Whoever claims winning isn't everything obviously has not spoken with an athletic coach.Coaching the Mental Game offers coaches of all sports a definitive volume for effectively understanding an athlete's mental awareness, which in turn will help drive success. Author H.A. Dorfman details appropriate coaching strategies aimed at perfecting the player's mental approach to performance.Coaching the Mental Game will become the Bible for coaches who strive to make their athletes the most complete performers possible. Not only a wonderful asset to athletic coaches, this book will also prove to be a motivational resource for workers in all industries as well as in the game of life.

Move over, Moneyball -- this New York Times bestseller examines major league baseball's next cutting-edge revolution: the high-tech quest to build better players.As bestselling authors Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik reveal in The MVP Machine, the Moneyball era is over. Fifteen years after Michael Lewis brought the Oakland Athletics' groundbreaking team-building strategies to light, every front office takes a data-driven approach to evaluating players, and the league's smarter teams no longer have a huge advantage in valuing past performance.Lindbergh and Sawchik's behind-the-scenes reporting reveals:How undersized afterthoughts José Altuve and Mookie Betts became big sluggers and MVPs How polarizing pitcher Trevor Bauer made himself a Cy Young contender How new analytical tools have overturned traditional pitching and hitting techniques How a wave of young talent is making MLB both better than ever and arguably worse to watch Instead of out-drafting, out-signing, and out-trading their rivals, baseball's best minds have turned to out-developing opponents, gaining greater edges than ever by perfecting prospects and eking extra runs out of older athletes who were once written off. Lindbergh and Sawchik take us inside the transformation of former fringe hitters into home-run kings, show how washed-up pitchers have emerged as aces, and document how coaching and scouting are being turned upside down. The MVP Machine charts the future of a sport and offers a lesson that goes beyond baseball: Success stems not from focusing on finished products, but from making the most of untapped potential.

Youth baseball instruction guide by former MLB player Dan Gray who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a catcher. Includes praise from numerous baseball luminaries including Joe Girardi and Bernie Williams.Dan’s love of baseball started way back when he was a Little Leaguer in the Bronx, NY. His passion for the game continued through his high school years at The Bronx High School of Science where he was selected to the All-City team his senior year. It was during his collegiate experience at Binghamton University where he became the first player in school history to be chosen for the amateur draft, when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the 7th round.By most accounts, the Los Angeles Dodgers were considered the premier teaching and player development organization in all of baseball at the time. “The Dodger Way” of playing the game became the foundation and focal point for Dan’s instructional template following the end of his playing career.Currently, Dan is the owner of the ProSwing Baseball & Softball Training Center in Mount Kisco, NY which opened in 2002. “The daily mission is to create a comfortable learning environment that enhances knowledge and passion for the game and accelerates personal satisfaction and growth. Every day I use baseball as the vehicle to improve each player’s self-esteem in helping become the best player and person possible,” says Dan.To date, Dan has been quoted in many outlets such as The New York Times, The Westchester Business Journal and The Journal News. In addition, he has been a featured guest speaker on CNN, WFAN, ESPN radio, WXRK and New York 1. These outlets, along with his involvement in over 200 coaches clinics, have highlighted several of Dan’s favorite topics, such as player development, youth sports and parental involvement, youth baseball issues, steroids in baseball—youth perspective, off season baseball training routines, and many others.

