As youth sports coaches, we often encounter players who march to a different beat. On the surface, a child’s distractibility or emotional outburst might look like simple misbehaviour. In reality, many kids have learning and attention differences – like ADHD or autism...

For decades, coaches and athletes believed that holding static stretches before a game would prevent injuries and improve performance. In youth baseball dugouts and professional clubhouses alike, pre-game routines often included static stretches like toe-touches or arm pulls. However, sports science has evolved, and a new paradigm has emerged favoring dynamic warm-ups over prolonged static stretching. This shift is especially relevant for baseball players from Little League to college and beyond. Modern training approaches emphasize active movements, muscle activation, and sport-specific drills to better prepare the body for play. This article explores the evidence on static vs. dynamic stretching, how warm-up practices have changed, and what current best practices recommend for baseball players ages 9–18 (and into college) to maximize performance and minimize injury risk.