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A Busy Winter at the Metro Baseball League
Happy Holidays! We hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Does anyone else drive past their local ballfield right now and say to themselves, “Can we fast-forward to baseball season already?!” We know many of our ballplayers are involved with winter sports – which is awesome – but be honest: 70 degrees, sunshine and a seat behind the backstop sounds pretty good, right?
Supporting Youth Baseball: A Sponsorship Goes a Long Way!
Youth baseball is more than just a game; it’s an opportunity for our young athletes to develop valuable life skills, build lasting friendships, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Here at MBL, we understand the importance of fostering the next generation of players while also giving back to the community. By sponsoring youth baseball, you’re not only supporting the game, but you’re also making a direct impact on kids in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
2024 Metro Baseball League Season Wrap Up
The MBL has wrapped up the final week of Fall League, meaning travel baseball has hit the off-season! Reflecting on this summer, one word that comes to mind is gratitude. We are SO thankful for the MBL family and for all that you do to help grow youth baseball in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin!
Plenty going on at the MBL as we move into the fall season
Fall is here! Does that sentence warrant an exclamation point? On the one hand, fall means our outdoor baseball season is ending. On the exciting side, fall is a great time to play extra games, learn new skills, get comfortable with new playing rules, and certainly have fun. Fall Ball is the start of the off-season for youth baseball, and the focus on off-season training. In reflecting on this time of year, one thing that jumps out is how young players perform in a setting where the pressure is so much less than the regular season. Professional players talk frequently about how important it is for them to be calm and confident in order to play at their top level. In the fall, our youth players get a chance to play without the pressure – and they usually perform better in this setting!
Fall Ball: The Perfect Way to Cap Off the Baseball Season
The Summer Olympics have come and gone, back-to-school ads are popping up, and the Minnesota Vikings are in full swing at training camp. All of that means that fall is right around the corner and once again baseball players in the Metro Baseball League have a unique opportunity to keep the season alive with Fall League baseball. For many, fall baseball is the perfect way to cap off an exciting summer on the diamond, offering a host of benefits that go beyond just playing more games.
MBT Completes Two Weekends of Fantastic Baseball with 19 Champions Crowned!
Another season of Minnesota Baseball Tournaments is in the books after two rousing weekends of play saw 641 teams participate and 19 champions crowned in different levels. Before we recognize the winning teams, the MBL and MBT want to send out a huge “thank you” to everyone who played in, coached, umpired, watched, and participated in any way at the Minnesota Baseball Tournaments over the last two weekends.
The Importance of the Coach and Player Relationship
If you’ve been around youth baseball in any way, shape, or form, it’s easy to see that the bond between a coach and a player can profoundly shape not only the game but also the lives of young athletes. The influence of youth coaches extends beyond teaching the fundamentals of baseball; it encompasses mentorship, character building, and fostering a lifelong love for the sport. Understanding the profound impact of these relationships and recognizing the reciprocal nature of this dynamic can lead to a more enriching experience for both coaches and players.
Playing Ball and Making Memories!
It’s a wonderful time of year – Baseball is here! The season is in full swing. Has your family adjusted to the rhythm of the ball season yet? Practice Monday, home game Tuesday, road game Wednesday, tournament Friday through Sunday. How’s your dinner schedule going – on a school night, no less? It is a busy time of year, but we love it. Rushing to practices and games, meals on the run, the excitement of game nights, the car rides – the MEMORIES are piling up, and they are wonderful. Take a moment to soak it in. Many parents who have had a child move from youth baseball to high school and beyond will tell you those years playing 9-15U baseball were the most fun.
The 2024 Baseball Season is Here!
Busy times for youth baseball! The MBL has been immersed in team registration, scheduling, umpire coordination, clinics and much more. We know our players and families have been filling their calendars with practices, games, and tournaments, sifting through their gear bags once again and preparing for the action-packed journey called the baseball season. We love this time of year! Those tournaments on the calendar in May and June will be here before you know it. (We can’t wait, either!)
Coaching Tips
As the Metro Baseball League gets set to begin another season, we want everyone to know how grateful we are to have the opportunity to help shape young athletes’ lives. Beyond the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd lies a journey that shapes not just our athletes, but all the individuals who help make the MBL what it is. At the heart of this journey stands the coach – a beacon of guidance, mentorship, and inspiration. At the MBL we understand the profound importance of coaching and the transformative role it plays in molding the next generation of athletes and citizens.
Notes From the Travel Directors Meeting
Baseball season is fast-approaching, and there is no greater sign of this than the annual MBL Travel Directors Meeting. (Well, maybe Major League pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training is a more significant marker, but our meeting is right behind!) We wanted to share some highlights from the meeting in the blog this month.
The MBL is Looking Forward After the ABCA Annual Convention
The 2024 American Baseball Coaches Association annual convention took place earlier this month, and, as always, there were impactful messages about baseball at all levels. For those that are not familiar with the ABCA, this is an organization founded by collegiate baseball coaches in 1945 to represent and support all amateur baseball coaches.The convention focuses on the sharing of ideas – from rules discussion and changes, to coach instruction, to trends and research at all levels of the game. The topics in the various ballrooms throughout the convention were fascinating and very applicable to the operations at the MBL and our MBL communities.
