Where Do You Want to Go to School?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

The above question is one that I, or our Exclusive Program Senior Vice President Kelly Kulina, often pose whenever we get a chance to sit down with a Baseball Factory player at one of our Player Development events. By far the most popular answer that we have received over the past 13 years is, “Anywhere I can play baseball.”

That answer sounds good on paper, but usually it is far from the truth. My response when I hear this answer from a player is usually something like this:

Me: OK, let’s say that the head coach from Minot State in South Dakota really wants you to play for him, are you ready to go to South Dakota for your college experience?

When posed with that circumstance, most of our players say something like this:

Player 1: No way, I would never want to go to a school that small. Or…
Player 2: I want to go play down South where it’s warm. Or…
Player 3: I don’t want to have to get on a plane to go to school. I want to be a car ride away from home. Or even…
Player 4: South Dakota is not far away enough for me. I want to get as far away from my parents as possible. (This one tends to sting a bit for mom and dad who are usually sitting next to their son)

I use these examples to illustrate that there are a lot of factors to consider when making a college decision and very rarely does the decision only come down to, “where I can play baseball.”

As a parent, the key is to try and get your son thinking and see what it is that he likes or doesn’t like about a particular college. I understand that when you are dealing with 16-18 year old young men, it can be difficult to muster up more than a one word answer or a grunt when asked about their future. I have had the following conversation many times as well with our players:

Me: “So, do you want to go to a school in a city?”

Player: “I don’t know.” (As player looks down at the ground and bites his nails).

Me: “Do you like a big campus, or a small campus?”

Player: “Uh, whatever.” (As player shifts in his seat and glances at his cell phone for a text message)

Me: “How far away from home do you want to be?”

Player: “Doesn’t matter.”

I have seen on-looking parents cringe when their sons give responses like the ones I outlined above. Most parents feel the urge to want to jump in and start answering the questions to prove that they are good parents and have not raised a Neanderthal.

Parents need to try and fight this urge and instead, use these examples as an opportunity to get proactive in the college search process. Sometimes the best way to find out what a player likes about a college is to first find out what he doesn’t like. The key is to see as many schools as possible and to start to form opinions. Even if your son is convinced that he wants to go as far away from home as possible (as an aside…usually, our kids talk a good game, but when it comes down to making this decision, they prefer to be closer than further to home), you should still start with the schools that are within a two to three hour radius from your house. Chances are there are many NCAA DI, DII, DIII, Junior Colleges or NAIA programs in that geographic area, so you will see a good cross-section of options. This will help him form opinions on schools with 25,000 people vs. 2,500 people; schools in an urban setting vs. a rural setting; schools with on-campus housing vs. off-campus housing, etc.

Moms and Dads should throw as many questions as possible to their sons when they are on these visits. What do you think of this campus? How do you think you would do with these classroom sizes? One parent can ask the questions, and the other can write down the answers so that nobody forgets the first impression, which is usually the strongest and most accurate. As a family, you can then apply what your son does like about a school that is close to home and compare it to schools outside your geographic area. For instance, if you live in Maryland and your son thinks University of MD, College Park is too big; he probably will feel the same way about UCLA, University of Texas, and the University of Michigan. Even though those schools have great baseball programs, they may not be the right fit for him.

And remember, players at any age are allowed to take as many unofficial visits to colleges as they like. An unofficial visit is when the college program covers no player expenses for travel. The sophomore year in high school is a very good time to start taking these unofficial visits.

So get out there, see some schools, and help your son form some real opinions on what is important to his future. It is hard for them to know what they like until they can see it with their own eyes.

Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

Top 10 "Don'ts" of Letter Writing Pt. 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week, I started a list of the Top 10 “Don’ts” of writing to college coaches. I’d like to continue this list with #’s 4 through 6:

4. Don’t discuss specific baseball skills or attributes.

Each and every player has a different skill set, using their strengths to help their team in different ways. The key to having those skills translate to the recruiting process is to let them do the talking on the field. Too many times players will try to market themselves to coaches by promoting their attributes in print, such as having superior plate discipline (“I didn’t strike out this year”). Unfortunately, it’s very easy for a coach to say that he expects anyone he recruits to have those skills, and then move on. You’re much better off letting a coach decide what your strengths are. Let your bat, glove and arm convince the coach you’re the real deal, not your e-mails.

5. Don’t include newspaper clippings or attachments.

Most players don’t hurt themselves by what they don’t include. It’s the extra “fluff” they send to a coach that usually gives a bad impression. It’s important to remember that there are only a few things that a coach will look for in a recruit initially, and none of them will be found in a newspaper clip. During my coaching career, there were always a few recruits that sent packages of newspaper clippings and sometimes scrap books to get my attention! For me, something this extravagant meant that the recruit might be trying to hide something. In a lot of cases, I never got to the important information, such as grades, SATs or schedules because I didn’t have the time or patience to read through all the information. Scrap books and photo albums are great stuff to have and share with your family and kids, but college coaches don’t have the time to look through all this information, nor enough office space to file all this stuff!
6. Don’t compare yourself to other players.

