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FALL BALL A HUGE SUCCESS appropriate to the pitcher’s

age is recommended. Winter is also an ideal time for pitchers to fine tune their pickoff moves and to practice pitchers’ fielding situations (e.g., throwing to first base, fielding bunts, and covering first base). Pitchers can work on proper throwing mechanics during the winter and start throwing regularly about 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the season, but don’t overexert your pitcher’s arm! Your Strike Zone pitching instructor can provide a throwing workout that is appropriate to the player’s age, experience level, and other factors.

Check with your Strike Zone Coach on the various programs available for winter workouts. Decide on a program that’s right for your player’s individual needs and appropriate to his age and playing level. While the off-season is a time to recover, don’t let your player wait until the week before the spring season starts to begin working out again – doing so could result in lackluster performance, or worse, lead to injury and cut the season short.

During the off-season, baseball players should concentrate on improving the fundamentals. Coaches should place emphasis on individual and team workouts. Here are some recommendations for your players’ winter workouts.

For many players, winter is the ideal time to improve their batting skills. Many winter workout facilities in the colder regions have indoor batting cages for this purpose. However, you must oversee the use of this training aid - players must be sure to set up in their proper batting stance for each and every swing, and to not rush their swings. Otherwise, you may quickly discover that it is far too easy for a hitter to have bad habits reinforced by this drill!

Hitting instruction should focus on mechanics (i.e., stance to follow-through), power, situational hitting, and bunting. In addition to fine tuning the physical aspects of hitting, winter workouts are an ideal time to focus on the mental aspects of hitting; during the season, in the last inning of a pressure-packed game, is not the right time to teach a player about mental

preparation for hitting. Even the youngest player needs to understand basic mental approaches to hitting. Developing a positive attitude about hitting and demonstrating the importance of understanding various game situations before stepping into the batter’s box are two key points that should be included in instruction for young batters. The older players should be taught more advanced mental approaches, such as studying the pitcher, catcher, and defense and making adjustments based on different game situations.

No matter what individual skills your player chooses to focus on during winter workouts, conditioning and staying in shape is essential. Some winter workout programs concentrate exclusively on strength, speed, and agility training, with instruction on base running and base stealing included. Staying strong and flexible during the winter will help prevent injuries when it’s time to play ball in the spring. This is especially true for young pitchers. Weight training and aerobic activity

OFF SEASON WORKOUT A MUST FOR ANY BALL PLAYER OR TEAM

STRIKE ZONE

FALL 2009-VOLUME 2

2900 SOUTH 110TH STREET IN ROCKBROOK VILLAGE OMAHA, NE 68144 (402) 398-1238 WWW.STRIKEZONEOMAHA.COM

TRAINING NEWSLETTER

2010 TEAM WORKOUT SPECIAL

FOR DETAILS ON OFF SEASON TEAM

PACKAGES :

Call Joe!

Fall Baseball was a huge success and we have all of you to thank for it. Not just on the

field, it was great seeing every-one for the Hitting Clinics and Mini Camps. We hope you en-joyed them as much as we did. Check out the Testimonials on

page 9. We loved hearing from you.

Just because Fall Ball is over doesn’t mean that we stop

thinking baseball. Here is some of the upcoming clinics:

Private Lessons Group Lessons

Breaking Ball Clinic Ballistic Hitting

Cage Line Drive Leagues Tunnel Line Drive

Leagues Position Specific Clinics

Advanced Group Lessons

Speed and Agility High School Prep

College Bound

There is no better way to get one-on-one instruction from high quality instructors than signing up for a Private Lesson with The Strike Zone. These 30 or 60 minute sessions concentrate on specific skills such as Pitching, Hitting, Catching, Fielding, and All-Skills. The nature of the session assures the player he or she will receive the most in-depth and proper instruction available. For Private Pitching Lessons, our regulation, real clay pitching mounds provide a realistic atmosphere for enhanced learning. Hitting Lessons are held in one of our three full-size hitting tunnels and/or our automated batting cages. Often times, our Private Lessons are used to maintain and enhance player's strength and skills throughout the year. Private Lessons are available year-round. Call or visit The Strike Zone to book your Private Lesson today!

One of the Strike Zone's best-selling services is our group lessons. Group lessons are skill-specific classes that run one night per week for four weeks. Each class in one hour long and

focuses on skills such as pitching, hitting, fielding, and catching. All skill classes are available for all age groups. There are generally 4-6 players per class so participation and instruction are enhanced. Each player is taught the vital fundamentals of the position or skill being taught. If the player within a group is falling behind, our instructors will usually suggest a private lesson with that player to ensure that player maintains the pace of learning within the group. When you enroll in one of our group lessons, you are guaranteed to get one on one attention from

the most specialized coaches in the area.

Area teams are already involved in our groups lessons. A “Team Camp” group lesson just for your team is available as well. Many Omaha-area coaches and teams agree that The Strike

Zone's Group Lessons are vital for individual and team success. Stop in The Strike Zone or call us at 398-1238 to book tunnel times for your team’s lessons today.

