The Ride Home Is Killing the Joy
The Ride Home Is Killing the Joy
What Today’s Athletes Really Need from Parents. Being a student-athlete used to mean playing the game you love with friends after school and maybe dreaming about playing in college one day. Today, it’s something else entirely.
Every pitch is streamed. Every mistake is clipped. Every stat is tracked. And every parent is investing time, money, and emotion into a dream that sometimes feels more stressful than joyful.
Welcome to 2025 youth sports.
From GameChanger videos to $5,000 tournament weekends, to the constant buzz of social media comparisons, today’s student-athletes are under more pressure than ever. And the weight doesn’t just fall on them, it lands on parents too.
“It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of more is better, more teams, more games, more lessons. And the kid’s eleven. For what?”
— Tamara Siemon, Elite Mindset Development
As parents, we want to support our athletes. But sometimes, without meaning to, we add to the pressure. Constant talk about stats, rankings, offers, and opportunities can turn play into performance... and joy into anxiety.
Get connected with Tamara Siemon
⚠️ The Hidden Stress Behind the Smile
Even when things look fine, your son or daughter seems to be enjoying the sport, it’s worth asking: at what cost?
Tamara works with athletes daily to help them manage the mental load of today’s youth sports landscape. She sees firsthand what happens when the focus shifts from fun to results.
“Mental toughness starts with being clear on your why. Is your child doing it because they love the game, or because they feel like they have to?”
— Tamara Siemon
🛠 Practical Tips for Parents to Make It Less Stressful
So how do we take a step back without stepping away?
Here are 5 things you can do right now to support your athlete’s mental well-being:
1. Clarify the Why
Before every season, or even every weekend, ask your child: Why do you love this sport? Keep that front and center. If the answer ever shifts to "because I have to," it's time to reset.
2. De-emphasize Outcome
Stats and wins are the most visible part of the sport, but they shouldn’t define your child. Focus on effort, growth, and moments. Did they hustle? Did they bounce back after failure? Celebrate those.
3. Watch for Body Language
If your child is unusually tense, quiet, or overreactive, they may be internalizing performance anxiety. Tamara points to body language as the first and clearest sign that something’s off.
4. Teach Breathing + Reset Routines
Whether it's a big pitch, a pressure at-bat, or a long day at a showcase—teach your child to breathe. One deep breath. One clear thought. One pitch at a time.
“The first thing we get them to do is breathe. It’s always my go-to—whether you’re eight or eighteen.”
— Tamara Siemon
Have them create a reset habit: take off the hat, retie the cleats, or glance at a calming phrase written inside their glove.
5. Limit the Talk After Games
Unless they ask, don’t break down every play on the ride home. Let the game breathe. Instead, ask: Did you have fun? and What was your favorite part?
🌱 Final Thought: Remember Why We Started
Before apps, before rankings, before Instagram reels... it was just baseball. Or softball. Or soccer. Or hoops. Just kids, dirt-stained and smiling, playing because it was fun.
Sports are still supposed to be that. And they can be, when we, as parents, step back, breathe, and focus on raising resilient, joyful kids over highlight reels.
Tamara puts it best:
“You’re allowed to struggle. But you’re not allowed to stay there. You need to have the tools to pull yourself out, and perspective.”
That perspective starts at home.
Let’s give it to them.
Parents, Players, Coaches, Trainers . . .👇
. . . take your game to the next level with the Baseball Bluebook app! 🔥 Discover programs, connect with the right people, and get seen by the decision-makers. Your journey starts here—are you in the book?
💡Bluebook Coach Spotlight: Drew Bailey – Head Coach, Concord University Baseball
When Drew Bailey took the reins at his alma mater, Concord University, it wasn’t about making a splash. It was about building something real. A former player, a dad, and a coach who’s seen multiple sides of college baseball, Bailey isn’t chasing flash, he’s building culture, toughness, and long-term development.
Why Concord?
📍 Location & Fit: Nestled on the southern edge of West Virginia, Concord isn’t just another Division II school, it’s a place where community matters. Bailey came back to build a winner and because it allowed him to stay close to what matters most: his family.
🏗 Facilities & Investment: The university is reinvesting in athletics and academics. A new PA school is on the rise. A brand-new all-turf indoor facility with cages, a second weight room, and more is being built. Baseball is a real priority here.
🎯 Mission: “We tell our guys: Grow as a man. Graduate. Win a championship.” That’s the message. Whether players stay for one year or five, Bailey wants the experience to shape their lives beyond baseball.
