re: Youth Baseball and the lack of effort and general baseball knowledge

I think OP needs to relax a little bit but kids really don't understand the Game on their own because parents have structured their entire childhood. They are learning the game through playing pick up backyard games with other kids. They are waiting for adults to teach them and make every decision for them. I guess 10-15 years ago it was declared dangerous for kids to play independently so since then 100% of what they do is organized and structured by mom and dad.

I agree with all but one thing you said..

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They are learning the game through playing pick up backyard games with other kids

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I don't think this is happening as much as you think. That was part of my problem. I don't think kids are playing sports at home nearly as much anymore. As one poster previously mentioned, it probably has to do with the iPhone/Pad generation. Youth in general are not acquiring a love of playing sports at home as we did growing up, thus they are not very in to the games at the park.

lol, i quit going to watch my nephew play baseball. It was such a poor product that i couldn't watch. When i was their age, we were 100X better, knew the rules, might not of been able to make all the plays, but could.

Their practice was also a joke, ZERO teaching, ZERO fundamentals.

My nephew can hit the hell out of the ball, but he can't catch to save his life. So what does his parents and Grandpas do when they play ball at home? They let him hit the whole time.

And i can tell, the kids aren't having fun at all, because they are failing and not being shown or taught what their are doing wrong. So when their parents get on them, they get upset, even though they don't actually know how to correct or what they exactly did wrong.

Coaching is thew problem, you get on some league, people donating their time, w/no kids on the team, and it shows.

SIGN UP TO COACH BRUH ! Sounds like they need ya

Coming from someone who coaches kids at that level (not a parent or select ball), it's funny when you say the coaches should teach them situational stuff and focus on throwing or catching.

Most of those teams practice probably once a week for 1.5 hrs or so, you spend so much time trying to teach basic fundamentals like throwing, catching, fielding, you don't really have the ability to focus on situations in practice so you have to use the games to teach that stuff. Also that's right at the age where pretty much everyone is still playing baseball, even kids who won't stick with sports long.
Go watch your nephew play in a year or two and you'll notice a lot of the not giving a crap will have weeded out because those kids won't be playing anymore


ETA: I agree a lot of the daddy ball coaches are awful and don't know how to teach kids anything, but they are also limited in what they can do even if they're Bobby Cox

Quit judging the state of the youth game by a summer league game. The expanding travel game is Related to the deteriorating league play.. it's also summer league where the good league players are playing all stars and travel.. there are some quality spring leagues in Louisiana and Baton Rouge is poised to regain that quality in the coming years

Your nephew's team sucks

Asking a 9 year to look off the runner at 3rd before throwing to first is a bit much.

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they were all horsing around in the dugouts, some with fidget spinners, and not paying attention at all. Not one kid was upset after they lost the game. Not one time did I hear any coach or parent give corrective criticism to a player,

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Good. Sounds like a great 9 year old operation.

TL, DR. Downvote because they are fricking 9 year olds playing for fun you loser.