More changes in baseball and the draft

I responded to the following response to Kendall Rodgers great article about changes the MLB draft needs.

The cure all for almost every problem with college baseball is more scholarships. Does softball get the same 11.7? they only use one pitcher all year, who said softball and baseball should be compared by title 9?

Here's my response....

Unfortunately, Title IX is not a sport by sport comparison. I wish it was. Softball programs only have rosters of 18 players...11.7 divided into 18 is a much higher percentage that they can offer their players...Doesn't seem fair.

Football with its 88 scholarships throws the equality way out of whack...that's why you have women's crew offering 18 scholarships and other fringe/country club sports offering more scholarships than their male counterparts....to even things out.

I have the following suggestions...

1. I think that in the fairness of the free enterprise system...MLB needs to have one all inclusive draft...just like the NBA...It can have it's free for all way up to the 8th round...but should include any and all foreign born players in that draft. The Carribean/Central, South American and Asian players are the wild card when a kid gets drafted out of high school. If I were a infielder coming out of high school, I would want to know how the scouts rate me as opposed to a similar and possibly older and more baseball mature Dominican infielder up front...and not later when I report to rookie league. That alone could determine whether or not college is the better option. After the 8th round...then I suggest a Hard Slot system.

2. Increase the scholarships to 20. This is especially important to those financially strapped families that may reluctantly choose to sign with a major league club because they don't have the money to subsidize the 50% gap that the scholarship doesn't cover. . If a kid is drafted in the 10th round...he will have a decision to make...take the recommended slot money or the equivalent of $20,000 a year in scholarship money and get a priceless education. It makes college look better...since most draftable players are getting the equivalent of $10-12,000 in scholarship money now.

3.Move the MLB signing deadline up to July 1. It's hard enough for college coaches to recruit as it is..Give them time to make some adjustments and even some late recruiting attempts.

4.Switch to wood bats...Since the new metal bat guidelines are supposed to be more similar to wood anyway...just switch to wood...make it identical to the pro game. Cost isn't an issue...bat companies usually subsidize the cost of bats to the schools anyway. Most kids I have talked to that play in the summer collegiate leagues prefer the wood bats anyway. Metal bats to them are like cheating...and nobody likes a cheat.

Life After the Pro's

RT Staff Note: We ran an article a month ago about the pros and cons of going pro after high school. Today's article is from Lori Gilbert and deals with issues of finding a career after sports are over. Our take on this subject is that if a high school star decided to go to college, get a degree, or at least completes 3 years of his college studies before he goes pro, he will have a better transition into the real world to find a job after the pro career is over. (MLB can only draft college baseball players after they finish their junior year in college.)

We aren't talking about A-Rods post career plans. He is an exception and represents only a small fraction of the pro baseball universe. He is set. We are talking about the 95% of the other athletes that infiltrate the minors that have their careers cut short due to on the field or off the field struggles, injury and the myriad of other reasons why the attrition in baseball is so high. Despite all of the economic benefits of going pro after high school, we could make a MasterCard commercial about all of the reasons why a college education is Priceless!

Now, as we have stated many times in the past... if only the NCAA would make baseball a higher priority and rule that college baseball can fund as many as 20 or more scholarships, then going to college to play ball, get an education and mature as a person in a more controlled environment would be the first choice of most high school stars. Every athlete should experience college period, get a degree, and acquire the building blocks necessary to seek a career as if sports were not part of the scenario. The problem with a player that signs out of high school is that he is forced to grow up in a hurry at 17 or 18 years old. Many players still need that transitional period as a buffer to the real world that college offers.

The following article is a glimpse of post professional life and the struggles and issues that athletes face after sports.

LORI GILBERT
Record Staff Writer

When the spotlight goes off, it's not easy finding a comfort role in society

Ed Sprague went to spring training with the Texas Rangers in 2002, and when a reporter asked him what he brought to the team, Sprague was stumped.

"I couldn't think of one thing," Sprague said.

After 11 years in the major leagues, he knew it was time to leave.

He returned to Stockton, to his home, to his wife and three kids, and moved on.

"I always knew I'd be a coach, but I didn't know at what level. Little League, high school, college," he said.

Sprague, who is finishing his (fifth) season as the head coach at University of the Pacific, is one of the lucky ones. Or at the very least, a rare exception.

If throwing a touchdown in the Super Bowl, sinking a free throw with the game on the line or hitting a 95 mph fastball is tough, athletes who have excelled at such feats will tell you that not being asked to do those things anymore is even tougher.

Living your life after a career in sports is one of the hardest professions out there.

"You put everything you have into it, all you have, and when it's gone, most guys at the end of their careers are being told, 'You're no longer useful,' " said Guy McIntyre, who played guard in the NFL for 13 years, 10 of them for the 49ers.

It goes beyond being told that, though.

"The hardest thing was that my whole identity was tied up in being a volleyball player," said Pacific graduate Elaina Oden, a two-time Olympian. "When volleyball wasn't there, it was hard to make the adjustment."

She's not alone.

"My identity was always as Adrian the football player, Adrian the baseball player, Adrian the athlete," said Adrian McBride, a University of Missouri graduate who spent three years in the NFL "Since I was 10 years old, I was pushed to be the best. All of a sudden the (NFL) didn't need me. I was working in a meat factory and didn't like that. I thought it was beneath me. I was a bellman at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. That was beneath me. It was devastating to me. They were paying me to carry other people's bags."

Life in the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball means someone carrying your bags. Elite athletes are accustomed to their every need being addressed.

"The hardest part was making the transition from a really controlled environment, all the time knowing what you're going to do next," champion Olympic swimmer Brad Schumacher said. "We planned two or three years out. It was easy to focus on a goal and a result. When I no longer had that obvious goal, the difficult part was figuring out what my new goal was going to be."

He swam his last competitive race at the 2004 Olympic trials. He played professional water polo in Australia and Greece. He also completed his master's degree in business administration at Pacific and teamed up with former teammate Wolf Wigo to form Kap7 Water Polo, a company that creates and sells water polo products and consults on new pool construction.

Oden eventually earned a master's degree, too, and works for New York Life as a financial consultant. Getting there from the disappointed 29-year-old who'd endured knee surgeries and cortisone injections only to see her team finish seventh in Atlanta after winning bronze in Barcelona was a long journey.

"The Olympics were on, and I couldn't watch,'' she said. "There was too much angst watching them try to do what I tried and failed to do. It was hard to watch them lose."

A weekend at a Landmark Forum, a motivational program, inspired her to put her frustration with the past behind her and focus on her future.

It's led her to financial planning, where 90 percent of her clients are athletes and former athletes.

"Eventually, I'd like to have nothing but athletes, to help them," Oden said.
Helping athletes is a path many former players have taken.

McIntyre works for the 49ers as the director of player development, implementing an NFL program begun in the '90s whose purpose is to prepare rookies for their careers and life after football.

McIntyre is in his third year with the program, so he doesn't know if the information provided on continuing education, financial education, offseason internships and personal assistance has helped.

"Very few guys have come back and said it's helped," McIntyre said.

One person who doesn't expect it to help is agent Bob Lamonte. "The NFL program is a Band-Aid solution," Lamonte said. A history teacher for 25 years, Lamonte used his education background to develop a program of his own to prepare athletes for their post-career lives.

It began with a personality test to determine interests and included a step-by-step program to prepare an athlete to move into that job upon retirement. The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the few professional teams to pay for the program for its players. It's how Lamonte met Sprague.

"Ed Sprague's a model for what to do when you retire," Lamonte said.

Sprague's model was his dad, Ed Sprague Sr., who played in the days when athletes worked in the offseason.

Those players were better prepared to move on to life after sports.

