Why is Legends Different?

I’ve watched my baseball program transform lives. ✨

Here’s 8 reasons my program is different than yours: 👇

I don’t consider myself a “coach.”

That label is limiting.

I am more of a “baseball experience designer.”

My life’s purpose is to design unique, “fun first” baseball experiences which transform lives.

I operate at the top of the pyramid.

And so should you.

Here’s why👇

We are living in an experience economy.

Youth baseball is commoditized due to no barriers to entry & so many providers.

If your players are jumping ship to other programs, you might be providing a coaching “service”

Just like everyone else.

You need to provide AN EXPERIENCE!

It’s why you go to Starbucks and spend $3 on a 5 cent coffee.

It’s why families spend fortunes going to Disney year after year.

It’s why every baseball obsessed 12 year old in the US goes to Cooperstown & has the time of their life.

People want to spend money on EXPERIENCES.

You sell a baseball program.

But you need to DELIVER a transformational growth EXPERIENCE.

The more control you have, the more transformative potential there is.

You can design the experience to specifically meet…

YOUR kids
In YOUR community
EXACTLY where THEY are at.

Breaking free from tournament ball is the pathway to gaining full control of the experience.

Once you do that, you are DIFFERENT.

You are unique.

You are not like the 10 other travel ball programs in your area.

People will take notice.

My program DOES NOT begin on the 1st day at the field.

The experience begins the moment they sign up, with a FUN confirmation email & video.

It ends with a thank you video & satisfaction survey.

Everything in between is where the magic happens✨😜

The rest of this thread contains many of the tricks I have learned through 15 years of program design.

I attempted to chronologically walk you through how my program is experienced.
😍👀😱

👇Here’s how YOU can take YOUR players on a transformational journey… 👇

1. Engage your players and families BEFORE you meet them

Before the first day, host an upbeat interactive video webinar.

Introduce…
✅ Yourself
✅ Your background, vision and mission
✅ The coaches
✅ The details
✅ The goal of the program

Get them FIRED UP to play ball!

Then, before signing off the webinar, challenge the players to prepare for their first day.

Give them an “at-home” challenge with ways they can practice and prepare for the season at home.

When arriving on Day 1, they will turn in their at home challenge for a special prize.

2. Activate all their senses.

Memorable, immersive experiences tap into all 5 senses.

Send out a curated baseball playlist which they listen to on the way to the field.

This gets them focused and fired up.

The moment they get out of the car, music is also blasting from a small speaker on the field.

This sets the tone.

This lightens the mood a bit.

It’s a subtle message we are about to have FUN! 🥳🤸⚾

Your kids will remember their peak moment, their worst moment, and THE END of practice.

Activate their taste buds and send them home with a stick of double bubble or Big League Chew.

You’d be surprise… this tiny dopamine release sends every kid home smiling and happy.

They are literally leaving the field with a “good taste in their mouth.” 😝

Baseball cards are a great prize alternative too.

3. The START of practice must stimulate your players mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

99% of programs start practice the exact same way…

Talk.
Dynamic.
Play catch.

LAME!

This is not fun, different or memorable in the least bit.

Take 5-10 minutes at the start and CONNECT with your kids in a fun way

Start with fun playground games like…
✅ Ro Sham Bo tournaments
✅ Redlight/greenlight
✅ Sharks and minnows
✅ Duck Duck Goose
✅ Steal the Bacon

These WILL work with High Schoolers btw…

Sit in a circles and connect through fun icebreakers.

Have them all share what they did over the weekend.

Self-reflect about the recent loss.

Ask them to share their goals.

GET. THEM. TALKING.

To optimize the experience for your players you must KNOW your players!

Teach the game of life at the start AND end of practice.

Pick a quote, lesson, or a word of the day at the start.

Pose it to the group.

Have THEM DECIDE after practice who best embodied the word, quote or lesson of the day.

Then award them with a prize (like some cards).

Sports don’t teach life lessons alone.

Great coaches teach life lessons THROUGH sport.

Don’t limit yourself to just being “a coach” and developing baseball skills.

Develop them as human beings.

Be a holistic coach.

Focus on the entire athlete!

4. Train your coaches & hold them to the highest standard

Before your coaches meet your kids they MUST be trained.

Even the returning coaches.

The night before day 1, do a Zoom meeting.

Set expectations for your coaches.