Just as in #4, you need showcase your skills on the field, rather than tell a coach that you have an Albert Pujols-esque swing or a breaking ball similar to Mike Mussina’s. Who gave the player this assessment- his dad, his HS coach or a college recruiter?

Even worse, I remember one recruit telling a local newspaper that he was, in essence, going to completely change the pitching staff of a school he was committed to playing for. To his unpleasant surprise, that article was forwarded to the coaches and the players of his future school. You can never be too sure of who’s listening, so don’t put any more pressure on yourself than you’re already going to have. Let your performance on the field speak for itself!

I’ll be rounding out the list next week with the final installment of my Top 10 “Don’ts” of writing to college coaches. Check back soon!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Top 10 "Don'ts" of Letter Writing Pt. 1

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

I’ve spent the last few weeks talking about taking care of business over the winter months leading up to your spring season. As e-mail will probably be your first step in communicating with college coaches, I want to cover several common mistakes that are made in letter writing:

1. Don’t include any baseball statistics.

While statistics are important to players and parents and play a significant role in professional baseball, college coaches have very little use for them in the recruiting process. High school leagues and competition can vary from region to region, so trying to establish your skills based on statistical performance will be meaningless, unless the coach is familiar with the area. On top of that, most scorekeepers at the high school level have little to no training, so a hit one day could very well be an error the next! On my recruiting trips, I never knew what a player’s batting average, earned run average or win-loss record was prior to seeing them play. The player’s overall athletic ability, tools and how he played the game were what mattered most. All in all, supplying statistics simply doesn’t carry much weight with college coaches- you’ll make a better impression on video or on the field.

2. Don’t make your letter more than one page in length.

Given hectic travel, practice and office schedules, college coaches don’t have time to read a thesis paper! Even with e-mail as the primary medium, prospective student-athletes have to keep “quality over quantity” in mind when it comes to reaching out to coaches. Anything more than a page in length on a Microsoft Word document runs the risk of losing the readers’ interest, effectively ending your recruitment. Make sure that your letters to coaches have a purpose, such as introducing yourself or requesting a visit, and that you stick to that theme. Remember, the key to writing is not just catching the readers’ attention, but keeping it, too!

3. Don’t add photographs, symbols or other graphic art.

Just as the last tip pointed out, it’s hard enough to hold a college coach’s attention. So, why add something that may distract him? With technology today, it’s easy to be very creative in marketing yourself to a coach, but you are not being evaluated on your creativity! During my time at the University of Maryland, I saw everything from prom pictures to baseball stationary, and none of that made me like the player more. In fact, it usually did more harm than good. You’ll make your best impression by keeping to simple and professional.

Check in next week for the next installment!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Gather Around the Table

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

When I was growing up, my family made a point to sit down and eat dinner together at the table at least five days per week. It was a great way to get caught up with each other to discuss important family issues, and it helped to facilitate a setting where we would communicate with one another quite regularly.

On the surface, it seems that the tradition of sitting down together as a family for dinner has become less common place as the years have passed by. Parents and kids have so much going on in their lives that sometimes it is “easier” to eat on the fly and pass each other in the kitchen, instead of taking the extra time to sit down as a group. In my opinion, this generation of kids is way too overscheduled, and parents and kids are so much more distracted thanks to the Internet, PDAs, iPods, and other technological devices. For more on this topic, read my blogs Breaking the Cell Phone or PDA Addiction Parts I and II.

These distractions and diversions create a sense of busyness that I feel takes away from solid family communication and quality time spent together in the household. It also contributes to the creation of negative energy that can be palpable at times as a result of un-finished conversations, bitterness from repressed emotions, and frustrations with how the family is prioritized amongst its individual members. Good old fashioned face-to-face conversations at the dinner table can go a long way towards curing those feelings by creating a forum to express yourself and be heard by other family members.

If your family is one that likes to “eat on the fly” or eat in front of the TV, think about slowing down a bit and gathering around the table. Turn off anything electronic and enjoy the company of each other. These dinner conversations will also give you a chance as parents to practice a few other subjects of previous blogs that I have written including: Listen Closely, Say What You Need To Say, and Ask Questions.

As parents, I would be surprised if you don’t see an instant improvement in your family dynamic and communication by just making this one adjustment. While it might be “easier” to just grab food and eat on the run, your family will benefit greatly from taking the time to gather around the table.

Happy Holidays!


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

What is the Quiet Period?

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

During one of the busiest times of the year for most families, the Exclusive Program and Baseball Factory Staff regularly receive questions about why recruiting seems to hit a snag during this time span. For coaches, the holidays and semester break present a chance to catch their breath and spend time with families. In addition, having just completed the fall season and the early signing period, it’s time for coaches to re-group and size up their remaining needs. Since we’re about a month removed from the November signing period, I think now would be a great time to go over what the Dead and Quiet periods mean, and what you can do to help yourself in the recruiting process.