"You would try to become a spokesperson, or a (public relations) person for a brewery or soft drink firm," said R.C. "Alley Oop" Owens, who played pro football from 1957-64. "You'd beat the bushes looking for one of those jobs."

Owens worked as a recreation leader in Menlo Park in the offseason, then through his college football coach he landed a job with J.C. Penney giving motivational speeches across the country to youngsters. He earned more in the offseason than he earned playing football.

Athletes have always moved into roles as broadcasters, but those jobs are precious.

Some spend their retirement years giving back. Some enter politics.

Others serve as cautionary tales. From former Astros pitcher J.R. Richard, who was found homeless and sleeping under a bridge, to Dwight Gooden's recent return to prison for drug abuse, there are plenty of bad examples.

"Studies show 70 to 80 percent are bankrupt and/or divorced within five years of the end of their career," McBride said.

He never fell to those depths, but it took several years of meat-cutting, bag-carrying and employment recruiting before McBride found his niche.

"I was watching the NCAA basketball tournament in 2002, and they kept showing this NCAA commercial about 360,000 athletes all going pro in something other than sports," McBride said. "It was a great commercial, but extremely misleading to former athletes. The perception is they'll ride off into the sunset like any average student."

He and his wife, a former All-American gymnast, knew better.

They began a nonprofit program called Life After Sports and set up shop in the athletic department at Missouri.

Like Lamonte, they begin with assessment tests to determine athletes' interests. From there, they prepare them to be non-athletes.

McBride has run golf and tennis events, as well as dinners, to train them in proper decorum. He provides lessons on business etiquette and résumé writing. He's worked to get them internships, geared around their sports schedules.

"Slowly but surely, we're making a difference," McBride said.

He hopes eventually to spread his program across the country.

Women may have an easier time making the transition than men.

"For women, there aren't a lot of opportunities (in pro sports)," said former Pacific point guard Selena Ho, who dreamed of playing professionally but knew it was a long shot. She has stayed in the game as a coach, currently as an assistant at Oregon.

"They generally have the desire, but they are more honest with themselves, have a more honest assessment of what their capabilities are and can be."

Not so much with men, McBride said.

"Especially in the big sports - basketball, football, baseball - guys are here for one reason, to get to the NFL, NBA or major leagues. When I was playing 20 years ago, I don't remember talking about going to the NFL. That was something you kept to yourself."

Now, it's more of an expectation than a dream, which can make the disappointment of not making it even more devastating.

Helping athletes make the transition is now the work of McBride and McIntyre, among others, who understand that the toughest job an athlete will ever have is not being one anymore.

Rise, Shine and Eat!

RT Staff Note: We have always thought that breakfast is a terrible word. It's neither a break or should it be fast. It's an integral part of a young athletes eating routine. The following article is from Julie Nicoletti of Kinetic Fuel. KN provides personalized nutritional education and counseling for serious individuals seeking improved performance, health and well being. Their unique advantage is their interactive, multi-level nutritional program targeted towards an athletes goals.

Some people wake up starving and can’t wait to have breakfast while others can’t even stand the thought of food in the morning. Then there are those who would rather sleep than take the time to eat. Consider this: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is an essential part of an athlete’s diet.

Eating breakfast fuels your metabolism, feeds your brain, improves concentration, lengthens attention span, decreases irritability and mid morning fatigue and helps accomplish weight goals. Convinced?

Eating breakfast is nonnegotiable. No excuses accepted.

Strategies for Eating Breakfast:
*Not your favorite? Eat healthy foods that appeal to you. You’ve heard of breakfast for dinner, you can also have dinner for breakfast.

*Rather sleep? Free up time for breakfast by doing some morning chores the night before. Plan, prepare and lay out whatever you can ahead of time. Take it to-go: make a smoothie or egg sandwich that is portable and can be eaten on the go.

*No appetite? Wake up a few minutes earlier to give your body time to feel hungry. Consider starting small~ a few bites and a few sips the first day and increase daily. Split it up: eat half at home and half on the road.

Ideas for breakfast:
*Egg whites, one whole egg veggie omelet on whole grain toast or bagel or as a wrap in a Joseph’s Oat Bran, Whole Wheat and Flax lavash, pita or tortilla, plus fruit, milk or yogurt. For variety, top omelet w/ salsa and add black beans OR fry egg whites using spray like Pam, OR eat hardboiled egg whites to go. Plan ahead. Make enough for a few days, place eggs in pita/tortilla, wrap in paper towel and then in a sandwich baggie. Microwave one each morning.

*Smoothie: blend ice, low fat yogurt, fruit or peanut butter with protein powder or cottage or ricotta cheese. Can take this to-go.

*Whole grain (Kashi) waffles or protein pancakes topped with nut butter and banana OR cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit like mixed berries or apple slices and cinnamon OR natural applesauce. Make into a sandwich if it’s to-go.

*Make the night before: mix ½ c. Old Fashioned Oats w/ 1 c skim or 1% milk and 1/8 c. unsalted sunflower seeds plus raisins or craisins. Add cinnamon to taste.

*Make the night before: mix together and chill~ 1 scoop whey protein powder with 6 oz. 1% milk and 1 tsp. sugar free jello pudding mix. (239 cal, 33g protein, 17g carb, 4g fat)

*Vanilla Chobani yogurt w/ oats, raisins or craisins, sunflower seeds, cinnamon mixed in. OR Hood fat free cottage cheese with diced apples and cinnamon or pineapple and walnuts or Friendship whipped cottage cheese or part skim ricotta on top of Ezekiel or whole grain bread plus fruit.

*Whole grain cereal w/ fiber and low sugar (Total, Kashi, Special K, Smart Start, organic choices – read labels) w/ skim or 1% milk, fruit, yogurt.

*Leftover dinner.

*Tuna melt or turkey, chicken breast on whole grain English muffin plus fruit and milk or yogurt.

*Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread and milk.

Whatever you decide, however creative you may be, decide to eat a healthy breakfast. It’s the best way to fuel your day.

Eat well. Play like a champion!

College Preview Mania

I love college sports and am a big fan of college football. This weekend, I watched all of the ESPN college previews....read the Sports Illustrated college football preview and listened to a college report on the radio and internet. You can't escape it. And...that's the way it should be.

I only wish that college baseball would get the same pre-season and in-season coverage. Some of the biggest names in baseball today are former college players. Steven Strasburg, Ryan Howard, Kevin Youkilis, Marlyn Byrd, Tim Lincecum, Buster Posey, Pat Burrell, Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff, Evan Longoria, Huston Street, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Dustin Padroia, Andre Ethier, Chase Utley, Clay Bucholtz, David Price and Tim Husdson to name just a few...there are literally hundreds.

There are enough great MLB players that have played college ball to justify to fans, the networks and advertisers that there are really future stars playing in college. That should make for great story lines...great theater and incredible baseball.

So....when is going to happen...When is College baseball going to get its prime time pre-season special????

Make The Most Of Your Opportunity

"You don't lose when you get knocked down, you lose when you decide to not get up."

I can't remember where I saw this quote or who said it. I'm not even sure I have the right words. It's just one of those thoughts that I recall from time to time and it gets me through a tough situation at work. I'm one of those odd parents that often see quotes that I think would inspire my kids. I usually print them out and lay them inconspicuously by the computer where they do their homework. They never acknowledge that they see any of these quotes and I never ask them if they saw it. The quote will just sit there for a few days and get tossed on weekends when my wife does her clean sweep of the house. But, I'm pretty sure they see it and think how weird their father is and then quickly move on to explore the wonders of Facebook or I-Tunes. Nevertheless, maybe it's one of those subliminal messages that just pop up in their mind when they need it the most. They have had tremendous success with baseball and have a pretty terrific attitude, so maybe....

This quote pops up in my mind because we have been receiving an inordinate amount of e-mails from parents that think their kid is getting the shaft from not playing enough high school baseball. Most are from parents of underclassmen and that will be the focus of this post.

