Better Men, Better Ballplayers

Better Men, Better Ballplayers

By Trey CobbSportsHealth & FitnessMental HealthEducationSelf-ImprovementBaseball
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Better Men, Better Ballplayers episodes

  • 83 - Jonathan Wyman: Hebron Christian Academy (GA)

    #BMBB gear - https://stores.bjscustomcreations.com/better.../shop/home

    Bio

    • Current Assistant Coach at Hebron Christian Academy (GA)
  • Former HC at Lanier HS (6 years) and Norcross HS (4 years)
  • Former AC North Gwinnett HS (5 years) and part of a 7A state championship
  • Servant leader
  • Teacher of people (multiple disciplines from Special Education to Physical Education, and multiple sports)
  • Strong man of faith
  • Exactly what this podcast is about, helping grow people using the platform of baseball!!!



    • Notes

    • Took a job to be part of a big time athletic school (a winner), but needed to serve and do anything he could do be part of it to get foot in the door
  • Baseball is the biggest game of adjustments and COVID showed how baseball can handle it
  • Passion is going to die out, love will never fade
  • Its all about relationships 
  • Used to be do what I told you because I am the adult (do as I say because I am authority), and now it is about explaining the why and our purpose
  • Be sure you know what you are doing, learning objective, desired outcome, and plan to get there (objective, measurables, and procedures)
  • Do not be reactive
  • Secret of the bamboo - you never know what is growing on the inside (what you can’t see)
  • I’m trying to sell tickets to my funeral everyday
  • I want to go to weddings
  • Win the human war!!
  • If you can get the hearts and minds to play together its special
  • How do I get a player to take a bullet for me?  If I can win that we will be successful
  • Core value during “longhorn for life” and make a curriculum about each core value
    • What, why, and what it looks like when its no present
  • Daily lesson plan (5-10 minutes) - pillar for the day, quote, challenge
  • Its real easy to judge when you don’t walk a mile in their shoes (catchers pitching to pitchers in catchers gear)
  • Its not so much about getting people on your bus, as much as it is getting people off!
  • “Working Geniuses” - try to get everyone on your staff with each gear of a genius
    • Why, idea on why, discernment, get it done, rally the troops
  • I am trying to coach every child like they are my own
  • Channel all of my stuff proactively through the person standpoint (making better people)
  • Mindfulness training - being able to disconnect
  • Show me your bank account and you show me what is important
  • EV fungo
  • Get you to hate your batting average - look at Slug an OBP
  • 3-8 hit chart - hard hit contact
  • Offensive chart - based on positive/negative of at bats and value as offensive player (Plus chart)
  • Coach bible - putting what we do in a slide show
  • @coachwyman11 on Twitter
  • @coach_wyman
  • 770-361-3628

    • #BMBB gear - https://stores.bjscustomcreations.com/better.../shop/home

    1 hr 17 min
  • 82 - JT Heenan: Salem University

    Bio

    • Current Head Coach at Salem University
  • Served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 2019-20, 
  • Promoted to head coach during the summer of 2020.
  • Previously served as assistant director of operations for West Virginia University baseball
  • graduate assistant coach when West Virginia earned a regional berth in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship for the first time in 21 years
  • Former catcher for the Mountaineers
  • Heenan served as an Advanced Scout and Director for Prep Baseball Report from 2017-19. 

