Better Men, Better Ballplayers
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Better Men, Better Ballplayers episodes

  • 123 Jad Prachniak - North Alabama

    Bio

    • 1st Season HC at North Alabama
  • 9 seasons as HC of West Chester University
    • was first and only NCAA school to win a championship
  • 2 NCAA Championships in 2012 and 2017
  • Former Associate HC and RC at University of Delaware
  • Former PC and RC at William and Mary university
  •  

    Notes

    • Not going to settle
  • Getting to know our current roster
  • Do the right thing - attach to anything and everything
  • Giving guys the comfort to be themselves
  • Giving guys opportunities and in pursuit to become the best version of themselves
  • 100% focus
  • 100% effort
  • Don’t flinch - body language will not be affected by circumstances
  • Can people see it when watch us play
  • Challenge players after a win - tighten up
  • Clips of what we want, and review what we want - we want to get it right
  • Classroom sessions as needed
  • Team meetings - attach videos
  • The name on the front of the jersey is important, but I don’t want to diminish the name on the back!
  • If you have the chase to help and willingness to help someone through something you can get in 
  • I’m not going to the field looking to cross guys off
  • Can you lead yourself?
  • Can you help someone else?
  • Scheduled conversations - end of semester, end of year, and as needed
  • Players stay true to what’s best for them (more stable)
  • Get in the right hype level
  • I never want hype level to get in the way of what’s right
  • Stack different game situations
  • Make sure we are repping what it going to impact the game the most
  • Baseball BP - stacked machine (FB/CB), coach mix, coach mix scouting report, 
  • During live balls as much as we can during BP
  • Attach decision making to the types of frequent lanes with a certain type of runner
  • Pitching with runners on no matter how clean you may have been in an intersquad
  • The guys that can handle the moment, they are the ones you want to give the ball to
  • “Sequencer” can help you project lineups
  • Being aware of stacking guys up between each other
  • Breaking up the pockets
  • Switch hitter/LHH in 2 hole
  • Continuity of the lineup to start anticipating options
  •  
  • 1 hr 17 min
  • 122 Kyle Wagner GoWags Baseball Academy

    Kyle Wagner Notes

     

    Bio

  • Founder of GoWags baseball academy in 2008
  • Author of How the RiverCats Won
  • Author of Green Light hitting
  • Green light academy website
  • Played collegiately at Wake Forest University from '92-'95. Caught in the California Angels organization for one year (Boise '95)
  • Coaching experience Elizabethtown College ('97 and '99) Wake Forest ('98) Red Land High School ('00 - '08)
  • @GoWagsKyle


  • Notes

    • Are the people excited when they are with you? 
  • Hot practice, cold games. 
  • Games for the players.
  • Practice becomes critical
  • Something the kids could look forward to
    • Pop ups (macro event)
  • Broke up between macro and micro events (team and individual)
  • Musts - “will they like this?”
  • Sell them on the beauty of the game
  • Macro event - runner on 3rd 1 out - live ball runner runs
  • Fun game at the end to 
  • Too much information not enough inspiration (overcoaching)
  • Youth coaching is to turn kids over for love of the game
  • Implicit and explicit
    • Implicit - no takes, no foul balls
  • Down  3, 6 outs to go - play against the scoreboard
  • Do the fun stuff while you are teaching
  • Practice time is the coaches time, plan, prepare, and coaches on the same page
  • Planning is more important than the plan
  • Adaptable in the plan when the coach notices something is not right
  • Get them out on time!
  • Intent precedes content
  • Embrace what they are not doing well and put them in a situation to do it
  • Micro event - perfect and deliberate practice
  • Macro event - train ugly, and don’t know what will happen. Find out what they are capable. Find failure and embrace it
  • If the whole team is there deliberate practice won’t happen, more about competing and reps
  • Development is not linear, its sequential
  • Green light hitting - sequential hitting approach
    • Core starts and then smaller muscles could work
  • Aggression precedes discipline
    • Get players moving fast
  • Train them to minimize choices
  • Eliminate not swing to train them to elite velo
  • Prove to me that you can be too quick
  • Show me you can find your barrel on this BB
  • You take a pitch because you can’t hit it hard
  • Hitter to be able to move Laterally late
    • Inside tee, soft toss away - no toss and hit off tee up the middle
  • We want you to be a great hitter not great swinger of the bat
  • Turn fast
  • Posture
  • Post chain
  • Hands
  • Lower half
  • You need to be good enough to keep coming back
  • Pre game
    • Count hitting
  • Don’t overcoach
  • Lineup is seen more circular than linear
  • Stacked it from top to bottom with best hitters
  • 4th batter should strikeout least often due to so many runners being on
  • 3rd hitter high velo and great eye
  • Every manager deserves the right to intuition
  • Pitchers need to get swing and missed in the zone and hitters need to eliminate swing and misses in the zone
    • Who is owning the strike zone
  • Exit velo coupled with launch angle (barrel %)
  • Pitchers - weak contact and how often get swing and misses
  • Pitching independent fielding
  • Training pitchers more on the game mound
  • Visualize on the game mound
  •  
  • 1 hr 24 min
  • 121 Steve Trimper Stetson University

