This weekend, we held our first mini camp for our Ambassadors Baseball 13U team — a group of high-level athletes who are inspired by their faith and their love for the game. These boys come from families who understand the baseball journey. They understand that development is a process, that growth takes time, and that the goal is bigger than one weekend, one tournament, or one season. As a coaching staff, we brought together 12 players this weekend. And while we are not yet a finished product, we started building something important: A team. We laid the groundwork through: - Fun and fellowship - On-field skill work - Instructional lessons - Communication drills - Competitive scrimmage games - Intentional difficult situations designed to create failure, growth, and learning All in all, I would call the weekend a huge success. The boys came in as a group of talented players. I believe they left as a group of kids who are beginning to trust each other. Not a complete team yet — but absolutely on the right path. Each player took something positive away from the weekend that they can add to their game. And just as importantly, they gave us as coaches a very clear picture of what we need to target over the next two weeks. That is what development is all about. Evaluate. Teach. Challenge. Grow. I am excited to share this group’s journey as we go. There is a lot of work ahead, but there is also a lot to be excited about. Back to work tonight with a virtual lesson on: - Hitting in different counts - Understanding approach - The importance of team defense The foundation has been laid. Now we keep building.

Yesterday was Day 1 with my older boys. And just like we do at the start of every season — whether it’s 9U or college — we begin with our non-negotiables. Before we get into anything else, we teach and reinforce the routines that matter: - Our arm care routine - Band work - Dynamic warm-up - Long toss - Catch play These are not optional. They are part of how we prepare, how we take care of our bodies, and how we build consistency every single day. We also go through a lesson we call: “A Trip Around the Bases” This lesson sets the standard for how we play the game. We cover everything from: - How we run to first base - How we take turns - How we take leads - How we read the ball - How we advance bases - Our mandatory slide rule on all plays at home plate This is where the tone for the season gets set. We want our players to understand right away that our style of baseball is: - Hard-nosed - Aggressive - Full speed - Intentional - Team-first Once the standard is set, the players are expected to uphold it. That’s where leadership development begins. Leadership isn’t just something we talk about later in the season. It starts on Day 1 with habits, expectations, and accountability. We set the standard. Then we challenge the players to own it.

In Week 1, we went over our culture presentation and shared our offensive gameplay, along with the importance of having a team-first mindset. Tonight, we’re going to dive deeper into our team hitting approaches in different game situations. One of the biggest things we want our players to understand is this: Every at-bat does not have to end with a hit to be successful. Sometimes success is moving a runner from second to third with no outs. Sometimes success is driving in a run with a ground ball. Sometimes success is seeing pitches and making the pitcher work. Sometimes success is executing a bunt, hitting behind a runner, or simply doing your job for the team. That is what winning baseball looks like. Hitting approaches are all about understanding the desired outcome before you step in the box. When you have a plan, it becomes much easier to compete and execute. Without a plan, hitters often fall into the trap of just trying to barrel up a fastball and hoping for the best. We want our guys to learn how to think the game. What is the situation? How many outs are there? Where are the runners? What does the team need from me right now? What pitch am I looking for? What part of the field should I be using? Great hitters don’t just swing. Great hitters have a plan. And great teammates understand that sometimes the most valuable at-bat is the one that helps the team score a run, even if it doesn’t show up as a hit in the scorebook. Tonight is about helping our players see the game at a deeper level and understand that offensive success is bigger than individual stats. Team-first baseball wins games. Have a plan. Execute your role. Help the team. Let’s keep building. ⚾️💪

This weekend I got together with a group of my 13U Ambassadors players for a workout, and I left fired up. What I love most about this group is simple: they want to learn. They show up. They don’t complain. They accept coaching. They make adjustments. They focus on mastering the footwork. They work to speed up the transfers. They pay attention to the details. That’s what separates good players from great players. We are not focused only on “completing the play.” We are focused on doing each step of the process the right way — with proper fundamentals, intent, and consistency. The footwork matters. The glove position matters. The transfer matters. The throw matters. The mindset matters. When you build the right patterns over and over again, the game starts to slow down. That’s how players become elite. Be intentional in everything you do. Don’t just go through the drill — understand why you’re doing it and commit to doing it the right way. Proud of this group and the way they continue to work. Good players practice. Great players prepare with purpose. Let’s keep building. 💪⚾️

Today is a day of planning. We are going to be ramping up the intensity of our 14 &15's, designing fast paced stations to keep the boys engaged while covering a variety of topics. Laying the foundation for their off season training!