DugoutLab is a free coaching resource built for one specific person: the volunteer parent who got voluntold to coach their kid's Little League team and now needs to figure out what to do with 12 eight-year-olds for 90 minutes on Saturday morning.
That coach exists in the millions. They love their kids. They want to do a good job. And they are mostly on their own, because the research that could help them sits in academic journals and is rarely written for a volunteer with a bucket of balls.
DugoutLab translates that research into plain English and practical structure. Our rule: truth over philosophy. Evidence decides, not the lens. We tell you what the research supports, what it only suggests, and where we are using our own judgment.
Our default is games first, drills where they help. Drill to get a skill started. Play to make it work in a game. And the one thing we hold hardest: make them want to come back tomorrow. Kids who are having fun stay in the game, and kids who stay get more reps.
DugoutLab summarizes published research in motor learning, sport psychology, and youth athletic development. Much of that research is small, done with adults, or done in other sports like soccer. We say so where it matters. Ideas like the constraints-led approach and external focus are lenses we find useful, not proven winners. No content on this site has been independently verified by a certified coach or sports scientist.
Age recommendations, practice weighting, and coaching language represent our best interpretation of the available research. Apply your own coaching judgment with the kids in front of you.
If you spot an error, in the baseball, the science, or anything else, we want to know. This site improves because coaches tell us what's wrong. Corrections are always welcome.
The ideas, concepts, situations, and processes on DugoutLab are original. AI assisted with the research and writing.
No ads. If it's useful, share it with the next coach who gets voluntold.