Shows
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategySelect-Level Coaching At Rec LevelsGrant Cowan, MBSA coach and vice commissioner, shares how to coach your rec league team like a select-level coach in part 1 of this two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (40:50) about how to manage your kids and coaching staff when losing in a blowout. In this 47-minute episode, you'll learn: how travel ball can do it right (12:06) what problems rec coaches have when leading their teams (15:19) how to program your pre-practice routine (19:13) when to schedule your pre-practice routine (25:01) how to plan your defensive part of practice (25:50) how Grant plans his team's...2024-08-0146 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyTop Tips for 2024Rob Tong shares his top seven tips for 2024 that he learned from 2023. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to teach kids situational awareness. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2024-02-0126 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYouth Nutrition, Plus Strength Training Q&A with Joey GreanyJoey Greany, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, finishes up his tour de force on youth baseball strength training with a conversation about nutrition and answering listener questions in part 2 of this two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (24:29) about whether rec kids should be allowed to use both USSSA bats and USA Baseball bats. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2023-08-0431 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyThe Need For Speed (and Strength and Agility and Sleep) with Joey GreanySpeed (and strength and agility) is not just an asset in football and soccer. Youth baseball athletes can greatly benefit from this type of training and Joey Greany, the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, explains why and how in part 1 of this two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about about how to handle a team with no catchers. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2023-06-2344 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE164: Lessons Learned in 2022Host Rob Tong looks back on the spring and fall seasons for his three teams in 2022 and whittled down seven lessons that he thinks might be helpful to you for 2023 and beyond. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about about why not teach a level swing if it produces higher batting averages. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2023-01-2732 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHow To Properly Coach Third Base with Toby GardenhireWhile the majority of 1B coaches in youth baseball tend to be spectators rather than coaches, 3B coaches in youth baseball also tend to not fulfill their responsibilities well and/or not know all their responsibilities. Toby Gardenhire, manager of the St. Paul Saints, is back to break it all down for us again in Part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what age is appropriate for kids to focus on 1-3 positions. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us a...2022-11-2332 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHow To Properly Coach First Base with Toby GardenhireWhat exactly does a first base coach do in youth baseball? A LOT, actually. Toby Gardenhire, manager of the St. Paul Saints, breaks it all down for us in Part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether players can be first base coaches. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-10-1133 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 161: Rules Every Coach Should Know Before Arguing With Umpires, Part 4, with Brandon JacksonTest your knowledge of more commonly misunderstood baseball rules with Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/DII/DIII level. Coaches should know these rules before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 4 of a four-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what his hitting philosophy is and how to train it. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-08-311h 14
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyRules Every Coach Should Know Before Arguing With The Umpire, Part 3, with Brandon JacksonTest your knowledge of fair vs foul, batter's box rules, granting time, the infield fly rule, batted balls hitting objects, how to make appeals and the legality of stealing signs, as well as whether common arguments are myths or truths. Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/D2/D3 level, is back to explain these commonly misunderstood rules coaches should know before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 3 of a four-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether to play up for challenge or stay at current level for...2022-07-2158 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyRules Every Coach Should Know Before Arguing With Umpires, Part 2, with Brandon JacksonTest your knowledge of the rules as Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the collegiate D1/D2/D3 levels, explains more rules every coach should know before arguing with the umpires in Part 2 of a four-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to handle players who don't hustle on the base paths. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-04-2750 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 158: Rules Every Coach Should Know Before Arguing With Umpires, Part 1, with Brandon JacksonAdmit it. You think you know the rules as much as the umpires do. I'll bet you don't. Brandon Jackson, former umpire at the D1/DII/DIII level, explains some rules coaches ought to know before going out to argue with the umpires. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to control young teams in the dugout. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-04-071h 12
