Spiker

There wasn't a shortage of opinion when it comes to specializing in a sport. As promised, we bring Ben Brewster on the Closing Pitch podcast to discuss his tweet that caused everyone to cry; "HOW DARE YOU!"  In this conversation, we tackle this question plus the opportunity cost you could be incurred by playing year-round.   To learn more about Ben and his company Tread Athletics we challenge you to scroll down and click on his link.  00:00-00:57 Introduction  00:57-08:49 Who is Ben Brewster and Tread Athletics  08:50-24:28 Did This Tweet Make You Mad? (Specialization)  24:29-27:33 Is it possible to do both?  27:34-32:30 Mental maturity and specialization  32:31-35:02 Should you compete in games year-round?  35:03-37:00 At what point in the year should you focus on upgrading your engine  37:01-43:42 Virtual coaching and why it can be better 43:43-48:13 The future of baseball development 48:14-56:13 The single worst piece of advice  56:14-58:12 Clos

PART 2 of the Deven Morgan interview is here!  In this episode, we continue the conversation with emotional validation for youth athletes. One of the best topics we reached was the binary outcome of a game. The win and the loss need to be explained to the athlete. Kids are at a biological disadvantage because their brain is not fully formed, so they're not able to evaluate abstract thought.  When we as coaches give only validation for wins and losses it puts an immediate impression on the player. We need to rethink what really matters. Is box score the ultimate tool for development guidance?  Deven disagrees, it only gives you a map of the game. It doesn't show the hustle plays, leadership moments, or even scorching line drives that were caught.  We need to rethink everything.  00:00-03:13 Introduction and Recap of Part 1  03:14-11:58 Emotional Intelligence, validation, and the youth athlete  11:58-20:57 Blending baseball data, skills of scale, progress, gamification,

In this episode, we have Deven Morgan of Driveline Academy. Driveline is a baseball firm based out of the Pacific Northwest with an appetite for research. We speak with Deven about youth baseball, how he thinks about the player, and where the future of training will be.  This is a two-part series!  In the first conversation, we learn about Deven's background, how he has approached his own son's development, and how we need to optimize for velocity.   Deven is the Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline.  00:00-00:54 Introduction  00:55-09:50 The Original Days of Driveline For Deven Morgan  09:51-32:30 Development Starts With Testing and Validating With Numbers  32:31- Narratives Matter! 46:32-47:13 Part 2 Coming Soon!  Video of Deven's son with sensors: https://twitter.com/devenmorgan/status/1324409471876042752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notion.so%2F17631e69a15e46598ecfc15f2cf87422%3Fv%3D1b8f7590dbeb41da857ea03e40326e97%26p

Three topics and we're out! In this new episode concept, we tackle three topics that are on our minds from the daily news and our social media feeds. We will be tackling topics that are surrounding areas of interest like sports, business, people, community, and culture.  In this episode, we find ourselves in a Twitter storm with player rankings, a coach acting like he's a major league manager, and the future of teaching.  02:11-15:20 Youth Player Rankings  15:21-20:55 Youth Coach Goes Bonkers on Umpire  20:58-36:14 Virtual Coaching  Aspen Institute Project Play Stats: https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/participation-rates Spiker's Tweet: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms/status/1462462931237486599?s=20 Video of Coach going Crazy: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWolvj9DIvu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Follow Us On Twitter:  Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_

Multi-sport athletes are near and dear to our hearts.- We loved Friday nights and hearing the crowd echo the basketball gym, but are the dual-sport athletes becoming extinct! So much so, we were three-sport athletes in high school.?  We pull up a tweet from one of our fellow contemporaries to dive into the topic. Twitter Follows:  Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Rawlings Tigers: https://twitter.com/Rawlings_Tigers Learn More About the Rawlings Tigers: https://www.rawlingstigers.com/form-a-team.php Learn More About the Game, Tiger Interview Series:  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/RawlingsTigers/featured Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rawlings-tigers-interview-series/id1553851157 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b8RY79LXAWxpSMMTyLWqG?si=5c3861d7cc9d46fb --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Dave and Spike sit down to talk about the things people want. We want to have good health, save time, reduce effort, more comfort, gain praise, feel more loved, and increase status outside of financial freedom. These aspects play into our decisions and help us become better and move forward in our lives.  BUT, can it blind us and cause us to make an impulse decision we will regret? SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW!!  PLEASE GIVE US A REVIEW!  Watch the show: https://youtu.be/dxIi9zmjRf8 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

