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The Core Values of Baseball for MBL’s Four Bases 

“I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses and be a blessing to us.” – Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman has been dead for well over 100 years, but his take on baseball was a bullseye, as baseball, still in its infancy during Whitman’s quote, has been a blessing to generations of kids in America and now across the world.

At the Metro Baseball League and Minnesota Baseball Tournaments, we talk about the four bases that make up our membership: coaches, players, parents, and umpires. Each of those bases is called upon to uphold the core values of baseball, so that anyone participating in MBL or MBT in any way is a great representative and example for the communities and neighborhoods they come from.

It's the goal of MBL that the relationships between each of the four bases makes every single person involved better for having the MBL experience. That the core values of baseball not only lead to a fun and memorable summer, but that everyone can take away life lessons that lead to healthier, more productive, and more satisfying lives away from the game of baseball.

While each of MBL’s four bases is called upon to represent each of these core values of baseball as much as possible, coaches, players, parents, and umpires are able to best set examples in different ways.

Coaches

“A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” – John Wooden

Coaches are the backbone of MBL.  Most are volunteers and the MBL couldn’t operate without them. Their role includes setting up practices and communicating with players and parents – but most importantly, our coaches are role models and teachers for our young athletes.

We can’t say enough good things about all the coaches who contribune their time, knowledge, and leadership to MBL and MBT. Like all four of the bases that make up MBL, we couldn’t exist without coaches.

While there are so many core values of baseball that are represented by our coaches, if we had to pick just one, it would have to be leadership. Understanding that so many core values of baseball could fall under the banner of leadership, it’s what we are most thankful to our coaches for providing.

“Good coaching may be defined as the development of character, personality, and habits of players, plus the teaching of fundamentals and team play.” – Claire Bee

At MBL we couldn’t be more proud of the work the coaches do for their kids and their communities. Through great leadership, our coaches absolutely help develop the character, personality, and habits of the kids they coach. It’s great that the kids in MBL are learning the game of baseball, but it’s far more important that they are learning how to be good people off the field. By teaching their players that hard work, perseverance, determination, and accountability pay off not only on the ballfield, but in life as well, the coaches in MBL are ensuring that neighborhoods and communities feel the long-term impact of their efforts.

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.” – Bob Nelson

Players

 "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." – Michael Jordan

Players are the heart of MBL – their participation and growth, both physically and mentally, are why MBL exists. All MBL players participate in practices and a competitive game schedule throughout the season, playing with friends and making new ones from other communities all summer long.

Again, the core values of baseball that we hope are developed in the players of the MBL are many, but the single most important one is teamwork. Being a good teammate doesn’t just make the team better, it makes each individual player more valuable.

Much like leadership having far-ranging attributes that make for good coaches, so does being a good teammate. Hard work, pride, determination, resilience, respect, empathy, encouragement, and a lot more adjectives go into being a good teammate. The players in the MBL learn that being a good teammate develops trust, friendships, and camaraderie etc., all things that make for better teams, and, more importantly in the long run, better people away from the ballfield.

Parents

Parents are obviously the engine of any youth sports endeavor, and MBL is no exception. Getting kids to and from practices and games, attending games, hosting team dinners – providing support and confirming all the lessons being taught.

“Your child’s success or lack of success in sports does not indicate what kind of parent you are. But having an athlete that is coachable, respectful, a great teammate, mentally tough, resilient, and tries their best IS a direct reflection of your parenting.”

The number one core value of baseball for the parents of MBL players is support. Parents will always be the best example for children. Kids who know they have support from their parents have the best opportunity to do well, not only in baseball, but in life.

Just as every life lesson learned by the players from their parents goes into making MBL a success, so do all the life lessons learned by playing baseball make for successful lives off the field. Parents support and reiteration of these lessons help them stick and become a part of who these youth baseball players become as people.

Umpires 

Umpires are the gatekeepers of MBL and represent all the best qualities MBL is teaching kids. MBL holds all their players, coaches, and parents to high standards when it comes to respectful conduct towards umpires, treating them fairly and appreciating their contributions toward building better people and more thriving communities.

The number one core value of baseball represented by the umpires of the MBL is fair play.

The MBL couldn’t function without umpires, many of whom are still kids themselves. Baseball is a funny game, there always seems to be a couple of close calls every game, it doesn’t matter what level it is. The umpires of the MBL do their very best to call things as fairly and as accurately as they can.

They serve not only as the interpreters of the rules, but as role models to the kids they are umpiring. Fair play is important in every walk of life, from MBL games to the highest levels of politics.

Players, coaches, parents, and umpires – the four bases of MBL and MBT that help inspire and create more positive and productive young adults.

