Episode #2
Josh Hammer: Player Development, Mindset & Character
What does great player development actually look like? On this episode of the Grand Slam Garage Youth Baseball Podcast , we sit down with Coach Josh Hammer to talk about the state of youth baseball, developing the whole athlete, and why keeping the joy in the game has to remain at the center of everything we do. Josh brings experience from NCAA baseball, high school baseball, collegiate recruiting, player development, Trosky Baseball, Driveline certification and his current work with Sacramento City College—but this conversation goes way beyond mechanics. We get into: ⚾ Why young athletes should be allowed to play, fail and figure things out ⚾ Why coaches need to build the person before building the player ⚾ Keeping baseball fun while still developing competitive athletes ⚾ Playing multiple sports and avoiding the pressure to specialize too early ⚾ The mental game, confidence and responding to adversity ⚾ Character, academics, nutrition, recovery and preparation ⚾ Josh’s “Hustle Points” system for winning the day and winning the week ⚾ What parents can do to support their player without making every car ride home a postgame breakdown ⚾ And why the best coaches never stop learning themselves One of our biggest takeaways: Youth baseball is in the memory-making business. Wins matter. Development matters. But years from now, our kids are going to remember how the game made them feel—and the people who helped them fall in love with it. Great conversation with Coach Josh Hammer and definitely one we may need a Part 2 for. Check out the full episode of Grand Slam Garage ! #GrandSlamGarage #YouthBaseball #BaseballPodcast #BaseballDevelopment #PlayerDevelopment #BaseballCoach #YouthSports #SacramentoBaseball #BaseballParents #BaseballLife
