Cactus Athletic Camps

CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“If it had not been for the wind in my face, I wouldn’t be able to fly at all.”

- Arthur Ashe

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Fall Plans & Summer Wrap Up
• The Dog House: AZBL Mascots
• Nutritional News: Postgame Recovery Drink
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Stephen Kaneko
• Coaches’ Corner: Fly Ball Angle Drill w/ Jeff McIntosh shout out
• Weekly Poll Question: Which AZBL Mascot are you voting for?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. We just got back from a Southern California vacation ourselves and I have to tell you 75 degrees on the San Diego beaches was a great rejuvenator after 10 straight weeks of Summer Baseball Camps. Speaking of the camps we had a blast with your kids. Inside Pitch was an awesome host for our 10 indoor camps and our Flagstaff camp was outstanding. In all we had 245 players attend our 11 camps! We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving & Christmas camps later this year.

Here is what is hot at Cactus Athletics. As you know we have the best instructors in the state so we wanted to start promoting them more. You can now go to the Instruction Page on our website and select a coach that is in your area. We have instructors in Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, Cave Creek and Scottsdale. Click here to check it out- INSTRUCTION.

The other huge thing we have for you is the Fall Season for the Arizona Baseball League. Registrations for the league has already began and tryouts begin on Sept 8th. Everyone who registers for the league will be placed on a team. The tryouts are more for our coaching staff to divide the teams evenly. Currently Brett Caradonna, Joe Pomierski, Spencer Grace & Troy Farnsworth are slated to be head coaches in the league. Combined they have over 25 years of professional playing experience! Click here to check it out & register today!- ARIZONA BASEBALL LEAGUE.

We would also like to promote a free event that is going on at the Inside Pitch Indoor Baseball & Softball Facility on August 28th. There will be free hitting, contests, prizes and much more. Fred is the GM over there and we have had a great friendship and working relationship over the past four years. I highly encourage you to attend. For more information please click here- INSIDE PITCH.

That’s it for today. For those of you who are interested my wife Taleen is due with our 2nd son in the middle of October and our son Connor will turn 2 in September. Everyone here is great on our end including the mutts. We will be sending our next newsletter before the Labor Day holiday. Have an awesome week and give our love to your families.

“We are ready for the season to start! Vote for your favorite mascot today!”

NUTRITIONAL NEWS: Postgame Recovery Drink

by Jon Huizinga
Hey guys. Playing sports is very taxing on your body and it’s important that you always stay hydrated. This includes drinking fluids before, during and after athletic events. What we have for you today is an awesome postgame recovery drink. The main ingredients include coconut water, goji concentrated juice & aloe vera.

If anyone has any questions regarding JuicePlus+ checkout my website www.teamzingerjuiceplus.com. Have a great day and thanks for breathing.

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Stephen Kaneko

by Billy Horton
Stephen, a 14 year old from Mesa, AZ is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He is a 9th grader at Desert Ridge High School and he carries a 3.4 Grade Point Average. His favorite class is History and he is also very talented with his hands. He is a phenomenal sketcher and is also ambidextrous. We found this out first hand on the field.

We first met Stephen last winter when he played for the A’s in the Arizona Baseball League. He helped lead his team to the Southern Division Championship over the favored Orioles and also the AZBL Championship over the North Division Champion Dodgers. He is extremely versatile on the field due to the fact that he can throw well with both hands and hit from both side of home plate. This is almost unheard of for a player to be able to do both of these things and it will give his high school coaches a lot of flexibility with their lineup when they have Stephen on their team.

I also had the pleasure of working with Stephen this summer at our Baseball Camp up in Flagstaff, AZ. He was voted the MVP of the camp due to the fact that he was the strongest performer in the criteria we use to select our most valuable players- Attitude, Leadership, Talent & Work Ethic. He excelled in all categories and was a great example for the younger players who attended.

His future goals include playing baseball at the collegiate level and also serving our country in the military. Like most kids his age he enjoys playing video games and spending time out on the diamond honing his baseball skills. He is a wonderful young man and I look forward to seeing him grow into one of our future leaders.

COACHES’ CORNER: Fly Ball Angle Drill

by Billy Horton
The fly ball. It can be a pitcher’s best friend in a spacious ballpark or their worst nightmare if they have guys playing behind them who don’t have a clue. One of the biggest mistakes I see as a coach is when a player takes a bad angle to a fly ball. It happens much too often at the younger levels and it can really turn a simple base hit to right field into a circus. I have observed too many sharply hit singles that turn into triples because the outfielders run sideways instead of taking a deeper angle to the area where the ball is hit.

A lot of things come into play for an outfielder when a ball is hit. How deep am I playing, which direction is the wind blowing, remember to run on the balls of my feet so my eye balls won’t jump up and down, will the guy next to me hear me when I call it or just trainwreck me ala Jeff McIntosh at Cactus High circa 1991. No bad feelings buddy. I just couldn’t walk for 2 days after you drove your dagger-like kneecap into my quad muscle and flattened me in left center. A lot of things come into play and when doing drills it’s best to start out simple by throwing baseballs, not hitting them.

What I have listed below is an excellent drill for you to use for your players to work on taking good angles to fly balls. Once they get good at this you can increase the difficulty by throwing the ball over their opposite shoulder so they have to snap their head around in order to catch it. This will simulate a windy day or simply losing sight of the ball on your route to it. All you need are a couple of cones and balls.

Fly Ball Angle Drill (2 cones)
1.) Place a cone or object down for the starting point.
2.) Space out 2 cones 30 feet apart from the start point at a 45 degree angle.
3.) Partner points to one of the cones and the player opens up that hip and drop steps in the direction of the cone.
4.) Player sprints past the cone and then while in stride looks over their shoulder for the ball.

WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 12

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Those who cannot obey, cannot command.”

- Benjamin Franklin

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Happy Independence Day!
• The Dog House: Proud to be Americans!
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Justin Haas
• Coaches’ Corner: The Greatest Play in the Baseball History
• Exercise of the Week: Posterior Shoulder Stretch
• Nutritional News: Hotel Breakfast
• Weekly Poll Question: Who has had more influence on your life?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Happy Independence Day weekend everyone! I hope this edition of our newsletter finds you healthy and happy. Things have been going great with us and we are very thankful for all of the blessings we have received this summer. Taleen is 6 months pregnant and doing a great job dealing with the Arizona heat. Connor is learning so much and loves to throw and play catch. Unfortunately he has not been able to grasp the difference between a ball and anything else on the planet so as you can imagine everything gets thrown. Lets just say the dogs are on watch 24/7 for UFOs.

We would like to thank all of you that have signed up for our Indoor Summer Baseball Camps. We are finishing up our 5th week on Friday and everything from the attendance to the quality of play has been awesome! We still have 5 more weeks left so if you are interested please click on the Camps & Clinics page of our website to see more detailed information.

Have a great weekend and if you see one of our Veterans take the time to say thank you for them defending our country. If not for a baseball scholarship I would have followed in the footsteps of the many men in my family who served in our military. I am truly proud to live in the United States and call myself an American. Thanks again for reading our newsletter and have a blessed day.

“Yeah we’re proud to Americans, where at least we know we’re free…..”

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Justin Haas

by Billy Horton
Justin, a 13 year old from Mayer, AZ is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He is home schooled and will be entering the 8th grade in the fall. His favorite subject is biology because he wants to learn more about the creation of the earth and how nature works.

I first met Justin two weeks ago. He attended Indoor Hitting Camp #2 as well as an Indoor Pitching & Catching Camp #2. The coaches unanimously voted him the MVP of both camps because of his ability and tireless work ethic. He showed us that he is a fast learner and was able to apply what we taught him right away.

This past spring Justin played for the 13U Prescott Rebels. He is great behind the dish and really showed off his receiving and blocking skills during our baseball camps. Justin also swings a quick bat and has great hand to eye coordination. We learned that his nickname is “Speedy” so I will assume that he tears up the basepaths as well. In addition to playing baseball he is a avid bow hunter during elk season.

Justin’s future aspirations include earning a college scholorship and playing professional baseball. He also has an interest in becoming a fire fighter during or after his pro career is over. I know that Shaq works in law enforcement while playing in the NBA, so I can definitley see Justin volunteering as a firefighter during the baseball offseason.

I have only known Justin for a couple of weeks, but I feel like I am a better man now that I have met him. He has a strong conviction for his Christian faith and he will not comprimise that in order to just fit in with the crowd. The two of us were able to have some deep conversations after the camps and I am encouraged that a young man like himself with be a future leader in our country.

