2024 marked year 6 of the Elite Baseball Development Podcast. We kicked off “Pinch Hit Friday” and in all, we released 33 episodes – and I learned a ton from some great guests. That said, here are our top five episodes from the year:

1. Mike Boyle on Long-Term Athletic Development and In-Season Training – We welcomed accomplished strength and conditioning coach, author, and presenter Michael Boyle to the podcast for an expansive discussion on strength and conditioning both specific to baseball, and universal across all sports. Mike has a wealth of experience across many sports, and also in private, college, and pro settings. He shared great insights on how his thought processes have evolved, and also some lessons learned from training his own kids.

2. Justin Su’a on Establishing Processes, Solidifying Confidence, and Failing Forward – Process and development coach Justin Su’a dives in on how athletes can establish good processes, separate out bad outcomes, and build unshakable confidence. Justin brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with a variety of sports and the military, so there’s something for everyone in this discussion. I found myself intrigued as a coach, business owner, father, and husband throughout the entire conversation.

3. 7 Reasons Young Athletes Don’t Make Long-Term Progress – Many folks think that Cressey Sports Performance only works with professional athletes, but the truth is that we have a long history of training kids in the middle, high school, and college ranks, too. In fact, since 2012, we’ve had 251 Major League Baseball draft picks from this amateur pool, so you could say that we’ve seen our fair share of “what works” for young athletes. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen what doesn’t work, and that’s the focus of this podcast.

4. Bill Parisi on Fascia Aware Training – We welcomed Bill Parisi back to the podcast for a second appearance. He spoke to his expanded view on the fascia system, and some practical applications for improving training programs with “fascia aware” training.

5. Luka Hocevar on Strength and Conditioning Non-Negotiables – Strength and conditioning coach Luka Hocevar and I had a thorough discussion on a variety of physical preparation topics, ranging from coach development, to program design, to athlete assessment. Luka also spoke to some key factors that contribute to so much athletic success in his native country of Slovenia as well. If you’re an up-and-coming coach, you’ll find this to be an extremely beneficial episode. And, if you’re a player, Luka’s story will yield a lot of perspective on how hard you have to chase your dreams.

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We’re back to the regular EricCressey.com content this upcoming week. Thanks for all your support in 2024! We’ve got some great stuff planned for 2025.