EXACT Sports Baseball: Mailbag

The following are questions from our mail bag.   We receive these questions either during the many interactions EXACT Sports has with baseball players on the field, or by players who have emailed us or one of the college coaches who works with us.   Today’s mailbag is answered by our Baseball Director, Chad.  Chad is a former D-1 and professional baseball player.

Q. Why are my off-speed pitches not as effective as they used to be? (question from Billy in Ohio)
More often than not, high school and other youth pitchers think more break or slower change-ups are the way to go. That is wrong. The purpose of offspeed pitches is to trick or deceive the hitter. If you take a lot of MPH’s off of your changeup, the hitter has time to re-adjust his timing. As for curveballs, really the only way to get more break is by throwing it slower. When that happens, hitters are not really fooled. They see the curveball right out of the pitcher’s hand, therefore giving them a better chance for solid contact. The toughest pitch to hit is a hard slider…why? Because it looks just like a fastball until the very last moment. By then, it is too late for the hitter to adjust. Again, its not the amount of break that determines the effectiveness of a curveball, its the deception that fools the hitter.

Q: When should I try to get my name out there for recruiting purposes? (question from Connor in Florida)
Quite simply, the sooner the better. In an effort to secure the top players, colleges are now starting to recruit kids starting in the 8th grade. Many times, these same kids have decided on their future college by their sophomore year. Since colleges only have 11.7 scholarships each, they don’t have many to offer every year. When you add all this up, your big-time college programs have already offered their scholarships for the next couple years. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule. The safest thing to do is get your name out there early to the schools you are interested in. If they say no, you have no regrets. If you wait and they say it’s too late, then you play the “what if” game.  Either way I see it, your best (and only) choice is to get yourself out there the sooner the better!

Other questions? Tap EXACT Sports’ broad knowledge of player development, baseball, and sports.  Send us a question to the email address info@exactsports.org.  In the subject line, enter “Mailbag” and let us know if you want us to share your name and position.

15 Reasons Why Every Athlete Should Attend this College Camp (Part 2)

Yesterday we discussed how the EXACT Sports NPDC has been rated compared to a traditional camp, a tournament, a showcase and a training regimen.
Part 1 – By the Numbers
Part 2 – What’s Being Said: Hear the Uncensored Reviews of EXACT camps
Part 3 – Worth the Money

Here we continue explaining why every high school player should consider attending this sports camp for at least 15 reasons:

What’s Being Said: Hear the Uncensored Reviews of EXACT camps:
5) From a player that has attended dozens of college camps, showcases and tournaments — “I liked how the coaches actually cared about the camp.”

6) Other players agree EXACT provides a superior experience.

Here are some more uncensored comments… we don’t even fix the typos and spelling mistakes:

“The constant physical and mental alertness required both days of the camp definitely took a toll on me, regardless of the soreness and mental fatiuge I exhibitted by the end of the second day I rate this camp, as one who looks like at the big picture, as the best of many camps I have attended and in turn reccomend this camp to any serious player. I enjoyed every aspect of this camp. There was never a static moment. Thanks!”
“It was a great experience having the opportunity to train with some of the top college coaches and having one on one conversations with them.”
“I thought the camp was a blast. I learned so much about how the mental part of the game is just as important as the physical part.”
“Great for all ages and level of players. Really gives you a taste of what College Athletics is like”
“Camp was a great experience. It allowed me to find a comfort zone at a college level and interact with real college coaches who gladly give advice.”
“I hade a great time at camp, the coaching staff was excellent and meeting head coaches was awsome.”
“this camp helped me realizer my strengths and weaknesses and i learned how to play my position i normally play better”
“This camp really does give you the opportunity to gain both physically and mentally as a player. Usually when players attend camps it’s revolved all around the physical aspect, but this camp also challenges you mentally!”
“This camp will improve your mental game in all aspects”

7) From a parent that knows the player deserves better: “Superb, hand selected, motivated coaching staff who took a personal interest in each and every player’s individual learning and development. Of special interest, the inclusion of the parents in the background, philosophy and training techniques was vital to the success of camp. I would highly recommend this camp to anyone who wishes for their athlete son/daughter to have “the edge.” Job well done, EXACT!”

8] All parents saw the benefits. Below are comments from parents of soccer, baseball and hockey players:

