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 Ranger News |
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Wednesday, July 16
Wednesday July 16th
As of 3:30 both the JV & Varsity Games are on.
Coach Tucker
Monday, July 14
Monday July 14th *Games today*
Reminder,
Varsity plays 2 games at Brazoswood in Clute tonight starting at 5:30. Be there by 5. Most of you have made the trip before but rememeber it takes about an hour to get there.
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JV playes Travis at Travis tonight at 8:00.
Good luck to both teams,
Coach Tucker
Friday, June 6
JV Schedule
| JV |
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| Day |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Opponent |
| Wed |
4-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Hightower |
| Mon |
9-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Austin |
| Thurs |
12-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Bellaire |
| Tues |
17-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Bush |
| Wed |
18-Jun |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Travis |
| Tues |
24-Jun |
8:00 |
Kempner |
Kempner |
| Thurs |
26-Jun |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Dulles |
| Tues |
1-Jul |
8:00 |
Hightower |
Hightower |
| Wed |
3-Jul |
8:00 |
Austin |
Austin |
| Mon |
7-Jul |
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NO JV GAME TODAY!!!!
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| Tues |
8-Jul |
6:00 |
Butler |
Bellaire |
| Thurs |
10-Jul |
6:00 |
Frankie |
Bush |
| |
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8:00 |
Frankie |
Bush |
| Mon |
14-Jul |
8:00 |
Travis |
Travis |
| Wed |
16-Jul |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Kempner |
| Thurs |
17-Jul |
6:00 |
Austin |
Dulles |
Friday, June 6
Varsity Schedule
| Varsity |
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| Day |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Opponent |
| |
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| Wed |
4-Jun |
5:30 |
Butler |
Dulles |
| Mon |
9-Jun |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Bellaire |
| Thurs |
12-Jun |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Foster Black |
| Tues |
17-Jun |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Foster Gold |
| Wed |
18-Jun |
7:30 |
Frankie |
Brazoswood |
| Tues |
24-Jun |
5:30 |
Travis |
Travis |
| Thurs |
26-Jun |
7:30 |
Frankie |
Terry |
| Tues |
1-Jul |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Foster Black |
| Thur |
3-Jul |
7:30 |
Butler |
Bellaire |
| Mon |
7-Jul |
5:30 |
Foster |
Foster Black |
| |
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7:45 |
Foster |
Foster Black |
| Thurs |
10-Jul |
7:00 |
Foster |
Foster Gold |
| Mon |
14-Jul |
7:00 |
Brazoswood |
Brazoswood |
| Wed |
16-Jul |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Travis |
| Thurs |
17-Jul |
5:30 |
Kempner |
Dulles |
Friday, June 6
Freshmen Blue Schedule
| Freshmen Blue |
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| Day |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Opponent |
| Wed |
4-Jun |
6:00 |
Frankie |
Hightower |
| Mon |
9-Jun |
6:00 |
Kempner |
Austin |
| Mon |
11-Jun |
6:00 |
Austin |
Dulles |
| Tues |
17-Jun |
6:00 |
Austin |
Lamar Consld. |
| Thurs |
19-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Bellaire |
| Mon |
23-Jun |
8:00 |
Elkins |
Elkins Gold |
| Wed |
25-Jun |
6:00 |
Travis |
Travis Red |
| Tues |
1-Jul |
6:00 |
Hightower |
Hightower |
| Wed |
2-Jul |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Austin |
| Wed |
9-Jul |
6:00 |
Frankie |
Dulles |
Friday, June 6
Freshment Grey Schedule
| Freshmen Grey |
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| Day |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Opponent |
| Thurs |
5-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Terry |
| Tues |
10-Jun |
6:00 |
Elkins |
Foster |
| Mon |
16-Jun |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Elkins White |
| Wed |
18-Jun |
5:30 |
Butler |
Bellaire White |
| Mon |
23-Jun |
5:30 |
Butler |
Strake Jesuit |
| Thurs |
26-Jun |
6:00 |
Elkins |
Elkins Blue |
| Tues |
1-Jul |
5:30 |
Frankie |
Bellaire White |
| Wed |
2-Jul |
5:30 |
Terry |
Terry |
| Mon |
7-Jul |
6:00 |
Travis |
Travis White |
| Wed |
9-Jul |
8:00 |
Frankie |
Kempner |
| Sat |
12-Jul |
10:00 |
Frankie |
Championship Game |
Wednesday, June 4
Game Day
Hi Everyone,
I'm sure the men are tired of looking good hitting off of me so let's celebrate Game Day is finally here. Good luck to all of our teams this summer. Remember you are representing Clements High School. Make the school, your family and yourself proud with your hard work and positive attitude.
Varsity:
The game Start at 5:30 at Butler, Be there by 5 to get ready. The plan is to split the pitching up a couple innings a piece so everyone can pitch again this weekend if needed. Ballard will start so get ready accordingly. I don't know if we are home or visitors but be ready for a 5:30 1st pitch.
JV:
We play at 8 at Frankie. Our Freshmen play at 6 so our game will start at approximately 8:00 PM. Later if they play right up to the 7:50 time limit, right at 8 or a little sooner if there is a run rule or they otherwise finish early. Be at the field by 7. The Press box will be open. Get the balls and pitch to yourselves in the cage. I should be there between 7:15 & 7:30. The plan is to split the pitching up a couple innings a piece. Brian Brown will start.
Freshmen:
It was just announced that Saturday July 12 10:00 AM at Frankie Field, there will be a 1 game Championship game played between the two freshmen group winners. We have a team in each group. It would be nice to have an all Clements Championship Game. Good Luck to both teams. Play hard.
Ranger Pride,
Coach Tucker
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Saturday, May 17
Freshmen Rosters
Hi Everyone,
I'm pleased to annouce the two freshmen teams rosters.
I am looking forward to a great season from both teams. Good Luck to our newest Rangers.
