The Farm System

In this episode of The Farm System, we sit down with Wes Phillips, owner of The Baseball Softball Dojo in Wichita, Kansas. Wes shares his incredible "full circle" journey—from almost crying when getting the invite to our training retreat (just two days after getting married!) to taking over a massive facility he envisioned managing months before it ever opened. We dive deep into why so many hitting and pitching instructors get stuck in a "defensive, competitive" mindset instead of an "offensive, creative" mode, and why chasing a massive business might be the exact thing stealing your fulfillment. If you are a travel ball, high school, or private training coach trying to bridge the gap between complex biomechanics and simple, actionable cues that help athletes perform instead of survive, this conversation is for you. 🚀 Introducing The Foundations Course We also flash some major news in this episode! If the full Farm System curriculum feels like a massive mountain of science to climb, we are launching The Foundations Course. This prequel bridges the gap, breaking down practice structure, the 4 pillars of player emergency prioritization, and how to get drastic results even if you only have an hour a week with a kid. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: Why are we here? 02:00 - Meet Wes Phillips: From East Carolina to Indie Ball 04:30 - Falling back in love with baseball through leadership 06:15 - The Vegas Retreat: "I feel like I'm in a movie right now" 08:30 - Getting married 2 days before heading to The Farm 11:00 - Navigating transitions and uncertainty as a sports coach 14:00 - Under the hood: Why coaches need deeper biomechanics answers 17:15 - The psychological trap of the competitive mindset 20:00 - Creating vs. Competing: Staying on the offensive 23:15 - The Farmer & The Businessman: What game are you trying to win? 26:00 - Joy vs. Happiness in player development (Letting kids fail) 31:15 - The Bruce Lee Test: Letting go of your knowledge to grow 35:00 - The Barber Analogy: Why hitters shouldn't look in the mirror mid-cut 38:30 - Surviving vs. Performing: The tripod foot and structural safety 42:15 - BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: The Farm System Foundations Course 47:00 - Outro & Where to find The Baseball Softball Dojo 🔗 Connect with Wes Phillips & The Dojo: Website: https://www.baseballsoftballdojo.com Instagram: @thebaseballsoftballdojo Facebook: The Baseball Softball Dojo 📲 Follow The Farm System: Instagram: @TheFarmSystem

In this powerful conversation, longtime softball coach Dawn Castaneda shares her raw journey—from decades of lessons and travel ball, through COVID setbacks and facility struggles, to finally opening his own training center in Southern California. Dawn opens up about the massive personal growth that comes with business ownership, the importance of staying coachable after 20+ years in the game, and why he prioritizes biomechanics, new tools, and in-person mentorship. She also discusses the power of community, facing fear, cultivating courage, and the surprising lessons that come from stepping into the unknown. Whether you're a new coach, a seasoned instructor thinking about going independent, or feeling stuck in your current setup, this episode is packed with encouragement, real-talk wisdom, and practical insights on player development and personal growth. Key Topics: Transitioning from employee to facility owner The reality of business ownership vs. the dream Why continuous learning (especially biomechanics) matters Overcoming fear and building courage as a coach The value of retreats, networking, and in-person mentorship Tools and training methods that actually transfer to athletes Dawn’s story proves that growth happens on the other side of discomfort—and that it’s never too late to level up for your athletes. 👉 If you're a coach ready to break through, this one’s for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with two experienced hitting coaches — Ryan Cooper (Hitting & Catching Coordinator at Push Performance in Arizona) and Pat Biondi (founder of Elevate Hitting in the Detroit area and former University of Michigan + Mets player). Ryan and Pat share their journeys into deeper hitting development and how they balance going deep on movement, anatomy, posture, and rotational training with the need to keep things simple and freeing for their athletes. We discuss: Why coaches must understand the “why” behind the swing so they can deliver clear, simple cues and feels to players The power of constraint-based training tools (farm boards, bands, water bags, etc.) to help hitters feel correct movement without overthinking Bridging the gap between the cage and the weight room — training rotation, deceleration, and addressing physical restrictions instead of just adding strength How to progress and regress skills effectively, especially when moving from low-velocity drills to live BP and games “Feeding the mistake” with constraints so athletes learn to solve problems themselves The importance of collaboration between hitting and strength coaches, and how immediate feedback loops improve results Helping athletes compete with freedom instead of over-cueing or fighting their own body Whether you coach one-on-one privately, run group sessions, or work in a facility with strength staff, this episode highlights a key truth: the best coaches go deep on knowledge so they can coach simply and effectively. Great coaching isn’t about sounding smart — it’s about helping athletes move better, think less, and perform freely. If you’ve ever felt stuck between “old school” and “new school” approaches, or wondered how to make complex ideas usable for your players, Ryan and Pat’s honest perspectives will give you practical insight and encouragement to keep growing as a coach.

