We wrap up our recordings from the 2024 ABCA Convention by catching up with Anthony Pla. These conversations have become an annual occurrence and are just one of the many reasons that I look forward to the beginning of January at the ABCA each and every year. One last thing... I would not be a good father if I didn't thank my son, Vinny Filingeri, for acting as my sound engineer for these shows. He did an awesome job! I hope that you have enjoyed our 2024 Convention shows as much as I did!
One of our last interviews from the 2024 ABCA convention was supposed to be with USA Baseball National Team Head Coach RJ Farrell but we wound up with an added bonus to the show by inviting Georgia Gwinnett College Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger to join in. Now, RJ would be an unbelievable conversation on his own but having Sheets join us made it that much more incredible. There were even a few jabs thrown at Coach Butch Chaffin!
There are so many great baseball minds just roaming around at the ABCA convention. Paul Gallo and Mark “Pudge” Gjormand are 2 of them that I have had the pleasure of spending some time with both in Kansas City during the Youth Baseball Summit and at the 2024 ABCA Convention. We jump into youth baseball and do a little recap of the Summit.
Matt Rienzi began his tenure as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Roger Williams University during the 2023 season and is the new Head Coach of the Ocean State Waves of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Matt sat down with us in Dallas for a great conversation.
Another one of our good friends, Jake Lindmeier, sat down with us to catch up with what was going on at the convention and just baseball in general! Jake is from Dallas College Brookhaven and always has some good advice for our listeners.
New relationships are always being built at the the ABCA Convention but another great attribute of the convention is the ability to foster existing friendships. In this episode we spend some time catching up with our good friend, Taylor Valentine of Centre College.
As we continue along with our recordings from the ABCA convention we move to our next guest, Jim Chester of Gardner Webb University. Jim is going into his fifth year as the head coach of the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Coach Chester is an active member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and has served as the South East Region Chair, as well as being on two committees. He has also been heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, as well as several other charitable organizations. I am happy to call Coach Chester a friend.
Carl Nichols is a former MLB catcher that played parts of six seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros but what was appealing to me was his ability to teach and develop baseball players. Carl joined me on Podcast Row at the 2024 ABCA Convention in Dallas, Texas for an amazing conversation.
The mission of Baseball Dudes owner, Chris Gissell, is to guide and mentor players, their families, coaches, and his social media followers to a successful life on & off the field. Develop confidence. Teach the game. Instill Character traits that help lead to success and help develop as many leaders as he can along the way. He believes that it’s about the kids, which is why we want you to hear his message.
Deven Morgan is the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Academy and author of the new book, Skills That Scale. He has one of the best baseball minds in the country. You will be hard pressed to find someone that is more passionate about developing young baseball players. In this episode, Deven shares his knowledge and experience with us. You are only cheating yourself if you pass this by.
I had the honor of participating in the ABCA Youth Baseball Summit hosted by the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium this past November. While I was there, I had the pleasure of meeting Shon Plack and Jeff Sopha. There are too many accolades to list, but Jeff serves as the Youth Liaison for the Kansas City Royals Amateur Development program and Shon is the Manager of Sport Development for Baseball for the Kansas City Royals. Give a listen to what these great leaders in youth baseball have to say!
Nick Serio is a coach that has a doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology. He established Athletes Warehouse in 2014 and extended his commitment to athlete empowerment with the founding of Velo University in 2020. Nick helps athletes optimize performance by facilitating cognitive and physical resiliency. His unwavering mission is to reshape the conventional perspective on the development of student-athletes and usher in a new era of athletic excellence.
Mental performance coach at RJ Performance Group, Jon Osborn, joins us to talk about how parents can make an impact on their child’s sports experience by understanding his Parents Do’s and Don’ts. He has created a simple chart that shares some scenarios parents might face with their young athletes and suggests what a parent should do and, more importantly, should not do!
We continue with a recent common theme of talking to pitching coaches. Ryan Forrest was the pitching coach for former guest Mike Kazlausky of the Air Force Academy and has now moved on to Boston College. Ryan talks about his means and methods when he works with his players. We wish him nothing but the best as he embarks on his new journey with the Eagles new coaching staff.
Wayne Mazzoni is a coach, author, advisor, and has been a speaker at over 500 high schools, coaches’ conventions, and athletic director conventions. As you can imagine, with that type of background, he has an incredible amount of information to share with everyone. We cover everything from pitching velo, change ups, multi-sport athletes, player portal, post grad programs, camps and showcases and so much more. Listen to this episode and… Get Recruited!
We always say that there are great coaches at all levels of play, and we’ve had many conversations with some of the best baseball coaches you can find. Clay Cox is the Head Baseball Coach at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas and is certainly among the best that this game has to offer. Coach Cox has so much to offer that we couldn’t fit it all in one episode but what we did cover will make us all better coaches, players, and people.