Discuss the epic experience you are about to create

Review the roster data and identify any kids who will need additional attention.

Encourage your coaches to bring their own ideas.

Your coaches will be 100% bought in.

Then provide continuing education opportunities like sending them to @ABCA1945 convention.

Your goal is to look for high energy, positive coaches who LOVE kids.

You need to background check them.

Train the hell out of them.

Provide feedback and mentorship.

Treat them like family.

And pay them top dollar.

Your coaches will be loyal AF.

5. Every practice is highly organized and packed with competition.

Every drill needs a winner and a loser.

This keeps kids focusing and working hard.

Practice plans are created before practice.

And coaches know what they will be doing before they get to the field.

At practice.

6:1 coach to player ratio. Never less.

No lines longer than 6.

Every player gets a few minutes of 1 on 1 time with a coach at a batting T.

Little to no stoppage or breaks.

NO LECTURES.
NO PUNISHMENT.

Punishment wont be needed.
It is all positive.

Practices run for minimum of 2 hours. 90 mins is whack.

If executed properly, all your kids should be engaged and having fun the entire time…. yes, even the 6/7 year olds.

Your players should leave practice completely exhausted AND pumped up about baseball!

Practices ALWAYS end with:

✅ A super fun game
✅ A short, inspiring lesson
✅ Self reflection
✅ And a baseball related task they must complete before the next practice/game

This goal sheet and training challenge is one example of a “home challenge” we’d give them.

6. The weekend games are full family events.

Our families plan their weekends around the SpeedBall games.

It’s the highlight of their weekend, every weekend.

We go above and beyond to ensure BOTH the entire family AND THE PLAYER has an incredible experience at the field.

🔥 Music
🔥 Signage
🔥 Scoreboard
🔥 Walkout songs
🔥 Custom jerseys
🔥 National anthem
🔥 Social media call outs
🔥 An upbeat announcer who engages the crowd!

I promise you, this will make your games HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.

During games, take pictures and videos of big moments.

Post it to social media and tag the parents.

They want to brag about their kids.

Let them share in their kids’ successes!

Their reposts help show the world how awesome your program is. 😜

We doubled down on anything that makes baseball fun.

We eliminated anything that made baseball boring.

We landed on SpeedBall.

It’s simply a creative, new way to engage kids 13 and under with baseball.

It’s NOT meant to replace all of youth baseball.

In SpeedBall, there are 3 teams of 4-5 instead of 2 teams of 12.

Kids NEVER sit the bench.

They play every position.

It moves VERY fast.

With 10-15 at bats in less than 2 hours, every player has highlight moments.

They improve DRASTICALLY over the course of a game.

When the game is complete, an email or video message is sent to the parents recapping the game.

We tell them what we observed and what we will work on at practice.

We also share with them the updated scores/standings.

This constant communication keeps them highly invested.

7. End with a bang

You already do this.

But do whatever you gotta do to end the season on a high note.

Ensure the kids leave feeling good.

For me, at ages 12 and under, if you show up and work hard….

…EVERYONE gets a trophy (bring it trolls).

8. Send satisfaction surveys through google forms

This is about GUARANTEEING a transformational experience for EVERY PLAYER.

We gather parent feedback a week or two after a program has started AND at the end.

Why wouldn’t we?

No ego here.

Why wouldn’t we want to hear as much as possible from our parents?

Every time we do this we learn valuable information that helps us adjust and improve the experience for our players.

I think this is the reason why we go entire seasons without a single parent complaint.

Ok….🤩

So…

Can you see why my families are obsessed with this type of program?

Or…. is this complete eyewash to you?

You can be honest… (just be nice).

I will tell you, this level of detail has created hundreds of RAVING families for us in Northern California.

They do not leave.

Why would they.

Nobody else offers this.

Well not yet at least.🤔

When you leave your players and families ASTONISHED and provide so much value it’s silly, your families now become your marketers.

They will bring all their friends.

Now you grow.

All because you took the leap.

All because you decided to be different.
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So…. what do you think? 😏

Would your kids have fun in this type of program?

What was the most interesting idea you got from this?

Please comment.

I am genuinely curious how this landed for you.

I plan to share a ton more content like this over the next few weeks.

If you like my style follow me 👉 @CoachDavidKlein

Hope this provided you with some fun ideas to bring back to your kids.

Be different!😉

In your corner,
David Klein
💪🥎⚾🔥