Baseball Factory Blog

Sometimes it’s Good to be Little

2010-03-15T15:01:00.002-04:00

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Lexington, Kentucky, having just returned from another day attending the Little League International Congress. This Thursday, March 18 will be the one year anniversary of Baseball Factory’s strategic partnership with Little League International. Over the course of this first year, I have been lucky enough to gain some great experiences through this relationship. From the Skills Challenge we conducted at the Little League Urban Initiative Jamboree to our involvement in the 2009 Little League World Series to the Youth Clinics we held at Volunteer Stadium with over 120 players, I’ve gotten the chance to truly appreciate Little League and the efforts they make. However, as I sit here today, I have to say that the Little League International Congress may top the list.

Over the course of the weekend I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of Little League Delegates, District Administrators, Assistant District Administrators, Umpires, fans and other volunteers. In total, I’d estimate that there are close to 1,500 league volunteers that have made the trip into Lexington, simply because they love the game and they support the Little League mission. From all 50 states and 30 countries, these are individuals that don’t ask for anything (except maybe to trade pins) in return for their service. They are willing to dedicate hours, days and years to the improvement of Little League and the development of these baseball and softball players, both on and off the field.

The level of dedication that these volunteers show is unmatched throughout the game of baseball, and it is a testament to the value of sports in the growth and success of our youth. The Little League International Congress has been an eye opening experience and a reminder why I do what I do. I’ve always had a passion for the game of baseball and working with amateur players, but it is moments like this that show you the bigger picture, and the power of sports. Now more than ever, I’m ready for spring, summer and more baseball weather!

For more on the Little League International Congress, check out the Little League Facebook Fan Page. For more on the events Baseball Factory will conduct with Little League in 2010, check out the Youth Clinic page and our Little League Player Development Schedule.

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.

Tiger’s Quest to “Overcome” and the Neutral World Around Us

2010-03-08T16:41:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Like most of the world, I sat and watched Tiger Woods speak as he embarked upon the quest to “overcome” his personal failings. My opinion is that he did the best that he could possibly do at this moment in time. Much more significant to me however, is what we can all learn from Tiger’s “transgressions,” and also from the wide range of reactions that followed his first public appearance in about three months.

When Tiger’s state of mind is low, he is not capable of seeing life clearly and he is prone to lapses in judgment.

First, as I initially discussed on December 4th: http://www.inner-sports.com/okay-my-take-on-tiger/, the time is now for Tiger to understand that errant thinking and its ensuing impulses, signal “out of bounds,” not a call to action. As Tiger indicated, it is indeed necessary for him to address the pain inflicted by his errant behavior, but it is far more critical that he understands its source. Believe it or not, the temptation to stray is actually not the real issue here; a failure to realize that one’s state of mind determines one’s ability to regulate urges… is. Trust me, when Tiger’s level of well being is high, the thought of betraying his wife, comes and goes. When this level is low, he is not capable of seeing life clearly and he is prone to serious lapses in judgment. Thus, he has no choice but to succumb. Just reflect on the mistakes you have made in your own life. I guarantee that your faulty judgments, and resulting poor behavior, were far less about the situation you were in than about your level of well being the moment you encountered the situation.

Without the free will to choose, Tiger lacks the resources necessary to draw upon personal insights and move past errant emotions in his own way.

In addition, unless Tiger comes to see that he can only look within himself to find enduring answers, I am certain that this deviant pattern will manifest itself (perhaps in another form) yet again. While therapy or even Buddhism might set the wheels in motion, without the free will to choose, Tiger lacks the resources necessary to draw upon personal insights and move past errant emotions in his own way. In other words, relying on the judgments and guidance of the external world, in order to solve internal quandaries, can only work for so long. Instead, the answer solely lies in understanding how our own thoughts and state of mind, in the moment, affect the reality that we create for ourselves. It actually is this simple, and once understood Tiger will find it impossible to misread his internal feelings. For, they are perfectly designed to steer each of us away from trouble in our own individual manner.

How we view an external circumstance has nothing to do with the circumstance itself, and here lies the key to navigating smoothly through life.

There is one other related concept at work here and it has little to do with Tiger Woods the person. I know that it is quite obvious, but isn’t it amazing how many different judgments exist on the varying elements of Tiger’s speech? In the immediate aftermath I heard comments like, “he was genuine” or “he was arrogant.” “He spoke from the heart” or “it was an infomercial.” I mean, we did all watch the same broadcast didn’t we? Then this morning, I heard the identical sportscasters who offered opinions one day, offer different opinions the next. Well, doesn’t this paradox illustrate just how neutral the outside world (in this case Tiger’s plight) really is?

In truth then, we are all no different from Tiger in that how we view an external circumstance has virtually nothing to do with the circumstance itself. It is all about our own state of mind at that particular moment. And the sooner we come to understand this uncomplicated truth, the easier it will be for all of us to navigate smoothly through life…. Here lies the true message to Tiger, and to the masses, in this whole sad mess. I just hope that for his family’s benefit, the experts counseling Tiger are insightful enough to allow him to see it.

Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

No Excuses

2010-03-03T10:07:00.005-05:00

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

March 1st has come and gone and that means baseball season has started in most states for high school players. For some of the states in the West and South the weather is beautiful. In other areas, like the East, North, and Midwest they are dealing with frigid temperatures and record snowfall.

As a parent, it is easy to let adversity trigger excuses. I have heard many parents tell me over the years that their sons got off to a slow start because the weather was so bad that all practices were indoors and the lighting was bad. Or, with no outdoor practice they couldn’t work on taking ground balls off the dirt, so when they finally got outside their son wasn’t accustomed to the hops of a regular field. The examples I could list could go on and on.

I am a proponent of trying to live your life with NO EXCUSES. My family believes in this so much that my daughter’s favorite book is No Excuses by Wayne Dyer. For those with young children, you should check it out.

If you want an inspiration of how to live your life with no excuses, read the story of my college friend, EJ Poplawski, below. EJ was a competitive skier and suffered a terrible accident almost four years ago. If EJ can do what he did, anything is possible. Print this blog off and read this to your children. It should help them dig deep and work harder in baseball and in the classroom.

EJ’s Story. This excerpt was taken from his website: www.ejpoplawski.com

I started competing in the Freeskiing circuit several years ago. March 25, 2006 I was competing in the final round (top 10) of the 10th Annual U.S. Telemark Extreme Freeskiing Championships at Crested Butte). I Stomped my landing almost perfectly but my ski broke when I landed my last cliff drop and caused me to hit a tree. That is the day my life changed forever. They had to amputate my right leg 4.5 inches above my knee. I also tore my right shoulder apart and had to have rotator cuff surgery to repair the injury. I started walking again on July 12, 2006. That was a great day. It took a little while to get the hang of it, but once my residual limb got conditioned to the Prosthetic leg, I could start to keep my leg on all day. I fell a few times learning to walk and re-injured my shoulder and had to have another surgery in September 2006. I had to sit out the 06-07 season. But the winter of 07-08 I was back, and boy was it ever fun. I had my first day back on snow, on Dec 4, 2007 telemarking! I got exactly 100 days on snow for the 07-08 season. Tele, Alpine, Snowboard, and Snowmobiling I split my time between each. Life is different now. But I am determined to not let this set back change my life very much. I am doing everything I did before, Skiing, Snowboarding, Mt. Biking, Dirt Biking, Snowmobiling, Wakeboarding and working as a carpenter/builder. My Business is back and running again. I will not let this stop me. I hope to encourage others with limb loss to not give up. I want to show people everything that is possible!!!

