Travel Ball Players' Tips

Clubhouse Gas Casey: It’s Monday and that means its instructional day here at Clubhouse Gas. Now normally we get tips from personal trainers, professional and college athletes and coaches, but today we go straight to the horse’s mouth. The player’s themselves with some tips on how to get better right here on Clubhouse Gas. We were recently at the 11 and under tournament of champions with a national field comprising 24 of arguably the best teams in the United States. So if these guys are top players in their age group. We thought we would get their opinions and advise on subjects such as nutrition practice routines and gaming tips. I think you parents and coaches come learn a bit from their comments being that these guys play 75 or more games a year on the road good nutrition is important for peak performance. Player: We play year round and play almost every weekend. Casey: We ask the question on nutrition and performance and here’s what the vast majority of player’s advised us to eat? Player: Chicken tenders. Player: Whatever that thing is with chicken and some fries and they got that little stuff on the top on it and you put honey mustard on it, yeah that’s good. Player: Chicken fingers. Player: Chicken sandwich. Player: Chicken fingers of hamburger. Player: A hamburger, a hot dog in a popsicle. Casey: That sounds delicious guys but is there any way we can add some nutritional value to that smack. Player: Dippin Dots. Player: Dippin Dots. Player: Fondant. Player: Fondant. Casey: Now we have that baseball engine fueled let’s talk to the guys about practice routine and see what they think about they’re coaches. Player: They’re nice funny and they help us. Player: They’re not mean like some other coaches I’ve seen out in the field. Player: He teaches you how to play real good. He hollers at you because he wants you to do better. Player: My coaches they’re not to mean they’re fun to be around and they’re fun and stuff. Player: Beats fun when they yell at us. Casey: But if they were the coaches would they change anything in practice? Player: Hitting. Player: Just hitting. Player: Hitting, yeah. Player: They’re going to know like first and third day no hitting and stuff. Player: Hitting. Casey: More hitting, that’s not surprising at all. Does coach know what’s boring, what would you like to eliminate from practice? Player: Running. Player: Running. Player: Running. Player: Running. Casey: I must say that this advice was almost unanimous on how the player view the world when it comes to practice. So coaches, do you think these 11 year olds are paying attention? Do we underestimate them? W ask them to give a tip if they were the coach and they were teaching 11 year old players how to play baseball? Player: Keep your eye on the ball and stand up straight. Player: And one thing when you’re batting, you want to get up there and just relax and don’t think. Player: Because whenever you feel the ball you always want to stay low and stay in front of the ball. Player: Whenever you hit the ball to always look in to find it. Player: Think every pitches are straight. Player: Two-count is a hitters count and put down your fastball and rip it. Player: In the outfield you got to open your hips. Player: And when you have 2 strikes you need to be ready for every pitch that they throw. Player: Be still and don’t guess. Player: Make sure you don’t strike too early. Strike when the ball is getting ready to get in your glove. Player: As soon as you get in there you want to know that you can get a hit and don’t be afraid of the pitcher. Player: I use the plasma back. When somebody still you need to plant your feet before you throw it. Player: Use your hips. When you’re pitching, when you step on the mound always work your corners and don’t leave the ball hanging. Player: Not to be scared if they are all speed. Player: Don’t let your kids throw a curve ball until their about 15 to 16, maybe later. Player: Always follow through. Player: Make sure that you tuck your glove. Player: When you’re catching don’t get in too much ground. Player: Always keep your elbow up and not down here. Player: When your pitching from the stretch always make sure that your shoulders are still because if not you’ll fall. Player: You always want to follow through. Player: Whenever you’re facing a left handed pitcher make sure he goes home because they have good moves. Player: When you follow through always make sure you’re squared up with home play. Player: Pull the ball in the outfield you don’t want to run into each other back to you. Casey: We did ask the kid’s one final question. In earlier shows we asked directly kids if they would rather play on a bad team that never won but they got to play all the time or when a championship, when a team would never got to play. They say they would rather play than win but we thought we would ask the travel ball kids who play at a higher level of competition the same questions, here’s their answers: Player: I mean I like to be on a team that doesn’t really win but I would get to play a lot. Player: I would probably say a bad team because you would learn from other teams how they’re playing and get fundamentally better and then maybe the next years you would move up or something or get more experienced. Player: I would rather be on a losing team and play more. Probably the worst team though, a terrible team. Player: I would probably play on a bad team because you get a lot of playing time. Casey: So no matter what level of competition they’re at kids just want to have fun. There was one kid who said what is the most important thing but mostly they just want to play. We’ll see you right back here next time for another great edition of Clubhouse Gas.