    •  

    Notes

    • The showcase is also a lie detector
  • Great resource but it is just a platform
  • Gave a coach a time to talk about how to prepare for a showcase
  • Use a mundane tak to get better
  • The coaches that are more vocal there players are going places
  • D2 doesn’t have the roster restrictions so they can take a chance on a kid
  • D1 can only have 35 roster spots and you have to get right on a kid
  • The most time I spend on my job is retention. 
    • Keeping guys is the most important job 
  • Player 1 or player 50 you need to give them the same amount of opportunity
  • Player 50 could be pitching for you in a big game
  • 4 different lineups (evaluate constantly)
  • 4 pitching rotations (evaluate constantly)
  • We don't split JV and varsity - we try to get guys as many reps as possible and give coaching staff time to manage a game
  • Listed out roles for each person on your staff and told them to dominate their role
  • When first get on campus meet with each kids, at the end of fall meet with guys to let them know their role based on stats, video, and plan from the coaches
  • Develop through the fall and then see where we are, attack it over break, and then compete in the spring 
  • If you earned it in the fall, you have earned the right to fail in the spring
  • Make it measurable
    • Quality at bats
  • Come to class early
  • Binder done
  • Juice box after practice - reinforcing the last core value of a our culture
    • Give out 1 or out 10 - kids come up, jug the juice/give a speech!
  • Made a curriculum for our culture
    • Value
  • Accountability
  • Communication
  • Energy
  • Accountability groups
    • Coach in charge of each group
  • Competitions within each group
  • Lifting groups
  • Hitting groups
  • GRIT - dominating the mundane tasks
  • Common struggles is what brings team together
  • Your common enemy should be being an average team
  • I can adapt a plan but I cannot execute a plan I do not have
  • At the end of practice do a competition, and not just baseball
  • I can recreate pressure, not necessarily the same game situation
  • The binder is the commitment to the team - bring it everywhere
    • Hitter, pitcher, mental notes
  • Reinforces our culture
  • Character, process, result
  • Representation of the binder
  • Google Drive is an electronic version
  • Meet in the morning and scaffold it
  • PGM - Personal Growth Monday’s
  • Have a curriculum but if we need to review part of the process we circle back and go over what we need.
  • Why, how, what!
  • 1% of your day is roughly 15 minutes
  • Best recruiting tool is your players, and the people are what get you there
  • Green light moment
  • Red light moment
  • Hitting routine written out - pre game, adapted pre game routine, 
  • Journal each pitch, or each at bat, or during BP (match pre game routine)
  • Black and white bullpen report
    • Balls, strikes, 
  • Video embedded
  • Coaches subjective report
  • Player report and gives report of their performance
  • Video bullpen 
    • Body language
  • Mechanics
  • Between pitches that make them successful 
  • Defensive reps is more accountable for the amount of reps we need to help evaluate all the players and be sure they have the same amount of reps
  • Red, yellow, and green runners for defensive baserunners
  • Hitters - wall busters, gap to gap, grinder
    • Grinder - bunt guy, slap guy, beat a infield play 
  • Gap to gap  - guys can swing it and bust stretch to double
  • Wall Busters - you have to hit it by the outfielder to get to 2nd
  • Green runners - you have green light 
  • Yellow runners - you get chance to run
  • Red runners - you are not allowed to run
  • Scouting reports on the wrist for runners 
  • Twitter DM @hennan_hacks
    • 1 hr 21 min
  • 81 - Matt Nein: Salisbury University Performance Coach

    Bio

    • Current Coordinator of Sports Performance coach & Assistant Athletic Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation at Salisbury University
  • 2018 National Strength & Conditioning Association College Strength Coach of the Year
    • finalist for the NSCA College Strength Coach of the Year In 2016 & 2017
  • oversees the training programs of 21 varsity teams
  • During his tenure as Coordinator, Matt has had the opportunity to work with 14 National Championship teams, 8 individual National Championship athletes, and over 340 All-Americans
  • Prior to Salisbury University he spent time as a S&C coach with the Toronto Blue Jays

    •  

    Notes

    • Where are we losing out on the little things?
  • When we are stepping up to the rack what routine are using to step into our lift?
  • We need to visually be able to see it, so the athlete can relate to it on the field
  • Find the opportunities to use 
  • Tower of annoy (week ¾ of training, week 5 of school)
    • Competing against other teams (iron Sammy)
  • In understand the process, and the value of the very next move (pitch)
  • Going through your mental routine before you do your set
  • Bar speed measures
    • Need to see numbers hit
  • Relating concepts in the moment from what we are doing in the weightroom to the field
  • How are we still using the concept later on (week 6 and further) to connect the concepts
  • Power of the penny
    • Its the compound effect when you pick up a penny each time
  • Anytime you saw change on the ground you picked it up and brought it in
  • Model to show the daily process and the little things that add up to success
  • If you are willing to walk over the little things of life you will not be successful
  • The things I can control is my fitness level: strength, speed, and diet
  • 6 components
    • Lift
  • Conditioning
  • Recover
  • Nutrition
  • Physical Skills
  • Mental skills
  • Put players in pressure situations during conditioning (play man up)
  • Play the process right, focusing on doing your job right now
  • Assess commitment: 
    • Jeff janson - commitment continuum
  • Define it, assess it, and measure it
  • Value in the weightroom 
    • Attitude - meet outside our weightoom before they walk in to get in the right mindset.
  • Difference between elite and average
  • Research related to body contact, and the teams with the most positive touches were the team in the championship
  • Feedback 
    • Without value and the vision problems exist
  • Values drive the decisions and accountability can happen
  • Its ok to give both positive and negative but we are going to get better together
  • Lead out of love
  • Stay simple - what do the athletes need most?
  • Assessment is critical - know where you are, so you can plan on where you want to go
  • Constantly on players about down contact time
  • If you can’t produce force, you won’t be able to produce force quickly
  • Long term athletic development: start in technique, and move forward from there
  • One leg sport, and that will be mature exercises once they get to that point
  • Change the way you brace - rapid/standard bracing and move to rotational bracing
  • Quickly brace because all movements through bracing of pelvis
  • Everyone starts around the same movements to begin and then develop from there
  • Everyone is squatting but rack 1 is different than rack 2 based on what they need
  • We may not be lifting ideally, but we are lifting ideally for that moment
  • Relationships help build up our trust for feedback on how they are feeling during lifts/movements
  • Repetition and reserve 
  • RPE - rate of perceived exertion - 
  • If you are willing to lie to me how hard practice is we have a bad culture and we will not be as good as it can be
  • How can we pull ourselves back and be as simplistic as possible to get the most out of our performance.
  • DM of facebook or instagram  - Matt Nein
    • 1 hr 22 min
  • 80 - Nolan Harvath: WVU Strength & Conditioning

