EP5 Robert Kravitz

EP8 Collin McBride Texas Rangers Hitting Coach

Collin is a current hitting coach for the Downeast Wood Ducks in Kinston, North Carolina. The Wood Ducks are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers organization. Collin also owns a baseball and softball training facility and recently worked as the former hitting coach at the College of Central Florida.  In this episode, we discuss topics including: Playing and Coaching Background Exercise Science background and developing hitters physically Acquiring long-term strength vs temporary strength Age-appropriate strength training In-season lifting routines to maximize performance Lifting on game days Journey as a hitting coach How do we develop hitters that compete when pitchers are trying to get them out? Putting your hitting development in the right places Long term training for youth hitters Relationships and training environments with your hitters Skill blended hitting development - movements and striking Scaling the challenge of hitting inside your training The feel or 6th sense when working with hitters of all ages The hitting development process at the College of Central Florida Practice design for the hitters Swing data and batted ball data Matching batting practice to the different arms you face in games Maximizing team BP drills and setups Creating pitch profiles and angles that hitters will face on game day Building efficient swings that work different ways The simple message of Hitting Strikes Hard Stop "talking nerdy" - the balance of soft skills and technical skills Advice for players coaches and parents

EP7 Jeff Leach Hitting Instructor

Jeff is the driving force behind HITFORTH, a premier hitting facility in Texas. Coach Leach is a nationally recognized hitting coach, sought out for his ability to develop elite hitters who hit for average and power. In this episode we discuss various topics including: Beginning of HitForth in Austin, Texas The impact of technology and objective data to aid in coaching hitters Evolving as a hitting coach and instructor The ABCA & John Mallee's Hitting Presentation HitTrax Data Launch Angles and Line Drives Helping youth hitters reach their full potential for the bigger fields How to make sure training transfers to game success Optimizing training environments for different hitters The Sweet Spot of training hitters Keeping kids engaged in the game Improving plate discipline and swing decisions Wiffle Ball - Sandlot Ball Travel ball pros and cons Connecting with your players Typical structure of a lesson at HitForth and feedback for the hitter Helping hitters unlock their potential bat speed and power Adjusting swing path for age-appropriate pitching Fear of swing and miss Relationships with hitters - sometimes they just had a bad day Why do we lose so many players at 13-15 years old? Finding the right bat to use Using training bats to optimize bat speed and swing path Evolution of bat fitting Today's hitters vs today's pitchers Improving pitch recognition and hitting velocity Adjusting the training sessions as we get ready for in-season play Teaching hitters to hit with a good plan and approach Giving your hitters the freedom to hit and maximize run-scoring Hitting vs reacting Myths and truths - bunting and hitting development Optimizing the chance players make the team at the tryout Contact Jeff at Twitter: CoachJeffLeach

EP6 Bunting and Developing Hitters

In this episode, we break down the topic of bunting in baseball and softball.  We discuss how to maximize bunting as a weapon to score runs without sacrificing the long-term development of youth baseball and softball hitters.

EP5 Robert Kravitz

Robert Kravitz is the Head Baseball Coach at Parrott Academy in Kinston, North Carolina. Robert played at the collegiate level and also spent some time in independent professional baseball. His coaching career started at 22 years old and began with an amazing run of 9 consecutive state championship appearances and 6 titles. On the show we discuss the following topics: Background as a player From construction and remodeling houses to teaching and coaching at 22 years old The importance of a good assistant coach -constructive arguments, practice plans, and game plans The journey of a record 9 consecutive state championship appearances and 6 titles Scheduling the tough games to prepare for the post-season  Growing as a coach - learning - and adapting to your players Experience as a player and connecting with the current players you have The dynamics of private school baseball and the variety of ages that participate JV 7th - 9th V 10th - 12th Getting on the big field for the first time Growing young 7th and 8th graders into experienced high school players. Finding the right fit for the younger kids to maximize their long term development Pro's and Con's of having the "middle school" age kids playing against older players Helping young kids handle failure early on and continue growing through the game Building on strengths and working backwards towards their weakness Mapping a journey for players and letting them know it's not always a straight path Building player and coach relationships with each player Player relationships - older players mentoring younger players Peer to peer instruction Helping the younger kids transition to the BBCOR -3 bat Maximizing your time to be comfortable with bigger bats Advice for athletes who want to have a significant role on their high school teams Practice performance matters Recognizing what you're good at and where you're not good at - bridge that gap Using lessons and private instruction wiseley DUKE University player's work while you wait mentality What do you do with your 24 hours? Weight room and multi-sport athleticism Playing time - work ethic - and various talent levels Being a good person/student vs being a good athlete and a good person Roles and opportunities for every player Self Reflection and awareness as an athlete Private Instructor / High School Coach Relationships Ensuring the private instruction benefits the performance of the player at practice/games. What have you changed or added as a coach in recent years? Reach out to Robert Twitter: @Rkrav007

EP4 Zac Cole

Zac Cole is the pitching coach at College of Central Florida, one of the top-ranked NJCAA programs in the nation. As a former player, his career started at the JUCO level and eventually took him to Tennessee Tech and to the Baltimore Orioles organization as a right-handed pitcher. On the show Zac shares his expertise in a variety of areas including: Playing and Coaching Journey Experiences through playing and coaching and using it to guide the players you're coaching Recruiting Advice for players and families Social Media commitments are temporary celebrations -Every path is unique for every kid/family -Financially, socially, academically, spiritually, athletically, find your fit -My friend early committed as a freshman or sophomore - what about me? -Don't be complacent at any given time The reality and truth of playing college baseball You have to be good enough to help programs win Character matters - reliability and talent help programs win. Intangibles are important, but ultimately are your physical skills good enough at the college level? Second chances through the game of baseball Resources available to get better as an athlete -free resources coaches are sharing through social media platforms -benefit from good information that instructors and coaches are posting for free -Tread athletics - Driveline - KineticPro - and more Pitching development and managing workloads Arm care tips Today's kids have an advantage with the information and player development tools they are exposed to Mastering his craft by educating himself through asking questions and learning from others Having technology vs understanding how to use the technology and the data to make players better College of Central Florida program development - technology combined with coaching experiences Yakkertech- players have access to practice and game data Motus arm sleeve > Pulse - capture throwing volume and stress for workload and arm care management Properly on-ramping players to build their arm to the workload required in the season Active rest periods - adjusting the volume of throwing and intensity Planning your throwing for your season - calendar year Multisport athletes to manage their arm care before their season starts Are breaking balls the problem with arm injuries? Pitching lessons during the season and arm health Listen to your arm/body - rest/recovery is important Shadow bullpens - and mental game work on off days Putting yourself in situations mentally before the game Getting better on your non-throwing day Every pitcher is different - throwing journals - food - sleep Every pitcher's day should not be exactly the same Coaching accountability for what you ask of your pitchers Pitch counts are unique for each player Recovery - when I'm done pitching - how do I get ready to pitch again Effective mechanics that create a good pitch vs how it looks a certain way Using summer baseball for long term development and building relationships with players and coaches Is it more important to train or play in the summer? Biggest advice for parents in amateur and youth coaching Take ownership of your development and put your time in the right places. What academics say about you to a college coach Benefits of watching college baseball and developing physically in the weight room Feel free to reach out to Zac at the following: Twitter: @ZacCole_ Email: zscole21@gmail.com