So just what is the benefit of these indoor batting cages? Simply put, indoor batting cages offer hitters a unique opportunity to perfect their swing without the bothersome distractions of a field. Let us breakdown the advantages of using an indoor batting cage. The Power of One Think about it: if you’re working inside a batting cage, specifically one with a pitching machine, you need no help. If you venture outside onto a diamond, even with a pitching machine, you’re still going to need people to shag fly balls for you, or you’re going to spend half your time retrieving your own. Using a batting cage means a quick break to gather and reload, and off you go again. Repetition, Repetition,

Repetition Repetition. You’d be surprised how easy it can be to lose the perfect swing without making a mental note of it, and that can only be accomplished by taking your hacks until you get it right. A batting cage means you can swing at high number of pitches in a short amount of time, allowing you to maintain focus on the area of your swing that needs improvement. More specifically, the conditions inside a batting cage do not change; there’s no wind to blame, and no sun in your eyes. 24/7 You can use an indoor batting cage at any time of day, any day of the week. Be it a 100-degree summer day of dogging humidity, or a January bliz-zard, the cage is the cage. Will it simulate actual game

conditions? Probably not, but the goal of the batting cage is to develop a consistent swing that can withstand varying conditions. Focus on Contact For most hitters, there is a tendency to focus too much on the field—where the ball may land—and not enough on the bat making good contact. The only way to truly swing for the fences is by keeping your head down on the ball, following completely through to make solid contact. In the cage, it’s possible to develop muscle memory for a) hitting the ball the other way; b) pulling it; and c) bunting. One of the main causes of strikeouts is hitters thinking a step ahead, and using the cage trains to keep focus on initiating contact.

TIPS FOR OFF SEASON TRAINING

IF YOU DREAM BIG AND WORK

HARD… YOU CAN ACHIEVE

ANYTHING. WE HELP

MAKE DREAMS

COME TRUE.

PAGE 2 TRAINING NEWSLETTER

The Power of Pitching American Sports Medicine Guide To Pitch Counts

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD THROWING TECHNIQUES • Eyes are constantly on the target • Pitcher should be in a good goal post position: both glove-side elbow and throwing elbow should be high • The ball should be pointed back to allow for the rotation of the hips • Glove-side shoulder and foot should be pointed directly at the target • Weight transfer and follow-through from post foot to glove-side foot

"FLYING OPEN" Flying open early during the stride and cocking phase is a common fault experienced by all pitchers no matter of age or experience. Young high school and college pitchers have to learn HOW to stay closed, and experienced pitchers must FOCUS on staying closed until the stride foot plants. "STAYING CLOSED" Staying closed means that until the stride foot plants giving the pitcher a stable base, the lead elbow, the shoulders, and throwing arm stay aligned to the plate. The next action (sequence) is for the trunk to powerfully horizontally rotate to create angular velocity (torque), which is the major source of power, arm speed and velocity! The fault of "flying open" occurs when upper body, shoulders, and arms open with the stride leg and front hip. This is a natural tendency biomechanically, but this action decreases rotational forces angular velocity) and puts the motion out of sequence, negatively effecting control and velocity plus creating unnecessary stress on the shoulder and arm muscles. "Flying open" causes the arm to drag because the stronger & larger muscles of the legs, hips, and trunk have already fired and are not available to create torque. Because of the lack of torque, most of the pitch velocity has to come from the shoulder and arm muscles, which will cause early fatigue. TECHNIQUES & DRILLS TO STAY CLOSED-Teach the pitcher an efficient, balanced, aligned & compact motion. • Rocker-Pivot-Lift Drill Get to a balanced posting position without swinging the foot or leg up. Make certain the pitcher closed up the front

side but doesn't over-rotate. • Down & Out Stride Drill Do not swing the leg or foot around and down. This technique will help keep the body aligned to the plate.

• Lead with the Front Hip Bone This technique helps alignment and generates lower body forces for a longer and more powerful stride.

• Stride Drill For direction, landing flat-footed on a stable base with the toes pointing inward slightly (10-15 degrees).

• Hand Break & Lead Arm Action DrillUse a flexed elbow as a rifle sight. This helps to keep the arms and shoulders aligned to the plate and keeps the upper body closed.

• Mirror & Abdominal DrillPerform the "down and out drill" and "stride drill" in front of a mirror. Concentrate on the lead elbow and shoulders staying aligned (closed) to the plate. Even though the front hip has opened upon stride foot plant, the lead elbow and front shoulder should stay aligned and closed. Learn to contract the abdominal muscles to keep upper body closed. A pitcher should con-sciously feel the abdominal tighten.

• Cocked Position DrillRemember that the natural tendency is for a pitcher's upper body to come open with the front hip and stride leg. "Staying closed" is a LEARNED, not a natural TRAIT, and must be understood and developed. Once a young pitcher masters this technique, you'll see improved control, more movement on the fast ball (due to torque), and an increase in pitch velocity.

