Better Men, Better Ballplayers

By Trey CobbSports Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement Baseball

Better Men, Better Ballplayers episodes

January 18, 202143 - Ken King Chesapeake (MD) High School
Bio
Current Head Coach at Chesapeake (MD) HS
One of the dominant programs in Maryland
State champion 2014
State finalist 2010, 2016, 2017
4 time region champ
President of the Maryland State Baseball Coaches Association
First class human being!

Notes
Coach clock doesn’t lie (coach Cohen)
Pick their own team, or pick the other team when competing
“Hat” my assistant - he is in charge of a specific task
Offer a summer program together (returners and JV/newcomers) or offer a higher level team
Take a freshman team for the fall (MD restrictions)
Every friday get grades from each player from academic advisor
NOT MEETING OUR STANDARD
2.5 GPA standard - ALL YEAR LONG!!
5:30 AM weightlifting program - 8 weeks leading up to the season
Unifying piece for our team.
One word on the back of the shirt
Same practice jersey for everyone
HC reveals the slogan, doesn’t even tell the AC
Alumni relations
Facebook and twitter to communicate as much information as possible
Alumni games in the summer
Hold students accountable means they are a part of something. Making people feel special about being a part of something special.
If you are not going to clinics you are doing it wrong! Not just for the speakers but for the networking and possibility to discuss with people who do what you do and willing to share so much!
Small change could make a big difference in your program.
Clinics validate what you are doing well in your program.
[email protected]
www.marylandbaseball.org
1 hr 6 min
January 11, 202142 - Phil Rhodes Frederick (MD) High School
Bio
Current Head Coach Frederick (MD) HS
2009 State Championship
Great family tree of other coaches. 5 head coaches, and a long time assistant who could be a HC anywhere.
Beginning 30th year at FHS
Married to Beth Rhodes for 36 years.
Son: Cory (Played at FHS & Coached at FHS), Kelly Rhodes (Daughter-in-law ),Jack (7), Parker (5) and Maddox (3)
Daughter: PJ (manager at FHS), Will Kraus (Son-in-law) James (7), Avery (4)
30 years of working with wonderful young people in the FHS baseball program
30 years of working with the best Assistant Coaches, Trainers and Administration
30 years of coaching in the best conferences and against the best coaches and teams.
30 YEARS OF FUN!!

Notes
You can’t get complacent.
Watch coaches and see how I can get better
Coaches willing to share and help
All throughout the off season we played and competed in different events (flag football, cricket, bowling, etc) to see how you compete
During practice we implement contests/challenge
Pays to be a winner. Prizes some days
Saturday morning breakfast before practice
7:15 meet for breakfast
Open to everyone in the program
No cellphones
Few topics to go around the table and discuss
Never NOT answer (no pass)
Some type of challenge (the um game)
Special guest speakers
I need the kids to trust me
Program “champions of character” and one chapter dealt with parents
Parent meeting to discuss how to talk to your son after a game (questioning “why the coach did…”), and how to support them
After each home game the parents come out and rake the field. Teach the parents how to do it, because it allows buy in.
Communicate with parents weekly. Complete schedule
When practice is over it is over
Summer camp to get to know kids and parents before they come into our school
Hope the things we do will be great memories for our kids when they become older men
I don’t ever assume anything. Don’t ever assume what you think they know, so make sure you cover everything.
“You’re the coach, what are you going to do about it?”
[email protected]
1 hr 27 min
January 04, 202141 -Andy Baker; Middletown (MD) High School
Bio
Current Head Coach Middletown HS (MD), started in 2008
2017 2A State Champion
2019 2A State Finalist
2011 2A State Semi-Finalist
A few region championships
A few conference championships
Played at Frostburg State University and coached there following his graduation
Been a part of 9 state championships between baseball and football
People that have influenced me: Coach Wells, Coach Caruso, Mike DeSimone, Mike Warrenfeltz, Mike Franklin (I think of him as my accountability partner), many surrounding FredCo and WashCo coaches. - we have tremendous coaching in our area.

