 Good morning. Like many of you I watched the All-Star home run derby and All-Star game earlier this week. I found myself lost in my own head wondering "what is the secret"? How many are born with "IT" and how many have a work ethic and drive that refuses to settle for anything short of their dreams? I started to dig a little and I came across article after article about several of the MLB All-Stars. The common thread was work ethic; having a program; a routine; a partner; a mentor. I want to share with you a few data points from an article I found in the Washington Post on Bryce Harper. Who can argue that he has become one of the most polarizing individuals in major league baseball. A true phenom. His list of "firsts" goes on and on. Two things I learned as I read this article that I want to share: #1 Bryce Harper and his dad have an incredible, healthy, respectful relationship. He and his dad hug and he and his dad tell each other "I love You". #2 Bryce Harper tells us front and center the secret to his success (quote below from Washington Post article): Bryce could not fathom how many soft tosses or batting practice pitches his father threw him. "Millions," he said. "Absolutely millions....the full thing is God-given," Harper said. "I don't know how I got my swing or what I did. I know I worked every single day. I know I did as much as I could with my dad. But I never really looked at anything mechanical. There was nothing really like, 'Oh, put your hands here.' It was, 'Where are you comfortable? You're comfortable here, hit from there."
Why ABC fall program 2013.....Because baseball is HARD Baseball is hard and the spring season will be here before you know it. The ABC fall program provides you the opportunity to work on the game every single day with a structured, predictable routine; a partner; a mentor; and 1 Million swings. Baseball is hard and you are in a phase of your career where the stakes have never been higher. Somewhere along the way a generation of ball players have lost touch with how hard the game of baseball is. I spoke to a college recruiter today about an ABC player and he said that the player needed to make another "jump"; needed to get better. To get better you have to work hard; have a plan. Talked to an area high school coach about an ABC underclassman and he said "I don't know if he will ever be good enough to start at the varsity level; great kid, but just a good baseball player". If your goal is to crack the starting varsity line up you will have to be one of the best 9 players on your high school campus; if your goal is to play college baseball you will have to be one of the 5-7 baseball players an institution is recruiting out of the entire high school baseball universe graduating that year. I had lunch with Jack Selman, father of ABC alum and minor league top prospect LHP, Sam Selman (KC Royals); Sam throws 96-99 mph from the left side; the first thing out of Jack's mouth was that Sam is learning how hard the game of baseball really is. You are at a point in your career where you need accountability; you need a routine; you need there to be energy in the air; you need ABC to provide you with a turn-key program that does the thinking for you and provides motivation to help you reach your dreams. We balance Instruction - Repetitions - Games.
ABC Scout League The beginning of the fall marks 180 days until the start of the spring season. This fall we are excited to introduce what we are calling the ABC Scout League. Essentially, every player will have a detailed scouting report generated on them. You will have an opportunity to review tangible, measurable data that will be gathered over 6 months:
- Teams will utilize Game Changer and/or iScore software to track quality at bats; pitching stats (first pitch strikes, pitching efficiency), etc. Data will be shared with individual players so you can begin to digest relevant data that will truly identify your player "DNA". I will be looking to match individual player data with stats and data from other players from around the state and US. Data can also be used when visiting with college recruiters and high school coaches. Fall and winter games will provide a detailed body of work for us to glean information and provide feedback (workshops, seminars). Every at-bat; every outing on the mound; every situation will be a top priority. You can no longer adopt a mentality of "well it's just fall ball" or "nobody is watching".
- Players will be required to journal weekly baseball activities, long toss, strength training, cardio exercises, diet/nutrition, ect. These journals will serve as the key to "All Things ABC". The simply truth is that the ABC coaches cannot want it more than you; you have to be willing to self examine the truth behind your desire, your work ethic, your reality. If the reality is that you are not putting in the time, do not expect others to buy in to "how bad you want it".
- Data from Pro-Style skills testing combine will be integrated into scouting report
Make a decision
I would love nothing more than to tell new and prospective families that we do not have any roster openings this fall. The coaches and I thrive on the relationships we have built during the summer season and seasons past. I trust that you and your family are prayerfully considering your decision regarding fall ball (both time commitment and financial commitment). A handful of families have already responded confirming participation, but we will be sending out a registration e-mail in the next few days.
Stay focused on a strong finish to the summer season. There is still allot of baseball left to play. Go Take on the Game, Coach Prater
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