First, just because a player is not starting or getting as much playing time as you, as a parent would like, doesn't mean that he is not learning, developing or a valuable asset to the team. Being on a baseball team is more than just playing or starting. Everyone on that roster has a role. Many high school teams have mid week scrimmages, and situational practices in which everyone participates. We talked about this in a a previous post. Those scrimmages and practices are just as important as the games to many coaches. If a player is good, then his skills may motivate someone else that doesn't want to lose their position to that underclassman. Many of you parents with bench sitting sons need to sit down with them and ask them what is their motivation? Is your son setting goals and working harder in practice to achieve those goals? Does he have the desire and the drive to want to be the first on the field and the last to leave? Does he hustle the most? Is he the most attentive when the coaches speak?

If so, then his time will come. If not...then that may be the problem at hand. Because practice and scrimmages are where you learn and develop skills...it's not always in regular season games. The coach may have picked up on that. The only way to turn this situation around is giving 110% effort, learning, developing and setting goals to get out of that mental rut that is often caused by sitting on the bench. If he truly loves baseball, he needs to truly love the journey to get there as well. That means paying dues, working harder, hustling and doing everything he is asked to do and more in practice.

But even if that player never gets his chance or is just not as physically talented enough to crack an everyday line-up, attitude and enthusiasm is still important. A player must realize that this is still a team sport and that there are other team members that need their support...a dead dug-out often results in dud of a game. There really is no room for negative attitudes in the dug-out just because a player is sitting the bench.

There used to be a kid we knew who was a smallish infielder who also never played much...but he never gave up trying. He was the inspiration in the dug-out, leading the team in other ways like spirit and upbeat chatter on the bench. He usually only got in games that were blow-outs, but when he got up to bat, he received more vocal support from his team mates than anyone else. He never even thought about quitting or giving up. He was having fun just being on the team, with his friends and for the love of the game. At the end of the season, the coach gave him a special award for being the most inspirational player on the team. He never played much, but I guarantee that he learned and developed in many ways other than just baseball.

Players, if you are sitting the bench, try something new and turn it up a notch and see what happens. The coach hasn't cut you. You ARE on the roster and he must see something in you right? Even if things still don't change then at least you can hold your head high and be very proud that you gave it your all and played the best of your ability day in and day out. You may not have a career in baseball, but that work ethic that you learned between the lines will pay you HUGE dividends later in your adult life.

Summer Ball, Fall Ball Considerations

RT Staff Note: Here's an article on Steve Zawrotny's BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Conditioning - www.BaseballFit.com.

In most areas of the country, the regular season and high school playoffs are finished for both baseball and softball. We are just now getting into the College World Series for both sports. In line with this, I recently received this message from a concerned parent of a college baseball pitcher:

“I ordered your throwing velocity and strength/conditioning booklets along with a set of weighted baseballs hoping my son would follow your program this summer. He read the two booklets and is excited about following your guidelines.

“His problem is that he just finished his season and he will go back to college mid August to begin fall baseball. If he takes a few weeks off (which I think he should; he pitches) he will probably only have about 10 weeks to use your programs. Any advice you can give me will sure be appreciated.”

This illustrates the on-going conflict between practice, playing, and improving one’s skills. There is no question that the more one does a thing, the better they will be at it. This is why most (but not all!) of the best ball players come from warm-weather states. Warm weather is conducive to more game-like conditions for practice and playing.

But there are limits to this approach, of course. For some more thoughts on this concept, what business management guru Steve Covey calls, “Sharpening the Saw,” click here.

So what is to be done in the face of these seemingly reasonable but conflicting demands?

It is well known fact in the training community that upon making a significant change to mechanics, athletes in any sport usually experience a drop-off in performance. This decrement is then overcome as the new mechanics are learned and integrated, which takes time – often weeks to months. This is why it is usually not a good idea to make drastic mechanical or skill changes in-season.

A good example of this is with golfer Tiger Woods and the changes he has made to his swing over his career. Several years ago, he felt that he needed to do some things differently in order to achieve his goals. He was criticized in some quarters for this, as his swing seemed to be just fine at the time. Yet no one is critical of what he did now.

I have some thoughts regarding Summer Ball, Fall Ball, and getting better, from the perspective of players, parents, and coaches. At some point in my life, I have been in each of these positions – sometimes in more than one at a time.

PLAYER CONSIDERATIONS

I know as a player, you want to perform your best and please and impress your coaches. So when they ask you to play, you feel obligated to do so. Yet playing all the time may not always be in your best interests.

Playing and practicing all the time leaves little time to work on other things. So, you keep doing what you have been doing. If your skills are already at a sufficiently high level, this is not a problem. But if you need to make significant mechanical changes (as most players do), such as learning a new pitch or two, or improving some aspect of your conditioning, doing these things while competing is very difficult, if not impossible. You need some down time – the off season – to accomplish these important objectives.

Is it really a problem if you play Spring and Summer Ball, then take the Fall and Winter off to work on needed areas for improvement? The idea of taking one step back now in order to take two steps forward later is not only a good idea but is vital to your growth and progress as a player. Discussing this with your coach is key. Hopefully he’ll know what you need to work on and will be actively involved in your “improvement plan.” With this approach, both player and coach will benefit in the upcoming competitive season.

Consider undergoing “active rest.” Play another organized sport, or participate regularly in some activity other than baseball/softball. Don’t just lay around during the off-season, but do something different than your regular competitive season’s activities.

PARENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Your primary job is to look out for your child’s best interests. Ideally you’re doing this in conjunction with his/her coach. Obviously, things will not go well if you try to tell the coach how to do his/her job. However, you do have the final say on how your child is “used” on a team. If you don’t like how a particular team/coach is doing things, find another program, if possible. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you think something’s not right.

At the same time, DO NOT be one of those parents who questions or complains about every little thing a coach says or does. This is the quickest way to alienate a coach and perhaps send your child to the bench. If you feel you have a legitimate beef, say something to him/her respectfully in private. Otherwise, be supportive and allow the coach to do his job.

If you're the parent of a particularly gifted player, coaches will be tempted to “ride this horse” as long and as often as they can. For parents of pitchers. some good information you should be aware of and use is available courtesy of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) and can be found here. If necessary, give the coach a copy of the info, and inform him that you will only allow your child to pitch under these guidelines. If the coach has a problem with that, find another team.

Doubtless your player needs some time off from playing games to actually work on their game. Fall/Winter is the best time to do this. Talk with the coach to get your and his ideas together to best advance your child’s skills.

COACHING CONSIDERATIONS

During the season, winning games is your primary goal and responsibility. You well know that it is difficult at best to implement changes to player mechanics during this time. The best time to do this is the off and pre-season. But if you’re playing year-round, when can your players make these key improvements?

My suggestion: play your regular spring competitive season, and another 50-60 summer/travel games. During these seasons, strive to be as successful as possible.

If you have a choice, do not participate in a competitive Fall season. Make this the time for player development all the way through Winter and the pre-season. Emphasize mechanical/skill and strength/conditioning improvements over competitive accomplishments. Go ahead and scrimmage, but make these scrimmages of a more controlled nature that allow you to create and observe the situations you want to develop and improve upon.

Evaluate players on how hard they work and the progress they make in both mechanics and strength/conditioning. You will likely find that players willing to work hard at this time will be your contributors in-season.

The bottom line is this: you can’t get better by simply playing all of the time. Take some time to do maintenance work. You will reap the benefits big-time next season!

YOUNG PLAYERS & BURNOUT

My definition of a “young” player for our discussion here is pre high school. Once a player gets to high school, they can get more serious about their sport, whatever that may be.

