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

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.

Bryce Harper - an unbelievable talent with extraordinary expectations

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Next to Stephen Strasburg, the #1 pick of the Washington Nationals in the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft, the most recognizable name in amateur baseball right now is most likely Bryce Harper. The incredible thing is that Bryce is only 16 years old and just completed his sophomore year in high school this past June.

The legend of Bryce Harper began to grow in the amateur baseball community before Bryce ever competed in a high school baseball game. Back in February 2008, Baseball Factory held an Under Armour National Tryout in Las Vegas. Bryce was a participant in the event and the video of his performance can be seen by clicking on this link: http://baseballfactory.com/video/?vid=1097

I distinctly remember the reaction of Jim Gemler and Justin Roswell, two of Baseball Factory’s senior directors, after they got a chance to see Bryce perform at the Under Armour Tryout in Las Vegas. When they returned from Las Vegas, they insisted that our staff watch the video of his performance, because they felt that he could be the best player in the country and he was only a freshman. That type of recognition for a freshman is just unheard of in the amateur baseball industry. Bryce continued to impress throughout his freshman and sophomore years, as he put up mystical performances at different showcase and tournament events throughout the country. His strong sophomore year led our staff to select him as the #1 HS Prospect in the country for the Baseball Factory Top 100 this year. This is just an incredible feat for a sophomore.

As many people reading this blog saw earlier this spring in Sports Illustrated, Tom Verducci wrote a feature story about Bryce and his picture was featured on the cover. Sports Illustrated called him “The Chosen One” and compared him to baseball’s version of LeBron James.

A few weeks later, SI reported that Bryce would take the G.E.D and forgo his junior and senior years of high school to enroll in the College of Southern Nevada, a strong Junior College baseball program, this month. This will help accelerate his baseball development and potentially make him eligible for the 2010 draft where many baseball experts feel he is a lock to be the #1 overall pick.

The decision to accelerate Bryce’s adolescence and forgo the rest of high school is one that many parents are debating across the country. Many people believe that this is the right move, including Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. I tend to disagree. If it were my son, I think I would keep him in high school. If Bryce walked every single at bat of his junior and senior year he would almost assuredly be the 1st pick of the MLB First Year Player Draft in 2011. What happens if he struggles against the older players in junior college? What if the pressure of being on the cover of SI and being considered the Chosen One becomes too much to bear? Is the potential reward of being the 2010 #1 Draft Pick enough to outweigh the near sure thing of being the 2011 #1 Draft Pick? To me there is more potential downside in accelerating the process this much, not to mention the social and emotional risks of putting a 16 year old in college.

I was speaking to a very high profile individual in the professional baseball community this summer and he said that he felt a little bad for Bryce based on the monumental amount of hype he has received. Can he ever live up to the expectations that have now been placed on him? Is it really fair to do that to a 16 year old that has never played in a professional baseball game? I have not met Bryce personally, but from hearing our staff that got a chance to work with him, he sounds like a terrific young man. I wish him the best of luck and hope that he can live up to the enormous expectations that have now been placed on his shoulders.


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 Can a Parent Do?

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

The college recruiting and search process is an emotional roller coaster ride for every family. Up until this point in their careers, very few young men will have faced so many high’s and low’s over a stretch of time. As the school routine sets in, players start to feel increased pressure, real or imagined, to find a place to play in college. It’s over the course of these next few months that the role of parents becomes so important. There are certainly different approaches for mom and dad to take. Some just happen to work better than others.

I mention “high’s” and “low’s” in the recruiting process to illustrate how 17 and 18-year-olds react to different feedback, or lack thereof, they receive from college coaches. Most prospective student-athletes come into this process with goals they’ve set for themselves: what level they think they can play, majors they want to pursue, parts of the country to move to, etc. Not all of the schools that contact your son will fit into these categories. Parents need to be the mature ones and remind him how important it is to respond to everything he receives from every single college coach. Following this golden rule will ensure that when it comes time to commit, your son will have several options to choose from and will benefit from making an informed decision.

Now let’s cover the reactions. It’s so easy for parents to jump into the natural role of protector. After all, who wants to see their son upset? However, these natural reactions can lead to some bad habits that, unless tempered, can cause even more panic for your son or cause him to lose interest in the process.

Again, we’re dealing with 17 and 18-year olds and emotions are already running high. Regardless of how much interest your son is getting, it’s important for you to keep him grounded. Don’t let him pull the trigger on the first school that shows interest in him. Remind him of the goals that he set for himself, and help him to figure out where this school fits. More importantly, don’t let your son beat himself up over the low’s, when there aren’t schools banging down the front door. It’s never as bad as he thinks, and you need to be the voice of reason that reminds him of that.

Showing the appropriate type of support can also make a difference. Obviously, your son needs to know that you’re behind him during the process. This also means that he needs to know that you think he’s doing the right thing. If he’s not hearing back from a particular school, don’t let him (or yourself) assume that the coach isn’t interested (and is therefore an idiot). What does that teach him about perseverance? More importantly, you may be pushing your son towards a feeling of helplessness and fatalism that he may not recover from. Instead, show your son how to take a wide variety of avenues in approaching college coaches. Gently remind him that if he sticks to his gameplan, things will happen for him.

Finally, the most involved role a parent can take is in the management department. Notice how I say “management,” and not “labor.” It’s very easy for parents to take the reigns themselves, especially when they see that things aren’t going well. Even before this point, many find it difficult to avoid writing e-mails for their son or disguised as their son. Trust me when I tell you that this is a big mistake. College coaches want to hear from your son. Not from you. Not from his high school coach. From him. At the end of the day, he can be the most potent force in this process if he chooses to be, and parents make poor substitutes. After all, he’s going to be the one to have to walk into his coach’s office when a problem arises, so the sooner he gets use of taking responsibility, the better.