Age 1 Day Rest

2 Days Rest

3 Days Rest

4 Days Rest

8-10 21 34 43 51 11-12 27 35 55 58 13-14 30 36 56 70 15-16 25 38 62 77 17-18 27 45 62 89

CURVEBALL The curveball is thrown with a grip and hand

motion that induces extra rotation on the ball causing it to "break," and fly in a more exaggerated curve than would be expected. The pitch is slower than a fastball, and this difference in velocity also tends to disrupt

the hitter's timing. Good curveballs often seem to drop sharply with a sharp rotation as they reach the plate, making the batter swing above it. The rota-tion on a curveball should be in the opposite

direction as that of a fastball so the hitter cannot easily distinguish between the

pitches; as such, the drop on such a ball should be 12 to 6 on a watch (although many pitchers are successful with a curve ball that

breaks down and away from the batter, rather than straight down).

The curveball rotation is produced when the pitcher snaps his wrist downward at the

moment of release, causing the ball to "roll" off the pitcher's hand. The palm of the

pitcher's hand typically faces up during the follow through after releasing a curveball.

TWO SEAM FASTBALL A two-seam fastball, sometimes called a two-seamer, is a variant of the straight fastball. The two-seam fastball is designed to have more movement than a four seam fastball, and is a pitch to be used while the pitcher is ahead in the count, setting up an off speed pitch, or looking to get a strikeout. The pitcher grabs a baseball and finds the area on it where the seams are the closest together. Then,

the baseball is rotated so that those seams are perpendicular to his body, with the index and

middle fingers on each of those seams respectively. Each finger should be touching the seam from the pads or tips to almost the ball of each finger. The thumb should rest underneath

the ball in the middle of those two fingers, finding the apex of the horseshoe part of the

seam. The thumb needs to rest on that seam from the side to the middle of its pad. This ball will

tend to move for the pitcher a little bit depending on velocity, arm slot angle and pressure points of

the fingers.

FASTBALL A four-seam fastball is a variant of the straight fastball. The four-seam fastball is a pitch that is used often by the pitcher to get ahead in the count or when he needs to throw a strike. This type of fastball is intended to have minimal lateral movement.

The most traditional way is to find the horseshoe seam area, or the area where the seams are the farthest apart. Keeping those

seams parallel to the body, the pitcher places his index and middle fingers

perpendicular to them with the pads on the farthest seam from him. The thumb will

then rest underneath the ball, about in the middle of the two fingers. With this grip, the thumb will generally have no seam to

rest on.

FLYING OPEN VS. STAYING CLOSED

CIRCLE CHANGEUPS A circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation. The

circle is formed by putting the index fingertip against the thumb tip, and holding the ball against the palm with the remaining three fingers. This pitch will tend to have

little ball rotation. The circle changeup is a variation of the straight changeup.

A circle change can also be used to provide screwball-type movement. By placing the index and ring fingers slightly to the inside (that is, towards the thumb) of the ball and sharply pronating the forearm at release, a pitcher can make the ball move downward and armside. A left-handed pitcher's circle chance will break down and away from a

right-handed batter. Effective circle changeups can reduce the platoon split a

pitcher will experience. When releasing the circle change, keep your wrist straight and

follow through fully. If this pitch is left up, it will be hit hard! It is a very effective pitch to

throw early in the count to produce a ground ball; it is not a strikeout pitch. By rotating your wrist (before releasing) you can change the movement from that of a fastball to that of a curveball-like pitch.

HOW CAN I THROW MORE STRIKES? It all boils down to mechanics. Proper pitching mechanics will lead to increased control. Once you're able to have consistent proper mechanics, control comes down to release point which can be adjusted on a pitch by pitch basis. HOW CAN I THROW HARDER? A lot of velocity comes from proper mechanics. Also, in addition to proper mechanics, an increase in velocity can come with strength training, particularly core exercises. There are many different activities/exercises you can do to improve core strength. Ask us how. I HAVE GOOD CONTROL AND VELOCITY, HOW CAN I GET MORE OUTS? Any average hitter can catch up to a fastball if he knows it’s coming. Keeping hitters off balance and guessing is the key to getting outs which means you have to change speeds and location. Good off speed pitches and the ability to hit spots with all your pitches will lower pitch counts and ERA’s. WHAT’S THE BEST PITCH IN BASEBALL? A strike. No particular pitch is better than the other, as long as you can throw it for a strike. Get strike one. Getting ahead of batters is crucial to getting outs.

PITCHING QUESTIONS

The hands should be placed together on the handle when gripping the bat.

The bat should be held with the base of the fingers, not

the palm of the hand. The fingers of each hand should be

aligned at the knuckles.

The Wind Up Before hitting the ball, the batter winds up with his shoulders and

elbows spread apart, and with his weight on the right foot. He draws

the bat back, hands below his shoul-ders and rotates his torso slightly.

The Swing The batter lifts his left foot, moves it

forward and puts it down at the moment of contact with the ball. His body weight transfers to his left leg as

his arms swing the bat toward the ball.

The Follow Through Once he hits the ball, the batter

follows through with his swing until he is facing the pitcher.

(402) 398-1238 The Science Of Swat Hitting

Techniques

• Drives the ball deeper and harder, more consistently—-every 1 mph increase in bat speed adds 5 feet to the distance your ball travels.

