Michael Clements

As my youngest son’s sophomore season ended, one of the big-name travel ball orgs dropped their new rankings I logged in to check his profile In his class they had him as the 8th-best catcher in the country No. 2 in Florida Not gonna lie I was a proud dad The following summer, we chose a different route No chasing invite-only events, no living on planes He spent the summer training Getting stronger Cleaning up his swing Catching better arms He played in just three tournaments, none of them affiliated with that ranking organization He played the best baseball of his life and earned a scholarship to a top‑25 D1 program That fall, out of curiosity, I checked his profile again Ranked No. 221 Did he really get that much worse? If he did, I never saw it Maybe 213 guys just “got better” Or maybe the formula changed He went on to have a great college career Conference and regional champ MVP of the Gainesville Regional His team came a couple of plays short of Omaha Then he got a couple of years in pro ball for good measure The ranking never predicted any of that The game still rewards work, toughness, and development more than any list ever will Rankings are a great marketing tool Not a great predictor of future success

For 99% of MS/HS kids over years: 3-4 days of skill work per week and 2 to 3 days of lifting/athletic dev. will yield a lot more return than 5 to 7 days of skill work and zero days of lifting/athletic dev.

“When you allow your children to grow up it’s a direct, direct reflection of your parenting. If you hover over them all the time and they can’t work through problems, they’re going to have some issues. You’ve got to let them work through problems because they’re working through the things you’ve instilled in them,” Dawn Staley Let them learn.

🚨RECRUITING IS NOW OPEN🚨 If you are still looking for a summer ball home, my DMs are open!! The Cowboy Collegiate League is now recruiting talent from across the country to come play in a highly competitive summer league! For more information or interest Shoot me a message!

If you coach early youth baseball, and you tell kids: DON'T hit the ball in the air because they're automatic outs DON'T try to hit homeruns. DO hit balls on the ground to 3B because you'll get to 1B more often. You are legit crushing the sport. Getting kids to "want to come back tomorrow" is YOUR ONLY ROLE. My 7 year old doesn't want to go back tomorrow. I don't blame him. You failed.

Hard coaching without relationship produces resentment. Relationship without hard coaching produces entitlement. The sweet spot is a player who knows you love them and knows you will not lower the bar for them.

Another one you better not miss on. He just hits. It’s that simple. Tough as they come and plays with serious passion. Salty with the glove too.

Can’t say enough good things about Brock. He instantly makes your team better. He does every thing right, on and off the field. True leader. You are absolutely crazy if you pass on him.

Coach Pat Hallmark's son Christian was an opening day starter for UTSA, opening the door to questions about special treatment. But Christian quickly shut down any concerns through his play, becoming an unexpected standout for the surging Roadrunners. expressnews.com/sports/college…

@TailgateSA @GregLuca I am sure a lot of people thought the same. After watching Christian play every game in JUCO, it is not shocking to see him performing like he is. He battled injuries and overall adjustments his 1st year but he competed his butt off every single game. Never once doubted himself.

@GregLuca Great article Greg! Not gonna lie. My buddies and I saw his JUCO stats and instantly started screaming Nepo. Very happy to eat that crow.

Coaches, get on this guy! Premier swing and a backstop!

🚨 FINAL Nelson (TX) defeats #1 LSU Shreveport 12-6 Diego Arcay 3-4 2B 2 RBI Addison Patton 1-4 HR RBI Luke Edmonds 3.1 IP 1 ER 4 K in relief #NAIABall

There will be signs in the off season that a team has not bought in to a culture. Late to warm ups. Warm ups look sloppy. No obvious leader. Goofing off. Someone yelling shut up! Improper clothes and shoes. IMO, the culture is clear 5 min before warmup.

If you want a healthy culture in your program, never reward pouting. Ever.

HOT TAKE: How is it that head coaches expect and demand toughness, mental strength, and resilience, yet they're the ones with the worst body language and emotional control on the court? "Attitude reflects leadership, captain."

Sports should absolutely be physically and mentally uncomfortable. Adversity should be age appropriate but there absolutely will be adversity. Kids can only become resilient humans by overcoming that discomfort and adversity. Stop trying to protect your kid from discomfort.

Matt Houston demolished this baseball 455 ft to the third floor of the apartment building for his second homer of the day

If all the great hitters in the history of the game trained differently to have success, Why would anyone think that one way is the best way to teach/train ? Protocols/systems should be individualized for each hitter to have the best chance for success.

The best part about the weight room is it doesn’t lie. Progress only comes from real work. If you cheat reps, stay too light, or skip days, the numbers expose it. If you show up, train with intent, and hit the intensity you’re supposed to, the results will always show.

10 things I've learned from 50 years in baseball: 1: The game isn't just about numbers. It's about heartbeats. It's about trust. It's about showing up every single day ready to get better. 2: Young players want to be great overnight. But greatness isn't built in a day. It's built in the small moments - being good for a day, then a week, then a month. Hall of Famers? They're just players who were good for a very long time. 3: We measure everything now. Launch angles. Spin rates. Exit velocity. But you know what we can't measure? Guts and nuts. The ability to keep showing up and keep fighting to get better. 4: Three questions every player needs answered about their coach: Can I trust you? Do you care about me? Can you make me better? Without these, nothing else matters. 5: My dad taught me the only thing fair in life is a ball between first and third. How you handle what's not fair? That defines you. 6: Stop treating players like pieces. They're humans with heartbeats. When we eliminate the heartbeat, the game becomes sterile. Feed it. Encourage it. Love it. 7: It's not old school vs new school. It's about being in school, together. 8: If you're not a leader, be a follower. If you're neither? You're just a roadblock. 9: Want to know if you're a good coach? Ask your players what they think your expectations are. You might be surprised by the gap between what you think you're saying and what they're hearing. 10: After all these years, one truth remains: The game is about transformation, not just transactions. Change the person, not just their stats. That's how you build something that lasts. I share more lessons like these in my book, Hurdle-isms. Tap the link in my bio to order a copy. I think you'll be glad that you did!