In this episode, I sit down with Doug Adams — head baseball coach at Clark State College (JUCO) and owner of P413 Baseball / P413 Sports in Ohio. Doug brings over 20 years of coaching experience, including eight straight conference championships at Dayton Christian, and a deep passion for hitting development that spans baseball and softball. Doug shares his journey from a traditional, old-school coaching background to actively seeking out new ideas that actually help his players. He opens up about what it was like attending the first coaches retreat, what he expected (a sales pitch), and what he actually experienced — hands-on learning about movement, posture, pelvic tilt, fascial lines, and practical tools like water bags that have now become a staple in his program. We talk about:  Why it’s worth traveling to invest in your coaching education even during a busy season How one good idea or feel can dramatically improve your athletes — you don’t need to understand everything The power of networking, intimate conversations, and learning from other coaches in a low-pressure environment Shifting your mindset from “this is how I’ve always done it” to “what will help my players the most?” Why the retreat isn’t about gimmicks or overwhelming science — it’s about giving coaches tools they can actually use with their hitters  Doug also shares how these experiences have changed how he sees hitters (and even opponents) on the field, and why he believes coaches should stay curious and athlete-centered above all else. Whether you’re a high school, college, or travel ball coach who feels stuck in old habits or intimidated by “deeper” hitting conversations, this conversation will encourage you to keep learning, stay open, and remember: it’s not about us — it’s about the athletes we serve. If you’ve been on the fence about attending a coaches retreat or investing in your own development, Doug’s honest perspective might be exactly what you need to hear.

In this episode, we dive deep into real in-season hitting development with a college slugger who's batting .330+ but leaving power and consistency on the table. Despite his gargantuan size and 480-foot bombs earlier in the year, lower launch angles, reduced spin, directional leaks, and a pelvis asymmetry were causing him to jump forward, open early, hook balls, and miss the sweet spot—issues he'd battled most of his career. We break down how we addressed his structural asymmetries with targeted prep work and drills to create more space behind the ball and better rear hip engagement. Then, we explored orientation adjustments—specifically closing off the stance—to work around his current movement patterns without massive overhauls during a grueling travel-heavy season. Drawing inspiration from Giancarlo Stanton's 2017 MVP year, when he progressively closed his stance to stay on the ball longer, improve direction, and explode to all fields, we tested it live. The results? Immediate improvements in depth, barrel control, adjustability, opposite-field pop, and a huge 4-for-5 day with a homer and double—his best hitting performance of the season. We also discuss: Why you don't have to wait until the offseason to make meaningful changes. The art of timing adjustments with an athlete's temperament, coaching staff, and game plan. Finding what has worked for a hitter in the past and connecting it to similar movers. The bigger picture: sequencing your coaching cues, adding clarity instead of clutter, and the power of in-person mentorship and real-world experience. Whether you're a hitting coach, player, or parent, this episode shows how thoughtful, constraint-aware tweaks in the middle of the season can stack hits, skyrocket averages, and help athletes reach their true ceiling—without blowing up their routine. Success leaves clues. Sometimes the unlock is as simple as changing foot orientation.