From Masuk High School in Monroe, Ct to Villanova University to the University of Maryland to the New York Mets. Nick Lorusso has been on a journey that very few get to experience. His trek has involved hard work, self-discipline, passion, persistence, a continuing desire to improve, and a big commitment to learning. Listen in as Nick recounts his experiences while climbing the ladder to become an MLB draft pick of the NY Mets.
We have had many conversations with high school coaches, college coaches, authors, speakers, advisors, players, and many people involved in amateur baseball. In this episode, we get a look inside the baseball program at Archbishop Stepinac High School by speaking to Varsity Baseball Head Coach, Keith Richardson. It is an honor, for me, to be involved in this great baseball program and you’ll see why by listening to what Coach Richardson has to say.
He’s a self-proclaimed blue-collar coach, a high school coach by choice, and he’s genuinely trying to make a difference for all baseball players. He travels the country delivering his message and breaking down fundamental skills that are so important in building a strong foundation. He was the 2017 National High School Baseball “Coach of the Year” and a two-time State of Georgia “Coach of the Year”. It was an absolute pleasure sitting down and talking baseball with Coach Trent Mongero.
We invited a few travel baseball parents on the show to share some of their experiences with us. The idea came from one of our listeners and we decided to give it a try. What transpired was an interesting conversation regarding various topics with different points of view from a cross section of the country. There was a lot of ground to cover, so the episode is a little lengthy, but we thought that you might enjoy it!
There were a few things that have happened in the high school and college baseball world that we found to be noteworthy. We preach that there are so many aspects of the game that coaches and players need to be on top of, so we wanted to bring these occurrences to the forefront. In this episode we discuss rules, pitch counts, practicing events that happen most often in games and bunting.
Eric Holtz is the former manager of the Israel National Baseball Team. He was the assistant coach for the gold-medal-winning Team USA Baseball team at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, and the Team USA head coach for the gold-medal-winning 18U baseball team at the 2017 Maccabiah Games. He was the Head Coach of the 1st and only Olympic Baseball team to represent Israel. He currently owns and operates the GameOn 13 training facility in Elmsford, NY. Coach Holtz is passionate about embodying the values of hard work, perseverance, sportsmanship, and respect for the game. He is committed to helping players develop the skills, knowledge, and mindset they need to succeed. Listen to the energy that Coach Holtz brings to the conversation which, I’m sure, translates to his players.
Dr. Travis Dorsch is an Associate Professor at Utah State University and the founding director of the USU Families in Sport Lab. Dr. Dorsch’s research is specifically targeted at understanding the impact of parent involvement in organized sport across the stages of child and adolescent development, the role of sport participation on family relationships, and the impact of parent involvement behaviors on developmental outcomes for youth in various achievement domains.
Alan Jaeger founded Jaeger Sports on the principle that athletes need to develop both their physical and mental skills in order to be successful in game situations. He is one of the most well respected and sought after trainers in both of these crucial aspects of baseball. Get your notepads ready because you won't want to miss any part of the best baseball information out there!
"It's not really people stealing other people's information, it's really people helping people because at the end of the day we are all in this together high school, summer ball, college ball, pro ball… we're all doing the same thing we just might be at a different level." - Taylor Valentine - Centre College and USA Baseball National Team Identification Series.
Lot's of good stuff from a great guy in this chat. You'll love what this rising star has to say!
We went live at the 2023 ABCA Convention in Nashville. Our last 2 interviews were with Jonathan Reinebold and Zach Casto. These two guys wrapped up our visit to Nashville with a nice tidy bow!
We went live at the 2023 ABCA Convention in Nashville. Our first 3 interviews were with Anthony Pla, Buzz McNish and Jake Lindmeier. Listen to what they have to say in this first episode and stay tuned for part 2!
From the front lines to the foul lines... we bring you the Voice of the Round Rock Express - Mike Capps. Mike worked in radio and TV news for 22 years before landing in his prized home, the Texas Rangers AAA broadcast booth for the Round Rock Express. There is so much more to the man including authoring the book, "Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry" where he tells the tales of the game's unheralded foot soldiers. Give a listen to what Mike has to say... We're sure you will be glad that you did!
There are well-known, high-level coaches that we all know and respect. Then there are relatively unknown coaches that have a great message and fully understand what it takes to be “that” coach that can change a young players life. In this episode, we pull back the curtain and give everyone a look at the man behind A Coach’s Diary, Reggie Bibb. Reggie is a young coach that brings so much to his players. You’re not going to want to miss this conversation.
The coaching journey can take you down many different paths. Many times, that track is a long and windy road. Coach Kirk Cabana, Head Coach of Marian University’s Ancilla College, talks to us about his, let’s say unorthodox, arrival at his current position as well as his experiences and beliefs as a college baseball coach.
