Guys getting arm surgery in college and pro ball…
But did the damage start way earlier?
Little League. Travel ball. High school.
Best pitcher on the team? Congrats… now throw 100 pitches and go play SS.
Then everyone acts shocked years later.
In H.S. baseball, especially varsity, some coaches run two-way players into the ground and act surprised when the arm starts hurting.
Pitching + playing the field adds up fast. Extra throws matter.
If a kid has a future in college baseball, protecting that arm should matter.
Yelling at players-nope.
Cussing at players-nope.
Being a passive aggressive smart ass to players-nope.
Being a lazy check collecting coach that expects his players to run through the wall-nope.
Clearly explaining expectations and standards-yep.
Sitting players on the bench when they don't meet expectations and standards-yep.
Playing time is the reward and lack of playing time is the punishment.
For it to work.
Every player must be held to the same standards.
Your least talented player will advertise the strengths of your culture.
Your most talented player will advertise the weaknesses of your culture.
Real players want structure and discipline.
🚨 Bobby Witt Jr.'s Reset Process
- Take a step out
- Find a small spot on your bat
- Take a deep breath
- Tell yourself something positive
- Get back to work
⭐️ So what you missed your pitch? How well can you refocus so you don't miss the next one?
Aaron Judge was the best hitter in baseball last year.
He still had bad at bats.
Chases.
Strikeouts looking.
Whiffs on fastballs right down the middle.
The difference?
He doesn’t let one bad at-bat become two.
Elite hitters don’t avoid failure, they recover from it faster than everyone else.
Here are some tips that have worked for our hitters:
1️⃣ Reset Step out. Breathe. Slow the game down. One breath in. One breath out. Flush it.
2️⃣ Refocus Pick a focal point. The logo on your bat. The foul pole. Focus on it. Take a deep breath. Get back to the present.
3️⃣ Visualize See your best swing. Drive a double in to the gap in your mind. Everything happens twice. Once in your mind, once on the field.
4️⃣ Prepare Confidence isn’t magic. It’s built in practice. Trust your training.
5️⃣ Believe You have to believe you’re one swing away, because you are. Do the work. Have a system for when you aren’t feeling your best. Prepare relentlessly.
Baseball is a game of failure. The players who go the furthest aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who bounce back the fastest.
“There are no 3–0 take signs on my 9-year-old team,” - @CoachValli
Coach Valli breaks down why it’s so important to coach hitters to compete with confidence and swing without fear 🫡
Week 8 of catcher training complete.
BLOCKING
-Glove leads direction
-Drive your hips with opposite knee landing 1st
-Track with your eyes
-Tuck the chin
-Catch the ball with the LOGO on the chest guard
-Remember to exhale upon block
https://t.co/QyIoGaZRhG
#catching#baseball
Week 6 of @il_hawks catcher training complete.
BLOCKING
-Glove leads direction
-Drive your hips
-Track with your eyes
-Tuck the chin
-Remember to exhale upon block
https://t.co/QyIoGaZjs8
#catching#catcherlife#BaseBall@Mission3_sixty