Clements Grey - Coach Mesa
David Angelo
Michael Burr
Cullen Cook
Adam Curruth
Chet Danto
Shameet Desai
Briley Farmer
Thomas Long
Juan Mesa
Alex Ng
Daniel Perez
Roger Salti
Clements Blue - Coach Adams
Shane Adams
Austin Bass
Joshua Binder
Seth Ensor
Juliene Hernandez
Ballard Infante
Ryan Lilly
Cayden Maloney
Zach Mayock
Matthew McCauley
Michael Munnell
Rahul Naik
Mason Pope
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Sunday, May 4
Nice Start to the Summer
Freshmen:
We had another solid turn out of freshmen at tryouts Saturday. I was pleased with the effort and hustle I saw and expect these young men to carry on the winning tradition at Clements High School.
For those who were unable to attend but would still like to try out, I will have a makeup session This Monday, May 5th from 7 until Dark at Frankie field.
Currently we are right on the bubble for the numbers required to field two freshmen teams. I would like a minimum of 13 on a team. We had 23 register on Saturday. We need at least 1 and preferably3 (or more) to tryout Monday.
The teams will be split as evenly as possible. I will split the pitching, catching and hitting the based on what I saw at tryouts. I am not as concerned about positions. They all need to be able to play multiple infield and outfield positions. And when we asked the boys what positions they played; well, it appears we have a whole lot of short stops and center fielders ;-)
We will have a practice on Thursday, May 8th from 6 until dark at Frankie. Everyone should attend. The practice will be for all of our teams, freshmen through Varsity. My goal is to have all the registrations and tryouts complete so that I can split the teams on Tue & Wed and then I will let the boys know after practice on Thursday.
JV & Varsity:
We will be at Frankie on Monday from 6-7 before the freshmen tryouts, collecting paperwork and answering questions. Our first practice will be the Thursday practice mentioned above. Please see below for further information about the summer schedule.
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Monday, April 21
Summer 08 Registration (Freshmen/Varsity & JV new is below)
Students who will attend Clements High School on the Fall of 09 are invited to play in the Clements Summer Baseball program. Our program consist of 1 Varsity, 1 JV and (depending upon how many players tryout) 1 or 2 incoming Freshmen team(s).
For incoming freshmen and current Clements students who did not play for the school in the spring of 08, Clements Summer Baseball (Mickey Mantle) Registration and Tryouts are scheduled for:
Saturday May 3, 2008 from 10:00 PM to 12:00 PM.
All tryouts will be at the home of the Clements Rangers, Frankie Field (behind Mercer Stadium).
If you are playing for the Clements High School this spring (08) you do not need to tryout to play this summer. You are required to complete a registration form and player contract. Forms will be available Saturday May 3rd from 9-1 at Frankie to register and pay. Please note: This year, you will not be allowed to participate in any way (practice or games) until your paperwork has been completed and turned into the league office.
Important Dates:
Saturday May 3rd 10-12 Freshmen Trayouts @ Frankie
The season will start Wednesday May 29th
Friday July 4th No games will be played.
Saturday July 19th will be the last day for league play
If you are considering playing in our program in the summer of 08, please make note of the schedule above and plan your summer vacations, camps and select league participation accordingly.
If you have any questions please contact Chris Tucker at ctucker@wilsonmohr.com or 281-980-5944.
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VARSITY & JV NEWS
For the varsity:
* We will play in Two Leagues
, A Wed night premier league ( 6:30 on Wed )
* The league starts June 4 and ends by July 16. There will be No season ending tournament
* Initially includes Kempner, Elkins, Dulles, Hightower, Clements, & Bellaire (these are the premier teams in our league. The idea it this Wed league will be the best competition our league has to offer.
? Roster composed of returning varsity lettermen and 2008 JV squad
* The plan is to play each team once so we will play 5 games in this league
*
* If you sign up for the 2nd league there will be no additional charge for playing in on the Wednesday night team. Our program will pay for the new Premier League.
Mon/Tue/Thurs night regular league( 5:30 / 8:00 on Mon, Tue, and/or Thurs )
* The league starts June 2 for Fort Bend schools and ends by July 19. There will be No season ending tournament
* Roster composed of returning varsity lettermen and 2008 JV squad
* We will play 15 games with a NEW 2:30 time limit/7 innings so we will get our games in.
Varsity Fees for this summer will be 155/per player. For Varsity this will include both leagues (so you will get 3 games a week), 2 shirt (so mom is not washing every night), a hat & socks.
*****
For the JV:
* Games will be played on Mon/Tue/Wed/Thurs nights. Friday’s are reserved for rainouts. To avoid select league conflicts, no Saturday games will be schedule.
* The league starts June 2 for Fort Bend schools and ends by July 19. There will be No season ending tournament
* Roster will be composed of the returning sophomore squad with some possible additions (new players to the area, kids that didn’t make the team in the spring that want to try again next spring etc.)
*
* We will play 15 games 1:50 time limit/7 innings.
JV Fees for this summer will be 140/per player. For JV this will include 2 shirt (so mom is not washing every night), a hat & socks.
Freshman tryouts are tomorrow Sat. May 3 from 10-12 at Frankie. Paper work will be available.
I
will be at Frankie Monday May 5th from 6-7 for Varsity and JV to come fill out paperwork and ask questions.
I am also available via email at ctucker@wilsonmohr.com or cell 281-513-5944 (you usually have to leave a message and I’ll call you back).
Thanks,
Chris
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Monday, April 24
Out of your control
Help me!!!!! My Son is 0-7 so far
He's hit the ball hard thrice but right at someone, struck out twice, once looking on a low and away pitch, and got his weight way out front on a change-up and dribbled it to second and his last swing yesterday was what appeared to be a half swing to the third baseman. He plays on a select team last year hitting .395 on a team that hit .340 on the year. He's always been a good hitter, but now, we're seeing a lot
more change of speed, including sadly, hooks. Any advice? I think his last swing yesterday showed he is losing confidence and is becoming tentative.
It doesn't matter whether a kid is failing math, they all can figure a BA. They all have a preseason goal like "I'm going to hit .400". They start off 0-7 and go home and extrapolate the math and " I've got to hit .575 the rest of the season to hit .400. This season SUCKS!" It becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.
