Tyson Ross Jessica Kleinschmidt interview on free youth camps

In the Tyson Ross Jessica Kleinschmidt interview for MILLIONS, the retired Major League Baseball pitcher said his nonprofit, Loyal To My Soil, has served more than 5,000 families without charging them to participate. Ross also explained why youth sports costs trouble him and how modern pitching data and the 2014 Kansas City team's bullpen changed the game he knew.

How does Tyson Ross view modern pitching data and bullpen use?

Tyson Ross believes pitching data now helps players understand what works and make adjustments faster than he could during his career. He also sees the 2014 Kansas City team's postseason bullpen as a turning point: its success showed how a starter could hand a game to several hard-throwing relievers after five or six innings.

Pitching adjustments backed by numbers

Ross said he would have valued knowing precisely how a breaking ball came off his fingertips. That information could have helped him repeat a pitch rather than choose among several options and risk leaving one in the wrong spot. He admires how specifically pitchers train now and how quickly they can use information to change their approach.

During his playing days, Ross said, pitchers had to work out many adjustments themselves. The expectations for starters were different, too: he described a time when taking the ball more than 30 times and pitching at least six innings were central to the role.

The 2014 Kansas City bullpen

Relievers were always important, Ross said, but he is glad they now receive more recognition and better pay. He recalled the 2014 Kansas City team using three hard-throwing bullpen arms after its starter went five or six innings. In his view, that postseason approach worked so well that other teams tried to bring it into the regular season, creating more opportunities for talented relievers.

Why did Tyson Ross start Loyal To My Soil amid youth sports costs?

Tyson Ross founded Loyal To My Soil in 2020 because he wanted children to have access to sports without a financial barrier. He said travel ball, private training and other pay-to-play costs can price children out early while pushing parents to stretch their finances to keep them involved.

To Ross, the problem is not a lack of useful instruction or competition. It is that families cannot all afford the same opportunities. Introducing his concern, he put it this way:

Everything's kind of hidden behind a paywall.

Ross said some parents take out lines of credit to keep up with youth sports expenses. Loyal To My Soil responds by organizing free camps with former professionals, high-level college athletes and other instructors. The aim is both to teach skills and to build a community around sport.

The organization has worked with college, professional and high school teams, Ross said, and its volunteer support has extended beyond the state and the country. Those partnerships help the nonprofit put on activities without charging participating families.

How do Tyson Ross's free youth baseball camps help children?

Tyson Ross said Loyal To My Soil has served more than 5,000 families at no cost to participate. He sees the camps as more than a way to teach baseball: a child who tries something difficult, receives help and succeeds can leave with greater confidence and a positive experience of coaching.

Ross pointed to failure as a routine part of baseball and a reason the sport can teach patience and perseverance. When a child struggles with a new skill, an instructor can offer a drill, recognize progress and send that child away feeling better about trying again. He also values the friendships and mentorship that can begin on a ball field.

Those lessons carry into Ross's life as a father of two sons. He described working with them in the backyard, making games fun while finding small chances to teach. If a son swings and misses, Ross likes to praise the swing rather than focus immediately on the missed ball. He wants children to stay willing to try.

What does Tyson Ross look for in a youth baseball coach?

Tyson Ross values coaches who show up for children and are willing to learn. He said donating time matters especially in California, where many people face high costs and demanding work schedules. Loyal To My Soil's coaches clinics then give volunteers information and equipment they can use with young players.

What Ross learned from his father

Asked which coach first made an impact on him, Ross named his dad. His father coached him from T-ball through roughly age 13 and helped other children on the team and in the league, too. Ross remembered him giving rides and staying after practice while a child waited for a family member to arrive.

Keeping practices active

At Loyal To My Soil's clinics, Ross said coaches learn ways to give children more repetitions and turn drills into games. Coaches have returned in later years to tell him they used the ideas during their seasons. For Ross, that follow-up shows that a clinic can continue benefiting children after the event ends.

What did Tyson Ross say about the Loyal To My Soil golf tournament and other sports?

Tyson Ross described the sixth annual Loyal To My Soil golf tournament as a way for supporters to rally around the nonprofit's work. He also said its camp model can extend beyond baseball and softball: the organization has expanded into basketball and is open to adapting its activities for other sports.

The sixth annual golf tournament

Ross said celebrities and community supporters were taking part in the tournament, with food and activities planned on the course. He believed it was the event's third consecutive sellout. The gathering, he said, was intended to support Loyal To My Soil's cause.

Helping communities run camps

Baseball and softball remain the organization's strongest areas, Ross said, but it can help people interested in holding a sports camp in their own community. He invited them to reach out through loyaltomysoil.org for a blueprint or direct help. His advice to anyone prepared to start independently was to begin rather than wait.

Who is Tyson Ross?

Tyson Ross is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and the founder of Loyal To My Soil.