• Gains more reaction time at the plate to enable you to make better decisions on whether or not to swing at a pitch.

www.strikezoneomaha.com

A batter may bunt the ball in an effort to surprise the opposing team or to advance a runner on the field. To do so, he pivots into

a crouch while moving the outside hand toward the end of the bat. The ball should

land in front of him on the ground, remaining in play.

Average Bat Speed:

8 Year Old 44 MPH 9 Year Old 48 MPH 10 Year Old 51 MPH 11 Year Old 54 MPH 12 Year Old 57 MPH

When the Bat Meets the Ball The bat and ball are in contact for about 0.001 seconds. Here is what happens:

• 8,000 pounds of force are required to change the direction of a 90 mph pitch /110 mph hit that will travel 400 feet.

• The ball is compressed to about 1/2 its normal diameter.

• Most of the energy in the ball and bat are lost as heat.

• The baseball returns about 35 % of the energy it receives during the compression. It is this energy return that

causes the ball to rebound from the bat. . Hitting Questions Answered

What is the number one thing coaches look for in hitters? Bat speed. The first thing a college coach will notice about hitters is how fast the bat moves through the zone. Even if the hitter has some mechanical flaws, the coach notices how fast the bat went through the zone and recognizes the player’s raw talent. Coaches are more likely to recruit a player that has raw talent than a player who is mechanically sound but is slow to the ball.

What should I do to improve myself as a hitter? Drill, Drill, Drill! The more hitting drills you perform, the easier it will be to develop muscle memory from these repeated actions. The goal of every hitter should be to develop muscle memory during drills so that the actions come naturally in the games.

How can I maximize my power? The number one activity to increase power is weight training. There is a direct correlation between physical strength and power at the plate.

How can I improve my eyes at the plate? Once again: drill, drill, drill! The more pitches you see and cuts off a tee you take, the quicker your eyes will become. The best way to do this is to have a plan: not only a plan for every swing during a game, but also a plan for every cut you take in practice. Train your eyes to recognize the pitcher’s release point. The earlier you pick up the pitch, the easier it is to determine the movement and speed the pitch has. The earlier you pick up the pitch the easier it is for your body to respond and put your plan in motion.

Average Bat Speed:

13 Year Old 61 MPH 14 Year Old 65 MPH 15 Year Old 68 MPH 16 Year Old 70 MPH 17 Year Old 73 MPH

Upper Limit

Horizontal line halfway between the top of the

shoulders and top of the pants.

The Strike Zone

Determined from the batters stance as he prepares to swing at

a pitched ball.

Lower Limit

Line at the top of the knees.

Your baseball hitting can be improved by using batting cages and batting practice to develop your timing. One thing to keep in mind while hitting in BP or the cage is to know when you are getting in good hitting. This is important because hitting the ball hard is only a starting place for good hitting. One way to improve your hitting is to focus on hitting line drives and hitting the ball on the ground. Over time, this will result in a higher hitting average because there is less of a chance for the ball getting caught in the air. A technique to help adjust your swing in the batting cages is to score your rounds at BP and batting cage sessions. This is very easy to do as you just need someone to do the scoring while you hit. This can even be done by yourself in your head with a little practice. Here, are a few tips on how to do the scoring: 1. Hit using a three point system. 3 points are given for line drives, 2 points for grounders or low line drives, and 1 point for fly balls. 2. Make three scoring zones. You will need to make some

arbitrary zones whether in the BP or the batting cage. The goal should be to make them about even and each zone should be about 6 yards in length. For example, the grounders or low hitting zone would be a horizon-tal range from the ground to 6 yards up. Line drives would be in the next zone (6 to 12 yards up) and fly balls would be any the final zone for everything 12 yards high up to 18 yards in the air. Anything over this height should not be scored. 3. Use Landmarks at Batting Cages For Zones. If you are hitting in the cages, use any landmarks that exist to help make the zones. For example, you could say the top of the pitching machine begins the middle zone. Bottom line: don't get too caught up in the exactness of the zones. Instead, use the landmarks as a guideline and being scoring your rounds. 4. Score each session. Habitually, score and record each session. This will give you a target to shoot at for your next round and encourage you to out-do your last performance. By making each session a

competition, you will get more out of it as you try to get a higher score each time. 5. Scoring Rounds By Yourself. If keeping up with the scoring in your head gets to be too challenging during your hitting. One trick you can do is simply the scoring. By only scoring how many times you hit the ball in the middle range, you can get a pretty good measurement to test your hitting. Once you get your score, you would use this in much the same way as other scoring, you would try to top it on your next round. The focus during all these sessions would be to develop consistency in hitting this middle zone. Be sure to let your team and coach know about this strategy. If adopted by your team, the whole team could benefit by using it in there regular BP. The scores of each session could even be posted in the locker room to add a little competition and more interesting into your team's batting practice sessions. Just think with a little time your team could be getting more hits and runs by using one simple technique.