    Steve Trimper Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head Coach Stetson University
  • In his first season, the Hatters finished just one game behind Jacksonville in 2017 in the race for the ASUN title and won six of seven league series during the year. The season also included road series wins at The Citadel and at Tulane.
  • 2nd season  tied for the most wins in a season in program history.
  • 2nd season first NCAA Regional title
  • 2nd season ranked in every national poll
  • Established dugout club and raised over 100K
  • Prior to Stetson he was HC at University of Maine with over 300 victories, 140 in conference play, 9 tournament victories, and 2 regional appearances.
  • Former HC at Manhattan College - school record for wins (32) MAAC COY. 2nd all time in conference wins
  • AC at University of Vermont
  • Associate HC at wentworth college
  • Spent time in the cape cod with eastern tide
  • National clinician, just recently in Nashville
  • Author of “Walk-Off Winning”


  • Notes

    • Come up with 3-4 things we are going to be awesome at
  • Send me a real important values
  • Integrity, excellence, commitment, blue collar, 
  • We can Hold those things accountable
  • Culture changes all the time
  • Built because of the 4-5 traits that you can build on
  • Leadership is when the going gets tough can you go back to those words/value?
  • Establish the values and that is the bedrock, how we navigate there will change each year
  • Your people are your best educators
  • My job is to give you the tool to hand the team over you to (the players)
  • Hold each other accountable
  • In order to be great you need to have an ego
  • Outside of my team they will know we have an ego
  • Inside our team we will have humility and check our ego
  • Take the people inside my organization and they never say you are an embelisher
  • The positive energy the attracts people
  • What is success? Word association, go!
  • Reward or success? 
  • You need to find what you believe is good people
  • When you invite them to the team, and its up to you to build the relationship
  • People start to trust you
  • Loyalty of the people 
  • Success is those 4 traits - good people, relationships, trust, loyalty
  • I brought you here because I thought you were going to be great
  • 6-8 speakers every fall
  • Tell stories of failures
  • When you struck out 4 times, that ain’t failure
  • Force our guys to communicate
  • Ask people how they were successful?
  • First time going to class ask professor 3 questions about themselves
  • Have the ability to talk and ask questions of the people around you
  • I have to listen a little more in the south
  • I had to learn the environment and change my philosophy
  • I have to own the mistakes, and all the mistakes I have made have been along my successes
  • How your failure led to successes
  • We celebrate every win
  • Some losses, with the right mindset, can lead us to the path to success.
  • Moxy guy - what do you do to get the award? Foul ball guy after dealing for 4 innings
  •  
  • 1 hr 16 min
  • 120 Daniel Rollins Paul D Camp CC

    Daniel Rollins Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head Coach Camp CC (VA)
  • Received votes in pre season national poll 3 out 4 years as HC
  • Highest GPA in program history
  • AC/RC Bryant and Straton
    • Player signed with Orioles
  • Red and Braves Scout
  • George Mason AC
    • Big Leaguer Chris O’Grady
  • Randolph Macon AC
  • George Washington AC
    • Multiple draft picks, All American SS
  • Valley league AC with New Market Rebels
  • Last 3 full time AC are now head JUCO coaches and 1 RC for Florida JUCO
  •  

