Want your high schooler to get better? Want them to have a shot at the next level?

Practice outside of practice.

When no one is around, when no one is telling them to, when others decided not to.

This is what separates good from great. In anything you do.

Team practice teaches you the system, the plays, the drills, the structure. But real development? That happens in the backyard. In the cages. In the gym. At the field when it's just you and your will to be great.

The kids who make the jump aren't always more talented. They want it more. They put in the work when others don't. When it's cold. When they're tired. When their friends are playing video games.

It takes discipline and sacrifice. Most people won't do this. If you do, you will separate yourself.

Team practice? Maybe 5 hours a week. The kid doing extra work? 15 hours a week. That's triple the reps. Every week. All season. All year.

This is what separates the kid who has a chance to play at the next level from the kid who won't.

Only 2.3% of high school players play Division 1 college baseball. That's 1 in 43.

Look around during your next high school game, both teams, both dugouts. Maybe one kid on that entire field will play D1. The odds are brutal but it's reality.

Very few understand how good you really need to be. But the kids who make it? They're the ones putting in the work.

Tom Brady on sacrifice (40 seconds)

Parent | High School Tip: Do They Really Want It?

How do you know if your kid wants to play in college?

They'll show you.

As a parent, you cannot push them to get the extra work in. You cannot push them to get up before school and work out, or sacrifice time with friends on the weekends. It's just not how it works.

My parents never tried to relive their childhood through me. They never pushed me. They weren't riding me to get in the gym or to work on my game.

But they did tell me, if you want to be great at something, it takes hard work and discipline.

I always challenged myself. I wanted to see what I was made of, if I was actually good enough. The only way of knowing this was to outwork as many people as I could. But always knowing someone is always out there working harder.

If your kid wants it, they'll show you. You can't want it for them.

Little League Ages (8-12): What I’ve Learned

When my kids got old enough to compete, I had to adjust.

I wanted what's best for them. I wanted them to succeed. So we'd do extra swings, extra ground balls, extra everything.

They were into it and wanted it, but I realized they didn't need it. I was so focused on the work that I forgot they were so young. I needed to back off and keep it fun.

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was play and compete. That's it. My kids are the same way. They just want to play.

So I switched gears.

I made practice more fun and competitive. I turned everything I could into a competition vs their friends, teammates, siblings, or themselves.

When I throw batting practice to my kids now, I give them one tip: swing as hard as you can and stay balanced. When they miss or struggle, I ask them what happened. I've learned to let them figure it out rather than just telling them how to fix it.

I try to ask for their feedback more than I give advice. These kids get it more than we think.

This is what keeps them coming back for more. It helps them want to get better on their own, not because I told them to but because they want to. That's what really matters.

Now if they come to me and ask to change something, I'm there to help. If not, it can wait.

Here's what I learned: Don't kill their love of the game trying to make them great at 10. If they love it at 12, they'll put in the real work when it matters. If they hate it at 12, it's over.

No one could tell me this. I had to live it myself, learn it myself. I've never coached my own kids before, how could I have really known?

Save the grind for high school. Right now, just feed the fire.

My kids are 12 and 10 now. They're asking for extra reps, they want to get stronger. I just don't overdo it.

As Jay Rainville said, "Make it fun, it's not that serious, they are kids."

Parent | Youth Tip: Practice More, Play Less Games

Practice is where development happens, especially at a young age. It's where you challenge yourself, where you fail, where you get better.

Games are where you learn instinct and gain experience. But let’s be honest, the games at a young age rarely help with this.

How often do you watch your 8 or 9-year-old play a game and barely see one pitch to hit? Or not even make a play in the field?

Did they get better?…..

Give them reps in practice. Make it hard. Make it fun. Make it competitive.

Work on the little things, consistently.

Quick Practice Plan (30 minutes): Be Athletic

Keep it short. Keep it fun. Keep score. Let them ask for more.

Help me keep more kids in the game. If you found this helpful, please forward it to another parent or coach.

Thanks for being here. See you next week Inside the Dugout.

-Coach Steve-

Steve Holmes
Founder, Inside the Dugout
2006 MLB Draft | All-American | Youth Coach | Dad