The Dead Period is when coaches are prohibited from making “face-to-face” contact with players or evaluate them on or off campus. It is commonly thought that the Dead Period was proposed out of respect for the players and parents. During the signing period, the dead period allows players and parents to sort through offers and opportunities without too much pressure. Besides falling on the two signing periods in November and April, you’ll notice that there are Dead Periods around different school openings in the fall and after winter break. After all, with school getting back in session, it is important to get re-focused on school without too many distractions. The remaining academic year will include two more Dead Periods, taking place January 2nd to January 6th and again April 6th through the 9th.

By definition, the Quiet Period is when a coach is prohibited from making contact in-person with players away from campus. So, a college coach cannot meet with you and your family at your home. In addition, he can’t visit you at school and watch you play or practice. However, coaches CAN work a college camp or showcase off-campus during the Quiet Period. They’re also allowed to call you or write you during this time. For in-person contacts, you and your parents can visit coaches on campus. This year, the Quiet Period runs from November 14th to February 28th

For most of my coaching career, there was no Quiet Period! Up until recently, there was very little downtime and college coaches, with the exception of the Dead Period, recruited off-campus year-round. So, as a coach, there was always significant pressure to be on the road recruiting! I believe this rule was put in place to get college coaches off the road for a little bit without completely shutting down the recruiting process.

So, what does this mean for the unsigned baseball player? If you haven’t read “Time to Re-Evaluate, Revise and Regroup!” yet, please take a few minutes to read this, print it out and stick it on your refrigerator. The Quiet Period underscores the fact that these winter months are your opportunity to make serious gains in the recruiting process! You can’t expect to succeed in this process without spending a significant amount of time on “behind-the-scenes” work. E-mailing college coaches with your Baseball Factory Player Page, following up on your letters to coaches and making unofficial visits to campus will provide you with serious momentum going into your spring season.

Not only are these methods proven to give you an edge, they very well could be considered the minimum. After all, most college coaches will not come to see you play during your junior or senior season without preexisting interest. The Quiet Period is a chance for you to make a good impression on a coach in person and over the phone, and to give him a preview of what to expect in the spring. Without taking these steps to recruit college coaches, you can’t expect to be recruited in return.

As always, our staff welcomes your questions and looks forward to assisting you in your endeavors!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

From Television and Newspapers to Youtube and Facebook: Part 2

Dave Lax: Tip of the Week

Last blog I talked about a few ways a player should act with the media. I wanted to conclude my topic on “How to Interact with the Media” with a few more important issues that should be considered. The first two points I want to bring up are regarding the way the media views you externally.

1. Always speak to and look directly at the interviewer when answering questions. Resist the temptation to look at the ground or the sky.

You may think that the media would understand your jetting eyes or poor posture because you are excited after a win or down after a loss, but it is very important to push aside all of that and conduct an appropriate interview. If you are being interviewed after or even before an event it is important to look at the reporter and stand or sit up straight. All of these fundamental interview techniques give off the air of confidence and maturity. This is also true for interviews outside of the athletic world. Anytime you are being interviewed, you are representing your school, your team and yourself. You want to make sure that all three groups are looked at in a good light.

2. Understand the importance of personal appearance and dress appropriately for all situations. Make sure team sponsors’ logos and products are visible.

If you are speaking with the media and are part of a team, whether it is a professional team or your local travel team, you need to keep in mind that you are playing for the greater good. You are part of a unit and I hate to bring out the cliché, “There is no I in team,” but it seems to best describe my point. You need to think for the whole, not just yourself. You were not the only one on the field and you are not the only one working hard for your team. Thus, when you are doing an interview the Team should come first. This usually starts with your appearance. If you have a uniform, team polo or other team apparel you should wear this. You are not posing for GQ so whatever new style is out there can be worn after the interview. When you are playing for a sponsored team or even sponsored yourself, your sponsors expect and probably demand in your contract that their logo shows when you give interviews. Make sure to avoid wearing any competing brands!

The next two topics are more about the question and answering done in an interview.

3. Make the effort to reveal a good personality during an interview. Be enthusiastic and animated in interviews after a win or loss. Understand that it is acceptable to talk about issues other than sports (i.e. music, politics, world events, etc.).

When you speak to the media they may often try to elicit responses from you that show a negative personality. You must try to avoid overreacting or showing a negative side even if it’s how you feel. Whether it was because of a loss, a bad call by an umpire/referee or a bad play in the game. One of the worst ways to do this is by blaming another teammate for a loss or a bad play. More times than not someone on a team feels that a bad call or play cost them the game; however, as a teammate you cannot throw another player under the bus whether you believe it’s true or not. You need to keep things positive or at the very least, neutral.

Also if a question elicits talking about topics outside of the sports field feel free to speak about this; however, I would recommend that in order to talk about this in the public eye make sure you have a good understanding of anything that you are speaking about. Also, even if you have a strong feeling or know a lot about the topic it may not be an appropriate question to answer, and there is nothing wrong with politely declining to answer a question.

That brings me to my final point.

