Stop Chasing Better Drills. Build Better Standards. | Zach Lutz

Former MLB player and current youth baseball coach Zach Lutz explains why successful programs don't chase the latest drill or coaching trend. Instead, they relentlessly reinforce the fundamentals, establish clear expectations, and create an environment where everyone understands what winning behavior looks like.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why healthy cultures aren't built on star players
• The importance of clear, non-negotiable standards
• Why fundamentals beat gimmicks over time
• Creating buy-in through simple daily expectations
• What sustainable player development really looks like

🎧 This conversation originally took place inside Momentum Sessions, a free community for coaches who take culture seriously.

Join future live conversations and connect with other coaches at:

👉 momentumteams.com/sessions

About Momentum Sessions
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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Here in the States, we just want to overcomplicate everything. But then you go over to Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic, and you see it. Nothing is overcomplicated. They are not doing any crazy drills or any of this type of stuff. They are focusing on the basics.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

We are thrilled to have Zach Lutz, as you can see on the screen with us, former MLB player, current director of teams and player development at the All-Star Sports Academy, and the voice behind Let's Go. As I see it, Zach's on a mission to help reset youth sports culture, not by blaming kids, but by challenging the environments adults create. So, Zach, let's jump right into it. What stands out most when you compare healthy team cultures to the ones that might be kind of losing their way?

SPEAKER_02 0:54

I think it's what you see with certain guys that I even played with or played against, where they just keep getting jobs every single year, especially in Major League Baseball. So certain guys like Harrison Bader, um, like another guy, Jason Hayward, you know, a good friend of mine, Brandon Nimmo, they're such good teammates that they're always going to have a job. Like Harrison Bader, Jason Hayward. I know they're getting a little bit older in their age, but they're just such an asset to teams because of how they are in the clubhouse, right? So that's how it is. It was all these sports. You need to have everybody that's on the same page, that's on the same mission in order to execute what the final plan is.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

And I know your approach, at least from reading a lot of your social media posts on LinkedIn, is that you know, you're you're emphasizing development over ego for maybe a coach who realizes, you know, maybe we're kind of drifting a little bit, where can they realistically maybe start shifting their program?

SPEAKER_02 1:51

I think the biggest thing is just focusing on the fundamentals. Like if you that we get so caught up and misled with so much bad information on social media right now, whether you go to Instagram or TikTok or whatever it is, there's all these drills that are you know way above or way advanced from what kids actually need. So if they focus just on the basics and how to master the basics, they're gonna be better off in the long run.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

And when you talk about basics, what do you um beyond just the sport as well?

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Yeah, no, I'm talking about saying in basketball, proper um, proper form for shooting, like little things like but in baseball is what I see every day with these drills that they're doing for footwork um with infielders, with different things for hitting. I mean, hitting, you can go on to YouTube, you can go on Instagram, and you're gonna find a hundred different methods of hitting. And it's just everything is just overcomplicated. But for me, I just like to make everything simple so it's easy to go, and then they have success.

SPEAKER_03 2:51

Do you have like one non-negotiable value you believe that every program should try to define clearly?

SPEAKER_02 2:59

Um, not really, but I would say my main one that I talk about the most is just having a standard. There has to be a standard for what the organization needs. And with everything that I'm doing with Let's Go and I talk to different organizations, is they're kind of all over the map. They're trying to figure out what it is that you know the parents need or whatever. But in reality, it's just they need communication. They need communication and the standards set before the season even starts. So this is what it is, this is how it's gonna be, and this is how we're gonna hold everybody accountable.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

Do you see coaches unintentionally maybe leading from that place of ego instead of development quite often?