This player hit the ball hard three times! Had they found a hole, he's a happy camper! But because he is concerned with his BA, he is " losing confidence and becoming tentative". Sounds like a SLUMP to me.
Batting Averages are so subjective as to be almost meaningless. If the scorekeepers' son is a pitcher, all balls that are not converted into outs are errors. All balls that get by the catcher are "pass balls" not "wild pitches". Hence, Junior's ERA stays low even though he gave up 10. If the scorekeeper's son is a hitter, those boots are all bad hops or "too hot to handle". I once noticed that one HS team had 5 players hitting over .500! Yet, their record was 3-16. Must have been some pretty bad pitching.
I keep stats on my team but I no longer post them in the dugout. I got tired of Dads coming up to me with their interpretation of their son's stats and arguing that I should change an error to a hit. I really don't care what their BA is. I don't need to see their BA to know if they are a productive offensive player or not.
As I have said before. A player must learn that he can only concern himself with those things over which he has control. He can only control:
1. The amount of preparation he has done so that he can expect to have success.
2. The pitch at which he chooses to swing
3. How hard he runs to first.
He can not control whether the SS stabs his rope, the umpire makes a bad call, or the scorekeeper calls his shot in the hole an error. To concern ones self with any of those things is completely counterproductive.
Baseball is a game of failure. Only failure 2 of 3 times for your career and you will end up in the Hall Of Fame. But you failed twice as much as you succeed. More players are driven out of the game not because they can't play but because they can't handle the failures that come with the game.
If a kid plays long enough, he will be confronted with off speed pitches, even GASP, curveballs. He has to learn to not blend his stride and swing, stay back, and wait on the ball in order to have any success hitting off speed pitches.
Yours In Baseball,
Bruce Lambin
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More hitting tips
An old farmer once said to a lost motorist who happened upon his farmhouse, "If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there." Players too often learn hitting techniques without understanding the results they wish to accomplish. Does the hitter want to try to hit home runs all the time? Does he want to take a lot of pitches? Does he just want to hit the ball to the opposite side? If a player is to be a successful hitter, he must have a philosophy.
A solid hitting philosophy includes five basic elements:
The longer the hitter can wait, the better hitter he will be.
Line drives and ground balls win games.
The hitter should have a plan at the plate.
The hitter should understand the three Ps - patience, persistence, and poise.
Drills and fundamentals are important.
The Longer the Hitter Can Wait, the Better Hitter He Will Be
This statement refers to the hitters ability to identify the pitch and location before committing to a forward movement of his swing. Research indicates it takes an 80-mile-per-hour pitch approximately four-tenths of a second to travel to home plate. Research also tells us that the hitter requires two-tenths of a second to read the pitch properly. Thus the hitter has two-tenths of a second to deliver the blow to the ball with the bat. Herein lies the centerpiece, the core, the pure essence, of hitting. Most of the problems in hitting a baseball are caused by starting the swing too early, before getting a good read on the ball. Hitters who start too early are fooled on curveballs, change-ups, and pitch location. Their timing is off on the swing.
If we agree that the early start is the initial culprit of most problems in hitting, then why dont hitters wait longer to initiate the forward movement of the swing? There are probably hundreds of reasons why this occurs. Here are a few worth mentioning. (It may be worth noting that this inquiry approach may be a good teaching method: here is the objective, here is the problem. Before correcting a problem, lets find out why we have the problem. This method gives us a better chance to solve the puzzle.)
The hitter has flaws in his swing and requires more than two-tenths of a second to get the bat to the ball.
The hitter is not strong enough or quick enough to get the bat to the ball in the allotted time for success. Perhaps the bat is too heavy.
The hitter believes the age-old misconception that has tempted every hitter: if I take a long, hard, powerful swing at the ball, it will go farther, perhaps even over the fence. Every hitter would like to hit home runs. In an attempt to do so, he creates a long swing that requires an early start.
The hitter brings anxiety to the plate, which creates poor focus. He is not playing in the now, in the moment. He brings garbage to the plate. His concentration is poor, and he doesnt properly pick up the ball as the pitcher releases it. He starts early.
The hitter lacks confidence in his ability to hit. He simply does not trust his stuff. He starts early.
The hitter tries to guess every pitch rather than read the pitch. This is a dangerous trap because the hitter will eventually reach a level of play in which the pitchers arsenal is so varied that he will be unable to guess correctly. Because most hitters guess fastballs or pitches in, they start early.
The hitter refuses to get beat on the inside fastball; thus his approach to the swing starts early so that he can get the bat head out in front to meet the inside pitch. Getting beat inside with the bat means a possible broken bat, a weak ground ball, or what is referred to as "bees," - a sting of the hands. Although the results are not as damaging with the aluminum bat, the desire to win the battle inside continues. This has always has been the contest, and it always will be. For most hitters, proper contact on the inside pitch will produce a harder hit ball, which increases the chance for a home run. The striving for a home run creeps back in! Most hitters do not have opposite-side power; thus they must sit on the inside pitch. The origin of this problem is twofold: a hitter has a major goal of hitting home runs, and his ego, his manliness, will take precedence over using proper hitting style. Simply put, making outs or poor contact on pitches away from him does not bother him nearly as much as getting jammed and beat on an inside pitch. To be a good hitter, this thinking must be addressed and adjusted because most outs and most pitches occur on the outer half of the plate. Players must move their competitive nature to the next level and learn to play smart baseball.
Other reasons could be the cause for the early start, but those just listed are the most common. Solid observation of the good hitters, the major-league hitters, shows many more late swings or foul balls to the opposite side than early swings or foul balls to the pull side. At lower levels of expertise, we observe the opposite result.
If we are to accept the philosophy that the longer the hitter can wait, the better the hitter he will be, then proper adjustments - physically, emotionally, and mentally - must occur. The hitter must develop a short, compact stroke. He must keep his power base intact throughout the swing. This means that the ankles and knees do not travel beyond his feet as he shifts back and transfers forward. He must adhere to the rule of transferring his weight from back to middle, not from back to front.
