How coaches can balance winning games and developing pitchers

I've been helping coach a 13-year-old team in Massachusetts and the question that came up the other day is how to balance winning (pitching the best pitcher) and developing pitchers (pitching weaker pitchers).

I'm at odds with the head coach. He's interested in winning. So am I -- but not at the expense of developing pitchers.

A common trap I see many youth coaches fall into is that they overlook the teaching and development aspects of coaching youth baseball for the sake of winning at all costs. It's a very narrow-minded approach to a players long-term development.

When I look back at my career in baseball, I couldn't tell you what my team's record was when I was 13. Heck, I can't even remember the name of my team. That's because I've probably played on 30 different teams since I was 13. All that mattered at that age was that I pitched a bit, that I improved, and that I stayed healthy.

Winning is no doubt important. It's a great motivator. Winning itself is a great teaching tool. But giving every kid who wants to pitch the opportunity to do so, even if he's not a great pitcher and it might mean you'll lose the game, is just as important. You never know which kid, given the chance, may turn out to be the next ace pitcher -- even if it doesn't happen on your team this season.

I was that kid.