In 2010, EJ competed in the Winter X-Games on ESPN.

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 14 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 All Teams Must Know About the Negative Effect of Judging

2010-02-25T12:17:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

I have often cautioned, through writings on this blog, about falling into the habit of judging others. To be honest, while I suppose I should practice what I preach, I often “judge” the habit of judging. For, I understand the potential damage that looking down on someone else can inflict on a relationship, organization, or team. I have mentioned that an individual usually becomes angry and resistant when judged, and so called deviant behavior only gets reinforced. I have also said that those who judge others simply fail to recognize their own errant state of mind in the moment, since a person will never judge when their level of psychological functioning is high. In this writing however, I want to specifically demonstrate the far reaching negative effect that judging a team member, or colleague, can have on your team or organization.

Brett Favre was a “train wreck,” while Donnie Warner “had guts.”

When Brett Favre was a rookie quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Jerry Glanville judged Favre to be irresponsible on and off the field. In fact, Glanville looked down on his “raw” quarterback from Southern Mississippi right from the start. When his feelings about not drafting Favre were overruled, Glanville even said that it would take a “plane crash” for him to get in a game. Then, when Favre missed the team photo that year, Glanville dubbed him a “train wreck” and following the 1991 season the Falcons traded Favre to Green Bay. Well as they say, the rest (at the QB position for both teams and the subsequent career paths of Glanville and Favre) is history.

To the contrary, way back in the summer of 1970 at the University of Michigan, a freshman named Donnie Warner knocked on the door of head football coach Bo Schembechler’s office. Standing 5’9” and weighing 170 pounds, Warner asked for a meeting with the not yet legendary second year coach. You see, it was Warner’s desire to try out for the football team. Schembechler had quite a busy schedule but reasoned that any young man who had the guts to make a personal request like that, deserved at least a few minutes of his time. Schembechler listened to “little” Donnie Warner state that he wanted to play offensive guard for one of the biggest and best college programs in the country. And when Schembechler told him how big the Michigan offensive line was, Warner’s response was “okay, then I’ll play defensive line.… middle guard.” So, flash forward to his senior year….Warner has earned a full scholarship, is starting at middle guard, and is one of the captains of the team! Until the day he died, Schembechler considered Donnie Warner the greatest football player that he ever coached at Michigan.

When we judge and then act from this egotistical place of insecurity, we will always get in our own way and stumble.

I suppose the message that I am using football history to impart, is that if you are a coach or leader of any organization, you just might be in the presence of greatness (Favre and Warner) but are far too distracted by your own limiting thoughts to notice. Glanville was so busy paying attention to what was wrong with Brett Favre, that in spite of his obvious physical attributes, Favre’s potential was withering away in Atlanta. On the other hand, Schembechler was so busy focusing on what was right with Donnie Warner that, in spite of having no tangible physical attributes, Warner became one of the most impactful players in the history of Michigan football. Schembechler was even quoted as saying that “nothing demonstrates the value of giving a guy a chance (not judging) more powerfully than the story of Donnie Warner.”

It is therefore essential to realize, that when we judge and then act from this egotistical perspective of insecurity, we will always get in our own way and stumble. Glanville’s record as a pro head coach was 63 up and 73 down. While his subject of ridicule, Favre, has re written the NFL record book at the quarterback position. Schembechler’s record at Michigan was 234-65-8, and the while this total is pretty amazing in itself, the enduring relationships that he developed with his players away from the game is what he is truly remembered for.

If we are tempted to judge, the way out is to see the positive possibilities for the future.

So, the next time you find yourself in a low state of mind and are tempted to look down on another, I ask to think about the real life stories of Glanville and Favre, Schembechler and Warner. Realize that judging someone else says a lot more about you than it does the person in question, and once you buy into the habit of negatively labeling others, it’s difficult to turn back. If we are tempted to judge, the way out actually lies in seeing the positive possibilities for the future. For, if you can hang in there and resist the ego’s negative pull, I can assure you that faith, and then hope, will become a reality before you even know it…… Just ask “raw” Brett Favre and “little” Donnie Warner!

Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

The APR: Five Years Later

2010-02-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

Woody Wingfield: Your Link to the Colleges

A while back, we did a blog entry on the Academic Progress Rate (APR) and its effect on college baseball. With the APR hitting the five-year mark, I thought it would be a good time to rehash what the APR means for college baseball.

As a recap, the NCAA installed the APR five years ago as an “academic audit” of all Division I sports. More specifically, it was established to measure the ability of universities to move their student-athletes closer to graduation every semester. If a team’s score fell below 925, or a 60% graduation rate, they would be subject to various penalties, including reduction of schedule or scholarships. Of all intercollegiate sports, only men’s baseball, football and basketball scored below the minimum during the first year. So, naturally the pressure fell on baseball coaches to clean up their sport.

How are they doing? Currently, the sport holds a single-year APR of 963, and its four-year average is up 31 points to 946, the largest jump of any sport.

Of course, this kind of change happens not just in the college classroom, but on the recruiting trail, too. Nowadays, college coaches are much less likely to take a chance on a player that may struggle to stay eligible at his university. For older players with poor grades, this means that the JuCo option may be the best route to Division I, given the “clean slate” you get as a transfer student. There are also several strong Division II, Division III and NAIA programs out there that don't fall under the scope of the APR.

For younger players, this means that your academics can never take a backseat to your work on the field. They can’t ride shotgun, either. One of the first things any college coach will look at is your academic record, so that needs to pass muster before they spend any time coming to watch you play. It’s always a shame to see a great player get passed over because he didn’t take care of business during geometry class.

Remember, there’s a reason the Baseball Factory logo includes not only a baseball, but a book, too.

Woody serves as the Director of College Recruiting Operations, working with players and parents in the ACR, Exclusive and Exclusive BATS Programs. His role is to assist all families with questions they may have throughout the recruiting process. Woody is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he worked as an intern with the Cavalier Baseball Team.

Farm Boy Strong

2010-02-19T15:53:00.002-05:00

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

In the last week, I have spent a lot of time shoveling snow. Here in Baltimore, we received 50” of snow in a five day stretch. As I piled snow higher than my head on the sides of walkways, driveways and cars, I taxed muscles that had not been awakened in some time. Hours of doing this also gave me plenty of time alone with my thoughts. One thought involved the type of shape I would be in if this kind of shoveling was a daily routine for me.