In Episode 217, we sit down with UC San Diego Softball head coach Nikki Palmer for an honest conversation about what it truly takes to lead a program. Coach Palmer shares her journey through different schools and roles, breaking down how the responsibilities of a head coach shift depending on staff size, experience, and structure. From wearing multiple hats to building trust within a coaching staff, she dives into what matters most when developing culture, managing people, and making tough decisions. We also unpack the lessons she’s learned as she’s grown in the head coaching role—covering leadership, communication, staff development, and the small details that often get overlooked. Whether you’re an aspiring head coach, current assistant, or player looking to better understand the leadership side of the game, this episode offers practical insight straight from someone living it at the Division I level. If you care about program building, staff dynamics, and long-term leadership growth—this one’s for you.

Strength training debates are louder than ever—traditional lifts vs. “functional” training, capacity vs. transfer, force production vs. athletic expression. And yet, most of the arguments miss what actually matters. In this episode, we break down why both sides of the strength debate are partially right—and fundamentally incomplete. We unpack what functional strength actually means, how the term has been watered down, and why simply getting stronger doesn’t guarantee better on-field performance—especially in highly skilled sports like baseball and softball. We discuss: Why definitions matter when talking about functional strength The real value (and limitations) of traditional strength training Diminishing returns and why strength doesn’t scale linearly with performance How sagittal-dominant training creates asymmetries and movement restrictions Why sport and position specificity matter more than most programs acknowledge The difference between building capacity and being able to express it How strength gains can actually reduce performance if they limit movement options From high-level athletes to youth players, this conversation reframes how coaches should think about strength, power, and transfer—without throwing squats, hinges, or heavy lifts out the window. The goal isn’t choosing a side. It’s understanding what strength is for—and how to apply it without breaking the athlete.

In this episode, Joey sits down and covers his take aways from the 2026 ABCA Convention. Where is the game at now? Where is it headed? If we really want the game to move forward, if we really want to make progress... it takes work.

In today’s episode, we’re joined once again by our friend and mentor, co-founder of the Action Types approach and one of the deepest thinkers in motor development, natural movement, and human coordination. This is his second appearance on the podcast — and it didn’t take long for us to bring him back. We dive into a conversation that sits at the core of coaching and athlete development: Why do some athletes stay open, adaptable, and constantly improving — while others get stuck defending old ideas? This episode explores the deeper layers of learning, trust, mindset, and the complexity behind how athletes coordinate movement under pressure. What We Discuss in This Episode Why coaches who “appreciate complexity” learn and evolve faster How humility and curiosity keep athletes and coaches from getting stuck Why knowing information is not the same as knowing how to think How Action Types began The science behind “readiness,” natural movement patterns, and motor signatures Why athletes break down under pressure — and how context, stress, and internal state shape coordination How rules, expectations, and “have-to” thinking disrupt performance Why trust is a decision, not a feeling — and how athletes can choose it How to stay “online” with the environment, your body, and the demands of the game Why every moment in sport is unique — and why ready-made techniques fail How movement emerges naturally when the emotional, cognitive, and sensorimotor layers are aligned This episode goes far deeper than mechanics — it gets into the why behind learning, performance, and the behaviors we see every day in players. If you’ve ever wondered why some athletes thrive during pressure and others collapse… this conversation gives the scientific and practical layers behind it.

Let me tell you a secret — I wasn’t some standout player. I was a below average JUCO player. A below average Division I player. A below average NAIA player. No one was looking at me back then and thinking, “That guy’s going to work with MLB All-Stars one day.” But at 27, I was interviewing for MLB hitting coordinator jobs. Not because I was a great player. Not because of connections or status. It was because I got access — access to mentors, information, and resources that changed my life. In this episode, I break down what really separates great coaches from everyone else. It’s not pedigree. It’s not where you played. It’s how hungry you are to learn, reflect, and grow. We’ll talk about: The myth of needing a big résumé to make an impact Why mentorship accelerates growth faster than anything else How to find mentors — even from afar — and learn from them daily Breaking limiting beliefs that hold coaches back Why curiosity and consistency matter more than talent How faith, humility, and perseverance shape long-term success You don’t need status to change your trajectory — you need commitment to growth. Whether you’re 23 or 63, your story isn’t finished. So lean in. You’re closer than you think. 🙏 “Your past doesn’t decide your ceiling. Your commitment to growth does."