Ahead Of The Curve with Jonathan Gelnar

Rob Benjamin- Hitting Coach, Riot Hitting (NY)

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Rob Benjamin, a highly experienced baseball hitting trainer at R.I.O.T. Hitting based in the New York City area. Rob Benjamin discusses how to help players break out of their stiff batting routines, and become more adaptable to real game situations. Rob also expresses important processes to assist hitters gaining movement solutions and degrees of freedom in their swings.
Show Notes:
Guest: Rob Benjamin, baseball hitting trainer at R.I.O.T. Hitting
Rob Benjamin shares his upbringing in Puerto Rico and New York City playing baseball
His journey towards coaching began in the early 2000s
Who is the player, what is their hitting experience, and what are their parents’ concerns
Video review includes dissecting major league hitting swings
Recreate the unpredictability of the real game in the batter’s box
Playing sound effects of loud crowd noises helps players prepare for game distractions
Player assessment involves using video to help evaluate them
How does Rob Benjamin help clean up player’s movement patterns
Many players have been overcoached to the point that their body’s move too robotically
Players need to trust you to communicate what they need
How do you coach the timing of hitting
The swing starts as soon as the foot lifts off of the ground
What should be the focus when using videos for training
Do players have too many degrees of freedom to their swing
Bridge the gap between training information and the experience of movement solutions
What are training drills that Rob Benjamin’s players love
Watching his own children develop is an enlightening experience for Rob
Look for challenges and obstacles, and embrace failure
3 Key Points:
 Having a successful bat swing includes the launch, the barrell, and de-excelleration.
 Techniques during hit training include: throwing screens up, ball drop drills, and two pitchers throwing at the same time.
 Know what your players’ goals are.  
Tweetable Quotes:
“I want to see these players adapt.” - Rob Benjamin (10:21)
“Being the ‘teacher king,’ I don’t want to do that. I want the environment to do that for me.” - Rob Benjamin (12:27)
“Some kids have been so over-coached that a lot of the athleticism has been stripped from their bodies.” - Rob Benjamin (26:53)
“It’s important that you create a foundation of trust so they can talk.” - Rob Benjamin (29:10)
“I want them to make one choice...hit the baseball.” - Rob Benjamin (36:32)
“Figure out how players learn with respect to stable components of their swing.” - Rob Benjamin (41:47)
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Instagram: @RiotHitting
Twitter: @riothitting
Books: “Dynamics of Skill Acquisition” “The Rise of Superman” “Talent Code” “Game Changer” “Outliers”
Email: rob@riothitting.com
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Marty Smith- Head Baseball Coach, The College of Central Florida

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Marty Smith, the Head Baseball Coach for the Central Florida Patriots at the College of Central Florida. Marty Smith is overflowing with essential experience, going into his 25th season, and having won two FCSAA state championships, rewarded twice as FCSAA Coach of the Year, and is also a five-time Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year. Gain some applicable training advice, ways to personalize methods to players, and what it takes to shape a successful team culture.
 
Show Notes:
Guest: Marty Smith, Head Baseball Coach at the College of Central Florida
What has Marty Smith’s career in baseball consisted of
How has Marty put his training team together
What are some intentional things that Marty Smith has done to built the team culture?
What are the expectations that Marty has for his players
How does his fall training structure look
Marty gives players the chance to eat during practice
How are players trained to address individual issues
What numbers are they tracking for their players to monitor success
How is his typical spring training program look
Which baseball machines does Marty Smith utilize for his team
What machine did Barry Bonds use that Coach Smith has learned from
What advice would Marty Smith give to his younger self and current coaches
Dive into useful Twitter feeds and keep reading about strategies to get better
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes...and learn from those mistakes
“The Performance Cortex” is a heavy book that Marty Smith is reading now
What are the training drills that Coach Smith’s players love
 