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 157: How To Play Speedball with David KleinDavid Klein explains the details of how the game of Speedball works and what its unique rules are in Part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob (and Austin Wasserman) answer the Question of the Week about whether jump ropes are beneficial to 8U players. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-03-1536 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyWhat is Speedball? with David KleinWe as coaches work hard to revolutionize youth baseball practices so that it's no longer long, slow and boring. But is there a way to make games less slow and boring? David Klein is back (again) to share his idea for fast-paced youth baseball games where everyone gets lots of reps and no one sits the bench in Part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to manage rotation of a lot of kids in and out of games. Please let us (and others) know how you feel...2022-02-2544 min
Confidence ConversationsConfidence Conversation with Rob LiddiardI met Rob back in 2017 in the corporate world. I wanted him to join me on the podcast as he's someone I think of as naturally confident, so I knew it would be great to get his views on confidence and how he keeps his in check. Give this one a listen, we talk about all-sorts of things obviously confidence related. It was so interesting for me to hear Rob talk about how his confidence is strongest when he's coming out of adversity and that what a rainy day meant 2 years ago now means something completely different. Know...2022-02-2432 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 155: How To Be A Better Youth Pitching Coach with Jim BrowerIf a kid came up to you and asked you to help him with his pitching, would you know how to help him? Jim Brower of Brower Baseball shares his tips on how to analyze and help your youth pitchers in Part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about a clear plan of where to start with beginner to intermediate middle schoolers. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-02-1643 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyA (Slightly) Different Take On Pitching with Jim BrowerJim Brower of Brower Baseball explains why he values training accuracy over training max velocity, plus more of his philosophy on training youth pitchers and how to get started in Part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus, Rob answers the Question of the Week about practice plan help for head coaches who don't have any helpers. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-02-0141 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyLessons Learned in 2021Reflecting back on the past year is a productive way to see what went well and what could have been better. Consider doing that with your own team to get your own specific lessons learned! In the meantime, Rob shares seven lessons that he learned this past year that may help you for the upcoming year. Plus, Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether to strictly train your kid to hit against the travel tryout pitching machine speed for the upcoming tryout or let the kid hit faster speeds.2022-01-2529 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategySteal More Bases with Tyler GillumIs stealing more bases as simple as telling your kids, "Be aggressive! They can't throw you out!" As kids move up the ranks, defenses CAN throw you out. Then what? Tyler Gillum of South Mountain Community College and the Savannah Bananas tells you what—and how—in part 2 of our two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (38:11) about when your kid should play up. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2022-01-1440 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyAdvanced Baserunning with Tyler GillumCan advanced baserunning be taught to youth players? Tyler Gillum from South Mountain Community College and the Savannah Bananas says yes, and explains how to teach advanced baserunning to your kids in part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether establishing concrete rules of thumb would be better than trusting your gut when it comes time to pull a pitcher out of an inning. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-12-1746 min
The Best of The 'X' Zone Radio/TV Show with Rob McConnellRob McConnell Interviews - DEAN TONG - Certified Forensic Consultant, Certified Child Forensic Interviewer, And Expert WitnessDean Tong is an internationally noted author, certified forensic consultant, certified child forensic interviewer and expert witness, concentrating in the areas of high-conflict divorce, child custody, abuse accusations, albeit, sexual or physical child abuse, domestic violence, et al, Parental Alienation, and Sexual Allegations In Divorce (SAID). Mr. Tong has tendered testimony as an expert witness in cognitive child developmental psychology and best practice forensic child interview methods, as well as the handling/mis-handling of protective investigations by CPS and the Police et al. He has tendered and testified as an expert witness in civil and criminal court cases from 15 States...2021-12-081h 00
