We want commitment from our players but what does that really mean?

I have had a lot of players who have said they eat, drink, and sleep baseball, which is their declaration of how much they love and are committed to the game.  Many of those same players, although committed in thought, are less than committed when it comes to the work needed to be great.  We talk a lot about commitment in sports even going so far as to mention total commitment.  If you are committed to something…

We talk a lot about the nuts and bolts of the game, let’s also remember to look around and feel the joy of coaching, playing, and being a part of this great game.

My team is picked and the season has begun.  With one day of practice under our belt we are playing our first game today with pleasant temperatures and a dry field under foot.  The weather has been tough but now we have the opportunity to teach the game, learn the game, and play some games.  Waiting for my squad to show up…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/sports/baseball/26score.html?_r=0

For many years, I have been shouted down, or shouted at, or just treated with complete disdain if I ever spoke my mind on this particular topic.  You see I am one of only a few people who never bought the "curveballs destroy arms" fallacy that has been repeated so many times, that it's just assumed to be gospel now.

Being…

Coach Bobby Knight on Why He’s So Unpleasant

Interview by ANDREW GOLDMAN

Your book, “The Power of Negative Thinking,” presents what could be considered an anti-Pollyanna vision of the world. I have to agree that eternally optimistic positive thinkers are incredibly…

 The Miami Valley Rays (30 & Over) is part of the Roy Hobbs Leage. We are looking for baseball players in the dayton Ohio area. Our league has 9 team league that  plays a 24 game season. Play offs & a world series.

Please contact

Bob Huffman

937-361-7782

                                                            " Want to play baseball again "

The Miami Valley Rays (30 & Over) is part of the Roy Hobbs Leage. We are looking for baseball players in the dayton Ohio area. Our league has 9 team league that  plays a 24 game season. Play-offs & a world series.

Please contact

Bob Huffman

937-361-7782

Tryouts are in full swing and we need to remember that the decisions we make will have a profound effect on the young athletes whose baseball dreams may come to an end.

Cuts are hard to make as a coach and they need to be handled well.  The young players who come out to our fields to continue their athletic dreams are fragile and vulnerable so we need to respect the power we have over their dreams.  Try to remember your own feelings when you were trying out for the team.  Tap into the…

Spring baseball is upon us and so is the uncertainty of the weather.  We must teach our players to accept the conditions at hand and disregard the limits being imposed by forces beyond our control.

Here in Colorado we are being hit with snow today and snow coming the day before our tryouts.  We will have to make do with a cobbled together tryout, doing our best to get a look at the kids in conditions that are less than ideal.  Every spring, no matter where you are (yes you California…

There's More To Life Then Baseball! Check out my latest blog!

“Baseball is Life” is a catchy phrase for a t-shirt or maybe even a bumper sticker, but what happens to the boys or parents who live the slogan.  As a father and former player, I understand the pressures that boys and parents face with sports.

I had a conversation recently with a D-Backs executive about this topic.  Should boys’ just play one sport or should they play multiple sports and focus on one further down the road.  I played the sport depending on the season.  Spring was for…

The only coach I've ever had for baseball has always preached defense above everything else. He made sure every player knew multiple positions. We rotated positions when fielding balls in practice constantly. As a result of this, over the last 9 years I've played every position at one time or another. So when I started tryouts for middle school this year, I was confident that I could play anywhere to help the team. By the way, we won state championships in 10u and 12u in 2010 and 2012.

We always need to stay current, so what are you going to change in your program to improve the development of your player’s performances this coming spring?

With tryouts for high school baseball just two weeks away I am busy updating and thinking of new ways to teach the game to my newest batch of eager young ball players.  I am going over the elements of my program that worked last year and the elements that didn’t in order to tweak and update how best to get all the lessons across. …

 Pitchers & Catchers are reporting TODAY and now you’re in the MOOD to go get that NEW glove! 



WANT FREE HELP WITH BREAKING IT IN?  FREE HELP, FREE MEANS NO COST TO YOU! Yep it’s 100% FREE, the help!

You’re only a “Send message” away. I will walk you through each and every step by email. In the past I have posted the step by steps needed. I have found it to be too long of a read for the other members who aren't interested.

BE SURE to send me a message through CS and…

Congrats to Doug Clark and Mexico on winning the Caribbean world series! I played ball with his brother, Gavin - also a very good ballplayer.…

Now that you know your player’s personalities how do you deal with them?

Excerpt from Gods, Gloves, Pop-ups, and Ponies:

“Dealing with the multiple personalities that come to the park every day is an ongoing learning experience for the coach.  Balancing the lessons each individual player needs to learn with the complex emotions a child growing up in our society today must deal with is a tough task.  The socioeconomic differences, multiple parents, and various learning issues…

Coaches know the personalities of your players, that is who you are teaching to.

Every kid is different and because of that they all require a unique approach when it comes to imparting information.  The quiet unsure kid will need to be handled differently than the loud brash kid when it comes to passing along baseball knowledge.  Although the team concepts are conveyed to all, the one on one instruction or discussion has to be colored by what we know of that particular…

With the start of the new baseball season now is the time to break bad habits and create good clean ones.

As we begin to work with the young men coming out of off-season hibernation it is important to work to break bad habits and create better mental pathways for the muscles to follow.  No matter what ability level we are dealing with from youth level all the way to varsity, now is the time to break down the big movements of swings, throwing, and fielding into their smaller parts and…

The new season is around the corner, what kind of effort are your players putting in?

Here in Colorado we are inside beginning the work to develop players for the upcoming baseball season.  The excitement of getting back at it always gets the juices flowing and stirs the emotions of the possibilities ahead.  Those excited feelings can quickly fade as the incessant repetition of time hitting off a tee in a confined space becomes the day.  As coaches it is up to us to make sure the…