Paul Reddick transforms pitchers and so much more. He has been endorsed by Hall Of Famers, MLB pitching coaches, and Navy SEALs. In this episode we discuss pitch counts, recovery time between innings, weight training for pitchers, hitting and, of course, some mental aspects for coaching players. There was so much to talk about that we didn't even get into his book, "The 5-6-7 Dad". We will have Paul back for that conversation soon. So, sit back and enjoy Part 1 of a conversation with Paul Reddick!
Bill Eckstrom is a leading authority on performance coaching and growth. He is the founding CEO of Ecsell Sports and Ecsell Institute. With nearly two decades of experience, Bill remains a renowned TEDx Talk presenter, keynote speaker and podcast and radio show guest. In addition, he is the author of numerous research articles and white papers and the co-author of the best selling book, The Coaching Effect. You will also find his written work in Coach & AD Magazine.
There are many distinguishable differences between baseball coaches. Coach Mike “Kaz” Kazlausky of The U.S. Air Force Academy has a very discernible distinction. He not only prepares players for high level competition on the field, but he must also prepare them for so much more than that. Take a listen to what the “Life Coach” has to say in this episode, have a pen and paper ready to write down the many powerful quotes from Coach Kaz and prepare to feel extremely proud to be an American!
Author and freelance journalist Linda Flanagan joins us to discuss how big money and high stakes have transformed youth sports. We talk about many of the issues that parents have with the current state of youth sports and the consequences of raising the stakes for kids and parents alike – and the changes that must be made.
When we talk about practice, what should our main goals be? Are we practicing the areas of the game that happen most often so that they create an automatic response during games? Are we being efficient, purposeful, and productive? Are we keeping it simple? Are we perfecting fundamentals? Do we have a plan? Are we making it FUN? There are a lot of components to having a great practice so, let’s set up our… Practice!
Navigating through the recruiting process can be quite a challenge. Why not make it fun and interesting? The Baseball Bluebook App affords players, recruiters, vendors, and everyone involved with baseball a place to develop relationships. In this episode Eric Wubbena, President at Baseball Bluebook, talks about “The LinkedIn of Baseball”.
It is that time of year once again! Tryout time. What does a good tryout look like? How do I decide what team is the right fit? How do coaches and organizations run their tryouts? There are so many questions that need answers as players and their parents navigate through the complex maze of youth baseball! One wrong turn can get you locked into the puzzle, scurrying for a way out!
In this episode we meet up with author, coach and youth baseball administrator, Adam Sarancik. Adam shares his views on the current state of affairs and uses his many years of experience to explain what, he believes, is needed to make participating in youth baseball more enjoyable for everyone!
There are coaches and then there are coaches that are among the best in the country. What makes them tick differently from the others? How did they become part of an elite fraternity? Every coach’s journey is different from the other and in this episode, we get some great insight from the 2021 National Coach of The Year, Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger.
There are many tools in a coaches tool box that need to be honed and sharpened. The is no greater aspect to the craft than communication. In order to be an effective coach, communicating skills have to be high on the priority list. All of the great coaches throughout the history of sports are great communicators.
There are many people in the baseball world that aim to promote our game for the betterment of all who are involved. There are a lot of good ones but there is no better advocate than Peter Caliendo. Peter has literally traveled the world teaching coaches and players how to be the best that they can be. He also shares some knowledge of what he has learned from his many journeys.
We start the show with a little state of affairs for our high school teams and our observations at this point in our seasons. We then take aim on the out-of-control sports parents and coaches who physically attack refs/umps/officials at our kids' games. We need to find a solution for this toxic environment that continues to plaque youth sports.
Rick Wolff is the host of The Sports Edge on WFAN radio in New York City. Rick’s show has been running for well over 20 years and is heard all over the country. The content of his show revolves around youth sports and sports parenting. We thought that he would have a lot of insight as to what is going on in youth baseball. Thanks for stopping by Rick we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.
One year ago on March 23, 2021, we released the first episode of the Clearing The Bases podcast. We decided to do a "quick hit" show to give you a little history of how we got started and to say thank you to all of the listeners and guests that have made this show a huge success.
There are many baseball players that for one reason or another that do not get noticed by scouts or recruiters. Player advisor and player agent Joseph Guzman of the Empowerment Sports Group joins us for a conversation that will help youth, high school and college players understand what it takes to get to their next level.
Overcoming obstacles is not an easy thing to do. It is our responsibility to teach our players how to do navigate the unpaved road that they will travel. Former MLB player, Jeff Frye talks about his journey and the many hurdles that he had to leap in order to make it to the pinnacle of the game we love.
The game of baseball is filled with pressure, mental stress and lots of distractions. Are we teaching our players how to remove all of these "performance killing" pieces of the game? Stay focused and control what you can control during this episode while we take a peek into the mental side of baseball.
