By Former Professional Baseball Player, Chance Reynolds

In the past two decades, there has been an increase in the number of no-hitters and strikeouts in the major leagues. So what in the world could cause this remarkable change of events; a new pitching philosophy, a new pitch that no one has ever seen, more velocity, more control?  No, the truth is one of the main reasons pitchers have become more dominant is due to the extinction of a (former) staple of the game:  the Two Strike Approach.

When I speak to players today about having a Two Strike Approach, I often get a look of absolute befuddlement.  Players today do not understand how to move up in the box, how to move in on the plate, how to flatten out their bat, how to punch the ball the other way, and God forbid, choke up, in order to become a tough out at the plate.  They would prefer to swing for the fences at balls in the dirt while their batting averages suffer (and their teams suffer the consequences.)

In studying and teaching the Two Strike Approach, no one personified the ability to drive the ball early in the count, while “shortening up” and “putting the ball in play” better than Joe Dimaggio.  In 1941, the year Joe D. hit in 56 straight, few people know that he also hit 30 Home Runs that year, while striking out only 13 times!  He also had similar numbers in 1939 as well when he hit 30 more Home Runs, while striking out only 20 times that season.  And by the way, he was also named the American League M.V.P. at the conclusion of both seasons (and the Yankees also won the World Series both of those years!)

So how do we, as coaches, teach our guys to become better two-strike hitters? It’s really quite simple.  Physically speaking, it’s spreading out in the box (in order to keep your weight back), flattening out the bat (in order to hit line drives more consistently), looking the other way (to let the ball get deeper), and being quick with your hands (in order to be short to the ball).  Conceptually, it’s nothing more than moving two inches closer to the plate (to take away the outside pitch), moving two inches up in the box (to take away the curve ball), and choking up two inches on the bat (to have better bat control).  In other words, “2-2-2-2” (two strikes/two inches in/two inches up/two inches up on the bat).  Mentally, it’s finding a way to get on base, it’s competing at the plate, and it’s putting pressure on your opponent.

Ultimately, it’s playing Winning Baseball!

By Jodi Sheakley

When one hears the term, “opponent,” we picture the athletes who sport a different team’s logo.  Yet many of our rivals don’t even wear athletic jerseys.  Some of our toughest opponents include cold and flu viruses, bacteria that cause strep or staph infections, and a host of other unwanted guests.

Frigid weather places additional stress on our immune systems and threatens to weaken us.  For example, cold viruses thrive in colder temperatures, where humidity is low.  Young athletes are particularly prone to illness after wearing themselves down, particularly during intense weekend events.

Normally, microorganisms lie “asleep” in the body.  But when the immune system weakens from stress, poor diet, or lack of rest, these infections can take hold.  And while we may not be able to control our exposure to them, we do have control over what we eat.

‘Tis the season, then, to consider some other options to strengthen your young athlete’s immunity during the taxing physical challenges that he/she faces.  Read on for more information on specific foods that may help boost nutritional immunity:

Vitamin C – Helps with 300+ metabolic functions in the body, plus it partners with vitamin E and beta-carotene to strengthen immunity.  The body may need more of this vitamin when exposed to toxins and illnesses.  While found in fruits and vegetables, watch out for juice drinks.  Although they may offer 100% or more of Vitamin C, they often contain the same amount of sugar per 12-ounce serving:  a whopping nine teaspoons!

Many health experts also promote other antioxidants in boosting immune function:
Beta Carotene – Found in green and yellow vegetables, cantaloupe, apricots, parsley, peaches, and papayas;

Selenium – May work with vitamin E to aid in the production of antibodies.  Sources include broccoli, chicken, dairy products, onions, seafood, and whole grains;

Vitamin E – Aids in tissue repair, helps the body use vitamin A, relaxes leg cramps, and may enhance athletic performance.  It is found in cold-pressed vegetable oils, dark green leafy vegetables, brown rice, milk, oatmeal, and eggs; &

Zinc – Obtained through egg yolks, fish, meats, legumes, mushrooms, pecans, poultry, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, seafood, sunflower seeds, soy lecithin, and whole grains.

Worried about meeting your Recommended Dietary Allowances for the day?  Learn to love “double-duty” foods that provide a number of immune-boosting benefits.  Chicken thighs provide iron, zinc & B vitamins, while marinara sauce supplies beta carotene and vitamin C.

Overall, prevention is key.  Though if you’re struck, you might want to try chicken or turkey soup, since hot liquids may help relieve symptoms and shorten the duration of a cold.  Andrew Weil, MD, suggests, “Try sucking on zinc glutonate or zinc acetate lozenges, which.may shorten the duration of a cold in half.”

In conclusion, some of the best protection may come from your grocery store rather than your favorite pro shop.  In this case, a good defense is.well, a good defense!

Have a specific question, comment, or suggestion for a future article?  Contact Jodi Sheakley at [email protected].

They asked us to design something unique that everyone would love...and we delivered! Get your own team custom gloves here!

