"Today's high school baseball lesson is about a former gang member who was court marshaled for disobeying a superior officer...he ended up becoming the most symbolic sports figure in America. Who was it?"
Way before Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement, there was Jackie Robinson...
Jackie had no problem stirring the pot for what he believed. The charges were leveled against Robinson because, when he was in the military, he refused to sit in the back of the army transport bus. Even as the sergeant threatened him, Robinson didn't back down. Cooler heads prevailed, and the charges were eventually dropped.
Congrats to Steve Beer, former professional baseball player, for correctly answering "JACKIE ROBINSON".
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wise coaches teach their kids to cross train this maxim to ALL authority figures...
Even when you think the referee is wrong...he's right.
- John Wooden
Thursday, February 11, 2010
COACH WOODEN highlights
Many of you are starting the first unit this week on Coach Wooden. Here's a brief video on his accomplishments:
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Challenge is coming!
The Challenge: This multi-faceted lesson cross-trains kids via a fundamentals-based 1 hour “station to station” practice, while instilling the “Help Others” Wooden maxim as the over-arching theme. The Challenge begins by linking “Help Others” to the story of how Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente used his baseball talent as a means to help the poor.
The lesson continues as the kids explain to their friends and family about how they’ve accepted The Challenge to help their team, their league, and one of three local kid-centric charities raise funds. After the Challenge Practice is completed and the funds are collected, the team makes a difficult team decision: Which charity gets the proceeds?
The lesson continues as the kids explain to their friends and family about how they’ve accepted The Challenge to help their team, their league, and one of three local kid-centric charities raise funds. After the Challenge Practice is completed and the funds are collected, the team makes a difficult team decision: Which charity gets the proceeds?
One of our leagues is using The Challenge as a catalyst for a two-pronged fund raising effort. In addition to the charity, they're also using the proceeds to help rehabilitate their field's batting cages. Cost? $15,000....
Make each day your masterpiece!
Ted
Sunday, February 7, 2010
One more kid's career...ruined?
I met with some coaches recently to discuss BALL for some older (13-14 year old) kids in baseball. Because the kids were older than the typical BALL youth league demographic of 6 to 12 year olds, I decided to include the physiology units that we use the in high school program as a part of this league's older kid lesson plan. The logic goes like this: With all the misinformation out there about how a body reacts under stress, and all the guys that peddle the latest and greatest to eager parents about how to get that magical 90 mph fastball over the internet, I figured the coaches would appreciate learning what their high school and college counterparts already know.
Sometimes I figure wrong.
I made the mistake of presenting a lesson titled "Preventing Throwing Injuries and The Elbow", written by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. For those that don't know, let's just say that this group is made up of the finest doctors in their field. Period.
In the article, it tells about safeguards to prevent long term injuries to the young arm - injuries that might not surface until years after the kid actually starts hurting himself.
It was interesting to see how a few of the parent/coaches reacted when the doctors (who are specialists in this area) were advocating coaches to limit pitch counts and focus on proper conditioning, stretching, rest, etc. It seems that there is an opinion with a few well-meaning but (in my opinion) overly-aggressive youth coaches that a 13 year old kid can handle the same kind of stressors that a high school kid can handle.
I was baffled. And then I understood why. Apparently, guys that sell pitching performance on youtube to these well-meaning parents know more about 13 year old kids' arms than these doctors. Or maybe the parents just want to believe them more. Or maybe...just maybe...the information is good, but the audience is misapplying a solid message. Maybe a malleable 13 year old kid's body needs to be treated differently than a 17 or 18 year old prospect (with good mechanics) who is targeting a college career.
But I could be wrong...
Sometimes I figure wrong.
I made the mistake of presenting a lesson titled "Preventing Throwing Injuries and The Elbow", written by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. For those that don't know, let's just say that this group is made up of the finest doctors in their field. Period.
In the article, it tells about safeguards to prevent long term injuries to the young arm - injuries that might not surface until years after the kid actually starts hurting himself.
It was interesting to see how a few of the parent/coaches reacted when the doctors (who are specialists in this area) were advocating coaches to limit pitch counts and focus on proper conditioning, stretching, rest, etc. It seems that there is an opinion with a few well-meaning but (in my opinion) overly-aggressive youth coaches that a 13 year old kid can handle the same kind of stressors that a high school kid can handle.
I was baffled. And then I understood why. Apparently, guys that sell pitching performance on youtube to these well-meaning parents know more about 13 year old kids' arms than these doctors. Or maybe the parents just want to believe them more. Or maybe...just maybe...the information is good, but the audience is misapplying a solid message. Maybe a malleable 13 year old kid's body needs to be treated differently than a 17 or 18 year old prospect (with good mechanics) who is targeting a college career.
But I could be wrong...
Friday, February 5, 2010
High school presentation
Got a call out of the blue...seems that a local high school heard about BALL through the grapevine and wants me to talk to the students...FOR 4 HOURS. Alone on a stage.
Actually, it's four different periods in the auditorium. Maybe we'll look at some videos and discuss...
Basketball and soccer referees getting attacked by parents for "bad" calls...
Football parents going ballistic for "bad" coaching decisions...
Baseball moms berating umpires for "blown" calls...
Actually, it's four different periods in the auditorium. Maybe we'll look at some videos and discuss...
Basketball and soccer referees getting attacked by parents for "bad" calls...
Football parents going ballistic for "bad" coaching decisions...
Baseball moms berating umpires for "blown" calls...
Or maybe it will be of my all-time sports hero, Nolan Ryan, getting the best of Robin Ventura after Ventura was unsuccessful at controlling his emotions...It's a shame that Ventura's above-average career will be remembered for charging the mound after getting hit by a 46 year old legend (completely by accident).
On the other hand, it merely added more mystique to Ryan's legacy. Sometimes, you have to defend yourself.
On the other hand, it merely added more mystique to Ryan's legacy. Sometimes, you have to defend yourself.
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