So, from a management perspective, here’s where all of those years of “chore charts,” managing multiple activities on your family’s calendar, and even doing your taxes can come in handy. Sit down with your son and help him create a system to organize and track all of the schools he’s heard from, as well as all of the coaches he’s contacted. For example, our staff recommends a simple spreadsheet that can go on the fridge. Be persistent, but not overbearing, in reminding him of when he needs to respond to coaches and when he should follow up with them. Organization and preparation will be a difference-maker for your son, and will save you many hours spent writing e-mails on his Gmail account.

Active parents alone cannot get a player recruited to play college baseball. They can, however, provide motivation and perspective for their son and help into the driver’s seat. Empower him to set a goal and attain it. With a little faith, it will all work out, and it’s guaranteed to pay dividends for many years.

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

Listen Closely

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Are you a good listener? Are you distracted when you are talking to your children? Are you thinking about something else, or are you living in the present moment?

Being a good listener is a wonderful character trait to possess. I work very hard each day on trying to be a respectful listener. A close friend of mine says that she tries to listen to her colleagues “with her entire body,” which I think is an accurate way to describe a good listener. I constantly have to fight the urge to cut someone off mid sentence and interject my viewpoint during a discussion. In the end, this type of behavior is disrespectful and the person on the other end feels not validated.

Do you really listen to your kids? Do you try and help them understand their feelings or do you constantly put your feelings and thoughts on them? I think so many arguments and inter-family conflicts could be avoided if people really listened to one another and respected the other person’s position.

Being a good listener will come into play many times in the college recruiting process and the baseball development timeline. Make sure you show your child some respect and really hear what he has to say when he expresses his opinion. You many not always agree, but it will go a long way to creating a healthy relationship with your son.


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

The Two or Three Sport Athlete Dilemma

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

As a part of our Player Development events at Baseball Factory we usually try to include a parent/player seminar on the college recruiting process. During the seminar we cover key topics to be mindful of as the recruiting process begins to unfold, and we open up the forum for parents and players to ask questions. A lot of good questions are raised by the parents in attendance, but one that came up in particular sparked a lot of discussion. The question was how I felt about players competing in multiple sports, and what the general consensus was from college baseball coaches on the topic.

This topic is a highly debated one in our field. I could easily defend both sides of the argument on whether it is more beneficial for an aspiring college baseball player to strictly focus on baseball or to play other high school sports. To be completely honest with you, there is no right answer to this question, and there is not an overwhelming consensus on it from college coaches. However, I can give you some good guidelines to consider as it relates to your son and what he should think about before making a decision.

1. Does he really love playing the other sports? It seems like a simple question, but not all families look at it from this point of view. If your son really doesn’t enjoy the other sports that much and is just playing them because “that is what he has always done since he has been little,” then I think it could be time to give them up and focus on baseball.

2. Who is he satisfying by playing the other sports? If as a parent you played football/basketball/soccer, etc. and your influences are getting in the way of this decision, take a step back and let your son speak on the matter and what he wants to do. Also, is he playing football because the football coach is “pressuring” him to do so? Or does he feel like he doesn’t want to let the team down if he doesn’t come back for his senior year? In my opinion, these are not good reasons to continue playing a sport if his dream is to play college baseball.

3. Is he a contributing member of the other sports teams to the same degree he contributes to the baseball team? If your son excels in baseball, but is just a secondary player in the other sports, it may not be in his best interest to keep up with the other sports.

4. Are you overwhelmingly concerned about injuries? This is a really good one to consider, especially for pitchers. Are you willing to take the risk of playing football, even if it means hurting your pitching arm? Pitchers in particular really have to think hard about playing football where their shoulder can be exposed to serious injury.

My personal opinion is that baseball players do learn a lot from playing other sports as it relates to the mental side of the game and developing key athletic skill sets as well. Football players learn a “never say die attitude” and they usually are mentally tough baseball players. Basketball players are well conditioned athletes and that usually bodes well on the baseball field. Soccer players usually show good lateral mobility and agility which also is a big part of baseball. So the benefits can be quite substantial, not to mention that it also helps to prevent burnout from focusing only on baseball.

As a high school athlete, I played baseball, basketball, and ran cross country so I saw first-hand some of the benefits from playing more than one sport. There are a good percentage of college coaches that like to recruit multiple sport baseball players because they think it creates well-rounded athletes with a variety of skill sets and competitive instincts. Try using the four questions above as a guideline and attempt to make the best decision for the player when considering these options. If you decide to stick with more than one sport, just don’t abandon baseball completely during the fall or winter seasons so you are not starting from square one once the baseball season kicks off again in the spring.


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

Flowers by the Side of the Road

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Let me start off by saying that this blog has nothing to do with baseball. However, it does deal with some universal feelings that we have as human beings, and specifically as parents. This blog is very important to me and one that I hope everyone will take the time to read.

The title, “Flowers by the Side of the Road”, refers to the make-shift memorials we often see as we drive along interstates and back-roads that unfortunately were the site of a motorist fatality. If you are like me, than most of the time, you probably pass by those flowers without giving them a significant amount of attention or thought. For me, they tended to blend in with their surroundings.