    Bio

    • Current WVU Strength and Conditioning Coach
  • Former Strength and conditioning coach at Glenville State University while serving as assistant athletic director
  • Former Intern at WVU, working primarily with the football team where he assisted in all team lifts and run and broke down all strength and conditioning activities
  • Harvath also served as a consultant for the University of Charleston baseball team from 2016-20, designing all strength and conditioning programs for the team. He tracked, monitored, and assessed all data obtained from each macrocycle.
  • Harvath got his starts in high school serving as S&C coach for Morgantown and East Fairmont HS
  • Develops the whole person
  • Extremely Passionate

    •  

    Notes

    • Life is all about growing as a human and being who you are allows you to grow and be the best version of yourself
  • Once a week staff meeting to go over the whole program and culture is a part of that
  • Greatness from yourself before you can get greatness from someone else
  • Respect yourself, your teammates, and others
  • Representing 1.8 million people in WV
  • Intent!! You need to have intent in everything you do 
  • Trust yourself, your preparation, and your teammates
  • In the weightroom you get to see each others sweat equity
  • WHOOP bands that monitor load, recovery, sleep, and their strain for the day
  • Live to fight another day
  • Develop the athlete centered approach!
  • Ask questions based on WHOOP data can open up great conversations
  • The body cannot distinguish between athletic stress and academic stress
  • Quality if movement rather than the quantity of weight on the bar
  • The plasticity is great during the high school level and is so valuable at their age more than ever
  • Force plate testing and movement test when they first get on campus
  • General physical preparation (GPP) “tissue block” 
    • Circuit for two weeks to help with guys movement patterns and teach everyone and slow cook athletes longer than need it
  • Its ok to regress the movement to get a better movement
  • Have everyone on the same page so you can see where to make modifications
  • You cannot be married to a exercise, you need to be married to a stimulus!
    •  
  • Meeting the athlete where they are at to chase what our team needs and individualize to the players needs 
  • There are some carry over in some of the movements, and movements is a skill, and if an athlete can practice it more they will be better at it
  • Sprint based model with acceleration performance
  • Thursdays are performance days - time to compete and post times
  • Back map from when you need win a ball game
  • 22 out of 36 PR the week of big 12 tournament
  • Develop a relationship with them to trust when the conversations are real and they say they are sore and can’t work out
  • The movement that made you sore, you should do it with less intensity
  • We don’t focus on what can’t do, we focus on what we can do. Focus on the solution, not the problem
  • We want athletes that want to find a way and find an edge
  • Daily performance feedback
    • Grading on intangibles that every human has control of
  • 1-5 - color coordinated 
  • Gold
  • Navy
  • Gray
  • Existent
  • Resilient
  • Defiant
  • Difference between gold and navy is how you helped someone else, servant leadership, and buy into each other success
  • You need to coach each athlete at least one exercise to show you care to show they are a human
  • ABC - Always be coaching
  • “Blue collar” jersey - old school, bloody knuckle jersey
  • Consistency is the greatest gift of any humans
  • Constant evaluation to earn the Iron Mountaineer
  • Velocity based training during in season and depending on the athlete and what they can handle
  • Sleep is the most paramount durign the summer with the long days 
  • Some olympic lift and some don’t
  • Quality of strength last +-30 days
  • In season is lower volume higher intensity
  • More weight and less reps and focusing of velocity of bar
  • Fundamental movement patterns
    • Knock them out
  • Quality and execution of movement
  • 3 days a week
  • Progressive overload
  • Gain knowledge
    • Eric cressey
  • Alex simone
  • Simpler things savagely well
  • Slow cooking the athlete!!
  • Taking the small wins, celebrating the 5 lb PR just like the 100lbPR
  • Velocity based training is a piece of the weight lifting program
  • Velocity based training on a compound lift
  • Sprint progression
    • Uphill running
      • Karaoke
  • Side shuffle
  • Sprints
  • Resisted 
  • Fly end runs
  • Tues - acceleration
  • Thurs - max velo
  • Red flags of running
    • Arms crossing
  • Looks like swimming
  • Long swooping lever
  • Knees across the body
  • Hyper extended back  - do A march, A skip, boom booms
  • Stop poles, and running 100 yards
  • For every 10 yards we give them 60 seconds rest
  • Starter recovery day
    • Don’t blow them up - get them moving, temp runs, 
  • Training baseball players and take that in consideration, and meet them in the middle
  •  
    • 1 hr 11 min
  • 79 - Nolan Neiman: Manatee HS (FL)