It made me remember a scouting term that I have heard before: “farm boy strong.” This term is used to describe a young player who is naturally thick and strong referencing young men who grew up on a farm and developed their strength by doing difficult manual labor on a daily basis. These guys are hard to find these days. We see many more “soft-bodied” prospects than “farm boy strong” prospects. Society has changed with more jobs done by automated machines than in generations past, but it is also widely chronicled that today’s young players spend more time playing video games and staring at the computer than ever before.

When Mickey Mantle was growing up he worked in the lead mines in the summers. One of his jobs involved smashing large rocks into smaller ones with a sledgehammer. Some credit his immense wrist and forearm strength to this. Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks both worked in the cotton fields as young men building naturally strong hands from their hours of picking cotton. These “farm boy strong” players combined for 1,803 home runs in their storied careers. As the rules continue to eliminate players with chemically enhanced strength, I think the player with some skill and natural strength will become an extremely hot commodity.

Maybe some of today’s young high school players should pick their summer jobs not based on which is the easiest, but by which will build up some usable strength for them in the future. It paid off for guys like Mantle, Banks and Aaron.

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 formerly served 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.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-02-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

It makes perfect sense, at least to me, for every aspiring college baseball player to get out and actually watch college baseball games. Simple, I know, but I don’t think many young players see much more than what comes on television.

I get it though, who wouldn’t want to play at Texas or LSU or any of the other perennial College World Series teams? It is very important to realize, however, that these teams represent a very small and very elite slice of college baseball. Most people that lace it up after high school WILL NOT play at this level, and trust me on this one – if they are interested in you, you’ll know.

The rest of us need to do our research, both on schools and baseball programs. It just so happens that North Carolina is a great college baseball state. With about an hour of digging on the Internet, I came up with a menu of college baseball games within about a two hour drive from my Raleigh area home. I wish I would have done this when I was in high school, it certainly would have been an eye opener for me.

If you live in Central or Eastern NC, then feel free to pick a game or two from my list below. If not, get online and start looking for college baseball games in your area. Make sure to try and hit all levels from Division I to Junior College. Not only will you get to see the different levels of play (DI isn’t always the best), but you will also be able to see the different campus settings and college towns. The only way to know what is right for you is to get out and take a look.

North Carolina College Preview: Friday 2/19 – Sunday 2/20

Division III

North Carolina Wesleyan University
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Emory University (GA, D3) @ 3pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. SUNY Cortland (NY, D3) @ 11am
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Emory University (GA, D3) @ 3pm

Methodist College
- Friday 2/19 vs. Farmingdale State College (NY, D3) @ 4pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Huntingdon College (AL, D3) @ 1pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Frostburg State University (MD, D3) @ 4pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Roanoke College (VA, D3) @ 4pm

Guilford College
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Neumann College (PA, D3) @ 12 pm (DH)
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Case Western Reserve University (OH, D3) @ 12pm (DH)

Greensboro College
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Stevenson University (MD, D3) @ 3pm (DH)
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Neumann College (PA, D3) @ 3pm

Division II

Barton College
- vs. Shippensburg University (PA, D2): DH Sat & Sun @ 12pm

Mount Olive College
- vs. Anderson College (SC, D2): Sat DH @ 12pm, Sun 12pm

UNC Pembroke
- vs. Bloomfield College (NJ, D2): Sat DH @ 1pm, Sun 1pm

Division I

North Carolina State University
- vs. La Salle University (PA): Fri @ 3pm, Sat @ 2pm, Sun @ 1pm

University of North Carolina
- vs. George Washington University (DC): Fri @ 3pm, Sat @ 2pm, Sun @ 1pm

East Carolina University
- vs. University of Virginia: Fri @ 3pm, Sat @ 2pm, Sun @ 1pm

Elon University
- Friday 2/19 vs. Towson University (MD) @ 1pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Ohio University @ 12pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. North Carolina A&T @ 4pm

Wake Forest University
- Friday 2/19 vs. Army @ 4pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. University of Dayton (OH) @ 12pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Army @ 4pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. University of Dayton (OH) @ 1pm

High Point University
- Friday 2/19 vs. UNC-Charlotte @ 4pm

UNC-Greensboro
- vs. Cleveland State University (OH): Fri @ 4pm, Sat & Sun @ 1pm

Campbell University
- vs. UNC-Asheville: Fri @ 4pm, Sat DH @ 1pm

North Carolina A&T (@ Elon University Tournament)
- Friday 2/19 vs. Ohio University @ 4:30pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Elon University @ 4pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Towson University (MD) @ 4pm

North Carolina Central University
- Friday 2/19 vs. Iona College (NY) @ 1pm
- Saturday 2/20 vs. Delaware State University @ 4pm
- Sunday 2/21 vs. Navy @ 3pm

Junior College

Louisburg College
- Sunday vs. Wilkes CC: 1:00pm DH

Wake Tech Community College
- @ Pitt Community College: Sat & Sun DH @ 1pm

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.

Decoding the PSAT/NMSQT

2010-02-16T13:31:00.002-05:00

Bernadette Bechta: Blackboard Basics

In October, a shorter version of the SAT is administered throughout the country to sophomores and juniors in high school. It is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. This test is normed to high school juniors although 10th graders usually take it for practice and diagnostic purposes, which I will explain later in this blog. The College Board administers the PSAT and it is the screening test for the NMSQT, which is a scholarship and recognition program administered by a separate organization. To become a National Merit Scholarship Candidate you must:

1. Be an 11th grade student
2. Be a U.S. citizen
3. Plan to attend a four-year college
4. Graduate next year
5. Spend four years in high school; i.e., not graduate early

Typically, a NMSC scores in the 96% and the cutoff score for 2010 graduates was 221 in the state of Maryland, which equates to an SAT score of 2210. These students took the test in October, 2008. The cutoff number for semi-finalists can vary from state to state and this data is available to all high school guidance counselors. State universities typically offer scholarships to NMSQT finalists that average from $4,000 to $11,000. Once a student reaches the cutoff score they will be evaluated on other factors like Letters of Recommendation, Essays, and Transcripts to enter into the finalist category. Additional information can be found at www.nationalmerit.org.

However, for all 10th graders and the 11th graders who take the PSAT, it is primarily a diagnostic test for the upcoming SAT. The Critical Reading section has questions ranging from easy to medium to hard. The Math section has Geometry, Algebra, and Data Analysis and is intended to test your critical thinking skills. There is no essay on the PSAT but the Writing section contains sentence structure and grammar questions. The student is asked to self report his/her GPA, Major interest of Study, and future educational plans.

Once a student takes the PSAT he/she will receive a CODE number that can be used to access a career planning kit. It is personalized for each student based on his/her score and is an important tool for the preparation experience. Each student who took the PSAT should consider doing the following:

1. Set up a College Board website account using the Access Code on the PSAT/NMSQT paper score report.
2. Go to My College Quick Start (www.collegeboard.com/quickstart) and access the following information:
a. My Online Score Report – an enhanced score report with test questions, your answer, and the correct answer with answer explanations. This information will help you understand your strength and weaknesses on your PSAT test.
b. My SAT Study Plan – Prepare for the upcoming SAT with personalized plan based on your test performance (includes a free practice test).
c. My Personality – This is a new feature available to PSAT test takers. Take a personality test to learn more about you and find majors and careers that fit your strengths and interests.
d. My College Matches – Get a starter list of colleges (based on your home state and indicated choice of major) to help you begin your search.
e. My Major and Career Matches – Learn about different majors and careers and see what courses you should take now to be successful later.
3. Once you review all of this information, you can develop a study plan for the SAT test that suits your learning style.