After a deadly accident on June 26, 2009, there are now flowers by the side of the road not far from my house. The night of June 26th was a bizarre one in the suburbs of Washington DC. A micro storm blew through the area for a 15 minute period producing strong winds and freakish rains. That evening, the community pool for our neighborhood was hosting a swim meet. Many children we know are members of the Swim Team. One family in particular, The Murrays, has six girls and the four older ones were fixtures for the team. As the rains started to increase that night, the parents started to furiously clean up from the post meet pasta party and corral their kids to make a safe exit. Kelly Murray quickly gathered 5 of her children; their oldest had already left 20 minutes earlier, and took 2 other friends as well and piled into their minivan to head home. The total drive from the pool to their home was no longer than 10 minutes.

The winds began to pick up, and as Kelly Murray idled in her minivan waiting her turn to pass through a busy intersection less than a mile from her home, a tree fell on her car. The outcome was horrifying as it crushed Kelly and her 7 year old daughter Sloane, killing them both. The other children escaped with minor injuries.

My wife and I have known the Murrays for close to 8 years. Our oldest daughter was classmates with one of their daughters in Nursery School for two years. We spent many New Year’s Eves with their family and saw them frequently socially. Kelly was truly a “Super Mom.” A PhD tenured professor, a published author, a military officer, founder of a self esteem building camp for girls, the mother of 6, and an avid community activist. Not many people had the bandwidth that Kelly had for multi-tasking. She was an inspiration to all that knew her and a wonderful friend. Her daughter, Sloane, was a free spirited young girl with an energetic personality. She had a unique magnetism that drew children and adults in. She exhibited a delicate balance between ingenuity, mischief, and endearment. What a tremendous shame to lose her at such a young age with her whole life in front of her.

Their father, Sean Murray, is a good friend of mine and is now left with the incredulous task of raising 5 young girls on his own. He does have a tremendous amount of support from his family and our community, but his entire life has been turned upside down and only time and faith will help to repair that.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 43,000 people killed in fatal car accidents each year in the United States. That equates to roughly 5 fatal car accidents across the country every hour. If you figure that each accident affects the lives of roughly 1,000 people (family, friends, colleagues, etc) than every day, 120,000+ people across the country are grieving and placing flowers by the side of the road to honor their fallen loved ones. At the funeral of Kelly and Sloane Murray, over 800 people attended in person, not to mention those that paid their respects from a-far.

My message here is two-fold. First and foremost, it is so important that we maximize our time on earth to the fullest. Specifically, to hold our children and loved ones near and dear and never take anything for granted. Incidents like this tend to challenge your faith (whatever specific faith that is) and question why something like this would happen. Even for those of us who believe that there is a plan or reason to everything that happens, none of us know that plan upfront. We are spectators to some extent and it is imperative that we enjoy the ride, as we don’t always know what life has in store for us around the corner.

In addition, it is important for us to pay our respects for those flowers we see by the roadside, or when we get held up in traffic when fatal accidents happen. How many of us have felt extreme frustration to be held up for an hour in our car as we wait to navigate around a car crash? How many of us have let that aggravation spill out into other areas of our lives? What about the families and friends that are grieving the terrible loss that resulted from the accident? Maybe we should spend our energy paying our respects to those that are suffering and keep our own aggravations in perspective. This may help to create a more compassionate place here on earth and a heightened awareness for the well being of others.

Thanks for reading this blog and please keep the Murray family in your thoughts and prayers. If anyone is interested in contributing to some noble causes that have surfaced for their family, please feel free to comment below and I will pass along the information.


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.

My College Baseball Story

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

At many Baseball Factory events over the past 15 years, I have told my personal story to many families when we have discussed issues such as playing time and position changes. I have been encouraged to share this story as a blog by many parents who have heard it because they thought it would be valuable for other families. So here goes...

As an incoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, I was the last INF to make the team. There were only two INF slots open my freshman year because almost all of the INF from the previous year were returning. So a Lefty 1B and I were the only freshman INF to make the club. As such, I was the 3rd SS on the roster and was behind two upperclassmen. One in particular was a starter for the past two years and was only a junior.

Back then, not everyone was able to travel on our Spring Trip to Florida which was the kick off to the season. So initially, as the 3rd SS, I was not on the list to travel. My plan was to go home to NJ for Spring Break. At the last minute, I got a call that our Captain (who was the starting 3B) had to have an emergency appendectomy, so a spot opened up for me. I had no idea what to expect, but was just happy to be taking part in the trip.

For the first few games, I did not play at all. About 4 games into the trip, my coach decided to give me a start as SS. In the game I went 2 for 2 with a HBP (on the helmet by the way!). He then gave me another start, and then another start, and before I knew it, I had earned the starting shortstop job when we returned from Florida. I went on to start almost every game at SS the rest of the year.

The next year, I thought I was a shoe in to stay at SS, but we had a junior college transfer come in from Miami Dade that played SS and a top recruit from HS that played 3B. As such, I started the year behind both of these guys. Tough pill to swallow after starting at SS for my freshman year. On our Spring Trip to Florida, our top freshman recruit hurt his arm so I got a chance to play 3B. I hadn't played 3B since I was 9 years old. I took it as a challenge and worked hard and wound up starting the rest of the year and earned 1st Team All Ivy Honors as a 3B. This was very rewarding for me because to earn that distinction you need to have the most votes from the other Ivy League coaches.

The following year (Junior Year), I thought my days of "proving myself" were over. However, in the fall, we learned that our coach had recruited a top HS football and baseball prospect. He played football in the fall so nobody really knew him, but come Spring time he made his presence and ability known. He was Mark DeRosa, current 3B for the Cleveland Indians. He quickly became the 3B and I was out of a position again. Instead of getting upset, I took it as a challenge again and became the full time DH. Our team did very well that year and finished as the runner up for the Ivy League Championship. I broke my hand towards the end of the year, but if I hadn't, I probably would have been an All Conference player again.