COACHES’ CORNER: The Greatest Play in the Baseball History

by Billy Horton
On this Independence Day weekend I thought it would be appropriate to acknowledge Rick Monday and his outstanding act of patriotism in April of 1976. I believe it is our duty as coaches to teach our players about being proud of the American flag and what it stands for.

It was always one of my favorite parts of the game to stand on the chalk line and listen to the National Anthem when I was a player. I still remember the fields I played on and made a point to ingrain the memory in my head so I could look back on those times when I was older. It brings a smile to my face as I am writing this article as I think back to my home fields in high school, college and pro baseball. Don’t be ashamed to sign the anthem out loud and even have a tear in your eye when you are doing it.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Posterior Shoulder Stretch

by Taleen Horton
Many athletes especially baseball players are familiar with the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder and the importance of properly stretching these muscles. There are 4 rotator cuff muscles which function as dynamic stabilizers in the shoulder. They are the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor.

These posterior rotator cuff muscles, specifically the infraspinatus and teres minor, sustain much stress during the deceleration phase of throwing. Consequently, these posterior shoulder muscles can be predisposed to increased muscle tightness and therefore, increase your risk for shoulder injuries.

It is very important that you stretch these posterior cuff muscles before and/or after you throw. Many professional and college athletes are fortunate to have physical therapists and athletic trainers to help keep their shoulders loose but here is a great posterior shoulder stretch you can do on your own.

1) Lie on your side of your dominant throwing shoulder and put your arm in the 90 degree position as demonstrated in Fig.1. For the sake of instruction, we will be stretching the right shoulder.

2) Place your left hand on your right forearm and push your forearm down toward the floor.(Fig. 2)

3) Once you feel a good stretch, turn your head down so that your chin is in line with the top of your shoulder. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds and then rest. Repeat 3 times or until your shoulder feels loose.(Fig.3)

As with any new exercise or stretching routine, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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NUTRITIONAL NEWS: Hotel Breakfast

by John Huizinga
This edition of Nutritional News comes to you from on the road. As many of you know I am playing minor league baseball and we are not able to spend a whole lot of time at home due to our busy game schedule. This leads us to being resourceful and creative while taking long bus rides and staying in hotel rooms all over the country. This quick and nutritious meal is great for all ages and will come in handy when you are in a pinch. If anyone has any questions regarding JuicePlus+ checkout my website www.teamzingerjuiceplus.com. Have a great day and thanks for breathing.

WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 11

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“If men are faithful, God will add the ability”

- Ed Cole

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Baby Horton is due in October!
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Andrew Soich
• Coaches’ Corner: Hey kid, get your butt off the couch!
• The Dog House: Ahhhh! Comfort.
• Exercise of the Week: Upper Body Step Up
• Weekly Poll Question: Who will win the NBA title in 2010?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

As some of you know my beautiful wife Taleen is pregnant with our second child and she is due in the middle of October. Our son Connor will turn two in September and he has been such an amazing blessing in our lives. It has been so cool to see him develop and we know that he is going to be a great big brother. Well, last Friday we found out what we are having…..another boy! We are extremely excited that we will have 2 boys close in age and that they will have someone to play with on a daily basis. We may be talking about our third pregnancy this time next year, but for now we are enjoying this one.

Our Summer Baseball Camps are filling up and this is your last chance to get in on our 4 day Professional Hitting Camp that goes from June 1st-4th. In addition to getting top notch hitting instruction, the players also receive 90 minutes of speed, strength and agility training every day. Our coaches also break down hitting mechanics during our daily “chalk talk” sessions and we always end the day with an encouraging speech from one of our instructors or guest speakers. We are in the business of helping develop the complete player from their head down to their toes.

In addition to running the Summer Camps, this June we will be starting to take registrations for the Fall Season of Arizona Baseball League. Last year our AAA League (13-15 year olds) played from September through November and we are looking forward to having even more players participate this year. We are also considering having an advanced version of our AA League (11-12 year olds) start in the fall as well. More information on this will be coming in the near future. Please let us know if you are interested in playing with us this Fall.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and please remember what it is all about- honoring the men and women who so valiantly served our country in the Armed Forces. I salute all of you and thank you for watching guard over our families. God Bless every one of you.

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Andrew Soich

by Billy Horton
Andrew, a 12 year old from Phoenix, AZ is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He is finishing up 7th grade at Glendale Preparatory Academy where he is solid A & B student. He is one of the most intelligent young players I have come across in recent years and I have been impressed with him both on and off the field.

Andrew has attending many events we have offered in the past, but really caught all of the coaches’ eyes this past winter in the Arizona Baseball League. He played for the AA Diamondbacks and helped lead his team to the North Championship over the Dodgers and then the Orioles in the AZBL (AA) Championship Game. At the end of the season he was named the AA North MVP in a very tight race between a few other players in the league. As good as his talent was compared to his competition, what put him over the top in the voting was his leadership and knowledge of the game. He was like having another coach on the field.

He is a two-sport athlete at Glendale Preparatory and played Center for the Football team last fall. Baseball is his #1 sport and in addition to playing for the Griffins this spring he also starred for the Major Reds in Arrowhead Little League. Andrew is a slick fielding infielder and outstanding pitcher as well. He handles the bat with the best of them and shows good power to all fields. He’s so slouch on the base paths either so if you are not paying attention to him when he is on the sacks, he will rip your heart out with stolen bases and taking the extra base with the slightest bobble of an outfielder’s ball.

Like most kids his age Andrew likes to play video games, he is an avid reader and of course he loves baseball. He aspires to play in the Major Leagues and when he is finished follow in his father’s footsteps with an engineering career. Andrew is also looking forward to being a husband and a father one day. He is an exceptional young man and I really look forward to seeing him grow up. Andrew will be one of our future leaders and that make me both excited and comfortable about the future of our community.

COACHES’ CORNER: Hey kid, get your butt off the couch!

by Billy Horton
Summer break is upon us in Arizona and kids all over the state are affixing themselves to sofas, love seats and couches to pass the time. Some stay there for so long that you might think they were velcroed to the furniture. Many of them will have video game controllers glued to their hands for hours and may even have the guts to yell at you from across the house to make them a sandwich. I got four words for you- Not In My House!

If that is a picture of your home I would encourage you to take the title of this article, replace the word kid with your child’s name, and have them incorporate some easy indoor exercises into their daily summer routine. One year ago my cousin Matt wrote an awesome article and shot a video that included 4 core exercises for beginners. Please click on the following link to be taken to the article- The Core Pyramid Circuit.

These are great for kids of any age and you may be surprised at their desire to do these on a daily basis once they get started. Core training is huge for all sports now and remember that close to 60% of your power comes from that area of your body. Get to it!


“He tossed me off the couch, so I just made myself comfortable on the floor!”

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Upper Body Step Up

by Taleen Horton
The Upper Body Step Up is a great strengthening and stability exercise for your shoulders. Two major joints help to create shoulder movement. They are your glenohumeral joint (ball and socket joint) and your scapularthoracic joint (aka shoulder blade). These two joints along with the sternoclavicular and the acromioclavicular joints must all work together to create shoulder movement.

Many athletes focus on strengthening the glenohumeral shoulder joint and neglect stabilizing the scapularthoracic joint. The upper body step up helps strengthen a very important scapular muscle called the serratus anterior. The serratus anterior helps stabilize your scapula from a term you may have heard called “scapular winging” in which the medial inferior aspect of your scapula protrudes out off your thoracic chest wall.

The Upper Body Step Up demonstrated below is an exercise that should be incorporated in every strengthening program for overhead throwing athletes.

1) Begin in a push up position with a 6 inch exercise aerobic step positioned between your hands. You can easily use 1 or 2 phone books as pictured in the figure. (Figure 1)

2) Place your right hand on the step. (Figure 2)

3) Then place your left hand on the step. (Figure3)

4) While still maintaining the push up position, round your shoulders and give an extra push up. (Figure 4)

5) Then proceed to come back down off the step first with your right hand and then with your left hand. Perform one set of 10 reps and then rest. You may perform a total of 3 sets of 10 reps.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 10

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Baseball is a tongue-tied kid from Georgia growing up to be an announcer and praising the Lord for showing him the way to Cooperstown.”

