Coaches, players, parents and baseball enthusiasts will learn through interactive courses and certification classes

The future of baseball is here!  The Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball are proud to introduce Baseball University, the first interactive online, distance learning program in the sports industry designed to increase the baseball knowledge of players, parents, coaches and baseball enthusiasts through professional digital video, educational lectures and detailed written materials.

Individuals will be able to strengthen their baseball comprehension by selecting courses on topics that pique their interest. From beginner fundamentals to advanced strategy…from player development to college baseball recruiting…Baseball University will serve as the leader in online baseball education.

Baseball University is designed to be the main provider of certification for youth and high school level coaches, establishing a worldwide standard by which every coach should adhere.  The certification program aims to develop more qualified coaches and as a result, build better baseball players and attract more players to the sport.

“For years, baseball people have talked about coming up with a top notch certification program for youth coaches,” said Steve Sclafani, Baseball Factory CEO and Founder.  “We need to help increase baseball participation in America and reverse the decline of kids playing the sport. In 1985, 15 million kids played youth baseball and in 2004, only 9.5 million kids played youth baseball.  I believe one of the reasons for the decline in numbers is the lack of good coaching.  Baseball University will hopefully be the first step towards bringing youths back to baseball.”

Baseball University has a world class faculty with professors that have coached, scouted and played at the highest level. To ensure that all course and coach certification materials provided are of the highest baseball quality, all content has been developed by Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball.

In the past decade, the Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball have placed over 115 players in the Major Leagues and have helped obtain over $500 million worth of college scholarships. They are the industry leaders in player development and college placement.

Baseball University will provide advanced distance learning opportunities through the use of Blackboard technologies.  Blackboard is used as the online, distance learning program for hundreds of universities such as Harvard and Princeton. Through this technology, all courses and coach certification classes are taught using dynamic online video. Students will be able to review written educational materials and lectures by professors while simultaneously viewing corresponding video clips. The technology used by Baseball University is at the forefront of today’s online video industry.

Baseball University offers a variety of 10 week courses on College Recruiting, Scouting, Player Development and Instruction. Each course will have a syllabus, professor lectures and a discussion board so players can communicate directly with faculty members.  In addition, Baseball University will offer age specific Coach Certification, from the 5-6 age group through the high school level.

By providing in-depth courses and certification classes taught by the most knowledgeable coaches, scouts and former professional players in the industry, Baseball University will offer a one-of-a-kind concept that will revolutionize the way baseball is taught.

For more information on Baseball University, visit www.baseballuniversity.com.

About Baseball Factory
The Baseball Factory provides baseball players nationwide with the very best instruction, tournament competition, and college planning and placement. From day one, the Baseball Factory has understood the challenges facing high school players heading to college. That is why the Baseball Factory has developed programs to provide players, parents, high school coaches, college coaches, and professional scouts with year round guidance and information so that they all can benefit from Baseball Factory’s longstanding relationships in the baseball community.  The Baseball Factory holds over 100 events nationwide each year and has over 30 full-time employees on staff featuring some of the best scouts, former college coaches and professional players in the business.

About Team One Baseball
Team One Baseball provides exposure opportunities for the nation’s top high school players to come together and play in front of large amounts of scouts and college recruiters through the company’s showcase events. The Team One Showcases have featured 118 players who have played or are currently playing Major League Baseball. Some of the players include Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Prior (selected for the 2003 All-Star team), Oakland A’s third baseman and four-time Gold Glove winner Eric Chavez, 2003 Cy Young winner Roy Halladay (of the Toronto Blue Jays), and Texas Rangers’ third baseman Hank Blalock, a two-time All-Star.