Tip of the Week

Great advice Rich.

Great advice, should have posted in the general items forum... lol. Look forward to next weeks tip

Riddle of the week....what is it veryone wants, everyone gives freely, but no one will take?

"advice" .....2 out of the three apply to advice of the unsolicited variety

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
"advice" .....2 out of the three apply

two out of three what?

Rather than being rude with a "stupid" joke...if one were to reread the riddle, one would recognize, that there were three types of advice. "Two of the three" are of the unsolicited variety.

Round 2 of my "completely unsolicited Tips of the Week"

Enjoy.

Player Tip of the Week:

Clean up your social profile. Due to the nature of my business (creating recruiting videos for high school athletes) I am "friends" on Facebook and "follow" or "followed by" lots of high school athletes. The internet has changed the way we communicate. Obviously high school kids today are not the first kids to try alcohol. But they are the first generation to actively advertise to the world that do! So, you should probably take down that picture of you with the bottle of Smirnoff next to you off Facebook. And all of those Tweets about how hungover you are might not be a good idea. Colleges and possible employers do not want drunks/punks/etc representing them. Be smart.

Parent Tip of the Week:

Lay off your kid. They are under enough pressure. You know, with all the peer pressure, academic stress, pressure to perform on the field, hormones, etc. They don't need to hear mom and dad jumping down their throat because they made a bad throw. Who cares. They are supposed to be having fun. And they are not getting paid. Its a hobby, not a job. Now, if ARod throws one in the dugout, go nuts because he is supposed to be a pro. Your kids are supposed to be having fun. Let them.

Coach Tip of the Week:

This one kills me. I would love to know who your players are. How hard would it be to type your roster (and maybe your schedule) on 1 piece of paper? Then take that piece of paper down to the library and print about 200 copies (probably about the number of unique visitors all year) so that people actually know who your players are! Come on, I ask parents and they don't even know the entire roster of their own sons team.


Rich
www.playinschool.com

Real Time update on yesterday's "TOTW"

At a game I attended yesterday, a reader of HSBW had a spare roster for me. Very nice, thanks.

Ironically, the associate scout I was standing with got a scribbled on piece of paper with some names from the coaches. No numbers. No positions. No grad years.

Come on guys. Press print.

And this morning I've already seen Tweets of college students that are "bored in this lecture". Really? You know what is more boring then that lecture? Failing the the class because you are Tweeting instead of paying attention. Then having to retake the class next semester!

Rich
www.playinschool.com

Your input is appreciated Rich.

I am enjoying this thread. Keep it up.... will look forward to the third round of tips.

Tip of the Week # 3

Player Tip of the Week:

Every week I work with infielders and every week I'm completely shocked at how out of shape all of them are. Most of these kids (Low D3 - High D1) are whipped after only 5 to 10 fungos. After 2/3 of a bucket they are completely smoked. This tells me a few things. 1, they are standing around at practice which leads to 2, they are not getting enough reps. How do you remedy this? Most every high school team has a pitcher that does not hit. Introduce that kid to a fungo bat. Have him hit you balls in between every pitch during bp. He will be happy to do this when you make a big play behind him! Next remedy... 2 infielders, 1 bat, 1 bucket of balls. Hit a bucket of back spin 1 to 2 hoppers at the infielder. Switch spots, then repeat. In 30 minutes you get 100 grounders and 100 swings. I never realized how great a drill hitting a fungo was until after my playing days!


Coach Tip of the Week:

Take those wrist bands with your "signs" and burn them! They are not cool. You are not speeding up the game. If you can't give simple enough signs or your kids can't read simple signs then try just yelling "Bunt!" or "Hit and Run!". The thing about these offensive plays is that everybody in the park knows they are coming, so its really just a test in execution. So execute.


Parent Tip of the Week:

I'm going to be blunt. This might hurt. Your son will not be getting full ride. The numbers just don't work. Reality is that if your son is good enough to be offered a full ride from a decent baseball program he will probably be going in the June draft and be offered a lot of money. Here is my advice... Want your kid to get a "college scholarship"? Get him a tutor. There is a lot more academic money out there then baseball money. Want your son to get an "athletic scholarship"? Tell you son to quit baseball and go play football or basketball. They are all on full rides. Want your son to play college baseball? Its totally possible for every kid out there, just be prepared to pay for school. Start early with a plan.