- Ernie Harwell at his National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Gearing up for the Summer!
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Zack West
• Coaches’ Corner: Proper Warm Up Routine
• Exercise of the Week: Rice Bucket
• The Dog House: Don’t waste good rice!
• Weekly Poll Question: How many MLB games will you attend this year?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

The final countdown is on and kids all over the country have thick black X marks on their calendars signifying one more day closer to freedom. School is almost out! The thought of this terrifies some parents to the point of panic & anxiety. Don’t put yourself through that. I am here to tell you that I have a solution for you……GIVE YOUR KIDS TO US!!! Well, for at least part of the day. I don’t want your crazy monkeys in my house either. Send them to our Indoor Summer Baseball Camps with the best instructors in the state! We will pound them for the first 90 minutes with exercises that will make their body and mind bend in ways that they thought not possible. After that they get what they really came for which is top level hitting, pitching & catching instruction. We have 10 weeks for you to choose from so everyone’s schedules can match up. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!!!

I would like to finish this entry by saying goodbye to one of the great men who ever graced a baseball field. Ernie Harwell covered the game as a broadcaster for over 50 years and spent most of them with my beloved Detroit Tigers. He is the first broadcaster inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and had the honor of being friends with some of the best players to ever step foot on the field. He passed away last week and left behind a legacy that few will ever repeat. He was the voice of many boys childhood as they drifted off to sleep on warm summer nights in Michigan. As the team honors him with a patch on their sleeve with the initials EH, realize that fans all over North America will have a new reason to root for the Tigers this year. Win this one for Ernie.

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zack West

by Billy Horton
Zack, a 15 year old from Phoenix, AZ is our Student Athlete of the Month. He is completing his freshman year at Sandra Day O’Connor High School and maintains a “B” average. Zack is involved with many extra curricular activities which include the Auto Club, Air Force ROTC and Christ Church of the Valley Youth Group.

We first met Zack back in the Summer of 2008 at one of our Indoor Pitching Camps that was hosted at Inside Pitch. He has grown considerably in many ways since then and it has been a pleasure to coach him over the past 3 years. Zack is a 2 sport athlete and participated on the freshman football and baseball teams. Last fall he dominated opposing corners with his precise route running at the wide receiver spot. This spring he split time between throwing gas off the hill and flashing the leather while playing a gold glove worthy 3rd base.

I know this young man mostly for his work on the diamond. For the past two years he has played in the AAA Division of the Arizona Baseball League and was an All-Star both seasons. In 2008 he was with the White Sox and in 2009 he played for the Diamondbacks which was the team I coached. This past season Zack showed a lot of promise with consistency on the mound, solid defense at short stop and was our lead off hitter. His on base percentage was off the charts and he racked up a lot of stolen bases. He was the engine that got our team started every game.

While baseball is a love of his, Zack has other passions and interests outside of the game. He is very into jets, action movies and cars. He really enjoys history, especially the time during World War II when our country stepped in and helped put an end to the terror that Germany and Japan were inflicting upon other countries.

His future aspirations and goals include attending college and traveling to Germany so he can drive on the Autobahn. Any young man who is into fast cars would naturally be drawn to a place where speed has relatively no limits!

I feel blessed to be a part in this young man’s life and I look forward to the adult that he is growing into. Regardless of what Zack does for the rest of his life I can assume that he will do it the same way he does everything else- in excellence.

COACHES’ CORNER: Proper Warm Up Routine

by Billy Horton
As promised in my last article I am going to talk about the proper way to get warmed up. Too many players go out to the field and start playing catch before they get their bodies stretched out. Some of it comes from youthful exuberance and the fact that some look at stretching as boring. Other times it comes from a coach being lazy and just wanting to get to the baseball side of practice. While I can’t fault a kid’s excitement to start playing catch, I will lay blame on a coach for not preparing his team the way he should.

I hear similar phases like the following all the time. “They’re just kids and won’t get hurt.” “I only have 90 minutes for practice.” “The kids don’t like it and I don’t want to hear them complain.” All of these statements have something in common. They are excuses. You are the coach and the players follow your lead. It is your job to have a game plan written up before you get there so you can help your team improve their level of play. It is also your responsibility to do your very best to prevent injuries so the players can do what they love- PLAY!

A very simple routine that takes as little as 10 minutes can be performed to get their blood pumping and their muscles loosened up. I prefer dynamic stretching versus static stretching when preparing for an athletic event. Static is when you hold a stretch in place. Dynamic is when you are moving as you are stretching.

Listed below is a set of movements we do prior to practices, games and camps. I encourage you to try them at your next event. For the lower body, set up cones or some other object as a start and end point. I would separate them 20 to 30 yards apart. For the upper body, go through each motion 10 repetitions.

Lower Body
1.) Jog one lap around the field or a couple times around the bases.
2.) Side shuffle to your right, then go back to your left facing the same way.
3.) Carioca to your right, then go back to your left facing the same way.
4.) Run backwards, then sprint forward to your starting point.
5.) Skip forward, then power skip (jump higher) to your starting point.
6.) Lunge as you do a midsection twist forward, then do this backwards to your starting point.

Upper Body
1.) Place arms at a 90 degree rock your arms forward and backward at the shoulder joint. Perform three sets at different hand positions: palms up, palms down and thumbs up.
2.) Do the same as #1 except now cross your arms over your chest.
3.) Do the same as 31 except now cross your arms behind your back.
4.) Place your elbows shoulder high, interlock your fingers with your throwing hand palm in, glove hand palm out. Pull your fingers in opposite directions and then move your arms in the following three motions: side to side, small circles forward & back, swim with elbows forward & back.
5.) Do the same as #4 except now interlock your fingers and then push your hands together as you complete the 3 motions.
6.) Place your arms shoulder high and then straighten them out to the sides of your body. Perform arm circles forward and backward in the following three hand positions: palms up, palms down and thumbs up.

We offer this routine, plus a lot more on our Professional Baseball Training DVDs. Sometimes a visual is a lot easier than written material. You can pick them up on our Online Store by clicking here- Cactus Store. Please remember with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Rice Bucket

by Taleen Horton
Rice bucket? If you were to ask any Major League baseball player what a rice bucket is, they would all be able to answer you. And that is because they have all used a rice bucket in their baseball careers to strengthen their hands, wrists, and forearms.

The rice bucket is very common in the world of baseball. This is a piece of equipment which is not exclusive to professional baseball facilities and can be made quite easily and used in your own home. All you need is a 10 gallon bucket and lots and lots of rice! I suggest you fill the bucket 2/3 of the way up.

Forearm strengthening is sometimes overlooked in exercise programs for various sports such as baseball. However, your forearms play a very integral part of the biomechanical chain in sports movements such as throwing and hitting. There are 6 wrist movements described below that are commonly used in the rice bucket.

1) Place the rice bucket on a chair and put both hands deep into the bucket. (Fig. 1) The following pictures show your hands and wrists outside of the bucket so that you may see the movements clearly.

2) Your first two movements is forward and back. Move both wrists forward and backward deep in the rice bucket 10 times.(Fig. 2-3)

3) Without resting, you will move into the next movement which is circles in and circles out. Perform 10 circles outward and 10 circles inward. (this is similar to the wax on/wax off motion ) (Fig.4)

4) Finally, you will move immediately into the last 2 movements. You will do 10 finger grabs and 10 finger extension flickers. (Fig. 5-6)

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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“Dude. You are going to cook that rice right? I am hungry!”

WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 9

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Decisions translate into energy.”

- Ed Cole

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Summer Camps posted!
• The Dog House: “Hello….rabbit”
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Hunter Chee
• Coaches’ Corner: Playing catch with a baseball in your hallway
• Exercise of the Week: The Push-Up One Arm Row
• Nutritional News: Chocolate Almond Milk
• Weekly Poll Question: What is more important to you?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

I know many of you have inquired and we now have our Summer Break Camps posted! We will now host 10 straight weeks of Indoor Baseball Camps at the Inside Pitch Indoor Facility! We start on June 1st and they go all the way to August 6th. You can choose from 6 different Pro Hitting Camps or 4 different Pro Pitching & Catching Camps. This will be our 4th straight year of working with the fine people at Inside Pitch and needless to say we are pumped about the opportunity!

We have also set up an exciting event in Flagstaff this summer. The “Baseball Blowout in the Pines” will be the week of July 19th-23rd. These camps will have a similar format to what we have done in the past with one big change. After lunch we will now run Tournament style games all week long! The age groups will be from 8-16 year olds and we are hoping to draw players from all over the state to this event. Think about taking a vacation to Flagstaff this summer and at the same time taking a vacation from your kids in the morning by dropping them off with us!

We are still looking to solidify some dates in other cities this summer so make sure to keep an eye on our website. Check out our Indoor Camps & Flagstaff camp right now- Camp Calendar. You can also join us for weekly updates by becoming a fan of our Facebook Page. You can find the Facebook button on the right side of our website or just click here to become a fan- Cactus Athletic Camps Fan. And by the way a belated Happy Easter!!!

