About

 

COAST BASEBALL ACADEMY’S MISSION:

Our specific purpose is to teach baseball to youth and to organize, promote, and supervise the playing of baseball by youth.

 

Our goal is not only focused on developing our players’ skills, but also to help them develop into quality young men.  We emphasize hard work, discipline, individual and team skill development, accountability, and responsibility.

 

COAST BASEBALL ACADEMY’S GOALS:

• Provide our teams with a knowledgeable, professional coaching staff;

• Develop and expand our players’ baseball knowledge;

• Hone our players’ skills through a wide variety of training sessions;

• Push our players to maximize their potential through hard work and discipline;

• Teach our players about responsibility and accountability;

• Create cohesive teams through bonding and team-related activities;

• Have a positive impact on our players’ lives;

• Promote competitiveness while ensuring that our players have fun and realize that at the end of the day, baseball is just a game.

 

 

DEVELOPING A STRONG MENTAL APPROACH

This game is built around failure, and trust me, the more your son plays, the more and more he will fail. 

 

Every player will make mistakes, and lots of them, whether it is throwing a pitch that bounces five feet in front of home plate or misfielding a groundball or getting fooled by a breaking ball at the plate.  These mistakes are a pivotal part of the mental side of the game. What happened is not important.  Rather, it is about how the player reacts to the mistake, learns from it, makes an adjustment and moves on.  We used to have this saying in college and pro ball to help us get over and move on from any bad play that just happened, “So what!” In fact, Coach Brandon and the CSUF Titans had a small toilet in the dugout during their 2006 College World Series run, and would “flush it” (flush the toilet), after any bad at-bat or bad defensive play.  Everyone makes mistakes, including major leaguers.

 

Players who continue to grind and trust the development process will have a much better chance of succeeding and playing at a higher level.  Important to this development process is making sure that players have nothing but support from their parents.  Throughout my baseball career, many a players confided to me that they no longer enjoyed playing baseball because of the pressure that was placed on them from those who matter first.  Some of these players ended up quitting because of such pressure. 

 

We will be motivating our players to perform at a high level during practices and games, providing constructive criticism, and when appropriate, disciplining players.  It is important for parents to keep in mind that it takes time for players to develop both their physical and mental skills, and to not set any unrealistic expectations or to provide any criticism of players.  Throughout my career, it has always been the case that criticism and unrealistic expectations by loved ones has inhibited players’ development and interfered with their enjoyment of the game.  What they are looking for from loved ones is positive reinforcement.  After games, players want to hear that their parents enjoyed watching them give their best effort on the field and that their parents are proud of them.  I wanted to share this with parents because sometimes some parents can lose sight of this and get caught up in the competitive nature of a game and forget just how hard it is to play baseball.

 

We will help our players develop a strong mental approach to the game.

The mental side separates even some of the best players around the world.  Believe me, I have seen pitchers who can throw 94 miles per hour and hitters who can hit the ball 400 feet, yet they have not been successful.  Why? Because they have lacked a strong mental approach, preventing them from developing a consistent approach and from moving on from failures. 

 

Remember, only one tenth of one percent of high school baseball players ever make it to the professional ranks.  This game requires hitting a round ball with a bat.  Sounds easy, right? Well then the hitter must identify what pitch is being thrown and when to start swinging and how to follow through.  And if the hitter is fortunate enough to make good contact, there are nine defenders waiting to field the ball. The game is not easy.  So please, give your son nothing but continued support this fall baseball season.

 

UMPIRES

Let it be known, umpires at this age are not good. To make things worse, they do not get much better as you move up the ranks either. There are going to be calls that go against us that are clearly the wrong call. Similarly, there will be calls that go in our favor that were clearly wrong.  Umpires are human, which is why Major League Baseball broke tradition and instituted instant replay which expanded this year. 

 

All the calls will even out in the end.  We will not allow our players to argue calls, show poor body language, or shake their heads.  We hope our parents will set a good example for their son and will refrain from doing the same.  Please leave it to the coaches to discuss and argue bad calls with umpires, if we deem it necessary. 