3 Key Points:
 Establish the work ethic, credibility and respect that will last beyond your time on the team.
 If you had a bad game, let your team know that it wasn’t because you didn’t work hard.
 Be a coach for the love of the game and keep making yourself valuable.
Tweetable Quotes:
“Last year, breaking our records for home runs, it was crazy. We hit 95 home runs in 46 games. Our record before that was like 55.” - Marty Smith (07:39)
“I’ll take the credit for being smart enough to trust my assistants.” - Marty Smith (10:22)
“We want our culture to be a happy, content, smiling fun group to be around that want to play for each other, whether we win or lose.” - Marty Smith (11:21)
“When you’re winning and your hitting home runs, and all of your guys are 90+ throwing. And you know that they’ve developed and have gotten better, and they are going to go to good schools from here. That’s kind of the culture we want.” - Marty Smith (12:08)
“Be on time. Go to class. Work hard. Lift hard. Be a good guy.” - Marty Smith (14:58)
“There is a fine line between killing your confidence and getting some confidence.” - Marty Smith (38:18)
“You can move up by being a smart guy, and being a nerd, and getting jobs in pro ball because you know things that other guys don’t.“ - Marty Smith (41:11)
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Central Florida Patriots
Email: Baseball@CF.edu
Twitter: @GoCFBaseball
Books: “The Performance Cortex”
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Cage Work with Doug Latta and Craig Hyatt Ep. 4

Episode 4 video
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Summary:
 
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I proceed forward in the discussion with Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California. This fourth episode covers topics related to drills to improve movement of the heel and foot kicks during the swinging process. Gain some guidance on how to create more consistent hitters that can self-correct their process.
Show Notes:
Guests: Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California
Craig and Doug discuss a beneficial heel drill
How to create a backside drive into a front side brace
What is the “kick drill” for swinging
Any move that doesn’t allow your foot to release will jeopardize your line
How do you fix holes in your swing
What is a good process to hit a baseball
How many different body types do they see in high school
Hitting the ball hard is a myth
Get consistent in your hitting path
Learn how to self-correct your swing
Avoid cookie-cutter coaching advice
Move forward from mistakes
Getting upset and emotional makes a player unbalanced
 
3 Key Points:
It is natural for the body to want to kick during a swing.
 All we can do as a hitter is go on time, find a good balance point, and take a swing.
 Vision and timing are a part of balance.
Tweetable Quotes:
“If the front foot comes up underneath my hip, I carry athletically.” - Doug Latta (2:45)
“I’m going to keep the foot, knee, and hip together, even in a practice.” - Doug Latta (3:54)
“A lot of people say ‘keep that foot down’ Don’t you dare, that’s an anchor.’” - Doug Latta (8:12)
“You’ve got to be able to do damage on any pitch.” - Doug Latta (10:14)
“He just missed that pitch. Don’t throw it again because he won’t miss it twice.” - Doug Latta (11:40)
“Why do people quit playing baseball? Because they can’t hit. This game is no fun when you can’t hit.” - Doug Latta (14:13)
“Strength compliments a swing. It doesn’t define a swing.” - Doug Latta (16:50)
“The key is, the more they understand their body and feel it, they're going to be able to fix.” - Doug Latta (19:22)
 
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Craig Hyatt Twitter: @HyattCraig
Doug Latta Twitter: @LattaDoug
Ballyard.net
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Cage Work with Doug Latta and Craig Hyatt Ep. 3

YouTube Video
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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I continue the discussion with Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California. During this third installment of our talk, we get into the importance of developing a natural, clean hitting setup and establishing a fluid hitting range.
 
Show Notes:
Guests: Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California
“The Two Hand Under” move is explained by Craig Hyatt and Doug Latta
What has helped Craig become trained to see proper swings
Typically only hits and home runs are showcased, not the consistency level of a hitter
How do kids pick their hitting set-ups
What can we learn from the sound decibels of hits
What is the importance of having an effective range of contact
Which training drills are very beneficial for hitters
What is the movement called “moving into the staircase”
You have to have front side resistance to have back side
Every hitter has to operate on their own terms
 
3 Key Points:
 Swing clean, free, and fast, but not necessarily harder.
 Sound is loud and long at the point of contact during a hit.
 A good miss is having a good position, with your energy driving towards the pitcher.
 
