NVTBL EDU Podcast

Brandon Guyer (7 year MLB player w/ Rays & Indians) joins the show to discuss topics on nutrition, developing healthy habits, the importance of sleep, mental performance and training, building confidence and the power of visualization while also getting into topics on his playing days, his experience playing in the World Series, his new training business Fully Equipped Athlete plus much more!

For our first episode of Season 4, Rob Hahne (Director of the NVTBL & founder of the American Travel Baseball Alliance) joins the show to discuss the ATBA, reasons why coaches should get involved and the main purpose of the alliance while also highlighting some great aspects of the ATBA website and the countless resources and information it provides all at no cost. We also talk about his playing career, having perspective as a coach, his first season coaching college players in the NVCL and an amazing inside look into Kyle's Kamp and the impact they have on families in the community plus much more!

On this episode, Conner Hall (former 2-way star at Marymount & current coach with the Saints) goes over baserunning fundamentals and team principles on the base paths, leading off first, second and third with some great tips and advice at each bag, getting a read on the pitcher’s pick-off moves, when we should take the extra base and how we should approach baserunning in BP while also diving into tips on stealing, dirt ball reads and a bit of insight into the Division 3 program at Marymount plus much more!

Mike Gallagher (head coach at Robinson SS & co-founder of the Metro Baseball Academy) provides advice on how players and teams should approach the uncertain months ahead and why teams should be cautious trying to catch up on lost time. We also discuss how best to maximize the summer months in regards to development, recruiting and a balanced and competitive schedule while we also get into college camps, the goal of the Metro Senators PSL team and insight into Robinson’s green days, off-season workout schedule and what he likes to see in incoming freshman plus much more! 

On this podcast, Tyler Womer (coach at Erskine College) goes over how they set up infield practice at Erskine and what they want their players focusing on, infield drills, teaching players how to have an internal clock, how different coaching styles help certain players, teaching defensive situations while we also get into topics on Division II baseball like recruiting, roster sizes, scholarship info, how the COVID-19 situation will affect recruiting and how a couple of plays turned the Flying Fleet's season around plus much more! 

On this episode, former big leaguer LJ Hoes (Baltimore Orioles & Houston Astros) explains having an approach at the plate and how to find an approach that will work for us, drills to master our approach, having confidence w/ 2 strikes, studying the pitcher and pregame batting practice while also getting into topics on work ethic, lessons he learned from his time in the big leagues, routines, athletic development and what it takes to play at the next level. LJ also shares why he decided to go pro after high school, his MLB debut plus much more!

Founder of CatchersU and head coach of Osbourne Park Jack Ferrick returns to the podcast to discuss the recruiting process and how the current COVID-19 crisis will affect it. Jack also breaks down how the recruiting process should begin and some important questions players need to answer before jumping in. We also discuss what he looks for when trying to find the right fit for a potential recruit while we dive into the weeds on the various recruiting periods, verbal and written commitments and NLIs, what players should be doing right now with additional time on their plate, different recruiting budgets, communicating with coaches and how to properly use other recruiting resources plus much more!

Former MLB player Mike Colangelo returns to the podcast to help us maneuver our way through quarantine by giving us tons of great things we can be doing on our own and at home to help us improve our game. We discuss taking advantage of extra time & what players should be doing on a daily basis, break down several at home drills & exercises, ways to increase bat speed, 2-strike approach mentality, competing with yourself, tips on recruiting during this time and much more.  

Former Naval Academy catcher and current Osbourn Park head coach Jack Ferrick goes over how a catcher should set up & find comfort behind the plate, everyday drills, reducing your pop time, pitch sequences, calling games, building a relationship w/ the umpire, how to handle the "Trae Turner play", catching at the next level plus much more!

On this episode, former William & Mary shortstop Kyle Wrighte sits down to discuss proper fielding technique and keys to building a strong foundation, different drills and why we do them, practicing different hops and spins, building confidence, pre-game ins and outs, the recruiting process plus much more!