LINE DRIVES AND GROUND BALLS WIN GAMES
Year-in and year-out, a larger percentage of games will be won by the team with the highest on-base average rather than the team with the highest slugging percentage. Another truism is that a swing that produces line drives and ground balls takes less time than one that hits fly balls. This correlates with our first premise: the hitter must find a swing that does not require an early start.
Many studies have been conducted concerning productivity of ground balls, fly balls, and line drives. Most studies at the NCAA Division I level conclude:
For every 10 ground balls hit, 3 will fall in for base hits. On-base average results are 42 percent.
For every 10 line drives hit, 8 will fall in for base hits. On-base average results are 84 percent.
For every 10 fly balls hit (including all home runs), 2 will fall in for base hits. On-base average results are 29 percent.
Keep in mind that these statistics are for top amateur baseball players playing against highly skilled defenses on playing surfaces that are usually better than other amateur fields. We could certainly argue that batting averages and on-base averages would increase with less-skilled defenses or poorly manicured fields. More base hits would occur on fly balls, but the increase for ground balls and line drives would be even greater. It is simply easier to catch a fly ball than it is to stop a ground ball, throw it accurately to a base, and have a teammate catch it. Likewise, line drives are harder to catch than fly balls; defenses can run down fly balls more easily than they can line drives.
In summary, if you believe on-base average wins more games, then line drives and ground balls are the route to take.
HAVE A PLAN AT THE PLATE
As a reference point to ensure understanding, hitters should normally (a) hit the inside pitch to the pull side, (b) hit the outside pitch to the opposite side, and (c) hit the pitch down the middle to the middle of the field. This is an absolute in hitting. Successful hitters rarely deviate from this absolute, although we can find some exceptions among outstanding hitters.
Unless a hitter is in a guess count (3-1, 2-0), his initial thought is to work from a plan that the next pitch will be in the middle of the plate and high in the strike zone. His mental plan will be to hit a line drive up the middle. Although plans do not always work out, the hitter using this plan can more easily make adjustments as the pitch is thrown. If we say that the middle of the plate is five inches wide, then we must adjust to around six inches for the outer half of the plate and six inches for the inner half. In reality, most hitters, either consciously or unconsciously, work from the premise that the pitch will be more toward the inside. This, of course, goes back to our earlier comment concerning the battle of not getting beat inside. Obviously, in expecting the pitch inside, the hitter must make greater adjustments to the outside pitch in the strike zone, adjustments that are often unsuccessful. In like manner, the hitter will hit fewer pop-ups or foul balls if he has a basic starting plan on a ball up in the zone. It is much easier to adjust down than adjust up, and the results are normally more productive.
Successful hitting requires aggressiveness. The pitcher starts the action; he throws the first blow. The hitter must be prepared to respond aggressively. Aggressiveness will overcome many flaws in a swing.
As stated earlier, the hitter has a short amount of time to decide to swing. A good, aggressive hitter has already made half of that decision when he approaches the plate. Rather than making two decisions, either to swing or not to swing, the aggressive hitter makes only one decision - not to swing. He goes to the plate already planning to swing.
Good hitters primarily use the middle of the field. That is, the balls they hit will travel between the shortstop and second baseman or to the power alleys in the outfield. Again, we can note exceptions, but we find that the hitters with high batting averages do not consistently pull or consistently push. Pitchers have a much easier time beating the pull hitter or push hitter. The tough ones are those who consistently use the middle of the field.
Few hitters, even good hitters, can control both sides of the plate. It simply is too wide an area. Thus they must choose. Most will pick the inside area to just past the midway point of the plate. Unless the hitter is exceptional, this is a poor choice. When we chart and study pitchers, particularly in amateur baseball, we notice that over 70 percent of the pitches in the strike zone are from just inside the midway point of the plate to the outside corner. Many more outs are made on the outside half of the plate. A wise choice when learning to control the width of the plate is to choose an area a little inside the midway point of the plate and toward the outside corner.
The hitter trying to increase the area of the plate that he can control should work from the area he can control toward his poorly controlled area. If he can control the outside half of the plate and wants to enlarge his skill at controlling more of the plate, he does not go to the inside corner. He works on increasing his control from the middle of the plate slightly toward the inner half.
The good hitter will tell you that RBI hits are usually in the middle of the field or to the opposite side. With a runner in scoring position, most pitchers will work the outer half of the plate with fastballs, curveballs, or sliders because that is where they can get the outs. Obviously, we are talking percentage baseball here, but this trend has been around since the game began.
As long as we are mentioning percentage baseball, we must also mention that with few exceptions, the fastball is an easier pitch to hit than the breaking ball. The hitter is wise to make an effort to hit a fastball. Ralph Garr, a former major leaguer who has held many of the Atlanta Braves offensive records, once made a statement that relates to this premise concerning the fastball: "The best way to hit the curveball is not to miss the fastball!" He made every effort to hit the fastball because he knew he could hit it better than he could the curveball. Early in the count, it is wise to give away both corners of the plate (two to three inches on both sides) and look for a fastball to hit to the middle of the field. Many good hitters make a living doing just that. The hitter cant win every at bat, but he can put the percentages in his favor.
Weve discussed some of the thinking that players might use on the walk from the on-deck circle to the batters box. Having a plan and putting it in a mental picture, visualizing the plan, is critical. But the hitter has no time to think and hit once the ball is released. He must be relaxed and focused enough to let reflexes take over in the mental picture that he has established. Thinking and having a high-percentage plan is critical, and the hitter must rehearse it in mental pictures. He visualizes his plan, his swing, and where the ball will go. If the player wants success, he must first visualize it.