Studies show that the PSAT is a very helpful test for 10th and 11th graders to take as a diagnostic and preparation tool. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about yourself. Get started today!

Bernadette Bechta serves as the main academic contact for all players and parents in Baseball Factory's Exclusive Program. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and advisor at the high school level, Bernadette will provide families with guidance on topics ranging from application essays to financial aid. In addition, Bernadette’s two sons have both gone through the Exclusive Program, so she knows the ins and outs of the process from a parent’s perspective.

Leary Making Waves in his Westmont Debut

2010-02-15T13:19:00.003-05:00

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

Former Baseball Factory Exclusive College Recruiting Program participant, Tim Leary (Coronado, CA) has been turning heads and making a name for himself during his first week for the Westmont Warriors.

Leary, a sophomore transfer has taken the designated hitter role to the next level. All he does is hit! In his first at bat, Leary stepped to the plate and sent the second pitch he saw 345 feet over the left field wall to collect four of his six RBI's on a grand slam homerun.

Last week, against NCAA Division III opponent, Cal Lutheran, Leary had another unbelievable day at the plate. Leary went four for four at the plate with a solo homerun, two doubles, a single and a walk. He ended the day with two RBI's and scored three times.

“Leary did a good job,” said Westmont Head Coach Robert Ruiz. “He is staying aggressive in the right counts like we have asked him to do.”

The Warriors are led by Head Baseball Coach, Robert Ruiz and pitching coach, Tony Cougoule. Both Coach Ruiz and Cougoule have played significant roles at various Baseball Factory and Team One events. In addition to their evaluator and instructional roles with Baseball Factory, they both actively recruit many Baseball Factory and Team One participants across the country.

We wish Robby, Tony, and the rest of the Warrior team the best of the luck in their spring season.

Full Article – Game 3 vs. Cal Lutheran

Full Article – Game 1 vs. Pomona-Pitzer

Justin is the Senior Director of Team One Baseball. Justin Roswell joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007 he became the Senior Director for Team One Baseball, the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director, he leads the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also runs the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University - Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.

Snowy Days

2010-02-12T14:02:00.003-05:00

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

For those of us that live in the Baltimore/Washington DC Metropolitan area, it has been a rough winter. Over the past week, we have had nearly four feet of snow fall with drifts that eclipse seven feet! This is the most snow this area has seen since the 1800’s. It has been a lot of shoveling to say the least. Check out a funny photo of me and my youngest daughter.

This will illustrate just how much snow is on the ground.

It is times like this when I remember how baseball players in the North East and Midwest have to be creative to stay in baseball shape. Today is February 12th and college baseball practice has started and high school programs in the west and south have already started practicing (outside). Kids in our geographic area are certainly at a disadvantage, but they can’t use the bad weather as an excuse. Let’s face it, most high school players from our area want to go down south to play where it is warm. So if they want to compete with those players for college roster spots, kids in our geographic area need to do all they can to get their work in and not fall behind.

As parents, you need to encourage your sons to stay motivated for baseball. Once you dig your cars out, try and get to an indoor hitting facility. Get to the gym to get their conditioning and weight training in. If you can get to a gymnasium for them to throw and do defense work, take advantage of that opportunity as well. Keep dreaming of warmer days and hopefully they will be here soon. I am certainly ready for it!

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 14 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.

The Only Way To Decide

2010-02-09T14:17:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

This morning, I had a young hockey playing client and his father come in to see me. A senior in high school and an excellent player, this young man was badly struggling with the decision to go to prep school next year as a post graduate, or to go play in the USHL, the leading junior hockey league in the United States. You see, in the world of college hockey these days, virtually all coaches require that their recruits take an extra year (or two) between high school and starting their college careers. So, while his college plans were all set for a year from now, what to do next year had become a major see saw battle in his and his parents’ heads. They believed I could help shed some light on the predicament.

“Let’s talk about how I can help you uncover the answer for yourself.”

After we chatted for a while, the young man came right out and said, “Coach if you were me, what would you do?” I quickly responded, “Well, since I’m not you I have no ability to answer that question, but let’s talk about how I can help you uncover the answer for yourself.” I then said to the father and son, that I am going to take a quarter out of my pocket. I am going to flip the quarter and if it comes up heads you’re going to prep school, if it comes up tails, off to juniors you go. I pretended to reason that since the family had gone back and forth on the choice about a hundred times, the only way to solve the apparent dilemma was to leave it up to chance. Hence, I flipped the coin high into the air and much to my delight, before it landed back in my hand, the young man blurted out, “I hope it comes up heads!”

The outside world has made decision making far more complicated than it has to be.

Now, there are two essential lessons for all of us to learn from the events of this morning. One is that if you are a coach, teacher, or even a parent, your calling is to never make a direct decision for your player, student, or child. In truth, the best leaders serve to bring out the inner wisdom in those they mentor. The method used is solely up to you (I have no idea where I came up with the coin trick, by the way) but remember, while part of your role is to help produce quality listeners, your role is never to produce quality followers. Second and most importantly, whenever we intellectualize the pros and cons of a decision, the answer will always get clouded. I suppose that it’s fine to think things through up to a point, but sooner or later your intuition, inner knowledge, or heart must be consulted. Unfortunately for all of us, the outside world has made decision making far more complicated than it has to be.

Our most enduring ideas or thoughts only occur via insight.

Bear in mind then, if we allow it, the right choices in life will simply come to us. Most of us unfortunately believe that individuals, who seem to navigate smoothly through life, do so via use of the intellect. The truth however, is that many intellectuals struggle mightily in their personal lives. To the contrary, our most impactful thoughts and ideas actually occur via insight. And like the above example, when we are not even trying hard to figure something out. Thus, what occurred to me this morning is that both coaches and players have profound requirements to live up to at decision time. A coach’s job is to subtly bring forth a player’s own ever expanding inner knowledge. A player (and all of us) must see that the only path to enduring choices is through the magical power of insight. I hope that both sides can now clearly see that a productive decision can never come from an overworked or uneasy personal perspective … and never from someone else.

Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

What’s in a Name?

2010-02-03T15:19:00.006-05:00

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

You probably didn’t notice, but we’ve changed the name of our “Signature” Program. As of this week, the Baseball Factory Signature College Recruiting Program (or SCR Program) has a new name. We are proud to introduce the Premium Video Program!

