What to expect
Baserunning:
Situations, knowing the outs, score and defensive alignment and then processing what that means to you as a base runner.
We will teach proper lead habits, pre-pitch reads, form and technique on staying athletic and taking off low - explosive through our secondary leads/steals and out of our breaks.
Turns/proper approaches to the first base bag based off a ball hit in the infield or outfield.
Exploding through first base with our foot strike at the front part of the bag and not middle or back part, then breaking down after our foot strike and locating the baseball.
We will go over the tells/patterns/reads the defense gives us and how to exploit them. (Good example is the pitchers holds, timing from coming set to delivering pitch).
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Form Running (Speed Training):
We will teach proper running form and mechanics by breaking it down for the players with upper body reps, lower body reps, full body reps and using some video for the players to see what they look like when they run and what adjustments coaches are asking them to make to improve on their speed.
They will be getting educated, while receiving game speed reps as well as slow methodical reps to help them better learn and feel their running form.
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Pitchers:
We are establishing and emphasizing:
Pitchers warm up routines
Pitchers becoming fielders, get off the mound when ball is hit & find work/become a defender, back up a bag, cover a bag, or field the baseball.
Working on our holds, picks and mixing up our looks for runner control
Command, command, command...we cannot defend walks so we are working hard to challenge hitters.
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Hitters:
Emphasizing/Establishing:
Simple plan/plate approach
Fixing one thing at a time (Feet, Hands, Chin, bottom half, top half etc.)
Individual based
We are using video for the players to see their swings and what they look like as well as what adjustments need to be made.
Reps
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Defense:
Positional Work, we will break up by positions and get reps, basic fundamentals and proper techniques will be trained day in and day out.
We educate and emphasize:
Communication
Adjusting to swings
Knowing situational defense, and where the other team is in the lineup and what that means for you and overall defense.
Proper positioning
Getting into ready positions on delivery of every single pitch
Heavy thinking pre-pitch, once ball is hit you react accordingly
Ready positions need to be loose and athletic to allow the best possible lateral movement, field the bottom half of the ball, read and count the hops.
Good energy and positive talk to support your guy on the mound.
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Mental:
The game of baseball is 100% mental, we will be encouraging our players to build their mental muscles, become self thinkers and problem solvers.
We could go on for days with this topic alone....Parents just know that we are touching on the mental training every single day down the field.
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Arm Strength:
Building arm strength safely, through long toss, band work, running, and fine tuning mechanics.
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Expectations:
Each player will be getting a formal or informal player assessment, we are always honest with our players on things they need to improve on and things they do very well that they should continue to work on...
Expect your son(s) to get in your car tired at the end of a practice or simulated games, ask him if he is having fun, learning, and competing hard....( If he says YES to all three and even provides some examples then we are simply doing our job, if there is a NO mixed in, encourage them to communicate that to the coaching staff)
Expect your son(s) to be pressured to be a good teammate, hustle, work hard, listen, process and apply, provide feedback, eye contact when teammates or coaches are talking to them.