Rich
www.playinschool.com

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Coach Tip of the Week:

Take those wrist bands with your "signs" and burn them! They are not cool. You are not speeding up the game. If you can't give simple enough signs or your kids can't read simple signs then try just yelling "Bunt!" or "Hit and Run!". The thing about these offensive plays is that everybody in the park knows they are coming, so its really just a test in execution. So execute.
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God Bless you for this post.

Some schools are also using these to call the pitches. I believe this really hurts the pitcher. They have to wait 5, 8, 10 seconds for the sign because a coach has to look at his chart call the pitch then the catcher has to look at his chart put down the sign. By this time the batter gets impatient and steps out. That's with no ball no strike count!! Let em play.

Rich, Enjoy your tips. This week I was told that LL will allow 4 year olds to play t-ball,

"Tee Ball Baseball is for boys and girls 4-5 years old (with a local option for 6- and/or 7-year-olds) who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding."

Now many years ago I put out a training manual for our league. The one highlight was to "KEEP THE KIDS BUSY" . There was nothing I hated more that going to the younger practices and seeing a coach throw bp and 11 ballplayers picking flowers in the outfield. As you say in the first tip about hitting fungos, if we want to have baseball in the future we better figure out how to coach and keep the youth in the game to get to high school.

quote:

Originally posted by basballdet:
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Coach Tip of the Week:

Take those wrist bands with your "signs" and burn them! They are not cool. You are not speeding up the game. If you can't give simple enough signs or your kids can't read simple signs then try just yelling "Bunt!" or "Hit and Run!". The thing about these offensive plays is that everybody in the park knows they are coming, so its really just a test in execution. So execute.
----------------------------------------------------
God Bless you for this post.

Some schools are also using these to call the pitches. I believe this really hurts the pitcher. They have to wait 5, 8, 10 seconds for the sign because a coach has to look at his chart call the pitch then the catcher has to look at his chart put down the sign. By this time the batter gets impatient and steps out. That's with no ball no strike count!! Let em play.

I have seen the same thing with regular signs. The problem doesn't lie in the wristband, it has to do with the timing of the catcher looking at the coach and the coach getting them in quickly. Why watch a foulball land out of the park? Look immediately at your coach and get the next signal. The pitcher should have his sign and ready to pitch by time the ball stops rolling.

Rich, good stuff!

10-4 Redbird. I hear you loud and clear. I think I know next weeks player TOW.

During my short coaching career I was not above just telling a kid to bunt if he missed a sign. Again, everybody in the park knew it was coming (except the kid hitting).

Rich
www.playinschool.com

quote:

Parent Tip of the Week:

I'm going to be blunt. This might hurt. Your son will not be getting full ride. The numbers just don't work. Reality is that if your son is good enough to be offered a full ride from a decent baseball program he will probably be going in the June draft and be offered a lot of money. Here is my advice... Want your kid to get a "college scholarship"? Get him a tutor. There is a lot more academic money out there then baseball money. Want your son to get an "athletic scholarship"? Tell you son to quit baseball and go play football or basketball. They are all on full rides. Want your son to play college baseball? Its totally possible for every kid out there, just be prepared to pay for school. Start early with a plan.

Great point Rich. Just want to add a third option - consider an academy (Army - Navy - Air Force - Coast Guard - Merchant Marine)- there are 5 that have baseball teams and all students go for free - even get paid to attend. In some ways this is an academic scholarship because it takes good grades to get in - but being a recruited athlete helps. And you have a guaranteed job on graduation!!

Not for everyone but just a thought.

quote:

Originally posted by PIS:
10-4 Redbird. I hear you loud and clear. I think I know next weeks player TOW.

During my short coaching career I was not above just telling a kid to bunt if he missed a sign. Again, everybody in the park knew it was coming (except the kid hitting).

Rich
www.playinschool.com

I agree. My player misses a sign and I yell it out after that.

We used to call those "Gus Serafim signs", so named because the late, great Gus Serafim (a restaurant owner who loved to coach Little League) never used signs. He would just clap, call to the player, and then lean in with a hoarse whisper. ("BUNT!")

Incidentally, the slow pace of many practices is a huge problem at all levels. It is one of the reasons you will often hear young kids complain that "baseball is boring." (My response is always, "Then you aren't doing it right.")

