Best and worst facilites for winter training

20dad, do you run a facility? If so where is that located and what is it's name?

no, we only have one here in the seacoast. they do a very nice job, it has improved over the years. i think it's a tough thing to have in this economy, we don't have the number's like the bigger city's. the facility has played a big roll in the rise in portsmouth baseball.


i've never been there, but i've been told the dome in milford is very nice.

20dad, I assume you mean Dave Hoyt's place? I am a Dave Hoyt fan. He came out to our games at SNHU vs. Maine the other day just checking out some baseball. I also saw him down at the Portsmouth vs. St. Thomas game last spring and talked for a bit. He obviously cares about the players that work out at his facility because he takes time out of his own schedule to go watch them play when it's not even on their AAU program.

The dome is nice, but you have to run your own practices there on an hourly rate which is a bit costly. They don't offer lessons or clinics as far as I know.

The Extra Innings in Nashua is nice. Never have taken a lesson or such there, just used the tunnels for hitting or having son pitch to me last winter. The people there were very nice and helpful.

The NH Knights program is moving into a new larger facility in Hollis this winter. The last facility couldn't have been 1000sq ft. The new facility will be 5000sq feet. They are also in constructing their own field next to the facility! For the 2011 season they will play their AAU games on that field leaving DWC which was getting expensive. They will use it as a practice field this season I am told. I believe that they will be offering pitching, hitting and even some workouts to players outside of the Knights organization. I'll be going to their open house next month to meet their new pitching instructor Nick Esposito. Some might remember him from Hollis's 2003 team that went to the state championship (not sure if they won or not..lol). He played college ball in the midwest for a DII and NAIA school. He is a certified trainer as well. Looking forward to checking out the new facility.

20Dad you are correct the economy is playing a huge role in the success of these businesses. I actually talked to a guy who ran one here in NH and no lie he straight faced told me that parents would eat peanut butter sandwhiches if it meant their kids could get lessons, I asked him what how do they pay the heating bill then?

redsox, is Rich in the new facility this year?

Yup..the new facility is Rich's baby!! I am really looking forward to checking it out during the open house on the 7th or 8th. I think having their own field right there next to the facility will be a nice luxury as well. Rain on practice day...just move it inside! Early spring no waiting on the city to open the fields etc...it is his field..play on it when he is ready!!

Rich will still coach one or two of the AAU teams (Cooperstown team and probably 13U)and continue to run his Baseball academy out of their too.

He helps coach my son's Babe Ruth team so I'm sure we will have a few early practices in there as well.

Curious if World Baseball or Baseball World (John Ropers) place in Nashua is still in operation. I heard thru the grapevine he was going to talk with Extra Innings about doing something over their. My son went to John all last Winter and loves the guy. Plus he has a good relationship with Coach Henderson and he has a great postive attitude, great pitching coach and hitting etc. It's great that he pitches to you for BP from the mound and catches you for pitching. During one of our sessions in the Spring he accidently fractured his wrist when he was catching a pitcher from South and the batter leaned back to much and smacked his wrist with his bat during the swing.

Nashua Baseball Word is closed.

Here is my two cents as a facility owner (my night job lol) and as an insurance program manager for baseball and softball training centers (I insure 350+ facilities across the country). Numbers are down across the board this year. Just as fast as facilities are popping up they are closing down. This goes for independant as well as franchises. Facilities can’t afford to pay there premium and rent so landlords are closing the doors. We still see the serious baseball and softball player working out as well as AAU teams and ASA teams. The average baseball and softball fan (8-18) are not spending the money this year on camps clinics and pro shop which is a big part of our revenue. Parents didn’t buy memberships, clinic numbers are down and parents didn’t spend $399 on bats this year like they did in years past. I know facilities that have been in business for 15+ years who have closed there doors this year and I expect many more to do the same. Support your local facility or lose them.

I exchanged emails with John Roper I hear that he is openning another facility GID (Get it Done), haven't actually seen this facility only what he told me.

Roper is still running his GID program as he is chasing down a friend of mine's son for his 13U team. He was unaware that Baseball world was closed when I had asked him about it.