5 Youth Baseball Coaching Tips

First, a huge shout out and thank you to anyone who coaches youth sports, especially baseball! We can never say it enough, but without you, MBL and MBT simply couldn’t operate, and thousands of kids wouldn’t get the tremendous experience of playing youth baseball. Along with all of the day-to-day baseball teaching, you all impart life lessons along the way that help your young ballplayers turn into better people. There really aren’t enough ways to say thank you!

Some of you may be new to coaching and some of you have been at it for years, but it’s always beneficial to get some good advice. Here are five youth baseball coaching tips that can help make your job easier and more beneficial to the kids under your watch.

• Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals

As a youth baseball coach, your number one job is to teach the kids the fundamentals of the game. They need to learn how to field a ground ball and catch a pop fly properly. They also need to be taught the swing mechanics and the correct way to throw the ball. Learning how to slide correctly is also important.

As a MBL traveling coach, it’s your responsibility to know these fundamentals inside and out while communicating to young players how to perform these tasks. As the kids get older there are still fundamentals that need to be learned: how to run the bases, when to throw to certain bases, where outfielders should throw the ball after fielding the ball, etc.

Knowing the proper fundamentals gives the players a solid base to work from as they expand their baseball skills. At different stages of youth baseball some kids will be more advanced than others, but it’s always a good idea to drill on even the simplest of fundamentals – even the big leaguers do this when they show up for spring training each season!

Sportsmanship

You can make a pretty good argument that the most important thing a youth coach, in any sport, can teach their athletes is sportsmanship. Learning how to be a good sport is a life lesson that kids will take with them all the way into adulthood. Win or lose, kids need to know how to conduct themselves. It’s ok to get upset during competition and it’s even ok to get mad when your team loses, but kids need to learn the importance of being respectful to everyone involved in a game – teammates, coaches on both sides, umpires, and any spectators watching.

Coaches need to teach their players to respect the game itself, and the other aspects should fall in line, as respecting the game entails all of the others. Good coaches make their players not just better athletes, but better people as well.

Team Play

Team play is a big aspect of youth baseball, by teaching the kids how to play as a team, you’re also preparing them for the real world. If you think of the people you’ve worked with over the years, you probably remember the people who were good teammates more fondly than those who were not.

Good youth baseball coaches teach their players that good teams are first and foremost made up of good teammates. Being a good teammate consists of looking out for your teammates, of sacrificing personal goals for team goals, and of always being an encouraging voice for your teammates. On the field, being a good teammate consists of having a positive attitude even when things aren’t going your way, of being a vocal cheerleader for everyone else on your team, of backing one another up on ground balls, of being loud and clear when calling a pop fly as yours, of letting those around you on the field know where to go with a ball if it’s hit to them – knowing game situations and how they impact your decisions.

Practice Plans

Effective coaches at all ages and skill levels prepare practice plans and then stick to them when they’re out on the field. Practice should not only be about working hard and learning, it should also be about having fun. Ninety-nine percent of your players won’t play past high school. It’s important to emphasize fun to everyone.

Structure each practice to include fundamentals – proper hitting, fielding, base running, etc. Try to structure your practices with as little down time as possible in order to keep the players’ attention.

The beginning of practice should start with a stretching routine. Then it’s time for a run around the field to get the player’s heart rate up and prepare them to play. Getting the blood going is not only good for your players, but it leads to more alert and concentrated play.

After the run, it’s time for infield and outfield practice. Hit ground balls to each infielder and some fly balls to the outfielders. Make sure to practice double plays and relay throws.

Now it’s time for batting practice. Each kid should get the same number of swings. Twenty to twenty-five swings is a good number.

When batting practice is over, it’s time to practice game situations. This can be done with the coach hitting either infield or fly balls, or with a scrimmage. It’s always a good idea to end practice with a cool-down run.

Keep it Positive and Have Fun!

As most of us look back on our athletic careers, the coaches we enjoyed playing for the most were always super positive. Negative reinforcement never works. It doesn’t help your players get better — it only breaks their spirit, demotivates them, and leads to fear, self-doubt and anxiety. Negative reinforcement undermines your efforts, whether your focus as a coach is on performance or on building life skills.

Never criticize players for mistakes or errors – they ‘re trying to perform up to your expectations. There’s never been a youth baseball player who wanted to let a ground ball roll under their glove or through their legs or made a mistake running the bases. Use mistakes and errors as a chance to give positive reinforcement and encouragement.

Chances are good that you’ll coach some players who don’t want to be there on a certain day, or players who bring a negative energy or bad attitude to the team. Try to lift them up and make them excited to be a part of the team.

Coaches set the tone for athletic teams, especially at the youth level. Be positive, be encouraging and make sure every player on your team is having fun. Those are the coaches kids remember as they grow older and those are the coaches that have a lasting impact on their players.