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Written by Mark
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Monday, 16 August 2010 16:23 |
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Train ing started on Sunday and we had a great turnout +- 30 kids. Thanks unkil Marc for Braaing and thanks parents for getting into the "gees" of things. We will be training every Sunday now until the holidays and then we will start training during the week as well. We will also be braaing every Sunday while practice is on. Folks, remember to send water with your kids, they need to be hydrated while training. We measured kids arms and now have a starting point for the season and can track their growth. Luc threw the quickest pitch, but if we average the 3 measurements, then Kieran had the best. Luc threw 56,68 and 24mph. Kieran threw 58,57 & 57mph. Storm was next then Jodi. Of the hobbits, Stef threw the quickest with 54,49 & 46mph then Mila with 39, 47 & 49mph. We also measured them running the bases and there was no surprise that Luc was the quickest Spartan, but with the Buccaneers, Steph was blown away by long-legged Kayla who was a full second quicker than him running to 2nd???? . Well done Kayla. See you guys all next week. |
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Written by Mark
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 11:41 |
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 Hitting is an artform. "You have a round bat, a round ball and you have to hit it square" (from Bull Durham). Here are a couple of reasons for people struggling to hit the ball (possibly the top 4 reasons), you decide
#4 - Poor eyesight. In many cases, struggling hitters simply have trouble tracking the ball because their eyesight is poor. Does the athlete wear glasses off the field? If so, can he/she have some sport goggles or shatterproof glasses made to play baseball in? #3 - Swinging too hard. If your hitter looks off-balance and out of control in the finish phase of the swing, he's probably swinging too hard. Teach him to swing through the ball with a smooth, controlled stroke. #2 - No "2-strike approach" Many youth and high school hitters fail to make an adjustment for 2-strike situations. An easy way to increase your chances of making contact when the pitcher has the advantage is to choke up 2 inches on the bat. (Remember, two fingers = 5% loss of power and 25% more control).This shortens the swing and improves the chances of putting the ball into play. And the #1 hitting problem is... #1 - Bat too heavy! Many young hitters have a tendency to use too much bat, causing them to pull off the ball with the front side. Below is a useful guide for bat selection, based on astudy by the University of Arizona. Read 0 Comments... >> |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 29 July 2010 11:53 |
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2010 - 2011 Spring Training |
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Written by Mark
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:08 |
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 We will be starting our Spring Training on Sunday August 15th. Venue to be confirmed (Goodwood is still being used for Soccer & Rugby). If you have done nothing in the winter, please start getting into shape. We have a conditioning programme for you to do at home and we will be playing ball at the practices.
We are looking at entering an U16 team, U12 team and possible an U10 team. This depends entirely on the amount of players that sign up with the Academy this year. Remember, that the girls will be playing in their own league this year and we will be very involved with that programme as Mark has been placed as the Commissioner for Girls Baseball and Craig is the Chairperson of the Girls Steering committee. The girls will also be able to play on Saturdays, but the teams on Saturday will be merit based, as the girls will be playing on Friday evening already. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:58 |
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Written by Mark
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Thursday, 01 July 2010 13:49 |
 We are indeed Sparta. As has been mentioned, we are little people going into the big league and this we are doing with only 2 "big folks" waiting for us. We discovered this weekend that Storm can throw pretty quick, that Luc is fast becoming the "stud" in the team, throwing the hardest and hitting the most home runs in the home-run-derby. What we duid find out though is that we can throw the distance across the diamond, we still need to see what it is like with 16yr olds running at us. We also need to see how many strikes our pitchers can throw. Dillan Coertzee worked both days with our 5 pitchers as I worked with the 3 catchers, Jayde and Jason were with the infield and George was with the outfield. Folks, next time do not send toothpaste with your boys, they do not brush their teeth but certainly do brush each other with the toothpaste that is brought. Good Job guys. The conditioning programme will be online and complete shortly. it is available for download.
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All about baseball gloves |
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Written by Mark
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Sunday, 16 August 2009 12:36 |
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- Sizing Chart - Use the chart below as a general guideline for determining glove size. Age Position Glove Size 5-6 General 10 to 10 1/2 (youth model) 7-8 General 10 1/2 to 11 (youth model) 9-12 General 11 to 11 1/2 (youth model) |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 August 2009 22:15 |
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Training at Goodwood on Sunday |
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Written by Mark
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Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:54 |
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Training starts at Goodwood on Sunday 15th August. For all Academites and potential Academites. 15:00: We will be measuring speeds, arm strenght, etc. I think it would be a good idea for us to braai while the kids are training as practice will be done by 17:00. Let me know if you are interested in braaing. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:59 |
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Written by Mark
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:51 |
 It is time to register your players for the season. Choose the option at the top of the page or click here. You will need a photograph of your child ( head shot) to upload.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:58 |
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Written by Mark
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 15:58 |
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 Western Province Baseball will be running two Level-0 coaches courses pre-season. I encourage as many as the parents as possible to attend one of these courses. They are Sat 14th August at Bothasig or Sat 11th September at Lansdowne. They run for 4 hours from 9:00 to 13:00.
Contact me if you are interested.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:58 |
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Written by Mark
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Monday, 28 June 2010 21:46 |
The Spartans are working out on the 29th & 30th June at Bothasig. 9:00 - 16:30. Coaches, Jayson, Jayde, Dillon will be showing the Spartans some of the tricks they learned at the recent AAA camp in Jhb. Coach George, from USA, will be working on a conditioning programme and Coach Mark will be eating boerewors rolls. Sleeping over at Mark's house, it should be an entertaining two days. We will be putting all the kids on the Radar gun to get a speed to compare against as they players grow as well as testing their fitness and speed. We will be exploring positions as we are now playing full field and the base distances are significantly bigger. We will be putting the pitchers and catchers through their paces. Either way, it should be a good start to the season.
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Last Updated on Monday, 28 June 2010 22:01 |
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Unfortunately there will not be Baseball Practice after school on Friday 20th August 2010. Practice will resume next week. There is still practice on Sunday 22nd at Goodwood for the league players.