In this episode we interview Matt Shepardson. Matt is the Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier League, an independent professional baseball league, while also serving on the board of the Illinois Hawks Travel Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball Organizations. Previously, he coached the Joliet Slammers, where he won the 2023 Frontier League Manager Of The Year.

In Part 1 of our interview, Matt shares his thoughts on the overall state of youth baseball today and his experiences on setting up a club for success.

00:00: Introduction

01:20: Matt shares his view on the current state of youth baseball

03:45: What’s causing this “low point” in kids understanding baseball?

05:55: Balancing accessibility of the game vs. high-level training

08:25: Incorporating technology into training

11:40: Coaching the coaches

17:55: Keeping the bar raised high