The way things are these days, players as young as six play on travel teams that are nationally “ranked” by some organization or another. I think this is ridiculous., but it is what it is. But my goodness, if you’ve been a “National Champ” a time or two by the time you get to high school, what do you have to look forward to? As a youngster, newspaper write-ups and awards become commonplace. Been there, done that.

No doubt you’ve noticed how many times, players who are phenoms when younger turn out to be pretty ordinary as everyone grows and matures. Suddenly the "phenom" has to work harder to keep up, and many kids don't want to do this. What was once fairly easy is now difficult.

So, when other things begin to show up to compete with this growing, maturing youngster’s time and interests, is it any wonder that many of these players quit and take up other activities?

Here’s the truth about youngsters and sports: they DO NOT have to begin when in diapers to excel and have an advantage over their peers! What a child is good at at age ten may well be very different from what they’re good at at age twenty. Certainly, many very good players begin playing organized sports at 10 or 12 years of age and go on to achieve at a very high level.

Parents, Players and Coaches: It is not necessary to start your child’s sports training out of the womb. It provides no significant advantage, yet offers the risk of burn-out. So let your children play in the streets and playgrounds to develop their skills and interests without the interference of organized leagues. If they show sufficient interest and ability, you will find this out in plenty of time for them to benefit.
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(C) 2008 Baseball Fit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Quotations with attribution permitted. Cite source as Steve Zawrotny's BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Conditioning - www.BaseballFit.com

The information contained herein is the opinion of the author based on his personal observations and years of experience. Neither Steve Zawrotny or Baseball Fit assume any liability whatsoever for the use of or inability to use any or all of the information presented on this website.

Nutrition and More

RT Staff Note: Julie Nicoletti B.S.,R.Ph.is a pharmacist, sports nutritionist, and co-founder of Kinetic Fuel, LLC, based in Massachusetts. She is also a faithful reader of Rounding Third and works in many capacities with the New England Ruffnecks as well. You can contact Julie at Julie@kineticfuel.net Enjoy!
RT Staff

The premise is simple. If you want to play a great game and be injury free over a long season, you need to think like an athlete and eat and drink properly. Baseball is as much a mental game as a physical one. You need to be alert and able to make split second decisions for the right play. Baseball games are frequent, without much time for rest during the season. They are mostly played in hot, humid weather, which makes hydration imperative. They can be long, and may include double headers, so fueling your body and your brain is a crucial factor in performance.

3 Simple Suggestions for Success

1. Plan ahead and pack a cooler with enough of the right food, drinks, and snacks.
2. Never skip breakfast. Bring it to go if you need to leave home early in the morning.
3. When traveling to tournaments, make the best possible choices when it comes to where to stop and what to order.

Pre game: Players should eat a carbohydrate rich, low fat meal including protein 3-4 hours before a game (for the high school season, that could be lunch) and a high carbohydrate snack 1 hour pre game. Players should drink about ½ liter of cold water up to 1 hour before.

Meal ideas:
Oatmeal w/ berries or cinnamon and apple, 1% or skim milk mixed w/ Ovaltine
Egg/egg whites, or tuna, cheese on wheat bagel or bread, fruit or juice
Protein pancakes, fruit, low fat chocolate milk
Protein shake or smoothie: yogurt, milk, berries, pro powder
Meatball, turkey or lean ham sandwich on whole grain bread w/ lettuce, tomato, fruit, yogurt
Pasta (Barilla Plus is a good choice) w/ red sauce, lean meatballs or baked chicken cutlet, milk
Peanut butter and banana sandwich on wheat, add agave/honey or raisins, yogurt
Turkey chili w/ crackers and Mexican cheese, water

Snack ideas:
banana, apple or orange and 8-12 oz Gatorade
oats or low fat granola (Bare Naked Fit) mixed into yogurt x 2, Gatorade
Raisins, apricots, banana chips, mixed w/ multigrain Cheerios/Chex cereal, G’rade
Clif bar, water or milk
Graham crackers, banana, Gatorade

During game:
Players should hydrate at every break in play, alternating between water and Gatorade. Drink as much as is tolerated. Use time in the dugout or between games to hydrate and refuel with a snack. Pitchers, because they expend more energy than other players and are in the sun longer, as well as catchers who wear heavy equipment, need to pay special attention to hydration. Muscle dehydration of 3% can cause about 10% loss of contractile strength and 8% loss of speed.

Between a Double Header:
Players need to replenish carbohydrate stores and fuel their bodies quickly and without stomach upset. Avoid fat because fat slows digestion and absorption of nutrients. That means grilled chicken breasts or extra lean ground beef or turkey burgers, fruit and water or Gatorade would be much better choices than hotdogs, chips and soda or pizza. Or bring a turkey sandwich, yogurt and fruit for between games. Choose from the list of pregame meals or snacks for additional options that would serve you well.

Recovery: For maximum benefit, you must eat a recovery snack/meal within 15-30 minutes after a game. Protein is used for repair and growth of muscle tissue. Carbohydrates replace used glycogen (stored energy). Recovery today is preparation for tomorrow.

Recovery ideas:
EAS Myoplex Ready to Drink protein shake, or 100% Whey protein powder mixed with water, plus 8-12 oz Gatorade, and either raisins, dried apricots or a piece of fruit
EAS Myoplex RTD protein shake or pro powder, string cheese, apple
Protein pancakes, banana w/ 1-2 TBSP natural peanut butter
Yogurt plus fruit
Turkey sandwich on wheat, fruit, Gatorade or low fat chocolate milk

Minding Your Business

RT Staff Note: There's a book called Mind Gym, by Gary Mack that is a must read for every athlete that is interested in playing baseball at the next level. There's a lot of baseball references in this book, because baseball is one of the most mentally challenging sports on this planet. The foreword of this book is written by Alex Rodriguez. In addition to his phenomenal work habits and constant physical training, he is a big believer in mind training. This is what Alex has to say...

When I was nine years old growing up in Miami, I dreamed of being a major league baseball player someday. The dream was a little blurry back then, and it disappeared when I quit baseball and took up basketball. I wanted to become the next Magic Johnson or the next Larry Bird. Then one day I was talking with my mother and my older brother, and I realized that there aren't too many Dominicans playing in the NBA. So after a two-year layoff, I started playing baseball again, and that picture in my head, that dream, came back to me. That blurry image started taking focus.

I can tell you I wouldn't be where I am now, if I hadn't seen myself wearing a big league uniform long before it happened. I believe in the power of dreams.

I also believe mental preparation goes hand-in-hand with setting goals and hard work. The way I use my mind is the biggest reason I've been able to enjoy success and play at a high level in a game where you have to prove yourself everyday. In sports, as in life, talent will take you just so far. I try to attain goals mentally first. Let me give you an example. I don't want to sound cocky, but early in the 1996 season, I visualized winning the American League Most Valuable Player award and holding it above my head. I visioned winning the batting title and holding up that trophy too. I visioned a .380 batting average. In my mind I could see the number, flashing and blinking on exit signs....380....380....380.

That year I missed winning the MVP by three votes and won the batting title. Playing the game was the easy part. The real work was in the preparation. What I did in May paid off with rewards in November.

Just as I believe in dreams, I believe in the power of positive reinforcement and visualization. Some nights when I go to bed I will tell myself, maybe 150 times, "I hit the ball solid. I hit the ball solid. What do I do for a living? I hit the ball solid." I see the results from my minds eye out. I see myself from the fans perspective. From the managers view in the dugout. I picture myself on the field from different angles. I believe a champion wins in his mind first, then they play the game, not the other way around. It's powerful stuff.

My season is long, extending from spring training through 162 games and the playoffs. Every athlete in every sport experiences peaks and valleys. During tough times I don't worry. I don't judge my performance by results. Most important is my physical and mental preparation. The question I ask when I look in the mirror is "Am I ready to play?" If the answer is yes, I feel confident. Once the ball is thrown, or it's hit, the outcome is out of your control.