Studies prove that positive thinkers are happier, healthier, and more successful than everyone else. Discover the simple, proven techniques for becoming a more positive person...Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. Study after study proves this. Researchers have found that optimistic people live longer, live healthier, have more energy, have more successful careers, make better decisions, are more productive, are less stressed, have healthier relationships, and (not surprisingly) are much happier than pessimists.However, a lot has been misunderstood about what it means to be a positive thinker and what it takes to maintain an optimistic mindset. It takes a lot more than repeating feel-good platitudes to make positive thinking work in your life. It takes discipline, commitment, and a proper understanding of what optimism really means in a world that is constantly throwing new challenges at us.This is a book for anyone who has ever questioned whether positive thinking really “works.”It’s also a book for those who have tried to develop a more positive attitude, but have found it difficult to eliminate the voices of fear, doubt, and cynicism.This is a book for anyone who wants to put optimism to work in their life with practical, proven techniques.In this inspirational fable, you’ll meet Bobby Kane, a 31-year-old minor league baseball player who realizes his dream of making it to the majors is finally coming to a disappointing end. His dream, he believes, was not meant to be.That is, until Bobby meets an unconventional manager named Wally Hogan. More mental coach than baseball manager, Wally teaches Bobby that if you want to change your life, you have to first change your thinking.As you’ll see in this book, developing a positive mindset gives Bobby a renewed chance to make his dreams come true—not just in baseball, but in all areas of his life.Wally teaches Bobby what it means to be an optimist and what it takes to maintain a positive attitude through the ups and downs of life. He teaches him proven, real-world techniques for building and sustaining optimism. These methods have an immediate impact on Bobby’s life and they will have an immediate impact on yours as well.This book will show you just how powerful a positive attitude can be and it will teach you how to use positive thinking to make your biggest dreams come true.

Seventeen of the game's top collegiate coaches have teamed up with the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) to bring you the game's most comprehensive assortment of practice activities.The Baseball Drill Book features 198 drills proven to improve individual and team performance. Former Fresno State coach Bob Bennett, Ripon College's Gordie Gillespie, Lewis-Clark State's Ed Cheff, Wichita State's Gene Stephenson, and South Carolina's Ray Tanner are among the greats who present their best practice drills and insights for improving these skills:-Conditioning and warm-up-Throwing and catching-Base running and sliding-Hitting and bunting-Pitching-Fielding-Offensive and defensive tacticsEach drill follows a concise format. First, the primary skill or tactic to be enhanced is identified, then procedure and setup details are provided. Illustrations for proper technique are also included, followed by coaching insight to help you sharpen players' understanding of the game's finer points. Glean tactical advice such as how to get a teammate home from third when a key run is needed and how to “sit on” certain pitches while at the plate. Drill modifications are included so that each drill can be modified to fit specific needs.Additional chapters explain how to effectively and efficiently incorporate drills in practice sessions and to simulate game situations. In all, The Baseball Drill Book provides the essential link between initial skill learning and winning performance on the diamond.

Some books teach coaches and players what to do; this also explains why. Developed by an all-star cast of coaches selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball Strategies is the most comprehensive resource ever written on the tactical aspects of the game. Providing the content are 18 of the game's top strategists, including several coaches whose teams have totaled more than 1,000 wins and have won national championships.Meet every decision-making challenge, from setting the most effective lineup at the plate and in the field to deciding what play to call and when to call it in tight game situations. Should a runner be sent on a 2-2 pitch with one out? Should a hitter be walked to allow for a force-out even if the next batter is an RBI leader? When should a pitcher hold a runner on base from the stretch position or pitch from a more comfortable full windup? The analyses and answers to all of these questions and many more can be found in this book.In part I, you'll learn the specifics of offense, from determining the hitting lineup to studying the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing pitcher and defense. The contributors to the offensive side of the game include Itch Jones, Mike Gillespie, Danny Hall, and Mark Johnson. In part II, experts such as Bob Bennett and John Winkin explore pitching from every angle, including strategies for shutting down hitters, stopping baserunners, and fielding the position. In Parts III and Parts IV, you'll learn better defensive strategies for fine-tuning your strategic approach from George Horton, Jim Morris, and Bobo Brayton, just to name a few.Take a big tactical lead on your opponent. From position-specific responsibilities to situation-specific options to adjusting to the level of competition to altering your game plan in the middle innings, Baseball Strategies covers all the bases to give you a winning advantage in thinking the game.

