OUR MISSION
The Academy’s primary task is to provide young baseball players a system and a place to develop fundamentals necessary to transition from the small field to the large field.
For older players, The Academy’s task is to provide a comprehensive developmental approach to increase the odds of success at the high school and college level.
Justification and Rationale for a Baseball Academy
Being the great American sport that it is, baseball has seen dwindling numbers of our youth participating in the last few decades. There are many reasons for this decline. One primary reason is the loss of the traditional neighborhood sandlot and the variety of activities our youth participate in today. Many kids today simply show up for practice, hoping that the practice is the place for development. With this approach, there is not enough time and reps for young players, middle school and high school players to build the skill sets necessary for advancement. The jump to the large field as a 13-year-old is usually a defining moment. As is the first time a high school freshmen steps on a field along side 18 year old college prospects. Acquiring baseball skills such as throwing, hitting and physical development is a slow process, built on small steps over time and with many repetitions. Baseball development is a marathon, not a sprint. Yet, some parents and coaches expect a few practices to do the job. Is it any wonder why kids leave the game? Without the skills, baseball is probably not as fun as the adults seem to think it should be. As a result, many young players walk away or are cut from school teams and the preferred summer teams.
So what do the best players do?
If you ask college players about their experience as a youth, you find most will tell you they were good, that they played on the best teams, had the best coaching, threw hard, hit well and really understood the game. For many this was true even at 12 years old. In most cases, each college player will tell you the transition to the large field was relatively easy.
Were these college players always the biggest or fastest? Not necessarily. The consistent common thread was the baseball skill level.
How was this achieved? Through consistent practice and repetitions. Many players credit a father or a brother, the back yard, a hitting cage in the garage, and on and on.
Today’s answer is The Academy. The guarantee is the opportunity to develop a strong foundation of baseball skills, both physical and mental.
Who are our coaches and teachers?
The Academy’s dedicated staff truly believes in the mission. Each instructor is well-known in the baseball community as an individual with high character and a selfless approach. All have played and coached successfully. Each is dedicated to the Academy and the Academy’s mission, resulting in a consistent approach.
What does the Academy teach?
Physical development. The Academy believes that each player, regardless of age, should spend a significant amount of time developing the body. Like all sports, development of the body will increase the player’s chances to attain their potential and to avoid injury. Warm-up, flexibility, strength, speed, core development and baseball explosiveness are emphasized. Each player is measured and outcomes recorded, so progress is documented.
Hitting. The Academy works with each player to develop great fundamentals, along with an understanding of the mechanics of hitting. Each player participates in a variety of hitting drills and stations while attending a session. As the player progresses, coaches transition the emphasis from mechanics to building a great mental approach to hitting.
Throwing & Receiving. The Academy spends a significant amount of time developing each player’s ability to throw and receive a baseball. How well a player throws and receives will have an effect on the player’s future positional opportunities. Of significant importance to the Academy is the prevention of injury and the coaches will spend time developing the best mechanics possible to promote healthy outcomes. The Academy will go outside monthly, whenever possible, to teach and practice various throwing programs. Players will be evaluated and outcomes documented.
Fielding. The Academy develops the player’s preparation and mechanical approach for fielding a ball. As players progress through the Academy, game situations are introduced both inside and at the outside sessions.
Pitching. The Academy believes all kids are potentially pitchers. If you can throw the ball over the plate most of the time, then the Academy believes you can pitch. Our first priority is on the pitcher’s health and safety. Pitching mechanics are incorporated with our throwing program, to build positive results. Evaluation and measurement of each pitcher will help the coaches build a progressive plan of development for each pitcher in the Academy.
Catchers. The Academy believes that catchers are the quarterback on the field and must be developed with that in mind. Catchers are developed side by side with the pitchers.
Mental. It is said that “20% of the game is physical and 80% is mental.” The Academy agrees with this philosophy. Do we need to become a professional or wait until you get a scholarship to mention the 80%? Not at the Academy. The understanding and development of the mental game of baseball is the most important thing the Academy does. Coaches at the Academy, over time, help each player by addressing topics such as, attitude, adversity, anger, behavior, body language, belief, character, confidence, courage, consistency, dedication, discipline, emotions, excuses, fear of failure, goals, habits, intensity, poise, positivism, preparation, relaxation, self-talk, task at hand, tempo, visualization, warrior, just to name a few.
How does the Academy teach?
Goals – Outcomes. The Academy believes in evaluation and goal setting. Each player has a plan containing goals such as: How many repetitions in 30 seconds? How far can you throw the ball? How hard can you throw a medicine ball into the wall? Can you hit your location 5 times in a row? Can you stay inside the ball and hit “oppo” five times in a row? Can you improve your shuttle time from 6 months ago? …….
These achievements and goals help the player learn how to compete. Learning to compete and the associated achievement builds confidence and self-esteem, which leads to better players and a passion for the game. In addition, each player’s plan is customized and updated to address the player’s individual goals, whether you are trying to make a 10 year old travel team or you’re a high school player attending a college showcase.
Video. The Academy uses RightView Pro Software to evaluate and record the players progress and development This software, used by professional and college programs, is an invaluable teaching tool to help the coaches, players and parents identify specific needs on which to focus at the Academy and when working at home.
Pricing and Structure.
The Academy understands that one size does not fit all. Therefore the staff at the Academy will evaluate and recommend a structure for all interested in participation.
The cost of attending The Academy depends on the structure of the program. Duration and frequency influence pricing. Some participants pay as little as $ 15.00 or less per hour of development.
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