Avalanche Baseball

“Little League Baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets” - Yogi Berra

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

@glenedsoccer I’m just waiting for my 2 giraffes, 2 bison, and my 2 elephants to get in the truck and we’ll be there.
- Noah

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

@LGolec42586 @glenedsoccer Thursday would have made sense

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Eli has a knack for putting down the perfect bunt in crucial spots. Here he legs one out for a single.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

No it’s not a misprint. Carter has an OBP over .700. Great job of rounding 1st and 2nd en route to a triple.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Ian has nailed 3 runners at third this season. Have a seat son, inning over!

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Bilger delivers a HUGE two out single to plate two runs.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Slam-a-lama-ding-dong.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

You know I know Chase is fast? His legs move so fast he falls down leaving the box but still ends up coasting into 2nd

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Caiden is built for power. But standup triples too???

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Will is missing a lot of bats this summer. Look at this pitch just fall off the table.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Spencer turns on fastball here and is thinking double out of the box.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Patrick does it in all phases. Leads the team in hits, but makes this 6-3 double play look easy.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Brayden. Quick release, strong arm….inning over.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Don’t worry batter….Carson had been confusing hitters like this all season. #Ace

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Trey’s been working on hitting the ball where it’s pitched. Results!

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

The swing was pretty….the sound was solid….the slide…umm….we’ll work on that one.

[Avalanche Baseball @avsbaseball]

Some good stuff in here

[Baseball Dudes Inc. 🇺🇸⚾️ @BaseballDudes48]

15 Things I've Learned as a Coach

The game has been a part of me since I was 5 which means for the last 40 years it’s been a constant process of learning. I played until I was 32 and have been teaching full time ever since. Here are a few things I’ve learned throughout this process that are necessary, needed and missing…

1. No matter their age, even those big kids we get to watch on TV, they need to believe in themselves. Their level of confidence will determine the quality of their performance. We as coaches (and adults in their lives) are there to help them with this. Mechanical adjustments can help especially when they see a positive change in their ability but helping them get their mind right, teaching them approach, visualization, how to handle adversity, etc. WILL give them the best chance at consistency.

2. Communicate!! The best coaches I’ve been around are great communicators. They explain well, are great with eye contact, they follow through with their words, if they tell a player one thing but plans change they take time to explain. Without communication minds are left to wonder and we all know what happens when that happens.

3. Organization is key. Practice plans should be made well in advance of showing up to practice. Line-ups should be written before you get to the park. We need to be mentally prepared for an audible at any moment but scrambling to make a plan will always lead to mistakes and often confusion.

4. The Player:Coach ratio is vital when it comes to player development. For the younger I’ve found the ratio is best around 4:1 and as they get older 5/6:1 works well. The smaller the ratio the more eyes on reps, the more touches they get, the smoother practices can run. The goal is little to no standing around during practice.

5. We want great competitors out there. Players who play fearless, aggressive, have awareness, know their jobs and have great baseball IQ. So we need to teach them what that means. Some need more help at it than others but that’s why we are out there. We need to teach them the game. Situational baseball. Give them the freedom to be aggressive knowing mistakes will be made. If we want them to have feel for the game we need to teach them and then let THEM play it. When we hold their hands, tell them what to do and when to do ALL THE TIME, we are not giving them those chances to develop that feel.

6. We preach confidence, believe in yourself, focus on what you can control. The best way to help them with this is to live it. Be that voice for them. Be that example for them. We have to be ultra aware though of how many of our actions go completely against this. Our body language when they make a mistake. Our belittling tone when they make an error. How we respond when we think the umpires are making the wrong calls. Speaking positivity one moment but then going against it in the next is an US issue. BE THE EXAMPLE!

7. Get them to talk. See what they are thinking. Athletes are used to always being talked to, I’ve found talking WITH them helps them be more aware and more engaged and we know better what we are working with when we get to hear how they are processing things. It doesn’t matter how much we know as coaches, when we give them TMI we can’t get upset with them when they simply aren’t ready for it all yet. We need to be aware of our audience.

8. We never know what’s going on at home or on that car ride home. We have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Some may see it differently but there are many times when coaching baseball becomes much more than teaching a game. That PERSON may just need one person in their life to show them kindness, understanding, someone to trust or even on the flip side, someone to hold them accountable, call them out and teach them that’s now how we do things.

Continued…

[Baseball Dudes Inc. 🇺🇸⚾️ @BaseballDudes48]

Dear Parents:

Please understand that your athletes coaches are not miracle workers. Sure, some may be better at what they do than others but in the end it will come down to the athletes innate ability (what they were born with), their love for the game, their level of focus, their aptitude (ability to apply what they are learning), their mental toughness, what they do on their own time and their personal desire to just get better.

Teach your athlete responsibility and accountability. To never rely on others to make them better. To be a student of the game and to seek out those with more experience. Find a way to get better everyday.

[Baseball Dudes Inc. 🇺🇸⚾️ @BaseballDudes48]

12 Things I Would Tell Myself as a Young Player:

1. The work you put in away from your team is where real growth happens. Take your personal development into our own hands. Stop waiting for others to help you.

2. The game will be hard on your body. Take care of it.

3. Accountability will be one of your biggest weaknesses. Get better at it ASAP!

4. Everyday you play catch you are a pitcher. Even if you’re not slated to pitch that day, while you play catch, be a pitcher. Work on your throwing mechanics, throw your off speed pitches and hit spots on your partner.

5. THROW YOUR CHANGE UP!! Start learning it from day one. Experiment with different grips. Keep it out of your palm. Play catch with it EVERYDAY you throw the ball. It will be a very important pitch you need later. Develop it and your confidence in it early on so you don’t need to later.

6. GET STRONGER!!

7. Be a student of the game. When you watch the game on TV, watch it more like a student than a fan. Watch how they move their bodies. How they move around the field. Read up on mental toughness. Seek out those with more experience and ask questions.

8. You’re a pitcher. Just because you threw a pitch, your job is not over. The only time you should find yourself still standing on the mound after a hit ball is if there is no one on base and a GB is hit to your 3B or SS. Any other time you are either moving towards 1B to cover if needed or backing up a base somewhere. Stop spectating!

9. Your headspace will separate you from your competitors. Please start learning this at a younger age! Mental toughness, baseball IQ, competitiveness and emotional control need to be a constant focus.

10. You will have some great coaches in your life and some who have no business being in that position. But you can learn something from all of them, even if that means learning how you DON’T want to be as a coach someday.

11. Playing with and through discomfort is part of it. You shouldn’t have to feel 💯 to give 💯. You better develop some toughness in that area if you want to last.

12. Enjoy the Game!! Someday you will play in your final game. Be grateful for what the game gave you. Respect the game. Remember as much as you can. Enjoy your teammates and when you’re ready, give back as much as you can.

[Patrick Jones @pjonesbaseball]

Travel Baseball is like going to Disney World

- You want to believe it makes your dreams come true
- So you play along and pretend it will
- But deep down, you're not sure

So what do you do?