Notes
Texting players to check in often!
Off season is mainly weightroom
Start in December at least twice a week
Weightlifting, speed and agility, bands
There is a balance between the push of the off season
We want our guys ALL IN from March to May
Leadership curriculum
Every day 15 minutes of classroom time
Get the mind right before we go out to practice
“Character development and Leadership” curriculum
Brought in HOF football coach to be “character coach”
Bus rides to complete character questions
Questions completed before practice
Always starts with having a plan and making sure your coaches know the plan (text, google doc, and text picture)
Almost always have a 2 strike approach drill
Your 2 strike approach is not optional
Change your approach mentally
Physical changes
Up in the plate, up in the box, up on the bat, widen out or shorten stride, open up hips and shoulder (give up some power) to be quick and put it in play
Go into the game with a 2 strike approach when facing a big arm
Your mental focus is heightened which helps you even more than the physical
Knights Crusade
Navy Seal type of workout
After tryouts (first Saturday as a team)
Local recruiter works the team out
Put kids through 8-12 exercises and challenged physically and mentally
Between each exercise they talk about a leadership quality
Once we finish we have a hot breakfast with the parents and talk about the experience
Put them into 3 teams (use core values of a marine), use 3 shirts, and break up evenly
Provide a good experience for them so when they are faced with adversity down the road they know they can get through it
Email - [email protected]
@GoMHSbaseball
301-606-3615
1 hr 13 min
December 28, 202040 - Greg Eversole; St. Maria Goretti HS (MD)
BIO
Current Head Coach St. Maria Goretti HS (MD) in his second tour
1978 Blue Ridge Champions
2017 Old Line League Champion
Former HC at South Hagerstown HS for 15 years
1995 Conference Champ
1995 State Finalist
1996 Conference Champ
1996 2A state champion
First in school history
1997 District Coach of the year and coached in All state game at Camden Yards
County Coach of the year
Conference COY
Hagerstown Community College HOF
Frostburg State University Alumni Coach of the Year

Episode Notes
What do I need to do differently?
What do I need to do to make our program better?
Set music to set the tone
Arc runs (jog across the back of the infield and walk back through the dirt)
Word/phrase for the year based on what the team needs
[email protected]
301-988-0723
59 min
December 21, 202039 - Adam Williams Pickens HS (GA)
BIO
4th year as Head Coach of Pickens HS (Jasper, GA)
Covid shortened season they were 13-2
19th year teaching and coaching
15 years at Cass High School in Cartersville, GA
Served as head coach for the last 5 years at Cass
Hosted the first home playoff game in 30 years at Cass
17U Nelson baseball school manager and in 2019 they were top 40 in the nation and top 5 in the Southeast
Is all about the kids!
IS A DUDE!

Notes
Interviewed faculty members and players, community members of what it meant to be a Dragon to create a set of core values.
Google form and put it out on social media to see what it meant to be a Dragon!
Take all the words and categorized them, and then pick the right words that we are going to be what we are made of (Dragon DNA)
5 to thrive to start practice
Quote of the day
Core value of the day
One word focus for the month
Success hotline
What we need to do today to be better than yesterday
Set the expectation early!
4:9 - Eclesiastes 4:9 Challenge “2 is better than 1”
Points to compete with a teammate/group of people
Clean up
Games
Dinner
Workout
Weekly point totals
Winners at the end of the year to eat as a team at the restaurant of their choice
Football, basketball, and baseball coaches on the same page with the weightroom and grades!
****40 minutes!! “Building better men”
Hitting chart
Charted every at bat
Positive and negative points
Weekly point winner
QAB shirt - earned and kept
Keep running total for the silver slugger award for most points
Pull up scorecard at the end of the game to fill in chart
The chart took off when it we published it and rewarded it
BASE2 system in the summer ball - Big Inning, Answer Back, Score First, Extend the lead, score with 2 outs
Alpha AB’s - runner at 3B no takes, scoring a runner at 2B with 2 outs
Nelson Baseball School with Brian Nelson summer baseball
End practice with some type of game
Winner and loser and losers have consequences
World treats winners differently
Execution game, hitting game, conditioning, some type of competition
At the end of practice each player needs to fish bump and give coaches handshake
Jason Ryals Pebble Brook High School @coachryals - prints shirts and money going to his inner city school
@coachwilliams
@phsbaseballga
[email protected]
Pickens_baseball on Instagram
404-353-4688
1 hr 11 min
December 14, 202038 - Michael Frownfelter Urbana High School (MD)
Bio
Current Head Coach Urbana HS (MD)
Beginning his 16th year this season
5 Regional Finals
4 Conference Championships (back to back CMC Champions 2017-2018)
2 State Semifinals
2010 Frederick Gazette Coach of the Year
Over 25 players have moved on to play in college. 3 D1 players
Fromer AC at Frederick CC
Former WVU player with a career BA of .324
All state player from Frederick HS