    Notes

    • Appreciate each one of the stops
  • Take something from each stop
  • If you are going to get good results, you need to put players first
  • Put players first, and your career will take care of itself
  • You got to show the guys you love em!
  • Go through the stretch line and answer questions and talk to players
  • JUCO has to wear many hats as the coach
  • Be as organized as possible
  • You will not be perfect, but you need to make the best out of the situation
  • Players first means good hotels, buses not vans, and good meals
  • Not just signing a ½ year contract, they get me for life! As much as they want!
  • Im in this business for them!
  • I want good people in my program, and if we have good people in the program, we will win
  • Be realistic where you are and look in the mirror with your capabilities
  • Fundraisers
    • Work football games
  • Online fundraiser
  • Golf tournament
  • You can’t be afraid to ask
  • Hosting tournaments
  • Youth camps (help with AC)
  • Prospect camps (help with AC)
  • The weightroom is the single biggest difference between HS and college athlete
  • Leadership development meetings
  • Ranger school team building activities
  • Player voted team captains
  •  
  • 1 hr 16 min
  • 119 Edwin Thompson: Georgetown University

    Edwin Thompson Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head Coach Georgetown University
      • First winning season since 1986
  • 2022 was GU First Big East championship appearance since 2018
  • GU first freshman of the year 
  • First Big East staff of the year
  • 2022 record breaking year for wins, home runs, total bases and end of season RPI
  • Former HC at Eastern Kentucky
    • Losing program when he got there
  • 12-2 before COVID, just beat LSU and then shut down
  • Consecutive 30 win seasons
  • 2 straight conference tournaments
  • All 5 years his teams recorded a team gpa of 3.0 or better
  • USA Baseball staff member
    • Since 2015 in all duties
  • 18U national team PC
  • 17U National development program
  • Manager of Stripes team in Tournament of Stars
  • Former AC at Georgia State and Duke University
  • Former HC start at Bates College (Maine) where he set school record for wins - last place team, and made a school record in wins
  • Coaching career started at University of Maine at Farmington as associate HC and Recruiting coordinator
  • Active in the Community working with local charities and non profit organizations as well as helping provide for people less fortunate
  • First class guy!
  •  

    Notes

    • One of best memories of players experience was serving the kids with Samaritans feet
  • We find the servants in the recruiting process
  • Free clinics to serve the commnunity
  • Serve Miracle league
  • Service provides perspective
  • Its not what we don’t have, its what we DO have
  • Guys that don’t travel work in the community
  • Based on your team - take them off campus to build chemistry, retreat, mini golf, and have a feel for the needs of your team
  • We will compete in everything
  • The difference is in the details (hangers on the ground)
  • Until your address the details 
  • Ask the questions
  • You don’t know how to do something or you don’t feel like it
    • If you don’t feel like it you don’t want to win
  • Like to connect baseball to life
  • Got to be able to believe it, have a visual, and be sure to hold standards
  • Got to have a great staff that can teach and coach the standards
  • Listening to kids to evaluate the process
  • Talk about winning games, winning series, and stacking those wins
  • Shared partnerships
  • No captains - “accountability leaders” = in charge of a small group
  • Take more ownership to allow more leaders
  • The players take the punishment amongst themselves is when you know you have a good group
  • Talk about what we are capable of doing
  • Not going to lose to ourselves
  • Build consistency within the group
  • Win the day
  • I don't recruit, I present
  • Coach development
    • Goals, expectations, 
  • 1 on 1 with HC
  • Help people move on
  • Take care of your people the most you can and they want to stay
  • Be where your dream job is wherever you are
  • Encourage staff to talk to other in the industry to get more efficient and another voice
  • 1 up and 1 down - 1 thing you like and 1 thing you need to get better
  • Picked programs at the school who are really good and pick their brain and gather information of what works at that school
  • What mistakes did you make in the early years?
  • You have to make it your own?
  • Be honest and direct
  • Post a depth chart in the fall
  • You want to get better - come talk to us, its about performance
  • Constantly communicate with kids
  • Teaching them the reality of the future
  • “Professional out getter”
  • Outs - love outs, who can pitch, who can compete
  • The number 1 pitcher is the guy who has the ball!
  • Any organization has communication - good or bad and aligned
  • Listening to your players, but listening to your staff is important
  • Earn your shirt - do your job
  • Play 1 v 1 often! “Get period - get it done”
  • Create environment to maximize the talent
  • Train how to deal with the umpire
  • You get 3 pitchers
  • Have fun with our kids
  • Who wants to lead, grow, and teach
  • Enjoy this team
  • 2 minute drill in baseball - closer comes in to get the job done with 2nd/3rd 
  • Make it as uncomfortable as possible
  • Some guys would not hit on the field because they were not ready
  • It can define or develop you!
  • Group hitting - who they are and what the are
  • Hitting test - advance or not
  • You don’t train a lineman the same as kicker
  • Pitcher test - progression from top pitcher in the conference and what it looks like
  •  
  • 1 hr 11 min
  • 118 Larry Vucan - Southlake Carroll HS (TX) & USA Baseball