HOW TO USE A BATTING CAGE FOR BETTER HITTING

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PAGE 6 TRAINING NEWSLETTER

Repetition. You’d be surprised how easy it can be to lose the perfect swing without making a mental note of it, and that can only be accomplished by taking swinging until you get it right.

The Cage Line Drive League allows you to swing at a high number of pitches in a short amount of time, allowing you to maintain focus on the area of your swing that needs improvement.

Muscle Memory. In the cage, it’s possible to develop muscle memory for a) hitting the ball the other way, b) pulling it, and c) bunting.

What is the Cage Line Drive League? The Strike Zone Batting Cage League is a fun, friendly, and competitive 4 week 2/man Line Drive Competition. The league is offered during the months of November-April. There will be several age divisions, including ages: 10-U, 12-U baseball, and Girl’s Fast Pitch.

mail in for information regarding the Cage Line Drive League

Age Group: (Circle One) 10U Baseball 12U Baseball

Girls Fast Pitch

Name:____________________________________ Email:______________________________________ Phone Number:__________________________ Cell Phone: _______________________________

Call 398-1238

TUNNEL LIVE HITTING LINE DRIVE LEAGUE Most NCAA Division 1 studies indicate something near the following:

♦ 30% of all grounders are base hits and over 40% of the time result in the bat-ter getting on base.

♦ A whopping 80% of all line drives are base hits resulting in the batter getting on base 80% of the time.

♦ Only 20% of all fly balls, including home runs, are base hits, resulting in the batter getting on base just under 30% of the time.

There is no better way to work on hitting line drives than being a part of the Strike Zone’s Two Man Line Drive League. Repetitions is what

it takes to become a habit. This is live hitting at its best. This is one habit you would not want to break.

Mail in For information on the Tunnel Line Drive League

Age Group: (Circle One) 13/14 Line Drive High School Wood Bat Name:____________________________________ Email:___________________________________ Phone Number:_________________________Cell Phone: _____________________________

A complete hitting plan emphasizes both the physical and the mental skills necessary to become a consistent hitter. With careful attention and regular practice, players can develop a fluid and powerful hitting stroke. Developing physical aptitude is one dimension of hitting, a second dimension is also essential–developing a positive hitting attitude. A good swing without a good attitude to direct it will produce poor results. To be effective, hitters must learn to regularly combine a proper batting stroke with a positive mental strategy. A powerful swing needs a powerful attitude to guide it! The goal of a positive mental strategy is to develop a hitter’s frame of mind. Such a mindset is the key factor that controls and releases all the explosive power of your hitting plan. This mindset is the hitter’s mental edge. Just as the development of the hitter’s physical skills require careful

practice and repetition, mental skills require similar development. Before the game, during the game, each turn at bat, and with every pitch that is thrown, a hitter should seek to develop and strengthen his/her edge at the plate. Doing so will provide him/her with the greatest opportunity for success. There are simple and important keys for successful hitting. Each key unlocks more power for a super strong attitude. 10 Keys To A Strong Hitting Attitude 1) Prepare to play. Come to the park ready to play ball. 2) Eliminate distractions: Good hitters know to keep their attention tightly focused on the game. 3) Study the Pitcher: The opposing pitcher is an open book filled with valuable information that hitters can use. Watch the pitcher for clues that can provide advantages for the hitter. 4) Defeat fear: Fear of failure and the fear of being hurt are negative thoughts that can blind a hitter’s batting eye. The best way to handle fear is to control it. Direct a positive answer to each negative thought and put fear away. 5) Be confident:Confidence is a decision you make, it is not something you have to search after. Confidence is the ability to believe in yourself and to ignore everything

that is contrary to your belief. 6) Get comfortable at the plate: A batting stance that is uncomfortable or awkward will diminish the hitter’s ability to concentrate. Eliminate physical tension in the arms and chest by avoiding unnatural hand, arm, and bat-angle positions. When a hitter executes the hitting plan correctly, he/she will be physically balanced and comfortable at the plate. 7) Relax: Breathe deep to aid relaxation. Proper breathing gets extra oxygen in the bloodstream and will help keep the hitter’s mind clear. 8 ) Concentrate on the pitch: Create tunnel-vision toward the pitch and omit all other stray thoughts. Zero in on the ball. 9) Attack the ball: Anticipate that each pitch will be in the strike zone. Think swing and react! If it’s a strike, pull the trigger and hit the ball hard. If it’s a ball, leave the barrel cocked. 10) Build on Success: Stay positive: each hitter should focus on what he is doing well. Be willing to make small adjustments, but only when necessary. Avoid making radical changes to your hitting plan as a way of compensating for the uncertainty or frustration hitters experience in a slump.  

