The tricky question of how often, and how much should I pay. First of all my business partner and I do hitting, fielding, and pitching instruction for a living so what I am about to say may surprise some.
I am a firm believer that private instructors have a place in sports, I am also a firm believer we are not as important as we sometimes think. What I am saying is your kid needs to have drive, a love for the game, a work ethic, and the ability to make adjustments. Instructors only help with the last part and that is only if they are used correctly. You should not visit an instructor more than two times per week, and I like kids to go one time per week to be honest. If kids get too much instruction they will not learn how to fix problems they have during games or practices when the instructor is not around. A kid who cannot make adjustments will not succeed because he will be stuck for an entire game or maybe even series before he is taught what to do. I think one to two times per week allows kids to get their swings in on their own and use what the instructor said to help them with their swings. Also, a kid may find that something the instructor said does not quite fit his game, which is OK, and it also does not mean the instructor is bad, sometimes things work for people that do not work for others. Instructors are a good thing but too much of them turns into counter productivity, because in sports you need to know how to do things when nobody is around is around to help.
OK I am ready to get crushed for this one but I do not think you should pay more than $40 per half hour lesson either. I also think $30-$35 is the most reasonable. Trust me when I tell you there are quality instructors out there for that much, and you can find them if you just look a little. I wish all of you the best in your search and if you need help finding an instructor let me know. I know people all throughout Michigan so I can usually help you if you are looking for someone to work with your kid. Talk to you later.
Testimonials are a joke because how many times would you go out and print an opinion of yourself that was negative. Do not look for testimonials in brochures or in the office when you are looking for instructors or coaches. Yeah it is nice to know what people think about someone but please understand testimonials that are printed have been solicited. I thought about getting a bunch for my website but then I thought, why? Do I need them to prove people I know like me, or do I need them to prove people who I call friends will write nice things about me? No, I do not, and you should not select an instructor based on what their friends think about them. If you want to know about an instructor simply ask if they will give your kid a trial session. This session will probably be shorter and not as in depth as a normal lesson because the instructor does not want to give everything away. Also, this trial should be used more for your kids sake, to find out if they are comfortable and if they understood what the instructor was trying to teach. Any instructor worth a darn will give a 10-15 minute trial session because they believe in themselves and know it could turn into a client. So instead of reading all the nice things their friends have to say, find out for yourself. Do not be afraid to ask for free trial either, because if your kid likes the instructor chances are you will be making a decent sized investment with them.
All in all make sure your kid is comfortable, make sure the price is right, and ignore any opinion you read or hear while you are inside the facility.
Have fun, play hard, and think spring.
Product Review, this bat will be available on www.baseballaroundtheclock.com
Finally I have the time to sit down and talk about the camp at Central Michigan. I had a great time, and when you work at these camps you see how much work really goes into bringing it all together. I think all the kids had fun which is always a good thing, I didn’t feel like any of the kids there did not want to be there which is also a good thing. The camp was set up in two sessions. The morning session was catchers and pitchers and the afternoon session was position players. Both sessions had a little hitting involved. The age range was 12-18 and the numbers worked out nicely to enable the younger kids to work together.
First off, the facilities were great. The indoor facility was 80 yards and all field turf, they had 4 mounds set up, six cages, and live video for hitting and pitching. This was a very well run camp with a lot of instruction. It was nice to see kids learning and having fun at the same time. Kids ran the 60, catchers threw home to second, pitchers threw off the mound, and I was in charge of recording the exit velocity for hitters. All the kids love seeing were they stack up, and this was a great opportunity for them to compete against other kids and see where they stand. I have been to a few of these camps as a player and I do not remember getting as much instruction as the kids at this camp did. I had a great time working the camp and an even better time seeing kids have fun playing baseball.
One thing I love about the coaches I have played for is whether the news was good or bad, they were honest with me. Your players need to believe in you and they need to know where you are at and where they stand as far as a depth chart. The most uneasy feeling a players has is heading to the field and having to guess if they are in or if they are out because the coach did not communicate with them in a proper fashion what their role was. Every player has a role and in order for them to understand and be able to fulfill their role they have to know what it is. I have been privileged to play for coaches who were up front with me. I think where this problem is most prevalent is in youth baseball. I say this because at this level coaches try to protect their players and that is good, but it hurts them to feel like you are hiding something from them. When this starts to happen players lose the trust you have worked so hard to build and that is when teams start to fall apart. One good way as a youth coach to communicate with your players is a contract. What you do is put together a sheet for each player and talk to them individually about where they stand on the team and what they need to work on, then you hand them a sheet and say if you can accept this role please sign here. This is not a legal contract at all, it is just to make sure your players know what you expect from them and that you will always be honest with them. Coaches give this a shot and tell me what you think.
Sometimes you hear people say if you are good enough coaches will find you. That can be true but you have to be out playing baseball where coaches are at. If you live in a small town and you are not near a college you have to understand college coaches find it hard to make it there and quite honestly they go to places that allows them to see many players at one time. What does this mean for players in small towns? It means you have to hit the road, you have to find teams that will take you to tournaments so coaches can see you. If you think people will find you because you are good enough you are wrong. If a coach hears about you and they hear you can play, most times the first thing they want is your summer schedule. Why? because they want to find tournaments you will be at along with other players they are looking at as well. No coach wants to travel hours upon hours to look at one player, some might do that but for the most part you have to travel to them. Coaches recruit all summer, they are always on the road, they are busting their butt to find good players, so all you have to do is make it easier for them to see you. Find a team, go play, and work hard all the time, once you do that it is up to the coach to determine whether or not you fit their program. Have fun, good luck, and remember play the game because you love it.
Jason Bay will hit .260 with 26 HRs. The Mets will say “oh why did we give him that money, when we could have signed John Lackey”. Too bad you guys he is yours now.
John Lackey will be a stud in Boston winning 15+ games and imagine what he would have done in the National league.
Detroit Tigers will contend for the division even without Curtis and Edwin. Their pitching will be strong and hopefully Mags will be the Mags of old.
Philly will be Philly and they will be no better off with “Doc” then they would have been with Cliff Lee, I think they actually lost in that trade.
Seattle is going to be strong and take the West. They have made some good moves and I look forward to seeing how good they are going to be. Also, with the Angels losing Lackey that makes them a lot weaker.
These are my predictions, tell me what you think and let me know yours.