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Stride then Swing
Hall Of Fame pitcher, Whitey Ford coined the phrase to "pull the string". By that he meant that when he threw a 'change up', he felt as if he had a string on the batter and pulled his weight forward onto his front foot at which time he had destroyed the hitter's timing and owned him. The key to being a good hitter is to be able to keep your weight back long enough to be able to identify the pitch and react to the velocity and break. How does one master this skill? First the hitter must have correct swing mechanics. He must learn to not blend his stride and swing. He must learn the stride is merely a timing device not a means of generating power in the swing. Quite the opposite, blending the stride and swing, will result in diminished power as the hips and upper body turn simultaneously. Bat speed and power are a result of a lag in the rotation of the upper and lower body creating torque. The hitter must learn to take a short stride on the ball of the foot, keeping the weight back. For complete instruction on hitting mechanics get the FUNdamentals Of Hitting video from my BASEBALL SKILLS AND DRILLS video series. What kind of drills can be utilized to synthesize this movement pattern into the hitter's muscle memory? Soft toss drills can be utilized to work on staying back and not blending the stride and swing. This is totally a function of you, the tosser, delaying the toss until the stride foot touches the ground. Then the amount of arc on the toss determines how long he must delay triggering the swing.
The other option is the HANDS BACK HITTER.
With the HANDS BACK HITTER, the batter trips a trigger cord when he strides. There is a slight pause while the ball is popped up into the hitting zone. The hitter then triggers the proper hip rotational mechanics by triggering the back knee, rotating the hips and building the necessary toque in the upper body which then responds by uncoiling and maximizing bat speed. The hitter can really simulate the necessary swing discipline by waiting even longer for the ball to begin its downward path and thereby also simulate matching the plane of the bat to the descending arc of a curve or change up. The nice thing about the HBH is that he can work with it on his own without you being there to soft toss to him and it is fun.
My son returns from pro AAA ball today. The HANDS BACK HITTER will be an integral part of his off season program as at AAA the pitchers that could get by with gas learned that they had to develop quality change ups. He had difficulty with the pitch. With the help of the HBH, he expects to develop the ability to stay back and drive the change and keep moving up.
A few flame throws can get by just fogging gas in youth league but the others are going to have to 'pitch'. The hitters are going to have to learn to stay back and adjust to the off speed pitches. When they get on the big field, that flamethrower is doused and he to must develop off speed pitches. Only those that learn to stay back, not blend their stride and swing and match their swing arc to the descending path of the curve and change will survive.
Yours In Baseball
Bruce Lambin
THE COACH
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Clements Varsity Team Site
Clements Rangers North Standings
Check Yourself! (Learn to be your own batting coach)
PROVIDED BY COACH JOHN PETER, BASEBALLTIPS.COM
NOTE: Learn to check yourself from the feet up
every time.
This will keep you from missing certain parts of the swing and more easily allow you to remember all details.
Rest Position How does it look, how does it feel? Are you comfortable? Is your weight about 40% front foot and 60% back foot? Are you on the balls of your feet with your weight bearing on the inside of your slightly flexed knees and again, the balls of your feet?
Hands about 4-6 from your body? Tall backside? Head equal distance between both feet? Eyes level, so both eyes see the ball?
Load Position Take a negative move (this is when you load with your hands moving toward your back shoulder) with hands held high (at the top of the strike zone).
Can you feel the slight pull of muscles from your torso and upper body
like the winding of a spring?
Keep your stride shorter rather than longer! Hands go toward the back of your body while front foot strides toward pitcher (some coaches will call this walking away from your hands).
NOTE: Your weight should now be 80% on the back foot and only 20% on the front foot with knees slightly flexed.
Contact position Are you up on the toes of your back foot?
Is your front foot slightly open at a 45% angle with FRONT KNEE BRACED AND LOCKED?
Are your hands in a palm up and palm down position? Head still and between both legs like a stick man drawing?
Are your eyes focused at the point of contact?
Finish Are you hitting off a firm front side with your front knee locked?
Are you still balanced with head between both legs and not lunging forward?
Is the bat completely wrapped around your back?
Is your head still?
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More on Hitting
Well the kid is now leading the league in hitting at .382. Last year he hit .244. What is the difference? Why the improvement? He spread and opened his stance. Is that it? Well, he contends it is helping him stay back and on balance. Because he must stride closed, it helps him not fly his front side. But if that were the answer, everyone one would do that and rake.
First off it is only 70 ABs. Good streaks happen, as do bad ones.
Last year his Hitting Coach analyzed his swing mechanics after every AB. He was constantly focused on adjusting his swing mechanics. Further the Hitting Coach convinced him that on this level he must think with the pitcher. He couldn't just react but must anticipate what pitch and location.
Over the winter, I suggested that seldom does the pitcher think 'I'm going to hang a slider or pipe a FB .' Those are the pitches that you hit for a high degree of success. Even if you guess correctly that the pitcher is going to throw a CU down and away at the knees, it's the pitcher's pitch and you ain't gonna have much success hitting it. Further if that is what you are looking for and he happens to groove a FB, you won't be prepared to hit it but will be jammed and foul it off at best.
Fortunately, the new Hitting Coach told him the same thing I had said (even if he is so blessed to have THE COACH in the house, its still Dad and what does he know about pro ball). The kid says his approach is back to 3rd grade (as well as his stance). He goes to the plate looking 'Dead Red" expecting the P to make a mistake. He reacts to pitchers pitches and hopefully fouls them off or can flip them over SS for singles. He is thinking 'yes, yes, yes, NO or yes, yes, YES, SWING! Instead of no, no, no, Yes. He anticipates that the pitcher will make a mistake and reacts. That may be why his SL% is .802.
Hitters seldom fail or succeed because of swing mechanics but because of their mental approach at the plate.
So how does this effect me you ask? I coach 9 yr olds. Are you trying to coach swing mechanics during games, even ABs? What about during live BP? The ONLY thing a hitter should be thinking when a live ball is coming is speed, spin, and location. He cant be thinking, I need to keep my front shoulder down, hip weight back, stride on the ball of my foot, etc. The place to work on swing mechanics is on the Tee, during practice or home training.