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The probabilities of making it into the league are not on the side of the weak-minded. In this episode, we speak with Matt Adams and Rafael Lopez. The two Major Leaguers share their stories. You will be pleasantly surprised with how and which Matt Adams made it to Major League baseball. You'll also have a deeper appreciation for developing the ability to adapt. Watch the show: https://youtu.be/WhSkQpBv2WA Follow: Spiker, Dave, Matt Adams, Rafael Lopez --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Jaws and Raffy are back!  A new conversation around building incentives and influential coaches that change careers. Give us your thoughts! Write us a review on Apple Podcasts!  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

NEW EP!  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

"REJECTED!" The pleasant sound of TIM KITZROW of NBA JAM rings through my ears. As a defender, you love it, but as the three point shooter from long range you hate it.  Even though this is a video game there's a direct correlation from getting swatted down by 24x24 pixels in the shape of Shaq and getting  cut from a tryout. It sucks.  In this episode, Dave and I talk about not making teams. We also speak on players that have rejected us and went to other teams. This episode is all about getting the palm to the face and feeling like sand paper is rubbing up against your skin.  How do you feel about rejection? What's your way of developing your thick skin? GIVE US A FOLLOW Spiker: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms Dave: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby GIVE US A REVIEW (5 STARS PREFERABLY) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN ATTRACT MORE OPPORTUNITY WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL EFFORT.... Supernatural is relating to an order of existence beyond the visible; it transcends the laws of nature. The uniform's appearance goes beyond how it looks. A first impression can last forever. This invisible agent that the uniform creates is sticky. Think about the differences between going into your local Starbucks and a downtown college coffee shop. There's nothing wrong with either, but the vibe is different from how they dress, service, and manage the shop. Spiker and Dave talk about the importance of the athlete's uniform and how it can provide and take the opportunity. WATCH THE PODCAST Follow on Twitter:  Spiker: https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms Dave: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Three things to consider when moving forward in your career. The struggle is real especially when you're impatient. In this episode, David Birkby, brings forward three aspects of his life experience he wants players to consider.   The hard one is always the path you want to take. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

What's up everyone! This is a solo episode where I breakdown how I go through decisions. I also take notice of where there can be pitfalls. All of this is a real life evaluation of how i've made big choices.   Enjoy!   The book I mentioned in the episode --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

"What did the MRI say?" "I'm getting surgery." It seems like this is an occurring answer whenever you ask someone about the MRI. What if there was a non-surgical approach? This is the episode where I want to know the other option.  We have Dr. Ravi Yadava and Amy Morio of Performance Rehabilitation and Regeneration with us on the Closing Pitch. We DEEP DIVE into the possibility of an athlete staying away from career altering surgery. Connect with Dr. Ravi Yadava website: https://www.raviyadava.com/ message him on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaviYadavaPerformanceRehabilitationAndRegeneration --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Rafael Lopez is behind the mic! The former big league catcher shares his journey to the show. An expert in dugout culture, Raffy, gives his formula to making sure the vibe in the dugout is heading in the right direction.  Raffy has seen every dugout culture possible 1. High School  2. Junior College  3. D1- 4 Year  4. Affiliated Minor League Baseball 5. Major League Baseball   6. Independent Professional Baseball  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

Evan Pratte, former division 1 college coach reacts to the culture inside travel baseball. He coaches at Mizzou, SLU, and Missouri State and we have him on the show to make a HUUUUUUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!    HE'S JOINING THE RAWLINGS TIGERS STAFF!!!!!   That's right! A former power 5 division 1 coach is joining the Tigers to handle recruiting, operations, and development. Learn more about what Coach Pratte thinks about the current landscape of travel baseball and the problems he would like to solve.   Twitter:  Evan Pratte: https://twitter.com/EPratte2 David Birkby: https://twitter.com/David_Birkby Spiker Helms: https://twitter.com/spikerhelms  Rawlings Tigers Website:  www.rawlingstigers.com WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE!!! https://youtu.be/g3w82Adgx4g --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

It's a baseball podcast! AND we jump into how getting uncomfortable can be one of the best decisions when you have the potential to build something great. If you have an undying passion, YOU CAN'T BE BEAT. The soul with fire has all the power to win.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

In this episode, we have Coachballgame! A master of being able to teach young athletes how to play the game of baseball. He has a unique ability to grab the attention of 30-40 seven-year-olds and get them to love the game of baseball. His primary mission: get kids to love the game as much as he does!  If you're a person who is struggling to provide the joy of the game to your player or are wanting to learn a new method of teaching.... Coachballgame is your man.  Enjoy this journey we take you on with one of the best instructors in the game.  Follow Coachballgame Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachballgame/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachballgame?s=20 Find out if a Sandlot is coming to you! https://www.coachballgame.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!!! GIVE US A REVIEW!! Follow us on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SpikerHelms https://twitter.com/David_Birkby --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/closing-pitch/message

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