Habits: Excerpt from the development Book.
The most important thing
Habits: 13-15 years old.
Truthfully, The progress that players make during this age/time frame are only as important if not less important than the habits they build along the way. My dad started me young, he got me lifting in the 6th grade. He set me up with the trainer at the local gym and did a few sessions where I was able to learn the proper form and technique. Thankfully, baseball has come a long way and we as a whole have started to understand the benefits of proper strength training, even at a young age. A lot of the higher tier training facilities (really any facility worth their salt) will have at least a section of their facility dedicated to strength training. While I do not yet have my CSCS, the principles applied during lifting at the beginning stages are in my opinion of the utmost importance for laying the groundwork and foundation for high level baseball development.
When you get to college, you start to compete against some extremely strong and physical athletes. You can really tell which ones have been lifting for a while, and which ones have not been. Sure you might be able to skate by until college, but eventually you are going to be outclassed in the strength department. If you really want to know how big and strong athletes are in college, take a weekend and watch the closest Power 5 team play. Get as close as you can, stand near them when they are warming up or stretching, you will soon realize that they are all incredibly physical athletes, not just skilled.
Athletes don't become this way by accident, sometimes it is genetics but 99% of the time it is hard work. Trust me, if your athlete is going to be gifted enough to coast to their dream school, you would probably know this already. If not, it is critical that you do everything you can to instill good habits. These are going to impact them more profoundly than just their performance on the field. Hopefully, athletes take these lessons learned throughout their athletic careers and implement them into their lives, careers, academic paths and everyone in between. Some of the most important traits I developed in my life came from this time period, and are listed below.
Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down: A structured routine before pitching to prepare muscles and joints, including regular mobility work, conditioning and soft tissue to ensure you are in the best place possible to make the improvements you want.
Diet and Hydration: Eating a balanced diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats supports growth and energy needs. Hydration is critical, especially for pitchers who lose a lot of fluids through sweat, summer ball tournaments can really take it out of you. Make sure you prioritize this, even if you have to buy countless water bottles from the concession stand. Being dehydrated will massively spike injury risk and tank performance. It just isn't worth it.
Rest and Recovery: Ensuring adequate sleep (8-10 hours for teenagers) and having days off from both lifting and throwing to allow muscles to heal and grow. Overuse is a significant concern for young athletes, especially when they are in their developmental years.
Mental Preparation: Practicing visualization, where the pitcher imagines throwing perfect pitches in various game scenarios, can prepare them mentally for actual games.
Consistent Practice: This might be the most important one for the long term. Setting a regular practice schedule but also knowing when to take breaks. This habit instills discipline while preventing burnout or overuse. Your life will **always** be busy, but the ones who get ahead are the ones who prioritize what is necessary.
Listening to the Body: Learning to recognize signs of fatigue or pain and communicating with coaches or parents about how they feel, which is crucial for health management. Being told to hide or cover up injuries will only get worse as you get older. The stronger and more powerful you get, the more you are able to hurt yourself as a result of sport.
Learning from Every Experience: Keeping a pitching journal or log to note down what worked, what didn’t, and making adjustments accordingly. This habit promotes a growth mindset. Without it, it is incredibly hard to really know when you are or aren't making progress. Progress is slow, sometimes it feels like you aren’t getting any better. Having the perspective of 6 months or more written down can offer what you need to see.
Positive Attitude and Sportsmanship: Cultivating a habit of positivity, teamwork, and respect towards others in the game, which not only improves team dynamics but also personal development.
By embedding these habits into their daily routine, a young pitcher not only improves their immediate performance but also sets the stage for long-term success in baseball and life, understanding that growth in sports is as much about character development as it is about physical prowess. As I have mentioned before and will mention again, baseball development is a war of attrition, and deciding that you are going to stay in the fight is as much about the resiliency of the athlete, not just their talent.
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Best of luck,
John Creel