What I've Learned From Baseball

This week’s topic is Moving Up…“Playing at Your Next Level”…and some ideas to help you improve.

Well, it’s summer, which means that many players have either moved up…or moved on. The league, age group and skill level of teammates and competition may have changed.
For most, it’s some version of an exciting time…though for others, it is one of apprehension* … the feeling of the game passing you by. (* a feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen)

Let’s be clear about this and see if this includes you.
More importantly, let's review some basics that may allow you to overcome these feelings that every player will get at some point in their career. After all, there are always better players than you out there…let's just make sure that none of them will out work your desire to be the best that YOU can be. That’s all any Little Leaguer or Big Leaguer ever can strive for or control. The rest may be just “wishing!”

For Younger Hitters
Hit a lot!
It's fun and will assist you in getting better…sooner. Your swing needs to be solid and you first need to know what a good swing looks like. Once you learn the basics of a good swing (see some terrific DVDs for all ages and skill levels) a lot of your success will come from how much time you have spent swinging. So have fun and swing a lot in the backyard, or anywhere for that matter.

I really like our Personal Pitcher backyard whiffle ball machine. Nowhere near as expensive as our regular baseball pitching machines, it pitches 50 golf ball size whiffle balls in a row before reloading…and does not require a batting cage!

For Older Hitters
Hit a lot!
It seems I never have to ask a hitter to take more swings. It’s just something they always like to do. The problem in helping hitters advance and improve is to convince them to work on their weaker points, whatever they are, and to do this on their own without being asked.

I will tell you that simply put, the higher the level of pitching, the more the coaching tends to easily exploit a hitter's weakness(es) so it is up to you, the hitter, to counteract this by reducing your vulnerabilities.

The 2nd major point is one that gets missed more than most others. I'm talking about the mindset of hitters…the mental side of hitting. To paraphrase my good friend, former player and now Diamondbacks scout Steve Springer, “If baseball is 90% mental then why do we work on it less than 10% of the time?"
Now that’s powerful stuff, don’t you think?

Springer's CD is called Quality at Bats. It may be the best $19.90 you ever spend!

For Younger Pitchers
Your delivery must be mechanically sound.
You must find a simple delivery that will allow you to repeat it over and over… the same way. But this means you will have to get in front of someone who knows the basics of correct mechanics (the position your body needs to be in so that you can throw hard with accuracy…and not put you in a position to become injured).

1. Once you have a good pitching motion…throw fastballs to the strike zone.
2. Once you feel comfortable that you are throwing more fastball strikes than you did before you concentrated on this HUGE improvement…learn to throw a change up using the fastball pitching motion.

A pitching instructor or one of our instructional DVDs can absolutely help you!

For Older Pitchers
Make yourself better by taking advantage of the resources that are available.
You must continue to improve every season. What are you doing about it? If you are average size with an average fastball… you better be finding something that makes you better than your pitching competition… as well as the hitters you face. There’s a million guys that fit that description (lefties do catch a break in this department… but should be no less motivated to improve).

Not sure where to start or what your priorities should be?
A local pitching coach, your high school, or summer league coach are worth seeking out for a discussion. I’m talking about you…not Dad, not Mom. Make the calls and the appointment yourself.

If mechanics are your concern, check out the Common Mechanical Pitching Faults DVD from one of the premier pitching mechanics minds in college baseball, coach Bill Thurston of Amherst College. Common faults and their solutions are covered!

You will find that the pitcher's mind is a big deal in whether they continue to progress or not. I would like you to consider a simple CD. Yes, correct, an audio CD called Pitching - The Mental Game. It's by Brent Kemnitz, pitching coach of the mighty Wichita State Shocker baseball program. This guy has helped more unknown college players get to Pro Ball than most I can think of.

Here’s my favorite stat about this coach…
No pitcher drafted out of High School EVER WAS DRAFTED AT A LESSER ROUND if he chose instead to attend Wichita State and then was drafted again after college. Every pitcher! So check out the CD.

2008 CWS Note
After winning 10 straight, including a perfect record throughout the Missouri valley Conference Championships and a clean sweep through the NCAA regionals, the Shockers' season ended after taking the 1st and dropping the 2nd and 3rd games in the NCAA Super Regionals against a tough Florida State team in Tallahassee…just 1 win from advancing to this year's CWS. Disappointing, but a great year nonetheless…congrats to this great program!

For Coaches of Younger Players
Keep 'em having fun and wanting to come back for more.
This is not as easy as just showing up for practice. Plan tomorrow, today. Plan next week, this week...and so forth. The more you are organized, the more fun your kids will have…not to mention your level of enjoyment, fun and accomplishment.
Again, I will tout my article entitled Plan To Succeed. I hope you will read it or re-read it…great stuff that will help!

If you could use one resource of ideas, forms, practice plans, etc...do yourself a favor and check out our Youth Baseball Coaches Tool Kit. Contents include coaching principles & philosophy, running your practices and all forms of communication and development. It is inexpensive insurance that’s sure to save you many hours of learning the hard way!

For Coaches of Older Players
Help players get to the next level.
Don’t think that your players will be found by colleges or pro scouts simply because they are very good players.
Why? Because there are so many very good players out there and some high school and summer coaches just do not have the connections or maybe even the motivation.

Take care of your own players by continuing to obtain knowledge from parents of current college players, from instructors and coaches as well! The High School Player's Guide to College Baseball saved my own butt in assisting my son to get into the school of his dreams.

Remember, you may be doing this for your kids…but you are still going to need to spearhead this effort as most kids are just too busy being kids to handle this very adult process on their own.

Finally...
Our players & coaches need to watch the 50 slide series of great photos from Yahoo’s coverage of the College World Series. They change constantly but the photography catches the spectacular athleticism and human emotions of these fine young players, all who were no different than those who are reading this newsletter. These are the dreamers, the boys who just kept getting better…a joy to see.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaabb;_ylt=Alct4Cd8LI1qa8zomwmQZmARvLYF

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