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 Your athlete’s personalized pitching instruction program is designed to create a true partnership between the athlete, their parents/guardians, and myself, with the ultimate goal of helping the athlete accomplish their pitching and baseball goals. This collaboration is built on open communication and shared responsibility, with parents playing a crucial role in the development process. Here’s what we focus on:

1. Positive and Aggressive Mindset: A strong emphasis on mental toughness. Athletes are taught how to approach pitching with a positive and aggressive mindset, reinforcing the importance of self-confidence through positive thinking and self-talk. Pitchers are trained to build resilience, so they can approach each pitch and each game with focus and determination.

2. Strong Discipline and Work Ethic: Success on the mound requires more than just talent; it’s built on consistent discipline and hard work. Pitchers are guided to embrace a strong work ethic that extends beyond lessons, encouraging athletes to commit to their training, preparation, and recovery. This approach lays the foundation for both short-term and long-term growth.

3. Staying Athletic on the Mound: Rather than being overly mechanical, we encourage pitchers to remain athletic while they’re on the mound. This means using their natural athleticism in every movement and keeping their delivery fluid. Drills are incorporated that blend seamlessly into throws that mirror game situations, helping pitchers remain dynamic and adaptable, instead of overly technical.

4. Foundation of Throwing Strikes: Emphasis is placed in the importance of consistently throwing strikes and pitching to contact. Developing this "pitch-to-contact" mentality encourages pitchers to be aggressive in the zone and trust their defense, which helps them build confidence and control over the game. Command of the strike zone is a fundamental skill for all pitchers, and we prioritize this in our instruction.

5. Arm Strength Development: To build the strength necessary for success, long toss programs and high-intent throws are incorporated into the training program. These exercises are designed to gradually increase arm strength while minimizing injury risk. This foundation is crucial for pitchers as they progress to higher levels of competition.

6. Pitcher IQ and Game Awareness: Beyond physical skills, athletes are taught to develop their baseball intelligence. This includes understanding how to make adjustments pitch-to-pitch, being aware of game situations (such as controlling the running game, or knowing which bases to back up when the ball is put in play), and sharpening their mental approach. By learning how to read the game, athletes can make smarter decisions on the field, which translates to better performance.

For more experienced pitchers, more advanced concepts are introduced, and we will dive deeper into the strategic aspects of the game. This includes:

Reading Hitters: Pitchers are taught how to observe and read a hitter’s swing and body language in the batter’s box or on the bases. This awareness allows pitchers to make adjustments in real-time and tailor their approach based on what they observe.

Developing a Pitch Arsenal and Sequencing: Advanced pitchers will be taught how to develop a diverse pitch mix and understand how to effectively sequence their pitches to keep hitters off balance. Whether it's working on a fastball with late life or perfecting a breaking ball, we will focus on maximizing the effectiveness of each pitch.

Understanding Pitch Counts: Athletes learn how to approach different counts (e.g., pitcher’s count, hitter’s count, ahead, behind, etc.) and how to adjust their strategies accordingly. Together, we will explore how to attack hitters in these various situations to maintain control of the at-bat.

Advanced Game Situations: We will cover other essential facets of the game, including holding runners, managing pitch counts, and understanding when and how to use different pitches to get out of tough situations. These skills help athletes meet and exceed the expectations of the levels they aspire to pitch at, whether it’s high school, college, or beyond.

By combining these elements with a strong mental approach, your athlete’s personalized pitching instruction ensures they are equipped not only to improve but also to meet and exceed expectations at any level they aspire to pitch.

The arm care program focuses on building strength and stability to support healthy throwing mechanics and prevent injuries. It incorporates light dumbbells and J-bands to target the smaller muscles in the shoulder, rotator cuff, and forearm. Exercises with light dumbbells focus on controlled movements to strengthen these muscles without overloading them, while J-band exercises offer resistance to enhance flexibility, endurance, and mobility. This combination helps pitchers maintain arm health, improve endurance, and reduce the risk of injury throughout the season. The program is designed to be done regularly, especially after throwing sessions, to keep the arm in peak condition.

The strength and conditioning program, offered alongside pitching lessons, focuses on building functional strength to support pitching performance. The strength portion is based primarily on plyometrics and body weight exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. We also incorporate medicine balls, light dumbbells, and occasionally kettlebells, depending on the player’s age, skill or experience level. The goal is to increase explosiveness, stability, and overall athleticism, without overloading young athletes. This approach helps pitchers develop the strength they need to throw harder and stay healthy, while keeping the exercises simple and effective. 

 Trackman Baseball is a high-tech radar system that measures important details about a pitch, like speed, how much it spins, and where it moves in the air. It helps coaches and pitchers understand exactly how a pitch behaves, which can be hard to see with just the naked eye. For example, if a fastball isn’t moving quite right, Trackman can show if it’s because of a low spin rate or a bad release point, allowing the pitcher to make adjustments.

In terms of helping pitchers get better, Trackman gives real-time feedback, so players can immediately work on fixing their mechanics or adjusting their grips. Over time, it also tracks progress, making it easy to see if the changes are working.

For college recruiting, Trackman is a game-changer. Coaches and scouts can see more than just how fast a pitcher throws; they can look at detailed data like movement and spin, which helps them evaluate talent more thoroughly. If a high school pitcher uses Trackman and shares that data, it gives recruiters a clear picture of their potential, beyond just game stats.

Trackman data becomes even more valuable when paired with video footage from key angles—like the open side and from behind the pitcher. This combined approach allows college recruiters to see both the detailed pitch metrics (speed, spin, movement) and the pitcher's mechanics in real time. The video helps coaches see how a pitcher’s body moves through their delivery, while Trackman gives the data behind each pitch. Together, this paints a complete picture of a pitcher’s abilities and potential.

In a recruiting situation, this combo can be the deciding factor, or "tie-breaker," between two similar recruits. If a coach is torn between two players with similar stats, the Trackman data and video footage can reveal the finer details—like a more effective spin rate or a cleaner delivery—that give one pitcher the edge over the other. Having this kind of comprehensive data helps recruiters make informed decisions that go beyond just game results.  (Separate package) 

Reach out via email or @OSCannons on X and @OldSchoolCannons on IG to schedule a lesson or pricing inqueries.