“Hello….rabbit!”

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Hunter Chee

by Billy Horton
Hunter Chee, a 14 year old from Page, AZ, is our Student-Athlete of the Month. He is an 8th grader at Page Middle School, where he a solid A & B student.

We first met Hunter at a fall baseball clinic we performed up in Page in October of 2008. From that point on his parents made a commitment to improving his game by making once per month visits from Page to Phoenix to meet with me one-on-one for hitting & pitching instruction. For those of you who don’t know, Page is 275 miles North of Phoenix!

Hunter is a tremendous athlete and he excels in most every sport he plays. He currently is dominating the track and participates in the 100m, 300m, 400m & Hurdles for Page Middle School. In his last 2 meets he has placed 1st in all four events almost every time with the only exception being a 2nd place finish in hurdles once, and that was after he got up after a fall!

As good as he is on the track, he is even better on the diamond. Last fall Hunter played in the Arizona Baseball League and proved to himself that he can hang with the big boys down in the desert. He was easily one of the best players in the league and helped lead the Braves to the AZBL Championship Series. All of the games were played in Phoenix & he was able to attend more than half of them. This again shows his level of commitment to the game.

Hunter also plays baseball in the Junior Division of Page Little League and for the past 2 years has competed in the Inter Tribal Diamondbacks Tournament. When he is not throwing fastballs that look like tic tacs coming at the batter, you will find him flashing his gold glove quality leather at short or throwing runners out from behind the dish. He is also a great hitter with solid gap-to-gap power. Once the ball starts heading towards right center you may as well chalk up a triple in your score book for this young man.

Hunter has many passions besides sports. He reads the Bible, and likes to discuss religion. He likes music, plays piano by ear and the drums. Hunter likes Broadway plays and is interested in drama and writing. He enjoys helping other people and is adamant about encouraging the “underdogs.” Hunter likes to visit his grandpa, who is a well known medicine man, and ride horses, herd sheep and enjoy the quiet time on the Reservation for meditation (getting away from computers, cell phones, TV, XBox, etc.) He likes working outdoors.

I have had the privilege of spending time with Hunter over the past 2 years and I am looking forward to the man he will become. The young people of today will be our leaders of tomorrow and with people like Hunter leading the charge, I feel pretty good about our future.

COACHES’ CORNER: Playing catch with a baseball in your hallway

by Billy Horton
I tell my pitchers this all the time- “You are going to be so good with your accuracy that your mom will let you and your friend play catch in your hallway.” I almost always receive the same response- laughter from the players and rebukes from the parents. As much as I want them to take me literally, this is more for visual training. I want the pitcher to understand his margin for error is very small.

When standing on the mound the pitcher throws from the rubber, which is 24 inches in length. In contrast, home plate is only 17 inches across making the midpoint of the plate 8.5 inches. What that basically means is that if the goal is to throw the ball right down the middle of the plate, the pitcher can only miss his target by roughly 9 inches either way or he will throw a ball. While 9 inches may not seem like a lot in many walks of life, it may as well be a mile in baseball. Remember we consider most 35 year old shortstops ancient.

This comes to my main point- What are you focusing when you pitch? Some players simply say they are looking at the catcher. If you miss the outer portion of the catcher by 9 inches, your pitch will be behind the batter. Others say they are looking at the glove. When opened up and giving a target, the average catcher’s mitt is almost 11 inches across. That would cover over 60% of home plate and when set up down the middle, would give you only 3 inches on each side of the plate that are not covered by the glove. Therefore if you missed the outside of the glove by 9 inches, which is what the players said they are looking at, you would probably HIT the batter.

I want the pitcher to focus on a small point INSIDE THE MIDDLE of the glove. Now if your catcher is set up down the middle, you can miss your target by about 9 inches either way and still get a strike called. For those of you who are thinking “I never have my catcher set up down the middle”, having a small focus is even more important because now your margin of error is even smaller. All of this sounds great and it is assuming you throw the pitch in the strike zone. The rule book says this zone goes from the batter’s armpits to knees, but as we all know this can change daily depending on your umpire and how often he visits his optometrist.

I have worked with Tom House on numerous occasions and one of his famous sayings is “Aim small, miss small”. Some people don’t like to use the word aim because you hear coaches yell at their pitchers from the dugout all the time “Don’t aim it Johnny!” That’s why I like to use the word focus versus aim. The definition of the word focus even sounds good- a central point of attention. I am big on the words spoken to players, because the terminology you use is just as important as what you teach. It’s funny how 2 coaches can teach a player the same exact drill, but sometimes the way it is communicated by one coach makes it click with the player.

I encourage you to use this visual technique with all of your players when they are playing catch before practice and games. Have them give a chest high target and tell them that they need to keep the ball in-between 4 points: the beanie on top of their cap, the outside of each shoulder and their bellybutton. Also remember that playing catch before practice is not considered warming up. Stretching your muscles is warming up. Playing catch is working on throwing mechanics. An article on this will come next time.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: The Push-Up One Arm Row

by Taleen Horton
The push-up one arm row is a great upper body exercise. This exercise is a combination of two exercises: the push-up which strengthens your chest and arms and the one arm row which strengthens your upper back. By combining these two exercises, the traditional push-up exercise becomes more challenging and the one arm row involves a greater level of muscle stability and control. In addition to strengthening your pecs, triceps, rhomboids, and lats, you will also strengthen your core muscles which will activate in order to stabilize you as perform the exercise.

1) Begin in a push up starting position with each hand/wrist placed on a dumbbell on the floor. It is important that you have dumbbells that will not slide or slip on the ground surface you are using. (Fig 1)

2) Perform a push-up while your hands are holding the dumbbells on the floor. (Fig 2)

3) When you return to starting position (Fig 1) pull your left arm back off the floor in a row position (Fig 3) and then return your arm back to the floor. (Fig 1) Then pull your right arm back off the floor in a row position. Return your right arm to the floor. This is one complete rep.

4) Perform 3 sets of 10 reps. As the exercise gets easier, you may increase to 3 sets of 20 reps and also increase your weight.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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Figure 3

NUTRITIONAL NEWS:

by Jon Huizinga
Today it is my pleasure to share with you one of my favorite fueling options Chocolate Almond Milk. This simple and tasty treat can be used in many ways such as preworkout, postworkout, in cereal, or for cooking. For this recipe you will need a blender, nut milk bag, sea salt, water, raw almonds, and JuicePlus+ Complete. The JuicePlus+ Complete formula used a versatile formula composed of raw fruits, veg, and sea veg. The benefits of fruits and veg in our diets is well known and publicized. However most do not get the daily requirement from diet alone. This is why I recommend JuicePlus+ to my friends, family, and teammates. JuicePlus+ should be looked at as a bridge to gap what we should eat and what we actually due eat and not a substitute for actual fruit and veg. If anyone has any questions regarding JuicePlus+ checkout my website www.teamzingerjuiceplus.com. Have a great day and thanks for breathing.

WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

- Paul (1 Timothy 4:12)

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Join us on Facebook & Twitter!
• The Dog House: Family Breakfast
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Jeffrey Gehr
• Coaches’ Corner: Catching Stances
• Nutritional News: Green Challenge
• Weekly Poll Question: What other sports do you think we should offer instruction & clinics for?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

It is official. I have joined the 21st century and put Cactus Athletic Camps on Facebook & Twitter. Now you can get quick updates on what we are up to, check out free videos and network with others by joining our fan page. We also joined a baseball networking site called Check Swing. It’s a free site that allows coaches and players to discuss ideas, techniques and get opinions on equipment. I have been impressed with them as well and I encourage you to join. Just look on the right hand side bar near the bottom of our website to join one or all of these groups!

As far as what the business is up to on the field we are having a blast at our “Date Night” Pitching & Catching Clinics. We had over 50 people sign up and the players are learning a ton! We also still have room in our Spring Break Camp that goes from March 29th through April 2nd. Sign up by March 22nd and receive a discount! It is 6 hours per day so that gives you 30 hours with pro coaches! Click here to get more info- Spring Break Camp 2010.

We are also looking to expand our business by adding more sports. I am currently in talks with some friends who are professional golfers and we are looking to start offering golf instruction and some weekend clinics in the near future. Other sport specific instruction that we are considering is Football & Softball. Please let us know if this is of any interest to you by voting in our poll this week. We would also love to hear from you via email or by simply commenting on this newsletter.