My senior year rolled around the next fall and I thought I was a shoe in to be captain. I was a 3 year starter and clearly a team player. I wound up being passed up for the spot and my college roommate (the top pitcher on our team) was given the distinction. Usually there were 2 captains, but this year they only went with one. It hurt at first, but in the end I realized that you can be a leader no matter what your title is. That year, we had our best year as a team. Part of the reason was that we had DeRosa at SS (the Miami Dade transfer graduated) and one of our juniors was a 3rd Team NCAA DI All American. We had a Senior-Laden pitching staff that dominated most opponents. In addition, we had another top freshman recruit that played 2B. His addition to the team moved the current 2B to 3B, so here I was again out of a position. I realized this was probably my last year to play baseball and more than anything I wanted to be a part of a good team. So I swallowed my pride again and stayed in the DH role for most of the year and earned 2nd Team All Ivy honors. Towards the end of the year, we had a lot of good players all clicking at the same time, so I was platooning at DH. We won the Ivy League Championship and then had to beat Rider to go to the Regionals of the College World Series. I did not start the final game (the series was tied 1-1) but came off the bench to get the pinch hit single and RBI that sent us to a victory and a berth in the College World Series Midwest Regional in Oklahoma. It was the last time Penn has earned a trip to the big dance.

So the point is this. Never get down and don't let any of these circumstances define you as a player. Keep doing what you do, and keep your head held high. In the end, the right attitude and the hard work always pays off. Just stay focused and good things will happen. For all the parents, don't get too bent our of shape if you son is going through similar challenges. Just continue to encourage him and help him keep a good perspective.

Hopefully this story help!


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 Delicate Balance

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

How hard do you push to motivate your children? When is it better to back off and let them be the one to show the effort? When are you doing more harm than good by trying to encourage your child to work hard and achieve success?

It seems like every parent goes through the mental exercise of evaluating this delicate balance. How much is too much when trying to motivate your child? This analysis can feel like an emotional tug of war in your heart and mind. Parents are supposed to guide, direct, advise, and advocate for their kids, but do we do more harm than good at times? How do we know when to take our foot off the accelerator and apply it to the brake as it relates to encouraging our kids to achieve success?

Over the last few months, I have started to navigate this delicate balance with my oldest daughter, who will turn six this month. She is a very independent young child with a strong sense of self awareness. She is fairly coordinated and athletic and has taken up gymnastics, dancing, and swimming. When things come easily to her, she has no problem jumping in and giving a strong effort. However, when she tries something new, or when she doesn’t get it “right” on the first try, she has a tendency to want to give up and she gets pretty frustrated.

In response to her frustration, I have tried a few different tactics to “help” her that have had varying levels of success. When I push too hard or tell her that she has to do something, I am usually met with resistance. What I have found to be the most successful approach is to listen to her, understand where the frustration is coming from, encourage her, and provide positive reinforcement. I also try to help her achieve success in small doses so that her confidence builds. In the end, it is important that I let her have a voice in the process and resist the temptation to apply the “daddy knows best” philosophy.

We see this dynamic play out hundreds of times a year with Baseball Factory parents and players. Some of our kids appear to only play baseball because their dad wants them to. Some look like they play to try and make their mom happy. Some really love the game and want to play at the next level. As parents, the key is to really listen to your child and resist the temptation to let your ego dominate the interaction. Playing baseball is supposed to be fun. If it isn’t a whole lot of fun for your child (or for you), maybe it is time to change your approach and recalibrate this delicate balance. Sometimes the best motivation for your child can be for them to know that their will to improve needs to be cultivated from within, and not from persistent prodding from mom or dad.


I would be happy to answer any questions directly from parents that want to talk further about this topic. Feel free to post a comment by clicking on the link below.


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.

Control...Are you in or out of control?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Controlling your surroundings, relationships, and even your children is a tough challenge for all parents. Even with my little ones, I hear all the time, “I want to do it myself daddy,” when I overstep my bounds and try to do small things for my girls. As they get older and I want to insert myself into their college or job search, I am sure it will be even more of a challenge to strike the necessary balance.

What I am starting to learn is that every day, and every situation is an opportunity to empower my children to handle themselves with self esteem and pride, versus stepping in and doing everything for them. In the end, it may make it easier for me to just handle it, but what am I teaching them in the long run?

Parents of young men that are going through the college search process have a great opportunity to help educate, guide, and empower their children to make good decisions. Don’t do all the research yourself. Resist the temptation to write his cover letters and resumes for him. Ask your son good questions. Get his mind thinking. Try as hard as you can to get him to speak about what he is interested in. Help him understand how courses of study in college translate into real jobs. Educate him on the power of networking and how attending college gives you a network and resources you can tap into for a lifetime. My partner at Baseball Factory is Steve Sclafani, my former teammate at the University of Pennsylvania. I probably continue to tap into my large Penn network at least once a week. It is a powerful tool.

Keep encouraging your child even when he is struggling to find the answers to his future. Hold back on your urge to control the situation for him and help him to seek out what is in his heart and his dreams. Take him to college campuses, watch college baseball games with him on ESPNU or CSTV, go on the Internet with him to research classroom sizes and academic disciplines. Encourage him to follow his intuition and give him the space to explore different options. Balance out what you think is best versus what truly makes him happy. That trust will go a long way towards his self confidence.

When you start to get the urge to take over and control his future, step back and ask yourself these questions, “Who am I satisfying here? Who’s best interest am I serving? Is this more about me then my child?” If your ego is in control, check it at the door and allow your child to stand on his own. It is one of the best gifts you can give as a parent.