What To Do When You Receive A Letter From A College Coach

If you attended a recent WWBA tourney or another Perfect Game Showcase, then you may have already received that letter that reads...

"We saw you play at a recent showcase and have recognized you as one of the top players in your area"

Yes, this is sort of a standard letter that is sent out to just about every participant at a showcase. Part of the agreement of these showcases is the release of the database of the teams, players and coaches e-mails and home addresses. However, that doesn't mean that you ignore it. All of these coaches and organizers know that not every one is a talented prospect. However, not even every talented prospect can be a prospect if he doesn't respond to the questionnaires and letters that he receives from the college coach that sent the letter.

RESPOND
Bottom line, respond to every letter...Fill out every questionnaire...Get on their database...Because it will show that you are an interested athlete.

Why?

Well...one thing your son has that most baseball players that don't go to showcases and camps have is the desire to put their talent on display in front of the scouts. That says volumes about your sons character and desire for the game. That will make him a player to watch in future events. Now, it doesn't mean that they will recruit him. It just means that they will further evaluate him and see if the talent matches up to the desire and attitude. But, it's a start and a good position to be in.

ORGANIZE
Before we went to our first major camp (read my first post...we did some minor camps to get the kinks out first), my son and I sent out letters and e-mails to all of the colleges he thought he may want to go to school and play for and told them that he was attending the showcase. The letter and profile that we sent was very detailed. Below is a sample of the type of information you must put in a profile sheet. Include a good, "facing the camera" shot of your son...preferably torso up, so they can see his body type and frame.
_________________________________________________________
<Travel Team Name
Positions: OF
Uniform#: #23
Coach: All Coaches Named Here
Website: www.mytravelteam.com

Personal Information
Phone: 888-888-8888
Email: myemail@yahoo.com
Address: 888 Baseball Rd, Baseball City CA 88888
Date of Birth: 01/01/1991 Age: 16
Height: 6'4" Weight: 190
High School: My High School Class of 2010
League: AAAA
Phone / Web 888-999-0000 www.my highschool.org
HS Coach: Mr Coach (888) 777-8888
Positions: OF
Bats: R Throws:R
GPA: 3.8

Athletic Awards: Started Varsity as Freshman, All League 2nd team, County Times 2nd Team

Academic Awards: Frosh Deans List Honors Algebra Academic Award

Clubs/Activities: Freshman Class Treasurer

Hitting Coach: Coach Smith

Travel Baseball Background: 10U 7th Place USSSA Nationals, 11U 5th Place USSSA Nationals, 12U 2nd Place Cooperstown TOC, 13U USSSA 3rd Place Nationals, 14U National Champions USSSA, 15U National Champions Elite 16

Top Colleges Interested In: State U, State Tech, State A&M ______________________________________________________

ADDRESS EACH LETTER AND PERSONALIZE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL COACH AND MENTION THE COLLEGE AS WELL. NO SHORTCUTS!!!

PROVIDE AS MUCH INFO ABOUT YOUR SON AS POSSIBLE
As you can see from the profile info above, we included the following:

TRAVEL TEAM...This is important because the scouts and recruiters want to know how serious the players are about baseball and the way they challenge themselves against better competition. include your uniform number so they can spot you right away...this will vary...some showcases have pre-determined numbers that are given out...others will have the team just wear their travel ball uniforms. Also include your coaches phone number and e-mail so they can contact them with a profile of your abilities.

HIGH SCHOOL...High schools teams get the press, so if your player is on a high school team that gets a lot of local press, the scouts will know to look for you there. Also include the name, phone number and e-mail address of your high school coach. Depending on the league or the coaches reputation, they will contact that coach as well for an evaluation.

ACADEMICS...College baseball has always put more of an emphasis on grades than other sports...If a players grade point is above a 3.2, he will be recruited heavier than a student with a 2.8 or below...all things equal.

TRAVEL TEAM SUCCESS...While it doesn't matter what kind of success you had as a 10 year old, the fact that a player has had the discipline and desire to play those 100+ games and travel around the country for years, will help the coaches understand that you can handle the rigors of collegiate ball better than most.

LIST ALL COLLEGES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN...Don't be shy here..You will not make the coaches mad if their school is one of 10 listed. In fact, it shows that you have confidence in your ability to play there.

When we went through this process, we bought big 3" binders with the names of every college we sent letters and e-mails to and received letters from and organized the names on tabbed separators. We also wrote down notes of each and every showcase he attended and we did our own analysis of his performance....i.e. hits, plays made...60 yard time...SPARQ score etc.

This is just scratching the surface. There will be more on this subject later.

No B.S. Grip Strength

By Jon Doyle

Note: The following is an excerpt from the best selling baseball training book “Diamonds” concerning grip training and baseball.

To be rather blunt, grip, wrist and forearm strength training for baseball is severely misunderstood. If need be, I will be the one to tell you that wimpy wrist and forearm curls and rotations will not do anything except make your forearms burn. To this point almost everyone has told you this works.

Well, they were dead wrong! They have very little carryover onto the baseball diamond and are simply a waste of time. As is my mission on every piece of advice I give, I am here to cut through the BS and provide you with the truth about how to develop strong, ripped forearms that won’t quit and will skyrocket your performance on the baseball field, fast.

Ok, so now that you have tossed the muscle magazines that are simply a waste of time, let’s get down to business. If you want strong forearms you need to overload them with exercises that force the body to handle very heavy loads. Now that does not mean you have to load the Smith Machine with 7 plates on each side. It means you must use gravity and imperfect object to stimulate the forearms and wrists in unique and effective ways.

During certain Focus Lifts the forearms get a tremendous amount of stimulus that actually carries over to the field. Power Cleans, Power Snatches and Deadlifts all rely heavily on the forearms as part of the chain.

That point if key. When you swing a bat, you swing with more than your forearms and wrists. They are part of the whole “chain.” It should be this way in your training as well.

If you are isolating the forearms you are missing the boat. Just like isolation training doesn’t work for making you a stronger, more explosive athlete, forearms training is no different.

In my opinion, one of the quickest ways to increase grip and forearm strength is by climbing or pulling a thick rope. Doing so will literally force your forearm muscles to respond with a grip that won’t quit.

Ropes used to be in every gym class in the country, but are now very hard to find. In fact, the only one I have seen in an educational facility in the last ten years was at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Chances are you are going to have to set up your own if you want to reap the benefits of this tremendous drill.

Another very useful tool is towels. Towels placed over a barbell can prove to be a tremendous tool for increasing forearm and grip strength. Deadlifts, rows and pull-ups can all be performed with towels.

Another section that should be referenced in this book is the “Weighted GPP” portion. Exercises such as Wheelbarrow Walks and Farmers’ Walks will not only do wonders for your overall conditioning, they will also provide a tremendous stimulus for the forearms.

To recap simply drop the isolation work for your forearms and train them along with the other aspects of your training.

If you are interested in learning more about grip strength and baseball drills in general be sure to check out “Diamonds”

Read About The Next Level Too

Our articles and resources help players in many ways. Our strength and conditioning tips will help you develop a stronger core. Our guest articles from people like Carmen Bucci will help you communicate to future college coaches. Our timelines help parents organize their sons summers and off seasons. We give opinions that many agree with and many don't.

There are other resources out there that are helpful in preparing players and parents for college too. If you want to prepare yourself for college ball, it really can be a benefit to learn about it via the many great college web sites available. Here is a list of our favorites.

College Baseball on Rivals.com
Ever since Yahoo bought Rivals, there has been a visible commitment to everyday articles and information that is extremely helpful when it comes to learning about specific programs and the college game in general. Managing editor, Kendall Rogers does a fantastic job of moderating the content and giving their message board some real life, no matter what month or what time of season. There's insight on fall work-outs, NCAA rules and regs, interviews with college coaches and more. If your son is on the track to college ball and you want to know more about the college game...you'll get a lot of your answers here.