4. Recognize that questions of a personal nature do not have to be answered. Be aware that nothing is “off-the-record.” Anything said to a reporter may be printed in the newspaper that day or be on television that night.

Finally, you never have to answer a question. Feel free to say politely that you have no comment on something that you feel is too personal or that would make you respond negatively. However, if you avoid every question they ask you most likely will not be asked to do an interview again.

Just remember, be aware of what you say and do. Someone is always listening, recording or filming and whatever you say and do can be potentially published in a newspaper/online or put on YouTube/Facebook for everyone to see.



Dave Lax is the Assistant Director of Marketing at Baseball Factory. Dave started with Baseball Factory in June of 2006 having earned his degree in Business from the University of Maryland, College Park. He majored in Marketing and minored in Communication. At Maryland, he played on the Scout Basketball Team for three years, where he was part of the National Championship team in 2006. In addition to his marketing responsibilities Dave serves as the administrator for Baseball University and helps design and maintain the website.

Meeting With Coaches

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Meeting and talking with coaches has always been my favorite part of the college search process – their backgrounds, their methods of motivating and developing their players, the details of the programs, themselves – so many interesting things to find out. The tough part has been trying to stay in the background. Having a Type A personality, I’m prone to communicating; as a writer, I tend to interview…and as a mom knowing the effect this person may have on my son…let’s just say I have to work hard at stepping back and letting Kyle take charge.

So, Rule #1 – When you’re looking at schools, let your son do most of the talking! Conversations dominated by parent and coach may reveal you’re a great fit with the program, but probably will leave your son and the coach second-guessing their own relationship.

Rule #2 – When your son is in a program – let him still do the talking! He certainly needs you for guidance, but the reality is that your son is the one who knows both the written and unwritten rules of the program, as well as the personalities involved. The right conversations foster mutual respect and connection between your son and his coach. And the flipside can’t be ruled out…as a friend of mine was cautioned by her son, “I don’t care what the coach tells you or how nice he is to you…believe me, anything you say will be taken out on me.” Better they live with the consequences of their actions, not yours.

Rule #3 – Make sure you know the role of the person with whom you are meeting, as well as the person with whom you should be meeting. Seems simple…but some schools have developmental or JV programs. You and your son should meet with the appropriate coach. If your son will be on the JV team, make sure you meet with the JV coach. Don’t limit your conversation to the Varsity Coach, no matter how much influence you may believe he will have on developing your son (and moving him off JV). Find out the relationship of the JV program with the Varsity program, and if possible, the relationship between the JV and Varsity coaches. Are players freely exchanged between the JV and Varsity programs, or is your son likely to stay on JV for four years? The JV coach may be looking for a different type of player than the Varsity coach, or may have recruited his own players, to whom he might have a greater commitment.

While the primary conversation/relationship should be between the player and his coach, we as parents have both a right and a responsibility in this process. We need to get to know something about the person who potentially will have a significant impact on our son’s life, as well as the expectations of the program he may be entering. A little homework – a coach’s experience should be available on the school’s athletic website – and some general instinct on personal connection should help you start the process. The details will follow. Usually, the coach realizes it’s in everyone’s best interest to be knowledgeable, so much of the information you want and need probably will flow into conversations. Some topics you may want to make sure are covered include:


Baseball
1). What are the program’s current and future needs for the position my son plays?
2). How many players are you recruiting for that position?
3). What is the likelihood of playing time, next season? (With the understanding there are no guarantees on that one)
4). What do you think are my son’s strengths, at this time? What should he be working on?
5). Will your game schedule be the same as it has been in the past?
6). Where do you go for spring training (if applicable)? What schools do you expect to play while you’re there? How is the trip funded?
7). What is your practice schedule for fall ball and the spring? What is your work-out schedule and expectations for off-season?
8). Do you place your players in summer leagues? If not, will you help my son get placed for summer ball?
9). Have any of your players gone on to play at the next level? What can you do to help my son move to the next level?
10). Do you expect to remain at the school for the next few years? (So, maybe you phrase that one a bit more delicately!)
11). Do you communicate with your players regarding how they’re doing and how they can improve?
12). What’s the process for cutting players? How much notice and what kind of communication do they get?

Academics
1). What are the academic eligibility requirements for the team?
2). What is the team’s average GPA?
3). Is there academic support for the players, and if so, what is it? (Mandatory study halls? Tutors?)
4). How do players ensure their academic schedules won’t conflict with games or practice?
5). How many classes do players tend to miss because of games or practices?
6). How sensitive is the administration to players balancing academics with baseball?
7). Do you personally monitor the players’ academic performance?

General
1). What is the overall relationship of the players with each other?
2). Do the players tend to hang around together outside of baseball?
3). Do the players live together?

I’ll close with Rule #4 – Be realistic – to the best of your ability – and know your priorities. We all have hopes and dreams…and should. But we also know life isn’t perfect. Know the trade-offs of the decisions you make. Does your son want a highly competitive/prestigious program if playing time is limited and the risk of being cut is greater? Would he trade off the other amenities of a school or location to be an impact player at a school where overall, he may not be as happy? Only he knows the answer – and even he may not know the answer until he faces the situation.

