Seven Reasons Against Specialization and Travel Ball

This is an old article, but an informative one: Seven Reasons Against Specializing in a Single Sport and Travel Team Play at an Early Age by Brooke de Lench of the MomsTeam website.

This is actually a series of articles with some thought and research devoted to each of her arguments. The main point is that kids should participate in various activities (may I add, not necessarily at the same time) for several reasons. If you are a parent of a talented athlete, this is worth checking out.

MLB Network's Diamond Demo's

The best channel on TV has a gold mine of expert baseball information. It's MLB Network's Diamond Demo's, where former pro players like Harold Reynolds, Billy Ripken, my man Sean Casey and others head to Studio 42 for instructional segments on all aspects of the game.

Whether you're a coach, a player or a parent, you can learn a lot from these valuable five-minute demonstrations. The Network's website has a video library will all the clips - nearly 100 so far.

Youth Sports Psychology Blog

I recently came across a blog about the psychology of youth sports. Topics include such things as confidence, mental toughness, parenting, bullying, etc. There is also a link to a partner site specific to the mental aspects of baseball. Yes, they have products to offer, but also some good information. Might be worth checking out.

Umpires Are People Too

ESPN's Outside the Lines has run a good story about Jim Joyce, the MLB umpire whose incorrect call at 1st Base cost Detroit Tigers' pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game with two out in the 9th last season. The call changed Joyce's life forever, and this was his first national interview since that fateful night of June 2nd.

This is a story about sportsmanship, and the fact that everyone is human and nobody's perfect. If this can happen at the highest level, you know it is bound to happen at the youth level, where the umps are even more "human." The video is below. The article is on ESPN.

No Science Behind Power Balance Bracelets

Somewhat related to my previous post on Titanium Necklaces...

...The makers of a similar product, Power Balance, have admitted that there is no scientific evidence behind their hologram-embedded bracelets and other products. The company still claims though, in about as vague a manner as possible, that the holograms interact with the human body's natural energy flow.  Who needs science when you've got $35 million in annual sales.