⚾ Coaching is Freedom, not Control. Practice is where it happens.

At 806 Drive, we don’t coach like we’ve got a joystick in our hands.

We’re not trying to treat these kids like it’s a video game, or telling our hitters when to breathe, pitchers what to do, etc. The goal is to get them engaged, thinking on their own, build trust and confidence. The real purpose of practice isn’t control — it’s freedom. Freedom to trust your instincts. Freedom to compete with clarity. Freedom to play this game with confidence and joy.

We believe practice is where the real work happens — the details, the reps, the instruction. But when game time comes, our job as coaches isn’t to steer every decision. It’s to prepare our players so well that they don’t need constant direction. We want 12-year-olds who know when to take the extra base, how to attack a count, and what their pitcher needs in a big moment — not because we told them, but because they understand the game.

That’s why every practice at 806 Drive is intentional. We teach them how to read a situation, not just react to one. We use tools from Driveline and Team Mustard, not just to drill mechanics, but to create feel and awareness. We give our pitchers a plan, and then let them own it. We build mental reps through game scenarios, and then we get out of the way and let them lead.

And we don’t stop there. We also use tools like Baseball IQ, Thinking Baseball, and Applied Vision Baseball to create learning opportunities away from the field. These apps and platforms offer five- to ten-minute game-scenario challenges, pitch recognition drills, and decision-making reps that kids can do on their own. Just like we expect them to swing a bat or throw a ball between practices, we also want them sharpening their brain — building baseball instincts that show up when it matters.

This style of learning gives our players control over their growth. It’s not just about logging screen time — it’s about building confidence in small, repeatable ways. A few minutes a day, watching game situations, reacting to pitch types, thinking through defensive choices — those moments add up. When they step onto the field, they’ve already made that play mentally. Now it’s just execution.

Empowered players become teammates who communicate, thinkers who adjust, and leaders who rise. And in youth baseball — at the 12U level — that’s what we’re chasing. Not perfect execution. Not robotic athletes. But confident kids who love the game and aren’t afraid to make decisions. That’s what makes baseball fun. That’s what makes it stick.

Because at 806 Drive, we don’t just practice to get better.

We practice so they can play free.