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yeah, too much. Too much because even like I don't walk around when I coach with like an MLB tattooed across my forehead or like the Mets logo or anything. But then when you go up before at home plate and you shake hands with the other coach, it's like they always had this ego to them. And I was like, listen, I don't know who you are, I don't really care who you are, but you're coming off to me acting like a douchebag, you know? So for me, it's just like, okay, like let's just pump the brakes here. Because for me, all I'm trying to do as a coach, I'm just kind of set a standard of what good coaching actually looks like. Because everything that I post is when I go out and I actually coach, like people see that I'm not lying about everything that I post on there. It's all the truth right there, and I appreciate what I do.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

And you mentioned standard just a second ago. Um, and I know you've often said, like, you know, fun and standards aren't opposites. What are some practical ways maybe that coaches can make practices engaging, but without lowering that expectation or that standard?

SPEAKER_02 4:44

I think it all starts with when you have your team, you have to get to know every single person on that team. And not just get to know their name and position, but get to know how they click, right? What, how can I approach this person right here? You know, what is it that I have to do? Can I raise my voice a little bit? Do I need to pull them to the side? So I think that's the biggest thing because all of a sudden, when you start to realize who you are and who you're talking to, that comfort level starts to come out. So then all of a sudden, those kids they trust you. And then when they trust you, they know that you have their back. So then when I go out there to coach, I'm so relaxed with the way I coach because I know with the how I teach it that these kids are confident in how they go about their business because that's how I teach it.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

So it all starts kind of with building that trust, and you're saying that essentially the ground root of that is connection with your athletes.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Yeah, because it's with everybody always says it's always with the parents. Like that's the biggest thing that's always on the internet is like it doesn't matter if it's Twitter or Instagram, it's always the parents are the ones to blame. Well, I don't think necessarily somebody is to really blame. It's just the fact that when you're a coach, you have a duty, you have an obligation, right? It's like I'm a if I'm a teacher in a school, like I have a duty and obligation. When these kids are with me, I have to hold them accountable, I have to teach them the proper way. So what the coach needs to do is prior to the season, he needs to have that meeting with the parents, have that meeting with the families, and set the standards of what it is, what we're going to be doing, what that development plan looks like over the course of the year. You know, if there's any adjustments that come up, I pull everybody to the side and we have a conversation about it and we work through it. But that's what it is. Like you just have to be honest and and upfront. And that's why I don't see a lot. There's a lot of coaches that mislead the parents. And then next thing you know, I saw a post the other day, somebody was saying that they spent $16,000 over the course of 2025 and in baseball training and teams and all that. I'm like, but at the end of the year, they're like, I don't even know what we really got out of it, right? But if there's a coach that sets a standard of what it is, what it looks like, and is there to help your son or daughter, then there's a tremendous amount of value in there.

SPEAKER_03 7:03

And just to be clear, you're saying bring the parents and the kids in together into one room when you've set kind of your values and standards, or are you saying just the parents initially?

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Everybody. Everybody. Everybody. Because this is though then you'll see it too. Like there's gonna be kids. If there's no standards there, if there's no I shouldn't even say rules, it's standards that are not set, then as soon as practice starts, it could be a circus act out there. But if they know exactly what it is when they're coming in for an hour and a half of practice, they know what we're gonna be doing. The parents know what they should be doing, both you know, prior to the game, during the game, on the car ride home, what they should be doing. Then it's like, okay, you're not just forming a bond with the players, you're forming a bond with that whole group, you know?

SPEAKER_03 7:52

Yeah. And is that pretty much the number one way also to build sort of a buy-in from everybody is to have that initial kickoff meeting and get everyone on the same page?

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Yeah, because if you don't, then you're not gonna have retention. And retention is one of the biggest things. Like if you your team can go it 2 and 12, right? But if there's a process behind it of okay, this is what we are going to do going forward, this is gonna be the plan of attack of what we are gonna do going forward, they will stay because there will be some some sort of trust there. Because for me, I've gone through it. I've had a team had when they were sophomores in high school that I had them for a season. I got thrown into it. I didn't know what I was expecting, and we lost every single game. Then all of a sudden, throughout the whole winter time and the spring, those kids came in and trained with me, and then we had practices together. I set a standard for what it is. They believed in my system, my plan of what it was. What do you know? The next year in the summer, we win 20 games. Next thing you know, we go into the fall and we win 35 games, we go 35 and four. Like there's just that buy-in, but I've set the standard of what it is because if you don't, the parents are gonna ride you, they're gonna be all over you, there's gonna be confusion, they need clarity.