So, why the change? Well, it’s simple. We changed the name in order to clarify the main benefit of the program! Video, video, video! College coaches are leaning more and more on professionally edited video in order to start recruiting a player. Before going out to see the player in person, they are coming to Baseball Factory to see that player on video. While the Signature College Recruiting Program was the “signature” program at Baseball Factory, the video component was getting lost in the shuffle. By introducing the Premium Video Program we hope to make it easier for families to identify this program as a needed component in their college baseball search.

How does this program work with the Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryouts? Technically, the Premium Video Program is a part of our Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout series. The National Tryout series will tour both the US and Canada in 2010, making over 100 stops along the way. From Honolulu to Boston and Tampa to Seattle, we will scour the globe to find top prospects in every region of the US and Canada. For all of our stops along the tour we will hold the Premium Video Program in the morning (9 AM) and the Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in the afternoon (1 PM). Players that participate in the Premium Video Program will receive all benefits from the National Tryout. They will also be considered for Under Armour Baseball Factory National Teams and Training Camps. For more info, check out our new page promoting both programs.

Has anything else changed about the program? No, just the name. The price remains $495 with a $100 extra position fee. This program has assisted our players in obtaining over $500 Million in scholarship offers, and we expect that number to keep growing each and every year. The benefits are still the same including a Pro Scout evaluation of each player. Our scouts don’t over-rate players. They offer a true snap shot of each player’s strengths, weaknesses and projectable tools. This evaluation is unbiased and straightforward, which is why college coaches respect Baseball Factory evaluations and turn to them as a recruiting reference.

We do have a new slogan attached to the program: Start Early, Promote Often. The landscape of college recruiting has shifted younger and younger over the last 15 years. It used to be a college coach started recruiting a player in his junior year. Now, we hear about juniors that are “verbally committing.” College coaches are recruiting players earlier and earlier in their quest to fill out their rosters. As such, it is even more important today than it was back when I founded Baseball Factory in 1994 that players Start Early and Promote Often.

This makes the Premium Video Program even more valuable because of the professionally edited video and pro scout evaluation it provides. Coaches can’t see every player in person, but they can watch video footage and read an evaluation from the comfort of their own office. In fact, coaches are recruiting Baseball Factory players more today than ever before, because they can get everything they need with the click of a mouse. Over the past six months, 1,100 college coaches have spent a combined 350 hours searching the Baseball Factory’s recruiting database for prospects. These coaches have viewed over 23,000 player profiles, videos and evaluations! I don’t think there can be any better evidence to the fact that if you are a player who wants to play college baseball, you need to get a video and evaluation from Baseball Factory in order to increase your chances of being seen. The Premium Video Program provides you with this opportunity, so remember…Start Early, Promote Often.

As the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory, I am excited about these changes and hope that our families are excited as well. We continue to strive to provide the highest baseball product in the industry. We will work to our fullest capability to target schools where our players can be successful and provide them with needed exposure and guidance. We will also help each and every player to get the most out of their ability through our Player Development events. We will provide impeccable customer service at all times.

We want to hear your feedback. Please post a comment or email us at newsletter@baseballfactory.com.

Steve Sclafani is the CEO/Founder of the Baseball Factory. Sclafani’s ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles has led to over 20,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players competing at the college level, $500 million in scholarships, and over 2,000 players selected in the MLB draft. Sclafani was recognized as a member of Baltimore’s prestigious 40/40 Club, honoring 40 top executives under 40 years of age. Steve is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

2010 Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-American Team

2010-01-29T16:55:00.001-05:00

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

The 2010 Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-American team was recently announced.

Below are several former and current Baseball Factory and Team One standouts. We wish all athletes the best of luck for their 2010 spring season and the MLB Amateur Draft in June.

First Team – Pitchers
Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands H.S., TX
Under Armour All-America Game 2009
Baseball Factory Arizona Freshman/Sophomore Fall Classic 2007
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2007

Henry Owens, LHP, Edison H.S., Huntington Beach, CA
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2009
Team One West 2009

Drew Cisco, RHP, Wando H.S., Mount Pleasant, SC
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Casey Mulholland, RHP, Pendleton School, Bradenton, FL
Under Armour All-America Game 2009
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2009
Team One South 2009
Under Armour Southeast Tournament 2009
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2009 & 2007

First Team – Catchers
Stefan Sabol, Aliso Niguel H.S., Aliso Viejo, CA
Under Armour National Tryout 2008 & 2007

Jacob Felts, Orangefield H.S., TX
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Alex Ramsay, Severna Park H.S., MD
Under Armour All-America Game 2009
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2010 & 2008
Team One South 2009
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2007
Baseball Factory Christmas Camp & Tournament 2006

First Team – Infielders
Marcus Littlewood, SS, Pine View H.S., St. George, UT
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2008

Garin Cecchini, SS/3B, Barbe H.S., Lake Charles, LA
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Zach Alvord, SS, South Forsyth H.S., Cumming, GA
Under Armour All-America Game 2009
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2009

Matt Lipka, SS, McKinney H.S., TX
Team One South 2008

First Team – Outfielders
Reginald Golden, Wetumpka H.S., AL
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Austin Wilson, Harvard-Westlake H.S., North Hollywood, CA
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Cory Hahn, Mater Dei H.S., Santa Ana, CA
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2007

Michael Lorenzen, Fullerton H.S., CA
Under Armour National Tryout 2008

Alex Facundus, Catholic H.S., Baton Rouge, LA
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2010

First Team - Multi-Position Players
Stetson Allie, 3B/1B/RHP, St. Edwards H.S., Lakewood, OH
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Daryl Norris, 1B/RHP, Fairhope H.S., AL
Team One South 2008
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2008

JaCoby Jones, SS/RHP/OF, Richton H.S., MS
Under Armour All-America Game 2009

Kevin Koziol, SS/P, Brother Rice H.S., Chicago, IL
Under Armour All-America Game 2009
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament 2010 & 2009
Baseball Factory Signature College Recruiting Program 2008
Baseball Factory Arizona Freshman/Sophomore Fall Classic 2007
Baseball Factory Dodgertown World Series 2007
Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout 2007

Justin is the Senior Director of Team One Baseball. Justin Roswell joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007 he became the Senior Director for Team One Baseball, the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director, he leads the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also runs the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University - Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.

Being a Tiger, Eating like Big Mac

2010-01-21T10:57:00.002-05:00

Doug Glanville: Lessons from the Times

I know it is hard to see what has happened to some of our most famous athletes in the last couple of months. As if the drug investigation into baseball (Mitchell Report) didn’t expose enough about the greed, insecurity, and rampant drug culture in baseball, now we are looking at athletes that broke records or are knocking on record doors and wondering why their lives are such a mess.

Mark McGwire admitted to taking steroids at various times during his career, including the year that resulted in his breaking of the single-season homerun record. He genuinely seemed tormented by making this admission, one that most of us knew was eventually going to come, but even after hearing the news, all I thought was that this was another question mark about the legitimacy of baseball.

It goes back to the same idea. What are you willing to do to be the best? How far will you go to be a legend? Is it worth any price?

Well, I hope you have limits and boundaries that have been shaped by what you value in your life. Things that you will not compromise no matter what the promise. That is what it means to “stand for something.” This “something” is what you would never give up.