On a personal note I am very happy to announce that my lovely wife Taleen is pregnant! Baby Horton is due in mid October and once we find out if it will be a boy or a girl we will let you know. Those of you who join our Facebook Fan Page will find out first…shameless plug. Have an awesome day and I hope to see you on the field soon. One last reminder- breakfast is the most important meal of the day!


“Pass the bowl dude and give me a sip of that cereal!”

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Jeffrey Gehr

by Billy Horton
Jeffrey, a 9 year old from Phoenix, AZ is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He attends Richard E Miller Elementary School and is a straight “A” student. I can personally attest to the fact that he is a tremendous blend of brains & braun because he has been attending Cactus Camps events over the past two years.

I believe we first ran across this talented athlete in November 2008 at our Thanksgiving Camp. He has a powerful left handed swing and throws gas on the mound. Jeffrey has played in the Arizona Baseball League the past 2 winters and his team this year, the Diamondbacks, went all the way to the Northern Championship Game. He was voted to the All-Star Team as well.

In the spring he plays in Royal Palm Orangewood Little League. Jeffrey, or JBo as some call him, is a dominant force on the mound and flashes golden glove type leather over at first base. When he is hitting, he has been known to smoke balls so hard into the gap that the grass catches on FIRE! Well maybe not that hard, but I have seen some right fielders just decide to run to the fence to get the ball when it stops moving instead of getting in front of it!

Jeffrey’s passion is baseball, and he wants to play in the majors. He understands the hard work and dedication needed to reach this goal and while the goal may change as he matures, his ability to commit to work hard is something that will serve him well throughout life. He also likes geology, collecting autographs & drawing. I look forward to seeing him grow over the years and see where his passions take him. I am sure that he will be a leader in whatever he does.

COACHES’ CORNER: Catching Stances

by Billy Horton
Being comfortable behind home plate is essential for a catcher. It is also very important to know that during the course of a game, catchers will be squatting in different positions depending on the situation. Listed below are the three main positions that we have found to be the most effective. Remember, the catcher is the general of the field so choosing some of your brightest and best athletes to play this position will put you in the best position to succeed.

(1.) Reading Stance

- From this position we control the game and give signs to the pitcher.

(2.) Receiving Stance

- This is done with no one on base or with less than 2 strikes on the batter.

- Get in nice and relaxed to be in the best position to catch the ball.

- Showing the umpire the location of the pitch is very important.

(3.) Blocking and Throwing Stance

- This is when runners are on base or with 2 strikes on the batter.

- Butt should be up higher in the air than the receiving stance.

NUTRITIONAL NEWS: Green Challenge

by Jon Huizinga

Hello guys. This week’s video is a one week challenge to consume 1 pound of greens per day. The video also shares a recipe idea to help you do so. This is so you do not have to chew the full pound everyday as this would take a while. For more variety in the recipe you can switch up the greens or the fruit. The recipe includes a couple of other products. The first is super food maca which is also an adaptogen. The next is JuicePlus+ Garden Blend which contains the phytonutrients and antioxidants from carrot, parsley, beet, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomato, oat bran, rice bran, and garlic.

We look at food as fuel and we eat to fuel up rather than fill up. You can have the best coaching, the most talent, but without the right fuel you will never reach your full potential. I hope you guys enjoy the smoothie recipe and that it helps you maximize your potential.

Links: www.extremepitchingmakeover.com & www.teamzingerjuiceplus.com

WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 7

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

When they start the game, they don’t yell, “Work ball.”  They say, “Play ball.”

- Willie Stargell, 1981

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Spring is in the Air!
• The Dog House: Ready for practice!
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Evan Mekenney
• Coaches’ Corner: I got the ball, now what?!
• Exercise of the Week: Bridge Rotation
• Weekly Poll Question: Who will be the surprise MLB team that makes the playoffs in 2010?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

The smell of pine tar and freshly cut grass is in the air which can mean only one thing- SPRING TRAINING is here! Praise the Lord! This is the time of year when everyone’s favorite team has dreams of playoff chances and rookies get the shot to make the big club and play on Opening Day in front of 30,000 encouraged fans. College games are right around the corner as well and High School practices kicked off here in Phoenix last week. Not far behind are youth leagues such as Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth & Little League.

As you know our job is to help prepare you for your season and keep you sharp during it. The first thing we have to offer you is our “Date Night” Pitching & Catching Clinics that start this Friday and go for 6 weeks. They are only $10/session which is an absolute bargain! It gives you the chance to drop your kids off with us and still afford dinner with your spouse. We also have our Spring Break Camps up on the website. These are 5 days each and go for 6 hours per day. They may actually pass out in the car on the way home after we get done with them- You’re welcome!

In addition to the camps & clinics, we also offer individual and group training at our outdoor facility. Please check out what we have to offer on the Instruction Page on our website. We also want to encourage you to look at our Professional Baseball Training DVDs. These are top notch and we used 7 different professional baseball players during our filming. I think one of our coaches put it best when he said “If you are going to spend $200 on a bat, why not spend 20 bucks on something that will teach you to use it?” Makes sense to me. Have an awesome day and I look forward to seeing you at a field soon.

“We are ready for practice! Let’s lace ‘em up and get after it!”

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Evan Mekenney

by Billy Horton
Evan Mekenney, a 6th grader from Glendale, AZ is our Student Athlete of the Week. He attends Highland Lakes Elementary School and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Evan is an extremely intelligent young man and has been in the advanced reading and math programs for three years.

He first caught our eye during our Holiday Baseball Camps this past December. During the camp he showed a great combination of talent, leadership and determination. He was also very coachable and implemented the drills we showed him during our daily scrimmages. Due to that he was voted the MVP of the camp.

We also had the pleasure of working with Evan during the winter season of the Arizona Baseball League. He played for the (AA) Braves in the North Division and helped his team earn a 6-2 record and a #2 seed in the playoffs. His head coach Chris Marchildon had this to say about Evan: “He was a great player for me. He got to the field early, learned new things we taught him on the fly and was a real joy to coach.”

This spring he will play in the Majors Division of Arrowhead Little League. Defensively he excels over at first base, but is a beast anywhere you put him on the diamond. He is a very consistent hitter at the plate and has some pretty good wheels as well.

Evan’s first passion is baseball. He also loves to play video games, ride his BMX bike, and is an altar server at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church. Evan is a driven and responsible kid. He wanted to raise $250 on his own to attend his 6th grade trip to Sea World and he accomplished that goal. One of his nicknames is Tank. He got it because he has always been so thin.

In the future Evan has plans to get a full baseball scholarship to ASU and then play for the Diamondbacks as a star shortstop. I think those are solid goals and I wouldn’t put it past him. He is a smart kid who is going to continue to shine brighter and brighter the older he gets.

COACHES’ CORNER: I got the ball, now what?!

by Billy Horton
You may laugh at the title, but how many of you coaches have sat in the dugout and yelled “Throw the ball!” to your left fielder as he pump fakes the baseball like he’s Kurt Warner trying to draw the free safety away from Larry Fitzgerald. That’s right, every one of you. Typically the coach gets mad at the player and the player is mentally toast for the rest of the inning or possibly the game. Now I pose this to you- Is it the player’s fault or possibly does more blame fall on the coach for not preparing him well enough?

I think we should lean towards the latter. Granted some players are watching butterflies while others are focused on the delightful smell of hot dogs emanating from the snack shack. It’s almost a lock that the next ball hit will be headed directly at them like a heat seeking missile. For the most part I think it does fall on us as coaches. While working on fundamental grounders and fly balls is essential, I think that sometimes we should focus more on situational defense in practice.

Here is a great way to start. Work on relays and cutoffs. Have the players line up in throwing groups of 4 and spread them out about 10-20 yards apart depending on how old they are. Teach them how to turn to their glove side when receiving the ball so they can cut down on the steps they take when they go to throw it. If possible get them to turn their bodies towards their target while the ball is in mid-air so all they have to do is turn, step and throw.

Once that is done put players in defensive positions and work on only one base at a time. Put them in the 3 outfield positions and have the short stops and second baseman work on cuts to second base. After that you can progress to third base and eventually home plate. Teach them that it is of utmost importance to position the cut off man so he is in a direct line between the outfielder and the base the ball is going to. We all know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Remember it is our job to put the players in a position to succeed. We can’t catch it or throw it for them, but we can do our best to prepare them. One last thing is to emphasize to the players the importance of being in a ready position on the balls of their feet before every pitch. Hopefully that will keep the butterfly chasing to a minimum.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Bridge Rotation

by Taleen Horton
The bridge rotation is a great core exercise to incorporate into your present core stability program. This exercise will strengthen your transverse abdominus and oblique muscles. The bridge rotation will guarantee to challenge you by the instability of the swiss ball and especially when your weight is increased.