    Vucan (View-can) Notes

     

    Bio

    • HC at TX 6A Southlake Carroll HS
  • 2022 ABCA National HS COY
  • 2018, 2019, and 2022 TX 6A State Champions 
    • Schools first back to back state championship
  • 2018 El Paso Baseball HOF
  • 2017 started HC at Southlake Carroll 
  • Dallas/Fort Worth Coach of the Year 2017 & 2019
  • El Paso Franklin HS and last 6 straight playoff appearances
  • AC at Bel Air
  • Coached and managed in Italian Baseball League
  • Known for his Player development system
  • USA Baseball task force
  •  

    Notes

    • “The compete clause” - 
  • Build as much competition into your drillwork as much as you can
  • Final four is ROund ROck - “Round Rock” challenge
  • Break into teams and who can compete
  • What can I do to make them competitive?
  • Point system, scoreboard
  • Teammates become the assistant coach
  • 10-15 coaches on the field
  • 3 headed monster in offense
  • Video first, then rep, and start practice each day
  • Long hold and glove drop to defend the bound jump
  • What is your identity based on your abilities
  • Tally the number of successful steals
  • Feedback to the competition
  • Tally the pickoffs form catchers and pitchers
  • Recruit the kids who don’t want anything to with athletics, and they get credit for baseball as the statistician (or whatever role)
  • Only way you will get them to grow is to get them uncomfortable
  • How can I make this small segment tallied, competitive, get a result, and fun!
  • Fall start more acclimation
  • After fall ball shut down arms shutdown
  • HHB - makes competitive spirit
  • “Fundees”
  • Coming up to tryouts focused more on culture than competition
    • Here is your wake up warm up
  • Here is where your bag goes
  • How to set up machine and break them down
  • Your competing to build culture!!
  • Comfortable in my own skin as a coach
  • 50/50 on mechanics and relationship talk
  • Before practice and highlight who you have talked to
  • Convo tab - tally each time we talked
  • Research the kid based on the amount of tallies
  • Holding them accountable and still get it back to wanting them to be successful
  • No objectivity, it was all subjective
  • Kids (managers) became data input
  • Posted, running total of all data collected from practice
  • Meetings and questioning went down
  • Got the kids competitive
  • Do not talk to the “nerds” (only rule or RUN)
  • Situationals BP (tallied) - “mop up” BP based on previous game
  • Competitive or tinker bullpen
  • IPP - individual pitcher plans
  • Catcher wears pre set script on wristband
  • On deck pitcher tallies
  • Stretch every 3 pitches, in and out an AB in 3 pitches
  • Pattern 1 (fast) or pattern 2 (slow)
  • Mental competition to build up intentional throwing - this is what we are looking for (goal/focus)
  • After throwing send report how the arm felt
  • Game changer accounts to see pitch loads and track pitchers progress
  • Prescription for each individual pitches (no arm side run, vertical break on slider, flat fastball, etc) need to work on so they know what to work on based on where they are
  • When you lose your edge, you die
  • You may not be feeling it that day, but you can out compete that dude. You are not going to let that guy WIN.
  •  
  •  