Yet everyone has different lines in the sand as to where to draw that wall. But no matter where your line is, once you give in to temptation and peer pressure to use steroids, it is hard to go back. Once you pop that first magic pill, it becomes part of you and you will now wonder who you would be without it. Now McGwire cannot separate the man on the juice and the man off the juice and that is a bad place to be.

Then we have Tiger Woods. Undoubtedly a force of nature and the greatest golfer on the circuit. He is dancing right up to legendary records set by Jack Nicklaus as a young man. So what happened? His “off the field” choices derailed him indefinitely. Is there lesson here?

There no doubt is a lesson. I still remember my days in high school and I understand how difficult it was to find your social life. You could be shy, you could be a late bloomer, you could be busy with other activities, you could just be scared. It is OK. I also remembered how nervous I was when I asked Christine Saunders to the prom. I barely could speak after she said yes. It is hard in high school.

So imagine you make it to the next level in baseball. Your confidence rises, you can now talk to all of those young ladies that used to scare you half to death. So you keep going, trying for a little cuter, trying to impress your teammates, trying to “one-up” yourself. But will you have the discipline to stop? Will you even want to stop as you keep going until you end up like Tiger Woods or many other pro athletes that have unlimited access to women all over the place. Maybe it sounds fun as a young man in high school. But it is important to pay attention to what has happened to Tiger Woods. It is important to separate ego from learning yourself and other people. Ego keeps score, measures conquests, compares to things that don’t really matter. Ego comes and goes, just like his career came and went in the blink of an eye. If you are rising in the world of baseball, congratulations, but make sure you keep a foot on the ground because there will be a lot of people telling you things and pumping you up, including in your new social circle, but they disappear when the music stops, leaving you solo. Just like Tiger is right now.

But there is always someone around in your life who is stable, who has your back, no matter what happens. Focus on them, listen to them, and stay close. It will help you when the attention gets addictive, the type of attention you may not have gotten in high school and are enjoying for the first time.

Opportunity will always be there socially, but the window for being a pro baseball players will not and even when you take advantage of it, it doesn’t last that long. I saw too many players fall apart from chasing the night life before they fulfilled the dream. The night life is just an illusion, people in that circle come and go, but will baseball be there?

McGwire, Woods, A-Rod, whoever. It matters how you do things on and off of the field. Treat people with respect no matter if you are hitting .400 or .200. Try and do an honest job, so you get honest results. Accept setbacks and struggles, it is how you grow. Have fun, but be smart about it. You can party from time to time and still get your rest.

Now that it is out, was it all worth it for McGwire and Tiger? Breaking a record by any means necessary or tallying up yet another woman is not a broken record at all, nor a score worth keeping. All you end up with is a broken soul and an empty scoreboard.

Doug Glanville joined the Baseball Factory as a Special Consultant at the end of 2007. Glanville attended and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Systems Science and Engineering. Glanville was drafted 12th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 1991 amateur draft. Glanville played nine seasons in the Majors, getting his break with the Cubs. He also spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and a portion of the 2003 season with the Texas Rangers. In 1999, Glanville batted .325 with 204 hits, 101 runs, six homeruns, 73 runs batted in and 34 stolen bases. He led the league in singles with 149 that year. To review other articles from Doug Glanville, including his New York Times column, please click here.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament

2010-01-17T20:53:00.002-05:00

Dave Lax: We're There

The 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament has come to a close. Over 300 players took part in this elite event and they did not disappoint. Outstanding performances were delivered during the final day of action. The day was capped off literally by a walk-off. The tournament rules stated that six batters would come to the plate each inning. The final batter, in the final inning, in the final game of the tournament took his place in the batters box. The final batter, Dan Denton of Newtown, PA, took a great swing at a fastball and knocked it out of the park. As Denton crossed homeplate all of the players from both teams gathered to shake hands. Baseball Factory wants to congratulate all of the participating players in this year's Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament. Check out some pictures from the final day of action:

Game action from the first round of play.

A scout gets the velocity of a pitcher.

Team "USA" pose for a team picture after their final game.

A Baseball Factory scout talks to two teams after their final game.

For premium insider content, you can also follow the event by becoming a Fan of Baseball Factory on Facebook or Following us on Twitter.

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.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament

2010-01-17T00:13:00.002-05:00

Dave Lax: We're There

Day two is in the books. All twenty teams participated in a pro style workout and filming session. Along with the workout the players also took part in their first showcase style game. Check out some of the great action from Day 2 at the 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament.

Players warm up prior to starting their video workout.

A player takes batting practice during the morning workout.

Two teams battle in the first round of games.

Scouts look on during showcase style games.

The sun sets on Day 2 at the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament

2010-01-16T01:08:00.007-05:00

Dave Lax: We're There

The 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament is underway. Over 300 of the nations best ballplayers gathered in Tucson, AZ to take part in this three-day event. This year's event has elite players from 33 states, Puerto Rico, three Canadian Provinces (British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta) and the Bahamas represented. During the first day's events players checked-in and received their Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Jersey, Hat and Cleats. They also recieved their commemorative certificate. After all the players filed through they were treated to a few opening ceremony speeches. Over 1,000 players, parents, friends and relatives packed into the Grand Ballroom to hear these speeches. The night was started off by Steve Bernhardt, Executive VP of Baseball Operations for the Baseball Factory. He was followed up by the Baseball Factory's CEO and Founder Steve Sclafani. The evening was capped off by Mac Seibert, National Cross Checker for the New York Mets.

If the excitement of the first night was any indication, we are headed for a great showcase and tournament.

Check back tomorrow for an update on the first day of on-field action.

For premium insider content, you can also follow the event by becoming a Fan of Baseball Factory on Facebook or Following us on Twitter.

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.

Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament Powered by Baseball Factory kicks off this weekend

2010-01-14T10:21:00.003-05:00

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Let me start off this post with an embarrassing admission. The Baseball Factory is operating its 12th Pre-Season All-America Tournament this weekend in Tucson, Arizona and I will not be in attendance because I injured my ankle (high ankle sprain and torn ligaments). I wish I could say that it was a glamorous injury, something like skiing, snowboarding, or even basketball. Not the case, unfortunately. I just turned my ankle on a trail walk with my wife and kids and have been on crutches the past three weeks. So much for being a former NCAA Division I athlete!

I will be getting updates from the sidelines (back in Maryland) from the Pre-Season Tournament, and I am excited to hear how this group performs. Over 300 players will be in attendance and it will be a great way for them to jump start their 2010 seasons. These players will join a distinguished list of Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American Alumni that include the following current MLB players: Gavin Floyd (Chicago White Sox), David Wright (New York Mets), Delmon Young (Minnesota Twins), and Bud Norris (Houston Astros). As a parent myself, I know that the parents of the players participating this weekend must be very proud. Best of luck to the participants!