1) First, lay with your head and back on a swiss exercise ball and both feet flat on the ground approximately shoulder width apart. The swiss ball should be positioned between your head and shoulder blades/mid back. This is the bridge position. Hold a weight (dumbbell or medicine ball) with both arms directly above your chest. (Fig. 1) Begin with a light weight such as 2lbs to make sure you keep correct form before increasing weight.

2) Rotate your arms to the left while holding the weight and allow your right shoulder blade to come up slightly off the swiss ball. (Fig. 2)

3) Then rotate your arms to the right in the same manner. (Fig. 3)

4) Return to starting position. (Fig.1). This is one rep. Perform one set of 10 reps and then rest. You may perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps and increase your weight to tolerance.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 6

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“I’d rather have a short pencil than a long memory.”

- Ken Madden

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Pro Baseball Training DVDs now available
• The Dog House: Chow Time!
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Logan Woodward
• Coaches’ Corner: Choosing the Right Bat
• Exercise of the Week: Plank Knee Punch
• Weekly Poll Question: Which team will win the Super Bowl in 2010?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

I hope everyone is enjoying their day. It has been raining for almost 4 days straight here in Phoenix and personally, I am loving it. I grew up in Michigan and went to college in Alabama so I miss having rain on a consistent basis. The only hard thing for us is that we have had to reschedule our whole week of practices, games and lessons. This was difficult, but well worth it because we can always use rain here in the desert.

After months of work and a lot of patience we are very excited to announce the launching of our Professional Baseball Training DVDs! For the past 2 years I have thought about creating these and finally in October of ‘09 we started shooting footage. We used 7 current & former professional baseball players (including myself) and made 3 separate DVDs. The first is an offensive one that focuses on Hitting, Bunting & Base Running. The second is on team defense and it focuses on every position in the Infield & Outfield. Our third DVD is all about Pitching & Catching. Each DVD has a Dynamic Stretching Program, along with the story of how our company was started and a hilarious blooper reel! An added bonus is a Written Manual that breaks down all of the footage in the videos and is durable enough for you to take to the field with you! They are very affordable so please click on the link to our online store to see some footage and order yours today!- Cactus Camps Store

We are also very proud of the league we are running. The Arizona Baseball League is in it’s second year and we have grown to two locations. We added a South Division in Gilbert and have 114 players spread over 11 teams. In our North Division we have 163 players on 16 teams. That’s a total of 277 players and 27 teams! It has been amazing to see a prayer come to fruition and to watch this league grow so much in just 14 months. For those of you who don’t know the story I was walking our dogs & praying in mid November of ‘08 about a way to increase business and our outreach to the community. Immediately a thought about starting a Winter baseball league came to my mind and I threw the idea out to our clients. Within 4 weeks we had 250 players sign up!

God moves powerfully when you are in his will and when I decided to stop talking so much and start listening to his plan for me, life got easier. I simply let him take the wheel and started to ride shotgun. Our organization is about baseball and teaching your kids the finer intricacies of the game, but in my 30 years of playing and coaching  I realize it’s just a game and my life will not be determined by wins & losses on the field. If we are not having fun out there, then what’s the point? My goal is to be a good example to you and your kids. I hope that my staff and I are accomplishing that. Thank you for being a part of our family and good luck in all of your endeavors this new year.

“It’s CHOW TIME!!!”

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Logan Woodward

by Billy Horton
Logan, a 12 year old from Phoenix, is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He is a 7th grader at Explorer Middle School and he holds a 4.0 grade point average. We first met him during our pitching clinics in May and he really opened our eyes with his dominance on the mound during our Thanksgiving Baseball Camp in 2009. He showed great leadership and athletic ability that weekend and because of that the coaches voted him the MVP of the camp.

Logan is a two sport stud. In basketball he plays for the Junior Suns and excels at both guard positions. He is a deadly shooter and if you don’t keep a hand in his face all game long he will rip you for 20 in a heartbeat. In baseball he currently plays for the AAA Rockies in the Arizona Baseball League. Logan is a great left handed pitcher and when he is not on the hill you will find him flashing gold glove quality leather over at first base and in the outfield.

He loves sports and music and when he grows up he would like to play in the NBA or pitch in the big leagues. Who knows, with his talent, brains and work ethic he may end up doing both! The most important thing is that he is a fine young man who shows respect to others and I am confident that he will be successful in every endeavor he sets out to accomplish.

COACHES’ CORNER: Choosing the Right Bat

by Danny Putnam
One of the amazing things about parents is their ability to provide for their kids. There is no limit to the extent a parent will go for the well-being of a child. This truth is evident in the fact that you are reading this article. So I applaud you for unselfishly taking the time to learn something that you can pass on to your children as an investment in their athletic future. Not only do I want to applaud you, but I also want to help relieve some pressure that some of you may be feeling.

You don’t have to buy the most expensive bat for your child! More expensive does not mean better, and it certainly does not equate to “providing for them”. I understand the pressure of “keeping up with the Jones”. For example, you may have heard your son come home and go on-and-on about the new bat Billy got and how cool and expensive it is. The “new bat day” with youngsters is kind of how adults get when a friend or neighbor gets a new car. You may ask yourself, “Maybe I need a better one now?”

The top of the line aluminum bats can cost in the range of $400! Is the best and newest bat really worth a car payment? You may rationalize the sticker shock with “I want to provide the best for my child.” However, I argue against that notion and hope that you do not feel obligated to make such an investment. Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying, nor am I qualified, to tell you how to spend your money. I just want to challenge the notion that more expensive is better.

In certain cases, I will argue the opposite. Some of the more expensive Little League bats are -13. That means that a 30 inch bat will weigh only 17 oz. Over time bats have become lighter and lighter due to the new technologies and materials that bat companies utilize. These new technologies come with a price tag that I am sure you have felt at the register. Here lies the problem: we tend to buy the best. The best is generally associated with price. Price is set by the manufacturer. Therefore I have this question: does the bat company really know what is best for your child? Their expertise is creating the next years shinier and more expensive model, not in the development your child’s swing. (I am not anti-bat company. I am just trying to shake things up a bit).

Is a lighter bat really better for a youngster? After all, everybody has heard that you want quick bat speed. This is true, but just putting a lighter and lighter bat in the hands of a growing, developing ball player could actually hinder his or her development. It can delay the development of hand and forearm strength and can produce bad habits in a young player’s swing. A light bat can also be a problem in that it doesn’t have enough mass (weight) to redirect the baseball without much of that force being absorbed by the young player. That is physics. The ball doesn’t ever get lighter so when bats gets too light the force behind a player’s swing is also less. There are many power hitters in the Big Leagues who use -1 or -0. Meaning they use a 35 inch 35 oz bat. They choose this weight because lighter doesn’t mean better, and it can actually mean worse. What initially sounded like a good idea actually can have negative side effects. So guess what. If you pay a little less for a bat that is not ultra-light, you may actually be providing for your child more effectively. The bottom line is this. More expensive is not better and lighter is not better.

The key is to find a bat that a player can swing and feels good, not just the lightest possible. The final reason that a lighter bat in not always best is the feel. A player needs to be able to feel the bat and where the barrel head is. If the bat is too light, they won’t be able to feel the bat or what is going on in the swing. A bat with some ‘meat’ on it can be much more helpful for a young player because they can feel the bat, it will develop muscles, and it will actually apply more force to the pitch.

Extra credit. Now I make one more challenge and offer one last suggestion. Imagine investing the same amount of money that the newest, latest and greatest bat would cost, into quality instructional hitting lessons and camps. Four hundred dollars could get you a lot of great one-on-one instruction that truly has the ability to take a child to the next level. The real improvement will come from hard work and sweat, not from the the biggest price tag at the sporting good store.

I recommend for players who are 12 years old and older to begin supplementing wood bats in batting practice. I will expand more on this idea in the next article, but I will leave you with this. Wood bats improve strength, hand eye coordination (smaller sweet spot), and better swing mechanics. How can a bat improve mechanics? When the bat is heavier, it makes a hitter more efficient and teaches them how to have rhythm in their swing. The key is to get a wood bat that is heavy enough to be a challenge without being so heavy that they will hurt themselves.

Danny is an outfielder in the San Diego Padres organization & finished the 2009 season playing for the AAA affiliate in Portland, OR.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Plank Knee Punch

by Taleen Horton
The plank knee punch is a great core exercise and provides a variation to your plank hold exercise which is typically performed on the floor. By using a swiss exercise ball, the plank knee punch will require a greater level of core stability. This exercise will strengthen your transverse abdominus muscle and will fire your oblique abdominal muscles as well by adding the knee punch component.