A batter is no better hitter than the pitch at which he chooses to swing . You must impress plate discipline early in the count. This is what the game is all about! The pitcher is trying to get you to swing at pitches that you will likely enjoy a low probability of success if hit. Literally, letting the hitter get himself out because he doesnt wait for a good pitch. The only difference is at younger ages the plan is less sophisticated than at the higher levels. At the beginning levels of kid pitch, this might mean learning the strike zone and only swinging at strikes. As this is mastered, layers of sophistication are added progressing to zoning on only pitches in a particular area early in the count and trying to get the pitcher into hitters counts (2-0,3-1, 3-2) in which the pitcher must challenge the hitter and he is more likely to get a pitch that he can hit with a higher degree of probability of success.
Yours In Baseball,
Bruce Lambin
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When Is Late Better?
I got this tip from Nedco Sports's founder Nick Dixon's newsletter.
The question is when is it better to be late in baseball?
WHEN PITCHING:
Answer: When it comes to a pitcher's torso rotation during the pitch.
Details: Late torso rotation is when a pitcher's hips do not turn until they have reached 70 to 80% of the total length of stride. Late torso rotation is optimum because minimizes stress on the throwing shoulder and elbow because the body rotates as close to home plate as is functional!
WHEN HITTING:
Answer: When a hitter attacks the outside pitch.
Details: Hitters should learn to make contact with the outside pitch at a point even with or just in front of the hitter's back foot.
The hitter should drive the front shoulder toward the ball and should not have much hip rotation. The batter's belly-button should remain directed toward the opposite field throughout the swing which should be a quick short swing.
FOR INFIELDERS:
Answer: When the fielder does not yet have the balance and position to make a proper throw to make the play.
Details: Infielders should always gain their balance and achieve a proper throwing position before they throw the ball across the diamond.
An infielder should never make an off-balance throw to a base or the plate unless it is the only way to make the play.
FOR OUTFIELDERS:
Answer: When calling a fly ball.
Details: A fielder should wait to call a fly ball when the ball begins its downward flight.
This prevents miscommunication that occurs when a fielder calls for the ball too early and is unable to reach it and make the play.
All fielders should sprint to the ball and attempt to get under it in proper fielding position.
Fielders should never drift or coast to the ball. Every player must hustle to they hear a call! They should never give up on the ball until they know someone has it! If a player calls it they must take it!
Ranger Pride!
Coach Tucker
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So you want to play pro ball
Here's a "making it to college baseball and the pros" probability table that I found while going through some information from the NCAA. These make good food for thought when you have a student-athlete that is more interested in sports than in the classroom.
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Less than three in 50, or about 5.6 percent, of high school senior boys interscholastic baseball players will go on to play men's baseball at a NCAA member institution.
Less than eleven in 100, or about 10.5 percent, of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
Approximately one in 200, or approximately 0.5 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic baseball will eventually be drafted by an MLB team.
Student-Athletes Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer
High School Athletes 549,000 983,600 455,300 29,900 321,400
High School Senior Athletes 157,000 281,000 130,100 8,500 91,800
NCAA Athletes 15,700 56,500 25,700 3,700 18,200
NCAA Freshman Athletes 4,500 16,200 7,300 1,100 5,200
NCAA Senior Athletes 3,500 12,600 5,700 800 4,100
NCAA Athletes Drafted 44 250 600 33 76
High School to NCAA 2.9% 5.8% 5.6% 12.9% 5.7%
NCAA to Professional 1.3% 2.0% 10.5% 4.1% 1.9%
High School to Professional 0.03% 0.09% .5% .4% 0%
Grades Come First!!!
Coach Tucker
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UIL Booster Club Guidelines
GENERAL GUIDELINES
The role of competition
Participation teaches that it is a privilege and an honor to represent one's school. Students learn to win without boasting and to lose without bitterness.
Self-motivation and intellectual curiosity are essential to the best academic participants. Artistic commitment and a desire to excel are traits found in music participants. Physical training and good health habits are essential to the best athletes. Interscholastic competition is a fine way to encourage youngsters to enrich their education and expand their horizons.
Leadership and citizenship experiences through school activities help prepare students for a useful and wholesome life.
Plus, competition is fun!
ROLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
Member schools make UIL rules and determine policies regarding penalties to schools, school district personnel and student participants. The superintendent is solely responsible for the entire UIL program. All activities, events and personnel are under the jurisdiction of the superintendent. Booster clubs must recognize this authority and work within a framework prescribed by the school administration.
ROLE OF BOOSTER CLUBS
School patrons form booster clubs to help enrich the school's participation in extracurricular activities. The fund-raising role of booster clubs is particularly crucial in today's economic climate.
WRITTEN POLICIES
Booster clubs should develop and annually review policies to cover:
how to obtain administrative approval before beginning projects;
how to plan and publicize meetings;
bookkeeping and fund administration including process to obtain superintendent's approval prior to raising funds.
election of officers (suggestion: one president; one secretary; one treasurer; and three vice - presidents; one vice president to oversee fall, winter and spring sports);
taking, distributing and filing minutes;
public communication;
proper interaction with fine arts directors and academic and athletic coaches through the lines of authority as established by the school board;
a sportsmanship code governing behavior of booster club members and fans at contests, treatment of officials, guests, judges, etc.; and
plans to support the school regardless of success in competition, keeping the educational goals of competition at the forefront of all policies.
CLUB FINANCES
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL
The superintendent or a designee who does not coach or direct a UIL contest has approval authority over booster clubs and should be invited to all meetings. All meetings should be open to the public.
Booster clubs do not have authority to direct the duties of a school district employee. The schedule of contests, rules for participation, methods of earning letters and all other criteria dealing with inter-school programs are under the jurisdiction of the local school administration.
Minutes should be taken at each meeting and kept on file at the school.
School administration should apprise booster clubs of all school activities.
Booster clubs should apprise school administrators of all club activities.
Periodic financial statements itemizing all receipts and expenditures should be made to the general club membership and kept on file at the school.
FUND RAISING/SPENDING/STIPENDS/GIFTS TO COACHES
Money given to a school cannot be earmarked for any particular expense. Booster clubs may make recommendations, but cash or other valuable consideration must be given to the school to use at its discretion.
Fund raising projects are subject to state law. Nonprofit or tax-exempt status may be obtained from the Internal Revenue Service.