I guess that brings me to Rule #5 – if any of that happens, let your son do the talking.


Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.

What did you do today?

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

As we go through life you always hear people say some of the following quotes:

1. Live everyday likes it your last..
2. Live Life to its fullest
3. Make a Difference
4.- My personal favorite: Live Like a Rockstar..

Anyway, these motivational messages sometimes get misinterpreted to signify going crazy, partying, and living life to its negative extremes. As we go through life and see people out on Friday and Saturday nights, we see a group of people that are dealing with life, most of the time in the wrong way, drinking, smoking, abusing their bodies. With that being said, when you actually take the time and speak with these people, you will realize that they truly are not happy. You will also realize that only about 10% of the population truly LOVES their jobs. With that being said, if you went to work everyday and hated your job, wouldn't you want to escape your reality as well?

Going back to these quotes, if this Friday and Saturday night wrecking crew had more fufillment in their life, and were able to help others see the light, they would shine more light and positive on themselves, and would actually be able to make a difference, dream big dreams, and accomplish success everyday.

So, with that being said, are you happy? Do you feel fufilled? Are you helping people each day? If not, one way to cure your blues is to START. Help somebody everyday, and you will be helped as well. It sounds kind of strange and holistic, but this is reality, the more you give, the more you get.

For more from Dana please check out his blog.


Dana Cavalea and Major League Strength serve as baseball performance strength and conditioning consultants for all Baseball Factory events. Dana currently serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. He has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Dana founded Major League Strength, a company that works to provide athletes with first class professional training and a dynamic program designed to elicit positive results in all aspects of Human Movement and Sports Performance. Dana is certified by the CSCS, NASM-PES and the USAW.

The Fun is Just Beginning

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges


Congratulations to all of our Exclusive and ACR players that have signed their National Letters of Intent or have been accepted early to schools! I know I speak for everyone at the Baseball Factory when I thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your families. We wish you nothing but they very best and we look forward to following your collegiate careers.

You should be very proud of what you’ve accomplished. To have the opportunity to play college baseball is one thing, but to make the decision early in your senior year is a great achievement. So, order your college sweatshirt, baseball hat and bumper stickers- you’ve earned it! But do you have any idea what lies ahead? As with most things in life after high school, it’s not going to get any easier from here.

Now that you’ve made your decision, you enter a select group of “labeled” senior baseball players. While you won’t have to deal with the pressure to perform in front of college coaches, you have new expectations to deal with. You come into your season with a big “X” on your back that says “committed,” and everyone from teammates to opposing players to parents will be comparing themselves to you. Whether it’s fair or not, that’s the way it is and going to be! Whispered statements like “That’s the kid that committed to Coastal Carolina” carry a lot of assumptions, and whether you’re ready or not, you will be representing that school when you take the field. It is going to be a lot like this when you enter college as a student-athlete, so you better get used to it now!

One thing to keep in mind is that while you’ve consistently been among the best on your teams or in your district, you will be joining a team filled with the best. On top of that, you’re starting at the bottom of the totem pole and have to prove yourself all over again! The accolades you received over the years won’t mean a whole lot when you step on the field at the college level. Instead, your performance during fall workouts will set the course for your freshman campaign and beyond. At the very least, you need to remember that commitments and scholarships are only year-to-year. A commitment during your high school career will get you on campus. But must prove yourself everyday in the classroom and on the field because someone is waiting to take your spot! Remember, you have not accomplished anything yet at the college level!

Finally, one of the hardest transitions any college student has to make is to learn time management. Trust me, it’s tough to have to choose between hanging out with your friends and concentrating on what has to get done. Unfortunately, how fast you learn to focus on the “needs” rather than the “wants” will have an impact on your success as a student-athlete. Being the best you can be on the field and in the classroom is a big time commitment- there are no shortcuts! So, there’s no better time than now to prepare yourself for your season and your future. This is a great opportunity to “plan to work” and “work your plan” before you have to deal with the increased distractions and peer pressure of a college environment.

It’s so easy to fall behind and near impossible to stay ahead. The next few months will be a critical time for you and can have major implications for your collegiate career. Being on your own, dealing with the ups and downs and playing more games than any other sport in college athletics will be one of the toughest transitions you will ever have to make, and you have to be prepared. Again, don’t forget to enjoy the moment! But get ready to work harder than you ever have. And don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Ask Questions

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where all they do is talk about themself? They never ask you a question about how you are doing or what is going on in your life. Usually you exit that conversation feeling pretty disappointed.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received from a colleague of mine was very simple: ask questions. If you want to make people feel good about themselves, and you want to be a better conversationalist, the easiest thing to do is engage the other person and ask them how things are going in THEIR life or what THEY are thinking about.

