New Beginnings
Last week one of our Certified Instructors sent me an email that said, “Just wanted to say a quick thank you again! Six months ago I never would have even had the first clue where to start to “really help” a college player, let alone anyone else that was to come to me with injury, wanting to gain more speed, movement etc….., however because of you and this amazing group of people all of those things are now possible!”
The Instructor is a former D1 college pitcher and she was so excited to be able to help a college kid identify the cause of her injury, correct her movement patterns to overcome the injury, and in the process they saw significant increases in speed and movement. She was ecstatic to be a part of the comeback.
One day before receiving that email, I was conducting a college camp when a parent came up and wanted to tell me how the Lord had put one of our Certified Instructors in their lives for a reason, and it was making a tremendous difference in their daughter. After the frustrations they had experienced with traditional instruction, they saw him as a miracle.
Every week we hear these things and it simply confirms our mission. Sixteen years ago this week our daughter, Angela, was hurting. Hip contact with the forearm had the arm swollen and bruised and she had to take off a couple of weeks. We went everywhere looking for answers, read everything, and called everyone who claimed to be an expert. Nobody had an answer that helped our situation. We knew her career could be over if this was not fixed, and eventually, through experimentation, we found special movements that allowed her to avoid the problem. Unless you have been there, you cannot imagine the agony of being a dad who is unable to help his daughter. This was just one of many issues we faced, and there was nobody to call. Countless times we just had to work through things, slowly and painfully, until we found answers.
These continuing frustrations finally led me to a decision. I can tell you exactly where I was at that moment when I said to myself that this was going to change, that I would ask the questions nobody else asked, and that I would make sure that no daddy ever felt helpless again. Our real journey began at that moment. For several years I did lessons for free in an effort to learn everything I could about this mystery called pitching. Eventually I charged enough to cover my gas. I consulted doctors, therapists, strength trainers, former pitchers, and anyone else who might have clues that traditional instruction had missed. Eventually this became my living, but the learning was just beginning. During those first few years we usually scheduled 13-hours of lessons a day, back to back, without a lunch break, just so I could see lots of kids and figure out lots of issues. I would stumble back to the hotel room, write down new questions, and begin the search for better answers.
When I read the Instructor’s email, mentioned above, I suddenly realized this is the 16th anniversary of that injury to Angela and the day I made a pledge to find answers that did not exist at the time. There have been frustrating times, dark days, a lot of sweat and fatigue. As our younger daughter developed D1 dreams the journey became more personal again as we worked her specific issues and challenges, and celebrated as those dreams became reality.
When this thing started I never imagined being surrounded by such a talented, diverse, and amazing group of Instructors around the nation who have joined us, bringing the same passion and dedication to help kids. Our standards are high, because our mission has never changed. We want to make sure that no daddy, or mom, ever feels helpless again when it comes to helping their little girls achieve their dreams.
If you know a former college pitcher who would love to be a part of the next generation of Pitching Instruction, send her our way. The need is tremendous and better answers are out there just waiting to be discovered.