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyGrowing Entry-Level Players with Justin ShermanTeaching entry-level players is arguably the toughest job as a baseball coach. Hitting a baseball is hard enough for adults, much less teaching it to uncoordinated kids. Same goes for pitching/throwing. And then the many rules in the game. How do you help grow beginner players? Justin Sherman from justintimebaseball.com shares his tips in part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (23:41) about how to handle playing time for disinterested players. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest r...2021-12-0135 minThe Best of The 'X' Zone Radio/TV Show with Rob McConnellRob McConnell Interviews - DEAN TONG - Certified Forensic Consultant, Certified Child Forensic Interviewer And Expert WitnessDean Tong is an internationally noted author, certified forensic consultant, certified child forensic interviewer and expert witness, concentrating in the areas of high-conflict divorce, child custody, abuse accusations, albeit, sexual or physical child abuse, domestic violence, et al, Parental Alienation, and Sexual Allegations In Divorce (SAID). Mr. Tong has tendered testimony as an expert witness in cognitive child developmental psychology and best practice forensic child interview methods, as well as the handling/mis-handling of protective investigations by CPS and the Police et al. He has tendered and testified as an expert witness in civil and criminal court cases from 15 States...2021-11-2848 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHelping Entry-Level Players with Justin ShermanWhat do you do for entry-level players, be they tee-ballers or 10U? Justin Sherman from justintimebaseball.com shares his techniques for helping the kids who need the most help. This is part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether 18-20 players is too big for a varsity team. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-11-1741 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyOne-Knee Stances & Calling Pitches with Jay WeaverFinishing our discussion of catcher attack angle from the previous episode, Jay Weaver from catchingcamp.com also jumps into one-knee stances for youth catchers as well as simple methods for youth catchers to call pitches and pickoffs. This is part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about considerations for doing warmups and what age to start. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-10-2934 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyCatcher Attack Angle: Advanced Receiving with Jay WeaverWhat is catcher attack angle when receiving? Why is it useful and how do I teach it to my youth catchers? Jay Weaver from catchingcamp.com discusses this significant new development in catching in part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to defend against overly aggressive 3B baserunners in 8U. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-10-1847 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyTrain Like A Big League Second BasemanPerry Hill, the first base coach and infield coach for the Seattle Mariners, breaks down how you can properly train your second basemen (plus the remainder of our chat on first base play). This is part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help kids new to kid pitch get over the fear of getting hit by pitches. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-09-2446 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyTrain Like A Big League First BasemanIf catchers wear the "tools of ignorance", then first basemen play the "position of neglect" because many youth coaches don't teach much to their first basemen even though it is a highly important position. Perry Hill, the first base coach and infield coach for the Seattle Mariners, breaks down how you can properly train your first basemen. This is part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a kid who's hitting grounders in games but fly balls in practices. Please let us (and others) know how...2021-08-0548 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyPitching with Drive with Zak DoanWhat is "drive" in pitching and is it important? Zak Doan, whose clients range from youth pitchers to Gerrit Cole, shares his thoughts on the subject as well as other pitching issues. Part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a kid who's hitting grounders in games but fly balls in practices. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-07-0242 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyImproving Pitching Accuracy with Zak DoanHow can we help our young athletes to improve their pitching accuracy? Zak Doan, who works with youth pitchers and whose most famous client is Gerrit Cole, shares some helpful pointers to help kids throw the ball with more accuracy. This is part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to get over the feeling of being under-qualified as a youth baseball coach. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-05-2153 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyCreating Positive Experiences with Deven MorganHow can we create more positive experiences in youth baseball? How do we help youth athletes are struggling to succeed in baseball? Deven Morgan, Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball, shares some ideas to help kids have more positive experiences. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether any GameChanger stats can be used to help inspire relevant coaching drills for practices. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-04-3052 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyTraining Youth Pitchers, The Driveline way with Deven MorganTraining youth pitchers is not easy (safe to say that's an understatement). What does Driveline do and recommend? Deven Morgan, the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball, shares some tips in part one of this two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a batter who mashes in training but is late to load in games. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-03-1952 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyLessons Learned in 20202020 may have been a crazy year but there were still youth baseball lessons to be learned. Host Rob Tong looks back on 2020 and distills many things he learned into eight lessons that he shares in this episode. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether 8U kids should give verbal pre-pitch defensive reminders. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2021-02-1937 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | Strategy3 Things Killing Youth Baseball (and How To Fix Them) with Steve FerroliSteve Ferroli says three crucial things are killing youth baseball. Is the sport of youth baseball—and the millions of kids participating in it—in serious danger? Does youth baseball need to be saved? Can it be? This is part two of a two-part interview. Plus Rob (and Deven Morgan, the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball) answer the Question of the Week about whether it matters if kids pitch from flat ground instead of raised mounds. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest revie...2021-01-0854 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyImproving on The Science Of Hitting with Steve FerroliWhat can the Science of Hitting teach you about hitting, and can you improve on the Science of Hitting? Steve Ferroli, the personally-chosen successor to Ted Williams' theory of hitting shares some of his thoughts in part one of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what travel teams can do in-between games at tournaments. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-12-0847 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyAdvanced Basics for Catchers with Tom Griffin, Part 2Learn from one of the best as Tom Griffin breaks down more advanced basics for catchers with the finer points of receiving, blocking and throwing, plus strategies, in part two of a two-part interview. Plus Rob (and Nick Esposito) answer the Question of the Week about how to help nine-year-olds build strength for pitching. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-10-2248 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyAdvanced Basics for Catchers with Tom GriffinIf receiving, blocking and throwing are the fundamental aspects of the catcher position, what are the key teaching points of those aspects? What information goes beyond the basics for your catchers to give them more of an edge? Tom Griffin shares some helpful tips in part one of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how many practices per week a 7U rec team should have. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-09-2340 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategySmarter Practice Planning with Bo AshabranerPractice planning is one of the most frequently asked topics for youth coaches. With so many topics, how do you know what to work on, and when? Bo Ashabraner has some helpful advice so you can plan smarter, not harder, for your practices in part two of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about the benefits of batting lefty instead of righty. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-08-2853 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyStart With A Plan with Bo AshabranerDo you have a plan when you start your team? Or when you start a new season? Aside from what drills you want to run, what philosophies do you have for your team—or as Bo Ashabraner puts it, what philosophies do you enforce or tolerate? Bo is here to help us break down some things you may want to consider for your team or season in part one of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether a 27-foot home indoor batting cage will be adequate to help a 9-10U hi...2020-08-1153 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyAdvice From The Swing Whisperer with Doug LattaTaming a wild swing in your youth hitters? The Swing Whisperer is in. Giving advice specifically targeted at the youth and high school level, Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", is back to help calm those free-spirited hitters in this finale of a three-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether the travel baseball landscape has improved since the early days of this podcast for 7-8 year olds. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-07-0136 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHitting Mechanics That Crush with Doug LattaAt some point, we're going to have to teach hitting mechanics to our kids if the kids are going to advance to the next level of hitting. Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", returns to help give us some insight on hitting mechanics that could literally be game-changers in part 2 of a three-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to teach timing during hitting to 7-10 year olds. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-05-2149 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyTalking Hitting and Going Deep with Doug LattaThere is no shortage of hitting advice, particularly on the internet. Some good. Some not so good. And some just plain awful. Doug Latta, aka "The Swing Whisperer", helps us sort out some of the information from the misinformation in part 1 of a three-part interview. Plus Rob (and Austin Wasserman) answer the Question of the Week about what age to teach kids to pronate when pitching, especially with a change-up. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2020-04-2539 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHelping Your Team Bond with David KleinMental health is declining for more young people than ever before, thanks to digital technology. Is there anything youth baseball coaches can do to help young athletes? Or is this only a problem for counselors? David Klein gives practical, actionable advice to help our team grow closer together and improve our players' mental health in part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether kid pitchers should be more conscientious about hitting batters with pitches or to not worry about hitting batters. Please let us (and others) know how...2020-03-2334 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyThe Importance of Unplugging with David KleinVideo screens (video games, mobile phones) are probably one of the last things we consider when it comes to baseball. Yet screen time leaves a bigger footprint in our kids' lives than we think—yes, even on the baseball field. Former guest David Klein returns to discuss this important yet under-recognized aspect of our kids' athletic lives in part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how two competitive tryout rejections in a short span might affect an 8-year-old, and how to prepare. Please let us (and others) know ho...2020-02-1441 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyLessons Learned in 2019As we start the new year and the new season, you can make significant strides by remembering to avoid mistakes (and repeating successes) you made in the past. Rob Tong shares lessons learned from several members of Edge Nation, Pete Caliendo, and three lessons Rob learned in 2019. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week (47:31) about what tee to buy for a four-year-old. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes! 2020-01-2656 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHow Non-Elite Players Can Get To The Next Level with Joshua BandMost high school players are not showcase-type players. What must these players do to get to the next level? Do they have any chance? Joshua Band, founder of PlateCrate, addresses these issues and more in Part 2 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what one product a middle school coach on a limited budget should purchase. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-12-2032 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHow Top Players Can Get To The Next Level with Joshua BandWhat must a top high school baseball prospect do to get to the next level? What is important in a player promo video? Joshua Band, founder of PlateCrate, shares his thoughts on how players & parents can help propel towards playing college baseball in Part 1 of a two-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether a full-time travel program or a rec-based travel program is better. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-11-2741 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyHope or Hype? Evaluating Baseball Products & Protocols with Dr. Chris McKenzieWith so many baseball products and ideologies competing in the marketplace, how do you know which ones work and which ones don't...or even worse, which ones make you worse? Are things like long toss and weighted baseballs just hype by their promoters? Are things like the Core Velocity Belt, Rope Trainer or the Durathro sock just hype by their inventors? Dr. Chris McKenzie, a board-certified sports & orthopedic physical therapist, discusses some products & protocols in Part 3 of a three-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help a team when kids have...2019-11-0634 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyUnderstanding Pitching Tightness & Flexibility with Dr. Chris McKenzieWhen we help our kids learn to pitch, how much does tightness and flexibility play in the kids' ability to pick up what we teach? Dr. Chris McKenzie, a board-certified sports & orthopedic physical therapist, discusses these issues in Part 2 of a three-part interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about the catcher position will be a waste of a skilled player's athleticism and degrade his knees and athleticism. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-10-1444 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyThe Kinetic Chain in Pitching with Dr. Chris McKenzieWhat is the kinetic chain? How does it work with pitchers? Is it important to know? What do we need to know about it? Dr. Chris McKenzie, a board-certified sports & orthopedic physical therapist, goes over these concepts in Part 1 of a three-part (yes, three part) interview. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about drills for helping a 7-year-old work on his swing with a tee and net setup. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-09-2747 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyQuestion Of The Week Mega Show #2Rob Tong answers 8 more Question Of The Week submission, including some tryout questions, how to help a team frequently striking out looking, how to teach back picks to a 9U team, and more. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-09-0652 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyQuestion Of The Week Mega Show #1Rob Tong devotes this entire episode to answering several Question Of The Week submissions and hopefully you can gain something practical & actionable from the answers. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-08-0136 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyPro Tips For Competitive Toughness with Jake McKinleyHow do you help develop competitive toughness in players who aren't by nature that way? There's no silver bullet but Milwaukee Brewers minor league pitching coordinator Jake McKinley shares some pro tips to help us help our players be more competitively tough. Plus Austin Wasserman has the Wass Strength Tip of the Week on kettle bell front rack reverse lunges. And Rob answers the Question of the Week about whether it's worth trying to hold runners on at third base. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us a...2019-07-1543 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyBuilding Competitive Toughness with Jake McKinleyMilwaukee Brewers minor league pitching coordinator Jake McKinley discusses how to build competitive toughness in youth baseball players. Plus Austin Wasserman has the Wass Strength Tip of the Week on single leg RDLs. And Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help hitters who adjust to umpires making bad strike zone calls. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-06-1443 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 118: Elite Is In The Details with Trent MongeroDo details matter? This is baseball, not science, right? Doesn't focusing on details suck the fun out of the game or practice? Highly successful high school coach Trent Mongero of Glyn Academy (Ga) explains the detail he goes through with his players. Plus Austin Wasserman is back with the Wass Strength Tip of the Week on managing athletes with Osgood Schlatter's Disease. And Rob answers the Question of the Week about how to help hitters use their legs more in the swing. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by g...2019-05-0242 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 117: Improving Through The Mundane with Trent MongeroThe siren call of sexy-looking drills is a temptation to many a coach. We wouldn't want to be called "the boring coach", would we? Fast-forwarding through the fundamentals can be a dominant thought when we want to be "the cool coach." In this episode, Trent Mongero, the head coach at Glyn Academy (Ga) encourages us to focus on the fundamentals and shares his foundational drills with us—drills he uses even with college players. Plus Rob answers the Question of the Week about what to do when the back foot skips forward during the swing and the ba...2019-04-0747 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 116: Ground Forces Deep Dive with Justin StoneWe do a deep dive in ground forces to improve hitting. What is "leg-to-leg transfer speed"? How do you troubleshoot? What about coming up with swing mechanics by analyzing swing video? Justin Stone of Elite Baseball Training explains key concepts to help you help your kids improve their hitting. This is Part 2 of 2. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-03-1534 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 115: Hitting Using Ground Forces with Justin StoneWhen we think of improving power in the batting swing, how often does "ground forces" come to mind? Probably never, for most people. So does that mean it's not important? If it is important, how do we tap into it? Justin Stone of Elite Baseball Training shares what he's learned regarding ground forces and how to teach it. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-02-2637 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 114: Coaching Lessons Learned in 2018What lessons have you learned while coaching in 2018? Now that the year is in the books, it's a good time to reflect back on what transpired and see if there's anything you learned that you may be able to apply in 2019. Rob Tong shares seven coaching lessons he learned in 2018, and Paul Niggebrugge and Trent Mongero share the lessons they each learned in 2018. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-02-0432 min
Parenting Peak Performers PodcastEpisode 41: Rob Tong on Growth Mindset in Coaching and ParentingWe want to help our kids to approach adversity from a way that helps them to overcome things and not think that they are defined as something. - Rob Tong A father of seven, Rob is the host of the Youth Baseball Edge podcast. Rob is an expert not only in youth sports, but also in podcasting, with the highest ranked amateur baseball podcast on iTunes, and over 100 episodes recorded to date. His children, ranging in from age 20 to 4, have been instrumental to his growth as a coach and sport parent. He has served as a...2019-01-2231 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 113: Practical Peak Mental Performance with Brian CainWe've heard about the mental game but how do we actually apply it to our baseball coaching? How do we make the concept of mental game more practical? Brian Cain, #1 international best-selling author, speaker and coach, helps us with exactly that. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2019-01-1039 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 112: Coaching Peak Mental Performance with Brian CainWhen one of your players doesn't feel confident on a particular day—or even throughout a particular season—what do you do? When a kid isn't having the results he wishes he had, what do you do? When you are looking for team leaders, what do you do? Brian Cain, a #1 international best-selling author, speaker and coach, helps answer some of these mental game questions and many others to help you give your team the edge. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-12-2144 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE111: Big Tips, Big GainsLast time, Rob Tong gave several small tips that can yield big improvements. They were small in the sense that they are minor changes to what you already do for your team. In today's show, Rob gives several big tips that can yield big improvements. This round of tips is "big" in the sense that they will change the culture of your team or program and generally will require a long-term vision and implementation. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-12-0722 min