The College Baseball Blog
Like Rivals, this blog is very informative and acts as a portal of sorts for college press releases and some good commentary too. This site has become the Ultimate Source for College Baseball News and Notes around the nation. The staff of the blog attends in excess of 100 baseball games during the College season and many College summer league games. There's a lot to like about this site and Brian Foley and staff stay on top of all of the hot topics surrounding the college game.

Baseball America
If you value player rankings and draft prospects, no one does it better than Baseball America. The only downside is that the real good information is only available on a subscription basis and can be costly to those that are on a budget. But, since BA also ranks high school prospects, they can provide a double bonus of those that want both.

College Baseball Insider
We like this site a lot. Sean Ryan is co-founder and editor of CollegeBaseballInsider.com. He spends his days working at The Hodges Partnership (www.hodgespart.com), a public relations firm in Richmond, Va. After work, he takes to the diamond as the head varsity baseball coach at Benedictine High School. Phil Stanton is the other co-founder and editor for CollegeBaseballInsider.com. Phil is now concentrating full-time on CBI after working four years as director of athletic communications at Virginia Commonwealth University.

CBS Sports College Baseball
More of a seasonal site and they seem to be on hiatus in the off-season despite the activity of fall work-outs and scrimmages. Not a bad resource during the season though.

College Summer Ball
A part of the College experience is the summer leagues that players get assigned to by the college coaches. If you want to follow your local player to the Cape Cod, Northwoods, Alaskan, Cal Ripken Sr. leagues and more, this is a good site to follow.

As college baseball becomes more popular, there will be more web sites to follow we are sure. For now, these are some of the best.

Pre-At Bat Prep

By Jalal Leach

Over my 15 year career, I was very good at preparing both mentally and physically before my games and my at bats. When facing an opposing pitcher, I really wasn't too concerned about what he did over the course of the season, or even his last start.

See I'm old school, and I knew every pitcher had some days better than others.

In my final year of Spring Training with the Cubs, I had an opportunity to be in the same hitting group as the future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux. One thing I heard him say was over the course of the season his arm really only feels good one start per month. Now for those of you just getting started in the game of hitting and baseball in general, what he said next is all that really matters when you are playing this game.

Heck, one of my BMP Trainees, Logan James used a quote from Yogi Berra that really explains it all. Baseball quote to live by: Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical. See Greg Maddux and any other good player are tremendous competitors. Before the game, the only way I knew I had a chance to hit was to compete. I didn't care who was pitching. I told myself I was going to get him. In all honesty, I had my times when I was intimidated (like when I got a start against Randy Johnson one Spring Training game. Remember the game when he hit the bird? I started in RF) He quickly disposed of me in 3 pitches. I was all caught up in the Big Unit throwing 100 mph thing. But I got mad at myself and brought out the competitor in myself and my next 2 at bats were solid. A line-out to center and I just missed hitting a homer to right-center on a hanging slider.

Throughout my playing career, I was an outstanding fastball hitter. That means, I could turn on just about anybody's heater. During the World Series I was telling someone about Damasco Garcia, one of the hard-throwing relievers for the White Sox. In one game when we were in Trips, I hit a ball so hard back up the middle towards him, that I yelled, "look out!" Remember when a pitcher is throwing hard, all you have to do is touch it, because he's supplying all the power. That's why hard throwers give up a lot of long homers.

Well getting back to the pre-hitting preparation.. whoever I was facing, I liked to get a birds-eye view of him when they were warming-up. I would run out to centerfield with my bat in hand, and time my opponent. Now you might ask what was I looking for?

Basically 2 things, release point and how does he make the ball spin.

Man, I've been fortunate! No lying, but I got to hit one spring training with Pete Rose.

All he talked about was seeing the ball. What he meant was release point and how does the guy make the ball spin. Hitters - if you can pick this up from a couple hundred feet away, imagine how you will own him when he's 60' 6".

For me, if he couldn't get his breaking ball over in the bullpen, I wasn't going to look for it in the game. I would eliminate pitches before the game even started. Some time this plan could backfire because I've seen guy's warm-up horribly and come out and deal. Does that sound familiar hitters?.....You take perfect batting practice, and then in the game you go 0 for 4!!!

As my college coach, Andy Lopez use to say, "is it lack of effort or concentration?" More times than not, it's concentration.

See as I got older and wiser, I had a "Leachy" preparation time, which started some 30 minutes before the game. When my alarm went off all I would do is sit-in my locker and get my head right!! I would visualize myself hitting an assortment of pitches to all fields.

Hitters if you don't do this I totally recommend you do. I don't know how many times I sat on the bench for several days, then I was able to jump back in there and hit like I didn't miss a beat.

Once I went out to the field I performed my routine of stretches, sprints, and tracking the opposing pitcher. After that I would stand in on my own pitcher to see velocity.

Hitters I totally recommend this, but don't get too close (because the pitcher is warming-up) and you may get hit like I did on several occasions. Oh, and wear a helmet!

Also, I would recommend asking your starting pitcher if it's ok, because frankly some pitchers don't like it, and don't get too close to the plate. A little story, in 2002, when I was in Spring Training with the Yankees, I asked Roger Clemens if I could stand in on him. See for those of you who don't know, I'm good friends with Derek Jeter and he told me Rocket would be cool with it, but you need to ask him really early, because this guy goes to a whole new level when he's preparing for his starts. I totally know why he's able to still dominate at his age. He wants it more than anyone else!! Well, Rocket said no problem, so before the game I trotted down to the bullpen and assumed my position. When Roger Clemens warms-up, he warms-up almost like he's going to war. I mean he had the "look", grunting and so. While standing there I gave my usual distance off the plate. Rocket didn't like that, he yelled this at me, "Hey Leachy if you are going to stand in on me, get in there like it's the game!"

Man I jumped in there kind of taken off guard; also, I was a little concerned, because the bullpen area of the Toronto Blue Jays' was a very tight quarter. If one would have got away from Rocket, I was toast because the fence was right behind me. Remember what I said earlier about pitchers warming-up. Not Rocket!! Jorge Posada said, "don't worry he rarely misses". Man, he hit every spot perfectly. Now I know why he's a first ballot Hall-of Famer.

Hitters, just like any other pitcher I've ever stood in on, I was looking for his release point and how he made the ball spin. I firmly believe the sooner you figure out the opposing pitcher the easier it will be to hit him. Hitters, have you ever asked yourself why you hit a certain pitcher better than others?

HITTERS GO OUT AND FIND THAT PITCHER'S RELEASE POINT AND HOW HE MAKES THE BALL SPIN, AND I GUARANTEE YOU'LL HAVE SOME GOOD AT BATS AGAINST HIM!!

Jalal Leach, a former SF Giant, has recently retired from professional baseball to pursue a career mentoring youth in the game of baseball.

Labor Of Love

RT Staff Note: The labor of school will soon start in a week or so for many high schools and some colleges and Labor Day is around the corner...so, we thought we would introduce another article about another kind of labor...working out, from Jon Doyle. If you want to see more articles on Jon Doyle, go to his web site at Baseball Training Secrets

By Jon Doyle - MA, CSCS

Youth Baseball Training is a simple, yet very complex topic. The information floating around these days leaves little to be desired. The goal of this article is to teach you how young athletes should train for maximum effectiveness, optimal performance and utmost safety.

Obviously, the term “youth” is very broad. The term can refer to any individual 18 years or under. The scope of this article will cover the ages of 6-18 years of age.