    Bio

    • CURRENT HEAD COACH AT MANATEE HIGH SCHOOL
  • Current GM of Square Up academy
  • Current Florida HS director for Knights Knation Baseball
  • 2016 – 2019 – Associate Scout – Texas Rangers
  • 2017 – 2018 –  Head Coach Staunton Braves, Valley League
  • 2016 – 2018 – Director of Baseball – Florida Surge Baseball
  • 2013 – 2016 – Head Coach – IMG Post Grad
  • 2011 – 2013 – Assistant Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator – Millersville University
  • 2009 – 2011 – Assistant Coach  – University of Maryland
  • 2008 – 2009 – Assistant Coach – Florida Gulf Coast University
  • 2006 – 2008 – Assistant Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator – DeSales University
  • 2005 – 2006 – Assistant Coach – University of Pennsylvania
  • 2005 – Professional Player – New Jersey Jackals
  • 2001 – 2005 – Player at DeSales University

    • Notes

    • You got to keep competing and pushing ot help these kids be successful in more than baseball
  • You need to have a band program, hitting program, defensive philosophy, and having a plan for what we are doing
  • Its not about wins and losses, its about how you act and holding kids accountable
  • Laying the foundation and getting kids on board
  • Have the kids see their progress
    • Exit velo testing
  • Weightlifting testing
  • “Rebranding” is not about what the past didn’t have its about what we do now and moving forward
  • Detail oriented and learned how to be detailed in all we do
  • Let your coaches coach and do your job
  • Understanding what its like at different levels of competition, and demand results
  • Relationships and build a program within**
  • Learning how to be happy at whatever level in the game of baseball
  • If you can get them to believe in you they are going to try to do things the right way
  • “Be the Best” program where it is about sacrificing for others and working for the guy next to you
  • Inverted triangle where you serve others from the bottom up
  • Leadership council - one guy from each class, and coaches pick one 
    • In charge of holding others accountable
  • Meet once a week and discuss how to get more buy in
  • Guys that do it right and we voted but we got let go because he did not live up to the expectations
  • No rules, just don’t embarrass the team, and I am the judge and jury and executioner
  • Little league clinics with local little league
    • Half hour coaching clinic with local little league every Friday
  • Be at football and basketball games, be involved in school and community is huge trait for good programs
  • At the end of the day - what is the goal?  The goal is to move on
  • How can we prepare them for the option they will have?
  • The more pressure you can put on guys lets go!
  • More fun atmosphere and create action
  • Track meet mentality - home to first in 4 seconds
  • Start with baserunning with offensive philosophy
  • Bunt to third, and not to 2nd, a lot more ways to score from 3rd with 1 out
  • You have to know your clientele and plan accordingly
  • What are you going to have the guys buy into and hold them accountable
  • Running small ball system gives you a weapon when you run into the buzz saw
  • The level when to start small ball depends on the team and their ability 
  • When we can give them confidence in what they are doing is going to help them play game
  • Whether they help you win or not doesn’t matter, getting them excited and wanting to play for us 
  • High pressure bullpens - 1 pitch to get someone out and create our own toughness
  • String across home plate, 9 hole screen, spot on the wall - compete and help them HATE losing 
  •  
    • 1 hr 16 min
  • 78 - Pete Savage: Reno High School (NV)