 

OUTSIDE INSTRUCTION

Outside instruction, whether through parents or private instructors, plays an important role in the development process for all of our players.  We encourage players to get in extra repetitions outside our program.  If, however, an outside instructor reinforces incorrect mechanics, or tells a player to not follow our team plan, please let me know, as this can create problems.

 

SPEED AND AGILITY TRAINING

Some of you are familiar with our speed and agility training sessions.  I can tell you right off the bat that our players will be tired and sore from these training sessions. This is completely normal; as our players are being asked to do exercises they have never done before. All of our speed, agility, and strength exercises are baseball specific, and will closely replicate workout routines utilized by professional players.  Coach Luke and I have sat down and laid out a plan for this entire fall baseball season, and we are confident that our players will see great improvement in their overall speed, agility, and strength. Needless to say, this program will put him far ahead of his peers whether he chooses baseball or not because of this program.

 

NO OUTSIDE DISTRACTIONS

From the time players are dropped off to the time our session concludes, I want zero outside distractions.  Before, during, and immediately following practices and games, let’s pretend your son just clocked in at work.   Just as if they were at work, I want our players to be responsible for their own water, and carrying their own bag (which they should have packed themselves) to and from practices and games.  Moreover, I do not want to have parents and/or other guests continuing to run to and from the dugout, to and from the concession stands for snacks and drinks, as this distracts the entire team. When the guys are with me, I want them laser focused on our practice or game, so please, plan ahead. I get about two hours with them each session, and I need to maximize that time to its fullest.

 

DEFENSIVE POSITIONS/BATTING ORDER

Throughout our practices and games, our coaching staff is continually evaluating players and making decisions regarding defensive positions and batting order.  We make these decisions based on how players perform but also based on what is best for the team.  A certain player may have excelled at one position which he prefers, but he may also be our best player at another position where we have no depth and could end up starting at that other position because it is best for the team.

 

Versatility is highly valued at the next level, and thus we encourage our players to develop their skills at multiple positions.  I did not start playing one position until my senior year of high school.  It takes times for players to figure out what position they are best at and often times, certain players reach college or professional ball and end up at an entirely new position.

 

All decisions concerning defensive positions and batting order will be made by the coaches.  We do not play favorites.  If a player performs well during our practices, he will earn playing time in our league games. So in reality, it is the players themselves who are making the decisions for us.  In any event, we will not discuss any such decisions with parents.   Regardless of where your son bats in the lineup or what position he plays, the coaches would greatly appreciate and expect your support about their role on the team.

 

 

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OUR PLAYERS

We expect our players to show up on time and ready to play each and every session.  For field practices, they are required to wear full baseball attire including cleats, black socks, white or grey pants, black belt, Coast Baseball dri-fit shirt or jersey, and our Coast Baseball hat. For our hitting and speed & agility training sessions, players must wear our Coast Baseball dri-fit shirt or jersey and hat, athletic shorts, and athletic shoes. Our game uniform will vary each week and will be sent out a few days in advance.

 

Most of you know me by now, and know that my two biggest areas of emphasis are effort and focus.  This is because these are two areas that every player can control.  More specifically, I expect every player to hustle on and off the field. I expect them to run as fast as they can down the first base line no matter where the ball is hit. There is zero tolerance for a lack of effort or hustle. I ran as hard as I could during each play as a player, and that is the one area that scouts look at first. Players who fail to give full effort or hustle will be removed from the game.

 

Players will understand that no matter where the ball is hit, they have a responsibility and a job to do. Whether they are making the play, communicating with their teammates, or backing them up, I expect them to be alert and moving at all times. The game of baseball can be very boring if players are just standing out there not thinking about your responsibility wherever the ball is put in play. And that is exactly when the baseball will find you, and expose how you were dozing off and not paying attention. The players who are sitting out that particular inning need to be alert and focused. There is much to be learned while sitting on the bench and watching the game, and I will be talking to them about certain situations that come up during that inning.

