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Posts Tagged ‘Field’

On the surface the real job of a baseball coach seems easy to identify, win baseball games. Put the right players in the right positions, build team chemistry, and motivate them to win. However difficult building a championship caliber team may be, it?s only one of the jobs a baseball coach has. In fact, it should be the last task on the coach?s list. When I first began coaching, I made the mistake of thinking that I was teaching how to play baseball. I was wrong! What I should have been doing was setting an example and teaching kids how to build a foundation to be successful in life. I learned that during every practice, and every game you have the distinct opportunity to make an impact on you players.

This became particularly clear to me over this past weekend when I received a text message from a parent of one of my players. In the text it explained how the player was giving a speech in one of his classes and it was regarding the things that he had learned on the baseball field. It wasn?t about how to field a ground ball or how to hit for more power, it was about values he had learned that would help in life. I was blown away. I had made an impact on a young man?s life. Making a positive impact on young player?s lives is still the single most important job of a baseball coach. We as baseball coaches are privileged with the opportunity to do so.

A few years later, I received a text message from a parent of a player that I had coached stating that he was going to give a speech in one of his classes. It wasn?t about how to field a ground ball or how to hit for more power, it was about what attributes he had learned on the baseball that would help him in life. I was blown away! You see, players come from all different types of backgrounds on a baseball team. Broken homes, happy homes, wealthy, poor, etc. Every one has a different story. Baseball is a safe haven for these players where they get to have fun, learn, and be a part of something special. Unfortunately for most players, special is not what they receive, especially in youth sports. Instead they receive bitter parents, overbearing coaches, and more politics than playing time.

The blame is not solely on the coaches in the community. Parents, rules, and regulations all play a part the baseball experience. I have even seen a player that was told he was too good to participate on a local sports team. Are you kidding me? It?s sad to say, but youth sports has become about politics instead of helping young kids establish positive attributes that can help them long after they are done playing the game. Don?t get me wrong, I am all for protecting kids, but not at the expense of compromising the integrity of the game.

I heard an alarming statistic early on in my playing career. The average retirement age of baseball players is 12 years old. I want you to think about that for a second, 12 years old. My guess is that young players stop playing the game because they have had a bad experience, not because they don?t like to play. I am not placing blame on any one person, but what I am saying is that we need to do a better job of communicating with our players and be aware that we are in a position to make a huge impact on young minds.

Whether you are a baseball coach or a parent, you have this opportunity almost every single day and I have put together a list of four ideas that would be great to keep at the top of your list when working with young minds on the baseball field. First, make sure every baseball player regardless of skills level has fun while they learn. Winning does not equal fun, it equals winning. I have seen countless kids not have fun on a winning team because they get pushed to the way side because of their skill level. Most skilled, least skilled, I don?t care. Each player deserves quality attention and the opportunity to get better, make sure that happens.

Two, help players to understand that learning to be successful on the baseball field can give you a strong foundation to be successful in life. It is sad to say, but we forget that many players learn many virtues while a part of a sports team. Take myself for instance, baseball instilled integrity, determination, perseverance, and the understanding of what it means to be a part of a team. If you keep these life skills in the forefront of you mind, you will be amazed at how your coaching approach changes from winning a baseball game, to helping the kids understand what it takes to be successful and learning to persevere.

Number three, make every player accountable for their actions. If the best player on the team is late to practice, punish the team. If the least skilled player is late to practice, punish the team. No one player is subject to special treatment. I don?t care if it is a big game, sit players down if they have done something out of character. Players respect coaches who treat the team as a team. This will force your players to see the true value of the person next to them and care about each other as people and teammates.

Four, players play the game, not the coach. Your role as a coach is to be a guide and a resource. Explain the reasons behind why situational baseball is important and what will put them in the best position to succeed on the diamond. Do not bunt a player out of situation because you don?t feel he is skilled enough to get a hit. Open the lines of communication and make sure that if something is misunderstood, you take the time to explain it further before moving on.