1) Begin this exercise with both feet on the floor and lean on the swiss exercise ball with your elbows. (Figure 1)

2) Then roll forward out on the exercise ball into a plank position.(Figure 2)

3) While holding this plank position, kick or “punch” your right knee toward the ball. Perform 10 repetitions. (Figure 3)

4) Then rest your right foot on the floor and “punch” your left knee toward the ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

5) Perform 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side and then rest. Perform a total of 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 5

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”

-Edward Sandford Martin

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Busy Busy November
• The Dog House: Turkey Bowl
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Aaron Munson
• Coaches’ Corner: The Definition of a Good Hitter
• Exercise of the Week: Catcher Step Up
• Weekly Poll Question: What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

You ever have one of those days when you complain about being super busy and then take a step back and thank God that you are so busy because it’s a good thing? That in a nutshell has been our month here at Cactus Camps. This Friday from 12:30pm-1:30pm I will be on the Michael Crawford Show on 1010AM so make sure to tune in. Michael is the owner of multiple Kia dealerships here in the Phoenix area and is famous for telling you that “I want to see ya, in a Kia!”.

We are in the final days of the Fall Season for the Arizona Baseball League and this Friday night & Saturday morning we have our championship games. The season went great and most importantly we saw a lot of progress from the players over the past 3 months. Most of the feedback I have received from the parents is that having a professional coach has made a big difference. Our Winter Season starts up on November 30th and we still have plenty of room for more players. We now have locations in North Phoenix & Gilbert. Click here to find out more info- Arizona Baseball League.

This Saturday night is our free baseball clinic- Hit a Homer for Hunger. There is still room to sign up so make sure to register today! We also have our first annual Thanksgiving Baseball Tournament on next Friday and Saturday from 9am-3pm and that is going to be awesome! Drop off your kids and go shopping at the nearby stores. Let me and my staff deal with them! Both of these events can be seen by clicking on the Camps & Clinics Page on our website.

We have also been filming Professional Baseball Training Videos over the past 2 months. There are 3 videos in total. The first one focuses on Hitting, Bunting & Base Running. The second is Infield & Outfield Play. The third is Pitching & Catching. The instructors in all of the videos are former or current professional baseball players and you have met many of them in person at our camps and in our league. These videos will be available to be purchased next week and this weekend we will unveil a portion of them on the website so make sure to check back soon!

Have an awesome day and if I don’t talk to you beforehand have a wonderful Thanksgiving. As you can see in the photo the kids are getting ready for our annual Turkey Bowl football game. The Horton’s are a competitive bunch so come strong or don’t show! If you get up the courage and would like to come out and attend the picnic or play in the game feel free to give me a call or just show up. Last year we had close to 100 people attend with about 40 of them playing in the game. We use 6 to 7 player teams and even though it’s flag football feel free to lace up your cleats! It’s being held at Horizon Park in North Scottsdale from 12pm-4pm. I will transfer the office line to my cell over the weekend so you can reach me at the work number which is 480-272-9167.

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Aaron Munson

by Billy Horton
Aaron, a 14 year old from Phoenix, AZ is our Student-Athlete of the Week. He is an 8th grader at Rancho Solano School and he holds a 4.05 GPA. That means he even gets A’s in his honors classes. Crazy Smart! I first met him back in May of 2008 when he came to our batting cage for group hitting lessons. I remember being impressed with his powerful swing and calm demeanor. A year and a half later and he still possesses both.

Aaron currently plays for the AAA Diamondbacks in the Arizona Baseball League. This is the league our organization created last winter and all of the coaches are professional players. That being said it bears a little more weight when your hear all of the coaches rave about his playing ability. He has been dominant on the mound and nearly threw a no hitter 3 weeks ago. He has also shown great gap-to-gap power at home plate and is clearly one of the leagues best hitters. Last night he pitched in relief and slammed the door on the Dodgers to help his team is a come from behind win in the opening round of the AZBL playoffs.

As good as he is on the diamond, Aaron is also a dominant force on the hardwood. He plays center for the Rancho Solano 8th Grade Gold Basketball Team and punishes his foes with his brute strength. Rebounding is the name of his game and Shaqtifies anyone who gets in his way. Yeah I just made that word up. He plays baseball for Rancho Solano as well and will represent his school in the 2009 Meritas Games & Fine Arts Festival, which will take place in Orlando, Florida on December 1st-5th. The games will take place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex which is pretty awesome!

When Aaron gets older his goal is to become a sports analyst. I can easily see him behind the desk at Sports Center going over the days highlights and interviewing the best athletes in the world. But, as college football analyst Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend!”. In my opinion if Aaron continues to progress HE may be the person being featured in Sports Center highlights, so he may have to put off his analyst career until his pro playing career ends.

No matter what Aaron ends up doing I’m sure it will be done with excellence. He is a great kid who is polite, conscientious and respects his elders. He always has the same look on his face whether he just hit a homerun or struck out which is something I really love about him. He is destined for greatness.

COACHES’ CORNER: The Definition of a Good Hitter

by Danny Putnam
How would you define a good hitter? What criteria does a player have to meet to be considered a good hitter? Can you quantify a good hitter by looking at his statistics?

The “Good Hitter” label is an envious title in the game of baseball. If you are a player who can achieve this status than you have a great opportunity to succeed in the game all the way to bigs. However, this is not an easy task, and it is much more difficult than lobbing a few (or a bunch of) homers over the fence to pad your stats. There are plenty of players who have above average stats who aren’t necessarily considered good hitters. From fantasy sports to contract arbitration in the MLB, statistics have become paramount in determining how good a player is and what they are worth. So I ask again, “can you quantify a good hitter”? Answer: yes but no. – Sorry if you were looking for a definitive and life changing answer.

In order to clarify my reasoning let’s determine a simple definition of a good hitter. A good hitter is someone you hope is up in the bottom of the ninth in game 7 of the world series when the closer is in. A good hitter is clutch. He rises to the occasion. You have confidence in his consistency and ability to perform. He is the guy that the manager knows is going to have a quality at bat. You may say, great but how do I develop myself into a good hitter, even a great hitter? There is a reason that players are good in the clutch and why they perform at high levels consistently. It isn’t just because they have some intrinsic and mysterious ability that you are either born with or not. You don’t have to be 6′5″ and hit 70 HR to be a good hitter. I believe there are 3 basic components to being a “good hitter”, all of which I am personally working on in my own career.

1. Working on a consistent and repeatable swing- A swing with less moving parts can be repeated more consistently. And you must maintain that swing with lots of repetitions in practice time and pre-game routines. Then trust that swing to happen naturally in the game.

2. Having quality at bats- Swinging at strikes (no chasing). Having discipline. Knowing how the pitcher likes to get guys out (what is his strikeout pitch). That means taking a walk if you don’t get a good pitch to hit.

3. Stay within yourself- Let it happen. Don’t try to force a result. Don’t try to hit homeruns. Just put a good swing on a good pitch. When you are in one of the clutch-pressure situations try to take a deep breath and take the emotion out of it. Put the focus back on getting a good pitch to hit and putting a good swing on it.

So, is there a stat for being the manager’s choice to be in the game in the bottom of the 9th. No. But are there stats that may reflect how consistent and good a hitter is? Yes. Many people argue that on-base-percentage is the key. Others, slugging percentage, or even OPS (on base plus slugging). An interesting stat to look at is a player’s walk to strikeout ratio. That will give a good idea of the quality of at bats a player gives when going up to the plate. The more you chase and the more inconsistent your swing is, the more you will strike out.

As you can see there are some stats which can be indicate to some extent how good a hitter is, but my answer of “no” is also important. I say no because i do not believe it is healthy to focus on statistics as a player. Leave that to the fantasy gurus. Statistics are results, but don’t tell the whole story. A player might have gone 0-4 with a walk but helped the team win. How? By having good at bats and making the pitcher throw a lot of pitches because he was disciplined. He might have lined out 3 times. Then he might have walked in the ninth setting up the game winner. Another player could have gone 2-4 but not really done anything productive. A couple a flares, but with 2 strikeouts with guys in scoring position. Bottom line. Stats don’t tell the whole story. However, over the course of a career, a good hitter will have some eye-popping statistics on the back of his baseball card.

It is much more important and productive to focus on the process. Focus on the things you can control like the 3 principles I listed. Work on these aspects of your game and you will see the improved results which will ultimately show up in the stat line. Let the stats be a result, not a focus. If you put your mind to these three principles you can start becoming a “good hitter”!

