Lou Petrucci is a longtime educator and the head baseball coach at Ward Melville High School, where he’s coached future MLB arms like Steven Matz, Anthony Kay and Ben Brown. He’s also the author of Heart of the Hide, a former sports reporter and umpire, and the recipient of the Steve Lembo Award.

Chapters

00:00 Field of Dreams: A Personal Journey
10:41 The Evolution of Travel Baseball
16:22 The Impact of Rules on High School Baseball
22:25 The Importance of Competition in Youth Sports
46:49 The Impact of Velocity on Youth Pitching
54:20 The Shift in Tournament Structures
01:01:06 Position Players on the Mound: A Discussion
01:06:19 The Business of Minor League Baseball
01:11:49 Recruitment and Team Preparation
01:23:58 Technical Difficulties and Team Dynamics
01:29:33 Youth Programs and Their Impact
01:38:43 The Competitive Edge in High School Baseball
01:50:39 Lessons from Coaching and Player Relationships
02:01:32 The Power of Hitting in Baseball
02:08:05 The Role of College Baseball Coaches
02:09:28 Navigating the Transfer Portal
02:19:47 Memorable Encounters in Baseball
02:24:06 Technical Difficulties and Podcasting Challenges
02:25:50 Podcast Outro

Dwayne and Kyle catch up as we enter the summer season.

Chapters

00:00 The Summer of Golf and Coaching Transition
03:08 Training Young Athletes: Challenges and Rewards
05:59 Focus and Approach in Hitting Lessons
09:05 Building Confidence and Managing Expectations
12:07 Creativity in Baseball: An Underrated Trait
18:02 The Importance of Perspective and Maturity
24:19 Exploration and Boredom: Keys to Creativity
37:41 The Importance of Consistency in Improvement
40:48 Trusting the Process of Swing Adjustments
45:03 Navigating the Challenges of Change
46:49 Encouraging Self-Reflection in Players
51:08 Building Trust and Communication with Players
57:36 Fostering Ownership and Accountability
01:01:42 Preparing for Life Beyond Baseball
01:09:40 The Role of Coaches in Player Development
01:20:24 The Importance of Awareness in Leadership
01:23:27 Coaching Perspectives: The Role of Catchers
01:27:08 Shifting Perspectives: Zooming Out in Coaching
01:31:17 Reflecting on the Season: Success and Adjustments
01:39:38 Defining Success: Good, Great, and Elite
01:46:42 Balancing Personal and Professional Life
01:52:11 The Pursuit of Holistic Success
02:02:28 Summer Plans and Excitement
02:05:00 Training Approaches and Physical Progress
02:08:09 The Importance of Consistent Training
02:11:04 Future Aspirations and Career Paths
02:14:03 Expanding Conversations Beyond Baseball
02:16:59 Life Lessons Through Sports
02:19:57 Final Thoughts and Reflections
02:25:17 Podcast Outro

Zach Reding is a former Major League Strength Coach for the Houston Astros and the current Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.

00:00 Intro
07:16 Coaching Philosophy and Player Development
13:06 The Importance of Communication in Coaching
19:16 Early Specialization in Sports
25:01 Learning Movement Patterns and Skills
30:16 The Importance of Multi-Sport Participation
36:09 Understanding Movement Patterns in Baseball
45:15 Addressing Common Issues in Young Athletes
51:18 The Impact of Early Specialization in Sports
59:09 Resources for Aspiring Strength Coaches
01:07:58 Exploring Performance Metrics in Baseball
01:14:54 The Importance of Movement Patterns
01:21:30 The Role of Ego in Coaching
01:28:43 Navigating Challenges in Player Development
01:37:22 The Journey of Player Development
01:49:16 Building Relationships for Success
01:56:00 The Importance of Humor in Coaching
02:02:50 Training Dogs and Coaching Parallels
02:12:54 Leadership and Professionalism in Sports
02:19:20 Leadership and Culture in the Locker Room
02:25:20 The Balance of Coaching and Player Autonomy
02:31:17 Influence of Family and Environment on Success
02:37:47 Podcast Outro