How Ironic! I wrote this article back in 2019, way before the thought of hosting a podcast ever entered my mind. I guess that I have to add Clearing The Bases to the list of must listen to podcasts!
I always preach about the education of coaches. I firmly believe that coaches need to constantly update their mental database in order to be the best that they can be. We need repetition just like our players in order to get better.
How do we do this? Most of us have very little time to devote to continuing education. In my case, I have a full-time job. I coach a high school team and a travel team. I train and instruct players at all levels and am very involved with the development of our travel organization. I also have a wife and family that I try to squeeze in occasionally.
How do I get all of this done and continue to expand my baseball knowledge base? Enter podcasts and clinic videos! These audio and video presentations enable us to learn from the very best baseball minds in the world. Today's technology never ceases to amaze me. We can go online and find a multitude of resources that will keep us informed of all the current trends in baseball coaching. All the top guys are out there, but learning doesn't only come from the top. It comes at you from everywhere. I have listened to podcasts and watched videos from coaches that have very diverse backgrounds from all levels of the game. And I can say that I have learned something from every single one of them.
Let's start with the ABCA Podcast, which was restarted in December. It's now hosted by ABCA Assistant Executive Director Ryan Brownlee, formerly head coach at Western Illinois, who is new to podcasting but is energetic about learning and improving as he goes. As you know, the former host, Jeremy Sheetinger, moved on to become head coach at Georgia Gwinnett College but his 143 podcast episodes dating back to 2016 are still available to enjoy. If you are lucky enough to attend the ABCA Convention, you know it's impossible to get to every presentation. All attendees now receive access to all the clinic videos and others can purchase individual videos or the whole convention. There are 60 of these from last year's convention in Dallas and many more from years past, plus the 2018 and 2019 ABCA Barnstormers Clinics.
I also listen to the Top Coach Podcast hosted by Jack Warren, who has a library of well over 300 episodes.
Peter Caliendo, former USA Baseball National Team coach and skills development coach has his own Baseball Outside the Box podcast. Another must listen to is Ahead of the Curve with Jonathan Gelnar. I would be doing a disservice if I failed to mention Coaches Insider, who has 300+ videos that outline almost anything that you would want to know from some of the top coaches in baseball. USA Baseball's Covering the Bases hosted by Daron Vaught is a new podcast I would also recommend.
Why anyone would not take advantage of this free educational material is completely beyond my comprehension. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of these audio and video programs for us to use to expand our horizons. You can learn at your own pace, wherever you may be. I usually download a few podcasts to my phone so that they are available on demand. I don't even mind sitting in rush hour traffic anymore! I listen to a podcast and the next thing know, I'm at my destination, with more baseball knowledge than I had when I left the house.
What really amazes me is that I don't even know any of these coaches. I have never met any of them and probably never will, but they have been instrumental in my development as a coach. We all "steal" good ideas, drills, and quotes from one another, and I believe ingesting the forementioned (and many others, surely) resources is a necessity for any coach at any level. If you are not taking advantage of these interviews and presentations, you are really missing out!
