Academy News

Hydration

2012-01-04T21:41:57Z

Written by: Ben Baker - American Coaching Academy

Hydration is just as important as food intake before and after exercise. Two hours before exercise,
athletes should consume 16 ounces of water or a sports drink to help hydrate them ahead of time.
Thirty minutes before exercise, athletes should intake another eight ounces to prepare themselves for activity.

During activity, fluids should be available for athletes at all times. Because athletes are sweating out important fluids, they must replenish them by drinking eight ounces every 20 minutes. If players are engaging in short activity, of 30 seconds or less, they are at a high risk for dehydration because of the intensity of the work.

Long-term activity of 30 minutes or more requires periodic rehydration, such as the eight ounces every 20 minutes just suggested. If an activity lasts more than 40 minutes, water is not sufficient to rehydrate the body. The nutrient loss through sweat requires a sports drink to replenish electrolytes.

Many athletes will prefer not to drink during activity or will feel ill directly after intense exercise. All athletes
must drink adequate liquids before, during, and after activity to avoid dehydration, which can lead to nausea,
dizziness, and fatigue.

After activity, athletes should continue to intake fluids. At this point, fluids can be the normal amount the athlete would consume with a meal and through the rest of the day. A total of 64 ounces of fluid is a minimum for athletes, though more is suggested. A good test of proper hydration is a urine test. Athletes should pass clear urine, not dark or with a restricted flow.

Encourage athletes to pay attention to their own needs, as all athletes will have slightly different needs. If an
athlete feels uncomfortable, light-headed, or otherwise abnormal, they should come to you for counseling.

As fluid intake levels will change based on environmental effects, pay attention to the outside influences affecting fluid needs in athletes.

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-23T08:22:13Z

The Holiday Season has always been a special time of the year for my family and me. As we just finished the ASAP fall season, we come to the realization of how many people it takes to build a successful program and the number of people that has a major influence in our players. These people helped you to grow as players and young adults. This is the time to say thanks. It takes more than one person in our lives to achieve success both on and off the field. Christmas is the time to give thanks for our health and God given talents that allow us to play the game we love.

It is in the game of baseball that gives us the opportunity to build tremendous relationships that can last a lifetime. “Thank You” can go a long way in our appreciation for our teammates for their support during the heat of a game. As we all know, the game of baseball can become an emotional roller coaster during the times of competition.

As we embark into the baseball Spring season, let’s not forget to look back at the special moments we went through as a team. Later in life we will realize it is during these special moments that ultimately prepared us for the real world.

Earning respect through hard work, admiring the efforts and trusting your teammates can go a long way. Playing the game of baseball is a privilege. A friend once told me, “It is your sanctuary”. I hope you will realize that you have had a great opportunity to be a part of a special experience.

The New Year will bring excitement to a new season. Embrace it! Take on the challenges! It is a new start. Set your goals and always be better than the last. One piece of advise as you head into the new season: Attitude, Effort, and Focus.

Learn to enjoy each and every day along with the people that surround you and love you unconditionally. Baseball will always be just a game, but it is the people and the relationships in baseball that make the experience worthwhile. We are not guaranteed tomorrow so make today and everyday a special one.

In our program, we use baseball as a tool to develop young athletes into young adults. Through baseball, let’s be remembered for who we become as a person and not so much as a baseball player.

Have a great holiday season!

I Will Never Be Out-Worked

2011-09-21T07:25:10Z

You can either listen to the entire interview or skip to the 4 minute mark.....

A Perspective on the Mental Approach to Baseball

2011-07-27T17:44:00Z

By Herndon P. Harding, Jr., M.D. Medical Director Florida Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Member, USA Baseball Medical & Safety Advisory Group 

In past articles for USA Baseball News, the Medical/Safety Advisory Committee has given a perspective on sport. For fairly apparent reasons, it seemed appropriate to address the best way for an amateur to approach the game mentally, especially with the issue of escalating salaries in professional baseball, and the high dollar signs potential pro players often see.

