Congrats to long-time Thunder player (8u-15u) @BradySchnierer on his commitment to play at the next level - @ThomasMoreBase1
Looking forward to a great final year with Liberty baseball and beyond.
Hard work pays off!!!
If you're not getting D1 looks & don't understand why, I'm going to break it down, it's one of these reasons👇:
(A 🧵)
1. You don't have 2 must-have tools.
2. Measurables don't meet the Good Enough mark.
3. Mediocre in games.
4a. Kinda hit but below avg defense.
4b. Pretty good defense but can't hit.
5. Hit/Pitch OK...but only vs weak competition.
6. This one is a reality check - you're not physical enough. Baseball uniforms look like potato sacks on kids who don't really lift. (It's not about the lifting, it's about the glaring fact you don't like doing hard things.)
7. You're lazy/party too much & haven't realized everyone knows.
8. Try to be too cool when you're not that good. Fancy stuff when you're an avg defender screams "I don't get it."
9. You don't "get it", which is possibly why you don't understand the lack of D1 interest when it's more obvious than you realize.
10. You don't work hard & lack 2 must-have tools. If you have 2 must-have tools, you'd have gotten D1 interest by now.
11. You don't have a position. Utility is great in theory, not so much when it's time to earn a starting spot in college.
12. Your skillset doesn't match your position. If you're not fast & have a below avg arm, you're a chihuahua on a hunting trip. Lotta soft hitting big man who grow up playing 1B deal with this.
Breakdown of Skillsets by Position:
1B - Plus Hit Tool w/Juice, quick feet, soft hands
2B - Fast, Can hit, accurate arm, good glove
SS - This one is hard now, you have to be a freak & have polished defensive tools, a canon, run like a deer, hitting is a plus
3B - Plus Hit Tool w/Juice, canon, run at least OK
LF - Rake, be a playable OF, but really just rake.
CF - Athletic freak who gets great reads on flyballs, speed to burn, hitting is a plus
RF - Gotta Hit, here you also need a canon.
What's the Difference Between a HS Player & a College Commit/College Player? (Background: I started at a DI school, got drafted, now own & operate a HS/college/pro facility>Thread 🧵)
1. Everybody goes to practice, the commits/college players do more on their own. They come before or after team practice, lift, etc. The extra work adds up.
2. They don't count gym class lift, school lift, as their work for the day. They do more.
3. After a good day, they don't take the next day off, after a bad day, they don't take the next day off. They build on the good ones & are eager to fix what was wrong on the bad days.
4. They challenge themselves. They'll workout with the older guys, go in the cage and crank up the machine like the college players/pros, they aren't afraid to get embarrassed because they know being embarrassed is a choice.
5. They don't only work with an instructor/coach. They'll work on things or identify what they need to fix, then put in hours on it, then revisit it with the coach. Their coach to solo work is about 1 to 5 ratio. (Again, lots of time honing their craft on their own.)
6. They obsess over the fundamentals. The little mechanical drills, the one handed drills, the warm ups, are treated like game reps.
7. They don't talk about how good they are because they know who they are chasing, a better version of themselves.
8. They are eager to help others because they know what it's like to be in their shoes.
9. They are able to praise others' abilities and work ethic. They aren't jealous little babies.
10. They know the path to paradise runs through the hard things. If it's difficult, not everyone will do it & that makes it worthwhile.
11. They don't make excuses why they can't train, they find ways to make it happen, this is probably one of the biggest outliers for successful players.
12. They set clear goals & don't let the ups & downs deter them.
13. They usually communicate with coaches at a very high level.
14. They have a lotta feel & self-awareness.
This is absolutely terrible…one of the saddest things I’ve seen.
Players, this is a good reminder that your coach isn’t being a d*ck when he keeps repeating:
“Put the bad down.”
“Stop swinging.”
“Back up from the net.”
“Pay attention.”
This is every coach’s worst nightmare.
One of the warm ups we do is with a frisbee. Great for when is 5 degrees and snow outside. Force them to get athletic. Soft hands. Closing speed. Read. Dive. Communicate. This gets the heart racing. Great way to get the boys warm before practice. They love it. Something different
The player that has had to scratch and claw for everything is hard to beat! The dude that has always been underrated but knows deep down he's better/tougher than everyone around him...is the dude you want on your team! These dudes compete like JYD's!
The Liberty Baseball Golf Outing has been set! Please see the flyer for additional information! Come play on an amazing course and support our baseball program.
@LegKickNationOG@rcandy24 100%.
An afternoon of wiffleball gives a kid dozens of chances to learn baserunning judgment - to pick just one element.
An organized schedule offers maybe one real learning opportunity a week.
This team is coming off a strong season (30-18-1). As the player’s transition to HS, we are handing the reins to @drobertson2323, an experienced, non-parent coach.
Big things ahead.