SPEAKER_03 9:11

And how many standards do you have within your program?

SPEAKER_02 9:15

It depends. It depends on what the needs are, you know. Not every single program is is the same. So you got to kind of go have a feel for what it is, and then certain and then set up, you know, certain topics, certain discussions, certain certain rules for what it is, and go from there.

SPEAKER_03 9:31

Do you have um a couple standards that um came out of some of those meetings that were actually really powerful that helped kind of build a little more cohesion within the team?

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Yeah, well, I think it's different because for me, when I growing up, I played from my dad's a college coach. So even at age 11 or 12, I was practicing with a with a college team. So baseball kind of has always been in my blood, right? So then going through, I played for him in college, strafted by the Mets, got up and played in the big leagues, played in Japan, played in Korea, played in the Dominican, and now I'm back full circle where I'm coaching my son's 10U team, and I've coached every single level from 10U up until 18U for the past 10 years of me working at All-Star, that I know how it is. I know how the ecosystem is, how it's evolving every single day, but I also know how to put the brakes on certain things because people tend to trust me a lot more than just some person off the streets. Do you know what I'm saying? So that's why I think the people bring me in because I had that credibility to me because I've been through it.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

And how do you think coaches should respond when enforcing a standard that's gonna also create a little bit potentially of discomfort or some kind of pushback?

SPEAKER_02 10:48

You gotta stick to it, you know, just because if somebody comes up and says, hey, this isn't like the parents will try to be buddy buddy with the and all this type of stuff, but like you're the you're the coach. Like all these, all these like the coach, the team that I coach right now, like I'm not like best friends with all the parents on there. You have to separate yourself from from coach to parent, you know. So that's the thing, is like they but that comes with the standard of okay, this is what it is, these are all the non-negotiables, this is what it is after a tournament, 24 hours after the tournament, you know, then you can talk to me, like certain things like that.

SPEAKER_03 11:25

And something else you talk a lot about on LinkedIn, I feel like is um identity beyond performance. Where do you think adults unintentionally maybe tie a kid's worth to just kind of the result or an outcome?

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Well, kids have so much added pressure on them right now coming from the parent because their kind of thought process is hey, I'm gonna have Johnny play one sport and that's it, right? And for me, I always preach playing multiple sports. My son plays flag football, plays basketball, plays soccer, and plays baseball. And my daughter plays um flag football, she does uh softball and she does soccer. They're always doing something, right? And I feel like that is the line where it gets crossed because these kids get drained, you know? That's the biggest thing. It's like by the age 10 or 11 or 12, it's like in baseball, they played like a minor league system, like of games, 140 games before. And I'm like, come on, guys, like let's let's let's get let's have a feel for it here.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

And you mentioned you're a parent yourself. How do you balance guidance um with also just kind of letting your kids own their own journey?

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah, because when I grew up, my parents never put any out of pressure on me, they never forced me to do anything. They were both working, they had two jobs each. So for me, that was basically like, hey, if you want to be great at something, it's gonna be on you. But we're gonna be there to help any way that we can. But there was never, hey, like you get home from school, I'm picking you up and we're going to this lesson, or hey, we're gonna do this, like before you go to bed, you have to do this many swings and all that stuff. And it's like, then you just kind of get over it at some point, where it was just like, I don't know, it's just different with social media and all this uh stuff today.

SPEAKER_03 13:14

And what is maybe like a mindset shift for the coaches that are on this call and watching the replay? Maybe one mindset shift that can help a coach prioritize long-term development, even when short-term pressure is the thing that's pushing them right at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Yeah, I would say don't feel like everything is is rushed. Where when I played in Japan, there was the focus was on the development and the fundamentals every single day. And the focus was on practice. And here in the States, the focus is around playing more games, games, games, games, games. Like, hey, let's play seven games over the course of a weekend and then have one practice for an hour and a half on a Wednesday, and then run it back and play seven more games. There's nothing that's development about that. By the time that's over, I'm like, I don't even want to play anymore, right? I never had that. Like with my teams, it's always we're gonna practice certain times of week, certain times of the year, because we're not doing this all year round, because I want that anticipation leading up to that next sports that they're playing.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

And from your transition out of pro baseball, what is a lesson maybe about identity or purpose that coaches should try to maybe pass on sooner?