    1 hr 33 min
  • 117 Eric Borba - Orange Lutheran HS / USA Baseball

    Borba notes

     

    Bio

    • HC at Orange Lutheran for 15 years
      • Multiple draft picks - most recent 1st rounder in 2022 class Mikey Romero
  • 3 consecutive USA Baseball HS invitational title 2017-19 (first program ever to do it)
  • 4 conference championships
  • De La Sale HC from 2004 - 2008
  • HC at Analy HS to start his head coaching career in 1999
    • 2000 CIF championship
  • Long time USA Baseball staff member. Most recently the 18U national team
  • Incredible person, dad, and mentor
  •  

    Notes

    • When you hate losing you have to focus process over the outcome
  • Focus on the bigger picture and the daily expectations
  • Create men that is going to be successful as fathers and husbands
  • When you invest in people there is a lot more return on your investment
  • Retreat, bible studies, team dinners, community service to build the brotherhood
  • Never talked about winning! Just about winning the day
  • Can we rely on you? Can teammate, coaches rely on you?  
    • Take care of the things you can on your own
  • Playing for a bigger cause!
  • Doing your part of to your best of your ability
  • Constantly adapting the team in high school
  • Sit down and reflect each year and what are we going to have to do to be successful
  • Establishing the things that are foundational
  • Adaptability is huge, USA is more on personality driven and being able to communicate
  • Getting that person to produce as much as possible
    • High school is over time and through finding out what makes them tick
  • USA is maximizing the hand
  • To truly build relationships you have to know the person beyond what they do
  • Open the air to build trust
  • We all have to be able to trust one another
  • Doing it for 25 guys
  • Fall is for evaluation period
  • Winter is for retreat
    • Goals, internal hurdles
  • Activities - ropes courses
  • Bonfire
  • Chapel service
  • Team building with parents along with players
  • More trust you can bring through the parents the more trust you can build more from the players
  • Extra innings - pizza once a month, meal with parents - halftime of a game to give a “state of the union” address of the program.
  • Booster committee to be the middle man for communication between staff and parents
  • Every setback is a setup!
  • Baseball is a small part of who we are based on the grand scheme of life
  • The most successful people are people people
  • The impact that we can have on young men and women are impacting them on what they become - there is so much more rewards for that
  • The reward is the kids no one knows outside our program 
  • There are always outside influences on us, and if you believe there is something that is helping you then it is helping you. Be disciplined in your choices
  • Much more intentional with my daughter to build that relationship
  • Separate dad from coach
  • Outside of the lines you need to have both
  • Do you want the dad answer or the coach answer?
  • Be dad at home
  • “This is what it takes”
  • This has to be your drive internally
  • I want to have more of an influence on his mind that his physical body
    • Get him thinking right!!
  • Creating habits for life
  • Being a sponge and understanding people around you
  • The people we choose to surround ourselves with have a big impact
  • We can learn 1 thing from everyone
  •  
  • 1 hr 29 min
  • 116 Scott Jackson - HC Liberty University

    Scott Jackson Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head Coach of Liberty University since 2016
  • Lead the flames to 3 consecutive NCAA appearances for the first time in school history
  • 2021 Conference coach of the year
  • 3 regional wins in his time as HC
  • GPA of 3.0 or better every year as a HC
  • 11 players signed to MLB contracts during his time
  • Reached highest ranking in program history (14) in 2022
  • Breaking school records in strikeouts (620) and fielding percentage (.984), and consecutive wins (13)
  • Former AC at UNC Chapel Hill where they went to 3 World Series, 6 straight regionals, and an ACC championship
  • 5 Liberty alums on the staff. 4 out of 5 played for the staff
  • Winner!!!!
  •  

