Hey there,

Let’s talk about what’s really going on in Santa Cruz County when it comes to youth baseball.

It’s good.
It’s bad.
It’s a little ugly.

But there’s also a lot of hope; if we’re willing to shift how we think about development, winning, and what success in youth baseball should really look like.

The Problem: Too Much Winning, Not Enough Development

Look, I love winning. I love it as much as anyone. That feeling when the team clicks, when all the reps pay off, when a kid hits a walk-off and everyone goes nuts? It’s awesome!

But winning can’t be the goal at this age.

Why? Because too many coaches are chasing wins instead of focusing on the stuff that actually helps kids get better.

Development.

Now, I know that word gets thrown around a lot. So let’s define it:

Development means preparing a player for the next level… and beyond.

It means giving a 12-year-old the foundation they’ll need to succeed at 14… 16… maybe even college. Not just winning the 11U summer tournament because we stacked the lineup with early bloomers and pitched the same two kids every weekend.

True development takes time. It’s messy. And it’s not always shiny. But it’s the only way to build durable ballplayers.

What’s Getting in the Way?

Let’s be honest. There are a few things stacked against us here in Santa Cruz County:

1. Too Many Games, Not Enough Practices

   Let’s be real; most kids play way more than they practice. Once the season starts, the schedule fills up fast. Tournaments every weekend, maybe one or two short practices during the week (if the team’s lucky enough to even get a field). But real development doesn’t happen in games, it happens at practice. In a game, a kid might only get 2 at-bats, a couple of plays in the field, and maybe one throw from the mound. That’s not enough.

   You can’t fix a swing or build a better arm in the middle of a tournament. Practice is where the reps happen. It’s where kids can slow things down, ask questions, make mistakes, and actually learn something. Games are the test, not the classroom. And right now, too many teams are just testing kids who haven’t been given the time to study.

2. Low Barrier to Travel Ball = Too Many Teams

   Here’s the thing: anyone can start a travel team now. There’s no vetting process. No coaching certification. No minimum standard. And while that sounds great in theory—it’s created some real problems. Every weekend, you’ll see teams playing “travel ball” that look a lot like rec ball in disguise. The uniforms are better, but the level of play isn’t. That’s not the kids’ fault. It’s the structure. When every kid is promised a spot on a travel team, it waters everything down.

   Now we’ve got dozens of local teams playing each other over and over, with too little depth on any roster and not enough internal competition to raise the standard. Travel ball is supposed to be earned. Not bought with a jersey fee and a tournament schedule.

3. Not Enough Field Space

   This one’s not flashy, but it’s a huge problem: We’re running out of places to play and train. Between school sports, rec leagues, adult leagues, soccer clubs, lacrosse, and city maintenance schedules, field access in Santa Cruz County is tight. And when field time is limited, guess what gets cut first? Practice. Teams book the field for games, because they have to. That leaves little time for structured reps.

4. Dad Coaches Doing Their Best, But Limited

   Let me be crystal clear here: most of the dad coaches in this county are doing an amazing job with what they have. They’re volunteering their time, organizing carpools, booking hotels, dragging fields, and dealing with snack schedules. It’s a tough gig, and they deserve a ton of respect. But we also have to be honest about the limits.

   Most of these coaches didn’t play beyond high school—some didn’t play at all. They know the basics, but they’re learning on the fly. Which means they’re often teaching things they don’t fully understand themselves. That’s not a knock. That’s just the reality. It’s like asking someone who watched a lot of “Grey’s Anatomy” to do surgery.
   
   They might know the lingo. They might have seen it done. But there’s a difference between knowing something and knowing how to teach it. And the kids suffer when they don’t get access to quality instruction during their most important developmental years.

5. Santa Cruz Compared to Bigger Counties

   One of the biggest challenges we face here in Santa Cruz? We’re a small county. Just across the hill, Santa Clara County has eight times as many 10–12-year-old baseball players. That gives them deeper talent pools, more competitive rosters, and better game environments. Over there, a kid might not make the A team but still be a really solid player. Here in Santa Cruz, we simply don’t have that volume. So when we split our already small group into too many “travel” teams, we dilute the talent. What should be competitive baseball starts to look a lot like rec. It’s not a knock on our kids, it’s a numbers game. And if we want to keep the level of play high, we need fewer, better teams and a bigger focus on long-term development instead of short-term wins.

The Good News

Things are changing.

Back in 2003, when the Aptos Little League All-Stars made it to the Little League World Series (shoutout to Kevin Eichhorn), it shifted the mindset in this area.

It was our local version of Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile.

Kids started to believe it was possible.

Since then, more serious programs have popped up. Players are getting better access to training. The community’s expectations have risen. That’s a good thing.

But we still have a long way to go.

What Can We Do About It?

Here’s how we’re trying to help:

1. Rebuild Around Development (Real Development)

We don’t just roll out a bucket of balls and tell kids to “figure it out.” We teach:

• How to swing, throw, block, field.
• Why we’re doing a drill.
• When to apply a skill in-game.
  We believe in a 3:1 ratio of training to playing for most players, especially those not yet on comp teams. Games should test the training, not replace it.

2. Fewer, Better Teams

We don’t believe every kid needs to be on a travel team. We believe in earning a spot. That means:

• Fewer teams
• More talent on each roster
• More meaningful reps
• Better competition
  And for kids not ready yet? No shame in that. We give them a training pathway to grow into it.

3. Make Baseball Fun Again

This one’s big. We’re serious about development, but we keep things light. Baseball should be:

• Fun
• Fast-paced
• Full of friendships
  Kids need to learn to compete, handle failure, and chase improvement, but still enjoy the ride. Because if it’s not fun, they’ll quit. And we lose them forever.

Why This Matters (To You and Your Kid)

Because you’re not just signing your kid up for baseball.

You’re signing them up to:

• Learn how to handle pressure
• Work through setbacks
• Take pride in getting better
• Be part of something bigger than themselves
• Become the best version of themselves

That’s what sports are supposed to teach.

And if we don’t protect that, if we chase wins at the cost of growth, we miss the whole point.

Final Thought

Let’s not copy what’s broken.

Let’s do it better here.

Let’s build something that:

• Keeps baseball fun
• Builds better players
• Gives every kid a clear path forward

And let’s do it together.

Thanks for reading and for caring enough to think about this stuff with me.

Coach Joey

PS – Want to see what real development looks like?
We’re offering 1 FREE WEEK of Performance Training at our facility—no strings attached. If your kid is serious about baseball (or just wants to get faster, stronger, more athletic), this is a great place to start.

Click here to claim your spot → [High School] [Youth]

Let’s build something better, together.