Most dads step into their son's baseball journey believing they need to fix, protect, analyze, and carry the weight of every result. It comes from love — but it often creates the exact pressure, resentment, and distance they're trying to avoid.
In this solo episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford reframes one of the most misunderstood roles in youth baseball: the role of the father. Your son doesn't need you to be the hero of his story. He needs you to be the guide.
Matt breaks down why trying to "save" your son from failure actually limits his growth, how constant instruction creates dependence instead of confidence, and why the car ride home becomes the most damaging moment in a young player's experience.
You'll learn how to shift from control to clarity, from pressure to trust, and from performance-based approval to the kind of support that allows young players to grow — not just as athletes, but as men.
If you're a dad who wants to stay involved without damaging the relationship or the development process, this episode will change how you show up.
Subscribe for weekly guidance on navigating youth baseball, parenting, and player development with clarity, truth, and strategy.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
• Why your son — not you — must be the hero of his baseball journey
• How dads unintentionally create pressure by trying to "help" too much
• The difference between being the hero and being the guide
• Why constant instruction kills confidence and ownership
• How to communicate support without controlling outcomes
• What questions build trust instead of resentment
• Why the car ride home is the most dangerous moment for relationships
• How approval tied to performance damages long-term growth
• What happens when dads step into the guide role instead
• How this shift impacts your son far beyond baseball
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR DADS
Your son must carry the challenge — that's how growth happens.
Your power as a father doesn't come from control; it comes from clarity and trust.
Your words, tone, and presence either build safety or create fear.
When you guide instead of manage, your son plays freer, communicates more, and grows faster.
ABOUT MATT HANNAFORD
Matt Hannaford is a 25-year MLB agent and founder of Aligned Sports. He has represented Hall of Famers, negotiated landmark contracts, and now helps families navigate youth baseball, recruiting, and development with clarity, honesty, and long-term perspective.
CONNECT WITH MATT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfhannaford/
Website: https://www.aligndsports.com/
YouTube (subscribe for weekly episodes): https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent
#BaseballParents #YouthBaseball #MostValuableAgent
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.