    Savage Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head Coach at Reno High School (NV) since 1995
  • Over 700 career victories 
  • Has won 82% of his games at Reno
  • From 2001-2004 teams went 105-13
  • 2004 Nevada State champion
  • In 2003 his team won 32 consecutive games 
  • 12 regional titles
  • 15 state tournament berths and 4 runner up
  • Garrett Hampson was his first big leaguer
  • The bottom line of the bio is we are about what we are doing for our players today!



    • Notes

    • If you come see our program you will see a bigger picture of how we help others  
  • First reason why we are so successful is we have 3 former head coaches
    • You are only as good as your assistant coaches
  • Second reason we are successful is our program vocabulary
  • You need to take a step back and realize why you are doing what you are doing
  • Complexity is the enemy of execution - SIMPLE
  • We focus on us 50:1 compared to the other team. 
  • We play against the game and how we play the game
  • The word I is not allowed in our environment
  • The word “perfect” is not allowed in our program
  • You are either with us or against us, there is not middle ground
  • How to be a great teammate
    • What does it mean to be a good teammate? Show examples
  • Failure vs success - define the two
    • Definition of failure is when you stop playing
  • Its a learning opportunity not failure
  • What is the definition of success - giving your best effort on behalf of your teammate
  • Being relentless and stay in the fight
  • Be consistent
  • Measurement = motivation
    • Give people data to compete
  • Everything matters - dugouts, practice, everyone matters
  • PILLARS - all decisions run through our pillars
  • Its more important the interaction player to player, coach to coach and do not allow anything you do not like
  • Catch them doing good! Praise them for their efforts
  • There is no better way to get better besides being together! Spend quality time together
  • Work the grind, play the game
    • Work your butt off at practice, and then enjoy your game
  • Practice is for the coaches and games are for the players
  • Baseball is a game you cannot rush, there is no clock!
  • Spend as much time planning practice as you do actually practicing
  • Practices as competitive as possible
    • Chart every swing, pitch, groundball etc
  • Live pitchers vs live hitters
  • Just win today’s practice!!
  • A bad practice bothers me much more than a bad game!
  • Coach needs to be a facilitator for the players development on and off the field
  • At times you need to be a player coach, and another time you need to be honest and put them in their place
  • If we are going to demand all of these things from them we need to display those things and walk the walk!! 
  • It is important you build the relationship through the player to show you care, are prepared, and come with great attitude
  • Do a good job where you are at!
  • It is important that 
  • Player to coach - built on respect and trust
  • Player to player - earning the respect of your teammates
    • Critical to team development an player development
  • Players rate each other based on individual qualities
  • We all have something to work on. No one is perfect, and it fall back to that philosophy
  • Foxhole test - 3 points for person on your back, 2 on your right, 1 on your left
  • Hero, highlight, and hardship - each kid gets a chance to speak about who their hero is, personal highlight, and a time they had a tough hardship
  • As you see it….
    • Players write out the lineup, starters, relievers
  • Helps self evaluate
  • Mental game is huge for us!!
    • Ken ravizza
  • Brian Cain
  • Justin Dehmer
  • The game teaches you how to deal with things
  • Our job is to help prepare our players for the challenges life throws at it
  • This is the Reno High baseball way RIGHT NOW!
    • 10 commandments (the fundamentals of the game) - they don’t change: being a good teammate, throwing strikes, hitting the ball hard, etc will always be there, but we need to find ways to help teach guys and be the example of getting 1% better. 
  • Legacy of a number - connecting successful people who wore the numbers
  • The secret to the teams success is building that relationship, so that player is going to bust his butt for his teammate and get better!! BUILD that relationship
  • To be loved, to be taught, to be challenged!
  • Some kids need to be hugged, and some need to be kicked 
  • Pregame
    • 2 hours prior to a game
  • “Savage time” - 15 minutes early
  • Active warm up
  • Catch play
  • BP
  • Game goals - team, pitching, hitting, defense
  • Back Cals - talk through hitting approach with who team, go over situational baseball
  • Meet as a team, do sprints, play
  • 6 phases of offense
    • Hitting
  • Situational hitting
  • Short game 
  • Plate zone discipline - hit your pitch, look for it, never chase
    • Quality swing chart - try to get 2 swings off every AB
  • Baserunning
  • Base stealing
  • Practice checklist, practice what happens the most
  • Ranking system - hitters rank pitchers, pitchers rank hitters
  • Are you that bad of a hitter that you can’t change your 2 strike approach?
  • Do you emphasize it? Do you practice it?  Everyone knows 
  • Figure out with our pitching staff where the ball went, and then train, train, train
  • Define what you want, and then track it!!
  • Play of the day - defensive play of the day, shirt for the defensive play of the day
  • What you honor and what you emphasize has to become special to the players!
  • Hustle chart - 
  • Stop watch is analytics
  • What do you want to be good at??? Track it and emphasize it!! Measurement = Motivation
  • 5 games - do you win??? Game within the game
    • On the bus
  • Pre game
  • in/out
  • Game
  • Post game
  • Wasting time is a cardinal sin - our time is valuable so lets make it important
  • 775-690-9316
  • Be your own coach. YOU BE YOU!
  • Emphasize it
  • Everything reflects back on you! You are the leader!!!!
    • 1 hr 43 min
  • 77 - Joe Palumbo: Archbishop Spalding HS (MD)

