Advice From a High School Baseball Coach: The New Era of Video and Data is Here

Dear high school baseball coaches,

My name is John Edman. I’ve spent the last 26 years as a teacher and the head baseball coach at La Jolla Country Day School in California. After more than two decades in the dugout, I’m still convinced of one thing: we have the best job in the world.

There’s something about the smell of the grass and the sound of an aluminum bat that never gets old. But more than the game itself, it’s the role we play in the lives of these young people. It’s a responsibility we can't take for granted.

Baseball isn't just what I do—it’s a huge part of my family. My wife loves the game as much as I do. My oldest is a data engineer for the Minnesota Twins, my middle son plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and my youngest worked with the St. Louis Cardinals. We’re a baseball family through and through. That’s the perspective I bring to the field every day—the idea that a team isn't just a roster, it’s a journey.

If I could sit down with a young coach just starting out, here’s the advice I’d share:

• Treat every season as a unique journey. Every group is different. Your main job is to make sure they’re having fun and getting 1% better every single day.
• Build a family, not just a lineup. Intentionally create an environment where players and parents feel connected.
• Stay hungry. Don’t get complacent. Always look for small ways to improve your staff and your program.
• Be a mentor first. You can’t impact a kid if you don’t know them. Take the time to actually connect.
• Trust your staff. Empower your assistant coaches. When they grow, the whole program wins.

Keep the main thing the main thing

We’re all busy. Between practice, classes, and life, time is our scarcest resource. You can’t drill everything, so you have to focus on what actually moves the needle.

In my program, we use a game called “Code Red” to keep things competitive. The name stuck because the first time we played, the winners got Mountain Dew Code Red. It’s simple:

1. Offense vs. defense for 15 minutes.
2. Every hitter starts with a runner on first and gets five swings.
3. You get a point for a hit or an error, and three points if you score the runner.
4. It’s live. If a lead runner is thrown out, he’s gone.
5. Speed is the point. As soon as a play is dead, the next pitch is coming. No waiting for infielders to reset.

It’s fast, it’s ridiculous, and the kids love it. It forces them to make plays under pressure and improves their base-running instincts without it feeling like a chore. 

Move the program forward

The game is changing. Data and video aren't just for the pros anymore; it’s required at the high school level. I’ve found that embracing these tools doesn't just make us more modern, but it makes us better teachers, too.