YOUTH PROGRAMS

What do you see as the top one or two or three reasons for the decline and weak culture?  First step is to identify the problem. 

In our area, it was a group wanting to break away from Little League without getting unanimous buy-in.  Population was too small to absorb a split.  Took several years to recover. 

Of course there is also the perception that everything was going the way of travel ball.  In fact, most youth travel organizations work around traditional rec season so it was a matter of education an communication.

Getting the HS program involved with the youth program and vice versa is usually a very good thing.  Although it is harder than it seems since both are in full swing largely at the same time around here anyway.

We tried to improve the product of what was an entrenched parent coached winter ball program (we have weather that permits year round play), grounded on the hypothesis that quality coaching in a pressure free environment (no scores were kept in winter ball) would (a) improve the kids and (b) keep those kids for the spring program.

We "tendered" the idea to several local baseball guys/companies (local bating cage which ran a summer camp program, successful travel ball coach, and a local NAIA college assistant, and a few more).

The NAIA coach won. We ran his "academy"  program simultaneously with the parent run program (same amount of practice, same winter league). His program took advantage of his access to his players who were paid to coach the kids. The cost of the academy program was fairly low - kids who couldn't pay were scholarshipped - but more then the parent coached program.

By the second year,the parent run program had all but disappeared; players from other spring leagues flocked in; the coaches developed a following (kids started showing up at their spring games to cheer).  Many kids stayed to play spring ball - even though they were out of district (if a player wasn't all-star quality what difference does in district matter)(parent coaching in the spring for most teams; although some teams did bring in former college players as assistant coaches).

After the first year, we took a look at the players who were not playing rec ball and instead choose travel ball. So, the academy developed a low keyed travel ball option to augment the pure skill development original concept. It played only locally (30 minute drive), was coached by current college players, with a curriculum designed to build skills and not care about winning. Many star 10 - 12 year olds declined to play - and instead pursued their travel programs which aspired to national greatness, competing at Cooperstown, Steamboat, even the DR. However, many of the in district kids who were good enough to play on those teams but we're not interested in those national aspirational programs did join up. 

Both programs were complementary. Both were very successful and increased both enrollment and retention.

The coach who stepped up in the beginning has now advanced and is the HC of a national D1 powerhouse. He was a good man, interested in teaching baseball and brought in his players who were like minded.  The league has since abandoned the academy and parents rule. The league has shrunk back to its original size.

Of the fifteen players on that original low keyed travel team, over half played in college; three are playing pro ball. Causation? Who knows. But the boys did enjoy the coaching.

We left a corrupt Ripken program that went from 1,000 participants down to 400 in a matter of a few years. The LL we joined was well run. When I arrived I convinced them to run weekly clinics. It allowed the kids with less than steller coaching to receive some quality instruction.

The youth organization with the corrupt Ripken program also oversaw Babe Ruth, community travel ball, Jr Legion and Legion. I started a Sunday doubleheader USSSA travel team to help potential all stars prepare for the LL tournament. At 13u I transformed the team into a top travel team with former LL all stars from throughout the district. Other age groups follwed suit. The LL had unaffilliated 9u to 12u travel teams. These teams all did what I did at 13u. They faced top competition.

My son's soph year of high school was only the 4th winning season in 21 years and the first in several years. The next two years they won the conference. They've now had seven consecutive winning season. A new AD and coach helped too.

That's really the key.  Probably the easiest best way to find out the reason for the decline as to ask the members.  Send an email blast to every family who played during the last year and ask then to fill out a survey, which you can set up for free at surveymonkey.com.  Ask questions about the coaching, the facities, practice times, game schedules, etc.  Ask what they like, and what they do not like.  They won't be shy about telling you, especially those who are not happy.  If you learn that your facilities or your coaching or your league politics or whatever are turning people off, then you know what you need to work on.  If competition with travel is the issue, then try to find ways to coexist with it.

But it could be that your issues are more structural or demographic in nature. You may need to look at county census numbers to get an idea of what's going on.  For example, if the number of families with young children is trending down, there's not much you can do but be more proactive in attracting the pool of players you already have, by advertising tryouts, doing PR, and trying to make the product more attractive.  This is where getting your high school coaches and players to run free clinics can pay off.  Similarly, if the issue is that you've got a lot of non-baseball playing immigrant families, you'll need to do some outreach so that the kids learn what's so great about playing baseball.