    Palumbo Notes

     

    Bio

    • Head coach at Archbishop Spalding (MD) - Going into my 10 year (9th season)
  • Played at the University of Maryland from 2005-2008

    •  

    Joe Palumbo is the head varsity baseball coach at Archbishop Spalding High School. The former Maryland baseball player led the Spalding program to three consecutive MIAA “A” championships and #1 rankings in The BaltimoreSun in 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as Top 50 national rankings in USA Today in 2015, 2016 and 2019. He was named the 2014 Coach of the Year in The Baltimore Sun, The Anne Arundel County Capital-Gazette, and the Co-Coach of the Year by the Varsity Sports Network and the Maryland State

    Association of Baseball Coaches Association. In 2016, he was awarded the 2016 Anne Arundel County Capital-Gazette Coach of the Year award. Following Spalding’s 2021 MIAA “A” regular season championship he was selected as Anne Arundel County Capital-Gazette Coach of the Year. He has now coached 38 players that have gone to play collegiately at the NCAA Division 1, 2, or 3 levels.  

     

    Notes

    • We have high standards, and you need to know how to build a culture
  • Culture of high standards and excellence
    • My standards are high across the board - in the class, weightroom, hallway, and ball field
  • We do not hide our standards
  • Character, commitment, and champions
    • Champions - other people want to be around you
      • You are producing good things day in and day out in your life
  • Character - how are you getting results in your daily life, how are you working when I am not around, 
  • commitment(s) - you have to do the work and if you get on it by yourself and do the work you make even get a commitment (if you want to go that route)
  • The parents are helpful in instilling the culture
  • I need to prove myself to the new class every year
  • Messages, classrooms, weightroom to bring in people and talk about lessons learned from people who have done it the right way to be champions
  • Weightlifting 3 days a week until christmas break (off season)
  • In season utilizing individualize program and focus on the movements
  • I don’t want you to feel like I was as a freshman when I was behind, so we are going to get you prepared for the weightroom
  • Emphasis on form for younger guys and older guys can get after it
  • The goal is injury prevention and strength development
  • The wrestler and football player can learn a lot of mental toughness than playing baseball
  • After fall ball (end of october) we bring up the intensity of weightroom
  • January is where we start up baseball activities up until mid february when we have tryouts
  • Infield work can be done in a small place
  • If we can run a great indoor practice that can separate us from the rest because anyone can run a good practice outside
  • You want your guys sharp at the end of the year
  • Coaches need to pull themselves back and see what happens at the end of the year and plan for the year
  • What gets you on second base?
  • Based on your skills we will try and enhance those skills
  • Put pressure on them consistently
  • You have to have a plan and stick to the plan, so you have a better chance you execute the plan
  • You have do everything right and get out
  • We are going to play to guys strengths 
  • Your team should guide your philosophy
  • We want to be competitive in the box
  • Teachable moment after the game to talk about situations where the approach brokedown
  • We need to make adjustments to their adjustments
  • Conversations during BP and situational rounds to work on approach (what you are looking for)
  • Its ok to get beat for 2 strikes, but we are not getting beat in hitter counts
  • Velo BP days are uncomfortable for our hitters
    • Coach close or machine juiced up
  • Pitcher who has not thrown live in a while he will go in front of the mound to go live at hitters
  • BP
    • Live 
  • Baserunning
  • Situational
  • Defensive position 
  • Cages
  • I try to put the most pressure on our team defense segment as I can. 
    • Time based to implement and teach
  • Then show you can execute 5 in a row and we move on
  • If we can “handle the ball” and don’t give up any runs we cannot lose
  • If we are going to be really good at the fundamentals we are going to be tough
  • We are running until the other team shows us they can stop us
  • As a coach what can you learn today?
  • You can learn from Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant, and a lot of great people, and lear as much as you can
  • If you put the work in to be successful in baseball an you take that same work ethc you will be successful in anything 
  •  
    • 1 hr 19 min
  • 76 - Jim Maciejewski: Mauldin HS (SC)

