KPB Podcast

Daily KPB

This is the podcast version of our written article by the same title. That article can be read here. Note: The email examples in the article will be easier to understand in written form than what is described in the podcast episode, so be sure to check them out!

Here's a common scene in the recruiting process: You just got an email from a college program you are interested in. You are excited, and hope this will be the start of your journey to making a commitment. But do you really understand the intent behind the email? Is it expressing real interest? Before you get too far ahead of yourself, make sure you read the email closely. College coaches send out a number of different types of emails that mean different things and have different purposes. While the emails may sound similar, they can have very different intentions.

Emails are a safe way for college coaches to reach out to recruits without having to show their hand (level of interest).  The emails can have a variety of meanings and purposes. The way the email is worded, how much personalized information is included in the email, and what type of response it asks from you will help you better understand the intentions of the program that sent it.

In this episode, we discuss the different types of emails that college coaches send and what they mean. Specifically, we discuss 3 different kinds of emails you might receive from a college coach (Camp Email, Exploratory Interest, Definite Interest), what each means about your recruitment, and how to follow up. Listen in to learn more!

Daily KPB

This podcast is the audio version of the written article of the same title, available to read here.

As a coach, instead of focusing on the “right” language, focus on using language that creates understanding and the right physical response for each individual player. That may mean you tell one hitter to “swing up to the ball”, you tell another hitter to “swing down on the ball”, and you tell the rest of the hitters to “swing level or on plane”. By being flexible with your verbal cues, you help everyone get better and make yourself a more successful coach.

The idea of being flexible with language and finding verbal cues that work for each guy means you will have to set your ego (and perhaps stubbornness) aside. Doing so does not mean that you don’t know what you are talking about or that you teach the wrong things, in fact it’s the opposite. A multidimensional approach to coaching is a sign that you are committed to teaching and helping your players develop the movement patterns they need to be successful.  That’s what coaching is all about. Coaching is about player development, not proving your way is the only way. If you still aren’t ready to give up your preferred verbal cue for something that doesn’t resonate as well with you, think about this: Mike Trout trains his swing thinking about swinging down on the ball and Kris Bryant trains his by thinking about swinging up. Should one of these MVPs change his training cue because it’s wrong? No! There are many paths to success! Moving forward, prioritize helping your players find their own paths to success by using language and verbal cues that work for them.

Daily KPB

This podcast episode corresponds to our written article by the same title, The Importance of a Diverse Recruiting Plan.

In this episode, we discuss the many different ways that college coaches are finding the players who end up playing in their program and discuss the importance of having a diverse recruiting plan that gives coaches multiple ways to connect with you, evaluate you, and recruit you. Listen in to find out why it's so important!

Daily KPB

This podcast is the audio version of the written article, Learning From Others: The Power of Purposeful Observation.

 "You have to apply yourself each day to becoming a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better."- Coach John Wooden 

Want to play college baseball? There are people around you every day that can help you get there. The people we are thinking about are probably not the same people that immediately jump into your mind. We’re not talking about your coaches or your parents or even your teachers and counselors, although all of these people can be a tremendous help in the recruiting process. The people we are talking about are your teammates and your peers.

Your peers can play an incredible role in helping you understand what it takes to get better if you can take your ego out of the comparison. That can be easier said than done. Most high school players fall into the trap of letting their ego interfere when comparing themselves to their peers. Who has the better stats? Who is getting more attention from colleges? Who got invited to this event or plays on this team? Why is he getting recruited by that school and I’m not? Why is he already getting offers? These types of comparisons only serve as a distraction. Every college bound player is on a different timeline and follows a different path to the next level. When we talk about the role your teammates and fellow competitors can play in helping you get better, we are talking about learning from their successes and failures as much as your own.

There’s a common misconception that learning has to come from your own success or mistakes, but imagine how many more learning opportunities you create each day when you really pay attention to what is happening around you. That’s the entire point of our Think the Game articles. Learn from everyone’s experiences, so you don’t have to make every mistake for yourself! There is feedback and important lessons all around you that can help you grow and improve and we want to highlight how you can use this feedback to be your own coach and get a little better each day. We discuss 4 keys to purposeful observation in this episode. Listen in to find out what they are!

