal field.
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Wildfire smoke and AQI: when to cancel a youth practice
The AirNow AQI thresholds for kids, how PM2.5 affects developing lungs, and the practice-modification rule the EPA actually publishes.
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What's actually dangerous about youth baseball
Arm injuries from over-pitching, foul-ball-to-the-face, sliding injuries, commotio cordis. The risk profile of a sport that looks slow.
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Youth pitcher arm care
Pitch counts, rest days, what "no curveballs before 14" actually means, and the signs that the elbow is asking for help.