About Elbow Up

Elbow Up started in 2019 as a personal blog for me to share my thoughts on the state of youth baseball.

It’s now a newsletter, podcast, and community for youth baseball parents and coaches with dozens of articles and hundreds of thousands of downloads.

A quick search produces tons of advice on how to mechanically be a better baseball player, but very few people are talking about how parents and coaches can (or should) navigate the crazy world of youth baseball.

I’m not talking about how to just be the best or win. I’m talking about how to maximize potential, enjoyment, time with family, and life skills.

The fact is, most parents and youth coaches just don’t have the experience they need to help their son and family get the most out of their youth baseball experience. And that’s ok. That’s why we’re talking about it.

It’s free and I’ll send it right to your inbox.

More About Kevin

I’ve written at length about my experience as a dad and coach, but here’s a rundown for those of you that are new.

I’m confident there are others out there more “qualified” than me to speak on all of this, but I’ve certainly been there, done that, and have the t-shirt to prove it. Not only have I been around the game at many levels, I quite literally did it all wrong the first time through with our oldest.

That’s what makes my approach unique. I’m not just someone telling you how I think you should do things. I’ve learned from my own experiences along the way.

I’ve essentially played or coached for 36 years. Like many, I started out playing in recreational coach pitch, played all-stars and travel ball for many years, and was a good high school player. I didn’t play in college, opting to attend the Air Force Academy instead.

When I came back home, I coached at my high school alma mater for a couple of years. Then I started coaching our oldest son when he started playing when he was four.

I’ve been a head coach of multiple recreational coach pitch teams, coach pitch all-star teams, player pitch travel teams, and a high school freshman team. I’ve been an assistant at every level of coach and player pitch as well as high school varsity.

I also spent years in a front row seat watching my brother’s career. He was a much better athlete than me - an All-State football player and an All-American baseball player in high school. He signed with the then-number one ranked team in the country, Vanderbilt.

When he was drafted in the first round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, he started his professional career. In addition to being a minor league All-Star two different years (one as a hitter and one as a pitcher), he was the 2009 Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year.

I mention all this just to illustrate that I’ve been around the game at many levels and seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, all from different vantage points.

In addition, and I believe most importantly, I’ve developed relationships in all of those situations and at all of those levels. I talk at length with youth coaches, high school coaches, and current and former college and professional players and coaches.

The intersection of all of the above is what I’m trying to share with you. Just being here is a great step in the right direction of trying to do what’s best for your kid, or kids. I hope you find a little bit of value in what I have to share.

Make sure and subscribe so you don’t miss an update. If you have questions or content you’d like to see, just hit reply to any of my emails. I’ll respond to every one of them!