Here is a link to the philosophy behind the Catalyst Camps.
email brian@mycoachb.com if you want to be put on the email list.
Here is a link to the philosophy behind the Catalyst Camps.
email brian@mycoachb.com if you want to be put on the email list.
THIS CAMP IS FULL. EMAIL BRIAN@MYCOACHB.COM TO GET ON THE EMAIL LIST FOR THE OCTOBER CAMP.
Friday, July 24th 2009
Crossroads Park in Gilbert, AZ
6 PM to 9:15 PM
Baseball Instruction for ages: 8-12 years old
To Register: contact Brian at Brian@mycoachB.com
Camp Staff:
Brian Berger, Director of Catalyst Baseball Camps (current), Director of FCA Camps (current), On-field Director of America’s Baseball Camps (current), ASU infielder (’99-’00), Director of ASU’s “All-Nine Youth Academy” (’02-’04), Head Coach at Tempe High School (’02-’06), Director of the V-Premier Baseball Academy (’07-’08)
Kale Garrison, Pitching Coach at Pinnacle High School (current), Director of Pitching Instruction at Inside-Pitch Baseball Academy (current), Jr. College National Championship at Central AZ College (’02), ASU Pitcher (’03), LA Dodgers organization.
Bill Berger, Former HS coach (’75-”01), Owner/Director of Scottsdale Instructional Baseball Camps, ASU infielder (’70-’73), All-American and All-Omaha (’73), Scottsdale Sports Hall-of-Fame inductee, Baseball State Championships (’69, ‘79, ‘92), On-Field Director of FCA’s Baseball Camps (current).
Ryan Guy, Current Bemidji State University OF/P, Mesa Community College (’08-’09), T-Bird Award Winner (’09)
Jason DeMore, Current William Jewel University SS, Mesa Community College (’08-’09), Arizona’s 3A “Player of the Year” (’07) at Fountain Hills High School
According to a study that I saw, there are two reasons why kids play sports. They are to have fun and to be with friends. It is mid-season. It’s time to ask if everyone is having fun. How about the kid who’s struggling, Coach? Are you still making sure that kid is having fun? How do you do that?
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqZejB3ln0w
I think you’ll find this is a great drill to keep your infielders from fielding the ball deep inbetween their legs. Enjoy. Use it!
That was so much fun! We just finished up two days of camp out in Gilbert, AZ. We had 40 kids out there and just flat out had a blast while learning some stuff that is really going to help these kids play better.
To those that attended, thank you for making it such a great couple of days! This site will give you some videos and notes that may reinforce some of the things that were demonstrated and discussed with the kids. Poke around in the Fielding videos, that is all I have posted right now.
Crossroads Park in Gilbert, AZ
Sunday, April 19th from 8:30 - noon (optional chapel at 8:15 by Oakland A’s Chaplain)
Limit 44 campers ages 8-12
coaches (Former pro players, former college players, Varsity HS coaches)
Cost: $45
Location: TBD in Chandler/Gilbert area
Description: We cap the camp based on how many quality coaches we have available that day. The greatest aspect of this camp that sets it apart from other camps is the coaching staff that knows the game, can teach it effectively to young kids, and makes it fun for every kid at every level. Our goal for every camp is simple…that your kid will leave our camp 1)loving the game more 2) knowing specifically how to get better, and 3)wanting to work harder, be a better teamate, and have more fun playing the game.
Skill Focus: This is a “Fielding & Hitting” Camp which means we will not be covering pitching, catching, or baserunnig. Fundamentals of the swing that will be taught include: stance, load, power contact position, utilizing the legs, and finishing through the ball. A Hitting Approach: seeing the ball, timing, pitch selection, and waiting back. Fielding: Ready position, Footwork, Eyes, Hands, Momentum through the throw. Defensive Plays: Pop Flies, Relays, Tags, double plays, ground balls, back hands. Throwing: Playing catch properly, Safe mechanics, Accuracy, Velocity.
Questions, to register, or to find out about team workouts ($20/player-9-13) and small group lessons ($30/player-max 5) email brian@mycoachb.com.
Pre-game: communicate that the most important thing that you care about is that he tries his best, is a good teammate, and has fun.
Post-game: Be positive. Focus on what was fun for you to watch. “I just love seeing you be aggressive up there,” “It is so much fun for me to see you and your buddies getting so excited out there,” or “I was so proud of you when you put your arm around Billy when he made that error.” Don’t feel the need to talk about the game. “You and that Rob kid really seem to be becoming good friends,” “Wasn’t it a great night out tonight?”
My friend’s little boy played in a game the other day and struck out a few times. The next day he asked his son if he wanted to go to the park and hit some whiffle balls. The son said yes. After hitting a few balls and picking up some lady bugs while they were shagging the balls, my friend asked his son if he had a good time. His son said yes. “What did you like?” he asked him. His son said that he really liked picking up the ladybugs with his dad.