Notes
I learned as I gotten older that its ok if guys are not going to college we are going to teach them the game and teach them the life lessons.
Be patient because athletes will not get it right away
I used to have a long list of rules, now I have a few standards!
Its not all about you young coach!!! Put your ego aside, and teach these kids the game!
Teach them to build relationships!
Texting kids to check in and get them to open up
Walk around the outfield, warm up, and check in with players on a personal level
Practice together with JV and Varsity players
I want the seniors teaching the freshman because when the freshman become seniors they will be teaching.
[email protected]
[email protected]
240-367-7742
1 hr 25 min
December 07, 202037 -Todd Weldon and Jordie Henry of Scotland Campus Sports (Prep & HS)
Bio
Todd Weldon - Head Coach Scotland (PA) Campus Sports Prep team (2018)
Former pitching coach for Wayland Baptist University
27th Round draft pick of the New York Mets
A dude!!
Josh Edgin - Head Coach Scotland (PA) Campus Sports HS team (2019)
50th round pick of the Braves in 2009 (stayed in school)
30th round pick of the Mets in 2010
MLB debut with the Mets in 2012
One of the best guys you will meet
Jordie Henry - Pitching Coach for Scotland (PA) Campus Sports Baseball team (2019)
Former Stringer for the Amarillo Sod Poodles
Former Instructor at the Amarillo Baseball Academy
Pitcher for Wayland Baptist University 2015-2019
Tech savvy, young up and coming coach!

Episode notes
Used Driveline programs and added our own touches that work for us
Routines!!
Slow cooked younger guys routines
No velo program based on strength
Movement focused throwing progressions
Individualized drill work
Development first program - we are about helping guys reach their goals
Finding the right fit for the player. Not every kid is D1, D2, or D3 but we figure out what is the best fit for the player
www.scotlandcampussports.com
Coaches email to the website
@jordiehenry24
@SCSBases
The athlete and student development is important but the most important is the development of the individual
We have the privilege of teaching the young men through the game of baseball!
1 hr 26 min
November 30, 202036 - Adam Leader - Reservoir High School (MD)
Bio
Current Head Coach Reservoir High School (started the program in 2002)
Past 7 years in the program they are 128-29
Founder of Leader’s Baseball Camps 2003
2 county and 2 District Championships
Been to 5 regional championships
2014 3A State Championship
3 time MSABC district COY
2014 Maryland State baseball coach of the year
VP of MSABC
One of the best guys you will meet!