    “Mach-ee-es-ski”

    Bio

    • 11 years as head baseball coach and 1 as Athletic Director at Mauldin HS (SC)
      • 36 Players to college, 4 drafted, 1 free-agent signee.
  • Former assistant coach at USC Upstate under Matt Fincher and Dorman HS under Ben Waddle (Wah-dle).
  • Managed the Brockport Riverbats of the New York Collegiate Summer League in 2007.  Has also coached American Legion and Travel baseball.
  • Been a member of the USA Baseball Task Force since 2018 scouting for the 14u & 17u Team Championships, along with the several NTIS events.
  • From assistant AD, to full time AD at Mauldin since 2020

    •  

    Notes

    • Rely on a tight circle of coaches with any question I may have
  • It is so rewarding to see the impact you can have on other programs 
  • Lean on others who have done it well 
  • Create the best experience for everyone in every program
  • Leadership program within the whole athletic program****
  • Build a strong culture within the whole athletic program
  • Community service****
  • We did a lot of things on a smaller scale and we want to do it on steroids
  • Take ownership of what you do and who you are
  • It needs to come for a deeper meaning of trust and common ground
  • MAVS U - “Motivated Achievers Value Success”
    • Based on Tyler Gillum
  • Lesson based around the needs of the team
    • Be a good teammate, son, study skills, run down
  • Group activity, independent activity, 
  • Have a video and present in front of teammates
  • Mavs U becomes the “Cabinet” for the Mauldin HS athletic department
    • “What does it mean to be a Mauldin athlete?”
  • Cabinet will help with community service
  • Community service - miracle league, hospital visits, angel trees, Elementary school after school programs, community clean up
  • Kids need to have an appreciation for what they have
  • The greatest leader in the world, washed someone else’s feet
  • The best leadership is serving other
  • The best leadership lesson is serving someone else
  • Kids apply and they need to interview to be a part of the leadership task force
  • Creating chemistry and not forcing leadership!!**
  • Kids need a chance to get to know one another and grow relationships
  • Leadership classroom sessions start year 1, as soon as possible!
  • Leadership doesn’t matter if those kids don’t care about one another
  • Be a good person! Do what you say you are going to do
  • Bands based on behavior system. Players moved up with player recommendations and had to justify
  • Boat crews - split up the talent and in competitive groups
    • Keep them through the fall
  • Leader of the crew
  • Points for anything we want to compete with
  • We are not going to progress the skill until they can verbalize it, teach it, and own it.
  • Pinch runner called “game winner”
  • We can know everything about a team but if we can’t make plays it doesn’t matter what we know about the other team
  • The positive board - write it on the board something positive that has happened in the game. The average fan would not even notice.
  • You may never see the finished product, but you need to keep plugging away because something you said will make an impact**
  • Curriculum cannot just be 50 straight. It will always change, but you will have your pillars
  • Mavs U based on Tyler Gillums Growth U and Brian Cain’s pride program
  • Core values and Mission and Vision are voted on each year to own what type of team you want to be
    • What does it look like a player, person, and player
  • “That’s Mauldin”
  • Use the mission and vision statement based on what you want to be about and how you plan on getting there
  • Creating chemistry over leadership - what is more important??
  • Creating a culture we just want to create something consistent something they can depend on
  • We can’t try to do something and replicate something that others are doing 
  • Coaches need to do things for who they know they have!
  • Goes back to growth mindset. 
  • Twitter - @Maciejewski24
    • DM are open!
  •  
    • 1 hr 29 min
  • 75 - Andrew Wright: New York Yankees Player Development Dept