With the announcement of Alex Rodriguez' 252 million contract, one would hope that monetary reward leads to stellar performance. Indeed, most highly paid athletes do partially meet this expectation set by commanding such high salaries. Look at Pedro Martinez and Mike Piazza, for instance. Most players don't link their salary with their day to day motivation for on the field performance.

On the contrary, when asked about how money affects their play, most professionals describe being aware of money and stats only periodically during the season, and never during the immediacy of the game. No one has a successful at bat thinking "If I hit this pitch, my batting average will go up .002, and that will help in arbitration!!" Instead of focusing on those and other distractions, the players who perform best, both professionally and at amateur levels, are those who enjoy the competition of the game. They strive to win for victory's sake and also don't feel as though one loss, or one day's poor performance, is the end of the world.

This latter point, putting things in perspective, is where many players at all levels of baseball struggle. If every play, every at bat, is seen as having potentially devastating ramifications, then the player is likely to be over anxious, engaging his "civilized brain", and isn't allowing his well practiced athletic habits to do what they've been trained to do. He/she experiences anxiety, muscle tension and fear, all of which interfere with the ability to physically perform. He/she overrides well trained "perfect practice makes perfect" responses by over-thinking.

Studies show that one performs best if one can be in a mindset that is like the mindset experienced during practices. Your anxiety level in a game should be approximately the same as in practice, if you want your reflexes to perform optimally. When you see a double play where the movements of the infielders seem choreographed, graceful and smooth, it's because they know and trust what they're doing, not worried about how they look, or possibly failing. So, how does one nurture a "put it in perspective" attitude?

First put yourself in the game mentally, allowing other important issues of life to be left, temporarily, outside the white lines; you can deal with them later. For now, though, be where you are. Secondly, consider every play, pitch or at bat an opportunity that you're eager for, not an "if I can just get out of this..." threat. The best at bat self-talk I've heard is that on every pitch, the batter said "This one is MINE!" He would of course have to sometime change his mind to not swing; but he would never start out planning not to swing, suddenly going to "Yikes, that's down the middle!" He anticipated an opportunity; he didn't wait or hope for one.

Lastly, realizing that even though winning is important, it isn't everything. Even the quote often attributed to Vince Lombardi "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" was never said by him. He actually said "Winning isn't everything, trying to win is." More important than the win itself is striving, picking yourself up when you fall, enjoying your accomplishments, and putting it all in perspective with your personal values.

These things make one a better person, not just someone who wins games. The irony is that the person who best puts their life in order and gets perspective usually prioritizes effectively and can perform with less anxiety and more success, both on and off the field, prolonging a productive amateur or professional career and ...getting bigger contracts!!!

Mental Training is Safer than Drugs

2011-07-01T17:47:44Z

By: Patrick Cohn

When people talk about baseball they usually mention the physical aspects of the sport such as, hitting, arm-strength, and power. The primary focus of athletes today is improving their physical game to compete at a higher level. The physical component of the game is so emphasized that a good handful of professional ball players began using illegal performance enhancement supplements to gain a competitive edge.

The physical component of baseball is important, but it’s also highly overrated. Somewhere along the road players and fans forgot that baseball is a mental game. Hall of Famer, Jogi Berra once said “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical,” and Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel states that, “succeeding in baseball is 90 percent mental.”

Baseball players should develop mental strength and mental toughness to gain a competitive edge, rather than cheat to improve their physical strength. Physical strength may help you hit a ball farther but it isn’t going to help you hit .330 or win a championship. Mental training is legal in baseball, and it helps athletes reach their peak level of performance. Mental training areas that help you perform to your potential include: confidence, composure, focus, trust, preparation, practice efficiency, and patience just to name a few.

In Major League Baseball mentally tough players are the cream of the crop. Chase Utley for example states, “I go through my pre-game routines and make sure my mind is right. The difference between a good game and a bad game is your head.” And Derrick Jeter says “Once you step into the on deck circle you have to get into a hitters mindset.”