Ben Kaplan (Oakton HS coach) explains performance anxiety and how it can affect our game, covers strategies to help overcome anxiety and fears, common issues he sees with youth athletes and their mental approach, pre-game routines, drills, lessons plus much more! Ben can be reached at DMCKaplan@gmail.com or on Twitter/IG @DMCKaplan

On this episode, we sit down with USA Baseball’s director of coaching development Andrew Bartman at the 76th annual ABCA convention in Nashville, TN. Prior to joining the team at USA Baseball, Coach Bartman coached collegiately for 12 years, including stints at his alma mater Lincoln College, MacMurray College and Bethany College, and also recently worked as the Youth liaison for the ABCA. For this podcast, we discuss new USA Baseball initiatives and resources, coaching, growing the game of baseball and teaching it the right way, recruiting, the ABCA convention and preview next year’s event in Washington, D.C., plus much more!

McLean head coach John Dowling goes over the expectations for incoming freshman & what players should focus to become productive varsity players. We also get into choosing the right travel program, strength and development, being a good teammate, drills and fundamentals and much more!

On today’s show, we are joined Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss his parents guide to surviving the baseball recruiting wars. Marc served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service this summer. Marc has presented his recruiting talk to hundreds of parents and players, drawing from his experience with the recruiting process with his son Chris, who will be a senior catcher this spring at James Madison HS and has committed to playing at Roanoke College. He talks about the good times and the bad, but also provides a great perspective for parents and players starting the recruiting process and advice on how to combat the challenges that go along with picking the right showcase team, traveling, communicating with coaches and the many other dynamics that go along with the recruiting process. 

On this episode, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Zombro discusses segments on pitching and becoming a professional prospect. We dive into topics on pregame routines, mechanics, injury prevention and recovery, incorporating technology, using weighted balls, mental preparation, competitiveness and some personal stories about his career and his breakout 2019 campaign in which he was named the organization's top minor league reliever.  

On today’s show, Washington Nationals physical therapist Seth Blee returns to our podcast to discuss injury prevention, diving into some specific common baseball injuries and how to prevent them, recovery after starts, his thoughts on using weighted balls and a cool inside look into a few of the Nationals players' routines and their World Series run this fall plus much more! 

On today’s show we sit down with former professional player Eddie Kim to talk swing fundamentals, at-bat preparation, approach at the plate and off-season training among other topics. Eddie is also the current head of the NOVA Premier baseball organization and coaches kids of all levels with their swings at his EK Baseball facility in Sterling. 

Welcome to another season of NVTBL's EDU podcast! On today’s show I sit down with 3 different organizational leaders within NVTBL and discuss how to choose a travel program that best fits your child. First, I talk with Andy Bradley from the Bradley Eagles, then we talk with Nick Sussman, who runs the Win Within program and then conclude with Ken Tyrrell, leader of the PowerU organization. We dive into various topics regarding travel programs, including what travel teams should offer each season, communication between coaches and parents, player interaction and development and discuss each organization in detail, but first we begin by discussing the priorities into choosing a travel program that will be the right fit for you. 

Steve Springer (from QualityAtBats.com) gives us his story on how he became a 14-year professional and talks about competing with confidence, getting rid of batting averages and playing everyday likes it Opening Day. He also coaches us on how to study pitchers, how he would run batting practice and goes over 2-strike approach plus much more!

John Porter (lead evaluator for MAC Umpires) covers ways to get involved with umpiring & the MAC association, the training process to become an ump, why umpiring can be a rewarding hobby or side job and how learning the names of coaches and umpires can make a world of difference plus much more!

Jakes covers topics including youth player development and training, what coaches should focus on when they develop youth pitchers, throwing mechanics, arm care, player progression, practicing indoors and an inside look into the St. James plus much more. 

On this episode with former MLB outfield Eric Crozier, we get into segments on hitting and outfield play, diving into specifics on drills  and what players need to do to be successful at the plate and in the field. We also get into his playing career and talk about some memorable moments and teammates plus much more!

Former MLB pitcher Pete Schourek joins our EDU podcast to talk arm care, competing on the mound and proper mechanics. Pete also talks about moments from his pro career including his debut, his season finishing 2nd to Greg Maddux in the Cy Young voting, the time he threw a knuckleball to Barry Bonds and his home run off Curt Schilling, plus much more! 