SPEAKER_02 14:27

Honestly, I think it was just kind of figuring out for me, like what my why was, you know, like when I got done playing, you reach that pinnacle of your career, and then you take a step back and you're like, okay, what is it that I'm that I'm gonna do? Um, for me, like I've been around baseball my whole entire life. So everything that I've learned, I now have that ability to give back to the youth. So they're prepared of going up through the system. And what has inspired you, Zach? What's your current why? Well, that's what my let's go is. My let's go is for like a mentorship or advising, consulting for these different organizations to help set standards, uh, to kind of make a clear pathway through all this craziness through through uh youth sports right now. So for me, that's what it is is just helping give that guidance from somebody that has played at the highest level and that has played all around the world and has that credit credibility behind themselves because it's not just me, there's other great guys on social media too that have played at a high level that are doing the same thing that I am, you know, and we all come together and we're just here to help and not overcomplicate anything.

SPEAKER_03 15:36

Gotcha. And tell me a little bit more about Let's Go. What are you looking to do exactly? And what kind of clients are you looking to help and that kind of thing?

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Uh different organizations, different little leagues, um, any coaches that need help with anything, with setting up practice plans, game management, any type of thing like that for parents, to just be somebody to kind of vent to of like everything going through this youth circuit right now, but also for players. Players need a mentor, right? That's where I say like the biggest thing coming up through the system was like I always had somebody, especially in the Mets organization, I had David Wright. And David Wright was such a good mentor to me that I learned so much. So now when these kids are in high school or even younger, like I have some kids that are 10, 11 years old that are outside of our system here that I'm doing a mentorship program with. But it's just to help them um, you know, focus on certain things, but then then be successful both on the field and then off the field as well, to be an all-around good human.

SPEAKER_03 16:35

And if someone would want to work with you and your organization, how can they kind of go about those first steps of reaching out?

SPEAKER_02 16:42

Just through LinkedIn. That's the only social media that I have, is just my LinkedIn profile. So people just reach out there through messages. I get back to them, we set it up, and then if it's a good fit, then we move forward, we talk about everything, set up a plan.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

Awesome. Well, I'd love to take some questions. If anyone's got one on Zoom, you can raise your virtual hand before we open it up. What's maybe one mistake, Zach, that you see well-intentioned coaches make most often within their programs that causes kind of the most damage or long-term issues?

SPEAKER_02 17:15

Um communication. Communication for me is the biggest split. If you're not going to communicate with the families that are most likely paying to be a part of your program, you're going to lose them. You know, that's the biggest thing that I see.

SPEAKER_03 17:29

If we really get down to the most practical thing, what's how do you actually best communicate with parents?

SPEAKER_02 17:35

Just an open-end line of communication because uh all the kids on my team, I'm not calling them like I'm not calling the parents just about baseball. Like as a coach, like I when I said like I get to know every single thing there is about that kid, I want to know how school is going. Oh, he had this appointment coming up right there. How did that go? So then all of a sudden, like they're they're comfortable, and that's what it is. And then when that kid is comfortable with you, when they go out there on the field, they're not scared to make any mistakes.

SPEAKER_03 18:05

Yeah. Looks like Carrie, my good buddy. Let me add a spotlight. Um hey Carrie.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Hey, how are you doing, man?

SPEAKER_03 18:15

Doing awesome. What um school are you at, and where where are you at in the country?