I'm not surprised that it closed though. The Nashua area isn't big enough to support multiple facilities. There was one in Merrimack that closed shortly after Extra Innings opened its doors. I liked it only because they had a seperate pitching room with clay mounds..lol. The extra innings facility is an excellent facility so I'm not surprised that it is still standing while the others have closed up. My son has used it several times with his teams or just him and I working on hitting or pitching. Surprisingly the pro shop isn't outrageous either..lol. We've bought several items from there before. I'm just surprised that they have never had an AAU program out of there.

As a person who deals with many different baseball people here in New Hampshire and beyond. I can say that in my opinion, take it for what it's worth to you. Coulter, Pantazis and Sheedy are all quality baseball people. If I had a son and lived in the area Nashua Extra Innings would certainly be a place I would bring my son. Not to sell Rich Loftus and his facility short, either are great choices.

What I heard was that he renamed his facility to GID, again this is just what I understood from emails I have received from John.

I take my son to RBI in Maine-Endwell NY. It's run by Matt Raleigh who made it to AA and also managed a AA team a couple years ago. We're very happy with him and the staff.

Another facility that I consider to be solid is the Nashua Baseball Academy www.nashuabaseballacademy.com, they are relocating to Hollis, NH and holding an open house on November 7th and 8th 11:00am to 2:00pm. Visit www.granitestatebaseball.org to view their flyer on this event.

I would highly encourage people to look into Play Ball in Salem. My program holds workouts there all winter on Sundays and Dean offers a huge facility with some highly-qualified instructors. Plus, he is enlarging his facilities very soon.
IMO it is the best place in Southern New Hampshire.

I can agree with that, Playball is solid. I know many of his instructors people I believe to be quality baseball people. From this post depending on where you live there is an indoor facility for you, one that hasn't been mentioned yet for the concord region north to lakes region is Concord Sports Center, Caruso up there does a great job. What is positive is that the postings on this thread are about places people like and not about places that are in business for the wrong reasons or that scam or over charge their clients.

I am opening a facility in Nashua. It will be small with only one cage and a weight room. The emphasis will be on player development - no pitching machines or walk-in cage rentals.

To agree with coachC, the casual players won't spend their resources as easily now. Jan/Feb/March will be packed, but then their priorities shift. The serious baseball and softball players need the opportunity (and will seek out the best opportunity) to develop their skills and build athleticism.

If you are on the Seacoast consider Homerun USA.

By far the coolest place to hold a practice or scrimage in the winter months is the Hampshire Dome in Milford. This place is nothing short of awesome. If you haven't seen this place you should. I just wish it was closer to where I live.

I like USA training facilities on the Seacoast, there is plenty of space, real clay mounds, hitting cubes and more. Plus Dave Hoyt really cares about the kids and New Hampshire baseball in general.

I like the Hampshiredome too Mike, you have to rent it and bring your own instructors and they only have 1 adult sized mound plus a big pricey but if you had a large group training its ideal for indoor with the high ceilings to do long toss or even play a scrimmage.

When my son was on his Cooperstown team we played in a winter league at the dome. The kids enjoyed it. Games were a bit quirky the way the small field was configured but otherwise it was fun. Never experienced the big field game in there.

I wish there were more places in the area big enough and high enough to do legit long toss in the winter.

I was at Play Ball in Salem this morning, I'll tell you they have a nice set up, and I have heard they are expanding their facility.

About five years ago, I took a team of 12 year olds up to Brewster Accademy to an indoor tournament. They had a really nice set up. I've never heard of anything going on there since.

really that is the first I am hearing about such a facility. has anyone heard any developments on a dome being built in Auburn, NH? I heard they were trying but wasn't sure if that had died off.

I know of some people trying to put up a facility with dome just south of concord but got squashed with the planning/zoning boards. They are no long looking to build the facility not sure if it’s the same people or not?

I imagine that is the same group. Auburn tends to be very difficult to develop in from what I have heard. Very nice little town though.

Any facililties that people would steer other away from?