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL-ATTITUDE FOR SUCCESS

THE STRIKE ZONE OFFERS MANY CAMPS

AND CLINICS TO TEACH PLAYERS THE

PROPER FUNDAMENTALS AND

SKILLS TO HAVE SUCCESS PLAYING BASEBALL. HERE

ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ONES WE HAVE

AVAILABLE. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE! WWW.STRIKEZONEOMAHA.COM

PAGE 7

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At it's most basic level, effective coaching is a simple proposition. It focuses on the "process," not the end product. Coaches don't really have a lot of influence over the outcome of any specific game, but they have a lot of control over the process (or lack thereof) that can determine the outcome of the game. The whole point of sports is to have fun and overcome challenges. If the emphasis is on winning as the end product, instead of the process of playing the game, some undesirable things happen. Play-ers become fearful of making mistakes. They start complaining and pointing fingers instead of taking personal re-sponsibility for their own mistakes. If a coach overemphasizes winning as the end product, the team is in for a frustrating season. Players' skills are not likely to improve very much, enthusi-asm will be curbed, and team spirit will fade. In this case the season will likely end not having been much fun for players, parents, or the coach. When this happens, the point of game playing is lost altogether. Disappointment

replaces fun and there isn't much sense of personal achievement One of the key ingredients of the process of coaching is training players how to compete against themselves. There is a tremendous sense of personal achieve-ment when a player reaches a new level, and that positive momentum carries them forward to the next chal-lenge. Great athletes are task oriented toward personal improvement. They set clearly defined, measurable goals like running faster, getting stronger, leaping higher, improving confidence, increasing scoring accuracy, and devoting more time to training. They know that their contribution to the team as a whole can be measured by their own improve-ment in skills. Taken together, if team members don't focus on personal improvement, guess where the team will end up at the close of the season. This is what coaching is all about and what makes it a fundamentally simple proposition. Coaching success can be measured by how well a coach creates, defines, and manages the process of

developing individual players and the team as a whole. How do successful coaches channel their athlete's natural motivation into activities that improve the quality and consistency of their play? They follow the "SMART" process.

EFFECTIVE GOALS:

• Specific - are very specific, usu-ally focusing on behaviors (e.g. turnovers, or practice free throws) rather than results (points scored or games won)

• Measurable - are easily measur-able (number of turnovers we created)

• Achievable - may be a stretch sometimes, but they can generally experience success

• Realistic - not so high that they are unrealistic or impractical

• Time-Oriented - they measure performance in units of time (like games, quarters, half-seasons.

-SMART Coaches are Successful.

Use office publisher to make a sheet having the team name, logo, picture, team roster and the list of the team goals. You may also want to put a team motto on the bottom of the sheet. The players should post the "Team Goal Sheet" in their bedroom. It is also recommended that a few team rules be included on that sheet. It is suggested that you often mention your team goals during team practices and games. Use the team goals to moti-vate your players to focus on the practice activity being done at the present time. It is always a great idea to have a post season meeting to discuss and review the team goal sheet with the team goals that the team set before the season began. You will briefly discuss the goals not met and why your team came up short on them. You will not single out players, plays, or games. You will briefly men-tion that if you had worked harder, these goals may have been reached. In this post season meeting you will mostly discuss the great things done and the goals set and met. You should tell the team how proud you are for the team accomplishments. You may also discuss the hard work and great per-formance level that led to the achieving of these goals. You may want to give the players a second Team Sheet with the goals achieved, team record, team photo, roster, and maybe a quote or motto you want them to remember in the off-season.

There are very few volunteer jobs more challenging, time-consuming or rewarding than being a coach in your local league. There are many four letter words used by coaches that I can not use here. Here I want to discuss the 4 four-letter words that can and will determine the amount of success a coach has during the coming season. The four words are Goal, Plan, Work and Time. Today the four letter word is G-O-A-L: The Definition of the word Goal is a simple goal can do wonders to drive a baseball toward success. When you set a goal or goals, you accept the challenge to achieve the goal set. With that challenge comes a commitment and responsibility. Setting goals can improve the focus of the team, bring members and staff closer, and unite the groups in a com-mon cause. If you have a goal or goals to work for, your season will be like a journey to no where. You must set team goals. The setting of goals should be a team effort. It is suggested that team goals be set during a team function, away from the field. Have a team swim party, cookout, and party soon after the draft. Let the parents and players meet each other and the staff. Then let the players suggest what team goals they see as important for the approaching season. The goals should be set before a single practice or workout. The goals should be written down. It is always a great idea to make each player a printed list of the goals. Take a picture at that first team meeting.

Suggested team goals:

• Win the League Championship

• Go Undefeated

• Score at least 7 runs each game.

• Hold the opponent to 3 runs or less each game

• Have a team batting average of .375 or better.

• Have perfect attendance at every practice.

Suggested team rules:

• Never throw an object in disgust.

• Never walk on the field.

• Never be late for practice.

• Answer the coach with a Yes, Sir or No Sir

• Never question an umpires call.

• Never sit or lay down on the field during timeouts.

• Properly warm-up before every practice and game.

Suggested Team Slogans:

• Expect to WORK...Expect to WIN!

• A Season with a Reason

• There is no I in TEAM

• Work More, Win More

• Work Like a Champion

A SMART COACH….

COACHING-THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAM GOALS

COACHES’ CLINIC

COMING IN FEBRUARY

GET READY FOR THE 2010

SEASON!

IF YOU ARE AN ORGANIZATION

AND WANT TO GET YOUR COACHES IN

OUR COACHES CLINIC.. .CALL US IMMEDIATELY.

