Measure against Olympic dreams. When our older daughter began pitching, we had no pitching instructor and little knowledge. We had one thing. At 10-years old she began with a simple, very serious goal. One day she wanted to pitch for the Olympic Team. We measured everything from that day forward against that one goal. We …
I’ve actually found great relationships between pitching and my education
This is an incredible look at pitching from a scientific perspective. This week, we salute our Instructor of the week, Jonathan Hon, in the Chicago area. Jonathan is an aeronautical engineer who sees pitching in a fascinating way. Oh, he is good at what he does, and I can assure you that he doesn’t talk …
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So Simple That People Miss It
If asked to name the most important quality colleges seek in recruits, what would you say? Strength, speed, batting average, pitching speed? None of the above. In a recent conversation with a recruiting consultant, she said there is a heavy emphasis on character. All things being equal, this is the difference maker. In other words, …
Rushing the Process
Are there times when we keep a student from taking it to the max? Absolutely. That may surprise you, but there is a good reason. My total focus is on development, with planning designed specifically for her. If an 11-year-old tries to throw as fast as a varsity player, but her body has not developed …
Passing the torch
“Now that you know my story, go create your own.” Have you ever thought about what you would say to the next athlete who gets your uniform? “You will make thousands of mistakes, but that is how you learn”. These quotes came from 12U travel players in Nebraska. As they moved to the next age …
She had a great game, then……
Lily had a great game in the tournament on Saturday. She faced 18 batters, striking out 15. This past weekend, I received so many texts and emails about our pitchers who started strong. Then, I waited, knowing what would come. Fully half of them are new to me. Dominance is a new experience. There is …
All Night Long?
A student came to a lesson exhausted. Her team had played in an “all night tournament”. Doesn’t that sound fun? Perhaps, on the surface. I tell our Certified Instructors that we have three rules in our organization: 1-It is about the kids 2-It is about the kids 3-It is about the kids. Today, I stand …
Be You, Be you, Be You
One of the hardest things for me to learn was that great pitching is not a “look”, not a rigid set of movements, and that every kid should arrive at the perfect place in a way that is unique to her. If an athlete is trying to look like someone else, if she is measuring …
Be Careful When Comparing
One of my favorite tools is video analysis. Yet, one of the tools that can mislead you most is video analysis.
Let Them Coach
It was the first game of a college double-header and our older daughter took the mound against the team that was one game ahead of them in the conference. She didn’t seem to have her usual fire,
Moving it Well
My new partners constantly talk about movement. Movement is more than changing space geographically. Movement has everything to do with how you get there.
Pick Three for Success
In chatting with one of our Certified Instructors, Jen Mineau, she had a great thought. Jen excelled at every level,
New Beginnings
A couple of years ago one of our Certified Instructors sent me an email that said, “Just wanted to say a quick thank you again!
Why Does it Hurt?
One of our readers had a great question this week. With so many advances in training and medicine, why do we see increasing injuries?
The Long Toss Drill
Someone recently asked my opinion of the long toss drill. Like any tool or drill it can be as harmful as it is beneficial.