YES Network.com

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is determined to improve youth sports.

As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Matheny is taking his campaign to social media through his new web site, MikeMatheny.com. The campaign began when Matheny was asked to coach a local youth team several years ago and responded with a series of demands that needed to be met before agreeing to join the team. The demands focused on respect, sportsmanship and character, and quickly became known as the Matheny Manifesto.

The new site includes interviews with colleagues from Major League Baseball about youth sports. New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi was one of the site's first contributors.

Matheny has a growing list of supporters and several state associations are interested in adopting the Manifesto's principles.

The Cardinals also gave Matheny special permission to write a blog about the team on his site. The blog offers unique perspective on the day-in, day-out grind of a Major League season.

"A tough loss today against the Mets. I know that it is just Spring Training, but I believe that a team begins to develop habits everyday...and losing can be one of those habits that you don't want to form. The guys are playing hard, and it has been a tough balance this spring, not to get these guys too ready, too early. I see some good signs that our everyday guys are getting real close to really taking off. Our main objectives are to keep them healthy, and to have them ready for Opening Day. We are relatively healthy and the guys are already anxious for our first game in Arizona."

Matheny is entering his second season as manager of the Cardinals. 

Follow Matt Hughes on Twitter: @hughesmatt