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 14 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.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament

2010-01-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

Dave Lax: We're There

Check back here for daily recaps from Tucson during the 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament, powered by Baseball Factory. Check out the official Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament Page. Here you will be able to find all the important information you will need to stay up to date on this event. Check out the over 300 players that will be in attendance. Also on this page are the Team Breakdown, Tentative Itinerary and a map of the Kino Sports Complex, Spring Training Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament kicks off tomorrow evening. We look forward to a great event.

For premium insider content, you can also follow the event by becoming a Fan of Baseball Factory on Facebook or Following us on Twitter.

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.

An Often Overlooked Secret to Avoiding Injury

2010-01-04T13:15:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Wayne Gretzky weighed only 170 pounds during the better part of his hockey career. He obviously played a bruising sport, was often the focus of the opposition’s “tough guy,” and during the course of the season, logged an incredible amount of ice time. While Gretzky did have teammates that watched his back, he wasn’t however, one of those athletes who protected himself by spending countless hours in the gym or weight room. How then would you explain the fact that he was rarely injured during the 22 years that he played professional hockey?… As the number one tennis player in the world, Roger Federer plays a grueling schedule in which his body is put to the test, tournament after tournament, often reaching the finals against now younger and equally hungry rivals. What then is his key to consistently staying healthy?

Players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play.

The answer lies in the overlooked truth that players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play. Clearly, when you are conserving energy your body is far less susceptible to injury compared to those players who are consistently fatigued. While this notion might seem obvious, let’s take a closer look at why athletes, who play the game in a relatively fluent state of mind, rarely spend time on the disabled list…. Quite simply, players get hurt when their minds are not present to the task at hand. Much like when we fail to live in the present moment in our daily lives, when an athlete dwells on a past mistake or looks ahead to what’ s coming, he or she will get sloppy. When we get sloppy we open ourselves up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in the wrong physical position. You can figure out what often comes next! So, while the gift of living in the present moment has clearly allowed both Gretzky and Federer to consistently excel, it has also served the essential purpose of allowing them to stay in the game to do so.

Players who “grind it out” or rev up their bodies will be more vulnerable to injury, as compared to those who play with a lightness or ease.

Moreover, there is one other important factor at work here that should not be overlooked, and is unfortunately often confused by coaches. That is, players who force themselves to get psyched up for a game, or who believe that success will come from grinding it out or revving up their bodies, will ultimately be more vulnerable to injury than athletes who play their game with a lightness or ease. And please don’t make the mistake of separating lightness and ease from hustle. For, players who compete with a natural resiliency and effort are those who operate from a clear and unencumbered (light) state of mind, and thus tend to stay healthy. Brett Favre, anyone?

A modern example of a pro athlete who exhibits this type of mind set is another fine hockey player, Zach Parise of the NJ Devils. I have had the good fortune to work with Zach over the past two years, and one of our primary focuses is this very concept. In other words, if you have ever watched Zach play you know that he is virtually all over the place out on the ice. I mean he never stops hustling, no matter what the game situation is! And unlike Gretzky, Zach is more than willing to throw his body around. Why then is Zach rarely injured? Now, a rigorous off- ice training routine is indeed part of the explanation, but more significantly, Zach is learning to play the game from an unbounded place of freedom in action. This lightness allows Zach to be more conscious in his effort as the perceptual field expands for him. As a result, he often finds himself in a positive position to make a pass or score a goal, but also to avoid being open for a hit (or to be in an errant physical position when he is hit) that might lead to injury.

A “bound up” or “tight” level of psychological functioning will lead to a “bound up” or “tight” level of physical functioning.

Finally, I am hoping that in this post I have provided food for thought for sports teams, training staffs, parents, and individual athletes. For, while it is truly necessary to train your body to avoid injuries, understanding your mind for this overlooked purpose is at least of equal relevance. Clearly, a bound up or tight level of psychological functioning will lead to a bound up or tight level of physical functioning, thus leading to the susceptibility for injury. Think about your own life, when we are uptight, worried, or just down, we tend to lack energy and often fall victim to illness. Therefore, if a player wants to consistently stay on the field of play, my suggestion is to develop an understanding not only in your physical attributes, but also in the principles that allow for an unencumbered, free flowing and keen state of mind as well!

Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

If Tiger Woods was your son, what advice would you give him right now? (Part 2)

2009-12-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

OK, so here is my answer to the question above.

Tiger, you are arguably the most recognizable name and face in the sports industry, so you can’t hide behind your website and standard press releases and think that the public, your sponsors, and the media will be satisfied.

You have made some choices that certainly paint a negative picture of your character and your ability to make good decisions. However, the only chance you have to win back some grace and dignity is to stand in front of the camera, make a statement and answer the media’s questions. You need to say that you made some poor decisions, and you are now forced to deal with the ramifications of your decisions. Even if this means that you have done irreparable damage to your marriage and to your sponsor’s business arrangements.

Tell people that even highly successful people, who seemingly have the world at their fingertips, make poor decisions. No one is immune to general human emotions like insecurity. Sometimes people make bad choices, but how we deal with those choices is usually how we are judged the most.

You don’t have to make the statement long and you don’t have to answer the questions for days. Just get out there and be honest and human. Don’t try to be a robot without any emotion.

Hiding isn’t going to solve anything or help you in anyway. At some point, you are going to have to face the music and it is better to get it over with so you can focus on what is really important. That is, repairing your family and image.

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 14 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.

Your New Year's Resolution: Clean Up Your E-mails!

2009-12-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

Woody Wingfield: Your Link to the Colleges

We’re coming up on the New Year, which means it’s resolution season. While there’s plenty to be done in the gym to get ready for the spring season, now is a good time to make a New Year’s Resolution to correct some common “e-mail etiquette” mistakes.

In the college recruiting game, these mistakes often distract coaches from what they’re meant to see, or send the wrong message entirely. How you come across in an e-mail, which is called “tone,” can be a crucial factor in whether or not these coaches look at any videos you send them or come to your games. Take a look at some suggestions that the College Recruiting Staff has put together:

Use an e-mail address with your name in it. Suggestive e-mail addresses such as “partydawg1091” or “sportsfreak11” don’t tell coaches anything useful about you, but they can make an impression before you get to introduce yourself properly.

This is an e-mail, not Facebook. So, let’s leave out “haha,” “lol,” “omg” and the emoticons- those little smiley faces. Use your words to set the tone of the e-mail.

Please don’t forget to say “please” and “thank you!” While people tend to gloss over these words when they’re present, it’s certainly noticeable when they’re absent. When you write e-mails, you want to come off as respectful and approachable, and when you forget to include either of these words, you sound demanding.

Avoid using capital letters at all cost. As far as tone goes, using all caps IS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING AT SOMEONE THROUGH E-MAIL.

Don’t forget punctuation. E-mails devoid of punctuation are typically difficult to comprehend, and are almost like listening to someone mumble.

The only punctuation you should be using, however, is a period and a question mark, so let’s leave out the exclamation marks. In addition, make sure to avoid using “…” to end statements or “??” to end questions. Both of these add unclear tones to your e-mail.

