Mental Skills w/ Bob Tewksbury Episode 5 - Wisdom Wednesday #4

If you haven’t checked out the Elite Baseball Development Podcast, presented by Eric Cressey, now’s the time to add it to your playlist. This podcast is a must-listen for coaches, parents, and athletes seeking real insight into baseball development. Personally, it’s been a game-changer in my coaching journey. Huge thanks to Eric and his guests for continually dropping knowledge and value.

This week’s Wisdom Wednesday features a breakdown of Episode 5, with Bob Tewksbury, author, former MLB pitcher, and Mental Skills Coach for multiple MLB teams. Listen here:🎧 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elite-baseball-development-podcast/id1457825804?i=1000436207709

Before we dive in, I highly recommend the book Ninety Percent Mental by Bob Tewksbury—a must-read for athletes. It’s an easy, insightful read that helps young athletes understand and conquer the mental side of sports, which is often harder than it looks. Tewksbury shares his personal journey and practical tools to strengthen mental skills.

This episode recap covers minutes 29:00–36:00, but I suggest listening to the full podcast.

When asked what signs indicate a young athlete might need mental coaching or therapy, Bob emphasized watching for general happiness. He shared the story of a 12-year-old client who said, “I'm not having fun because the coaches don’t make it fun.”

Life is tough for kids—school, social pressure, bullying—add sports stress, and it can be overwhelming. We must remember: we’re coaching people, not just players. Our impact runs deeper than we realize.

Bob was then asked about parents' roles in youth sports. His advice:

• Let go of expectations and just enjoy your child’s experience.

• “If they’re good enough, they will find you.” Don’t obsess over select teams or exposure.

• Don’t coach from the sidelines—it’s their journey, not yours.

• Respect the coaches—it’s a tough job.

  
  

As a coach myself for four years, I fully agree. Parents: support your kids, respect the game, and if you want to coach—get involved the right way.

On benching players for mistakes, Bob says it’s never appropriate.

That made me reflect. I’ve never benched players for errors—baseball is hard—but I have for controllable things like missed signs or poor effort. Something for me to think about in regards to my coaching style.

Bob stresses that coaching should be about helping kids, not just chasing wins.

Winning becomes more important at higher levels, but the foundation is mentoring individuals first. Junior Varsity is a good time to start building a winning mindset, but always with culture and development at the core.

“Good coaching is critical to a child’s growth,” Bob says. I’ve felt this firsthand and hope to give the same to my players.

Eric Cressey shared a powerful quote by Frank Martin:

 “Kids haven’t changed—we have. We demand less, expect less, and make things easier, instead of preparing them for life.”

We must set expectations while leading with structure, guidance, and love.

Finally, Bob reminds us: baseball is already full of failure — e.g. batting .300 makes you elite.

Don’t add pressure. Keep it a game for as long as possible. I’m reminded of one of my former players, Hunter “Scuba” Smolinsky. After a strikeout, he noticed his dad filming him walking back to the dugout. It hit him—this is just a game. Learning to handle failure constructively is everything.

Questions? Curious about training or baseball? Reach out anytime.

Take care and see you next Wednesday.

—Coach Grant