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

Why Player Development is Necessary for your Son’s Baseball Future

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Did you know that there are over 470,000 kids playing high school baseball throughout the United States?

Did you also know that there are only 7,000 college roster spots per year for incoming freshmen? So how do you make sure your son gets one of those 7,000 college roster spots?

Our 15 years of experience in helping players get over $500 million in college scholarships has told us that college coaches want players who are experienced and polished. The bottom line is that your son needs to get the most out of his ability and really needs to FOCUS ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT (national tournaments or skill development) as he starts promoting himself to colleges aggressively.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you determine the next steps towards playing college baseball:

Many people think they can skip the player development step and just promote themselves to colleges. Why promote all of your son’s areas of weaknesses for all the coaches and scouts to see? This is not a formula for success. One Baseball Factory parent put it very eloquently when he said “Showcases can give your son exposure or they can expose your son’s weaknesses.” With college tuition being anywhere from $60K to well over a $100K for a four-year degree, making an investment in player development BEFORE a college coach makes a decision on whether he wants to offer your son a scholarship or a roster spot will pay long term dividends.

In these tough economic times, what is truly important and necessary for your son’s future? College baseball coaches still have baseball money available for players who are good students, polished players, and have National Team experience. Building this well rounded player is a big part of “The Baseball Factory Way” of development. College coaches trust our ability to evaluate your son in an unbiased manner and use our program as a resource to build championship programs that end up in the College World Series (1 out of every 4 players in the 2008 College World Series were Baseball Factory Alums).

As a parent of a high school baseball player in these times, no matter what, you will still need to pay for college. How do you fulfill your son’s dream of playing college baseball and at the same time help to defray your son's cost to attend college? The answer is PLAYER DEVELOPMENT!


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

Should I Walk-On?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I can’t tell you how many of our Baseball Factory parents and players have asked this question over the past 15 years. For anyone not familiar with the term “Walk On,” it is in reference to a player that decides to attend a college and earn a spot on the baseball roster without having a scholarship commitment, and in some instances, without even being recruited. It certainly is a very tough decision and there is no blanket answer to the above question. Each family and each baseball program is a unique circumstance.

The New York Times had a great article recently entitled, “For College Walk-Ons, a Road Less Traveled Makes All the Difference.” It detailed the stories of Brett Gardner (current CF for the NY Yankees), Ryan Howard (former MVP for the Philadelphia Phillies), and Eric Karros (former 1B for the LA Dodgers). All three of these players walked on to their college baseball programs and then turned into Major Leaguers. While these stories are very inspirational and are a testament to their hard work, it doesn’t mean that “walking on” is the right decision for each family. For every Brett Gardner success story, there are hundreds of players that get cut from their college program and never have a chance to pursue college baseball.

Kelly Kulina, our Senior Vice President of the Exclusive Program, has told me time and time again that when he was the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Maryland, they had 75-100 players each year that would try to walk on. The program might keep one or two of the players and the rest never had a chance to play college baseball. Kelly believes that the majority of these players could have been college baseball players, just not players at the University of Maryland. They were a better fit for smaller programs and not the right match for the rigors of playing Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) baseball. Most of these players probably didn’t market themselves to a variety of college programs or did not have any other college baseball coaches showing interest. With no other baseball options to consider, they most likely chose University of Maryland for academic or social reasons.

My advice to Baseball Factory families on this topic has always been consistent. Have as many options as possible before making a decision to walk-on. Your son may decide that he wants to try and walk-on, because in the end, there are just too many things about that particular school that he loves and can’t pass up. However, I would want that player to have to say “no thank you” to a number of other schools that have shown interest in him for baseball.

In my mind, if you explore all your options, and can make an informed decision one way or another, you can’t go wrong. It is only when you make a desperate move, or when you haven’t given the process 100% effort that regrets seem to set in.


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

Follow Your Thoughts

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Have you ever paid close attention to your thoughts? Try it sometime. You might be surprised by how much time you spend subconsciously on certain topics. While you are conducting this little experiment on yourself, take notice of how many thoughts come into your brain that are negative or fearful in nature.

Why is it that we spend so much time thinking about negative things? Unfortunately, I have found it to be quite common that people prefer to focus on negative and mentally taxing thoughts versus those that are emotionally gratifying. Wouldn’t we be better served spending our “mental energy” on things that were positive? I know that many people believe that they cannot stop their mind from racing down a certain path, but I would have to disagree. I think each of us has the ability to control their thoughts and direct them in a manner for their most positive benefit.

As parents, I think it is important to share this concept with your children. We all want our kids to be successful and confident in everything they choose to do. Our kids are growing up in a world with intense pressures and ever evolving emotional stimuli, which at times can be negative. If they too are filling their mind with negative thoughts and fearful patterns it could certainly begin to manifest itself in negative behaviors. We want our children to be confident, self assured beings. It all starts with their own self image and self esteem, which is somewhat comprised from their own thoughts. By helping your children understand that they can control their thoughts and maintain a positive attitude, it should only help them produce positive results in their lives, including their performance in the classroom and on the baseball field.

Spend a few days practicing this exercise. If you can keep your mind focused for its greatest good and most positive outlook, I think you will be shocked by how much more emotionally content you can be.

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.

Position Changes…How to Deal With Them as a Parent

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I think the idea of a player being asked to change positions and play somewhere new on the field can be more traumatizing for the parent of the player then the player himself. I just got back from the Baseball Factory’s Omaha Training and Tournament and met with a number of parents where the topic of position changes came up. When a particular player was asked to play a different position on the field (versus his normal primary or secondary position), I heard the following comments:

Parent 1: Why would he be asked to play anywhere other than shortstop? He is the best shortstop on the team.
Parent 2: He has never played the other positions, so it is really unfair to ask him to play somewhere he is not comfortable.
Parent 3: Why would you put a player in a brand new position and one that he is not used to?