Mental Training is legal, inexpensive, effective and highly recommended by professional athletes. To improve your performance in baseball use mental training to supplement your performance needs, such as the tips listed below:

• Stay present focused. You must keep your mind in the present moment on what’s important to play your best. This is easier said than done. It is easy to think about the last strike out you had or think ahead about the results of striking out. Know the task-specific cues you should focus on and be aware when you are not on task. Stop and refocus your mind on the task or on what you should think about to execute well.

• Think one bat a time. Think about only the one pitch at a time to help you stay focused on execution. Separate each pitch from the rest and don’t think about the consequences of getting a hit. You don’t want to be thinking about the last inning when you are at the plate in the middle of the game.

• Don’t thing about results or outcomes. If you think about what you don’t want to do, you’ll tighten up and make a controlled swing. When you think about results, you’ll create tension and indecision. Focusing on execution will help you get good results. Your at-bat routine should help you focus on specific cues to follow as you prepare for each at-bat. If you don’t have a routine, the mind is free to wander aimlessly as you prepare for each pitch.

• Cue yourself to concentrate. Sometimes it’s hard to refocus when the last at-bat was 30 minutes ago. Lock in your concentration once it is your turn to at the plate. To help you click in, try using a physical trigger to focus your mind, such as tightening the Velcro on your glove before start. You want to turn your attention to preparation and execution for the first pitch, and if anything else enters your mind, let it pass through your mind.

• Relax your focus while you wait. Not too many players can focus continuously for two to three hours. When you are up to bat it’s important to be ready, but you don’t want to overanalyze the entire game. After each inning, relax your focus and save your concentration for the next time at-bat. This will help you be “fresher” for the end of the game.

• Rehearse while you wait. Rehearse your at-bat before you’re up to play if you have trouble focusing after a long delay. For example, while on deck, imagine that you are at the plate taking pitches. Time your swing with the pitcher and “see” yourself make solid contact. When it’s your turn, you will be prepared to click in the focus because you already rehearsed your at-bat routine.

Pursuing Victory with Honor

2011-06-02T18:15:39Z

Pursuing Victory With Honor gives coaches and athletic administrators the tools they need to foster good character and positive sportsmanship in their young athletes. PVWH recognizes the unique learning opportunity that athletics has in shaping the character of today's student-athletes while still encouraging the competitive pursuit of victory.

BECOME A STUDENT OF THE GAME

2011-05-26T14:23:58Z

As our youth coaches and players prepare for the upcoming summer of competition, I thought it would be appropriate to send my well wishes to all the parents, coaches and players hoping that each of you take the time to enjoy the experience together and realize that these are the greatest days for families to show support and encouragement. Most of all, please remember that our job as parents is to encourage our kids to work hard, become a great teammate and enjoy the process of learning the game of softball. The most important thing to realize is that there will be good days and bad days as long as you are willing to put on a uniform and compete in athletics. What can we do to inspire young players to be a student of the game? One of the greatest tools that you have today is the power of television and the tremendous increase of games that are now available to watch in the comfort of your living room. Why do I mention this? When I was a kid, and even though we had a black and white television with rabbit ears to tune in the station, I was able to watch the Yankee game of the week and listen to Vin Scully on the radio as he broadcasted Dodger games. This is truly how I learned to think the game!

I would love to encourage you to use the many softball games in the next couple of weeks to use as a teaching tool and gain tremendous insight on how the game is played. Having the opportunity to learn from the former Olympic players such as Jessica Mendoza and Michelle Smith is a great chance to listen to their comments and know that they have played this game at the highest levels. There are many great announcers that add a tremendous amount of expertise and if we encourage our players to use these games as a teaching tool, you will be amazed how much you can learn. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that gives us so many options to entertain ourselves that I think we sometimes miss out on golden opportunities to watch and learn. Twenty years ago, we were complaining that softball players could not turn on the TV and watch a great fast-pitch game and follow players to emulate as players and role models. Today, the game is alive and well and from Regional, Super Regional, College World Series and the World Cup, you have a chance to truly become a student of the game! This is your chance to learn from the best our game has to offer today!