I hope these coaching tips have been helpful to you today. If you put these concepts into practice, I guarantee your approach to coaching will change. When you want the best for you players, regardless of who is watching on the outside, you will begin making an impact that will stay with your players for life. They will appreciate your commitment, and will work harder to maximize their potential. At the end of the day, winning baseball games comes down to the coach?s ability to inspire his players to reach new heights. 

Get more effective batting lessons from our blog! When you want to improve your baseball batting skills, you can get the complete information you need today! 

Sportswear is also often worn as casual clothing and is often quite fashionable. Styles of sportswear differ quite widely based on the specific sport they serve, and Sportsweardesigner.com offers a great collection of pre-made field hockey uniforms. Typical sportswear garments include shorts, tracksuits, T-shirts, polo shirts, jerseys, and sweatpants. Sportswear is also often worn as casual clothing and is often quite fashionable. Sportsweardesigner.com is a unique site, which allows users to create custom field hockey sportswear. Individuals can design their own shirt, hat, shorts, field hockey jersey, and coaches and athletic directors can design field hockey uniforms for their sports teams. Get the best custom field hockey sportswear, field hockey uniforms and apparels, custom field hockey team uniforms, field hockey jerseys and jackets on our site at http://www.sportsweardesigner.com/fieldhockeyhome.php .

Sportsweardesigner.com offers the highest quality materials, and an extremely cost effective pricing structure. Sportsweardesigner.com specializes in field hockey uniforms, field hockey sportswear, and field hockey team uniforms. Field hockey sportswear is functional clothing; it soaks up your sweat, provides full range of motion, and look fashionables too. The history of field hockey sportswear over the past century shows the advances made in fabrics and the understanding of biomechanics. These changes also provide a glimpse of changes in fashion as a whole. We all have different styles, whether we are dressing to impress or dressing to make a statement, there is always a rhyme or reason behind what clothes we wear.

Field hockey sportswear can differ based on the color, fit, comfort level or simply the style and outside appearance of the material.

Fashion has become a foundation of opportunity, fame and fortune for many designers, fans and buyers. Dressing by season and whether has become a trademark amongst the most fashion sensitive individuals and will continue to play importance in the fashion world in the future.

The owners of Field hockey sportsweardesigner.com have a long history of success. In addition to this field hockey sportswear company they have brought an Internships website, an SEO Real Estate company, and a business plan software tool to the market. You can find all the information related to field hockey on our site at http://www.sportsweardesigner.com/fieldhockeyhome.php .

Core Power for Baseball creator Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in creating power and core strength in athletes. Core Power For Baseball.

Baseball is a great sport. After all it is the great American past time. From little league to the big leagues people love to be a part of it. In addition to the serious baseball athlete, many people enjoy baseball as a recreational sport. No matter where your interest in baseball lies, I’m here to tell you that you can see great improvements in your game with sports specific exercises.

Baseball, like all sports, requires unique strengths. Each position puts a specific demand on the body. To properly train your body you need to prepare it for those demands. That is the concept behind sports specific training. This type of training mimics the planes of motion and position an athlete encounters and then adds resistance and balance challenges. Sport specific training enhance baseball specific strength needed for hitting, and core strength and flexibility needed for grounding and pitching.

Much baseball coaching and training is spent on game skills and drills. This is incomplete. It doesn’t matter that you know what to do if you are not fast enough or agile enough or have enough power to do it. Generic workouts do nothing to help you on the baseball field. Think about the bench press for instance, an exercise that many baseball players perform. A bench press is designed to build strength and size in the chest. It’s great to have a strong chest but think about the game of baseball and game situations that are faced. Where would a chest press help? It would not. You want to perform exercises that train you to hit with more power, throw with more power, run with more explosive speed off the plate and most of all build the core strength that is required for every move on the field. These are just some of the skills that are developed through my baseball specific workouts.

Another reason that sport specific training is important for all athletes is that it trains the body as a whole, which is how it is used during a baseball game. In other words no time or energy is wasted doing bicep curls or shoulder presses, instead the entire body is challenged in creative and effective ways that specifically work to improve the skills needed for baseball.