One of our philosophies at Baseball Factory is to try and use our events to help prepare players for their college experience. College programs very often recruit center fielders and shortstops and then place them all around the field in certain spots depending upon how their tools play. For the recruited high school shortstops, the best hands and feet usually go to Short and Second (with the better arm playing short). The guy with the most power and limited defensive skills goes to first and the one with less range and strong hitting skills may go to third.

This happened to me in college when I played at the University of Pennsylvania. As a freshman, I started mostly every game at shortstop after having played SS my entire career. As a sophomore, I got moved to third base because we had a transfer student come in with exceptional defensive skills that played short. After a First Team All-Ivy season as a Sophomore at 3B, for my junior year, I was used primarily as a designated hitter, because we had a pretty good freshman infielder come in that year. You may recognize his name since he is the current second baseman for the Chicago Cubs (Mark Derosa). As a Senior, I split time between 3B and DH because we had another exceptional middle infielder added to our club as a freshman that made first team All-Ivy that year. I still wound up earning 2nd Team All Ivy Honors as a Senior.
Players need to be prepared to be moved around the field for a variety of reasons. Maybe your son is a primary pitcher that also plays shortstop in high school. In college, you will never see a RHP/SS. All two-way players that pitch wind up playing another secondary position like OF, 1B, or DH to help save their arm. Maybe his baseball tools have him better served to be a corner infielder than a middle infielder. Maybe someone on his team got injured and in order to get his bat in the lineup, the manager needs to use him in a different spot on the field. Be flexible and he will have a chance to gain more playing time.

For parents, as your son advances up the ranks past high school baseball and into college, start to understand that things may change, including his postion. Try not to get all bent out of shape and understand that as the game speeds up, his tools may play better at another spot on the field. From my personal experience, keeping an open mind and living up to the challenge of playing a new spot on the field was a great learning exercise for me. I enjoyed playing 3B and DH-ing much more than I would have enjoyed sitting on the bench and watching someone else play shortstop!


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

Don't Catch DI-itis!

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

DI-itis is a term that many of the staff at Baseball Factory coined since we started working with parents and players 14 years ago. Parents with DI-itis are obsessed with their son's playing NCAA Division I baseball. Don’t get me wrong, playing DI baseball is a very admirable goal and something that all serious high school baseball players should strive for. However, in college baseball, it is not a given that a NCAA Division I program is stronger than a NCAA Division II program or NCAA Division III program. In fact, may top DII and DIII programs would consistently beat the pants off of some DI programs.

This type of parody amongst the divisions caused Baseball Factory to create its Class System when evaluating high school seniors and determining what level of college baseball we feel would be their best fit. The Class System breaks college baseball down into 10 Classes instead of calling players exclusively DI, DII, or DIII prospects. That is just not accurate for college baseball. The Class System takes a blended approach, knowing that there are many different types of DI, DII, or DIII schools when it comes to college baseball.

The point is for parents to be realistic when it comes to your son’s baseball potential. Playing for a DII, DIII, NAIA, or Junior College program may be the best fit for him in the long run. Getting hung up on all DI schools may just cause a lot of headache and misaligned expectations. Even if your son does get recruited by a DI school he may in fact play a lot less, and in the end have a worse college baseball experience. Parents who are interested in this topic should take a look at Kelly Kulina’s blog entitled Getting it Right the First Time (Parts 1-4).

Let’s use a hard example of a Baseball Factory family that benefited from kicking the DI-itis disease.

Brice Cutspec was a standout high school Catching/1B prospect from Westminster, CA. Brice was very active with Baseball Factory while in high school. He participated in our Pre Season All America Tournaments, our Team One Showcases, Dodgertown World Series, and Exclusive Program. After a great high school career, he signed a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Arizona, a tremendous DI program. After getting redshirted his first year, Brice decided to kick the DI-itis infection and transfer to Azusa Pacific University. Some thought he was crazy to give up on Arizona, but in truth, he wanted the chance to play and contribute. Azusa is a top NAIA program that routinely goes to the NAIA World Series.

Did it work out for Brice? Let’s look at his numbers since attending Azusa Pacific:

2007 - .363 batting average, 42 runs, 78 hits, 14 2B, 19 HR, 64 RBI, .693 slugging %. Earned All Conference honors while helping to lead Azusa to a 51-10 record, GSAC Championship, and NAIA World Series appearance.

2008 – Through 5/6/08 - .409 batting average, 27 runs, 72 hits, 11 2B, 11 HR, 58 RBI, .659 slugging % and the GSAC Championship.

I think Brice made the right move and has a better chance to be drafted based upon his standout performance at Azusa Pacific than he did as a redshirt at the University of Arizona.

Patrick Wuebben, our Player Development Coordinator for California, was sharing his thoughts on DI-itis with me a few days ago. He had a good way of summarizing the way parents and players need to look at the situation. He said parents need to be “self aware of their son’s baseball ability.” I think he hit the nail on the head.

So here are the doctor’s orders…Stay realistic, keep an open mind, make a college decision that is the best fit for your son, and cure your DI-itis if you are currently infected!