I am shocked how many players do not like to watch baseball or softball games on television! We, as parents and coaches, need to encourage the use of these games as a great teaching tool even if you have to record them and use them on a rainy day. The best teachers have found that most students are visual learners and I cannot think of a better way to teach the skills, strategies and the team dynamics. I hope you will take me up on this simple but powerful opportunity to develop your players. Have a great season and just remember – “One pitch, one at bat, one play, and one situation. Think “small” and “big” things result.” Mike Schmidt on success in Baseball.

Have Fun and Best of Luck!

Coach Candrea

ASAP Donates Equipment to Philippine Elementary School

2011-03-21T03:53:30Z

With the help of parents and players, ASAP donated new and used baseball equipment—gloves, shoes, bats, baseball pants, hats, catchers gear, helmets, equipment bags, baseballs, softballs, batting gloves, and undershirts—to a little league team at Paliparan 3 Elementary School in the city of Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines.

The team's coach, Vangie Boto-Montillano, visited the ASAP web site one day and realized that it was run by a fellow Filipino. She connected with Rainel via email and Facebook and told him about the school's baseball program and the children she coaches, and Rainel decided to help her cause. Rainel said most of her students come from low-income families and cannot afford baseball equipment. The team usually practices in the vacant lot with a limited space, but the players are really dedicated to their commitment as ballplayers. The youngest player on the team is Nanie, she is only 9 years old.

Mercy Amparo (left) and Vangie Boto-Montillano (bottom right)
with some of their Paliparan 3 Elementary Little League players.

"I have seen so much of their hearts to really recognize the meaning of hard training, discipline," Vangie said, "and the joy of being part of the little league softball team is incomparable and indescribable."

Vangie was a former varsity softball player at Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa Manila, a member of the National Team, and she is presently working at De La Salle University-Dasmarinas. Her passion to continue coaching prompted her to look for a school or team that shared the same passion for softball and baseball. Vangie found a team near De La Salle-Dasmarinas through an internet search and volunteered her services. She is now a certified volunteer softball coach of the Paliparan 3 team and hopes to share her coaching expertise and techniques to help the kids on the Paliparan 3 team become even better baseball players.

The Paliparan 3 Elementary School little league team was started in 1989 by Mercy Amparo. Though she has a degree in Mathematics, Mercy dedicated a lot of time and energy to become a baseball coach to these kids. Led by Mercy, the Paliparan 3 Elementary softball team has participated in several major tournaments, including the 2009 Asia Pacific Little League Philippines (the team''s first international exposure), Little League Philippine Series Tournament, International Little League Association of Manila Tournament, and the Alabang Little league Tournament.

Throwzone Camp Coming to SoCal in October

2010-09-10T03:05:03Z

Ron Wolforth, considered by many as the premier trainer of pitchers in the world today, is bringing his Throwzone Camp to Southern California from October 22-24.

Coach Wolforth operates the Texas Baseball Ranch in Houston, TX and has the most widely known pitching and throwing academy in the United States. His facility conducts pitching camps, coaches’ clinics and year-round training programs from youth players all the way to the professional pitcher.

His specialty is developing velocity and explosiveness. At the three-day event, Coach Wolforth will walk the attendees through how to use ropes, chains, ladders, hurdles, core balls, arm bands and a unique approach to long toss in ways you’ve NEVER seen before…….all developing each athlete’s innate athleticism and power.

For more information on the camp, visit Jim Wagner's Throwzone web site.

Bulldogs Sweep Group Play at Triple Crown World Series

2010-07-15T04:44:01Z

The ASAP Bulldogs 10U softball team swept through group play at the Triple Crown World Series in Park City, Utah this week. Bulldogs pitchers Kelli Morrow, Hailey de la Vara, Lexi Onuscheck, and Shea O'Leary dominated their opponents, allowing just 3 runs and 7 hits in 4 games.

Final scores from group play:

Bulldogs vs Ridge Meadow Pride (Canada) 11-1
Bulldogs vs VC Venom 6-0
Bulldogs vs Utah Lady Pirates 9-1
Bulldogs vs Central Valley Freeze. 3-1

The Bulldogs are seeded #1 in their bracket, and playoffs start Thursday, July 15. Stay tuned for more updates!