 

By joining our organization, everything our players and parents do is a reflection of Coast Baseball Academy.  Thus, we have developed separate code of conducts for our parents and players. 

 

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT:

• Have fun during all events;

• Stay off the field before, during, and after all events;

• Support your son and the team at all times;

• Reinforce the value of teamwork with your son;

• Do not coach your son during practices or games; provide unwavering support;

• Missing practice for an unexcused reason will result in a decrease in playing time unless a valid reason is given well in advance;

• Make sure your son is on time; players who are late to Coast Baseball Academy events will be required to do extra conditioning;

• Never address an umpire or react negatively to a call; allow the coaches to represent and fight for the best interest of the players and the team;

• Never address an opposing team’s coaches, fans, or players during or after a game in reference to any incidents during games;

• Require your son to pack up and carry his own equipment, and to learn to be responsible;

• Do not criticize your son or add more pressure. Remind him this is a game that is built around failure. It is unrealistic to think your son or expect your son to be able to manage failure without a good support system;

• Remind your son the most important play is the next one. You cannot go back and undo any mistakes, so learn from it and move forward;

• Unconditionally support the team, coaches, and the program, and respect the importance of the development of all players on this team, not just your sons;

• Don’t come to the dugout and converse with your son during a game. Plan properly and manage drinks, snacks, equipment, etc… before competition begins;

• Player and parent bonding is important, and when hotel stay is required for a tournament, it is important all families stay in the same hotel;

• Do not discuss your sons playing time or positions with the coaching staff. We use our professional knowledge, expertise, and years of working with thousands of players to determine which position we feel your son has the best chance to succeed at, and which position will help the team be successful;

• The coaches will decide who plays which positions, and how much they play. Remember, baseball substitutions are different than any other sport, and can limit a coach’s ability to substitute freely.

• YOUR SON’S PLAYING TIME IN LEAGUE GAMES OR TOURNAMENTS IS EARNED THROUGH HARD WORK, DEDICATION, AND PERFORMANCE DURING PRACTICES AND GAMES.

 

 

PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT:

• Give 100% effort during every Coast Baseball Academy event;

• Hustle on and off the baseball field at all times;

• Listen to your coaches;

• Have a good attitude;

• Be prepared to be pushed to be a better baseball player, and a better young man;

• Do not let anyone work harder than you;

• Be focused and ready to compete each and every pitch;

• Always be supportive of your teammates and opponents;

• If you do not have anything positive to say, don’t say it at all;

• Never show up an umpire for any reason;

• Never talk to or address a coach, player or parent from another team negatively under any circumstances as competition is taking place, or before and after competition;

• Never show negative body language, or show up another team or coach;

• Respect your coaches and address them in a professional manner;

• Never allow your parents to speak on your behalf, learn to speak for yourself.

• Carry your own bag, and be responsible for your equipment;

• Never allow your parents to come to the dugout and converse with you during a game. Plan properly and manage drinks, snacks, equipment, etc. before competition begins;

 

MISSING SESSIONS

Lastly, family is the most important thing to me, as I’m sure it is with you. And I understand that a family matter may arise, or a scheduling conflict may come up and you simply can’t get him to a session. It is not the end of the world if you miss a practice here or there, but please remember that there may be repercussions. It is unfair to not have some sort of penalty just out of respect for those players who have been committed. I plan to be at every single practice and game this fall season. In the event that I need to be absent due to a family matter, the coaches I have in place are well qualified to run that particular practice or coach that game. As many of you know, I have a daughter in Arizona who is almost three years old. She often stays with me here, but sometimes I travel to see her too. When I do, and need to miss a practice or game, you will all be notified well in advance.

 

CLOSING REMARKS

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  All of this is going to take some time and understanding by our players and parents. We have already begun this competitive, elite program process this summer season. We have made tremendous progress in several areas, but there is still much improvement to be made.