Apple Bitz XL w/ Brian TongInterview: iPad Pro/Apple Pencil w/ Artist Rob Generette III aka RobZilla (Apple Bitz XL, Ep. 39)It's an interview with Apple's poster child for the iPad Pro, Rob Generette III aka RobZilla. Take a peek at his amazing artwork with the NBA, NHL, MLB and more before you listen to this interview at instagram.com/rob_zilla_iii and enjoy us talking about how an artist at the highest level uses the iPad Pro. Call into the show at 1-833-888-2295 or email questions to applebitzshow@gmail.com You can support the Podcast for an AD-FREE version and all my content at www.patreon.com/briantong THANK YOU!2018-11-2149 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 110: Small Tips, Big GainsDid you know that if you are traveling from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. and are off-course by just one degree, you'd end up in Baltimore? Small changes can sometimes have big consequences. And sometimes that applies to coaching youth baseball as well. Many times we're looking for that magic bullet that will make our kids enormously better—yet sometimes we just need to make some small, fine-tuned adjustments. Rob Tong shares seven seemingly minor changes coaches and parents can make to help kids make big improvements. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of...2018-11-2033 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 109: From Good To Great: Improving Pitch Recognition with Peter FaddeCan pitch recognition skills separate the good batters from the great batters? Can pitch recognition training help overcome some common hitting flaws? Peter Fadde, author of "The Sixth Tool: Training Baseball Pitch Recognition", explores this and other topics related to pitch recognition. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about what is the best hitting aid for youth baseball. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-10-1943 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 108: Intro To Pitch Recognition with Peter FaddeWhat is "pitch recognition"? How is it different from "vision training"? How do you recognize pitches anyway? Peter Fadde, author of "The Sixth Tool: Training Baseball Pitch Recognition", shares his thoughts. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-10-0536 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 107: How To Be A (Reasonably Good) Baseball Umpire with Brandon JacksonHow do you become an ump in youth leagues like Little League? How do you become a high school ump? College? Pros? What makes a good ump? Brandon Jackson, a long-time and well-respected collegiate umpire, shares his thoughts on these and other umpire-related topics. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-09-1935 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 106: Commonly Misunderstood Baseball Rules with Brandon JacksonEver wonder what an umpire's thinking? What IS an umpire's strike zone supposed to be? Here's your chance to find out. Brandon Jackson, a long-time and well-respected collegiate umpire, explains umpiring philosophies and goes through some commonly misunderstood baseball rules that you might need to know someday. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about whether the tennis swing will ruin the baseball swing. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-09-0155 min
Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 32: Superstar DJs, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Ross From FriendsIn the 32nd episode of the pod, Rob Langham is joined by David Cox to reflect on the late 1990s heyday of the superstar DJ. Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and Sasha are held up as the exemplars of a curious period where the ability to operate a turntable ruled the roost. The Superclubs and club nights including Ministry of Sound, Gatecrasher and Cream are recalled along with the artists that shaped an era such as The Chemical Brothers, Faithless and Leftfield, as well as the comedown. Fittingly, album of the month is Ross From Friends’ Nineties-inflected Family Por...2018-08-1849 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 105: The Open Baseball Journal: 10 Questions Baseball Parents Should Ask Their Child Every SeasonHow is the health of your relationship with your baseball-playing child? How would you know? Is pushing your child always wrong? Rob Tong addresses these questions and introduces the Open Baseball Journal. Learn ten questions you should ask your player(s) after each season that will help keep your relationship with your player(s) on the right track—or to get on the right track if you've been derailed. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about how to help kids know how to end plays on defense. Please let us...2018-08-1031 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 104: From Scrawny To 95mph: The Importance Of Strength Training with Ben BrewsterIf you had $5,000 to spend on youth baseball, what would you spend it on? Pitching coach? Hitting coach? Travel teams for exposure and experience? Strength training? High tech gear? Ben Brewster, founder of Tread Athletics, explains why strength training should be the majority of your budget. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about how to help kids know how to end plays on defense. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & ra...2018-07-2040 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 103: Busting Ceilings Via Strength Training with Ben BrewsterYBE has devoted several sessions to strength training. But how important is strength training anyway? Ben Brewster, founder of Tread Athletics, explains why strength training can help you bust through your current limitations. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-06-2939 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 102: Modernizing Hitting Practice with Josh RodriguesDoes your batting practice consist of you pitching, one kid hitting and everyone else standing around in the field...while telling the batter to swing level? Josh Rodrigues, assistant coach at Salve Regina University, discusses some modern hitting concepts and practical ways to help your hitters. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about how to help kids know how to end plays on defense. And Austin Wasserman of WassermanStrength.com introduces us to offset squats. Plus, this is your last week to enter a...2018-06-0841 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 101: Modern Hitting Philosophies with Josh RodriguesWhat are the hitting philosophies you teach your players? How did you come to embrace those philosophies? And what evidence do you have to support your philosophies? Josh Rodrigues, assistant coach at Salve Regina University, talks about modern hitting philosophies that's backed by stats and research. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about how to help hitters adapt to pitchers with wildly varying velocities. And find out how to win YBE swag! Please let us (and others) know how you feel about t...2018-05-2238 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 100: Baseball Brain Training 101 with John KennedyHow does brain training for athletes differ from, say, doing a bunch of Sudoku puzzles? John Kennedy, founder and primary neuroplastician of Combat Brain Training, explains more about brain training and how it can benefit athletes. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about how to help hitters adapt to pitchers with wildly varying velocities. And find out how to win YBE swag! Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTu...2018-05-1032 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 099: Intro to Brain Training with John KennedyYou've likely heard of the mental game of baseball—especially on this podcast. But you may not have heard of brain training, which is different from the mental game. John Kennedy, founder and primary neuroplastician of Combat Brain Training, explains what brain training is and how it can benefit youth baseball players. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about lunging during the swing and handling parents who give unhelpful tips. And Austin Wasserman of wassermanstrength.com discusses first baseman training protocols in the Wass Stre...2018-05-0338 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 098: Influencing Your Kid's Development with Rob FriedmanAs your kid gets older, telling your kid what to do may not get the same mileage as when your kid was younger. In this latest in my series on Baseball Dads, Rob Friedman, the Pitching Ninja, shares how he helped influence his son Jack's development, as well as the high school team that Rob helps coach, without needing to bark commands and make demands. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Plus Austin Wasserman of wassermanstrength.com shares frontal plane movements in the Wass Strength Tip Of The Week. Please let us (and others...2018-04-2643 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 097: Building A Better Pitcher with Rob FriedmanThe latest in my series on Baseball Dads, Rob Friedman, the Pitching Ninja, shares how he helped his son Jack to get a baseball scholarship to Georgia Tech, a Division I college baseball team. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of elitebaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about machine pitch vs. coach pitch. And Austin Wasserman of wassermanstrength.com shares a forearm strengthening tool and exercise in the Wass Strength Tip Of The Week. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an...2018-04-1051 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyGetting Started With Strength Training with Nick EspositoGetting started with strength training for youth players? Nick Esposito of espositostrengthclub.com gives some thoughts on functional movement screens, planning workouts and whether certain familiar warmup routines are helpful or hurtful. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Plus Austin Wasserman of wassermanstrength.com shares the dangers of plank marathons and sit ups in the Wass Strength Tip Of The Week. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by giving us an honest review & rating on iTunes!2018-03-1538 min
The Youth Baseball Edge Podcast with Rob Tong: Coaching | Drills | StrategyYBE 095: How To Start Strength Training with Nick EspositoIs strength training important for youth baseball? How do you get started? Nick Esposito of espositostrengthclub.com and the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Austin Wasserman and Bobby Tewksbary's AB Athletics facility shares his thoughts. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Plus Justin Stone of EliteBaseball.tv answers the Question Of The Week about why in-step pressure is important in the swing. And Austin Wasserman of wassermanstrength.com shares fitness games for youth athletes in the Wass Strength Tip Of The Week. Please let us (and others) know how you feel about the show by g...2018-03-0738 min