Thankful for the Metro Baseball League Village
To be honest, the Metro Baseball League doesn’t work without the hundreds of wonderful, hard-working people leading our communities. Having just completed my first year as MBL Director, I am AMAZED at how many individuals put forth time and effort to make youth baseball great. Nearly all of them are volunteers, working to support their associations and baseball as a whole. I found myself walking around at a tournament or a league night at a complex thinking about how grateful I am to all these folks. The memorable experiences we all have at these fields would not happen without them – field maintenance, concessions, tournament directors, team managers, park staff, travel program directors, coaches, umpires, and the list goes on.
Celebrating a Home Run Season: MBL’s Impact on Youth and the Communities We Serve
Another fantastic season of summer regular season and tournament baseball is in the books for the Metro Baseball League and Minnesota Baseball Tournaments. As we begin another season of Fall League baseball, we first want to send out as many “thank yous” as we can to all the players, coaches, umpires, parents, families, volunteers, sponsors, and baseball fans who helped make the summer of 2023 an incredible season for everyone involved.
Reflecting on a Great Season: An End of Season Guide for Players and Coaches
Another fantastic summer regular season and tournament baseball is in the books for the Metro Baseball League, Minnesota Baseball Tournaments, and the August Classic. As we catch our breath and get ready for another season of Fall League baseball, it’s a great time to look back on this summer’s play and reflect on all the positives and areas where we can improve to become better ballplayers, teammates and coaches.
Stories from MBT
What a fantastic summer of baseball it’s been across the state of Minnesota! We’ve enjoyed phenomenal weather, had very few rainouts, and had some spectacular youth baseball games played across the state. All of that, and the Minnesota Twins have been in first place all season long, but for just a couple of days in July.
The Interview
Our MBL Insider caught up with A.J. Brandenburg from Belle Plaine 12AAA. A.J. is a hard-throwing lefty with plus command, and he can play pretty much anywhere on defense. His coach, Scott Schulz, raves about him as being a great teammate and loves to coach him. Belle Plaine made the move to AAA this year, after playing 11AA last year. We covered a bunch of topics, from the move to AAA to A.J.’s best baseball memories to his thoughts on bat flips. And we got to hear from A.J.’s mom, Nikki, too!
The Benefits of MBL and Youth Baseball
We! Love! Baseball! And everything that comes with it. How much fun are these kids having?! Our MBL Insiders have been making the rounds to league games and tournaments, taking note of all the great things happening around the MBL.
Sportsmanship
As our season is set to begin, we can’t help but think about the importance of sportsmanship in youth sports and how it affects so many parts of our game: youth baseball. The fact that sportsmanship is, once again, a Point of Emphasis in the NFHS (High School) rule book and the MBL rules is further evidence we need to focus on it throughout the season. Everyone who comes to a game has a connection to sportsmanship and plays a role in shaping the atmosphere at the field.
Preparing for the Youth Baseball Season
The snow is melting, and winter sports are FINALLY coming to a close, which means we are oh-so-close to the youth baseball season. A lot of coaches are preparing for the youth baseball season by working through the end of their off-season training program and guiding their players through indoor workouts.
Talkin’ Youth Baseball – Return to Throwing
Anyone starting indoor baseball workouts?! As we move through February and into March, a lot of MBL players are finishing winter sports and transitioning back to baseball. It’s an exciting time, but coaches should be careful with their kids – particularly those who haven’t thrown a baseball in several months. We caught up with Jamie Eggleston of Macalester College and Pitcher Perfect Baseball Academy for some tips on how to handle getting back into baseball shape ahead of another fun season of games and tournaments on the ball field.
The Importance of Giving Back to the Community: MBL’s Charitable Efforts in 2022
When I considered working for the Metro Baseball League earlier this year, there were a few things that stood out as most important. I have worked with youth baseball programs, kids, and their families for a long time – and MBL is 100 percent committed to communities and families. Digging deeper into this commitment, knowing MBL is a relatively big organization, I wanted to know how MBL contributes financially back to the communities. What kind of long-term charitable efforts and community service do they engage in? To be honest, I was amazed by the answer.
Metro Baseball League Provides Over $71k for Host Communities in 2022
The Metro Baseball League, a non-profit organization created to serve youth baseball in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is proud to announce that they contributed over $71k to the communities that hosted MBL league playoffs, MBT state tournaments, the MBL August Classic, and MBL Fall League for the 2022 season.
The Metro Baseball League Caps a Fantastic 2022 Season with Fall Ball
The Metro Baseball League extends a huge congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated in our baseball leagues and tournaments throughout the summer of 2022! Kudos to not only our league and tournament champions, but to everyone who participated from players, coaches, and umpires to parents, sponsors, and fans. We can’t thank you all enough and hope you understand what a positive impact you make in your communities!
5 Youth Baseball Coaching Tips for the Season
First, a huge shout out and thank you to anyone who coaches youth sports, especially baseball! We can never say it enough, but without you, MBL and MBT simply couldn’t operate, and thousands of kids wouldn’t get the tremendous experience of playing youth baseball. Along with all of the day-to-day baseball teaching, you all impart life lessons along the way that help your young ballplayers turn into better people. There really aren’t enough ways to say thank you!
Minnesota Baseball Tournaments are in Full Swing
The sound of a bat cracking a baseball. The thud of a ball landing in a glove. The cheers of parents and friends echoing across a ballfield. The unmistakable shrieks of kids having the time of their lives.
Core Values
“I see great things in baseball. It’s our game – the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses and be a blessing to us.” – Walt Whitman