Resources

Pocket Radar, Ball Coach edition, $299.99 If there's only resource tool you can spend on, this is the one. From measuring pitching velocity to bat speed, the Pocket Radar is indispensible. As accurate as Stalker and Juggs, yet cheaper. And dead simple to use plus convenient size to carry around. No-brainer.

Smart Coach Radar App System, $399.99 This innovative version of the Pocket Radar uses an app on your mobile device to automatically record video clips with embedded velocities, allowing you & your players to watch the videos and make adjustments in real-time to see if those adjustments help or hurt your velocity, whether pitching or hitting.

J-Bands (Junior or Adult), $40.95 J-Bands are a crucial part of arm care, as well as developing arm strength. Several colors to choose from. Select Junior size for ages 12 and under; Adult size for ages 13 and up.

Whiffle balls, $8.17 for 12 Whiffles are a staple of my practices and pre-game routines. It helps warm up batting eyes and refining batting movements without needing a lot of field space. Buy two packs, put them in a Home Depot bucket and you're good to go.

Whiffle balls, $16.97 for 12 If you want "squishy" whiffles (i.e., whiffle balls that are gentler in fragile environments), I like these balls. I can't guarantee they won't break windows but since they flex on impact, they are definitely safer than the hard plastic whiffles. The color also makes them easy to find, even in taller grass. (Note: many of the balls cracked within the two-year warranty period so keep an eye on yours if you want replacements.)

Golf whiffle balls in 5 different colors, $13 for 49 With these various-colored balls, you can implement different training games (e.g., throw two at a time and call out which color the batter should hit). The point of these mini-whiffles is that due to their much smaller size, the batter needs to concentrate more during their swings to hit these. Do NOT make the mistake of lightly tossing them during practices or pre-game; throw them with pretty good velocity instead.

Lightning Rod, $27.95 Perfect complement to the mini whiffles. The Lightning Rod is thin, making hitting the mini whiffles doubly difficult. And the Stick is light so kids can swing it a lot and not get fatigued. Bonus: comes with 3 mini whiffles.

Driveline plyocare weighted ball set, various prices Driveline Baseball recommends using these to help train youth arms pitching mechanics without hurting arms through constraint training and general arm care. The heavier balls are useful for naturally decelerating the arm. Driveline has a program that uses these pylocare balls for 9-13 year olds and high schoolers.

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance, $10.25 Book by David Epstein In the nature vs. nurture debate for sports talent, Epstein takes a decidedly nature stance. There's even a chapter on baseball. This book won't exactly inspire you as you coach your kids but it will certainly give you food for thought...which ultimately is my job here. And that is why this book is on my "Recommended" list.

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How, $15 Book by Daniel Coyle Is talent an issue of nature or nurture? Coyle makes a strong case that it's nurture: if you practice hard enough and smart enough, you can be world-class. I found this book to be very inspirational in nurturing kids of all skill levels on your team. For coaches in house/rec leagues, this book will be one of your all-time favorites.

The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery Of The Most Valuable Commodity In Sports, $7.65 Paperback book by Jeff Passan If you want to know tons of info about Tommy John surgery and not just that "it's an epidemic", this is required reading for all youth baseball coaches. If you prefer the Kindle ebook, it's cheaper.

The Little Book Of Talent: 52 Tips For Improving Your Skills, $15 The Talent Code is a great book but it's more theoretical. This book gives 52 practical tips for applying the theory. It's not baseball-specific, so you'll have to use your creativity to apply these tips to youth baseball. But it'll get your coaching juices flowing. And it's a short book, so you can devour it over a couple short sittings.