Sometimes your kid doesn’t want the same thing that you do. Don’t let that frustrate you and let it negatively affect your relationship. Encourage him to play hard, be a good teammate, and have fun, but if he doesn’t want to be a college or pro baseball player, don’t push him. Let him get “in” to whatever he was uniquely wired to do. Maybe it is sports, maybe guitar, maybe ladybugs?
Your goal for the end of the season should be for all your kids to say, “Will you please be my coach again next year?”
A college in Florida did a study on why kids play youth sports. The overwhelming answer was for two reasons…to have fun and to get to be with friends. The third thing on the list was to learn a new skill.
Why are you coaching? Is it to accomplish these things? or is it to validate yourself as a “winner” in front of your peers? That question may seem a little harsh, but I’ve seen enough little league games where there’s yelling, bad body language, and discouraging comments to know that our desire to win as adults sometimes comes out in really ugly ways that can hurt kids and ruin the youth baseball experience.
My encouragement to you is this…Coach the kids up. Don’t coach the kids down. The University of North Carolina basketball coaching staff has a philosophy, give the kid 7 positive comments for every correction. Their program is pretty successful.
None of us would enjoy a boss that watches our performance at our desk all day and points out every little thing that could have been done better. That would be a nightmare! Yet I see coaches do this all the time. You are not going to prove to everyone that you are a good coach by showing how much baseball knowledge you have to pass on when you correct every minute detail of your players’ performance. Parents will probably think your a bully. The coach that parents love and respect, is the coach that loves their kid and builds their kid up.
This coaching gig is a huge responsibility. You can make this season the worst experience of a kids life. You could also make this season the greatest experience of a kids life. Wow! What an opportunity to do something meaningful and great!
As this LL season begins and I have the opportunity to speak to many excited young players, I’m reminded of how many great memories and relationships were formed in my life through youth sports. My encouragement to all of the players is this…Play, Encourage, and Work.
Play. It is a game. Games are played because they are fun. Don’t take the game too seriously. Don’t get too wraped up in results. Have fun and compete. I know many of you play video games and if your parents would let you, you could probably go 4 hours without blinking trying to beat the 4th level of your favorite game. When you fail, you probably don’t cry or throw your equipment and kick the TV. You probably hit the reset button as soon as your last man dies and your off to the 4th level again to try something new that will hopefully work this time. I’m guessing you don’t find your value as a person in whether or not you can pass that level. Do you believe you are a good person if you pass it and a bad person if you don’t? I don’t think you do, but in baseball we get so wrapped up in the results. When we fail, we feel horrible, we feel like a failure, like we STINK! What happened to hitting the reset button and trying something new? BASEBALL PLAYERS: That is what the great ones do! They hit reset, don’t blink, and figure out a better way to beat the pitcher next at bat. The great ones don’t measure themselves based on results. They base their value on how hard they play.
Encourage. I said before the greatest thing that baseball has given to me in a pretty long and successful career is not rings, scholarship, and money. It isn’t respect from others or the oohs and ahhs from parents and fans when I hit one deep or made a diving play. The thing I value most about my baseball career is the relationships. The best thing you could do to make this baseball season the greatest season of your life is BE ENCOURAGING. When your teammate makes a great play, tell him, “that was awesome!” When your teammate makes a mistake, let him know that he’s ok, and that he’ll get it next time. When your teammate is about to hit or in the field waiting to make a play, let him know that you believe in him. Tell him, “You got this, man!” You’ll find when you get up to bat in the big situation, you will have your own cheering section in the dugout. When you strike out in the big situation, you’ll have guys on the team to pick you up and not put you down. When you make the great play, you will have 10 guys smacking you on the head when you return to the dugout. When you finish the year, you will have real friends on that team that will invite you over for a swim or pizza for the next 10 years. If you chose to put others down and treat people bad when they make mistakes, you should expect the same from them, and you shouldn’t wonder when you’re not invited to the next sleepover.
Work. Work because that is what earns you respect. Work because as you get better, you have a better chance of helping your team win. Work because that is what feels good at the end of the day. Work because you want to be the best you can be. Work because you have a dream. Work because that is what gets you on the field. Work because finally getting past the 4th level in that video game after trying 50 times…feels really good. When you haven’t worked and you go to the plate and get a hit, it feels good. BUT, when you get a hit after you’ve spent a lot of time working on your swing…that feels GREAT! Work because when you fail, you will be able to say, “I tried my best” and feel good about that. My dad was a great coach and he would always say after I had a bad game and I was feeling down, “did you work hard?” If I said yes, he’d say, “then don’t feel bad because you tried your best.” If I said no, he’d say, “then don’t feel bad, because didn’t you expect to fail?” It was always done with his hand on my shoulder and an approving smile on his face.
Click here for more info: ‘09 Coaches Clinic Flier
This is our 3rd year doing the clinic. We’ve always had a great response. The price has dropped from $50 to $25 because I’m no longer with Velocity Sports Performance. Hope you can make it. Details being finalized with little leagues. Tell your network of coaches!
Clinic Includes: Practice Planning, Getting “Buy-in” from your players, Throwing Safely, Teaching the Swing, Fielding Drills, Baserunning Essentials, and Pitching
Email with questions - brian@mycoachb.com