DNA Sports

Want to be a better youth coach? Want to play better? Dream of playing collegiate sports? We will maximize your talent so you will succeed.

[Trey Hannam @TJHannam10]

Pulling off the ball is the #1 issue hitters struggle with. (they would agree)

To fix it, you don't need to try harder or swing slower.

Schwarber proves that. He hits the longest home runs without coming off the ball.

How to correct it: Shoulder in, chin and face in on the ball and swing the bat over your front shoulder. Then hold the finish (Arraez swing and finish drill he did in the video)

It's worked WONDERS for hitters I've used it with when they need it.

[Shawn Gillespie @ShawnGillespi]

Parents of North American baseball players — we need to talk real talk.
The system is stacked against your kid in ways the Dominican academies never are. Down there, 16-year-olds get signed and developed in a pro environment where they can fail, adjust, and grow without losing their shot.
Here? It’s “win this game today or you don’t play, don’t get seen, don’t develop.” Travel ball, showcases, and high school have turned into a high-pressure, pay-to-play meat grinder. MLB is drafting more college guys because the high school pipeline is broken for most kids. If we don’t adapt how we guide our players, fewer North American kids are going to make it.
Here’s how to actually help your kid in this “win now” system:
1. Stop chasing wins. Chase development.
The scoreboard doesn’t matter in 12U–14U. The kid who strikes out or boots a ball today might be the one who figures it out in 3 years. Find coaches and teams that play to develop, not to win trophies. If your son’s coach benches him for errors or only plays the “winners,” leave. Winning-obsessed environments stunt growth.
2. Prioritize the right environment over the “best” team.
The flashiest travel team with the most showcases often means more games, more pressure, more cost, and less actual teaching. Look for:
• Coaches who teach mechanics and game IQ
• Programs that limit innings/pitch counts
• Teams that still let kids play multiple positions
Quality reps beat quantity of games every time.
3. Build an athletic foundation first.
Too many kids specialize too early and get hurt or plateau. Multi-sport athletes (especially ones who play sports that build explosiveness, coordination, and decision-making) often develop better baseball players long-term. Strength training, mobility, and speed work from a young age beats another weekend tournament.
4. Teach them how to fail.
This is the biggest gap. In the Dominican system, failure is part of the process. Here, one bad tournament can kill confidence and playing time.
Teach your kid:
• Errors and strikeouts are data, not identity
• Film their at-bats and defensive plays
• Focus on process goals (“load better,” “stay back”) instead of outcome goals (“get a hit”)
The kids who learn to handle failure become the ones who keep improving when others quit.
5. Be ruthless about money and time.
Travel ball is expensive. Before you spend thousands, ask:
• Is this actually developing my kid or just exposing him to scouts who mostly watch the already-developed kids?
• Would that money be better spent on private lessons, strength training, or a better summer program?
Target 3–5 high-quality events per year instead of 15 mediocre ones.
6. Lean into the college route — it’s often the best path now.
Since MLB is drafting more polished college players, treat high school as preparation for college baseball, not just the draft. Good academics + strong baseball = leverage. D1 or strong D2/D3 programs develop players extremely well. Many late bloomers explode in college.
7. Protect the love of the game.
The fastest way to kill a kid’s future is to make baseball feel like a job at 12 years old. If they’re not having fun, they won’t put in the extra work when it gets hard. The international kids who make it are usually obsessed because baseball was their way out. Your kid needs intrinsic drive.
Bottom line:
The North American system rewards the kids whose parents understand the game is long. Play the long game. Focus on making your son a better baseball player and athlete in 3–5 years, not this weekend’s championship.
The kids who survive and thrive in this pressure cooker are the ones who were developed the right way — even when the scoreboard didn’t cooperate.

[Baseball Central™ @BaseballCentraI]

This bunting drill is genius 💯

[Trent Mongero @CoachMongero]

Well well well… I guess real baseball matters again… and it wins. Don’t strike out. Get the ball in play. Hustle, steal bases, throw strikes, compete. Yea, bombs are good… but so are doubles, singles, bunt for hits, moving runners … pressure on defense. Why has it taken this long to figure it out! That’s what pisses me off. Winning Baseball ….. well it wins! At every level.

