Better Men, Better Ballplayers

103: Tom Griffin - Carson Newman University

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Bio

  • HC Carson Newman University
  • Over 18 years guiding the Eagles, the New Jersey-native has coached five Major League Baseball Draft Picks and 22 total professional players. 
  •  38 players have earned All-SAC honors, 15 have been named to all-region teams and seven have taken home All-American honors.
  • Griffin is considered one of the premier catching minds in the game authoring an instructional catching baseball video, "Catch It, Block It, Throw It" 
  • featured speaker at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Orlando, Florida in 2007 and Anaheim, California in 2012.
  • He has compiled an overall record of 421-321 and a conference record of 187-165 at Carson Newman.
  •  He is 605-489-2 in 30 seasons as a college baseball coach. (1 year in high school)
  • Griffin, ranked second among active SAC coaches, becomes the 37th active skipper in Division II to win 600 games as a head coach

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    Notes

    • Am I getting better at communicating?
  • Am I getting better at helping the players get better?
  • There is a greater purpose than the wins and losses
  • The purpose in coaching, and it helps us reflect
  • Coaches have a ton of content to be able to reflect and learn from so much of that good content
  • Help run camps!
  • This is more than just camp, this is lesson in life and how to play the game the right way
  • Be a constant learner
  • Learning when to say things
  • Find out about your kids and what makes them tick
  • Learn to communicate with kids either as a group or individually
  • Have a feel, common sense, street awareness
  • How do we get instincts?
    • Experience, have awareness of what is happening, watching the game,
  • Variety in our training
  • Different drills create athlete as catcher
  • The body get used to the training it is under
  • Catchers Gear only comes off when they hit
  • Ask our catchers how their legs are train accordingly. This is after you get to know them so you know who to push and who to put the brakes on
  • Different stances during each commercials
  • Nothing better than catching bullpens for a catcher
  • Top Gun competition - different test for every aspect of competition
  • The more you can have some competition for receiving, blocking, throwing
  • Spending more time on hitting might not allow you to get in the lineup
  • Working on balls out of the zone to learn how to handle it. 
    • Gives the pitcher more confidence
  • Keeps the run game in order
  • Dry work, shadow drills, specific area, simple to complex
  • Pushup to catch - help the body organize it and help when the skill is les complex
  • Training needs to be a higher level than the game so the game becomes easier
  • Visual training, verbal training, and have a lot of tools in the toolbox to help kids get better
  • We are teachers trying to get players from point a to point b
  • We all have opinions and no one is wrong
  • If i am passionate about something and i can get my players to buy in then do it!! 
  • Skid mark on a movement object
  • Listen to the umpire (quit moving)
  • Its got to be something you believe and you are passionate about it and what works for you
  • What works for you!
  • You have to have some core principles
  • When you go shopping, bring a small cart
  • The key is getting the players to buy into what you are teaching
  • Servant hearts - when we develop our catcher we need to develop leaders!
  • The catching position is the leadership position
  • Pitching calling, umpire relationship, leading pitching staff/team relationships, 
  • Classroom, video, we talk about it, show examples of leadership
  • If we don’t have them, we need to learn them
  • What are the traits of a good leader?
    • Teach, talk, and practice it!
  • Get feedback when they do it!!
  • Remind them of the time we missed it
  • Specific feedback 
  • Intentional about finding wins everyday!!
  • Pick up on things from a recruit during a visit and how they handle conversation and speak to parents
  • Can we change this mans life?? Why not us??
  • Never forget where your heart is and what your purpose is 
  • Need someone to tell you the right thing and hold you accountable
  • Need some sort of pitt stop and check in to slow it down and take moments to spend time with someone to make sure you are 
  • Any relationship starts with HELLO!
  • We don’t come to watch game, we come to learn!
  • Life is about relationships and learning from others!
  • You gotta see everything 
    • Bullpens to outfield - catch the good and catch the bad - want kids to know they are always being watch - everything matters
  • Stretching, weight room - i need to evaluate the player to know you are going to our guy
  • Want players to take ownership of that eventually
  • 90% is being encouraging and 10% is correcting and holding the standard
  • Practice variety - plan it like the game (from offense to defense)
  • Baserunning, team defense, batting practice
  • Creating mass hysteria!!! Help make them make decisions in those chaotic times
  • Be a constant learner
  • Find a mentor
  • Find a servant heart
  • Help the game grow
  • We want a generational kid!
  • Program built on developing the generational player
  • [email protected]
  • https://catchblockthrowit.com/
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