PAGE 8 TRAINING NEWSLETTER

Joe I know we Cole (my son) has been coming to Strike Zone for years and we have enjoyed many of the instructors even back in the day when Coach Olsen and Coach Payne were there I would like to compliment the attention to find-ing good coaches to instruct the kids that still goes into the thoughts of you and your staff. Last night we had the pleasure of attending the little clinic at 8pm with Nate(hope I'm right) and Kenny was a fantastic little hitting and training opportu-nity, both coaches were fantastic in there instructions and you can see how Nate like to break down base-ball hitting fundamentals to an aspect that is easy to understand and easy to repeat and practice. As one of the asst fall ball coaches I would think everyone should take part in these but on the same token I liked the individuality that a smaller group can gain from the instructors, I for one know I picked up some pointers that will be passed along to the rest of our team. Thanks to all your staff keep up the great work and I am sure we will be there both Monday and Thursday night again. Cris Sahner

Dear Strike Zone, We have been members of the Strike Zone for several years, and we still are but I wanted to let you know about a recent experience we had elsewhere in another fall baseball league. I am almost ashamed to tell you that my son didn’t play fall ball at the Strike Zone this year, he played fall baseball at one of the “other” places so that he could be on a team with a friend. Unfortunately, the experience was horrible. My son was ready to quit playing baseball-it was so bad, and his friend was right along with him. When playing at the Strike Zone, my son always had fun, learned, and improved. The coaches know their stuff and have always been positive, and one of the things that kept my son in baseball was the promise that we would go back to Strike Zone next fall. Keep doing it the way you al-ways have. We are coming back!

Earley Smith

Hi Joe, My son Easton Lemmon plays in the 7-9 instructional league on Team 2. They had a rainout back on Sept. 3rd. I was assuming that it would be rescheduled using one of the rainout dates shown on the bottom of your schedule, but I have been watching the weekly updates and haven't seen it rescheduled yet. I was just wondering since we are coming down to the last week of games this week. If you could please let me know when and if this game will be played, I can get the message out to the other parents as well. You have a great fall ball program going at the SZ and both of my boys are having a blast and learning lots too. I would highly recommend your program to anyone out there. I would specifically like to single out the group of guys who help out with the 7-9 Instructional League on Field 8 at Suburban, these guys are top notch!!! Keep up the good work! Thank you for all of your hard work, Kim Lemmon

We at the Royals HIGHLY suggest The Strike Zone. They offer the best services at the best price. We are a proud partner with them and I highly recommend Joe Siwa and his staff.

Rob Crain Asst. General Manager /

Marketing Omaha Royals

Joe, Tim and I enjoyed being a part of fall ball with our sons and had a really great time. It has been busy, but well worth it. Thanks!

Doug Lindner Sioux Falls, South Dakota

TESTIMONIALS Joe, Just wanted to let you know that Alec had a blast playing the wood bat league. I knew he would. I'm glad we talked him into it...and, more importantly, so is he. It took him a couple of at bats to get a feel for the wood bat but started hitting well about half way through the game. He dominated on the mound and that made him feel like a million bucks...haha...against his regular season teammates. He's looking forward to the next game.

Brian Forbes Glenwood Iowa

THE RESULTS

YOU ACHIEVE

WILL BE IN DIRECT

PROPORTION TO THE EFFORT

YOU APPLY.

PAGE 9 TRAINING NEWSLETTER

Joe, We have had a great experience so far with your league, we are especially impressed with our coach Steve Wilson....he has done a great job with the kids !! We are going to be looking for someone to work with our son Levi this fall. He is a pitcher and would like to learn to throw a better curve ball and of course increase his power. I am also looking for someone to teach him how to take care of his arm through conditioning and workouts… We would appreciate any suggestions.

Greg Gasper

As a pitcher you must be prepared in any given situation. You should know as soon as the ball is hit, what to do or where to go. As much as you need to know this information, and it should become habitual, it is crucial not to spend too much time learning to field your position or working on your pickoff moves. I don’t want to downplay the importance of the two; however, you need to keep it simple. Here are some basic guide-lines to follow: Backing up the bases Again, don’t overcomplicate this. The basic backup drills you will need to practice are:

• Ball hit with runner on first: You should back up third base

• Ball hit with runner on second: Back up home

• Ball hit with two runners on: Back up wherever you feel the ball is going to be thrown. Just use common sense and judge where you will be needed in case of an over-throw.

• Covering first on a double play: If there is a man on first and the first baseman is pulled off the bag to make the double play you will cover first.

• Ball is hit to the right side: Anytime the ball is hit to the right side, you immediately cover first base. Before you make a dead sprint to the bag, run toward the foul line two-thirds of the way to the bag. Run along the inside of the foul line, catch the ball on the run (with one hand), touch the base and immediately remove your foot from the bag to avoid contact with the runner. If you beat the throw drag your right foot on the bag to ensure the out is made.

It is important that you work on this pitching drill with your first baseman

until it feels very natural for the both of you.

