Dave Arkfeld NE LL 3

I spent 11 years as a pro athlete, and today I coach my 8-year-old. A few things I believe about youth sports... Most kids will never play college sports. Even fewer will earn money from playing their sports. Yet everyone can experience life lessons through sports. Now, to do that, it requires you, me, and everyone involved to understand the stakes. The stakes? Well, there are none. Ya, the 8u tournament where the coach lost his mind on a call by a 14-year-old umpire. The play your first basemen didn't make that he should have. The game you lost because the coach put the players in the "wrong positions". None of that matters, and understanding that...well, those are the stakes. You see, kids are incredible at watching, repeating, and forming habits. As a coach and parent, my goal is pretty simple. *Teach them the game *Make sure they enjoy it *Show them how to live with the results The most common pitfall I see in youth sports today is the excuse train. The umpire made a bad call. The coach feeds into it, the players follow along. The one player missed the easy play. The coach yells, the players feed into it. The team had a run of bad luck. The coach makes excuses, the players think that is ok. My friends, youth sports is a tool to teach your boys and girls about life. That's it... For the select few that will go on and play college or pro, good on them. Chances are that isn't my kids or your kids. So our job? To make sure they understand what is important and that we remember the stakes.

Tommy John surgery is becoming the norm for younger players—and somehow we’re acting like that’s normal. It should concern everyone… but nothing’s changing. Now 13–14 year olds are getting it. If that doesn’t bother you, you’re part of the problem.

At some point, baseball stops being about what your parents want. It becomes about what you’re willing to do when nobody is watching. You either love it enough to chase it… or you don’t. And if you don’t — that’s okay. Baseball isn’t for everyone.

True story. 15 years old. Pitching every weekend. Year-round baseball. Guest pitching for whoever needed an arm. National tournaments. Max pitch counts chasing “exposure.” Now — second TJ surgery. That’s not development. That’s damage.