FROM CLIPBOARD TO CODE:
How Coaching My Son Sparked a Tool to Change the Game
It All Started with a Yes
When I started coaching my son’s baseball team 15 years ago, I didn’t plan to build anything. I was just a dad who said yes when they needed help — like many of you probably did. There weren’t enough volunteers, and I had played baseball and football growing up, so I figured I could lend a hand.
But I had never coached baseball before.
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Tech Meets the Dugout
What I did know was IT. I worked in tech. I understood efficiency, automation, and I was decent with Excel — and at the time, that didn’t seem like it had much to do with Little League.
Still, I wanted to make a good impression and do right by the kids. So, I created what I now lovingly call my “old school coaching binder” — a 3-ring binder packed with printed practice plans, a drill library for fielding and hitting, lineup templates, and the first version of a player evaluation form.
It was basic: hitting, fielding, arm strength, and speed. That was all I knew to measure.
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Tryouts & A Harsh Reality Check
At tryouts, I showed up with a clipboard and a printout. I scribbled notes on each kid, ranked them by gut feel, and took that sheet into the draft room.
And let me tell you — it was a disaster.
I couldn’t read half of my own handwriting. I couldn’t remember who was who. I had no way of comparing players or seeing where the gaps were.
The experienced coaches were sharks — they knew exactly how to exploit poor picks and stack their teams. I felt like I was playing checkers while they were playing chess.
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Building the First Tool
So I did what I knew how to do: I built something better.
That offseason, I created a draft tool in Excel. I started with a list of all players, a roster tab, and basic formulas to help sort and filter.
Over time, it evolved into something powerful — a smart workbook that automated rankings based on weighted metrics.
I added a recommendation engine that suggested the next best available player based on hitting, fielding, speed, or arm strength — whatever I wanted to prioritize.
With a few clicks, I could eliminate drafted players and instantly see who was next in line.
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From Paper to Precision
At the next draft, I walked in with my laptop.
As players were called out and written on the whiteboard, I marked them in my sheet — and like magic, my rankings adjusted in real-time.
I didn’t need to panic or overthink. I just trusted the data and let it guide my decisions. I could focus on building a balanced team, not reacting to everyone else’s moves.
And it worked.
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More Than a Tool — A Philosophy
It worked not just because the tool helped me draft better — but because it gave me confidence.
I wasn’t guessing. I wasn’t chasing hype or falling into the same traps.
I was building my team — based on my values.
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Refining the System Season After Season
Each season, I refined the system.
I logged player notes after games. I adjusted metrics. I used practice time more intentionally by plugging those notes into the binder and pulling drills that targeted our weaknesses.
It wasn’t about winning games — it was about developing players.
Winning would come later.
And it did.
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Helping Other Coaches
Over time, I shared the tool with other coaches.
Not to brag — but because I wanted to raise the level of the game.
I saw how overwhelmed new coaches felt. I saw how hard it was to keep things organized.
And I knew this simple system could help — not just with drafting, but with development.
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ScoutBall AI Is Born
That’s how ScoutBall AI was born.
Today, ScoutBall AI is so much more than a spreadsheet.
It’s a full-scale baseball analytics and draft optimization tool built for coaches — whether you’re running a travel team, an academy, or you’re just a parent trying to do right by your kid and his teammates.
It’s built on the same principles that drove me from day one:
Develop players
Trust the data
Keep it about the kids
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The Bigger Picture
This is just the beginning.
My hope is that ScoutBall AI helps coaches everywhere rise above the noise, build better teams, and bring more purpose and clarity to the game we all love.
Because coaching isn’t just about lineups and wins — it’s about impact.
And with the right tools, we can all make a bigger impact on our teams, our players, and the game itself.
ScoutBall AI - Rise Above the Competition.