    Notes

      • Great players win games!
  • Right support, thought you could win, and win in post season on regular basis
  • Have to have really good players
  • Recruiting has stayed consistent
  • Staff has stayed consistent
  • Starts on a regular basis - can you show up everyday
  • Admin has been supportive to be consistent
  • Ultimate student athlete experience
    • Leave liberty and saying WOW
  • All parts of life
  • Baseball part last because if other parts are not bigger then baseball will not be as best
  • Keep priorities in line - habits and routines in place to make 
  • Frame the habits and routines
    • Wake up
  • Food
  • Class
  • Food
  • Stadium
  • How does it look for you?
  • Stack enough good days and body knows what to expect
  • Check in with players to see what does work for them
  • Connect with the kids that has nothing to do with baseball. 
  • Relationship not just built on the game
    • I don’t want our relationship to be all about baseball and tied to the player performance
    • Come down to the park and leave everything and just be yourself at the ballpark!
  • We talk about trust a lot with our players
  • As long as we trust each other we can get through anything
  • Staff meetings to keep pulse of players to see who needs a sit down and who is just having a bad day
  • To establish trust you have to talk about your plan and goals for the kids
    • How are we going to tackle (bullpen, grades, on time, etc)
  • Make our team collectively and individually not worry and trust 
  • Stop and listen, let kids talk, ask questions, get to know the details
  • Never say I have seen it all!
  • Office door is always open
  • The amount of time that things happen exactly the way they thought it would is very small. 
  • Bring your mother on a visit to know that someone will take care of your son
  • If it’s just the baseball piece, don’t come here!
  • It will come across really genuine or it will come across as a used car salesman/artificial
  • Evolved over time with a passion for connection 
  • Are we delivering on the things we told these kids 
  • God has a plan for your life that is way better than what you have planned
  • Life is about people and about relationships
  • The more simple and direct, the easier it is to look back on it
  • When you get outside yourself you will be surprised how much better you can perform
  • Waited a couple years to focus on a couple pillars
  • Focus on those 3 pillars fully everyday and then Omaha takes care of itself, its a byproduct 
  • Started with relationships with the kids and having fun with the kids on the field. I wanted it to be authentic and genuine
  • Be there for them!! Be part of their journey and feel like I am fighting for them
  • Keep eyes open on staff that are a great fit!
  • Created a job description for the new positions on staff
  • If you have a passion for people, we all have a passion for baseball, but you have to have a passion for people. 
  • Keep your head down and not worry about what is next
  • Be so good with the relationships you are in right now, be where your feet are, and be present in the relationships you have
  • The right place, the right people (trust), you will get through things that come up
  •  
  • 1 hr 17 min
  • 115 - Drew Briese; Center College/USA Baseball

    BIO

     

    • Centre College HC
  • 15U USA Baseball National Team Manager
  • Most recent 2022 USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year
  • Centre College record for wins in a season 
  • Center college record for season winning percentage
  • Former AC with Birmingham Southern
    • 10 conference titles 
  • 4 straight regional appearances
  • Has worked with USA baseball task force, AC on 15U national team in 2016 before getting promoted to manager in 2021


  • Notes

    • Some of the best coaches are HC coaches based on the experience at the task force (ground level)
  • “The gold standard” - how you go about your business
  • Performing at a high level no matter what you do
  • Trickle down from director to veteran coach to new coaches to set the standard
    • Same formula in business and team
  • Doesn’t happen without a clear vision
  • First meeting go over the 10 standards of Center
  • Individual decisions we make each day that build the vision or deviate from the vision.
  • Motivating young people to make decision for the greater good
  • Vision called “1 mission” - USA Baseball - “quick bake”
  • College/School level - vision bigger and crossover into academic and personal realm
  • We have to establish a relationship to see what makes them tick 
  • Talk about things other than baseball 
    • How is your body? 
  • Understand their thought process to help steer them in the right direction
    • What do you like here?
  • What are you most comfortable
  • Grab them during down times or transitions
  • Collaborative communication - ask a lot of questions about themselves and different situations
  • Talk to kids and they earn that trust
  • Have ownership and intentionality with their own game
  • They work their game and work who they are
  • Number 1 job as parents
  • Coach pitch scrimmage
  • Live at bats for guys who did not play so much over the weekend
  • Machine pitch league - 3 teams and played twice a week and simulate velo
  • Classroom before drilling it
  • Intangibles are definitely something that has to be evaluated
  • Checking in with kids about the lineup and how the game is going
  • Top 2 hitters will hit top 3 to get most at bats
  • Low strikeout guy in the 5 hole (12%)
  • Play to strengths of the lineup 
  • Feed them (my staff) information to help them during the game
  • Allow assistant coaches to be assistant coaches
  • AC Be ready to show up and get to work!
  • AC realize the power you have being the conduit between HC and players
  • HC set clear vision of what we are going to do. Here is what is going to happen and how it will happen
  • The foundation and what the team is about starts and ends right with me (HC)
  • We have to set the hook and then make the choice to show up and work
  • The game will continue…
  • We allow the wins and losses to effect our relationships with our players
  • Make sure the relationships are solid, and be sure

