Bring Your Own Bottle...(Of POWERade or Water)

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

This is a big one for parents (especially moms). With two young children of my own (see picture on the right), I know keeping your children hydrated is a major concern for parents. My wife is constantly reminding me to bring sippy cups wherever I go so that our little girls are never thirsty. But at some point, as your children get older, the responsibility of bringing your own liquids needs to shift from mom (or dad) to the kid.

A major no-no for college coaches or pro scouts is to be at a game watching high school prospects and see a mom walk over to the dugout, open the door, and throw bottles of liquid to their sons. At our Baseball Factory Player Development Events, I have seen moms perform acrobatic stunts in an effort to reach their arms over chain linked fences to ensure that their son is properly hydrated. For a funny video, click below to watch Rick Sofield, Baseball Factory Special Advisor, and current head coach of University South Carolina-Beaufort speak about this exact topic.

Moms and Dads, this is a major red flag for on watching baseball professionals. What is going to happen when the player gets to college? Is he going to remember to bring his own liquids, uniform, or equipment when mom and dad are not around? It creates question marks in a coach’s mind as it relates to the player’s responsibility and maturity level.

Here are a few suggestions for how to eliminate this issue in the future:

1. Go to Target and buy a small cooler
2. Prior to the game, load the cooler with ice
3. Put bottles of POWERade or water in the cooler
4. Have the player carry the cooler with his baseball equipment into the dugout

There we go! That wasn’t that hard now was it? The player is sure to not dehydrate on the field and he looks responsible in the eyes of the coach. This also eliminates the need for moms and dads to run around like lunatics at the field looking for the nearest convenience store and missing out on the chance to watch the game.

As a parting comment, if you are a Yankee fan like me, you will see Derek Jeter’s mom and dad in attendance at almost every home game. Just like you, they are loyal parents who are dedicated to their son’s baseball endeavors. I am certain that Derek’s mom has never reached over the Home Dugout at Yankee Stadium to flip him a bottle of liquid. Start taking the same approach with your own son and it will only help him in the long run.

Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.