Looking Forward to the 2019 National Team Development Programs

BY SYDNEY OCKER

The USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP) enters its eighth season in 2019. The elite development-based program features three age groups that bridge the gap between the national teams that compete internationally: 14U, 16U and 17U. The 14U and 16U NTDPs will be held at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, while the 17U NTDP will take place in Chicago.

The NTDP offers 40 athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball staff to better prepare for future national team experiences. The program includes skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, an intrasquad series between Stars and Stripes teams, and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters and the national team staff and task force.

17U NTDP

The 2019 17U NTDP will return to Chicago, Illinois, for the third straight year from July 21-25. The nation’s top 17-and-under players will participate in a week full of development with a series of practices and games at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, as well as Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“The 17U National Team Development Program is an opportunity for some of the best amateur players in the country to experience something truly extraordinary,” 18U National Team Director Frank Jagoda said. “They get to play at Wrigley Field, one of the most historic venues in all of baseball, in the great city of Chicago. On top of that, we get to go to the University of Notre Dame, one of the most prestigious universities in the country, before we go to another top-notch university Northwestern University, and we cap that off with a trip to Miller Park. That’s something that we are really looking forward too and that is something the kids will be able to take with them for a very long time.”

Over this five-day event, the 40 athletes will split into two teams and will engage in drills and game-like situations at morning practices, followed by Stars vs. Stripes games in the afternoons.

“We are really looking forward to the week-long opportunity to not only see these guys perform on the field but to have some classroom sessions and teach them the USA way,” continued Jagoda.

16U NTDP

In its second year, the 16U NTDP will be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Additionally, the week-long program will culminate with a game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

At both events, top professional, collegiate, and high school coaches from around the nation will give handson training on how to maximize a player’s potential while teaching them the importance of progression and fundamentals.

“It’s an all-encompassing experience for these kids,” said Jagoda, “The most important thing is that they are getting in the system and they are learning what it means to wear the colors across the chest.”

“The most important thing is that they are getting in the system and learning what it means to wear the colors across the chest.”

FRANK JAGODA, DIRECTOR, 18U NATIONAL TEAM

14U NTDP

Athletes invited to the 14U NTDP will compete at the National Training Complex from July 21-July 24. Unlike the 16U and 17U NTDPs, the 14U NTDP serves as a piece of the current year’s 15U National Team Trials. Following the completion of the 14U NTDP, 18 players will be selected to immediately participate in the 15U National Team Trials with a chance to be selected to compete internationally with Team USA.

“The 14U National Team Development Program offers a unique experience for youth athletes to come to the National Training Complex and learn the fundamentals of the game at a critical point in their development as baseball players,” USA Baseball Senior Director of Baseball Operations Ashley Bratcher said. “In addition to their work on the field, the athletes will participate in classroom exercise that educate them on life outside of baseball. These educational resources and the opportunity to be identified for a national team makes the whole week a great experience for everyone involved.”

While competition and education highlight all of the trips, playing in some of the nation’s best major and minor league ballparks is an experience these athletes will be able to carry with them for the rest of their lives.

All-in-all, the experience allows then athletes to develop as great players on the field and even better citizens off of it. The NTDP experience creates a week full of great memories and friendships, offers competition they will not get anywhere else, and prepares them to make a national team roster in the future. ♦