The importance of core strength, which is vitally important for stability and strength, can not be underestimated. The core is the body’s powerhouse and the source of all of its movement. A strong core equals a strong athlete, it’s that simple. Whether you realize it or not, your core is involved with all athletic movement, providing you with power, balance and stability. The strength, or weakness, of your core will dictate how easy or difficult it is for you to play your position on the field.

When you are moving through your baseball game you are using your body in its most functional state, in other words, as a whole. You are using your lower body and your upper body together; you’re throwing, twisting, hitting, running and sliding. The list goes on and on. Your core is the basis for all of this movement and once again the strength or weakness of that core will dictate the ease in which you move on the field. Baseball players often find themselves in an unstable environment, like landing on one foot or throwing from an awkward position. You need balance, your balance comes from your core; a strong core equals good balance.

Here is a perfect example: Think of the shortstop diving for a grounder and then springing up to throw it to first, all while twisting and virtually in mid air. Can a situation be less stable? The power to make that play must come from the core!

If I sound passionate about baseball training, well, I am. I see the results first hand every day. Hundreds of athletes that I have trained enjoy incredible results and it is very exciting. I encourage you to add core training and sport specific training to your routine. Anyone can do this type of training and frankly, most people prefer it to boring and repetitive gym workouts. It can also be done in much less time than traditional workouts because the movements are so incredibly effective.

Sportsweardesigner.com offers the highest quality materials, and an extremely cost effective pricing structure. Sportsweardesigner.com specializes in field hockey uniforms, field hockey sportswear, and field hockey team uniforms. Field hockey sportswear is functional clothing; it soaks up your sweat, provides full range of motion, and look fashionables too. The history of field hockey sportswear over the past century shows the advances made in fabrics and the understanding of biomechanics. These changes also provide a glimpse of changes in fashion as a whole. We all have different styles, whether we are dressing to impress or dressing to make a statement, there is always a rhyme or reason behind what clothes we wear.
Field hockey sportswear can differ based on the color, fit, comfort level or simply the style and outside appearance of the material.

Fashion has become a foundation of opportunity, fame and fortune for many designers, fans and buyers. Dressing by season and whether has become a trademark amongst the most fashion sensitive individuals and will continue to play importance in the fashion world in the future.
The owners of Field hockey sportsweardesigner.com have a long history of success. In addition to this field hockey sportswear company they have brought an Internships website, an SEO Real Estate company, and a business plan software tool to the market. You can find all the information related to field hockey on our site at http://www.sportsweardesigner.com/fieldhockeyhome.php .

Sportswear is also often worn as casual clothing and is often quite fashionable. Styles of sportswear differ quite widely based on the specific sport they serve, and Sportsweardesigner.com offers a great collection of pre-made field hockey uniforms . Typical sportswear garments include shorts, tracksuits, T-shirts, polo shirts, jerseys, and sweatpants. Sportswear is also often worn as casual clothing and is often quite fashionable. Sportsweardesigner.com is a unique site, which allows users to create custom field hockey sportswear. Individuals can design their own shirt, hat, shorts, field hockey jersey, and coaches and athletic directors can design field hockey uniforms for their sports teams. Get the best field hockey sportswear , field hockey uniforms and apparels, custom field hockey team uniforms, field hockey jerseys and jackets on our site at http://www.sportsweardesigner.com/fieldhockeyhome.php .

Sportsweardesigner.com offers the highest quality materials, and an extremely cost effective pricing structure. Sportsweardesigner.com specializes in field hockey uniforms, custom field hockey sportswear , and field hockey team uniforms. Field hockey sportswear is functional clothing; it soaks up your sweat, provides full range of motion, and look fashionables too. The history of field hockey sportswear over the past century shows the advances made in fabrics and the understanding of biomechanics. These changes also provide a glimpse of changes in fashion as a whole. We all have different styles, whether we are dressing to impress or dressing to make a statement, there is always a rhyme or reason behind what clothes we wear.Field hockey sportswear can differ based on the color, fit, comfort level or simply the style and outside appearance of the material.