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

Parents Can Help Kids “Just Say No”

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

It seems like everyone has an opinion about New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez and his recent admission that he used steroids between 2001 and 2003. I have heard lots of commentary and opinions about A-Rod’s apology, how sincere it was, how truthful it was, or how disingenuous it was. What I haven’t heard enough talk about is how we can help prevent more young baseball players from making the same mistakes. With the fierce competition of Major League Baseball and the high stakes of salaries and signing bonuses for those that achieve success, how do we as a society work to reduce and eventually eliminate drug use in young athletes that are looking for competitive advantages? I personally think parents can help play a large role.

I have never used illegal drugs of any kind. A big reason why is based upon talks I had with my parents and what they instilled in me as a young man. I remember speaking to my dad about the dangers of drugs as a high school student and his advice was right on the money. Here are a few key bullet points of what he stressed to me:

1. They are illegal so stay away from them.
2. The best thing to do is never start, and if you don’t start, you will never have to worry about quitting.
3. You work your whole life to build a solid reputation for how you are perceived. It only takes one bad decision to have that reputation come tumbling down.
4. If you can say that you gave 100% and you did the best you could, that will always be good enough and you don’t have to cheat to gain an edge.
5. Even if you don’t get caught, you will always have to live with yourself, and in those quiet moments you will have a tough time being at peace with your soul.

I think a large key to the hopes of stopping illegal drug use in young athletes is for parents to help ingrain a strong moral compass within their souls. Young adults that are secure in their decision making, feel trusted by their parents, and truly believe in themselves, tend to make well grounded decisions as adults. It is the combination of building strong moral fiber and educating on the dangers of drugs that will go a long way towards curtailing drug use in the future. I personally think we are better off spending our time and energy on this initiative instead of conducting witch hunts and public trials of Major League players.

As parents, continue to speak with your children about these issues and help them make the smart choice when it comes to drugs. “Just Say No” is a slogan that has been around for decades and it may be more appropriate in these times than ever.


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

There is No Yoga in Baseball! Why Not?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

When baseball players hear people talk about yoga, most of the time I have seen their face snicker or their eyes roll. You hear people say that baseball players don’t do yoga, they lift weights, they run sprints, they do agility work. I have also heard that yoga is for new age spiritual types, not hard core baseball players. Tom Hanks uttered a famous line from the popular baseball movie “A League of their Own” when he said “there is no crying in baseball!” In a similar fashion most players seem to think “there is no yoga in baseball!” My answer back would be “Why Not?”

Now keep in mind that I played baseball growing up from age eight all the way through college. I was a two time All-Ivy League third baseman at the University of Pennsylvania and played in the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional for the College World Series in 1995. I have been weight training for over 20 years and have been an avid runner since my days as a high school student. I have competed in three marathons including the New York Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, and the Baltimore Marathon. As such, I would say that I am someone that can relate to the stereotypical “baseball player mindset” of lifting weights and conditioning to help improve baseball endurance, strength, and skill development.

However, I have also suffered from chronic lower back pain and have had a series of injuries including torn hamstrings and knee surgery. My overall flexibility is pretty horrendous. My wife has been urging me to try yoga and in the past I have been quick to dismiss it as being not for me. My replies would usually detail how it wasn’t strenuous enough, or how it wasn’t a sufficient strength workout, or how it wasn’t good enough for cardio.

I finally relented and tried yoga this past week. I can’t tell you how incorrect I was with my previous assumptions of what yoga was all about. The workout was 1.5 hours long and I haven’t felt more sore or tired from a workout in a very long time. The truth is that yoga is extremely challenging and it focuses on a lot of areas that could be really beneficial for baseball players including balance, strength training, core training, flexibility, and endurance. In addition, yoga is very beneficial for clearing your head and serving to calm your mental state which is also great for baseball players when you consider the concentration that is involved in the sport.

Consider the types of injuries that baseball players typically suffer from: torn hamstrings, oblique strains, pulled groins, tendinitis, bone spurs in the shoulder, etc. Given the benefits that were outlined above, wouldn’t yoga be a helpful preventive measure against some of these injuries? If your core was stronger and you were more flexible doesn’t that apply for almost any position on a baseball field? If you were more relaxed in the batter’s box or on the mound, wouldn’t you be more likely to perform better in pressure situations?

As parents of a baseball player, I would urge you to print this blog off and let your son read it. Maybe consider mixing in yoga to your son’s training regiment, even if it is only one day a week. Help to show him that there is room for yoga in baseball!


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

Parents Need to Lead by Example

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

The start of baseball season is only a few weeks away. This is an exciting time in the lives of high school baseball families. The start of a new season brings a lot of hope and aspiration for a strong performance, and for juniors and seniors in particular, a leg up in the college recruiting process.

At Baseball Factory, the start of the high school season also causes some interesting discussion to percolate between our staff and parents across the country. When we speak to parents and ask how they view the outlook for the season, we are often on the receiving end of a lot of negativity concerning team politics, how unfair the coach is, how the teachers hurt their son’s chances to be eligible, and so on.

While I certainly understand that challenging situations present themselves every day in each person’s life, and high school baseball is no different, how you react to those situations is often how you are judged. Young men often feed off the energy and perspective of their parents and how you as parents react can be a mirror for your children to emulate. So make the commitment to be a good example for your son to follow as it relates to your part in high school baseball. Here are some quick tips to help get you on the right path and frame of mind.

1. Stay away from blaming politics. The truth is that politics exist everywhere in life. Instead of complaining about them, use it as motivation. For more information on this topic visit Steve Bernhardt’s blog which has a lot of great advice.

2. Stop blaming the high school coach. Some high school coaches are more knowledgeable than others. Some are more committed. Try to take the most positive aspects of your coach's personality and skill set and focus on those. If you require additional professional help to achieve your son’s baseball goals, seek outside help from Baseball Factory or other local contacts.

