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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

California Rehab and Sports Therapy

California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy specializes in:
1) Post injury/surgical rehabilitation (return to activity)
2) Plyometric and power development,
3) Injury prevention and
4) Performance enhancement (sport specific training)

The performance enhancement program known as, The Next Level, focuses on sport performance and overall fitness. This training is designed to meet specific demands and movement patterns, that athletes use in their sport, to improve performance and confidence.
Training involves both inside / outside activities - Free Weights - Swiss Balls - Medicine Balls - Cardio Machines - Ladders - Sport Cords - Parachutes - Jumping mats - BOSU Trainer and more.

Their staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, with facilities located in Long Beach and Huntington Beach. Help is one click away at: http://www.calrehab.com/.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Baseball's Stages of Development

Stage 1
Tee Ball -Coach Pitch - Kid Pitch - Minor/Majors
Stage 2
Pony League - High School - American Legion - Scout Ball
Stage 3
Connie Mack - Jr. College - NAIA - NCAA
Stage 4
Independent Ball - Minor Leagues - Major Leagues

In Baseball, as in life, there are many stages of development. Maturity in either one takes time, patience, guidance and support. Just as adults understand that stages of maturity are not always reached at the same time, so youth coaches should also understand that skill development follows a similar pattern. Yet - put a 10 year old, in a uniform, on the field and keep score, it is unbelievable how both coaches and adults will react. It ranges from bragging to cursing, especially at the club level.

The ‘Big Picture” in baseball, as in life, should be viewed as following a natural progression based on the interest and drive of the individual athlete. Some players will progress early and struggle later, once others catch up maturity wise. While some will start out slow, struggle and then, (if they stay with it and are not run off) bloom into a tough, skilled athlete. However, patience, guidance and support, are needed in both scenarios along the way.

As parents, coaches and adult role models, the best example one can give any young person is the freedom to progress at their own rate. Remember, the shoe that fits one person, pinches another. There is no recipe for development that suits all cases. So relax and enjoy the game. There will be plenty of time for development along the way.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

College Players taking over Draft

Changes in draft-and-follow rules are altering clubs' strategies. Tim Beckham became the top selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft on Thursday, giving all high school players in the country the hope, that someday, they might be selected with the first pick. However, if those future high school stars looked past Beckham at the two-day Draft as a whole, they might not be as hopeful. Each of the 30 clubs went," college heavy", in the 50-round affair that ended Friday evening at The Milk House. This produced a record-tying 21 collegiate players chosen in the first round on Thursday, a better indication of what was to come over the final 44 rounds on Friday.

Conversely, only 485 prep players were selected out of the 1,504 names that were called. While the 485 prep players drafted represents an increase of nine over last year, it's the second-lowest total in 21 years. High school players represented 32.2 percent of the players drafted this year, the lowest since 1987 when 32.8 percent came from the prep ranks.

These numbers are a direct result of the changes in the rules regarding, the draft-and-follows. Clubs are drafting more college players, because they are more advanced and mature. Clubs today are less willing to have patience with the younger players while they are more willing to draft the college players and take their chances with them. Also, the later-round high school players are deciding to go to college more.

Only 19 players have gone directly to the Majors without stopping in the Minor Leagues, the last being outfielder Xavier Nady, whom the Padres selected with the 49th pick in the 2000 Draft. All scouting reports indicate that there are no players in this year's Draft that will be able to make that leap.

On a final note, Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy also made its presence felt and is becoming a familiar part of the Draft process. The Academy had two players selected in the first round (Kyle Skipworth, sixth to the Marlins) and Aaron Hicks (14th to the Twins) and two more in the compensation round.