[justpassinthru @j_ullegue]

Why isn’t this standard teaching when learning to hit off speed? Learn how stay through to stay straight/back.. Another HoFer that didn’t know what he was doing @Teacherman1986 ?

[Trey Hannam @TJHannam10]

What stands out the most? Top 10 2Bs leaders

- All but one looks slow and early
- All make a positive move towards the zone
- All but one get the bat up to speed very quickly

- 5 have a simple stride forward
- 3 have a leg kick
- 1 no stride, Ohtani type
- 1 toe tapper

*Note, all these swings were not with 2 strikes.
* All are doubles or HR.

Olson, Greene, Adames, Ward, Soderstrom, Lopez, Clement, Jung, Garcia, Johnson

[Steve Stone @stevestone]

To see the game as it should be played watch Sam Antonacci. All ML players are gifted. Sam squeezes every ounce of ability out of himself everyday. He’ll make mistakes like all young players but he gives the Sox 100% of himself daily. For all you young players this is how to play

[theblueprint_13 @theblueprint_13]

WHAT REARWARD REALLY MEANS👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 Getting your bat to go rearward is what allows you to maintain space between yourself and the ball. Notice as the ball is traveling TOWARDS you, the bat is working REARWARD. That’s creating a path that CATCHES the ball opposed to trying

[Dr. Ismael Gallo DPT, MBA @flowsdoc]

The Pelvis and Deep Core stabilize the Head!

[Jerry Weinstein @JWonCATCHING]

Photo of Mason Miller at foot plant.
Notice him holding tension in his rear hip as he starts to rotate & the stretch he creates across his torso with his upper half closing or staying closed while his hips are rotating open. The creases in his uniform tell you everything you need to know. This is an external view of the stretch shortening cycle. It’s like taking a tight lid off a jar.

[GoGoSox40 @gogosox40]

@whitesox Transfer Schriffen to Low Class A ball announcing

[DNA Sports @dnasports]

@JamesFox917 The rotation should eventually be Schultz, Smith, McDougal, Taylor and flip a coin. Oppor might be in there. Use Shane Smith and Burke out of the bullpen and stop using retreads or stop gappers. You’re going to lose. Let them learn and pay their dues and see if they can play.

[DNA Sports @dnasports]

@JamesFox917 @KevinBurrellMLB A baseball player. Love him. We could have used him yesterday playing Morgan Park in the Jackie Robinson Game at UIC yesterday. Very few kids are baseball savvy. Just go to your showcase events and use your launch angle swing and overthrow. Nauseating.

[USA Baseball Coach @USABaseCoach]

Lower half control. Better direction. More power. Coach Knippelmeyer (@CoachK_DBat) demonstrates a drill to help pitchers stay back and deliver with intent 💪⚾️

[Clint Hurdle @ClintHurdle13]

Every player I ever coached was asking me the same 3 questions.

They never said them out loud.

It didn't matter what the lineup looked like.

It didn't matter what the scoreboard said.

They just needed to know 3 things.

And every leader, every coach, every parent is being asked the same ones.

Here they are.

Question #1: Can I trust you?

Trust isn't given. It's earned.

You earn it through transparency and honesty not when things are going well, but when things are hard.

How I built it:

• Do what you say you're going to do
• Tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear
• Show up the same way whether you're winning or losing

You lose trust fast. You build it slow.

Question #2: Can you make me better?

This one is on you as a leader.

They're not just asking about their swing or their stats.

They're asking: do you see me clearly enough to help me grow?

Question #3: Do you care about me?

This is the most important one. And you can't fake it.

You can't lead anybody if they don't believe you care about them beyond what they produce on the field.

Three questions. No stat tracks them. But they determine everything.

[Baseball IQ @BaseballIQ_App]

🚨 Chris Sale : Slider Tips

• Grip at the top of the horseshoe
• Low thumb = More depth
• High thumb = Harder L/R break

⭐️ Manipulating thumb placement can be a great way to change depth & speed w/out dramatically changing the grip.

[Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald]

You won't hear a better 55-second description of MAGA and Trump than this: in terms of the perspective of any minimally honest MAGA supporter:

[DNA Sports @dnasports]

@JamesFox917 Yes I know. Hopefully the elbow doesn’t need to be cut.

[Kent Murphy @KentMurphy]

If you’re an infielder and have a few minutes to spare, watch this video..