3. Don’t ride the umpires. One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing parents ride the umpire for questionable calls. Just encourage the boys to play the game and do their best. Bad calls are a part of every level of play. Shake them off and don’t make excuses.

4. Stay away from the dugout during games. This is a big no-no in my mind. During games, players need to stand on their own and focus on their teammates and coaches. They don’t need to be distracted during games to seek your approval by looking to the stands or behind the dugout. Do your part and stay in the bleachers and be supportive of their efforts.

5. Be a good fan. Support all the players on the team, even if one is playing over your son. Don’t back stab other players and talk about how your son should be playing instead. Be supportive and encourage everyone. If you want to be your son's advocate, do it in a positive way that highlights his strengths.

I can guarantee that if you take a positive approach and “lead by example” your son will be sure to follow.



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

Farewell to Dodgertown

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

On December 30, 2008 the last baseball event was held at the hallowed grounds of Dodgertown, the Spring Training home of the LA Dodgers. The final event happened to be Baseball Factory’s Christmas Camp and Tournament. Dodgertown has hosted Spring Training for the Dodgers since they resided in Brooklyn New York. Dodgertown holds a very special place in the history of baseball and it is sad to see the facility coming to an end due to the Dodgers moving their spring home to Glendale, AZ starting in 2009.

Baseball Factory has been calling Dodgertown home for its Player Development events since 2000. Dodgertown’s door opened to us based upon a personal relationship I had with Kevin O’Malley. Kevin was my teammate at the University of Pennsylvania and is the son of former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley. I told Kevin that Baseball Factory wanted to hold a Pre Season All America event to showcase the best players we had seen throughout the calendar year and we needed a premier facility to host the event. He introduced us to the General Manager of the complex and the relationship grew from there. Fast forward to December 2008, and we have held 24 similar events at Dodgertown over the past nine years including our August World Series, November Select Training and Competition, and our December Camp and Tournament. Thousands of players and parents have traveled to Dodgertown to participate in Baseball Factory programs and left with such positive feelings and emotions for this iconic facility.

Here are my Top 10 most memorable Dodgertown moments, from these past nine years and 24 events, that I will always cherish:

1. The Dodgertown Staff. What a pleasure they were to work with (especially our contact Vicki Hahn). The whole staff made us feel at home and worked hard to provide our players with the best baseball experience of their lives. The grounds crew, conference center staff, and dining room workers treated our kids like big leaguers and they will be missed by our staff.

2. The Dodger Memorabilia and Nostalgia. Dodgertown was like a baseball museum. It was amazing to see the photos of Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, and many, many others. As a baseball fan, you couldn’t help but get chills thinking about staying in the same hotel rooms as these former great players. The Dodgertown staff would always remind me that the room I stayed in each time was Tommy Lasorda’s favorite.

3. In January 2000 during our All America event, watching a young Galvin Floyd (current White Sox pitcher) toe the rubber at the bullpen strings mound as a HS Junior and light up the radar gun for the fifty plus college coaches and pro scouts in attendance. Anyone who was there that day knew we were watching someone who was going to be pretty special at the MLB level.

4. In January 2000 and 2001 at our All America events, watching in awe of a young 3B from Virginia as we moved through the defensive workout and batting practice rounds like a polished veteran. He was also the most respectful player that I have interacted with over my many years of running Baseball Factory. I knew that not only would this player excel at the MLB level, but he would be the type of personality to build a franchise around. This player was David Wright, perennial All Star and the face of the NY Mets.

5. In January 2000 at our All America event, watching a relationship build between a young RHP from NJ that I knew intimately over his development, and a scout for the Baltimore Orioles. This RHP from NJ had participated in Baseball Factory events going back to his 7th grade years. He was a diamond in the rough that nobody knew about besides Baseball Factory. The scout from the Orioles took a liking to him and drafted him out of college. The big RHP grew into his body, developed a devastating fastball, and exploding off-speed pitches. He made his debut in the Oriole bullpen in 2006 and is named James Hoey. The scout was Dean Albany, who was just recently named National Crosschecker for the Baltimore Orioles.

6. In January 2001 and 2002 at our All America events, watching the three best HS athletes I have ever seen in person, Lastings Milledge, Delmon Young, and BJ Upton. Lastings hit six consecutive home runs in his batting practice round at Holman Stadium, Delmon jumped on the mound in a joking manner and touched 92 mph with his first pitch, and BJ glided all over the field as a young HS shortstop. These three guys were all 5 tool players with incredible upside.

7. In January 2000 and 2003 at our All America events, watching two HS arms from Florida that were destined to excel in the bullpen for any MLB club. They both made their debut in 2008 with the St. Louis Cardinals (Mark Worrell and Chris Perez) and should have fine pro careers. Those guys were bulldogs in high school with a ton of competitive flair.

8. Hearing the incredibly moving and motivational speeches from Clint Hurdle and Rick Sofield. These guys can really get you going and know how to push players to achieve greatness.

9. Seeing former legendary college coach, Jim Spooner, share his knowledge of the game with thousands of players. Spoon was the Baseball Factory’s version of Don Zimmer. Sadly, Coach Spooner passed away this year after a long battle with Leukemia.

10. Watching countless high school players learn, attack their weaknesses, improve their game, and develop into fine college players with great careers due to the great programs that Steve Bernhardt, our EVP of Baseball Operations, put together for these boys.

Thank you for the memories Dodgertown! Although Baseball Factory has some very exciting plans for new events in 2009 that will be released shortly, Dodgertown will always be remembered fondly in our hearts.

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

Where Do You Want to Go to School?

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player: “Doesn’t matter.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gather Around the Table

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Holidays!


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