Podcast Summary: Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford

Episode: Travel Baseball Kids Need to Play, Fail, and Get Better

Release Date: October 15, 2025
Guests: Matt Hannaford (Host), Craig Holman (former pro, parent, coach)

Overview

In this insightful episode, Matt Hannaford sits down with Craig Holman for an honest, experience-driven exploration of youth and travel baseball. Holman, with his unique perspective as a professional player, devoted parent, coach, and mentor, unpacks the realities, challenges, and deeper life lessons that come with guiding young athletes. Together, they tackle misconceptions around travel ball, player development, failure as an essential teacher, and the importance of focusing on the journey over the destination—for both athletes and their families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Travel Baseball: Myths and Realities

• Levels of Travel Ball: Holman distinguishes between different levels—low, mid, and high. Emphasizes that "prestige" programs (e.g., Canes) aren’t always the best fit for development.
• Value of Playing Time: “If they're not playing, they're not getting better. They can hang out with superstars all they want to, but if they’re not in the games and they’re not playing and failing...they’re not getting better.” (Craig Holman, 03:57)

Memorable Quotes:

• “[Parents say] He gets to practice with really good players. But is he playing? ...That does no one any good.” (Craig Holman, 03:51)

• Advice to Parents: Prioritize finding a team and coach where your child will play, not just sit on the bench for exposure.

2. Embracing Failure & Perfectionism in Youth Sports

• Social Media Illusion: Hannaford compares the “perfection” parents display on social media to a flawed approach to youth sports.

  • “We need to put forward perfection…that’s not the game of baseball. The game of baseball is all about failing and then figuring out...you're ultimately going to get better because of it.” (Podcast Host, 07:57)

• Let Kids Grow: Holman shares the story of his son Luke, who wasn’t a standout player as a young child but developed over time.

  • “Luke was not the best player at 8, 9, 10 years old—not even close...When a kid feels worthy, they perform better.” (Craig Holman, 06:10)

• Finding Identity: Young players often don’t know what kind of athlete they are until much later.

  • “Kids don’t know who they are and puberty is a big deal. …You have no idea. Come talk to me when he’s 16, right? Not 12.” (Craig Holman, 11:00)

Notable Anecdote:

• Jimmy Rollins story: Even future Hall of Famers can lack early clarity about their strengths. True development is a journey (09:00).

3. Parental Guidance & Motivation

• “Throw it against the wall and see if it sticks”: Holman encourages parents to expose kids to many activities and let them gravitate towards their passion.

  • “You may have a Justin Bieber on your hands right here at 12...are you wanting me to be a good man? And that’s what I really pride myself on—being honest with parents.” (Craig Holman, 15:25)

• Letting Kids Choose: It’s critical for parents to listen and respond to their child’s actual desires and changing interests.

  • “A kid at 10 may love to do one thing, and at 14, he hates that now and loves to do another.” (Craig Holman, 17:53)

• Speaking Affirmation: Holman shares how speaking positively over his children—calling them “All-American” from a young age—had profound impacts.

  • “Speak goodness over your children. Don’t say, ‘He’s terrible, Craig. He can’t catch, he can’t field, he can’t throw.’ Say, ‘He’s working on things.’” (Craig Holman, 19:14)

4. Hard Work, Self-Motivation, and Sacrifice

• The Heart of Intrinsic Drive: Kids must find their own passion. Parental enforcement is no substitute for inner motivation.

  • “Every single player…will find that passion and desire inside. They're going to come to a point…where they're going to ask themselves, how bad do I want this?” (Podcast Host, 33:19)

• Resilience Through Struggle: Stories of devastating losses and persistent effort leading to ultimate success.

  • “[After a loss,] I worked so hard, I put the paper on the wall to never feel that way again.” (Craig Holman, 37:27)

• The Power of Belief: “If you don’t believe it wholeheartedly, it’ll never happen...You have to want that more than your mom and your dad combined.” (Craig Holman, 39:12)

5. Choosing the Right Instructor/Coach

• Care Over Resume: The character and motivational ability of a coach are more important than their on-field achievements.