Daily KPB

 This podcast is the audio version of our written article, Targeting the Right Schools in Recruitment

A common misstep in the recruiting process happens when players pursue schools where their baseball skill set doesn’t fit. These players either only target schools where the standard of play is too high for their skills, or they ignore interest from schools where their skill set does match up well, thinking they can “do better.” It goes without saying that you should treat all interest as serious interest and make sure you do your research on every program individually. With over 1,600 college baseball programs, there are many schools you will not know about. With so many programs out there, how can you make sure you are targeting the appropriate schools for your skill level? It turns out that this question doesn’t have one simple answer and that’s why so many recruits get it wrong! Luckily, we have done the research for you and we’ve come up with 5 things you can do to help make sure you are targeting the appropriate level of college baseball for your skill set.  We discuss them in this podcast!

Daily KPB

This is the podcast version of the written article titled, Networking: Your Secret Weapon in the Recruiting Process.

 When it comes to the recruiting process, surrounding yourself with a good network of people can make a big difference. Not only can a quality network help you make sound decisions throughout the recruiting process, having ties with people who are well connected in the college game can go a long way to opening doors and providing opportunities. There are many stories of players getting a foot in the door with a college coach because a former teammate, current coach, or someone they know has a connection to open that door. While your talent, work ethic, character, and skills are ultimately what will get you to the next level, at times recruiting can feel like it’s more about who you know than what you can do. If you are worried that you don’t have a strong network behind you, don’t worry! On this podcast we will discuss how you can use your connections to strengthen your network and how you can use your network to help in the recruiting process.

Listen to the episode for more on how you can:

1) Assess the strength of your social network

2) Grow your social network

3) Use your social network to help you in the recruiting process

 Daily KPB

This podcast corresponds to the Emotional 101 article on the KPB website.

“The ballplayer who loses his head, who can’t keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all.” –Lou Gehrig 

There’s no debating that the way baseball is being played is changing. The game is slowly starting to embrace a more modern flair. Bat flips and celebrations that would have cost a beaning in past generations are becoming the norm. Still, many college coaches debate the outward displays of emotion that they see. Sure, it’s a new generation, but how much bat flip is too much bat flip? How much emotion can a player display before it becomes a side show? Since we know college coaches are spending a lot of time  evaluating the body language  and behavior of recruits, we take a look at some of the emotionally-charged situations college coaches see on the recruiting trail and how they help or hurt a recruit’s chances of being recruited.  

 On This Episode: 

We are excited to welcome former College World Series champion, Big League pitcher, and current Cal Baseball Head Coach Mike Neu to the podcast. There aren’t many things in the game of baseball that Neu hasn’t accomplished. He started his college career playing for baseball legend Jerry Weinstein at Sacramento City College where he won a state title before transferring to University of Miami. At Miami, Neu was an All-American pitcher and recorded the final out of the College World Series for the champion Hurricanes. Neu was drafted out of Miami by the Reds and worked his way to the Big Leagues where he pitched with both the A’s and Marlins. After his playing career ended, Neu started out as an assistant coach at Diablo Valley CC before quickly assuming the head coaching role at DVC. He made his first move to Cal as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He left Cal in 2015 to become the Head Coach at University of Pacific (D1 in Stockton, CA) and after helping turn the program around, returned to lead the Cal program in 2018. In his first two years as the Head Coach at Cal, Neu has coached the Golden Spikes winner in Andrew Vaughn and lead the Golden Bears to an NCAA Regional Appearance. He has a reputation as an outstanding recruiter and if his career to this point is any indication, Neu and the Bears will have continued success as they look to return to Omaha. We talk Big League lessons, recruiting, the Pac-12, development and much more in this can't miss episode.

Topics:

D1, Pac-12, Recruiting, Development, Culture, Academics, Life Skills, Multi-Sport Athletes, Daily life

Daily KPB

This podcast mirrors the content found in our popular article by the same title, which you can read HERE. We were asked to write that article by a college coach who was frustrated by the constant barrage of poorly written emails from recruits. Using a poorly written email as an example of players failing to understand the importance of being detail oriented and thorough in the recruiting process, we discuss 4 major reasons why college coaches are paying attention to players who attend to the details and are willing to go the extra mile to do things right.  Listen to find out why in a recruiting world where there are countless players with similar on-field skills and ability, a recruit who shows attention to detail will quickly separate himself from the rest.  

Daily KPB

This episode provides insight on mistakes that parents are making at the ballpark and mirrors the content in the written article found HERE. 

College coaches may be recruiting high school players, but they are paying very close attention to what the parents of recruits are doing at the field as well. Parents make many unintended mistakes that can hurt their son's chances of getting recruited. We don't want that to happen to you, so we discuss 5 common mistakes that are made at the baseball field by parents and provide suggestions for more constructive alternative behavior. Listen in so you don't hurt your son's chances of getting recruited and playing at the next level.