The Advice No One Gives Parents, But Every Family Needs
Featuring Andy Partin, Founder of The Dirtbags
🙏We hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Welcome back to Bluebook Weekly, your breakdown of the insights parents actually need. This issue covers the recruiting truths most families miss, why hydration is a hidden performance weapon, and a new Hitting Hack of the Week to help your athlete train with purpose. 👉Let’s Go! 6.5 min read
The Recruiting Truth Most Parents Miss (And What To Do About It)
The recruiting world is louder than ever. Emails, invites, team chats, “must-attend” showcases, social media highlight reels and endless conversations about who is committed. The pressure builds, and without realizing it, many parents start sprinting after exposure instead of preparing their kid for the reality of college baseball. This week, Andy Partin cut straight through the noise: families keep chasing attention, but the families who win are the ones who build a player first.
He’s lived it as a coach, program director and now as a dad. And he didn’t hold back:
“Parents don’t want to hear it… but a lot of kids underperform because of pressure WE put on them.” -Andy Partin
Below are the real topics parents need to focus on, each with a practical step to take this week.
1. Stop Stressing Over the Timeline and Start Building the Body
🔥 Reality: Colleges are barely recruiting high school underclassmen. Some programs are taking only three high school players per class.
Your kid is not behind. They’re simply not being evaluated yet.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Have your player start a simple, consistent strength routine:
3x per week
30–40 minutes
Squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushups, rows, core
Strength is the #1 separator in modern baseball.
2. Build Real Strength, Not More Lessons
💪 Skill is everywhere now. Strength is rare.
“If you’re strong, you don’t have to be as perfect… strength wins.” -Andy Partin
Strength creates bat speed, velo, speed and confidence in ways a lesson can’t.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Replace one hitting lesson with one strength session.
Just one switch. Do that for six weeks and watch the difference.
3. Prepare Before You Pursue Exposure
📣 Showcases don’t create opportunities unless the player is ready for them.
“If you’re not good, don’t go to anything. Hide. Get better. THEN show up.” -Andy Partin
Families waste thousands on exposure events that expose weaknesses.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Sit down together and make a list of:
Skills your player needs to improve
Strength benchmarks they want to hit
The one event later this year worth aiming for
Build toward it with intention instead of chasing everything.
4. Treat Development Like a Team Effort, Not a Coach’s Job
Parents often think development happens through team practice, lessons or tournaments. It doesn’t. The biggest improvements come from everyday habits at home.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Help your player build a weekly development plan that includes:
3 strength days
2 throwing/arm-care days
1–2 hitting sessions
Then print it or put it on the fridge. Routine builds results.
5. Stop Waiting for Schools, Start Contacting Them The Right Way
🎯 In today’s recruiting world, the player must recruit the school.
Families sit back waiting for emails that never come. Meanwhile, coaches told Andy they want players who are proactive.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Help your player send three quality emails to programs they are genuinely interested in. Include:
A short intro
Academic info
1–2 quality videos
Their upcoming schedule
A reference name (HS or travel coach)
You are not asking for a scholarship. You are opening a door.
6. Build a Highlight Reel That Actually Gets Watched
Most parents don’t know how many opportunities get lost due to terrible video: filmed from too far away, through a fence, shaky angles, or bad lighting.
“You have to put your camera through the net so coaches can actually see your kid.” -Andy Partin
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Record three new clips of your player doing:
5–8 swings
8–10 throws
A baserunning burst or position movement
Build a Bluebook Sports Profile to share Profile Link and Highlights
Post them on X/Twitter with a clean caption. Keep it simple and clear.
7. Focus on the Schools That Focus on Your Son
Too many parents chase logos instead of opportunity.
If a school is showing real interest, that is not “settling.”
That is alignment.
🚨Parent Action This Week:
Together, make a list of:
5 programs that your son likes
5 programs that have shown actual interest
Circle the overlap. Those are your best starting points.
👉Final Takeaway for Parents
College baseball hasn’t gotten worse. It’s simply gotten older.
Families who rush the process get frustrated.
Families who build a player early succeed.
Your son doesn’t need more showcases, more noise or more pressure.
He needs strength, skills, confidence and a clear plan.
If he builds those, when the time comes, the right schools will find him.
Thousands of players are already in the book. The real question is . . . are you in the book?
💪 Hydration: The Hidden Performance Edge Every Parent Overlooks
Parents spend money on lessons, bats, travel, and showcases, but one of the most important performance factors isn’t skill-based at all. It’s hydration. And according to Jacksonville State Head Coach Steve Bieser, it’s one of the least understood areas in player development.
During his conversation with Walter Beede, Coach Bieser explained that most athletes simply don’t grasp how hydration impacts performance, especially when games stack up in tournaments or during long practice weeks.
“People don’t really understand hydration… you don’t hydrate when you’re thirsty. You have to continually hydrate.” - Coach Steve Bieser
Why Hydration Matters More Than Most Parents Realize
Just 2% fluid loss reduces reaction time and focus.
Winter dehydration is actually more common because players don’t feel hot.
Water alone is not enough, it flushes electrolytes without replacing them.
Hydration impacts muscle firing, recovery, immune function, and brain clarity.
Coaches notice dehydration before parents do: the slow reads, mental errors, lethargic body language, tired swings, and poor mound composure.
These aren’t “off days.”
They’re hydration days.
What Good Hydration Actually Requires
✔ Correct sodium–potassium ratio
✔ Magnesium for nerve firing
✔ Zinc & Vitamin C for immunity
✔ Natural sugars for absorption
This is why athletes drinking only water (or sugary sports drinks) often feel worse, not better.
Perform with confidence. 💪Choose CorVive Hydrate.
What Parents Can Do This Week
👉 Start hydrating 24 hours before practices and games
👉 Add electrolytes daily, not just “when it’s hot”
👉 Begin each morning with 16–20 oz of water
👉 Pack electrolyte packets for school, workouts, and tournaments
👉 Avoid sugary sports drinks or “zero calorie” dyes and chemicals
Hydration is one of the few areas of performance fully within a parent’s control.
It’s simple, it’s inexpensive, and it unlocks better training, better recovery, and better decision-making on the field.
🔥Hitting Hack of the Week
Trusted by elite hitters like Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley, this drill builds early connection, clean rotation, and repeatable power by training your body to fire in sequence without excess movement.
How to do it:
Set up in your normal stance, but start each rep in a preset launch position:
Front heel lightly pinned
Hands loaded
Back elbow relaxed
Have someone front toss or soft toss. From this preset position, fire your swing without any stride or hand hitch. Focus on driving firm line drives back through the middle.
The goal:
Train your body to move in one connected piece, hips, torso, and hands working together. By eliminating the stride, you force your swing to rely on clean sequencing, not momentum.
Why it works:
MLB hitters use this drill to repeat their best swing more often, especially when facing velocity. A stable launch position builds early barrel speed, better timing windows, and pure contact.
Do 3 rounds of 6–8 reps before your normal hitting routine and watch your consistency and power instantly tighten up.
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