Much more than a book on skills, strategies, or drills, The Baseball Coaching Bible represents a landmark work for the sport. Many of the greatest coaches the game has ever known—including Coaches of the Century at the high school, junior college, NAIA, and Division I, II, III levels, as named by Collegiate Baseball—combine to cover all aspects of coaching. The 27 contributing coaches share their keys to championship baseball, something they know well, having won 50 national titles and nearly 25,000 games.The Baseball Coaching Bible covers every facet of coaching, with each coach addressing the subject he knows best. From Bobby Winkles' chapter on instilling hustle and Ron Polk's chapter on organizing a winning program, to Ed Cheff's chapter on innovative practices and Rod Dedeaux's chapter on establishing pride and tradition, The Baseball Coaching Bible transcends the Xs and Os.The book's varied and vast amount of information allows you to pick and choose what you implement in your program in any particular season, but you will learn from and be entertained by it all. The wit and wisdom of baseball's sharpest minds shine through in their memorable stories and valuable insights.Jerry Kindall and John Winkin organized and edited the contents. “The Impact of a Coach” by Dave Keilitz is a strong and fitting introduction. From there the book flows logically and swiftly through six sections:- Coaching Priorities and Principles with chapters from John Scolinos, Chuck “Bobo” Brayton, Hal Smeltzly, Bob Smith, and Winkles.- Program Building and Management with entries from Ken Schreiber, Mark Marquess, Ron Fraser, and Polk.- Creative and Effective Practice Sessions composed of works by Ed Cheff, Danny Litwhiler, Winkin, Gary Pullins, and Tom House.- Individual Skills and Team Strategies taught by Charlie Greene, Gary Ward, Jack Stallings, Bob Bennett, and Cliff Gustafson.- Player Motivation and Leadership includes Skip Bertman, Gordie Gillespie, Andy Lopez, and Dedeaux.- Off-the-Field Opportunities, Challenges, and Pressures, includes chapters from Glen Tuckett, Richard “Itch” Jones, and Kindall.Endorsed by the American Baseball Coaches Association, The Baseball Coaching Bible is sure to be a staple in every serious baseball coach's library. And like coaching and the game itself, the book's appeal will keep drawing you back again and again.

Expert advice and innovative drills to propel your team to successEndorsed by Little League Baseball® and a favorite among coaches and parents, Little League Drills and Strategies is built around three easy-to-follow rules: (1) teach the basics, (2) keep it fun, and (3) practice, practice, practice. Following these simple yet successful tenets, author Ned McIntosh has packed this book with imaginative drills that you can use to help your players strengthen their baseball skills.These innovative exercises and minigames will keep practice fun for your players while they sharpen their abilities on the field. Accompanied by engaging instructional photographs, this authoritative resource features drills that will teach all of the fundamentals: Hitting Pitching Fielding Baserunning And moreMcIntosh also pays special attention to the latest rule changes, including everything you need to know about pitch counts and how to use them to your team's advantage. Also included is a special troubleshooting section with strategies on how to correct players' technique.

A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching presents a new approach to baseball coaching and practice. Applying a CLA to the player development process across the skill spectrum from the beginners to elite, this book uses practical examples to demonstrate the theoretical principles of the constraints-led coaching style embedded in research showing the numerous benefits of the approach.This book incorporates case studies and examples of how constraints are manipulated to develop more adaptable players that can perform at a higher level with a reduced risk of injury, shifting the reader’s view of skill acquisition from the concept of the one “correct” solution, acquired through repetition, to the ecological dynamics framework focused on variability, adaptability, and self-organization. Individual chapters cover major topics such as hitting, pitching, and fielding for players from Little League to the pros. This book illustrates the underlying principles so that coaches can develop their own practice activities.A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching is a key reading for undergraduate students and practicing sports coaches, physical education teachers and sport scientists alike as well as practicing players and coaches in baseball and related sports.