One thing that has become a big issue is that we used to haul dads out of the stands to help set up multiple drills around the practice field, so that we could rotate the kids station to station, keep everyone active and introduce enough variety to keep everyone interested. Today, though, you are not permitted to haul dads out of the stands to help because in most localities, only approved assistant coaches who have undergone criminal background checks may interact with the players.

I have often wondered what could conceivably happen out in the open on a field where everyone can be seen by everyone. But this is the price we pay for the paranoia that we've allowed to grip us as the result of a literal few tragic incidents.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
...the late, great Gus Serafim (a restaurant owner who loved to coach Little League)...

Whoa... pizza and Elvis ... that is a blast from the past. I didn't know he was involved with baseball.

Midlo,

I'm a former LL board member who served when the all-star documentation escalated to become an adminstrative nightmare and the background check provision was established. I'm not a fan of some of these administrative requirements; but I do endorse the background check.

I don't think anyone would want their son/daughter coached by a *** offender. Nothing may happen on the field other than a player trusting this coach...later the coach takes an inappropriate action with the player when the opportunity presents itself. I understand the odds are slim of this happening but why take the risk.

Obviously, the more adult involvment the easier it is to keep the kids active. But, I have run many practices for LL and travel teams by myself or with one additional coach and kept everyone active.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PIS:
Round 2 of my "completely unsolicited Tips of the Week"

Enjoy.

Player Tip of the Week:

Clean up your social profile. Due to the nature of my business (creating recruiting videos for high school athletes) I am "friends" on Facebook and "follow" or "followed by" lots of high school athletes. The internet has changed the way we communicate. Obviously high school kids today are not the first kids to try alcohol. But they are the first generation to actively advertise to the world that do! So, you should probably take down that picture of you with the bottle of Smirnoff next to you off Facebook. And all of those Tweets about how hungover you are might not be a good idea. Colleges and possible employers do not want drunks/punks/etc representing them. Be smart.


Thanks Rich for these reminders. I'm sharing these with players and my own kids.

I'd also add to your social media tip the additional aspect that almost every kid has a phone, which means a camera and almost immediate access to the internet. What is funny or cool to one kid can be a big negative for a college baseball prospect. And being with your "friends" does not proctect you from stupidity. The internet is full of painfull lessons provided by BFF's. So in addition to being careful about what you post to your personal page, you should be just as careful (or even more careful) about what you're doing.

Tip of the Week # 4

Player Tip of the Week:

Please begin spending some time learning the game. I see so many physical specimens with so little baseball IQ its sad. Robots don't make good baseball players. Begin thinking about what you are doing. Or better, think about what you should do before it happens. For example, late in a close game with your starting pitcher still in, do you really need to wait for your coach to tell you to warm up in the bull pen? Saw a college game recently where the entire bull pen seemed to be caught off guard. Really?

Coach Tip of the Week:

Use your bull pen. Every high school team that brags about pitching depth still seems to only use 3 guys all year. Prepare your bull pen. Then use them. I've seen a ton of games lost over the last few years because coaches were reluctant to go to the pen. Usually its when their number 1 is on the hill but tired from pitching a tough, close game. Then instead of having a fresh arm in there the coach leaves the kid to go BB, BB, single, HR and after 5 great innings the kid picks up a big "L". Not to mention all of the talk about pitch counts we've seen in the news.

Parent Tip of the Week:

Learn some baseball etiquette! Way too many bush league comments at the ball park recently. The "Here's to You Mr. High School Baseball Watcher!" is a lot of fun but there is no time when yelling "miss it!" or "strike out" to the opposing team is cool. Fans that act like this at children's games should be ejected from the game. If you want to act like a drunk frat game a ball game go to pro game and heckle all you want. I say we all take action and start pointing out these idiots at games and see if we can help them learn the right way to cheer.

Rich
www.playinschool.com

Couldn't agree more, Rich, especially with the Coach's Tip.
And to expand on that tip, coaches, don't ask your pitcher how he's feeling after 5-6 innings. If you're not sure, ask your catcher how the pitcher is doing. The catcher knows better than ANYBODY if a pitcher's velocity has dropped, or if his ball movement has tapered off.
The only other ones that are really aware of these are the opposing hitters.

After a week off, the Tip of the Week is back!