I have found that “asking questions” works very well when trying to communicate with high school baseball players. Young men aged 14-18 don’t always make the best talkers, but if you are genuinely concerned with their well being and you engage them in discussion by asking them thought provoking questions, usually you get a much more productive conversation. This applies a great deal when discussing the college recruiting process and schools they are interested in attending. I tend to ask our Baseball Factory players questions such as:

1. Can you see yourself being happy at that school?

2. What do you think about going to school with classroom sizes of 300+ students?

3. What did you think of the baseball coach and his philosophy? Can you see yourself playing for him?

4. Have you thought about what academic discipline you want to pursue?

5. How do you think you will do being that far away from home?

The list can go on and on. The point is that engaging your counterpoint in a discussion with questions is sure to get their mind thinking and usually makes the person feel special and valued. I think this is a good tactic for all parents to practice, not only with their children, but also in their everyday life with other people they come into contact with.

If you feel yourself approaching every conversation by only talking about yourself, take a step back and remember this blog and ask the person you are speaking with a question instead. I am sure you will see the conversation move in a more positive direction.

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

There is No Off-Season: Part 3

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

THROWING

Any throwing plan, regardless of the season, must take into account two important aspects: arm care/health, and arm strength development. In what we are calling the “opportunity season”, arm care/health is not quite as important as it is in the playing season – simply based on the fact that you are not playing games.

In other words, you can focus on arm strength development more this time of year – though you always must be smart about it, and realize that arm health is always important.

That being said, many players will go out now and recklessly long toss and end up hurting themselves. You need to come up with a plan that allows you to gradually build up your throwing workouts, you can’t just go all out from the start – just like with your workouts in the gym, you have to allow the strength gains to happen gradually.

If you don’t have a throwing partner, don’t worry. A bucket of baseballs and some space is all you need. I used to take a bucket of balls and a tee to a park near my house growing up – I hit first, and then used the tee as my throwing target. It takes a little extra time to pick all the balls and put them back in bucket, but for most of us it’s either that or do the best with whatever arm strength we were born with.

5 Keys to Productive Workouts

1. Incorporate the footwork, exchange and arm action specific to your position into your throwing program. This is important in order to effectively gain usable arm strength.

Catchers & Infielders
* Do not lengthen your arm action coming out of the glove – keep your arm action realistic
* Do not pump, pop or re-grip the ball in your glove. Get it out and keep it out – keep your exchange realistic
* Step through with right foot (left if you throw left), do not step behind – keep your footwork realistic

Outfielders & Pitchers
* Make sure your arm action is long enough out of the glove (remember “thumb to thigh, fingers high” for proper arc)
* Use a crow hop (drive arm side leg forward and through as shoulders align with target and glove meets throwing hand)

2. You should start out making throws of about 60 feet, then move to 90 feet, 120 feet, etc. Increase the range of your target by about 30 feet at time. Your maximum range should increase a little with each workout. You should reduce the target range gradually as you cool down – always end your workout at close range, around 60 feet or so. Workouts should be in the range of 20-30 minutes, with somewhere between 5-10 throws at each distance.

An example of an early workout may look like this (target distance in feet): 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 120, 60. If you start here, increase the 180 (longest target) to about 200 feet after a couple of weeks, etc. I can see no reason for your longest target to ever be more than 250-300 feet away – your throws will have too much loop at such a long distance, at a time when you should be working on increasing carry and strength on the ball while keeping a realistic trajectory. (SEE ILLUSTRATIONS)

3. It is my opinion that your shoulders should remain parallel to the ground, and that you should carry the ball as far as you can on a realistic trajectory. (SEE ILLUSTRATIONS)

4. You should absolutely have a defined target, and should focus on hitting the target as you increase and decrease your range. Ideally, your target is vertical (like a pole) – it is acceptable to miss high or low, though not acceptable to miss left or right. What good is arm strength without accuracy?

5. Develop a weekly plan that builds on itself. For most players, I would recommend only one long toss session in weeks 1 and 2 (Monday for example). Give your arm plenty of rest, and if you feel good add another session in week 3 or 4 (Monday and Thursday for example). If you feel good after 6 weeks or so, work up to where you long toss / take two days off / long toss. Make sure to give your arm days off, where you don’t throw - instead stretch and do Jobe exercises (bands and/or light weights to strengthen shoulder supporting muscles).

Andy Ferguson is currently the Senior Director of Baseball Operations with the Baseball Factory. Ferguson joined the North Carolina State baseball team as a walk-on, and went on to solidify his role on a team that participated in four consecutive NCAA Regionals. He later coached with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and then served as an Associate Scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

Need to Make a Change? Do it Now!

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

This is the perfect time of year to make a necessary change in your game. It takes time to “teach” your body to do something in a different way. These next few months offer you the time necessary to make a mechanical adjustment that will help you when your season arrives next spring.

I often work with young players who can benefit from making a minor adjustment to the way they are currently doing something. At times, they are having success at their current level of baseball and are reluctant to change anything. If you work with a qualified coach or instructor, you need to trust that they are looking out for your best interest. They see something that may eventually prevent you from reaching your full potential.

