Dusty Baker, Manager for the MLB's Houston Astros, is a PCA National Advisory Board Member. His career is highlighted by four division championships and by being named National League Manager of the Year three times by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. From 1968 to 1986, Baker played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics as an outfielder. He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1981 and was twice an All Star and earned a Gold Glove Award in 1981. He also managed the Giants, Cubs and Reds.

Here, Dusty talks about how to motivate young athletes through fun. When coaches make sports fun and competitive, kids will learn to love the sport and the competition. This will help them later in life, because life is competitive! It will also increase their desire to play the sport because they’ll love what they’re doing. This is crucial for continued participation in sports and to understand the role of fun and passion in pursuit of academic and career objectives in later life.

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