SPEAKER_01 18:19

What's for I'm at Bentonville West, as you can tell from my shirts, Arkansas. Uh yeah, and hey Zach, thanks for making this uh tie for everybody, man. I really of course you got it. But my question is I did a podcast where some of these same things were being talked about in youth sports, but in the realm of soccer. But I see the same thing plaguing all youth sports that you're probably seeing and baseballing and soccer. So my question for you is in your opinion, what is the linchpin? Like, where do we start to get this thing turned around? Is it coaches, is it organizations, you know, because people aren't gonna stop wanting to make money. So what is the linchpin that's gonna cause the most good change first?

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Well, I think you hit the nail on the head too, because nobody's gonna stop wanting money, you know, and especially with youth sports. And you see a it's a $40 billion business right now. So there's so much money to be made in it, but then there's also certain standards. I always go back to certain standards of what it is, but what what is it? Who is it that's gonna be the right people to step up? For me, that's why I'm taking it upon myself, other people throughout the country that I'm always connecting with on LinkedIn is we're taking that upon ourselves, not just with baseball, but with all sports. So then all of a sudden we come together and we're starting to get these bigger organizations involved with okay, what is it that we can do? Because I know, you know, there's so much with private equity and all this stuff right now, but it's like if we just come together and we start setting some standards and we start focusing back on the development and what development actually looks like, right? Because I think people always talk about development, development, the fundamental of okay, that's great, but what does the development actually look like? You have a nine-year-old kid, what does that development plan look like? So when he turns 10, he's ready for that next age group up, he's ready to go. You got high school kids, they need to be educated on everything when it comes to, you know, even stuff with NIL, right? But the transfer, the recruiting process, all of that, but what it is that they need to do in order to get to the next level. That's where I think it starts, is you know, people that are stepping up and doing it the right way.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Right on. I appreciate that. Thousand percent agree with you. When when good coaches start, and people like everybody that's in this community right now, when we start getting out there and getting our hands dirty and setting standards, people will follow because they'll say it's the right thing to do for kids, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

And that's uh it's such a Gary, it's such a great point because uh everybody tries to overcomplicate this. And it's like they're they're always trying to think of the next gimmicky thing to sell or whatever it is. It's like just focus on the little things. That's it. I don't know what it is, but here in the States, we just want to overcomplicate everything. But then you go over to uh Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic, and you see it. Nothing is overcomplicated. They are not doing any crazy drills or any of this type of stuff, they are focusing on the basics and doing that and doing that every single day. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Yeah, everybody's chasing the next YouTube video.

SPEAKER_02 21:43

That that's what it is. You just need to focus on the little things. What's this about? This is about the kids, and it's about the kids and their development. It doesn't matter if they're seven, it doesn't matter if they're 16 or 17, it doesn't matter if they're in college, it's about the development and what that looks like.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

Right on. Thanks, Zach. I appreciate that. Thanks, Carrie. Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

We've got a couple of questions in the chat. I think they're trying to get down to the real practical nuts and bolts. So Jessica's asking, what do you do if you're setting the standards and following everything that kind of we've talked about here? But the kids are not willing to open up and buy in.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Now, is that because of the parents that are saying something to the kid? Like there's always something that's behind it. Do you know what I'm saying? Because, like, if I'm there, if I'm up in front and I'm talking to all these kids and they acknowledge it and they trust me, but then all of a sudden they get in that car or they go home, and then mom or dad is saying something to them to get into their ear, they're like, okay, then they start to second guess it. Do you know what I'm saying? I don't know if that answers your question or anything like that, but like, I don't know. There's so many external factors when it comes to this thing. There's always something that's behind it. And if the kid, if the parent doesn't want to be a part of it, then what did we go back to what we first started off this call with? We're talking about team players, right? If they're the team players and they're not going to be the right fit for that team, then okay, but I know that if they leave and they go somewhere else, they're gonna be missing out on something that could be a great opportunity.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