Tweetable Quotes:
“One major leaguer that I assembled some video for, who just ordered one season. I had 80-some videos of him, just in one season.” - Craig Hyatt (1:12)
“There is no ABC, 123, cookie-cutting way to make a hitter.” - Doug Latta (2:32)
“New hitters are going to grow. Even big leaguers change. But, there is not ’this is the perfect swing.’” - Doug Latta (2:48)
“People ask me all the time, with all the videos I’ve seen, ‘who is your favorite?’ I don’t know. My favorite is the player’s best swing.” - Craig Hyatt (2:59)
“I don’t fix swings. I fix setups.” - Craig Hyatt (3:48)
“If we get in a good set-up, it will create a good first move, that will get the balance, and everything takes care of itself after that.” - Craig Hyatt (5:00)
“My shoulders need to stay very level in my move in order for me to have balance. Because if my shoulders go downhill, I’m going to fall, I’m going to rush, and I’m going to come in and out of the zone.” - Doug Latta (13:30)
“It is not easy to spin, which is not a natural move for the body.” - Doug Latta (22:25)
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Craig Hyatt Twitter: @HyattCraig
Doug Latta Twitter: @LattaDoug
Ballyard.net
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Cage Work with Doug Latta and Craig Hyatt Ep. 2

Episode 2 YouTube Link
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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I join in on the discussion with Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from BallYard based in Northridge California. We break down the impact of balance in leveraging the power and abilities of the human body, and how to break bad habits that are hurting hitters.
Show Notes:
Guests: Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington, and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California
How do they define balance and why do we need it
What is the biggest grind move
Describe what people mean by “get into the ground”
How can coaches get their players moving more effectively
Why can tennis drills improve hitting
How can hockey slap shot drills benefit baseball hitting
Backspin is built in when you hit through a spin
How does tennis showcase how players create power
Homes runs come from being smooth and productive with your body
You have got to have consistency
What is a the hitting strategy called “shut piece”
How prevalent is the analysis of  high school player stats and data
You have to hit through each pitch
What does it mean to have a soft entry into the zone
Don’t hit your pitches with your front arm
Video and data can show a hitter what their body is doing
3 Key Points:
The body works better from a position of balance.
Tennis drills offer players the chance to feel proper body movement when hitting.
One hit every two weeks, at the big league level, is 20 points towards your average
Tweetable Quotes:
“I have a very strong bias for balance. I think it is elemental to the way bodies move.” - Craig Hyatt (01:35)
“I really think tennis and actually throwing are the best ways that really exemplify how our bodies should move when we hit.” - Doug Latta (13:18)
“We really hit balls in a line and in a rectangle.” - Doug Latta (17:38)
“The thing with tennis, all the bodies are different. So there is variation of how guys create power, but they also need to be consistent, they need to hit the ball in a certain direction.” - Craig Hyatt (21:08)
“‘I worked really hard to hit that home run.’ No, you hit that homerun because you were clean and efficient with your body.” - Craig Hyatt (22:37)
“Most young hitters and a lot of professional hitters have big shoulder moves. And if we don’t get those out of them, they aren’t going any farther.” - Doug Latta (24:36)
“Once we get down to balance, the one key I want and give people is, you have to hit through every pitch you see.” - Doug Latta (30:33)
“Train young hitters so that they have the same basic moves that they’re going to have up the latter, and their adjustments become internal.” - Doug Latta (31:40)
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Craig Hyatt Twitter: @HyattCraig
Doug Latta Twitter: @LattaDoug
Ballyard.net
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Cage Work with Doug Latta and Craig Hyatt Ep. 1

Episode 1 YouTube Link
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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Craig Hyatt, the Hitting Coach at East Valley High School in Yakima Washington and Doug Latta a hitting trainer from Bally Yard based in Northridge California. Craig and Doug have an informative discussion about how to perfect batting swings through balance, posture, vision, timing, coverage, and body awareness. Learn how to identify and break the cycle of flaws that hitters often carry along into their careers if not stopped early on.
Show Notes:
Guest: Craig Hyatt, Baseball Coach and Doug Latta,
What is Craig Hyatt’s training currently focusing on
Doug Latta has been working on trying to match posture with control
You don’t really need a lot of space to hit the ball
How can you determine when your posture breaks
What does it take to create a hitter with body awareness and balance
What are some of the problems that hitters face
Get awareness of your body along with your swing
90% of what you do as a hitter is not swinging, but preparing to swing
Hitters are losing coverage and time through body moves that they think are strong
If your shoulders are up you are out of your legs and are shoulder-driven
Tennis is a better overlay than golf for how your body should swing a baseball bat
A good swing should feel effortless without the body grinding
The bat will do what your body does
At some point your repeated flaws will bring your game to a grueling halt
Even the best are always working on their game
With the right dynamics you can put your full body weight into your swing
Pitch recognition is important to technique
You want your heels down as long as they can be during your swing
3 Key Points:
 If you throw a baseball slow motion you control it with the back leg.
 When the brain is off balance it fires muscles against what the body is trying to do.
 Many of the big league problems with hitters come from timing of their swing.
 Tweetable Quotes:
“We are really trying to concentrate on doing a good forward move...but finding out the muscles that really achieve that move so we can control it.” - Craig Hyatt (00:22)
“We’ve got to try to match our alignment, our posture, on the move at the same time.” - Doug Latta (03:24)
“Some hitters are great enough to survive flaws. Well, 99.99% of the people aren’t going to.” - Craig Hyatt (4:51)
“Our move to 50-50 is a lot easier if I’m in balance and my posture holds.” - Craig Hyatt (6:38)
“The minute my posture breaks a little bit, lots of things go wrong.” - Craig Hyatt (6:45)
“If you can create a hitter that has total body awareness, but they know what move and what muscles is going to get them to that spot, you can create consistency over a long period of time.” - Doug Latta (9:38)
“There is game time, and game time in adjustments.“ - Craig Hyatt (11:05)
“I want to hit through every pitch I see.” - Craig Hyatt (24:08)
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Craig Hyatt Twitter: @HyattCraig
Doug Latta Twitter: @LattaDoug
Ballyard.net
 