Scott Rowland (current Centreville HS head coach)lays out the groundwork he put in a year ago to establish certain expectations & create a winning culture, goes over what a year-round schedule looks like in his program, how playing other sports help shape mental & physical toughness, his solution to fixing the college recruiting process, a great story on his state championship run with the Cougars in 2000 & preview of the 2019 Wildcats plus much more...

Former professional pitcher Shane Halley discuss a common issue he sees with young pitchers and what he does to combat it, the towel drill and why he uses it with his players, how he teaches pitcher to self-correct their mechanics on the mound, a couple of great drills to work balance and breaking pitches, his pregame routine and how he mentally prepared for each outing, and some off-season workouts. Shane also dives into his UVA playing days and the impact Coach Karl Kuhn had on him, his experience playing at Omaha - both at the old Rosenblatt Stadium and today’s TD Ameritrade Park, the time the Cavs beat Stephen Strasburg and his three years in China working for the MLB and how he was able to sign a 16-year-old to a professional contract with the Brewers, plus much more!

Aaron Tarr covers all things technology in baseball with what gadgets he likes to use with his players and why, we discuss a quote from Rob Gray and how the impact of receiving immediate feedback can expedite player development, how utilizing tech has made him a better coach and an interesting situation with a local college star and how tech helped him become a more complete hitter plus much more!

Former professional catcher Chris Berset discusses what he likes to focus on when working with catchers, his favorite drills, how young catchers can throw out more runners and reflects on his playing days and talks about some of the great coaches he has had the pleasure to play for. He also shares his experience playing for the Great Britain National team in 2012 plus much more. 

Hall of Famer George Brett speaks at George Mason's First Pitch Dinner with MASN's Phil Wood about his early days with the Royals, his 1980 campaign when he almost hit .400, how he hates striking out and his approach at the plate. George also answers questions on his childhood, being elected to the HoF and the Royals recent WS title plus much more. (Recorded in 2017)

Marymount coach Mike Cassidy gives us an inside look at the Saints' batting practice and the approach they teach their hitters. Mike also discusses 2-strike approach, outfield defense and some great drills to do, differences between the D1 and D3 levels and a preview on Marymount’s season plus much more. 

Longtime Lake Braddock coach Dan Griel goes over why teams play small and what it can do for your offense, some of the keys to playing small ball, his thoughts on different small ball situations, how to defend these situations, some great drills to practice and much more. 

Former professional ballplayer Michael Katz discusses his thoughts on what makes a great teammate, ways he bonded with his teammates, playing at the college level and what it takes to succeed at the higher levels, dealing with failure and some fun memories of his time playing at William and Mary plus much more. 

Former professional catcher Jason Troilo goes over catching fundamentals, including blocking and throwing mechanics, his thoughts on how executing receiving and framing pitches can impact games and everyday drills for catchers to improve their game plus much more...

Washington Nationals' physical therapist Seth Blee talks pitching and what it does to our arm, steps to help recover from pitching, a proper warm-up routine, his thoughts on the current pitch limitations and how long he thinks pitchers should rest in between outings and his experience tasting October champagne this past fall with the Nats plus much more. 

Madison head coach Mark "Pudge" Gjormand talks his keys to developing a winning team, building relationships with his players, creating consistency within his program and shares a special story from his coaching career plus much more. 

11-year MLB veteran Shawn Camp talks pitching mechanics, having a pregame routine, the importance of throwing a changeup and shares a favorite memory with a Yankees legend plus much more. 

Nick Sussman explains how the Nats Youth Baseball Academy started and all the great things they do for the community. Nick also discusses how there is no better game than baseball to foster character development in youth. We also talk about ways our listeners can get involved and the lasting impact the academy has made in Washington D.C. 

Mark Wrighte dives into offseason workouts as well as getting away from the game to prepare for the next season, using video games as a useful tool for learning the game and much more. 

Carson Carroll discusses his pre-pitch routine, the proper technique when fielding groundballs, what a perfect infield practice looks like and much more. 

Mike Colangelo gives us his thoughts on teaching launch angles to youth players, some great drills to improve your swing, a special memory from his time in the MLB and much more. 

Josh Belanger sits down with the legendary Ron Tugwell to discuss the recruiting process and how that process has changed since he began coaching at West Springfield in 1974.