“My son was very pleased with the camp because he really felt as though everything he did had a reason for doing. He felt that the program made him think about his self more and his role as a player.”
“I didn’t have a chance to talk with any of the coaches, but from what I did see they did a fine job in training the boys.”
“The Camp seemed well run, efficient. The psychology side was a new and welcome addition to a traditional camp.”
“There are always thing that we “know” we just don’t “know why.” From my perspective, this camp displayed the fact that being mentally “trained” or prepared is possibly just as important for developing players. For those such as my son, who is a linear thinker, having logic applied to soccer through “sports science” makes things easier for him to understand and accept.”
“Very in-depth program gives the player many angles to improve their game.”
“Phenomenal, thorough mental/psychological approach with applications to a player’s individual needs and characteristics; these analyses and tools apply not to sports alone, but to the player’s daily life in school, community, church and family as well.”
“Our son came out with a different outlook about how important the mental aspect of the game is. Definately a very postive experience for him.”
“I like the camp because at no time the playes were idle on the field. Their time was used effectively.”
“My son, as a goalie, usually finds practices somewhat mundane, as they are designed for field players. We go to Brian Jones at the St. Louis Goalkeeping Academy anyway, so there was not a huge impact for us from the coaching aspect, but it did make us realize how fortunate we are to have Brian as a resource available to us. Still, any further breakdown between field players and goalkeepers will only help validate the keepers and their value to the team. This camp was the best I have seen so far in trying to address the keepers specifically. Thanks!”
“For years I have tried to tell my children that their mental preparation and mind-set are an important, if not the most important part of their ability. Your camp told my son exactly that. It was good for him to hear it from someone other than his father as teens seem to think their parents don’t know much. Thank you for your help.”
“This is a great experience for both parents and players; definitely will suggest a follow up routine that player needs to do so he can achieve level to play college soccer. For example does he needs weights, speed, stamina, exrcises , this will help a lot.”
“As a parent of a high school athlete looking for something outside of the technical experience that can be easily obtained in various ways this weekend allowed us the opportunity to learn the other aspects to make a well rounded athlete and using college coaches in this processes only reaffirms to the students that this is an important factor to make it in college thanks again first time experience with this type of training.”

9) College coaches had rave reviews working with the players at the EXACT college baseball camps, college soccer camps, and college hockey camps:
“I really enjoyed working with the Exact Camp. I have done quite a few camps, but none that emphasize and focus on the mental side of the game. The camp put some things in perspective for me, and Im sure I will use some of these ideas in my future sessions. The players receive a great benefit from this camp. Most kids coming out of high school assume that the physical and technical part of the game are the only things that coaches look for, and never really train their mental components (Confidence, competitiveness, ability to dismiss mistake, etc). This camp gives the kids an opportunity to train the mental side of things while continueing to progress their technical and physical part of their game.”
“The best thing about this camp is that it makes players aware of how important the metal aspect of the game is. The sooner players can train themselves mentally as well as the physical and technical aspects of the game, then they are already putting themselves a step ahead of others and in a postion to succeed!”
“I believe the athletes were able to get a better understanding of what college coaches are looking for in players. Alot of these young men although play at high club levels, have not idea what it take to enter a good D1 college program. In most cases the psyhological side of the game is what seperates this high level youth player from the high level college player.”
“I certainly enjoyed my weekend in Miami working the EXACT NPDC. The combination of working with other skilled coaches and the professional psychology component was excellent. Each young player in attendance received a personal soccer and psychological evaluation that will hopefully structure his own personal development for the future. I hope to be invited to another NPDC!”
“As a coach, I enjoyed the freedom to work with the players on areas we felt important but also identify how it relates to classroom sessions. So often, coaches complain about the metality of players at a older youth level but it’s an area that is often not addressed by coaches themselves. Coaches need to address how a players approaches the game mentally and I feel the camp encourages players to do that. Players learn how to prepare for not just games, but more improtantly practice. I also enjoyed the high quality of coaches I was working with. I felt the discussion with groups based on their position (forwards, defenders etc), was very informative and well worthwhile. I also like the idea of the player individually interacting with the coach and asking questions.”
“I enjoy coaching new faces and watching players improve over the course of a camp. I would certainly recommend players attend any EXACT National Player Development Camp they can. Not only do they get coached by some of the best coaches in College football but they also get to learn the mental aspect that defines a great football player.”
“EXACT National Development Camps are groundbreaking in an area that no other camp in this country has put much, if any, emphasis in. As a former professional player, I understand how important of a part mental training plays in attaining peak performance and I would recommend this camp to any player who is aspires to attain an elite status. Players are given the tools to begin understanding how important this aspect of the game is and how to appropriately use those tools on a daily basis where results can start to be seen immediately. I felt like the session on “flow” or “zone” and how to purposefully attain that state of being was fantastic in terms of it’s information and usefullness.”

To learn more about the college sports camps, please visit:
EXACT Baseball National Player Development Camp (series of college baseball camps)
EXACT Soccer National Player Development Camp (series of college soccer camps)
EXACT Hockey National Player Development Camp (series of college hockey camps)

15 Reasons Why Every Athlete Should Attend this College Camp (Part 1)

The EXACT Sports NPDC approach is the only player training experience to blend the benefits of a college camp, a tournament, a showcase and a training regimen into a well-structured experience for high school athletes. Every high school player should consider attending this sports camp for at least 15 reasons, which will be discussed in 3 blog posts:
Part 1 – By the Numbers
Part 2 – What’s Being Said: Hear the Uncensored Reviews of EXACT camps
Part 3 – Worth the Money

Part 1 – By the Numbers: EXACT is rated best camp, recommended by Parents, Players & Coaches

1) BEST CAMP FOR PLAYERS: >99% of players would consider coming to a future camp. When asked to rate different activities, the EXACT National Player Development Camp beat them all:
207% better than a traditional camp
213% better than a tournament
213% better than a showcase

Of those attending (which includes upcoming high school graduates), a resounding 87% said “definitely yes” to signing up again for the summer.