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
 
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Jeff Sherman- Head Baseball Coach, Marcus HS (TX)

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Jeff Sherman, the  Head Coach of baseball at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. In our discussion, Jeff Sherman imparts the wisdom he has accumulated over his seven years at Marcus, methods of addressing deficiencies in players, and preparing players for real game scenarios. Coach Sherman also focuses how to turn players into productive citizens to excel beyond the game itself.
Show Notes:
Guest: Jeff Sherman, Head Coach for baseball at Marcus High Schoo
Four years of being a financial planner prepped Jeff Sherman for baseball coaching
Sherman’s fall training plan improves movement, cognitive abilities, flexibility, and team mentality
People scout you. People know your deficiencies. People don’t like you.
Learn how to respond in a “jungle mentality” to evolve out of the safe, controlled “zoo mentality”
The pitcher/batter confrontation in baseball has a clear winner/loser dynamic to see who lets their team down
“The Pack” is family, unity, selflessness, and serving others
A young cancer patient watches the team place to gain strength and hope
Serving the community teaches the team that life is bigger than baseball
The culture of Marcus baseball is building strong relationships with others
If kids are struggling at something, make it harder for them
Coach Sherman handles the hitting and infield work for personal development training
Recreate the movement that will happen in a real game
Games are lost, not won, based on base running
Half hour movement and hitting training feature drag bunting, infield, outfield, and hitting the center of the baseball
Batting practice includes power ground balls, line drives up the middle, and batting cages
Lay out and getting dirty creates a strong live game mentality
Data helps track pitching and hitting
Be honest with players and don’t mislead them
Self-motivation declines when you aren’t playing
Parents are a huge part of what makes a coach successful with their players
All sports have about 5 million unpaid coaches, 2 million each year of which are new
“Development night” every Thursday sharpens up players and coaches
You live once, what will be your impact?
3 Key Points:
   Experiment, always be learning, and understand what failure is.
 “Jungle mentality” is understanding how to respond and survive compared to “zoo mentality” of a controlled environment.
 When you work hard and give all you've got, you are always a winner.
Tweetable Quotes:
“Failure is something that we want them to experience.” - Jeff Sherman (4:04)
“For my guys, its a win or a loss.” - Jeff Sherman (10:53)
“There is something very, very cool about watching a pitcher and a hitter. That’s like awesome watching that battle between the two, because, there is a winner and a loser.” - Jeff Sherman (14:59)
“I want them to be bold leaders and speak up when things aren’t right, and serve others.” - Jeff Sherman (18:35)
“It’s not about you, it’s about the relationships that you build with others.” - Jeff Sherman (20:53)
“I always thought a negative plus a negative equals a positive.” - Jeff Sherman (23:02)
Resources Mentioned:
Twitter: @JeffSherman26
Marcus High School Baseball
Email: ShermanJ@LISD.net
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Dave Coggin- Former Major League Baseball player, current owner of Performance Fitness for Athletes (CA)

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Dave Coggin, former Major League Baseball player, author, and owner of PFA Fitness. Dave Coggin talks about the best practices to intensify pitching and create more command over the ball. Dave also shares own his personal journey from a professional athlete, to his inspiring evolution as a performance trainer and owner of PFA Fitness.
 