    Bio

    • Currently serving the New York Yankees Player Development Department as the Director of Dominican Republic Baseball Operations (2019)
  • Former HC at Charleson (WV) University from 2015-2019
    • staff from three to eight and wins from 16 to 41 in 4 years.
  • In years three and four claimed MEC Southern Division Championship and MEC Tournament Championship.  Lost in championship in year 2.
  • 2 NCAA Regionals
  • Achievements-3 consecutive school records for wins 36, 38, 41
  • Head Baseball coach at Concord (WV) University from 2010-2015
    • Increased the roster from 24 to 38
  • -Increased the staff from 2 to 5
  • -Set consecutive school records for wins in 2013 (36) and 2014 (38)
  • -Won 2 Conference Championships (2011,2013)
  • -Appeared in 2 NCAA Regionals
  • -Created and Implemented "1000 Hour Project" and "Get to Give" Community Service Initiatives
  • -Improved team GPA from
    • 1 hr 32 min
  • 74 - Mike Kelly: Loyola Blakefield (MD)

    Bio

    • Head Coach at Loyola Blakefield since 2017
  • Former Don assistant coach 2012-2016
  • Former Atlanta Braves scout from 91-95
  • Assistant for Baltimore Johnnies (similar to Cape Cod league)
    • 2 number 1 draft picks
  • 2nd pick overall
  • 4th pick overall
  • Dundalk CC assistant from 1990-1994
  • Assisted with multiple Baltimore metro teams over the years
  • Has coached 4 big leaguers
  • kid driven
  • Players first coach!

    •  

    Notes

    • When you come to my school you will be one of my guys for life
  • Checking on guys after they leave the program
  • Connect with alumni, even if it is just an email
  • You have to get the players (you need talent)
  • You need to have the culture (expectations)
  • Players need to buy in
  • Each year there is a different level of buy in
  • The most talent doesn’t always win, but the most talented team of players
  • Get the last guy on your team to be all in is when you get something special
  • Buy into the culture, buy into the baseball teaching/philosophy
  • Adjust to how players feel about the team and play for each other, not just for themselves.
  • I do less messing with hitters
  • You need to drive the baseball to play at a high level
  • I am kid driven - more what the kid needs and develop the kid****
  • ETF - embrace the fear
    • Fear of the totality of hitting the baseball
  • Fear of making mistakes
  • Know it is going to happen
  • Don’t run from it
  • Its ok, and let go at it, and have fun with it
  • Give players test based on the playbook, based on our system
    • Either put the play on, or you take it off
  • Take away as much thinking I can from the player, so they can just play and react instinctively
  • If the kids make a mistakes I take responsibility for that, and I need to teach it and go back over it again
  • Aggressive offensively, and make other team give up outs to get to the next base.
  • Defensively we do not want to give up anything
  • We teach during practice, and during games kids go have fun, learn, and coaches get feedback on what they need to practice.
  • Getting practice done with JV and Varsity, together to teach everyone, and also get kids home in time to study and have family time!
  • I am watching all the time
  • Talking to kids during BP to talk about life or even get feedback from players on practice
  • We are going to do the things that we do the most during games!
  • Generally see the biggest improvements from our outfielders, they must go all out for the baseball.
  • Every BP ball that comes off the bat we go for it 100%
  • 2 guys at each position - next guy comes right up after each rep
  • Infield throws until their arm is done, but make each play, you just may not throw it.
  • Get corrected right away, and get the praise right away
  • Its easy to beat up, but you better praise em up!
  • Machine pitch intersquad to get as many situations as possible, keep it moving
  • Intersquad, 3 teams, pitcher has plays off the L-screen
  • I am training everyone to be leaders, each person needs to lead their life.
  • Every team has a hierarchical of players/leaders
  • First thing is to LEAD yourself - find out who you are and what to embrace and stay away from
  • Kids teach kids - share what you know with other players
  • Be authentic, be real - the kids will know, and you will not fool them.
  • Be upfront and honest with kids right away
  • “Baseball class” - if players have problem in “baseball class” we don’t want parents to talk to us, but in “geometry class” they call the teacher
  • How to compete to get on a team, and compete against your best friend for a position on the team.
  • I’m in the business of helping kids!
  • @baseballcoachk 
  •  
    • 1 hr 11 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!