Keep in mind that change is difficult. It will feel “weird” to change a grip on the bat, or the width of your stance, or your leg lift on the mound, but give it some time. Through repetition, the feeling will change from weird to natural. If you are dedicated to making the adjustment, it will become second-nature to you by the time your high school season begins.

Remember to keep an open mind and don’t get discouraged. We all need to make improvements. Major League players are constantly working on ways to improve. On the golf course, Tiger Woods re-vamped his swing despite being the #1 ranked player in the world with several Major Championships already to his credit.

Good luck improving your game this off-season. It’s hard work, but you’ll be glad you did it.


Steve Bernhardt is the Executive VP of Baseball Operations with Baseball Factory. Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt currently serves as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.

There is Good High School Baseball Talent All Over the Country

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Many parents believe that the best baseball players in the country have to come from warm weather states. Do you agree?

I would agree that the average high school player in the warm weather states (ie: California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc) tends to be stronger versus the colder/seasonal climates. This is most likely a result of these players having the distinct advantage of getting to play outside on a year round basis. While the average high school player in these areas may be stronger, I have found over the years at Baseball Factory that there is upper echelon talent all over the country and in places you might not suspect.

Let’s take this past weekend for example. I traveled to Portland, Oregon to run Baseball Factory’s Under Armour National Tryout and Signature College Recruiting Program in Monmouth, Oregon (just outside of Portland). Keep in mind, this event took place in November so we utilized an indoor facility. Baseball Factory hadn’t held an event in Oregon since 1998, but we have had the pleasure of working with many Oregon based players over the years in events that took place in other states. In fact, 25% of the current Oregon State baseball roster are alumni of Baseball Factory or Team One.

Getting back to this weekend, we worked with a total of 45 players. This group was extremely focused, engaged, and serious about baseball. Everyone showed up on time and they had a strong sense of desire and determination. Once the baseball drills and testing started, this group did not disappoint! As a whole, this was one of our most talented sessions to date this year. Keep in mind that Baseball Factory holds 200 events a year in areas all over the country and into Canada. Would you ever suspect that Portland, Oregon would be one of the most talented groups? I am sure the players and parents that were in attendance this weekend would have.

So if you live in a state that is not known for producing top high school baseball talent or is in a seasonal climate, don’t let it get you down. All it means is that you might need to be a little more creative. Seek out alternate ways for your sons to train like using indoor facilities in the colder months. Just use it as motivation to help your sons work harder!

If anyone from our Oregon session is reading this blog, thanks for a great weekend. It was a pleasure meeting the parents and working with this talented group of players. Baseball Factory will certainly not be waiting another 10 years before we come back to Oregon. Most likely it will be closer to 10 months.

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

There Is No Off-Season: Part 2

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

Remember, it’s the “opportunity season”…not the off-season. Treat it as such if you have aspirations to play baseball in college or beyond. If not, stick with texting and Guitar Hero like everyone else.

Last week we covered ACADEMICS and STRENGTH & AGILITY TRAINING.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

There aren’t any big leaguers that don’t work to improve at least one skill between the end of their last game and the start of spring training. In fact, you’d probably be amazed at how hard 95% of them actually work on all facets of their game. Sure, it’s their job to be a baseball player…but I seriously doubt that guys all of the sudden start working once they get to the big leagues. You have to learn how to learn and learn how to work in order to get anywhere at anything.

Most hitters would benefit greatly from tee work. A particularly helpful drill for most is what we call the “high tee drill”. Raise the tee so that the ball is about chest height, and position the tee so the ball is about even with your front hip. Work to stay on top and hit backspin line drives (ideally down the length of a batting cage, we call this a “back panel drill”). This series of drills will force you to deliver the barrel to contact on a proper angle, and will help you extend the barrel properly through contact – thus creating backspin.

Infielders and catchers can always work to improve their exchange (the move to get the ball from your glove into your throwing hand). This should be a simple and compact action, and it should take place basically as soon as the ball enters your glove. However, most young players hold the ball in their glove too long and then make way too big of a movement to actually transfer the ball. As a rule (at least in my opinion), infielders should exchange the ball below knee level while catchers should exchange the ball on the second base side of the middle of their chest and only slightly below chin height. Go through some dry repetitions at your position and examine your action. Mirror work starting at a slow speed will help you feel the proper action.

Pitchers would benefit from learning to break their hands in sequence with their delivery. A lot of young pitchers break their hands too high (up near chin level), which makes their arm path much longer than normal and requires a very early separation of the hands (in relation to the stride leg beginning towards home plate). The goal is for the arm path to have fully completed at the same time as the stride (front) foot lands – when done properly, the pitcher would arrive at what we call a “power T” position (weight favoring back leg = power, elbows parallel with the slope of the mound and in direct line with the mitt = T). Mirror work will help you determine the sequence of your delivery. You can adjust both the height at which your hands break, and at what point you break your hands (before or simultaneous for most, very rarely after) in relation to the stride leg beginning towards the plate.

