4/1/20

Good afternoon,

This is Coach Nick. Hope everyone and their families are doing well in these unprecedented times.

As you may know, all Pennsylvania schools are closed indefinitely, per Gov. Tom Wolf on March 30th. Since all schools are closed, all practices and games are suspended until further notice. It is frustrating that we can't be on the field, however, this issue is bigger than baseball. Please make sure everyone is staying at home to "flatten the curve", practicing your social distancing when need be and WASHING YOUR HANDS often.

Our Athletic Director, Mr. Palladino, is in contact with all coaches and coordinators to give us updates about what's next. I will post information to this page as soon as information is made available to the coaches. As of this moment, we hope there will be some season left when we return. As information is made available, I will post those updates here on the page.

Eventually, we will be back on the field, the when is the question. That doesn't mean you can't prepare for the season off the field. It's essential to not be sitting around the house with so much downtime. That being said I will be posting various types of media on this page under the "News" tab. They will consist of in-home warm ups/conditioning and common baseball skills. In addition to in-home workouts for all players I will be posting position-specific drills to enhance your positional skills. Most of the videos will be up and running by tomorrow but I will post some more in the coming days. You are more than welcome to look at any position that interest you and work on those techniques to build into your baseball repertoire (Mike Trout was a shortstop in middle and high school....)

These are uncertain and difficult times that we are in. Times that we've never seen in our lifetimes. This could be hard for you young athletes to wrap your mind around. If you can, please get out of the house and get some fresh air. Sitting/laying down in the house for a long period of time can take away valuable time to get better at your craft. 

*Note - Cardio work that I will be posting can be done in home or backyard, however, if you plan on going outside of your home for a walk/jog/run, please be mindful on social distancing yourself. Pack some hand sanitizer just in case you have to touch something and wash your hands when you get home.

This virus will pass and we will come out strong. Please take this time to take advantage of these online workouts. They will not only benefit you for the season, but they will benefit you physically and mentally during this time. Keep praying we get back soon to play our game.

Take care and will be in contact soon,

Coach Nick

To all players,

Most of you know by now that Coach Stem is the coach for the varsity team. I strongly advise you to look at the boys' varsity baseball page, under the news tab, to stay up to date. He has posted his own 7-day workout for his players to do during this time. I encourage all 7th and 8th graders (especially) to get familiar with this workout and to incorporate this workout into your off-season and pre-season training as it will be beneficial for you at the middle school level, as well as the high school level.

Please continue to work on the videos I post. I will be posting either later on today or early tomorrow. Those videos will focus on the situational aspect of baseball. Its great to stay in shape for the season, however, not knowing what to do in certain situations will negate the physical part.

If you have any questions, need any help, want more specific video workouts tailored to your position, etc. you can contact me via email at nwhitley@nasd.k12.pa.us

Stay well and will be in touch soon.

-Coach Nick

I like this short 2.5 minute video because it shows that there are athletes, your age, still working on their craft to get better during this pandemic. This is what separates a dedicated athlete and the non-dedicated athlete...

https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/young-athletes-continue-exercise-practice-social-distancing-during-covid-19-pandemic/EHP6YVA6YZFE3ETFUCNMTGUAO4/

This is the most critical video I will be sharing with you guys. I cannot stress this video enough. Whenever it’s time for baseball to return, your coaches and teammates will notice who has been watching these videos and doing these workouts/drills. There is absolute no excuse, for any ball player to not do any of these workouts/drills while at home during this hiatus. It will show when we resume. I know there will be days where you don’t feel like doing any of the workouts. Please do not make it a habit. If you find yourself not wanting to do a workout for a day here and there, I’m okay with that. Use the time to watch a MLB game (they’re on TV and YouTube) and zone in on a specific player/position and mimic what they do. It’s better than playing video games or being on your phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDZg-UpHY_I

This video is straightforward. If this video gets old and if available, add weight resistance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMqbi7hmWJk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkPtSwn-tOk

All players (Hitting) 0:55-2:35: “Modified Fence Drill”- Good to keep hands in the zone and not let it get out of the zone. Keep a triangle shape with your hands and chest throughout the swing. Here is a video about what I mean... (0:34 - 3:15) -----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=197&v=V0oE37yjcZQ&feature=emb_title

All players (Hitting) 2:36- 4:35: “Solo Toss”- Keep a triangle shape with your hands and chest all throughout your swing. Video posted above

Infielders (Fielding) 4:36-6:02: Proper infielding for all infielders.

Outfielders (Fielding) 6:03-7:25: Proper Fielding of Flyball. In the video, the guy does not use two hands during this drill…You know from the few practices we had I’ve always stressed two hands. When doing this drill, please use TWO HANDS!!

Continued for Outfielders 7:26-8:15: Proper Fielding of Groundball. This is something the outfielders should visualize when before a game. Different fields have different surfaces. Using this technique is the proper way to field it, however for example, East Norriton’s outfield is very rigid. It could bounce in one spot by the next bounce is unpredictable. Test outfield surface before game to see how balls react to bouncing

Infielders (Fielding) 8:16-8:40: Wall Ball. Incorporating skill learned in the first infielding video

All players (Baserunning) 8:41-10:25: Properly taking a lead: This may be awkward for first timers but it will come naturally after repetition. Please do not take your eyes off the pitcher!!

Sports channels are showing replays of games. If none are on, go on YouTube. While the game is being played, here's something you can do...