Show Notes:
Guest: Dave Coggin, former Major League Baseball player, author, and owner of PFA Fitness
How did Dave Coggin get involved in baseball from being a three-sport athlete
What major league baseball teams did Dave play for
Where did Dave Coggin’s involvement in injury-prevention and performance stem from
Volunteering, even after playing professionally, opened up new opportunities for Dave
Arm path and mechanics are popular areas that athletes come to PFA Fitness for
Pitching habits need to be addressed before you can improve them
Understand how the body has to act to move properly
What are the most common problems Dave sees with arm path
Which examples of major league pitchers does Dave Coggin use for examples
Your arm is like a whip when you are pitching
What are the physical assessments that PFA Fitness conducts on players
How has PTA Fitness been intentional about building their culture
What is Dave’s advice to make individualized plans for pitchers
How do you develop velocity and command of the pitch
If you control intensity, you can have more volume
What would a typical week look like for players training with PFA Fitness
Find ways to keep things competitive for your players
 
3 Key Points:
   Be humble and don’t burn any bridges because you may need to cross them in the future.
 Look for flaws in pitching habits, the best arm paths, and then make up drills to improve habits.
 When the elbow is right at armpit height, goes into the lay back,’ and stays in that level, that’s the sweet spot for almost effortless pitching power.
 
Tweetable Quotes:
“I never treated anyone differently that was either the president of a major league team, down to the club house of a Single A team.” - Dave Coggin (05:31)
“I don’t rarely ever talk about my resume. I just try to make sure I do what I do, the best I can do.” - Dave Coggin (09:25)
“The most important part that everybody kind of comes to me for is the arm path and mechanics side of things.” - Dave Coggin (11:07)
“I always tell these kids, 95% of your throws are not on a mound. So, 95% of your habits, good or bad, are in that place that you call your warm-up or your throwing.” - Dave Coggin (12:00)
“We want the efficiency to be enhanced by the athleticism.” - Dave Coggin (16:28)
“Success leaves clues.” - Jonathan Gelnar (1:08:33)
 
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
PFA
Instagram: @pfastrong1
Twitter: @PFABaseball
Books: “Complete Athlete,” “Great Teams,"  “Competing Against Luck”
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Dr. Fadde- Professor and Chief Science Officer for gameSense Sports

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Dr. Peter Fadde, pitch recognition expert, Chief Officer and Co-Founder of gameSense, and Associate Professor of Learning Systems Design & Technology at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Peter Fadde breaks down the science of pitch recognition and the valuable methods of training hitters to achieve this skill. Coach Sherman also explains occlusion training, and ways that his pitch recognition product at gameSense is preparing players and coaches to implement it into their training regimens.
 
Show Notes:
Guest: Dr. Peter Fadde, Chief Officer and Co-Founder of gameSense, and Associate Professor of Learning Systems Design & Technology at Southern Illinois University
Dr. Fadde explains the benefits of occlusion training
Dillan Lawson’s presentation at Slugfest used a soccer player kicking a goal with the lights turned off 2/3 of the way to teach occlusion training
What is “pitch recognition” and how is it different from “plate discipline?”
Dr. Fadde’s occlusion training offers the batter’s view point facing the pitcher with a maximum possible score of 250
Video cued tee work is tee work that includes the timing off of the pitcher
Hitting baseballs is not like hitting golf balls or baseballs off of a tee
Vision training focuses on visual skills like dynamic tracking, acuity, peripheral vision, and focus
Pitch recognition should help hitters get the feel of the pitcher’s wind-up
If you aren’t looking at a pitcher, then it isn’t really pitch recognition
Live drills for hitters to call out “yes” or “no” on a particular pitch type before the ball hits the catcher’s mitt strengthens pitch recognition
The best form of pitch recognition is standing in the bullpen
Mike Schmidt wrote a fantastic books on hitting
Attention occlusion drills should keep the batter focusing on the pitcher, not the catcher
gameSense certified their first hitting coach Coach Killian at Elite Velocity in St. Louis, Missouri
Softball is getting a boast again from entering into the Olympics
 
3 Key Points:
   Pitch recognition is the perceptual skill of making an actionable meaning out of the pitch you see.
 Your eyes can’t track pitch speeds over 83 miles an hour all the way into the bat.
 Visualize the pitcher. Visualize the pitch. Visualize hitting that pitch.  
 