Community-wide sales campaigns should be coordinated through the school administration to minimize simultaneous sales campaigns.
Sales campaigns should be planned carefully to insure that the projects provide dollar value for items sold, and that most of the money raised stays at home. Otherwise donations are often more rewarding than letting the major part of the money go to outside promoters.
Fund raising activities should support the educational goals of the school and should not exploit students. Activities and projects should be investigated carefully before committing the school's support.
Individuals who actively coach or direct a UIL activity should serve in an advisory capacity to the booster club and should not have control or signature authority over booster club funds, including petty cash or miscellaneous discretionary funds. Coaches wish-lists should have received prior approval from school administration before submission to boosters.
Coaches and directors of UIL academics, athletics and fine arts may not accept more than $300 in money, product or service from any source in recognition of or appreciation for coaching, directing or sponsoring UIL activities. The $300 limit is cumulative for a calendar year and is not specific to any one particular gift.
The district may pay a stipend, fixed at the beginning of the year, as part of the annual employment contract. The amount of the stipend can't depend on the success of a team or individual. In other words, a coach can't receive more money if a team or individual qualifies to region or state.
Funds are to be used to support school activities. To provide such funding for non-school activities would violate UIL rules and the public trust through which funds are earned.
ATHLETIC BOOSTERS
ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB RESTRICTIONS
Booster clubs cannot give anything to students, including awards. Check with school administrators before giving anything to a student, school sponsor or coach. Schools must give prior approval for any banquet or get-together given for students. All fansÑnot just members of the booster clubÑshould be aware of this rule. It affects the entire community.
Unlike music and academic booster clubs, athletic booster club funds shall not be used to support athletic camps, clinics, private instruction or any activity outside of the school.
Booster groups or individuals may donate money or merchandise to the school with prior approval of the administration. These kinds of donations are often made to cover the cost of commercial transportation and to cover costs for out of town meals. It would be a violation for booster groups or individuals to pay for such costs directly.
Individuals should be informed of the seriousness of violating the athletic amateur rule.
The penalty to a student-athlete is forfeiture of varsity athletic eligibility in the sport for which the violation occurred for one calendar year from the date of the violation. Student athletes are prohibited from accepting valuable consideration for participation in school athletics - anything that is not given or offered to the entire student body on the same basis that it is given or offered to an athlete. Valuable consideration is defined as tangible or intangible property or service including anything that is usable, wearable, salable or consumable. Salable food items or trinkets given to athletes by student, cheerleaders, drill team members, little/big sister, school boosters, parents of other students, teachers or others violate this rule.
Homemade "spirit signs" made from paper and normal supplies a student purchases for school use may be placed on the students' lockers or in their yards. Trinkets and food items cannot be attached. Yard signs should be made of commercial quality wood, plastic, etc. If not purchased or made by the individual player's parent, they must be returned after the season.
The school may provide meals for out-of-town trips only. If the school does not pay for meals, the individual parents need to purchase their own child's food. Parents may purchase anything they wish for their own child but may not provide food or other items of valuable consideration for their child's teammates.
The school may also provide supplies for games and practices and transportation for school field trips. Students should pay admission fees during school field trips.
Parties for athletes are governed by the following State Executive Committee interpretation of Section 441: VALUABLE CONSIDERATION SCHOOL TEAMS AND ATHLETES MAY ACCEPT: 1. Pre-season. School athletic teams may be given no more than one pre-season meal, per sport, per school year such as a fish fry, ice cream supper, etc. provided it is approved by the school and given by a nonprofit organization, usually the booster club, before the team plays in its first contest. It may be given after a scrimmage.
2. Post-season. School athletic teams are limited to no more than one post-season meal or banquet per sport, per school year, and it must be given by a nonprofit organization and approved by the school. Banquet favors or gifts are considered valuable consideration and are a violation if they are given to a student athlete at any time.
3. Other. School athletic teams and athletes may be invited to and may attend functions where free admission is offered or where refreshments and/or meals are served, provided all students from that high school are invited to attend for the same fee and on the same basis as the athletes or the athletic team. Athletes or athletic teams may be recognized at these functions but may not accept anything that is not given to all other students.
VALUABLE CONSIDERATION THAT SCHOOL TEAMS AND ATHLETES MAY NOT ACCEPT
Examples of items deemed to be valuable consideration and thus a violation of this rule include but are not limited to:
meals, snacks or snack foods during or after practices;
parties provided by parents or other students strictly for an athletic team;
anything that is not given or offered to the entire student body on the same basis that it is given to or offered to an athlete.
Local school district superintendents have the discretion to allow student athletes to accept, from their fellow students, small "goodie bags" that contain candy, cookies or other items that have no intrinsic value and are not considered valuable consideration.
Gatherings of school athletic teams at parents' or patrons' homes require each athlete to contribute equally to any food or refreshment. The burden of proof will be on the athlete, his or her head coach and the school if these occasions are questioned. No overnight lodging or sports instruction or practice is permitted.
What you can do Parents
Remember: The classroom comes first!
Help conduct fair and equitable competition: adhere to rules, uphold the law and respect authority.
Remember that officials are human. Respect their decisions.
Delegate authority to the school, then support its decisions.
Set standards by which you expect children to conduct themselves, and live by those standards yourself.
Be aware of capabilities and limitations of young people. Don't have unrealistic expectations.
Allow your children to live their own lives.
Be involved in areas in which your own child is not involved, thus contributing to school unity and spirit.
Show respect to the opponents of your children.
Praise. Don't criticize. Urge others to do the same.
Help your children and their friends develop integrity through the intensity of competitive activity.
Work with the administration
Positive and direct communication can prevent most problems. Keep the superintendent informed of all activities.
Make sure your local administration has a copy of all club publications.
Invite administrators to all booster club meetings.
Have an officer meet with the school administration regularly.
Have a chain of command for communication with the administration.
Clear all activities through your administration.
Coaches and fine arts Directors
Be sure your booster club wish list has been approved by your supervisor before it goes to the booster club.
Work with your administration to determine what your club can provide.
Make your request to the club benefit as many students as possible.