The American Baseball Coaches Association kicks off the year in early January with their annual convention. Dave and I recap my visit to the "Windy City". We also talk a little bit about ego and start a conversation about how to run a practice. Practice is a constantly evolving discipline. We try to give some insight to help get practices moving in the right direction to start 2022.
If leagues and organizations adopted the "growth mindset" philosophy, it would be a win/win situation for everyone in the world of youth baseball. In this episode we talk with Peter Lyons of the Fishkill Little League about how he, and his board of directors, are creating an environment to grow his league and develop the players in order for them to reach their full potential at the next level.
We talk about coaches, players, and parents, but what about the people entrusted with the task of creating a suitable environment to develop youth baseball players? Are they creating an appropriate atmosphere for teaching the skills, mental and physical development, respect for the rules of the game, and basic ideals of sportsmanship and fair play. Do they practice these principles amongst themselves? Let's take a look at The Board Of Directors.
It's the off season and we decided to talk a little bit about it. What should players be doing this time of the year? What should players not be doing this time of the year? We also jump into a discussion about 6U travel baseball and try to help out a baseball parent by answering a question he had posted on social media.
In this episode we talk to former pro player, author and visionary Kevin Gallagher. We will be discussing his book ”Teach Your Kid to Hit … So They Don’t Quit” and the movement that Kevin is spearheading called "Save The Game". Be part of this exciting journey by signing up at https://savethegameus.com/ to stay informed of the progress that Kevin will make as this movement gains traction! You won't want to miss this episode where Kevin details the reasons and needs for change in Americas favorite pastime!
Most participants in youth baseball have experienced some type of crazy behavior. It comes at you, sometimes, from every angle. It really makes you want to scratch your head and say, "What the heck is going on here?" In this episode Dave and I talk a trip down Memory Lane and discuss things that we have witnessed throughout our time coaching youth baseball.
If you would like to donate to the Newburgh Knights to help Jett Diaz with his battle ahead, please use this link... https://bit.ly/3FdS8TK
Experience is the teacher of all things. In this episode we learn from the experiences of North Jersey Hall-of-Fame coach Jack Smithlin. Coach Smithlin is in his 48th year of coaching at the high school and college levels. He has managed multiple symposiums on sports psychology and sports parenting. Coaches, players and parents, take advantage of the experience, knowledge and wisdom that Coach Smithlin has to offer.
Matt Cole is the Owner and Moderator of the Youth Baseball Coaching Support, Drills and Philosophy Facebook group. He also the coaching coordinator for the Bethlehem Little League in Richmond, Va. In this episode Matt shares his vision for his Facebook group and how he handles coaching for his youth baseball league.
Get those Airpods in! Relax and get ready to hear a fantastic baseball conversation with Butch Chaffin of Cookeville High School in Cookeville Tennessee! We have Coach Chaffin diving into topics such as USA Baseball, High School Baseball, Nekton, Credo and lots more!
How do you run a college program alone as a head coach? You develop the “BEAST”! Anthony Pla, Head Coach of Lincoln University and 2021 ABCA convention presenter explains this and many other topics in this episode!
There are two types of players... the confident and the... not so confident. These two mental processes live inside of every baseball player. How do we get the right guy playing every day?
In this episode we talk to Steve Springer of Quality At Bats and he, not only, tells his story but why coaches and parents need to help our players to "Compete with Confidence".
Some say giving instruction to players during a game is the coach's job. Others say no. In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of coaching from the dugout. Is it right? Is it wrong? We debate and let you decide! We start the show with a look back at some of the happenings at the recently ended Olympic summer games from Tokyo.
In this episode we discuss the difference between competitors and convenient competitors. What is the difference? Is the ability to compete something that a player is born with or is it a skill that can be taught? The way a player competes will determine whether or not they reach their full potential in the game of baseball.
The development of youth baseball players is a process to be understood by players, parents and coaches. In this episode Coach Angel Lugo of the Cadets Player Development Academy launches us into the world of youth baseball development.
As we promised... Here is part 2 of our continuing conversation on the topic of travel baseball. More about organizations, players, coaches and parents. We hope that you enjoy it!
The world of travel baseball is vast and complex. The concept can range from very good for our amateur athletes to..... well..... not so good. There is so much to talk about that we decided to bring this to you in more than 1 episode. Here is Part 1. We hope you enjoy it and stay tuned for Part 2!
While participation numbers for youth baseball are on the rise, Little League numbers continue to decline. What's wrong with our youth baseball institutions? In this episode we discuss the problems and possible solutions to save local youth baseball.
In this episode we discuss why it is important for youth coaches to have a good foundation in order to develop our young athletes. We provide some resources for youth coaches to research in order to become the best that they can be!