Tweetable Quotes:
“If you can test it, you can train it.” - Dr. Peter Fadde (4:53)
“Human beings, and other animals, can learn incredible things with repetition, immediate feedback, and progressive difficulty.” - Dr. Peter Fadde (5:04)
“When we say, ‘somebody has a great instinct for it,’ well, that’s where we now say, ‘ok, let’s try to figure out exactly what that is.’” - Dr. Peter Fadde (6:32)
“Some guys like to have success at every level and build it up. And some guys just like to identify the wall they want to go through and then start smacking it.” - Dr. Peter Fadde (14:41)
“The best way to practice recognizing pitches is to look at pitches.” - Dr. Peter Fadde (30:56)
“A softball hitter really focusing on and getting good at pitch recognition could be looking at at a 20 or 25% improvement.” - Dr. Peter Fadde (51:20)
Resources Mentioned:
 
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
peterfadde.com
gameSense Sports
Twitter: @DrFadde
Email: fadde@siu.edu
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
aotc_podcast
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Reed Peters- Head Baseball Coach, San Joaquin Delta College (CA)

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Summary:
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Reed Peters, the head baseball coach at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. During the course of this discussion, Reed Peters puts a strong emphasis on the importance of ‘the mental game’ of baseball. Coach Peters equips listeners with an overview of his practice drills, why focusing on the players makes you a better coach, and how to prevent past success from making your team lazy.
 
Show Notes:
Guest: Reed Peters, Head Baseball Coach at San Joaquin Delta College
They discuss David Smith, a former player of Reed Peter’s was also a former coach of host Jonathan Gelnar
Coach Peters won National Coach of the Year for the Pacific Division and the 2018 California State Championship
His team went from having a chip on their shoulder from losing the previous year to becoming champions
Players are trained in all facets of baseball so no one player is burdened with carrying the team
Teams will be bring their best game against you when you are coming off of success while entering a new season
It isn’t just about champions, it’s about reaching toward the next level of your career
California teams are limited to 12 hour practice weeks so Wednesday is the team’s recovery day off
Training days include academic study halls, mental baseball class, conditioning, throwing program, defense training, hitting, and the weight room.
Saturday is for playing other teams to see how they compare
The competitive culture is instilled by making players compete for their playing time
Calvin Riley, a very competitive player, was shot and killed and is used as a reminder for players to stay focused
After college, Reed played major league baseball with the Angles and the Giants
Coach and author Ken Ravizza inspired Reed on improving the mental game of baseball
The spring practice plan is less intense and includes, conditioning, throwing, hard dirt skill training, offense, defense, swing drills, and competitive games
Coach Peters would rather see a ‘live arm’ so they don’t use pitching machines on the field
Your career as a coach is as good as that of your players’
Lead with your heart and your God-given gifts--not with punishment
Competitive point games keep the players interested and excited
The biggest reward is to stay in contact with players and hear that you have been a positive influence on them
3 Key Points:
    Coach Peters’ team was: 1st in runs,hits, and on-base percentage, 2nd in doubles and stolen bases, 3rd in home runs, and had an overall .315 batting average.
 Every year the players have to invent their own mission statement to have something to hold each other accountable to.
  Realizing his success is based on his players’ success and having positive relationships with them made Reed Peters a better coach.
Tweetable Quotes:
“I think we ended up having, I think, nine guys move on to Division 1 schools.” - Reed Peters (1:13)
“Whatever our opponent gives us, we have to be able to take advantage of.” - Reed Peters (3:32)
“Our philosophy is ‘pass the baton.’ No guy has to carry the team.” - Reed Peters (3:58)
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” - Reed Peters (4:43)
“We make no promises to anybody. All we are going to promise to them is that they are going to have to compete, and fight for a job and fight for their playing time.” - Reed Peters (9:03)
“I think what we do more than anybody else is really focus on the mental game.” - Reed Peters (12:46)
 
Resources Mentioned:
Ahead of the Curve Podcast
@AOTC_podcast
Delta College
Email: rpeters@deltacollege.edu
Book: “Lead...for God’s Sake” by Todd Gongwer
  
Website and Social Media sites for the show 
www.aotcpodcast.com
Twitter
@aotc_podcast
Facebook
Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group
Instagram
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