When an athlete is a beginner he/she needs to learn proper movement patterns. Overlooking this crucial element is the biggest mistake I see with youth baseball training. Everyone wants to put a barbell, dumbbells or medicine balls in the hands of these individuals before they have learned proper movement patterns.

What’s the point of doing a squat with weight on your back before you have learned how to squat correctly with just bodyweight? Why would anyone bench press before they have learned the proper movement and built up strength in the pushup? These two scenarios make absolutely no sense but I see it happening everyday.

The key is learning proper movement through specific movement patterns. Everyone and anyone can benefit greatly from these movements. If you don’t have a copy of “The Ultimate 7-Minute Dynamic Baseball Warm-Up” I suggest you pick one up immediately.

Not only will this DVD teach you how to move properly, but it serves as a form of strength training. In order to have strength, power, speed and flexibility that transfers over to the baseball diamond the body must be taught to move properly.

It does not matter what age the player is. Age 6 or 18, these movements serve as the foundation. If these basic fundamentals are not developed an individual will never even come close to their potential. The great thing is this all can be done in 7 minutes per day.

Also, for those athletes that are certainly too young to start a strength training program with barbells and dumbbells these movements will build strength, power, speed and flexibility through what is called neurological adaptation. Basically this means that the connection between the brain and the muscles will work much, much better. Common improvements that occur are increased overall body coordination, more fluid movements, the game “slowing down” as well as aforementioned strength, power, speed and flexibility.

After these basic movements have been learned the individual can move to classic strength training. The best movements to use are what we refer to as “Focus Lifts. They are as follows:

• Power Clean
• Power Snatch
• Squat
• Deadlift
• Bench Press
• Push Press

These should be taught first because these are the lifts that have the most carryover to the diamond and everyday life.

To learn how to do each Focus Lift in extreme detail check out the Power/Speed Development Series. Here you will learn the specifics and how to teach each Focus Lift quickly and easily for a price that is less than one personal training session with the kid down at the local gym.

If an athlete learns how to move properly and then is taught the Focus Lifts he/she will be a force to be reckoned with!

Proper youth baseball training will make all the difference in the world for your young athletes.

The "Invited" Walk On

RT Staff: We are in the middle of the late signing period and a lot of parents and senior players are getting e-mails and letters asking them if they would be a recruited or invited walk-on for the 2010-2011 year. Many of our readers are confused about this. We did some research and the best explanation we found for baseball is on our favorite web site High School Baseball Web. This article was written by their resident genius, Bob Howdeshell...Enjoy!

The "Invited" Walk On Player
by: Bob Howdeshell
High School Baseball Web
There are several significant differences between being a walk-on college baseball player and in being an "invited" walk-on player. When a college coach contacts a high school player and invites him to walk-on at his program he has a "real" interest in that player. We take a look at the topic.

The typical walk on player is one that comes out in the fall of the year. Usually after seeing a notice for baseball try-outs. (Many schools still require their programs to hold try-outs)

The "invited" walk-on is the player that a college baseball coach specifically calls or invites in person, to come and be a part of their program as a walk-on. Those players are the focus of this article.

As funding for college baseball programs continues to get tighter and tighter and team rosters seem to be getting larger (numbers) at many schools each year, the walk-on is becoming more and more important.

This is especially true when the player is an in-state student.

An invited walk-on player almost always has a chance to earn some scholarship money as he continues to contribute to his team. Invitees also are usually given a much longer "look" by the coaching staff. This may involve getting to play in mid-week games, etc.

Keep in mind that the walk-on player will have to be clearly better than the scholarship players at his position to get significant playing time. This is just the way the world works. It's not always fair.

In many cases the invited walk-on player is given the use of the same resources as the scholarship players. Things such as weight room usage times, training staff, dorm assignments (the walk on will pay a dorm fee (board), use of the athletic dining room (again the walk-on will pay), athletic department tutors, athletic department academic advisors among other items.

NCAA non-scholarship players do not sign a National Letter of Intent. The LOI comes into play only when scholarship monies are involved.

The same is true for NAIA and NJCAA letters of intent.

Some schools require all players to sign a "code of conduct" type of agreement, this applies to both scholarship and non-scholarship players. This agreement is a "one way" document that allows the school to terminate the players involvement with the baseball program for violations of team rules.

The signing of one of these "conduct" agreements does not prohibit a player from transferring to another school.

In the case of ALL invited walk-on players the acceptance of the initial offer to be an invitee is a verbal commitment. There are no binding written agreements involved. A player is free to sign a scholarship offer with another school after verbally agreeing to walk on at the first school. I will leave the moral and ethical debate on this issue up to the individuals and their families.

As we have discussed on this site before -- Being a walk-on player can be a great experience for some, for others it is not. I suggest that the player and his family research a school's, and the head coaches history of playing walk-ons before agreeing to do so.

In some cases it is better to get a small scholarship at a lesser baseball power or a junior college than it is to be a walk-on at a major college baseball program.

The name of the game is "PLAYING TIME", all players ultimately want to play, not sit on the bench. Being invited to walk-on makes a big difference, just be sure to do your homework.

I suggest reading the High School Baseball Web article entitled Walking On as well as this article.

Team Building

USING INDIVIDUAL TENDENCIES TO THE TEAM'S ADVANTAGE

Whenever possible, make everyone feel like they are the best player on the team. Use the observations from above to showcase each player's stronger skills to the rest of the team. Stroke the each player's ego to the team's advantage.

For example... correct the analytical type away from the rest of the team... focus on the happy go lucky type in times when practice is loose and things are going well... when the risk taker makes a good decision, praise this player in front of the entire team asking questions about the player's decision... take a skill the controlling type performs well and have this player teach the skill to the weaker performers on the team."

BUILDING PEAK PERFORMANCE
All coaches must be aware of these five steps towards "peak performance." The specifics within the plan are defined by the Head Coach and his coaching staff.

1. Everyone must know the "Big Picture"... What are the goals for the team?... At the end of the season, what ability level can the team expect?

2. Everyone must know the specific skills needed to attain this goal... What are the steps needed to reach the "Big Picture"?

3. Everyone must be ready to work toward the goal... What practice and planning is needed to attain the "Big Picture"?

4. Everyone must be willing to attend practice to work toward this goal... Is everyone committed to working toward this goal?

5. Everyone must demonstrate a consistent performance over an extended period of time... Is everyone committed to a reliable performance over a period of time?"

Its About Time

A while back, we reported on the plight of the young player that wasn’t allowed to pitch in his youth rec league because he threw too hard. This isn’t the first instance where a rec league has held down a good player.

Little League has an odd set of rules that restricts stealing, lead offs, adult first base coaches and other rules that are contrary to what Abner Doubleday had in mind when he concocted this great game almost a century and a half ago. Those rules also hold players back.

As we stated yesterday, we like community rec leagues at the younger age groups. We are big on that type of community commitment. Good players should play with their grade school friends as much as possible until at least 12 years old and enjoy the spectacle of the Little League All-Stars…which is the closest thing Little League comes to travel ball that there is. It’s not really that close in talent level…but it is the closest Little League comes to Travel Ball. That said, the better players still need much more than what even All-Stars provides.

Then, as we said yesterday…if your son has a desire to play at the next level…after the Little League 12 years old All-Star Games… his success will be measured by the amount of time he commits to his ultimate goal...If that goal is next level baseball, then it is about time to commit to travel ball.

Here’s a timeline from the ages of 8-14 to follow for those with kids that show some athletic prowess from an early age.

Ages 8-10
There’s no need to rush your son into travel ball this early, but if your rec leagues are that bad, there are travel clubs in just about every market at these ages. Don't get us wrong...we encourage travel ball at this age...you just don't need to go crazy with it yet. Most travel ball team’s play on the Holiday weekends that rec leagues don’t play on, like Easter weekend and Memorial weekend in the spring. After the Little League season is over, most good travel teams will play up to another 25-30 games to round out the summer. The most important reason to get involved in a travel club this early on in your son’s life is for him to learn the proper fundamentals to become a better player and perform against other better players. From age 8-10, the players should play 45% of their games with their Rec league and 55% with travel ball through September...or until their fall/winter sport ramps up. (Yes, they should be playing multiple sports at this age.)