Player Tip of the Week:

Very simple - Don't do drugs. Don't drink alcohol. And definitely don't do either at school. You are supposed to be a well oiled machine. Fuel you body with with the best stuff possible. A BMW does not run on AAA batteries. It is not cool. You are only jeopardizing your future. Just heard a very good local guy has gotten in trouble (again) for this. Very sad to opportunities slip away.


Parent Tip of the Week:

Get organized. The recruiting process can be a little bit of a cluster in the early stages. Emails, letters, etc, coming and going constantly. 1 parent shared a great idea. Get a giant 3 ring binder. Every school that you correspond with gets a divider. Any letters or emails get filed there. That way you know who you've communicated with and what was said. Remember, the more proactive you are, the more stuff you will get back. Be prepared. And once it is said and done, you will have the absolute coolest keep sake from the process. My recruiting letter from Mike Fox when he was at NC Wesleyan is a pretty cool keep sake considering what he has gone on to do at Chapel Hill.


Coaches Tip of the Week:

Used to hate this but it makes a lot of sense. Game day conditioning is very important. When you get deep into a season and you are playing 3 or 4 games a week and taking off 1 or 2 days a week, suddenly your players are only running 1 or 2 days a week. We used to do post game sprints. Its not a punishment for losing (although it might have appeared that way to moms and dads). Its about keep your legs in shape. Anyway, think about it. Don't be afraid to mix in some post game sprints.


Rich
www.playinschool.com

PIS...great stuff! You might wanna add cigarettes to the "No List" for players.

Thanks Redbird

With as much information as we have about tobacco use I cannot figure out how anyone would put a cancer stick in their mouth.

And don't eat Big Mac's before every game. I'm speaking from experience. Go for fruits, veggies, lean meats. Stay away from the fries and burgers.

Rich
www.playinschool.com

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:
PIS...great stuff! You might wanna add cigarettes to the "No List" for players.

And dip/snuff....

You haven't gotten to my preferred tip of the week yet.

My nomination for next week:

For Pete's sake, if you think you're a high caliber athlete, act like it.

That doesn't mean affect an "attitude", be arrogant, wear your hat cockeyed, mouth off, etc.

It means, play hard, practice hard, prepare thoroughly, take care of yourself at all times, and never, ever give less than your best effort.

I don't know about you guys but I am now watching Nats baseball almost daily because it's just fun to see Bryce Harper play. Whether he's hot, cold or somewhere in between, the one thing he's made clear is he's going to go pedal to the metal whenever the game is on. It's a joy to watch and it's easy to see why he's a quick fan favorite in D.C.

Obviously we can't all have Bryce Harper's abilities. But anyone can play hard.

I never cease to be amazed at how few actually do. Most teenagers decide it's easier to "go with the flow" of those teammates who take nothing seriously and never give their best. Instead of being a leader, they choose to be followers. And worse, they follow the wrong guys.

If you believe you are a player of collegiate caliber, then hold yourself to a higher standard. It's just the right thing to do. It's also in your best interests. And if you're really lucky, you might find that the example you set can be just as infectious on a team as the bad examples too often are.

I can't tell you how many kids ask to be considered for our team, then eliminate themselves almost immediately on this one point alone.

AMEN Midlo!!! I couldn't agree more. I have seen young men with tons of potential marginalize themselves by their own action or lack of! You never know who's watching fella's!

What about very good players having not so great games, when their team, and teammates, are doing well?

Be happy for your team.

Last time I checked it's a team game and a team effort.

I've seen this more than a few times and it bothers me. Maybe it's just me.

On the flip side I've seen kids have good games, but their team didn't do well. I've witnessed kids act like "Whatever, I'm doing good, that's all that matters."

I think coaches notice that as well.

Just my 2 cents.

midlo- absolutely right. it's called....

CLASS.

quote:

What about very good players having not so great games, when their team, and teammates, are doing well?

Be happy for your team.

Last time I checked it's a team game and a team effort.

I've seen this more than a few times and it bothers me. Maybe it's just me.

On the flip side I've seen kids have good games, but their team didn't do well. I've witnessed kids act like "Whatever, I'm doing good, that's all that matters."

I think coaches notice that as well.

OR

The lost art of picking up a teammate that makes a mistake. That is Class and it is fading fast.

Wow! Where has the summer gone?

Here is my unsolicited Tip of the Week!

