Derek Maples

I have a passion and purpose to use real estate to change the life of someone everyday.

[Brighton Presley @Brighton_P7]

@diamondheelsbb @nheadley14 @KingstonBSB @PG_Tennessee

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@TGreenhutOD @scottcoleman55 Who are the next 3 on the way?

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@CoachTaberM @CoachMongero So good!

[Taber Mongero @CoachTaberM]

To the Christian athlete/coach:

Remembering where our true identity rests can be challenging, especially when we are frequently met with expectations, wins and losses, performance, stats, injuries, and a multitude of earthly values/challenges that can fade/strip our joy, and make us quickly forget the gifts we’ve been given by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A lot of us have heard the saying “Audience of One,” and a lot of us say it often. Which is great. However, it can be hard to remember the truth of that saying in the heat of everything. I remember in college specifically asking one of my community group friends at church (who now plays in the NBA) how he kept this a constant aspect of his life as an athlete because we face a lot of the same struggles as Christian athletes/coaches.

So, what is something we can do to help us remember this when we’re the man or woman in the arena?

What my buddy talked to me about, and what I ended up learning from him and implementing into my own life, was giving myself a constant visual reminder when I was on the field so I could actually remember the truth of it.

In the dirt by my feet at shortstop, I would write “AO1” before the first inning of every game and rewrite it as the game went on so it was always there. (When we played on turf, I would write it on my wrist tape or somewhere else.)

The point was that I looked down at some point before every pitch, and I wanted it to be somewhere I looked often, somewhere that blocked out all the noise, where I couldn’t see ANYTHING other than “AO1.”

This was my reminder that I had been given the platform and gift of baseball to honor Jesus, and that I wasn’t playing for the approval of a worldly audience that will find every reason to disapprove at some point. Rather, I was playing for an audience of ONE who already approves of me always and forever, no matter what happens in ANY baseball game.

The weight this took off my shoulders, and still does, is indescribable. It helps the former athlete and coach in me remember what the real purpose of this platform of baseball (or any sport) is: to know Jesus as my Savior and help make Him known to those who don’t know Him, and to use the gifts he’s so graciously given to honor him and nothing else. When I start to feel the weight of everything else, this helps free me, and I’m only free because of Him and the price He paid on the cross.

This changed everything for me when I fully understood AO1 and committed to remembering the importance of keeping that mindset. I hope it can do the same for you. It’s great to say it, but it’s even better to help yourself remember it as much as you possibly can.

[Ellie @Ellie_Mai_]

Reese Chapman didn’t just hit a grand slam home run and another HR ball on Mother’s Day. He also hit one on Father’s Day at the CWS. The senior says he’s played free through the Lord (Jesus Christ). He also speaks on what it means to be a VFL. Chapman: “I want to be a Vol for life.”

[Dirt Bro Diamond Training @DirtBroUSA]

Teams that don’t strike out at a high clip win more games. Simple as that. This is amplified at the college level — and even more at the high school level and below.

Once you get to two strikes, it becomes a team at-bat. Grind it out. Compete your tail off. Choke up, shorten up, widen out, move closer to the plate — whatever helps you execute your two-strike approach. Some call it their “B swing.”

Make the pitcher work.

We preach “look fastball away and adjust,” but there are plenty of effective two-strike approaches. You have to experiment and find what fits your swing and mindset best.

A quality two-strike approach often leads to hard-hit balls. But even when it doesn’t, the defense still has to field it, throw it, and catch it. That’s pressure.

A lot tougher to defend than a right turn back to the dugout.

#DoingDirtWork

[Baseball’s Greatest Moments @BBGreatMoments]

What 40 mph to 100 mph looks like ⚾️

[Grace Christian Academy Men’s Basketball @GCARamsMBB]

It’s Time!!!! #RamNation

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@TylerLane720 You're doing great work!

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@_henryford_9 thank you for taking the time to autograph my boys baseballs tonight. It was really cool to hear about your childhood from your family.

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@SneadNate @Vol_Baseball Thank you for everything you did for the program and how kind you were to my family.

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@Vol_Baseball What time do the gates open?

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@benmckee14 @SwainEvent And what are your thoughts?

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@TJHannam10 Good stuff here

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@TreadHQ @Mets @bensimon22 @ArowThrows Efficient.

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@josh_elander That was probably the exact amount of fans in the stands before you guys got here

[Fred Weaver @FredWeaverIV]

Really well done!

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@benmckee14 Why do some wait a couple days to sign?

[jack tate @coachtatefhs20]

Farragut Admirals Baseball Alums Currently Playing College ⚾️

Brodie Roberts - Roane State
Cole Draper - Wofford
Connell Driver - Walters State
Jackson Zeller - Chattanooga State
Owen Stelzer - Holy Cross
Reid Thomason - Roane State
Tobias Peterson - Pellissippi State
Cade O’Leary - Florida State
Braxton Lewis - Tennessee Tech
Braylon Hall - Lee University
Brennon Seigler - Tennessee
Charlie Bozeman - Samford
Eli Evans - ETSU
Gavin Brewer - Cincinnati
Jake Merrick - UAB
Landis Davila - Rice
Lukas Buckner - Coastal Carolina
Matt Heflin - Chattanooga State
Mason Grube - Regis University
Michael Delph - Army West Point
Stratton Scott - ETSU
Jett Johnston - Auburn
Matthew Kilbey - Alabama-Huntsville
Jaxson Pease - Tennessee Tech
Bryce Burkey - Milligan
Matthew Delph - West Florida
Ben Zyburt - Bryan College
—
27 Active College Players! ⚓️⚾️
—
4 Active Pro Players
Ben Joyce - Los Angeles Angels
Ryan McCarthy - Maryland Blue Crabs
Cal Stark - Texas Rangers organization
Nick Senzel - Los Angeles Dodgers organization

[Derek Maples @DerekMaplesKW]

@5StarPreps Why are they forfeiting?