You finish a game. Before you’ve even unlaced your cleats, you’re checking your phone. A quick scroll through Instagram, a post about the big win, a check of the team group chat. In today’s world, social media is as much a part of the game as the post-game handshake.
This digital dugout can be a powerful tool—a way to showcase your skills, connect with your team, and share your passion for the game. But it can also be a minefield of pressure, comparison, and negativity that can hurt your performance and your reputation.
This isn’t a lecture telling you to delete your accounts. This is a practical playbook for how to use social media smartly, with specific, actionable advice for everyone involved: the player on the field, the parent in the stands, and the coach in the dugout.
The Player’s Playbook
Your social media profile is an extension of who you are as an athlete and a teammate. Use it wisely.
The DOs: Using Your Feed as a Tool
- Build Your Digital Resume: Post short, high-quality clips of your best plays, a great round in the cage, or your progress in the gym. Think of your feed as your personal highlight reel. College coaches and recruiters will look, and a professional, well-curated profile shows maturity and dedication.
- Curate Your Feed for Inspiration: Who you follow matters. Curate your feed with college programs you admire, professional players known for their incredible work ethic, and positive coaching accounts. Make social media a source of motivation, not just a distraction.
- Be a Great Teammate Online: Your character doesn’t disappear when you log on. Share a teammate’s highlight. Post a positive, forward-looking message after a tough team loss (“We’ll bounce back next week”). Your online presence is a direct reflection of your character.
The DON’Ts: Avoiding the Traps
- The Cardinal Sin: NEVER Criticize Others. Do not post anything negative about your teammates, coaches, umpires, or opponents. Ever. This is the fastest way to get a massive red flag next to your name. Recruiters see this as a sign of poor character and a player who will be toxic in the locker room.
- The Emotional Post: Give yourself a 24-hour cool-down period after a tough game. Posting while you’re angry or frustrated is a recipe for regret.
- The Comparison Game: Don’t get lost scrolling through the highlight reels of your competition. Remember, you’re only seeing their successes, not the 100 strikeouts or errors they made to get there. Focus on your own journey.
When to Take a Break
If you find yourself obsessing over the number of likes on a highlight, feeling anxious or down after you scroll, or letting online drama affect your on-field focus, it’s time for a short detox. Log out for a weekend. The game will still be there when you get back.
The Parent’s Playbook
Your role is to be the number one fan, both in the stands and online.
The DOs: Your Role as the #1 Fan
- Keep it Positive. Always. Your social media should be a source of pure encouragement. Celebrate the fun of the game, the team’s effort, and the joy of watching your child compete.
- Celebrate the Team: Post pictures of your child, but also of their teammates hitting a double or making a great play. Tag the team page. Show that you’re a fan of the entire group.
The DON’Ts: Avoiding the Sidelines
- The Online Umpire/Coach: Do not use your platform to complain about playing time, question a coach’s decision, or criticize the umpires. This creates team drama, alienates you from other parents, and puts your child in an impossible and embarrassing position.
- The Over-Tagger: It’s not a good look to tag college coaches in every single post of your 14-year-old’s at-bat. This is often seen as aggressive and can backfire. Let the recruiting process happen through the proper channels.
- The Live-Tweeter: Be present. Enjoy the game with your own eyes, not through your phone screen. Your child will remember seeing you in the stands, not reading your post about the game later.
When to Step In
If you see any form of online bullying involving your child or their teammates, your role is to protect them. Take screenshots, document the issue, and bring it to the coach or a league administrator privately and calmly.
The Coach’s Playbook
You set the tone for the entire team, both on and off the field.
The DOs: Leading by Example
- Set a Team Social Media Policy: This is non-negotiable. Establish clear rules at your pre-season meeting: No complaining, no posting about opponents, no locker room talk online.
- Promote Your Program: Use a team account to celebrate all your players, not just the stars. Share schedules, team successes, and highlight the positive culture you’re building.
- Educate Your Players: Take 10 minutes at practice to have a real conversation about the “permanence” of the internet. Remind them that everything they post is part of their permanent record and that college coaches absolutely use social media as a character check.
The DON’Ts: Maintaining Professional Boundaries
- Don’t “Friend” Your Players: Keep professional boundaries. Use a dedicated team page or a professional “Coach” account for communication, not your personal profile.
- Don’t Critique Publicly: Never use social media to call out a player’s mistake, even indirectly. All constructive feedback must be handled in person or through private team channels.
- Don’t Engage in Arguments: If a parent posts something negative, take it offline immediately. Do not get into a public back-and-forth.
When to Intervene
When you see a clear violation of your team policy, especially if it involves negativity between teammates or disrespect toward the program. Address it directly, privately, and swiftly.
Your Digital Character
Social media is a powerful tool. It can be used to build your reputation or damage it. The choice is yours. In the end, your online presence is a reflection of your character.
At The Batter’s Den, we’re focused on building the complete athlete—and in today’s world, that includes being a smart, responsible digital citizen. The discipline, respect, and character we teach in the cage should extend to how you carry yourself online. Your digital dugout is a reflection of who you are as a player and a person. Make it a great one.