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports

​I’ve already discussed the origins of the word, “Coach”. The word originates in England, from “coach” as in “carriage”; a vehicle that transports one from where they are now, to where they want to be. University students in 19th century England likened their instructors to carriages, “guiding” the students through their classes and exams. The word in that sense first appears in the written record in 1848. The “instructor” sense was then applied to sports trainers by 1885.

If you buy into the notion that your job is to transport your players to their desired destinations, it is important to understand that they each may have different goals. Your team may very well consist of players whose objectives are to make an all-star team, or play high school or even college ball. But you may also have players with no such aspirations. They may be on your team for no other reason than that they love to wear the uniform, play the game and get a snack. Wouldn’t it be awful if you coached both players the same way?

I would find it fascinating if a survey were done of all young athletes, asking them to rank the following things in order, from most important to least important:

•    Win
•    Have fun
•    Not get yelled at
•    Do something spectacular
•    Not get hurt
•    Learn something to make me better

My sense is that, in many instances, different players on the same team would rank all six choices differently. And then I would find it equally interesting if all coaches would take a similar survey, truthfully ranking the following items in the same fashion:

•    Win
•    Make sure everyone had fun
•    Conduct myself in a calm, respectable manner
•    See my own child perform well
•    Make sure everyone was safe
•    Teach something about the game to the team

There is no right or wrong order to either of these lists. But the best coaches are the ones whose list aligns most closely with their players’.

​For those of you who cannot get enough of a great thing, we offer some of the most timeless and memorable quotes from the teacher, John Wooden. Wooden’s wisdom transcended the basketball court and yet his humility and kindness were as legendary as his coaching acumen.

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

“Never mistake activity for achievement.”

“Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

“Be prepared and be honest.”

“Be quick, but don’t hurry.”

“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.”

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”

“Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character.”

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”

“I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

“It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”

“Ability is a poor man’s wealth.”

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings and the feelings of others before your own rights.”

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”

“It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.”

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

“Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”

Source: CoachWooden.com

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports
​
I’ll start by admitting that I’m not a catcher. Other than some rec games when I was very young, I never played the position. However, through coaching fifty-something Little League, PONY, and travel teams, and after having done my share of calling balls and strikes as an umpire, I’ve seen enough pitches hit the catcher’s mitt to make some observations. And I’ve learned how you, as a coach, can help your catchers get those marginal pitches called strikes, and to dramatically cut down the number of actual strikes that an umpire will mistakenly rule as balls.

I’m not talking about framing pitches. A catcher who catches an outside pitch and tries to sneak the glove in the strike zone is kidding himself. Unless the ump happened to close his eyes the instant before the ball got to the mitt, then opened them to see the mitt positioned over the outside corner, it’s not going to fool anyone. But there are three things I see that youth catchers, even at the high school level, could do better to improve their pitcher’s success.

First is the elbow. Catchers need to have a strong, locking elbow when receiving a borderline pitch. So many times I’ve see the ball hit the catcher’s mitt in the strike zone, but then the catcher lazily lets the velocity of the pitch knock his glove down to his ankles. The result?  Because the umpire last sees the catcher’s glove down by his shoe laces, a pitch that clearly came across the plate at the knees or higher is called a ball. When we ask where the pitch missed, the umpire says it was low. If the catcher had locked the elbow and held it where it first hit the mitt, there is no way the ump misses the call.

The next skill, which is a little tougher to teach, is how the catcher receives the ball. This is especially important on a pitch in the strike zone, but not where it was supposed to go. A call that goes against you in this situation can’t be blamed completely on the catcher, but it is something they can work on.  Let’s say you call a fastball inside, and the catcher gives his target there, but the pitch comes in outside. If the catcher is startled and dives outside, even though the ball may be several inches within the strike zone, it will inevitably be called a ball because the catcher made it seem like it was almost a wild pitch. The trick is to make the reception appear as natural as possible, so as to almost look as if it was planned that way.

This could even be more subtle. I’ve seen a catcher set up his target at mid-thighs, and a beautiful pitch came in at the knees. The catcher should have kept his fingers up and simply moved his glove a few inches lower to catch the pitch, making it appear like this was where he expected it. Instead, he instinctively flipped his mitt thumbs down to make the catch. I don’t know how many games I’ve seen where that pitch is called a ball and the defensive team’s coaches throw their hands up in the air and protest. And yes, a great umpire should still call that a strike, but in the split second it took to decide on a borderline call, the catcher’s action convinced the jury in the umpire’s mind to rule in favor of the batter.

Finally, there’s one more thing you can teach, but only if you have an outstanding player behind the plate. We all know that pitches often travel in, and then out of the strike zone. The best catchers will go get the ball before it leaves the zone, seizing it at the last possible instant. Young players need to be able to wait long enough to be sure the batter isn’t swinging, but a great receiver can take a tailing fastball or a curveball, and nab it before it goes off the plate to make sure it is called a strike.

Clearly, pitchers are extremely important at every level of baseball. But what many coaches don’t seem to realize is that when it comes to pitchers throwing balls and strikes – to getting ground balls and strikeouts instead of giving up walks – often a catcher can make all the difference. So next game, before you complain about the umpire or yell at your pitcher to “just get it over the plate,” take a close look at the kid on the other end of the pitch and make sure he’s doing all the “little things” to make every pitch look as good as it can.