  • 1 hr 23 min
  • 114 Ed Blankmeyer, Former St John’s HC

    Ed Blankmeyer notes

     

    Bio

    • Former manager of Brooklyn Cyclones of New York Penn League
  • Former St Johns HC (1996 - 2020)
  • Winningest coach in St Johns history
  • 6 Big east conference regular season championships
  • 5 Big Beast tournament championships
  • 1 super regional appearance
  • Winningest coach in Big East history
  • ABCA Hall of Fame 
  • Ranked top 25 of all Division 1 coach in career wins
  • 3 tours with USA Baseball
  •  

    Notes

    • Had an itch for professional 
  • Develop a winning program, a winning culture
  • College baseball pays better
  • Coaching is coaching
    • Relationships
  • Accountable
  • Routines
  • Good players are routine driven
    • Daily routine
  • Game prep routine
  • Post game routine
  • Finding the right data
  • Stick to it, tweek it, and it gets you through the season
  • Work through drills to help work through the drill
  • Defensive sequences
  • Hitting routines
  • Individual development complimented by team development
  • Ins the framework  make it competitive
  • How will we know if our drills are working?
  • Game comes down to pitching and hitting
  • Its a game of 1-1
  • Game called 1 pitch
    • Script pitches
  • Script counts
  • Scripts situations
  • Live defense work
  • Time clock when doing defense work
    • 8 seconds to 2b
  • Change up times to 1b
  • Situations
  • Define the game
  • 8 different situations
    • What happens the most
      • No runners
  • Runners on 1B
  • Played against the clock with all defenders out
  • Clips video of plays good and bad to go over in meetings
  • Utilize video to catalog when they are swinging the bat good
  • Video the pitcher on 3 sides of pitcher to see if we are missing anything
  • Get a person facing a batter on your game mound more they will get better
  • How do you know how the player will respond when it gets tough?
  • Prior to stretch we would go through mental routines.
    • Runners on base 
  • Pre pitch 
  • Post pitch
  • Infielders step in
  • In the box
  • On deck
  • Visual, self talk, and breathing
  • For all physical skills you need to train your mental routines
  • Meditations are good
  • Breath and meditate to relax
  • Some guys are better at 70% what they are
  • Find the level of flow that you feel comfortable to allows you to execute consistently
  • If you expect them to do mental routines, you have to practice
  • Quality vs quantity
  • Before defensive we would do baserunning techniques then do baserunning reads, situations, BP live reads
  • Is it right for this player? (in terms of the weather)
    • Not putting players at risk
  • Would we play in this weather?
  • Teaching is done in classroom or locker room if needed
  • Work and repetitions in cold weather
  • Modified intersquad when its cold
  • Pitches outside and then finish inside
  • Concerns with the ups and downs and how many pitches
  • red , yellow, green pitching communication for pitchers to get ready (warm up, get hot, go in)
  • Get good players to buy into what you want to do
  • Good players that fit your system
  • Continuity in the coaching staff
  • Work hard, work smart
  • All about relationships that improve communication
  • Communicate and collaborate with the player
  • You create the bond and trust you can get more out of the player
  • Get athletes - they will grow and improve
  • You have to be able to adapt to the game
  • The game is the game, teach the game the way its supposed to be played
  • Synthesize the information for all the information that the player can consume.
  • I’m going to coach you the way you need to be coached!
  • I’m a learner
  • I’m going to let you do it, and we will collaborate it
  •  
  • 1 hr 13 min

About Better Men, Better Ballplayers

From the publisher's feed

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!