• How to make a play when a line drive is hit back to you: Simple; watch out you

don’t get hit. Just kidding! The best way to teach a pitcher how to protect himself and make the play here is to help him understand the mechanics of his follow through. (Explained in E-book and DVD) The Glove arm always stays in front of the pitcher after the ball is thrown. Square up your shoulders and do your best to make the play.

• Bunt plays to all the bases: These are very important. This should be a sure out regardless of how many runners are on the bases. Let’s say there’s a man on first and second. Cover the right side; you want to think about getting the lead runner in this situation; how-ever a sure bet is going to be pivoting and throwing it to first base. Again, use common sense. In many cases when a pitcher gets to aggressive with his throws, always trying for the lead runner, he gets him-self into more trouble with fewer outs.

EFFECTIVE PITCHING AND PICK OFF MOVES

THE STRIKE ZONE OFFERS TWO MUST

DO CLINICS FOR SERIOUS ATHLETES.

TWO EXPLOSIVE PITCHING CLASSES

THAT EVERY PITCHER SHOULD

ATTEND: THE QUEST FOR 90 MPH AND THE BREAKING

BALL CLINICS BOTH FOR SERIOUS

PLAYERS 14 AND UP.

PAGE 10

Pitchers are not made during practice - they are made in the off season. How-ever, there is more to being a pitcher than simply throwing the ball - and throwing the ball too much during the off season can do more harm than good. Follow these exercise suggestions to build a regular workout that will help increase endurance, flexibility, and strength. Squats. Contrary to popular belief, leg muscles - not arm strength - are where the pitcher's power comes from. Most of the force of a pitch starts with a good push off, accompanied by good form in the torso to transfer that energy through the body and out the arm. A pitcher should do squats at least three to four days per week, in sets if fifteen to twenty. Supervise to ensure that the back is kept straight, the legs about sholder width apart. Add dumbells as the exercise gets easier. Jogging. Anyone can start off a game with a solid inning or two. The real test of a pitcher's mettle is if he can last deep in the game and still have the stuff needed to get batters out. Even if your son is a designated closer, and only needs to pitch an inning or two, odds are that he is fielding another position in the meantime, and that the summer sun is still sapping his energy.

Jogging will build endurance like nothing else. Players should jog three times per week for maximum results, and will ideally cover at least a mile. At first, your player may well only be able to jog a hundred yards or two. That's fine. Have them jog as far as they can, then stop and walk at a brisk rate to rest. As soon as the old heart rate drops enough to allow it, jog again. Set goals - "today, I'll make it to the Smith's mail-box before I stop to walk" - and work on improving them. Over time, the running portions will get longer, and the walks will get shorter and less frequent. For younger kids (less than twelve years old), a mile or so is suffi-cient. Teens should shoot for longer distances. Jump rope. Boxers know this one well - jumping rope will get your heart working in a hurry, and doing it repeat-edly will greatly increase stamina. Work this one in slowly, but try to build up to at least three days per week (perhaps on alternating days with jogging). Much like jogging, a beginner won't be able to jump rope very long, but as his stamina increases, so will his jump roping. Weights. Younger players have no business pumping iron; do not push this. Even older pitchers should be careful of which weights they use - too much bulking of the upper body can only

damage pitching potential. Pitchers need flexibility - again, power comes from the legs and trunk and is transferred through the arm in almost a whip-like motion. Many great pitch-ers never lift weights at all, or do so very little, instead focusing on their legs and core. Weighted baseballs. Once simple word about these - don't. Weighted baseballs do absolutely nothing for a pitcher except increase his risk for injury. Throwing a weighted baseball might make your arm muscles stronger, but it will do little to nothing for your pitching velocity - this has been scientifically proven. Arm mus-cles have almost nothing to do with pitch velocity! Throwing a nine or eleven ounce "heavy ball" requires changing the pitching motion one uses to throw a regulation five ounce ball. You over-write muscle memory, you develop bad habits, you set yourself up for much increased risk of shoulder and elbow injury. If your players wants to be a good pitcher, he must get himself into shape. If he builds strong legs and a strong core, acquires great endurance, and maintains good flexibility, he will be that much better equipped to dominate at pitching.

PITCHING EXERCISES FOR THE OFF SEASON

HAVE YOU REACHED YOUR...MAX POTENTIAL?

Find out why we are the #1 Baseball Training Facility

and have been for the past 12 years! It’s all about the players and what they can

accomplish. We Help Make Drams Come True.

When you jog to warm up, finish first.

When you stretch, do it best.

When you play catch, throw to a target and hit it every time.

When you play catch, catch the ball or block the bad throw,

keep it in front of you every time.

When you are doing a drill, do it perfect every time.

Go hard all the time.

NEVER walk on a baseball field.

As a batter / runner, run to first as though it matter that you are safe.

Know the situation on defense and do the right thing.

BASEBALL REVEALS CHARACTER, IT DOESN'T BUILD IT.

Character means doing the right thing even when nobody's watching.

F O R MO R E D ET A IL S , GO T O!

W W W. STRI KEZO NEOMAH A. CO M

Call for details! 398-1238