Have your own team custom batting gloves done as a fundraiser or just a cool giveaway. All we need is your logo to get started with a free, digital mock-up!

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports

We’ve all been there. Running a practice with a swarm of kids and trying our best to make it fun and entertaining while still teaching good, solid fundamentals. It is commonly accepted that the longer kids stand in line and wait for turns, the less they learn, the more they fool around and the harder it is as a coach to keep them focused.

Here is what I’ve found will always turn an ordinary practice drill into something the kids do with eagerness and passion. Make it a game. Here’s what  mean:

Many times I’ve walked past a practice and I’ve seen a coach, with 10 kids standing in centerfield, working on fly balls. One player steps out from the line, the coach hits a fly ball, the kid either catches it or not, then throws it back in. Nothing really wrong with that, but why not instead turn it into a competition? Divide them into two teams of five: Team A and Team B, (if they’re really young kids, give them name like squirrels and monkeys). Tell them that you will hit fly balls and every catch is worth one point for the team, and every good, one-hop throw in is worth another point. First team to 30 wins. Now, in exactly the same drill, all ten kids are competing, and when that score is 24-23 and the ball is in the air, they’re cheering and excited. And when the drill is over, they want to do it again.

But maybe most importantly, what you’ve also done by conducting the drill in this manner, is to simulate game competition. the next time one of those players has a fly ball hit to them in left field with a runner on third and one out, they’ve been there before. They’ve experienced the same pressure in a practice setting and thus, are more likely to perform. The same principles apply to shooting goals in soccer or practicing free-throws in basketball.

We’ve tried to build this coaching philosophy into CoachDeck. Beyond being a simple pack of 52 good, fundamental drills, each card has a unique, “Make it a Game,” feature that turns an ordinary drill into a fun and exciting competition kids will love.

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports

​I’ve talked about this before, but it is important enough that it bears repeating. When you are coaching young players, your main goal is to make the experience a positive one so that they’ll want to come back and play again next year. This doesn’t mean you don’t correct mistakes and it doesn’t mean you tolerate fooling around behavior that detracts from the rest of the team. But it does mean that you exercise patience and compassion for players who don’t have the most ability or who are a little rambunctious.

I remember a player I coached in T-ball one year named Duncan who was a super-nice boy but who was on the low end of the talent scale relative to the others on my team. There were times I was frustrated because it seemed that he didn’t catch on as quickly as the other players, and it looked pretty obvious to me that he didn’t have a lot of natural ability when it came to baseball. However, I worked with him as hard, if not harder, than with the players with greater skill and enjoyed all of the minor accomplishments he made during the year.

When that initial T-ball season was over I gave Duncan our team’s most improved player award and saw a smile spread across his face like I hadn’t seen all season. The next year, in Coach-pitch, I learned that Duncan had been assigned to my team again. I sighed a little, knowing that again this season I would often have to stop my practices to help him, and that some of my better players would suffer because of it.

But when our players came out for the first practice, it became evident that Duncan had improved-dramatically. By the second week of the season I was stunned that he was now one of my team’s best players. It turns out that when our baseball season ended, Duncan had missed baseball so much that his parents signed him up for a pee-wee instructional league that played year-round. Though other coaches had assisted with Duncan’s remarkable improvement, what made me proud was that he had wanted more baseball when our season ended. I know that many coaches, even those with good intentions, could have turned Duncan’s first baseball experience into such a negative that he may never have wanted to pick up a glove once it was over.

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports

When I coach at any level, I try to correct every mistake I see a kid make. My attitude is that if I let a player field a ground ball in a manner contrary to the way I taught them at the first practice; if I see a player catch a fly ball incorrectly; I am doing them a disservice and only reinforcing the improper technique by letting it go. However, when I correct that mistake I try to do so in a positive manner. For instance, after watching a player catch a pop fly with their mitt turned the wrong way, my conversation may be something like this: “Tommy, I’m glad you caught that ball, but remember, we want to have our glove turned this way if the ball is above our waist, right? Can you show me how to do that? Perfect! But great job with the catch.”

I see too many coaches who are only concerned with results and not the methods used to acquire those results. Believe it or not, I’d rather have a child use the proper technique and fail, (drop the pop-fly for instance), than use improper technique and succeed. Stressing the importance of proper technique over results is better in the long run for your player and your team.

Finally, when you run practices, don’t expect perfection. There will be plenty of time ahead for these kids when perfection, in sports, school and other activities will be demanded of them. Expect mistakes, correct them gently, and take the time to appreciate the innocence of kids just trying to have fun with their friends on the field. If your own son or daughter is a superstar, you’re going to have many moments in the years to come when their performance thrills you. But if you think about it, the kids who don’t have great athletic futures in front of them might never get a chance at glory unless you provide it. Stopping practice to enthusiastically point out something a player did right in front of the whole team may be the closest thing to a walk-off homer or game-winning shot some players ever get. And it may be something they remember for the rest of their lives.