  • “Pick a great person to teach your child over someone with accomplishments. Your child gets more out of the lesson than just baseball.” (Craig Holman, 28:05)

• Experience vs. Empathy:

  • “Sometimes the best players don’t make good managers … Because, well, to them, maybe it came easy, right?” (Podcast Host, 27:21)

• Life Experience Matters—but so does Connection: Elites bring unique stories, but relatability and care often trump prestige for ongoing growth.

Practical Wisdom:

• “Information is free. Motivation will cost you money.” (Craig Holman, 68:12)

6. Sports as a Life Foundation: Beyond Results

• The Big Question for Parents:
  Would you put your child through travel baseball for years if you knew they’d never get a scholarship or professional career out of it?

  • “Absolutely. 110%. It's not even close. …the work ethic and the commitment is a setup for success in life.” (Craig Holman, 49:29)

• The Transience of Glory: Even decorated pros can feel “not enough”—so joy and fulfillment must be found in the journey, memories, and growth.

• Cherishing the Journey:

  • “The alternative of not playing sports is sitting at home on a phone…Unless you want to say, ‘I’m giving up sports to become a dancer…’ That’s why I’m saying find your ‘it’ and pour your heart into it.” (Craig Holman, 50:05)

7. Gratitude, Family, and Lasting Lessons

• Bear Bryant’s Daily Prayer: Holman shares its text as a daily reminder of living intentionally—valuing each day and each experience ([54:09-55:41]).

• Family Struggles and Perspective: Holman recounts his son’s battle with childhood cancer, changing his outlook on sports and parenting.

  • “When your son at seven asks you, ‘Am I going to die?’ Man, there’s probably not more terrible place to be. ...When I’m on my deathbed … I'm glad you got cancer. It’s the best thing that ever happened. Changed our family.” (Craig Holman, 59:12, 61:05)

• For the Love of the Game—and Each Other: If all you get is memories together, that is reward enough.

  • “[If] they had never received $1… If they had finished at high school…it would have been the best 10 years of my life…just spending time at the field hitting ground balls” (Craig Holman, 61:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:35] Travel Ball Misconceptions & Playing Time
• [04:45] Why “exposure” is overrated for young players
• [05:48] The importance of reps, failing, and incremental development
• [10:32] Player identity and late physical/skill development
• [13:39] Motivation vs. parental pressure
• [16:22] Helping kids find their “it”
• [17:53] Changing interests & positive self-talk
• [27:01] What makes a great coach?
• [32:19] Letting kids find their own passion and drive
• [37:24] Overcoming painful setbacks
• [49:28] Is travel baseball worth it even without a scholarship or pro career?
• [54:09] Bear Bryant’s Daily Prayer
• [55:43] Perspective after childhood cancer diagnosis
• [68:10] “Information is free—motivation will cost you money”
• [72:07] Money, character, and life wisdom
• [73:20] Cherish the fleeting years

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If they're not playing, they're not getting better.” (Craig Holman, 03:57)
• “Embrace the struggle.” (Craig Holman, 41:44)
• “The work ethic and the commitment is a setup for success in life.” (Craig Holman, 49:59)
• “What you speak over yourself—in order to think you’re a businessman, you have to dress nice and feel like you’re a businessman…You have to believe you’re this before you become that.” (Craig Holman, 21:10)
• “Information is free. Motivation will cost you money.” (Craig Holman, 68:12)
• “Please don’t expect anything out of it except the time spent with your child, which to me is the…the greatest thing ever.” (Craig Holman, 61:05)

Final Takeaways

• Let children experience, struggle, and discover their own passion—resist the urge to control or over-optimize their journey.
• Find coaches and mentors who care deeply and motivate authentically, regardless of resume.
• The real win is not the scholarship or contract, but the shared years, enduring memories, and transferable life lessons achieved through sports.
• Cherish every practice, car ride, and postgame talk: the process is what you’ll remember—and what truly matters.