Attend the booster club meetings and/or know what the club is doing.
Understand that your advisory role to the boosters is without vote.
Support other programs within your district
Meet with parents regularly and make them aware of relevant rules.
Involve your staff with your booster club. Let the booster club know who your staff is and what duties they perform.
Click here to Visit the UIL Website for complete information.
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Could This Be You?
I know this is geared towards girls soccer but with a little imagination it could be describing a large number of little league parents and its a fun little read.
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GAME DAY HELPFUL TIPS FOR PARENTS
Parent Education Series - Number 1
By Tom Goodman, M.Ed., National Director of Coaching Education, US Youth Soccer
Parents of young athletes play a vital role in their children's development in sport. Some parents struggle in their efforts to positively influence their children in this sporting environment. Well-intentioned, much of the time, some of their methods employ over-questioning, critical comments and unrealistic demands toward their children. The situations that many young soccer athletes deal with before, during and after games and training
sessions could bring a grown adult to tears.
Consider the following story about Mr. John Jones and his 11-year-old
daughter Jean as they experience 'Game Day'.
'Interrogation on Wheels'.Pregame
The car door closes. Jean seat belts herself in. John starts the engine. The car begins to move and John starts the interrogation:
'What position is coach going to play you in today?'
'Are you going to start?'
'Take some shots yourself today; you don't have to pass to Mary all the time.'
'Be more aggressive on your tackles.'
'Don't take any grief from the other team!'
'Work on your mental toughness today.'
'Match Mouth'.The Game
Mr. Jones and Jean arrive at the field. Jean is gathering her stuff. John locks the doors of the car. He still has a few minutes to walk with Jean to the field and bestow upon her a few more tidbits of advice:
'Don't be lazy this game!'
'Keep your head in the Game.'
'Don't forget to ask the coach to put you at forward.'
The match begins and Jean is not starting. John's body tenses, his teeth begin to grind and negative self-talk (talking to oneself) begins:
'This guy doesn't know what he's doing!'
'I bet he won't let her play forward.'
'I should have put her on another team.'
Jean finally gets into the game. She is playing left defender. More negative semi-self-talk (becoming audible):
'What is he doing?'
'It's clear that he doesn't like her!'
'She can't even kick a ball with her left foot!'
As the game progresses, an opposing player, on Jean's side of the field, receives the ball and dribbles straight at her. John's negative 'coaching' comments begin so that Jean can hear them:
'Stop backing up.be aggressive.step up!'
'Come on.get the ball.tackle her!'
Jean trips and falls as the opponent dribbles by her. The opponent proceeds to cross the ball and a goal is scored against Jean's team. John is beside himself with rage! He just can't stand it! He throws his arms down vigorously and begins to pace the touchline for a few steps. His negative comments become extremely vocal.he is willing to share them with anyone who will listen!
'Jean.Get up.what are you doing?!'
'I knew it.this coach doesn't have a clue!'
'Hey ref.she knocked her down.call something for a change!'
'He should have never put her in the back.'
'This is ridiculous!'
The game ends and Jean's team loses 1-0. The coach is talking to the team and Mr. John Jones decides that he must talk to the coach RIGHT NOW.IMMEDIATELY! It cannot wait! He walks over to where the team is sitting, interrupts the coach in an angry tone, and informs him that he wants to talk to him. Jean is embarrassed. The coach suggests that Mr. Jones step away and wait until he is done speaking to the team. Then he will speak with Mr. Jones privately. John Jones storms off and says, 'Forget it!' His anger has reached a pinnacle:
'I can't believe this guy!'
'He has no respect for the parents!'
'I'm taking my daughter off this team!'
Anyone within earshot has heard John's comments. including the players.
'Interrogation on Wheels Again'.Post-Game
Mr. Jones gets into his car and tells Jean to hurry up and get in. Once out of the parking lot, it begins.
'Didn't you ask him if you could play forward?'
'He doesn't know what he is doing anyway!'
'What have I told you about diving in on the tackle.you have to stay balanced and be aggressive!'
'We are going to another club, where you can play forward!'
Mr. John Jones and his daughter Jean get home. Jean gets out of the car in tears, goes up to her room.and decides to quit soccer!
Friendly Advice:
I am sure that you, as parents of a youth soccer player, have witnessed some of this parental behavior. Here are a few ideas on 'Game Day' that might help to make a positive difference in your child's development in sport.
Pre-Game
Make a few positive, support comments to your child.'I can't wait to see your game today. Have some FUN!'
Help your child get the proper nutrition she needs prior to the competition.
Prior to a game, any good sports psychologist or coach will tell you that it is important for the athlete to get mentally ready for the competition through 'positive self-talk'. The ride to the game is a good time for this. Some athletes like to listen to music during this time. Some athletes want to talk a bit.let your child start the discussion or ask the question if they desire. It is very difficult for your child to mentally prepare for the competition when you are hording all of the time with your questions and
advice!
The Game
Cheer on the athletes for both teams. They are trying their best. They are youth players and what you say really does affect them.whether you are their parent or not!
Please DO NOT try to coach your child or the other players. The players must focus their attention on the game and, at times, their coach and the referee. There is a lot to think about in the game of soccer. Let them focus.
Post-Game
Good parents and coaches know that immediately after the game it is time for mental, emotional and physical regeneration.
A positive word about their efforts in the game is very helpful and means a lot to your child.
Please don't analyze the game or your child's performance in the game. The coach will do this at the next training session.
Final Thought
Enjoy watching your children play.it will be much less stressful on you and, certainly, on them.
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Clements Booster Club donations!
Reminder - if you wish to donate to the Clements Booster Club, be sure to check "Baseball" as your sport of choice. The booster club funds are allocated based on this information, as well as other factors. But we want to make sure they know how supportive the basball parents are.
Thanks!
H-Count 3496 12-10-03
H-Count 4431 7-3-04
H-Count 4029 5-15-04
Monday, July 3
H-Count 9987 7-3-06
Monday, April 30
H-Count 11665 4-30-07
Sunday, May 4
H-Count 16503 5-4-08
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