When I was a player I prided myself on defense. I loved taking extra ground balls during and after practice at every level I played. It was never work for me. I was one of those guys who loved practice. As a matter of fact I used to have to bribe some of my college…
Recently I have received quite a few phone calls from parents asking how long the basepaths are in their child’s respective leagues. I figured that more of you out there may have the same questions, so listed below are the infield dimensions for most of the fields you will be playing on this year. I…
In last week’s newsletter our poll question asked at what age do you think kids should focus on one sport. I was happily surprised that nearly half of the responses came in at never. I say that because in my line of work I see more and more kids deciding at a young age to…
Many players dream of the opportunity to get on a big league mound and fire fastballs past over matched hitters. God given ability will take most of these individuals only so far so almost every one of them is looking for an edge with the number one goal of gaining velocity. The big concern in…
Over the years I have worked one-on-one with a lot of young players and have seen many youth league baseball games. One of the biggest fears for many of these players to overcome is the embarrassment of striking out. What this leads to is a mentality of “It’s good enough to just make contact.” More…
TPFP is a great defensive drill and essential when it comes to teaching pitchers how to hop off the mound and throw a baserunner out. The problem I see with the way it is done by some coaches is that a lot of times they have a huge line of guys behind the mound and…
This week I have decided to share with you a great drill that will help your infielders. It’s called Four Corners and it focuses on getting rid of the ball quickly, making quick decisions and accurate throws. Last summer when I was working at a baseball camp in Cooperstown, NY one of our coaches, Todd…
Everyone is always looking for that “5 tool” player. I’ve even had parents tell me how their child has all 5 tools and that they are the best in the state for their age group. Talent is great, and no matter what line of work you are in, it will help you become more successful.…
Even with a hat and sunglasses it can be difficult to catch a fly ball when your line of sight is smack dab in front of that big ball of fire in the sky. Sure it looks funny on blooper reels, but it’s not so hilarious when you or one of your players wears it…
In my fifteen years of coaching experience I have seen quite a few things and run across many different players. Some guys have a lot of talent and equal amounts of baggage to go with it. Others may not be as gifted athletically, but they set themselves apart with their work ethic and leadership. Of…