Show notes
Consistency of a coaching staff
Varsity and JV coaches switch up and work with each team
Consistent fall and winter coach
Get feedback from the kids
End of season
Start planning on next year
Practice
Learning period (1st/3rd, bunts, double plays, etc)
Use last guys on staff to throw live at practice in situations
Use some JV as it depends on the guy
When time comes JV and varsity take infield/outfield together to help prepare the younger kids
Important to know the first and last names of JV players AND know their parents
Go out of the way to congratulate a JV player
First Friday after tryouts go to Coach Leader’s house. Eat and speak about goals
Dave and Busters
Maryland games
Fundraisers
Community service
Full day camp - morning and afternoon session, most stay all day
Morning - everything baseball (all aspects)
Afternoon - changes throughout the week (pitcher/catcher, hitting, little things (bunts, pickoffs, run downs, etc)
Last day - raffle based on punch card when they do well
Guest speakers - doctors, professional baseball players
Explain the purpose (WHY)!
Email - [email protected]
56 min
November 23, 202035 Matt McCarty Shepherd University
Bio
Head Coach Shepherd University (July 2013-Present)
2018 MEC Coach of the Year
2014 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Regional Coach of the Year
2014 MEC coach of the year
As a player, assistant coach, and head coach McCarty has been apart of 278 Ram victories
227 as a coach
51 as a player (2 yrs)
15 players move on to the professional ranks including 2011 first round pick Cory Spangenberg
Most recently 3 players that went in the 8th, 21st, and 4th round
Grown the program into a national presence
Created a special place for players to play
A winner!

Show notes
Culture has do with the athletic department as a whole
Very competitive based
Request to live together
4 weeks of individual work before full team practice
Relationship with players, and how much they get to know a player through the recruiting process
Accountability is on the players to hold each other accountable. It has a lot more validity to it, and creates a better bond.
Multiple guys at each position to create competition and bond
You are here to win championships, get a degree, and be a better people
Competitiveness is for us to see where our athletes are mentally
Tutoring sessions are done during practice times, so they will miss practice if they don’t get the grades.
A lot of scoring competitions during BP
Weightroom compete with body fat %
“Road to Cary Challenge” - obstacle course style workout and different events to compete with teams and individual
Baseball activities, strength, endurance, and FUN!
Expectation sheet (no rules, its expectations) our guys sign.
“Don’t be that guy”
Player self evaluation sheet - personal, academic, accountability
Grading scale 1-5 to see where you stand
Be open and honest
No captains - 3 guys are held higher than the other 35. Everyone held to the highest standards
On any great team players hold themselves accountable. Good teams are mostly coach driven
When you have the same team goals, and then the players hold themselves accountable
See if individual goals match up with our team goals
We recruit to needs, not numbers!
Email is best way to contact me! [email protected]
Are you going to want to deal with that in your program? Players and parents
It's so much more than talent
1 hr 4 min
November 16, 202034 - John Lowery Jr - D1 pitching coach, State champion HC, Private instructor
BIO
WV state player of the year
University of Minnesota pitching standout
26 wins (2nd all time)
Professional career with the San Francisco Giants
Former pitching coach at Ball State, Michigan University, and Ohio University
Former GM and head coach of Winchester Royals (college wooden bat league)
Former Head Coach of Martinsburg HS (AAA) where he won the WV state championship in 2009
Former Head Coach at Mercersburg Academy (prep school)
Private instructor
Lifelong baseball man!!
A baseball guy!

SHOW NOTES
In the summer was about getting at bats, and not getting hurt pitching
Play aggressively, and teach them how to fail
Have your expectations and reinforcing the positives to what you want
The really good ones will take your information and ask you questions. They will work hard, stay late, and come in early
Guys are starting to sleep better, trying to eat better, and hydrate better (WHOOP band).
Better players are having a better mentality
If the kids know you are prepared and you have a plan, and know you are passionate about what you are teaching, then you will get buy in from your players
Routines are in order, expectations are in order (stretching, throwing, bases, speaking to adults, cleaning up the dugout).
Players like to know what to expect
“Tour defense” = gold jersey for the player who makes the best defensive play
Caring about your facility creates more buy in
Communicate often with guys to set expectations
Take BP time to talk to guys and let them know you care about them
Seek counsel as a coach! Just listen and make it usable for what you do
1 hr 17 min

About Better Men, Better Ballplayers

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Concrete content for anyone looking to get better. This community is for people who want to grow themselves, and grow the game. We know the game of baseball teaches us so many valuable life lessons!

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Better Men, Better Ballplayers

Better Men, Better Ballplayers episodes

About Better Men, Better Ballplayers