We may spend more time securing the house our children live in than securing the environment where they develop. That’s worth examining. I say this with love and compassion, not condemnation. Parents want the best for their children.
But youth baseball can be confusing, expensive and difficult to navigate. For Black parents in particular, choosing where a son plays can involve questions extending far beyond wins, playing time and exposure.
After nearly three decades developing baseball players, I believe we need a better process.
Because hope is not a winning strategy.
We Inspect Houses. Why Not Development?
Think about buying a home. Before seriously shopping, you determine what you can afford. You get preapproved. You research neighborhoods. You consider schools, safety, location and long term value.
Then you get an inspection.
Why?
Because what looks good isn’t always good.
Fresh paint can hide problems. A beautiful kitchen doesn’t tell you anything about the foundation. And discovering major problems after closing can become incredibly costly.
The inspection isn’t designed to destroy your dream.
The inspection protects your dream.
Now consider how we approach youth baseball.
A child says he wants to play college baseball or reach the Major Leagues. His parents understandably begin looking for a “good team.”
But what makes a team good?
Too often, the answer is wins.
Who wins tournaments?
Who has the best players?
Who has the biggest name?
Who has the most social media attention?
Those things may tell you something about a team’s ability to win.
They tell you very little about its ability to develop your child.
Winning is Not Development
Before committing to a baseball program, parents should know far more than its record.
- Who is coaching your son?
- What is the coach’s philosophy?
- What methodology is being used?
- What developmental frameworks guide the work?
- How is progress measured?
- How does the coach respond when your child struggles?
- Is the coach trauma informed?
And for Black boys specifically, there are additional questions that cannot be ignored.
Does this environment understand your son’s race and culture?
Will he be allowed to show up authentically?
Can the adults recognize bias when it occurs?
Who protects him?
Who advocates for him?
These questions are not an attack on coaches.
They are due diligence.
Your Child Needs an Inspection
This is where scouting matters. Parents sometimes resist objective assessment because assessment can deliver uncomfortable information.
Maybe your son isn’t currently as good as you believe.
Maybe his tools don’t yet match his aspirations.
Maybe there are technical, physical, mental or emotional gaps that need significant development.
But avoiding the truth doesn’t protect the dream.
Imagine refusing a home inspection because you’re afraid the inspector might find something wrong.
The problem doesn’t disappear.
It simply becomes more expensive later.
The same is true in player development.
A quality assessment establishes where your child is today. His dream establishes where he wants to go. Development is the intentional work required to close the gap.
Scouting doesn’t have to kill the dream. Good scouting gives the dream a blueprint.
Black Parents Face Additional Barriers
We also have to acknowledge that this isn’t simply about telling parents to “do better.”
There are systemic barriers.
Baseball is expensive. Quality instruction isn’t equally accessible. Travel baseball can be difficult to navigate. Recruiting and scouting systems are complicated.
Parents are expected to make significant financial and developmental decisions without necessarily having access to people who understand those systems.
Black families may carry another responsibility: determining whether an environment that can develop their son’s baseball ability can also understand, protect and advocate for him as a Black boy.
That matters.
So this conversation shouldn’t create shame.
It should create agency.
Parents need information. They need access. They need credible assessments. They need better questions. And sometimes, they need advocates who understand the system well enough to help them navigate it.
Development Is Bigger Than Baseball
I define development as “The deliberate effort to value and empower learners to obtain personal mastery and excellence through nurturing training.”
Development is deliberate.
It cannot depend on luck.
And it requires different people performing different roles.
A coach teaches and challenges.
A scout objectively evaluates.
A counselor helps a young person process experiences and develop internally.
An advocate protects his interests and knows when to speak up.
One person may serve multiple roles, but parents should know whether those roles are actually being fulfilled.
Simply finding a team isn’t enough.
We need to find our children developmental homes.
Secure the Developmental Home
I recently discussed this idea publicly with Cheats, founder of Black Baseball Mixtape, during a podcast conversation. It is a conversation I’ve been having for years, and I wanted to go deeper because I believe parents deserve a framework for making better decisions.
My challenge is simple. Before committing your child to his next baseball program, approach the decision with the seriousness of purchasing a home.
- Get the inspection.
- Ask about the philosophy.
- Understand the methodology.
- Study the culture.
- Know the cost.
- Evaluate the environment.
- Identify the advocates.
- And be clear about the goal.
Winning games isn’t everything.
Exposure isn’t everything.
Being on the most popular team isn’t everything.
Development is the goal.
So before your son’s next season, ask yourself:
If this baseball program were a house, would I buy it without an inspection?
If not, why would you place something infinitely more valuable inside it without doing your due diligence?
Your child’s dream deserves more than hope.
It deserves a plan.
It deserves protection.
It deserves advocacy.
And it deserves a developmental home built on a strong foundation.
Parents, get the inspection before you make the investment.
If this challenges your thinking, share it with another baseball parent. Challenge my thinking too. Let’s ask better questions and build better developmental environments for our children.
Because the goal isn’t simply raising better baseball players.
The goal is developing better prepared young people who are equipped to perform in baseball and in life.
Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.
If you found this inspiring and thought-provoking, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, add me on Discord and let’s go deeper.
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.
Leave a Reply