What I've Learned From Baseball

For Players
Around 70% of baseball players leave the sport by age 13!
The difficult transition to the larger field (generally after spring of age 12) is hardest on the smaller player.

Kids grow and mature when they do…and not before so hang in there.

Parents, coaches and players should re-double their efforts to stay in the game through this potentially trying season. Some, much or all of these problems tend to work themselves out by one of the most fun seasons ever…AGE 14!
This is the last season that Dads tend to coach players. 14-year olds are now veterans of the bigger field, most are in or through the life-changing puberty stage…and everyone is just plain bigger and stronger.

You can only control what you can control!

For Pitchers
Age 13 will knock a few feet off your fastball.
What? Think about it. The harder you throw, the quicker your fastball gets to home plate…right? Ok…now take the same pitcher throwing the same velocity…but on a pitcher's mound that is farther from home plate. I cannot do justice to the discussion of the physics of this, but I’ll bet you can see the difference when you stand in the batter’s box or sit in the dugout and watch. The ball just takes longer to reach the plate than it did on the smaller field.

This is a great season to tweak and strengthen your mechanics. I am NOT a fan of the weight room as your primary source of increased velocity, especially before puberty, though it is great for teaching the discipline of training that ultimately separates most of the better to elite players.

Instead, I see a player's time better spent involved in the further developing of a repeatable delivery with a consistent release point, smoothing and purifying his mechanics.

Velocity will come with puberty. That's when size and muscle strength will truly change the player. In the meantime, it just makes sense to have your delivery ready for this new you.

Remember…
You can only control what you can control!

For Coaches
Breaking ball breakdown.
Larger muscled players will tend to make an easier transition to the larger field but must be aware of the breaking ball, which can eliminate any sized player from the game…right now!

Like it or not, now is the age when too many are throwing too many balls with movement. The pitch to home plate distance is backed up enough that lousy curveballs (most of the stuff your kids will see) are still balls with movement and from a pitching distance that most players have not seen before.

A solution is this week's special for newsletter subscribers only (yes, you can recommend this newsletter to a friend so they can enjoy the special…as the saying goes…any baseball friend of yours is a friend of mine!)

Don’t forget…
You can only control what you can control!

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for creating such a great product. My 11-year old son Daniel started out this season going 1-for-14. I ordered the Personal Pitcher Pro, quick shipped, and worked with him for about an hour for two consecutive days. The next game, he went 2-for-3. He finished the season leading his Little League Majors Division team in batting average. His accomplishment makes me feel very proud, but I am really touched by the amount of pride and confidence that he now has in his own accomplishments at the plate.

I am one of those parents who believes that team sports are important to a child's growth as a responsible, reliable, and sociable person. To see his confidence on the field spill over into many other areas of his life makes me very happy.

He has continued to use the machine in the off-season and he can't wait until next spring to see not only his average increase, but also his power. I can't wait, either!

In addition to a great product, I also commend your customer service. I had a slight failure of bushing at the end of one of the motor shafts after a few uses. I called, explained the issue, and you sent me a pair of new motors without even asking me for a receipt number. In this day and age, I didn't know that was possible. You have made a loyal client for life!

Thank you very much for all of your help!

Todd Allen

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I just returned from my second trip to Cooperstown (the spiritual home of baseball) this year. It was my second trip to the Mecca in 11 months.

For the uninformed, Cooperstown is the spiritual home to baseball. It is located in upstate New York amidst some of the most striking yet placid countryside east of the Mississippi. The hallmark of downtown Cooperstown is The National Baseball Hall of Fame, a pilgrimage every baseball family needs to place on their must-see list (before the kids get too old to want to take a holiday with “old” Mom 'n Dad.)

Which brings me to the choicest of recommendations…
Playing baseball while you are there!

Cooperstown Dreams Park & The Cooperstown All Star Village
There are two awesome complexes, both having their merits and both apt to provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for good baseball and great family memories, one park in particular being what I feel is the more complete and total experience. The price as of this writing is approximately $695 per player for the week.

Both Complexes Provide:
A safe, fun, family-oriented experience with neat and well-kept grounds. Both take advantage of awesome natural backdrops of low, distant mountains and rolling hills and add the baseball touches you will love. Flowers, banners, flags and plenty of organized employees to answer your every question. They are the backbone of this great week; many are college-aged summer interns.

What the experience may ultimately provide for your player and your family can be priceless: a family bond that remains for years…and perhaps generations!

This is an excerpt. Read the full article online at:
BaseballTips.com/cooperstown.html

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