Jessica, if you want to unmute, if you want to ask Zach um a follow-up or answer some of the question, we can definitely do that for you.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Yeah, so is there the place I think your answer was great? It's the parents, and not in terms of not supporting the program, but it's in a very small town. Um and it I coach soccer, and it's soccer, it's not really big in the area. So like there is no belief that these kids can do this or be anything bigger than what it is. The mentality is very small-minded. Um, so I like to mention that I always work against the current. Like I'm trying to teach them something and do something, but as soon as they leave practice, it's like everybody else is telling them something opposite, you know? And I never had put it that way that they're not accepting or opening up because they're listening to something else outside. So I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 24:18

I see it and I see it all the time with myself too. Like kids will come in and do hitting lessons with me, and then all of a sudden they'll go to somebody else down the street and pay more money, and then all of a sudden they're gonna be thinking that they're gonna be getting better information over there because they have shinier tools and all this high-tech gizmos and gadgets and everything. It's like, I just make it simple, you know? Like I always give homework. I will keep a book, and in my book, I will always have I don't need an app, I don't need my phone. I hate being on the phone all the time. I like to write everything down so I know exactly what it is we did at practice, what it is I'm doing in a lesson with a kid, what their homework is for next week, what we're gonna be covering next practice. That's how you gotta be. You gotta be, you know, organized with everything that you do. So then all of a sudden I'm holding myself myself accountable.

SPEAKER_03 25:09

So Brad is saying, let's see here, do players help create the standards? Do you want to expand that thought a little bit? I don't know if he's responding to maybe Jessica, but yeah, how that how that process goes?

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Yeah, I mean, when the kids buy into what I'm doing, and then you you kind of weed out the bad ones, you know, and it sounds kind of bad, but like when all of a sudden when everybody buys into what I'm doing, and all those kids are on the same page, and then you see some other ones that are kind of off. Well, that's when I go and have a conversation with the parents. I say, listen, this is what's going on right here. If this is how it's gonna be, great, okay? Like we're gonna have to make some type of adjustment right here. But if not, maybe this team isn't the right fit for you. But for me, like I just don't, I'm gonna tell you how it is. That that's I don't care if you're like, I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm so upfront, and even with all my posts, like I'm so up front with everything because I care, because I'm passionate about it, because I know what is right.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

And then Sean is asking, he's in Ohio, actually a basketball coach. What's the most challenging part of your job and how do you handle it?

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Well, basketball's a whole different realm right now with AAU basketball. It's a circus out there. Um, but for me, uh we we have seven different locations, so it's not like we just have one, so I'm always traveling to all of our different locations, and the hardest part is trying to get into the parents' heads of listen, like you do not need to be chasing all of these rankings and all this type of stuff. Like just have Johnny. I sorry, I always use Johnny, I just like that name. Just keep Johnny like on track for what it is that's gonna make him better, right? Like that's the biggest thing is like they get so caught up in all these other things, but just focus on what is it, what's a good plan for my son right here, and how am I gonna execute it?

SPEAKER_03 27:13

All right, so let's end with this one. If one if a coach you know wants to implement just one of the let's go principles this season, what should that one thing be that could help the most?

SPEAKER_02 27:24

It better be hustle. That's what it is. That's my standard. Like you have as soon as I step on the court, on the field, over those white lines, it doesn't matter. You better hustle on and off the field. And I see that when we go and play against other teams and they're just walking, they're walking out there, and I I can't stand it because all of a sudden my guys see that and they're like, this team's already defeated, we're already gonna go on there and destroy them. So I'm like, okay, let's go. Hustle, sprint, play the game the right way. Doesn't matter what sport. Hustle, love it.

SPEAKER_03 27:56

Thank you for everything you're doing on LinkedIn, and beyond that, on in the real world, then let's go. And um, yeah, thank you so much for your time. Of course, thank you guys, appreciate it. Hey, it's Matt. Thanks so much for listening. This conversation was originally recorded inside of Momentum Sessions, a free community for coaches who want to build stronger culture, better leaders, and more connected teams. Inside, you can join future conversations live, ask questions directly to our guests, watch the full video replays, and connect with other coaches who are taking this work seriously. Join us for free at Momentum Teams.comslash sessions. That's Momentum Teams.comslash sessions. We'll see you inside.