I love baseball and I love playing which is why I started Raise Your Play. I am sharing this because I want kids to enjoy sports while also providing the best environments for them to improve. The following is a reminder to myself and a message to all coaches and parents..

Stop Over-Coaching. Start Raising Play.

Most coaches say too much. While they mean well, excessive instruction actually hinders skill development, reduces enjoyment, and forces athletes to "overthink" their movements.  

The Problem: Information Overload

• The 3-Cue Rule: Novice learners shouldn't handle more than three cues at once.  

• Analysis Paralysis: Too many instructions disrupt automatic control and break the natural flow of movement.  

• Internal Focus: 84% of coaches focus on body parts (e.g., "straighten your elbow"), which is less effective than focusing on the outcome (e.g., "push the ground away").  

• The Joystick Trap: "Barking" instructions prevents players from making their own decisions.  

The Result: The Dropout Crisis

• Performance Drop: Athletes focus on following orders rather than reacting to the game.  

• Dependency: Kids stop "reading the game" and wait for the coach to tell them what to do.  

• The 15-Year-Old Wall: Strict technical pressure and a lack of fun cause 70–80% of children to quit organized sports by age 15.  

The "Less is More" Solution

• Externalize Cues: Focus on the effect of the movement (e.g., "hit the ball to the corner") rather than body mechanics.  

• Use Analogies: Relatable images (e.g., "the ball is a yo-yo") are easier for children to process than technical jargon.  

• Trust Self-Discovery: Allow mistakes; they are essential for developing a "feel" for the movement.  

• Prioritize Fun: Enjoyment is the greatest predictor of skill retention and long-term participation.  

Why Do We Over-Coach?

If the science favors simplicity, why is "over-coaching" the default? It usually boils down to three psychological traps:

1. The Value Fallacy

Coaches often feel that silence looks like incompetence. They believe that if they aren’t talking, they aren’t "working." This leads to 84% of coaches relying on internal technical cues to prove their expertise.  

2. The Illusion of Control

Watching a child struggle is difficult for adults. "Joysticking"—barking out every move—is often an unconscious way for coaches to manage their own anxiety by trying to play the game for the athlete.  

3. The Expert's Curse

Skills that are automatic for adults are complex for kids. Coaches often forget that learning is not linear; they try to explain every micro-movement instead of letting the athlete's body "find" the solution through trial and error.