What Coach Bailey Values
🔍 High School Recruits Over Portal Shuffling
Yes, Concord uses the portal, but Bailey loves to develop high school players. “Can you be patient enough to wait your turn and grow?” That’s what matters. He’s not looking for short-term flash, he’s looking for long-term contributors.
🧠 Character + Self-Awareness
Whether you're 18 or 24, if you’re the best player, you’ll play. But he wants players who are honest, coachable, and consistent in how they work.
“We work while we wait. Playing time and results should never impact your effort or attitude.”
💪 Development Culture
Guys get stronger, they get coached, and they compete. Period. It's not about being polished at 17. It's about how much you're willing to grow by 20.
What He Looks for in Recruits
📍 Target Region:
West Virginia (especially Southern WV)
Virginia (Roanoke, New River Valley)
North Carolina
South Carolina
(Note: NC and VA have very few D2 state options—this makes Concord a hidden gem.)
🔥 Pitching Evaluation Priorities (outside velocity):
Strike throwers = competitors
Fastball command > radar gun
Composure after an error or bad inning
Game tempo and body language
Plus: If you can spin the ball in hitter's counts, you're on the board.
“The guys that get outs, those are the ones we want. Spin it, mix it, compete. Not just throw hard.”
🎯 Hitter Development Expectations:
50-game season vs 25 in high school = big jump
Freshmen need to be physically ready or patient enough to redshirt, lift, and grow
If you're 155 lbs soaking wet, ask yourself: how are you going to compete with 22-year-olds?
Off-the-Field Focus
📚 Resume Building Starts Now
Bailey reminds players: You're a live résumé. Everything from how you shake a hand to your social media presence matters. His players get trained for the real world, with things like LinkedIn workshops and faculty mentorships.
🧠 Long-Term Mindset Over Portal Hopping
This isn’t a stopover school. Concord is a place where players can spend years, grow, and leave ready to compete in life. And yeah, if a guy pops off and jumps to D1? Concord will support that too.
Why It Matters for Parents
If your son wants to be coached, not just put on a depth chart... if he needs development time but is hungry to compete... if you're looking for a school where people know your name, not just your 60 time, then Concord should be on your list.
Coach Bailey gets it. He’s a dad, a former player, and a real-deal college coach. No buzzwords. No empty promises. Just opportunity, growth, and accountability.
🟨 Concord isn’t a detour. It’s a destination for players who want to build something.
👇 Click below to watch the full conversation with Coach Bailey
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📅Last Week in MLB
The trade deadline came and went this week, and while there weren’t any true blockbusters, a handful of contenders made quiet moves that could carry big weight in October. Meanwhile, the standings are tightening, MVP races are heating up, and several teams are either surging—or officially fading.
Let’s break down what mattered most.
🔁 Trade Deadline Recap: Depth > Drama
No Soto, no Burnes, no blockbuster. But contenders like the Dodgers, Orioles, and Guardians beefed up bullpens and benches.
Orioles land Jack Flaherty 2.0 in Jack Leiter, hoping a change of scenery works magic.
Yankees and Red Sox? Basically stood pat—telling their fanbases "we’re good… or we’re punting." (TBD.)
Rays sneakily got better. They added relief depth and a sneaky bench bat—classic Tampa.
📉 Biggest loser? The Mets, for not cashing in Pete Alonso. The writing’s on the wall. You’re rebuilding, own it!
🔥 Red-Hot Teams
Seattle Mariners are on fire. Winners of 8 of their last 10, led by Julio’s bat and a suddenly terrifying bullpen.
Cubs are surging in the NL Central, finally clicking with pitching and timely hits.
Braves are quietly regaining form. Watch out if Strider looks like Strider again.
❄️ Cold Teams
Padres collapse continues. The vibes are awful. The body language worse. Manny Machado looks cooked.
Brewers bats are MIA. If they don’t hit, they don’t win. Simple as that.
Royals finally cool off after an absurd July. But don’t count them out—the young core is real.
🏆 MVP Watch
Aaron Judge continues to hit like a cyborg. He’s the AL front-runner.
Shohei is doing Shohei things… but the Angels are toast.
NL Race is muddy. Betts? Harper? Tatis? Nobody’s fully run away with it yet.
🚨 Rookies to Watch
Jackson Holliday is finally heating up in Triple-A. Could debut any week now.
Paul Skenes has been dominant. Pirates are being cautious, but September call-up buzz is real.
Mason Miller is shoving in the A’s bullpen and could be a dark horse ROY pick if he finishes strong.
Thousands of players and Coaches are already in the book. The real question is . . . are you?
