There are two things about me that have remained consistent, even as I’ve gotten older: I’ve always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, and I’ve always wanted to help others reach their potential.  As a young girl, I thought I could do anything and be anyone that I wanted to.  I credit my parents for instilling this quality in me.  My father led by example, while my mother always encouraged me to do my best.  They empowered me, which is why I believe I am a confident person today.

arena4 - Across the board... One of the obvious secrets to culturing talented athletes is teaching our youth, not only how to play the game, but how to enjoy playing the game as well. Listen up! This is done by reducing the fear of failure and instilling self challenge into an inexperienced athlete.   Simply said, this is one of the fastest ways to individual improvement.

Fear of failure and a lack of self confidence is clearly the number one reason why a kid will not improve and eventually quit playing sports. This is followed only by kids with physical limitations.

This article is written to help parents understand the various levels of youth sports programs such as, starting out in local community sports and moving up to more competitive club sports programs and it's importance to eventually playing at a college. Because College is what all this ultimately amounts to. We are calling this the natural process of youth sports. This article is not intended to discourage anyone from playing sports at any age level in anyway, but rather to simply assist parents of the natural process of the various levels of sports. Because, to a new comer, it can be somewhat intimidating. We hope to break this down to a more understandable process and help you recognize the importance of getting your daughter involved in sports.

A few weeks ago we wrote about Chelsea Baker, a 13-year-old Florida girl who’s in a league of her own.

Now Chelsea, a knuckleball pitcher who has thrown two perfect games against Little League boys teams, has been honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Chelsea  donated the Brandon Farms jersey she wore in her April 9 perfect game to the Hall of Fame as an artifact noting the importance of women playing baseball. Her jersey joins one in the hall worn by another young female knuckleballer, Eri Yoshida, 18, whose play in the pro Golden Baseball League also earned her the honor this year.

Baker’s jersey will be on display in the Today’s Game exhibit before moving eventually to the Diamond Dreams exhibit for the rest of the year. More...