These are just examples, and certainly do not represent the only things you can work on. The first step is to evaluate your own abilities, for more on this topic please read (or hopefully re-read) Steve Bernhardt’s Plan of Action series: (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

Coming next week: THROWING (Sorry…I originally planned throwing as part of this entry, but skill development got a little long)

Andy Ferguson is currently the Senior Director of Baseball Operations with the Baseball Factory. Ferguson joined the North Carolina State baseball team as a walk-on, and went on to solidify his role on a team that participated in four consecutive NCAA Regionals. He later coached with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and then served as an Associate Scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

What to Watch For This Off-Season

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

With the next meaningful baseball game another five months away, the true baseball addicts need something to turn to during the off-season. For me, it’s a variety of things. The NFL and College Basketball are high up on the list, but I also try to keep a close eye on the MLB free agent market.

What players are changing teams this off-season? How is this going to affect next year’s competitive landscape? Are my Orioles going to pick up a few players so that they have a chance to possibly make the playoffs in 2009? Probably not, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Here are a few players to keep an eye on during this off-season:

C.C. Sabathia – The Yankees courtship of Sabathia has started early. They have already made him a six-year, $140 million offer. Most of the experts expect Sabathia to sign with the Yankees, which will have an effect on the rest of the free agent pitcher’s market. If the Yankees don’t get Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe are the next best options. The Yankees may sign Lowe, even if they do get Sabathia. Watch for the Sabathia signing to have an effect on whether the Yanks sign Andy Pettitte, or pressure Mike Mussina to consider coming back for another year (he seems to be leaning towards retirement). There’s not much else out there, so this should be interesting. (Prediction – Anaheim Angels)

Manny Ramirez – This year, Manny “being Manny” took on quite a few different meanings. Manny was just “being Manny” when he shut down and for all intensive purposes, forced the Red Sox into trading him. Then there was Manny “being Manny” as a Dodger, which produced a .396 batting average, 17 homeruns, 53 RBI, 36 runs and an absurd 1.222 OPS in 53 regular season games. He went on to top that performance by just “being Manny” during the playoffs, hitting .520 with four homeruns, 10 RBI, nine runs and a 1.746 OPS in only eight games. Think he was playing for the last contract of his career? Regardless of his motivation, Manny put on a show last year and is going to be paid quite well because of it. But can you trust him to continue focusing and putting in this type of effort? I think the Dodgers believe in the West Coast version of Manny Ramirez. (Prediction – LA Dodgers)

Mark Teixeira – Like Manny, Teixeira went off last season after being traded. During his 54 game stint with the Angels in 2008, Teixeira hit .358 with 13 homeruns, 43 runs batted in, 39 runs and a 1.082 OPS. As if he wasn’t already a top free agent, this performance, not to mention a .467 average in the playoffs, really bumped up his stock (and asking price). Many teams are in the running including the Angels, Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers (if they don’t sign Manny). At age 28, don’t be surprised if he signs a seven+ year deal, especially with Scott Boras representing him. (Prediction – Baltimore Orioles…this might be more hope as an O’s fan, than intuition)

Francisco Rodriguez – Do you think there are a few teams out there that would like to have KRod at the end of their bullpen? Yeah, I do too. The Angels would love to keep him, but they can’t afford to and have already let him know this. The New York Mets made a splash last off-season by signing Johan Santana to a seven-year $137 million contract. He helped the front of their rotation, but the Mets still missed the playoffs, in large part because they didn’t have the pieces in their bullpen to close the door. KRod instantly provides them with consistency at the end of games. It’s a perfect fit, both on the field and off, as the Mets are ready to pay what it will take to get Francisco on the roster. (Prediction – New York Mets)

Here are the best of the rest. The top free agent players at every position, after the ones I listed above.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
First: Jason Giambi (probably more a DH, but not many 1B available after Teixeira)
Second: Orlando Hudson
Third: Casey Blake
SS: Rafael Furcal
Outfield: Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu
DH: Adam Dunn
Starting Pitcher: A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets
Closer: Brian Fuentes


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

The Mindset of a Champion

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

Hey Guys,

A close friend of mine, Anthony Famiglietti, US Olympic Runner wrote this to me in an email in response to a question I asked him about training, and getting it done no matter what! I thought it would be cool to share with you, and let you into the mind of an Olympian!

"You know how it goes its not where you are, but where your at. My head was in the right place and I trained like a beast in NYC in the snow, rain, no coach, whatever. I was all in and I'm still all in. Second Olympic team and now I'm gunning to be the best in the world. Our sport is so tough though. We don't just compete against the guys in developed countries we compete against third world countries-everyone. Those guys are so tough too they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So when you become world champ in running you really are world champ all countries included."

I thought this was an awesome piece, coming from a guy that has guts, and trains, and competes because he loves it, not just for financial compensation. Think about "GETTING IT DONE" and "BRINGING IT" everytime you lock it in to train or play!

For more from Dana please check out his blog.


Dana Cavalea and Major League Strength serve as baseball performance strength and conditioning consultants for all Baseball Factory events. Dana currently serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. He has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Dana founded Major League Strength, a company that works to provide athletes with first class professional training and