Fashion has become a foundation of opportunity, fame and fortune for many designers, fans and buyers. Dressing by season and whether has become a trademark amongst the most fashion sensitive individuals and will continue to play importance in the fashion world in the future.The owners of Field hockey sportsweardesigner.com have a long history of success. In addition to this field hockey sportswear company they have brought an Internships website, an SEO Real Estate company, and a business plan software tool to the market. You can find all the information related to field hockey on our site at http://www.sportsweardesigner.com/fieldhockeyhome.php .

A How-To baseball field maintenance guide to give your players the opportunity to play their best and make Your own field of dreams
Transforming Your Baseball Field into a Winning Field

     This article describes a procedure by which a composite field hockey stick can be shortened to the right length.  For example, a 36.5” composite stick can be shortened to any measurement between 36.5” and 35”.  A 38” composite stick can be shortened by as much as one inch to 37”.  The shortening of the composite stick will not change the center of balance by more than one eighth inch.

     In order for the procedure to be successful, certain tools are necessary.  The procedure is not complicated, but it does require skill in the use of the tools.  One should always be careful when using hand or power tools.   Those who have followed the procedure report that it takes about ten minutes to complete.

     Here are the necessary tools: a carbide blade hacksaw; pliers such as channel locks; a tape measure; plastic electrical tape; and a cutting tool such as a small knife.  In addition, a miter box or vise and a small drill are recommended.

     To begin, one measures the length to be cut off from the end cap of the shaft.  One layer of tape is wrapped around the handle to mark where to cut.  One cuts through the grip and peals it away to reveal two “pop” rivets that hold the end cap in place.  The object is to remove the end cap which is very securely fastened.  First, the rivets are drilled out or cut off.  Then, one uses the large mouth pliers to grasp the end cap, while twisting the stick.  One must be forceful, since the end cap is tightly glued and may still be connected to the pop rivets.  As soon as the end cap is removed, one begins cutting by using a stale surface, vise, or miter box.  It is necessary to take your time while cutting, because there is a lot of carbon in the composite material.  When through cutting, immediately remove any “saw dust” or composite particles by tipping and carefully shaking the stick.  Be certain that there are no particles inside of the end cap.  The next step is to refasten the end cap without the pop rivets.  Some epoxy glue may be used, although it is not required.  After tapping the end cap into place, one wraps a layer of tape.  Finally, one rewraps the grip and secures it with electrical tape.

     Of course, many are just not confident about the idea of shortening their own composite field hockey sticks.  In that case, some field hockey shops offer custom shortening.  It may cost a little extra, but it is well worth it to have the proper length field hockey stick.

     In selecting the perfect field hockey stick, it is necessary to choose the proper length.  Choosing the correct length will enable a field hockey player to become a champion.  Because a player with the right length stick is more comfortable, he plays better.   However, the perfect length stick varies among players.  This article describes two methods of choosing the best length stick.

     The first method is called the Dutch Sizing Method.  The player holds the stick with its head in the air, upside down.  The head of the stick is inserted in the arm pit, and the stick ends somewhere near the knee.  The key to proper fit depends on where the end of the handle is in relation to the knee.  It should be between the middle of the knee cap to no more than one inch below the knee cap.  The field hockey player selects a field hockey stick of that length, from the arm pit to the middle of the knee cap.  Amazingly, ball control improves with fewer unwanted lifted balls and fewer broken stick heads.      In the second method, field hockey stick length is related to the height of the field hockey player.  In choosing a stick, a player should select the longest stick that he can control comfortably.   A more skilled player can handle a longer stick.  Goalies prefer a shorter and lighter stick.  Two problems will become immediately noticeable if the stick is too long.  Too long a stick may cause undercutting of the ball with frequent raised balls.   Another problem is excessive hard contact with the playing surface which causes fracture of the head of the stick.

     Players may be guided by the following list of heights and corresponding stick lengths: 4’3” and under, 31 inches; 4’3” – 4’6”, 32 inches; 4’6” – 4’9”, 33 inches; 4’9” – 5’0”, 34 inches; 5’0 – 5’3”, 35 inches; 5’3” – 5’7”, 36 inches; 5’7” – 5’10”, 37 inches; 5’10” and up, 38 inches.

     Both of the above methods are great in selecting the proper length field hockey stick.  Selecting the right length has advantages.  Field hockey players have better control of the ball and they play better.