This one is for Parents, Players, and Coaches...

You need to see the forest through the trees!

There are only so many weekends. You need to get on campus of those schools you are interested in and are interested in you.

I see it every year. And it seems like parents and coaches pressure kids into this "because they made a commitment to the team." Isn't the goal to figure out where you are going to college?

If you are D3 guy and you are looking at RMC, LU, MW, and CNU are you really doing your self a favor by going to those tournaments at ECU, UNC & UVA? Think about it.

And a visit consists of more then just visiting the baseball facilities! But that is another discussion.

Rich
www.playinschool.com
@PlayInSchool

quote:

Originally posted by BestGameEver:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by PIS:
I'd also add to your social media tip the additional aspect that almost every kid has a phone, which means a camera and almost immediate access to the internet. What is funny or cool to one kid can be a big negative for a college baseball prospect. And being with your "friends" does not proctect you from stupidity. The internet is full of painfull lessons provided by BFF's. So in addition to being careful about what you post to your personal page, you should be just as careful (or even more careful) about what you're doing.

Hey, wait a minute, is this posted by Prince Harry?

"If you are D3 guy and you are looking at RMC, LU, MW, and CNU are you really doing your self a favor by going to those tournaments at ECU, UNC & UVA? Think about it."

After thinking, the answer is YES.

Tourneys at those places are scouted by D3's.

And at the D3 level, it's still early to be eliminating options. A lot of D3 decisions are made after the November D1 early signing period, and even into next spring. If someone goes to an NC tourney and gets noticed by a school they hadn't considered before, there is still time to investigate the school and see what opportunities there might be there.

I fully agree that campus visits at schools of top interest are very, very important. But you can visit in August, or in the November-February time frame, and not compromise your need to play and expand your options.

You can't fritter your time away without planning. But the need for visits doesn't mean you have to miss out on the 7-8 weekends in Sept/Oct that are still key for ball players.

Funny, because you run the program that actually has the most weekends off during the fall compared to the others. Presumably to allow for those visits.

Other programs will play every weekend, allowing no time to see teams practice and run fall workouts. There is no playing or practice Nov-Feb. And then the high school season starts not allowing much time for those visits.

Unsigned seniors have precious few fall weekends to see there prospective teams work out.

Rich
www.playinschool.com

We schedule according to scouting opportunities, and we stop when we get to the point where we think there is little remaining to be gained in that department.

If we're off, then that's a time when visits can be planned. But that's not why we stop earlier than some.

There are plenty of chances to see a college. It does take planning. We push kids to plan their calendars, as part of accepting the necessity of emerging from adolescence and into their adult responsibilities. We generally expect them to plan ahead so that they do what they need to do while keeping their commitments as well.

Now, if one kid here or there needs to be at a particular college camp, maybe to close a deal, we'll accommodate them of course. But you can't run a team if everyone wants to bail on a particular weekend whenever they want. To do that you'd either have to have a massive roster (which would put everyone's playing time at risk if you got to a weekend when everyone showed up), or you'd have to go scrambling for fill-in players week after week.

Following the model you propose weakens your team to the point that every player suffers. The best scouting happens when coaches are confident that coming to see your team on any given day is a worthwhile expediture of their time. If you have a watered-down roster all the time, or you get to a weekend where the guy a coach might want to see only plays half the time, it just doesn't work.

As for fall practices, I've seen many and they aren't all that interesting or illuminating. They look pretty much the same school to school. But if you really want to see them that badly, you can combine them with an academic tour day that can even be on a weekday. Or, you can go in February, or you can go to a game weekend in the spring. None of this requires someone to miss a playing/exposure opportunity or to leave their team in the lurch.

I agree with Midlo. The D3 coaches travel to these sites. In addition, coaches change schools. My son played at ECU last fall and did not get a call from the ECU coach. But when one of the D1 coaches at this event moved to a D2 school, my son received a called that eventually led to an offer.

Take it how you will. I see kids make commitments to schools they have never seen in action (fall or spring) every year.

Rich
www.playinschool.com

I don't mean to jump on your case, I just think you're off target this time.

To me, this is not an either-or situation. Both things need to be done, and it is way too easy to get both things done for us to be giving kids excuses to bail on one vs. the other. Better to plan ahead, make no excuses and do what it takes on both fronts.