Danny is an outfielder in the San Diego Padres organization & finished the 2009 season playing for the AAA affiliate in Portland, OR.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Catcher Step Up

by Taleen Horton
The catcher step up is a great exercise to strengthen your lower body. This exercise primarily activates and develops your quadriceps, hamstring, and gluteal muscles and has an upper body component. This exercise is performed with a 4-6 inch step and can be progressed to an 8-12 inch step as shown in the figures below. You can also perform the lateral stepping portion of this exercise if you do not have a step.

1. Begin with one foot on the step and one foot on the ground. Use a medicine ball or a dumbbell (5-10lbs.) and squat into a catcher’s stance. (Figure1)
2. Step up onto the step with both feet and lift the weight with both hands to shoulder height in front of you. (Figure 2)
3. Then proceed to squat down on the other side of the step with one foot on the step and one foot on the ground. Lower the weight between your legs. (Figure3)
4. Squatting and stepping up to the other side of the step and then returning back over the step is one rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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CACTUS ATHLETIC CAMPS NEWSLETTER
Correspondence for Cactus Athletes and Parents
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“David only needed a sling and a couple of stones…what are you gonna use?”
- Billy Horton, founder of Cactus Athletic Camps & the Arizona Baseball League

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

• President’s Greeting: Remembering Askik Noradoukian
• The Dog House: Tom Brady look alike
• Student-Athlete of the Week: Robby Beck
• Coaches’ Corner: Bunting “Alley” Drill
• Exercise of the Week: Hamstring Curl Plus Bridge
• Weekly Poll Question: Which pro sports team in Arizona has the best chance to win a championship in 2010?

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT:

There has been a large gap between newsletters and the main reason is because our family endured a huge loss a few weeks ago. My wife’s mother, Asgik passed away on Oct 10th and we have been in and out of town the middle of last month. She was an amazing woman who we all loved very much and the feelings of not having her around is impossible to put into words. Please pray for my wife Taleen, her brother Raffi and father Moussit.

Our family also endured a scare last Wednesday when the neighbor’s 30 foot tree fell on our suv and house. I was actually packing baseball equipment into the back of it and was inside the vehicle when the wind picked up and tree toppled onto our property. I was unharmed, but as you can imagine it was a pretty intense moment. Luckily the garage of our house took on the brunt of the tree’s weight and also incurred most of the damage. I got a laugh the next morning when on our daily walk one of our dogs peed on the felled tree hence showing it who was boss and punishing it for trying to crush me. Man’s best friend.

So on to the business side and there is a lot to talk about. First off is signups for the Winter Season of the Arizona Baseball League. Tryouts start on Nov 30th so register today! Last year we had 22 teams (264 players) over our three leagues (A, AA & AAA) and this year we are expecting even more! We now have multiple fields to use and we have also expanded to North & South leagues! Our North location will be the similar to last year with the addition of a new field and the South location will now be in Gilbert at Crossroads Park! The teams in these locations will not interleague with one another so make sure when you sign up that you register for the right location. We will have playoffs the last week of the season, with an added bonus. The winners of each location will play a one game winner take all championship on the morning of Jan 30th. That will be followed by an All-Star game with the best from the North vs the best of the South. This year will even be better than 2008 and that was a blast! Click on the Arizona Baseball League page on our website to register today, but not before you finish reading about our upcoming camps!

We also have some baseball camps I want to tell you about. Our second annual Hit-a-Homer for Hunger baseball clinic coming up on Nov 21st. This is a FREE clinic to the first 50 people who sign up! In order to participate you must bring at least 10 pre-packaged food or hygiene items the day of the clinic. All of the items go to Abba’s House of Refuge. We also have our Thanksgiving Weekend Baseball Camp coming up on Nov 27th & 28th. This year we are running it baseball tournament style so sign up and we will place you on a team Friday morning. Parents, drop your kids off early and get your holiday shopping done without them bugging you all day! More details on both of these awesome events are on the Baseball Camps & Clinics page of our website.

I hope everyone has a great week and that your diet survives the onslaught of candy that has infiltrated your house since Saturday night. Our family went to Desert Ridge Mall for trick or treating with friends and Connor had a great time. He went as a baseball player (shocker!) and thanks to our good friend Troy, he tasted his first sucker.  Nothing like your first sugar rush! Never to be outdone, the dogs jumped in and participated in the festivities as well. She’s a big Tom Brady fan so I broke out the old Cactus High School football jersey and let her wear it.

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Robby Beck

by Billy Horton
Robby, a 9 year old from Cave Creek, AZ, is our Student Athlete of the Week. He is a 3rd grader at Lone Mountain Elementary School and along with being a straight “A” student he is also part of the math club. Along with being extremely intelligent he is also a phenominal athlete and has a great work ethic. He showed all of this off to us over the summer and was voted the MVP of our Indoor Summer Hitting Camp in June. He wowed the coaching staff by completing a 5 minute front plank during our strength training sessions and earned the nickname ” Little Schwarzenegger” from Coach Bobby Sismondo.

Robby is our favorite kind of athlete- one who excels in mulitple sports. He plays center & right wing on his ice hockey team, the Jr Coyotes Squirt A Travel Team of the Coyotes Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). On the diamond you will find him at pitcher, catcher and short stop in Cactus Foothills North Little League. He is also a master on the links and plays golf in the Rancho Manana Youth Program.

In addition to these sports Robby also likes roller blading, sailing, surfing, swimming, and like most kids today playing computer and XBox 360 video games. Hey I think after tearing up people on the ice, field and golf course the boy deserves a couple of minutes relaxing by blowing up computer generated tanks and planes with his friends in the comfort of his bedroom. I know I enjoyed it.

When Robby grows up he wants to be a professional hockey player. I think the ‘Yotes could use someone like him down the road and it would be awesome to have some home grown talent on the ice in Glendale. I look forward to seeing him progess over the next few years and don’t be surpirsed to see his name in a NHL box score ten years from now.

COACHES’ CORNER: Bunting “Alley” Drill

by Billy Horton
In our last newsletter we discussed sacrifice bunt fundamentals (click here to read). This week I will give you a great drill that you can incorporate into your next practice. Bunting isn’t looked upon as an exciting part of our game, so when doing the drill make sure to make it a competition and involve a point system to keep the players into it.

You also want to teach players to place the baseball near one of the two foul lines and not bunt it back to the pitcher. This drill will definitely help with that. Also let them know that players who are good bunters can add 20 to 30 points to their batting average and on base percentage. This not only helps the individual, but the team as well.

Alley Drill

1.) Set up 4 cones about 10-15 feet from home plate. Two on the 3rd base side & two on the 1st base side.

a.) Place one cone on each foul line and another cone 2-3 feet across from it in fair territory.

2.) Player tries to bunt the ball between the cones (alleys).

3.) Use a point system: 1 pt. for fair ball, 3 pts for a ball that goes through on of the alleys and 5 pts if it hits a cone and stays in fair territory.

Make sure that no points are given if the ball is bunted extremely hard or does not go outside the dirt circle of the home plate area.

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: Hamstring Curl Plus Bridge

by Taleen Horton
The hamstring curl plus bridge is a great exercise for toning and strengthening your hamstrings, gluteals, as well as core muscles. The two exercises, the hamstring curl and the bridge, are done as a superset. A superset is when you perform two exercises in a row with minimal to no rest in between. For example, with the hamstring curl plus bridge exercise, one set of ham curls are performed with one set of bridges performed immediately afterwards. After a one minute rest, a second set of each is done.

A superset is a great way to increase work intensity when training. The instructions below describe how the hamstring curl plus bridge exercise is performed correctly and safely.

1. Lie on your back on the floor and place both feet flat on the exercise ball. (Fig. 1)

2. Life your pelvis up into a bridge position and begin the hamstring curl by rolling the ball out and then back in while maintaining the bridge position. Perform one set of 10 curls. (Fig. 2)

3. After your perform one set of 10 reps immediately perform one set of 10 bridges by bringing your pelvis up and then back down to the floor. Make sure you keep your abdominal muscles tight and you squeeze your butt cheeks together at the top of your bridge. (Fig. 3)

4. After you perform one set of 10 reps of each exercise, you may rest for one minute. Then begin your next superset.

Perform 3 supersets of 10 reps.

As with any new exercise, if you experience pain stop immediately and consult your physician. When beginning a new exercise program, always consult your physician.

Taleen is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science & a Master’s degree in Sports Health Care.

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WEEKLY POLL QUESTION:

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