Ages 11 and 12
After a taste of travel ball, Little League gets a bit frustrating at this stage of your sons baseball life. It did for our son. Therefore, at this age it is time to ramp up the travel team commitment a bit. If you live in a warm weather state it may even be a good time to ponder whether or not your son is open to more year round ball. Many next level players started playing well beyond the traditional summer months at this age and with the right mentoring coaches, your son will greatly benefit from the extra reps. Players at this age will play 60-80 games. Twenty five of those games are Little League and the rest - travel ball.

Ages 13-14
This is a time when your son should be rec ball free. It’s also a time period when many players in warm weather states start to pick their sport and concentrate on playing year round. Since players in the Midwest and North can’t play baseball year round, it’s hard to give up that winter sport to concentrate hitting in indoor cages. We get that. However, in the south and west coast, many baseball players decide that this will be their year round commitment…especially at 14 when they are about to enter high school. Many of the top players in Florida, Texas and California play up to 100 games or more a year on a year round schedule and they start doing so at this age.

Once they hit high school, it' a whole different ball game. Go back and read our earlier posts on Freshman through Senior time lines for more information on what to do during those years.

If any of our readers have any other ideas about travel ball and the impact it has on players that want to play next level baseball, put it in the comments section or e-mail us and we just may use it as our daily article.

RT Staff

College is Better...Just Ask College Players

The idea for high school players to opt for college instead of the pro's is a great idea...but don't take my word for it...This was from an article that appeared in a North Carolina newspaper yesterday regarding the decisions that high school kids have after being drafted. Former Tar Heels (and first round picks) Dustin Ackley and Alex White were both interviewed and gave some great quotes about how college prepared them for pro ball....

Dustin Ackley on if any of his success would have been possible had he skipped the three years in Chapel Hill?

"Nothing about high school whatsoever will prepare you for this right here," he says of professional baseball. "(At Carolina) I was able to develop three years, play with older guys, and play against greater competition. High school, that would have been tough. Just the living on your own, too. You're becoming a man in college. That prepares you for this."

Dustin's dad, John Ackley who played seven years in the Red Sox organization said Dustin's time at Carolina was invaluable. "Carolina was the best thing that he could have ever done, and I know he'll remember those days forever," John says. "He had a great coaching staff at Carolina, great fans, and great people. I kind of miss it, and I know Dusty does too.


Alex White reflects on his decision to attend Carolina. "This was one of the best decisions I've ever made, to go to college," he says. " I wasn't ready to live on my own and this kind of lifestyle when I was 17 coming out of high school."

As we have stated before, we feel that baseball players are better to physically and mentally mature in college, whether it be a 4 year (preferable) or a JC. The end result will be much more beneficial. Here are my list of benefits...

Smarter and Closer to a Degree
That's the number one reason to go to college. The chances of having a lengthy career in the pro ranks are slim. Some do well, but a majority do not. If a player goes to a 4 year college, he is not eligible for the draft until after his junior year or until he is 21...whatever comes first. Three years of college is significant. If that players fails to make it and decides to call it quits, he has the satisfaction of knowing he only has one more year to get his degree and is closer to another career to have some success in.

Mental Maturity
One prominent scout told me that after high school, many kids are thrown into the adult world and have a tough time adjusting to a meaningful and productive schedule. Imagine being 18, just out of mom and dads home and thrust onto a team full of legal age adults that have no daytime responsibilities and whose free time consists of...well...enjoying the night life.

Yes, it happens in college too. However, student athletes have that 6:30am wake-up call for strength and conditioning...Why do you think coaches schedule at this time? Players then, have school after that, followed by a 4 hour practice and study hall til 9:00. Their schedule is chock full of responsibilities morning, noon and night. Three years of that ingrained into your routine, will result in an incredible work ethic and mature outlook for the game of baseball.

Physical Maturity
When it becomes mandatory to be at the athletes work-out facility, the result is a more finely tuned and better prepared athlete. I look at some of these college baseball players and they look so much more in shape than many professional players...especially when compared to Prince Fielder, Pablo Sandoval, Bengie Molina and the like. You would never see a collegiate athlete with a build like that...the trainers and coaches wouldn't allow it. That daily routine becomes second nature to these players. When they get shipped of to their summer collegiate leagues in the Cape, Northwoods or Alaska, the first thing they do is seek out the local gym.

More Reps at the Plate
The 56 game regular season schedule is just one part of the equation as a collegiate player. Summer collegiate leagues have anywhere from 45-72 games. The Northwoods has expanded this year and has 72 regular season games to play. Add the play-offs and players in that league could play more than 80 games. Combined with the college season, that's more reps and more games than the players would normally get on a pro team. And, if they were good enough to get drafted out of high school, chances are that they will play in college. There are no such guarantees for a high school kid going pro.

Year Round Mandatory Conditioning
In addition to all we said above, college baseball is a year round activity. Starting in the fall, the NCAA allows 45 days of official, coach led practices. The other days, players have "captain led practices" and can be seen at the cages everyday. The strength and conditioning is ramped up and a bit more intense during the fall practice season as well. In the minor league off-season, there are very little managed days of practices, conditioning programs or instruction...there is the Arizona, Mexican, Carribean or Venezuelan league, but that has to be negotiated with each player.

Scouts like College Players For All of The Above Reasons
Wouldn't you?...Unless of course, you are the next Bryce Harper.

Focusing on the Process Key to Winning

Rt Staff Note: Go to this site...www.baseballmentalgame.com to read more great articles and take advantage of Dr. Cohns products.

Posted by Patrick Cohn

“What was I thinking?” you mutter in frustration after you struck out at bat. You lost your focus temporarily and it cost you the at-bat. Most players at times, lose focus, blank-out, get distracted, or are too stressed to concentrate. Even the greatest players in the world have trouble concentrating under pressure. Outcomes and winning are stressed in a result oriented society, making it difficult to focus on what really matters—sticking to the task and focusing on only execution.

The goal in baseball is to win, score runs, and get a hit every time at-bat. This is obvious. If you dwell too much on winning or getting a hit, you can lose focus on execution. In addition, if you worry too much about the outcome, you can’t focus on what you need to do to get a hit. Results come from focusing on the process of execution. Focusing on the process is a simple concept to talk about, but one of the most difficult things for athletes to do consistently.

A key lesson I teach to baseball players is how to maintain a present focus. I often need to repeat myself several times and say the same thing in different ways to get the point across. Good results such as getting a hit and winning games comes from focusing on the process or paying attention to one play at a time; one at-bat at a time. You should “see” a positive result in your mind as you settle into the batter’s box. But you don’t want to become so fixated on getting a hit–”I need to get a hit”–that you worry about not getting a hit, going 0 for 4, and tighten up.

Some sport psychologists would say that choking is caused by not paying attention to what’s important —execution. When you focus on execution, it helps keep your calm and free of result-induced pressure. What do I mean when I say focus on execution? Execution is not focusing on the mechanics of hitting. You want to have a plan for each at-bat and stay committed to that plan.

By immersing yourself in your preparation—set-up, balance, visualizing a good at-bat, and focusing only on the pitcher, you put yourself in a position to get a hit. You can’t alter the outcome after the bat makes contact with the ball or the ball is in the catcher’s glove. Plan your at-bat, rehearse it in your mind, prepare your body, and react to the pitcher. What happens next is out of your control. You control your mental focus and you want to use this to your advantage when thinking about your mental game of baseball.