Q&A ence helped lessen the worries of my first year, and I’m still learning lessons from him about recruiting and how to treat players. What adjustments did you have to make to coach in Division III?
At the big league level, you’re working with guys who have already been through a lot of life experiences, made mistakes, and learned from them, so they are more refined mentally. When I came back to Linfield, I quickly realized there are a lot of things that 18- to 22-year-olds don’t know yet. So when it comes to coaching the fundamentals, I break concepts down to their most basic element and work from there. Our players come from a variety of programs, and they were taught different things, so we keep it simple. For example, I’ll tell them, “Successful hitters look fastball, adjust to the breaking pitch, and look outside but react inside.” College baseball, especially in Division III, is played much differently than the pros. Major league teams rely so much on power at the plate that things like double steals, hit and runs, and certain bunting situations rarely happen. But we still do those things at this
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level, so I had to reacquaint myself with those parts of the game. What advice do you give players who want to play professionally?
The biggest thing I tell them is that the players who make it are not just the ones who are physically able but those who are mentally strong and disciplined enough to do what needs to be done to succeed. True discipline and dedication means working as hard on the things you don’t like as the things you do. It’s easy to go to the cages and take some swings, but are they willing to put in the work to become a more complete player? Are they willing to go the extra mile by hitting the weightroom and doing conditioning in the off-season? You served as Head Coach for USA Baseball’s Under 18 team in 2011 and 2012. How did you find the time to coach the squad with all of its international trips?
The decision to coach the U18 team only came after I had a couple of important conversations. First, I spoke with my wife and
O N L I N E
MS in Exercise Science & Health Promotion • Wellness & Fitness • Sport Psychology • Wellness Coaching
• Sport Performance Training • Rehabilitation Science • NASM certifications in PES, CES and/or CPT
children about being away again for a couple of summers. Next, I talked to my coaching staff to see if they would be able to pick up some of the slack in terms of watching summer games that I would miss. Everyone bought in. One thing that made the decision easier was that USA Baseball organizes its schedules so coaches who are responsible for another program can balance both teams. Looking back, it was a stretch at first. I initially felt uncomfortable and would ask myself, “Can I do this?” But I think it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and keep yourself from getting complacent. In what ways did coaching the USA U18 team differ from coaching at Linfield?
I was dealing with a different skill level with the U18 team. Two years ago, 10 to 12 guys from that squad were selected in the first round of the major league draft. Although you are working with the best of the best, the players are still 18 years old, which means they make mistakes and lack maturity at times. The biggest difference is an U18 kid might throw a 95 mph fastball and a Linfield pitcher throws it at 85. CM
BARRIER NETS CUSTOM NETTING BATTING CAGES IMPACT NETS
MS in Sport Management Studies • Four degree tracks
Bachelor of Science in Wellness & Fitness • NASM certifications in CPT
For more information, call 1-866-595-6348 or visit www.calu.edu/go. CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Building Character. Building Careers. www.calu.edu/go
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