Last, but certainly not least, PROOFREAD YOUR E-MAIL. Yes, I was shouting there. While it’s so easy to rely on the little red squiggly line underneath errors, Spellchecker won’t catch everything. Many times, people will use an incorrect word, such as “there” instead of “their,” and since it’s spelled correctly, it’s not picked up. Your best bet is to read through your e-mail backwards, then read it normally. This way, you’ll read each word individually, instead of as a phrase.

Most times, your e-mails will be a college coach's first impression of you. Take some time this winter to practice proper e-mail etiquette, and you're sure to receive a few more responses!

If Tiger Woods was your son, what advice would you give him right now?

2009-12-23T11:19:00.003-05:00

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

How things have changed for Tiger Woods after Thanksgiving 2009. The man that sat on top of the sports world has had everything come crashing down with a personal scandal.

I thought this question might spark some interest from our readers. If Tiger was your son, what advice would you give him right now? Would you tell him to stay in hiding? Would you tell him to keep making posts on his website as his form of public communication? Would you tell him to hold a press conference to have people hear directly from him? Would you tell him to give up golf and focus on repairing his family?

I would like to hear from our readers by posting comments below with your advice. Next week I will come back and post a follow up entry to let you know what my advice would be.

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 14 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 Everyone Can Learn (and I was reminded) About the Power of our Thoughts

2009-12-21T10:41:00.001-05:00

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Last week my family found out that my son Ryan needs Tommy John surgery; quite an overwhelming piece of news for a senior in high-school, to say the least. In this post, I want to talk about my reaction, in particular one thought that raced through my head, as soon as the doctor relayed the news. For, I believe that the following personal insight provides the perfect illustration as to what the principle of thought truly is and what it can lead to…if we don’t understand its influence in the first place.

My thought was downright deceitful and embarrassing.

I have said before that thought is the creative agent that directs us through life; the illusionary link between what happens in the world outside and the inner reality that we paint for ourselves. Now understand that Ryan is a pretty accomplished high school pitcher, and he has committed to play college baseball next year. When I heard the news, my first thought was sadness for my son; it’s not easy to miss your senior season in high school, especially when you love your teammates, coaches and your school. My next thought however, was downright deceitful and embarrassing to put it mildly. I actually thought that we shouldn’t tell his future college coach about the surgery until Ryan had the official college acceptance in his hands. I reasoned in the moment, that if the coach found out he might just pull his commitment and then what would Ryan do?

The thought popping into my head was out of my control, acting on it was the opposite.

Luckily, as I have discussed often, in an instant the above thought produced an awful feeling inside my gut and as a result, I knew what to do and what not to say to Ryan. For, while the errant thought just popping into my head was clearly out of my control, acting on it (or not) was completely the opposite. Quite simply, my insecurity in the moment, due to the elbow surgery and Ryan’s future, led me to see a problem with his college acceptance when I had no idea if one actually existed or not.

I “back burnered” the issue and found reason.

I then made the decision to “back burner” the issue, and several hours later two conscious scenarios played out in my mind. One was that both Ryan’s and my gut instinct told us that his college coach was a “stand up” guy, and that was one of the reasons he picked the school in the first place. There is no way this coach would pull his commitment. Or two, if we were wrong about the coach, then this situation was merely a good opportunity to realize our mistake before Ryan showed up on campus. And he will simply find the “right” school and baseball team in the next few months. So, the next day and with my mini thought attack behind me (and thus from a clear state of mind), I called the coach to inform him of Ryan’s surgery. Before I could even ask the question, the coach said the following: “Garret, I just want you to know that we made a commitment to Ryan and he made a commitment to us, no matter what happens with the surgery he’ll be right here beside me come next fall!” Well, those words just blew me away! I guess our intuition was right about the coach and thank god I knew better than to buy into my erroneous thoughts and feelings. Can you just imagine what could have happened if I had played victim to the innocent but awful thought from the start?

As a result, hope for the future.

Through this personal illustration I am asking you to step back, like me, and try to see your own personal thoughts for what they truly are and where they come from. That is, while your thinking is powerful enough to produce errant feelings, it is by no means powerful enough to produce errant behaviors. Consequently, although Ryan is certainly not happy about his upcoming operation (me either), the situation is already starting to show glimpses of positivity and hope for the future… All because of a brave young man, a true “stand up” coach, and my understanding of the power, or lack thereof, of my own thoughts.

Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

My Choice: Picking the Right School

2009-12-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Bryan Hoffman

When I stepped onto campus at the University of Maryland in 2005 I was determined to make the best of my four years as a member of the Terrapin baseball team. I had a good high school and American Legion career and was fortunate enough to earn the opportunity to play baseball in the ACC. This was it, college baseball, I had finally arrived at the end of the enduring journey that is college recruiting.

It was the first day of fall workouts and the first day to make an impression on the coaching staff. My bullpen session was going well until about 15 pitches in. I had just placed a 2-seam fastball on the inner half of the plate, but when I went to throw the next pitch something felt wrong. My next 10 pitches were considerably slower and my control had just disappeared – I knew something was wrong. I met with my trainer and we thought I had a little tendinitis, but a few weeks later we came to find I had a torn rotator cuff.

On December 29, 2005 I underwent surgery on my left shoulder to repair the tear and hopefully get back to full health in time for 2006. As the months passed I regained arm strength, improved my conditioning, but the life on my fastball just simply did not return.

This led to extremely tough times for me mentally as my hopes of one day being a big leaguer faded with each passing day. I went on to be a member of the team for two more seasons, finally seeing my first game action as a red-shirt sophomore in 2008 (my first collegiate pitch was a fastball high and away to the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, Dustin Ackley). As I recorded the final out in what proved to be a much longer inning than I had hoped, I expected myself to be embarrassed and angered, but as my abilities changed, so too had my mentality. For as poor as a showing as that inning was, it was definitely one of the high points of my life. Not only had I refused to listen to my peers telling me to just give it up for the past three years, but I also got to pitch against a top five team in the nation!

I ended up “retiring” after that season to turn my complete attention to academics. The NCAA is not lying when it says most athletes do go pro in something other than sports. My experience at the University of Maryland is irreplaceable in my mind, and at one point was something that may have never happened.

As I was going through the recruiting process my parents would continue to remind me to choose a school that not only offered the right baseball program, but also the academic and social atmosphere that I would enjoy if somehow baseball did not work out. I remember questioning them at the time and repeatedly telling them that baseball was my primary focus because it was going to be my job one day, and as long as I found a program with good competition and the opportunity to succeed, that was all that mattered.

Now as I look back I realize how important those words of wisdom truly were. As a young student athlete the college recruiting process can force you into pressured decisions that are going to impact your life in the long run. We all remember our mindset as teenagers and the focus was not always on the future and planning. So families, as you go through this process I urge you to assess each and every opportunity as much more than a baseball decision, but a life decision.

Bryan Hoffman is a Signature College Recruiting and Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout Representative for Baseball Factory. Bryan joined the Baseball Factory in September 2009. He played his collegiate ball at the University of Maryland for three years before focusing on academics. He currently resides in Severna Park, MD.