2) BEST CAMP FOR PARENTS: >98% of parents would consider sending their player to a future camp. 92% believe these same tools and training provided at the camp would be valuable to their player’s own club / HS team. All smiles from the parents — 100% were either very happy, happy or content with the quality of the coaches, the accessibility of their player to the coaches, and the location and amenities at the facility. When asked to rate different activities, the parents agreed with the player’s — better than any other experience:
263% better than a practice event with Club or HS team
194% better than a tournament
219% better than a showcase

3) NCAA COLLEGE COACH APPROVED: The majority of college coaches say that the National Player Development Camp is significantly better than other college camps. 100% of coaches agree that the NPDC is better than the average camp and 100% would like to instruct at a future NPDC.

4) HS & CLUB COACH INVOLVED: The tools from this camp are admired and used by current high school, travel, and club coaches. Over 10,000 youth coaches interact with us every year and continually recommend sending their players to this extra training and college development camp.

To learn more about the college sports camps, please visit:
EXACT Baseball National Player Development Camp (series of college baseball camps)
EXACT Soccer National Player Development Camp (series of college soccer camps)
EXACT Hockey National Player Development Camp (series of college hockey camps)

Three Things EXACT Sports Learned from the Ripkens

Cal Ripken Jr. had always been a personal hero to me and so many others that I was more than delighted that EXACT would be working with the Ripken Foundation / Ripken Baseball to design a new program, which eventually was called, “Healthy Choices, Healthy Children”.

Our relationship began in the spring of 2006. The Ripken Foundation had been successfully working with youth since 2001, offering a tremendous amount of financial support, and more importantly, personal guidance to boys and girls across the United States. The Foundation wanted to create a national program that would guide the character / behavioral development of these youth. With EXACT Sports’ assistance, the program was unveiled in 2007 as both a program that honored the legacy of Cal Ripken Sr. and the values he passed on to Cal, Jr. and Bill. In working with the Ripken Foundation to building this curriculum, there are 3 main things I learned from the Foundation, Ripken Baseball staff, as well as Bill and Cal Ripken Jr.:

[1] “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” — Cal Ripken, Sr.
For EXACT Sports, this means our programs, such as the National Player Development Camp, is not meant to make you better tomorrow. It is meant to make you better today. Parents and players are unanimously grateful to EXACT because the training is real, the training is intense, and the training is led by both NCAA college coaches from around the country as well as EXACT’s expert scientific development staff.

[2] Celebrate the Individual — Bill & Cal
Too many teams, coaches and organizations try the “one size fits all approach” to training players. Not EXACT Sports. Each player working with us receives his/her own development profile, customized uniquely to each person. We are on a mission to change the way sports training is done.

[3] Sports is a Reflection of Life
Everthing that happens in the game is a ‘mirror’ of what happens in life. EXACT Sports is more than an organization committed to making great athletes, we are committed to making great leaders, great students, great family members / friends, and great individuals. The classroom for EXACT and the hundreds of college coaches we work with, is the athletic field. We hope to see you or your player on the field, at one of our National Player Development Camps.

Keeping Composure For Pitchers: The Importance Of

Most of you know already that EXACT Sports puts out a lot of research on player development, performance, and sports statistics.  Earlier today I was going through some of our internal research and came across a gem of an analysis we did on college baseball players.    EXACT has been working in high school baseball player and college baseball player development for over a decade now, so sometimes I forget about some of the interesting findings we’ve uncovered in the past.

So there I was, sifting through papers my storage cabinet, and I came across one that our science team wrote from our work with half a dozen collegiate baseball programs back in 2005.  The college programs worked with us to help develop their players’ mental strengths.  What all of the coaching staff had faced (and which is one of the most common challenges in college baseball recruiting) is that despite the intensive baseball recruiting process, many of the high school players still didn’t come equipped with the right characteristics to succeed in college ball.  It’s no surprise that playing college baseball is a lot different than high school baseball.  There are different demands, pressures, and mental skills required.

So, EXACT Sports used its behavioral and mental tools to help understand the behavioral characteristics (mental toughness, confidence, competitiveness, motivation, coachability, etc.) of each team’s players and help the coaches identify opportunities to improve their players.  The culmination of our player development work was an internal study we conducted on the data.  What we found is, in hindsight, pretty intuitive but still rather interesting:

The college teams’ worst pitchers had the worst impulse control.  This isn’t just some observation of ours that we made up out of the blue or observed with our naked eye.  This was based on our statistical analysis and the results of our behavioral evaluation tool, the Competitive Athlete Psychological Inventory.   The numbers tell a clear story:  of the pitchers that EXACT evaluated, we found that a whopping 83% of them with a 4.0+ ERA had poor impulse control, as measured by our tool.

Poor impulse control can lead to poor pitching.

I’ll summarize with a last thought.  For those high school pitchers who want to someday play college baseball, keeping your composure under pressure and managing your impulses is more important than you may think.  I’m sure that you already understand this intuitively, but looking back at this research from several years ago, it’s very informative to see it presented this way.  I think if you want to know how to play baseball in college, the first step is going to be learning how to keep your composure and discipline.