MVHS Baseball Parents, - Mounds View Public Schools



Tuesday, November 5, 2019

MVHS Baseball Parents,

Today I met with the baseball players right after school. Below is specifically what we covered regarding off-season baseball training as well as the other topics discussed so long as I had an audience with them.

The next time we have an all-player meeting will be right before the season begins.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Off-Season Baseball Training

We strongly encourage students to participate in multiple sports at MVHS. You learn to compete, athletic skills are transferable, you learn different roles, you experience different teammates, and you enhance your high school experience. This all helps you in baseball.

We also strongly encourage you to play baseball in the summer; this is a critical time for continued development of personal and team skills.

If you are playing a winter sport, great! Focus on that sport!

If you are not participating in a winter sport, we encourage you to do something to work towards being stronger/faster, and to improve your baseball skills. We are fortunate to have a very competitive high school baseball program. We have some good players; competition is high. Competition is good; it makes all of us better!

One of the challenges with getting ready for the high school season during the winter is getting the throwing arm ready. Captains Practices provide an opportunity to throw. Any other opportunities players may have for pre-season throwing is encouraged. For those playing fall and/or winter baseball; make sure you rest your arm each year also!

While off-season activity is encouraged; it is not mandatory.

Winter Baseball Training – Three Options

1 - Captains Practices (Cost - $0)

▪ @ MVHS @ 8:30PM-10:00PM (Mon & Wed starting in January)

▪ These are unstructured opportunities for players to get a baseball workout.

▪ Supervised by parents

▪ Upperclassmen are expected to be leaders; especially with younger players – Include them; make them feel welcome. Servant Leadership!

2 – MVHS Strength and Conditioning (Cost - $0)

▪ @ MVHS Weight Room (M-W-F) right after school (3:15PM-4:30). Available right now.

▪ MVHS provides a strength program designed for athletes to enhance their strength, explosiveness, agility, and mobility. It is available for all MVHS students at no charge. It is run by experienced MV weight training coaches. General strength training is a benefit for all baseball players. I am a huge proponent of strength training; it can be a significant differentiator for baseball players. We encourage baseball players to participate in this or some strength training program.

▪ In addition, we also recommend that baseball players supplement this general MVHS program with some additional baseball specific exercises to promote scapular (back) stabilization and rotator cuff (shoulder) strength. Sample exercises, with pictures, were made available, and are also available in the bins by the Baseball Bulletin Board. I can be available to assist players with exercises on M-W-F in the weight room if there is interest – let me know!

▪ If you perform a different exercise routine designed specifically for your other sport(s), other than the general strength training provided by MVHS, that’s just fine! We still recommend supplementing that routine with some baseball specific exercises.

▪ If there is any question as to what you should do, please feel free to discuss with me.

▪ Obviously, every player is unique. While we have a standard workout program designed, modifying for some athletes is appropriate in situations where there are chronic physical issues, or injuries / acute issues. It is obviously important to be smart and safe! Again, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

▪ Some athletes are working with outside organizations on strength training - Great!

▪ Some athletes have weight training during the school day - Great!

▪ Some Winter Sport athletes may work with Coach Moberg to work out in the weight room before school – Great!

▪ The bottom line: Some students embrace the weight room, and some do not. Some really want to get after it; some do not. The key to me is the old saying, "Commit to something that you'll actually commit to." Don't commit to something that you won't follow-through with, and then you end up doing nothing. Those that invest the time and energy obviously gain the benefits physically and mentally.

▪ When I ask former high school players that are playing college baseball what they wish they would have done differently in high school as relates their baseball career, it is never things like “more time in the batting cage.” Most every one of them says something like, “I should have spent more time on strength and agility training.”

▪ While we strongly encourage strength and conditioning, like all off-season activity, it is optional, it is not something that we mandate.

3 - Offsite Baseball Training with Outside Organizations

▪ Many local organizations have ties to the Mounds View High School Baseball program. And, overall, there are many outside resources available for those interested.

▪ Outside organizations contact me to provide information about their organizations. I post their links on the CAMPS/CLINICS page of the team website. Complete Game, Great Lakes, Blizzard, MASH and Tier 1 have program offerings that I know some MV players participate in. Complete Game has a program exclusively for MVHS players.

▪ You can see the information on all the organizations on the team website: mvbaseball (CAMPS/CLINICS).

▪ Players and Parents should not take the information provided by any of these organizations as an endorsement by Mounds View High School, and should take the time to investigate further to see if these programs are a good fit for you.

▪ Outside organizations certainly provide value. At the same time, a lot can be accomplished through focused work at Captains Practices and working out on M-W-F at MVHS for no cost!

Spring Break Practice Plans and Expectations

We discussed the start of the season and attendance expectations that I laid out in a letter to all parents earlier this fall.

Player Apparel

OPTIONAL Player apparel will be available to order in December. I will communicate when ordering is open. I emphasized with the players that all apparel is entirely optional.

MVHS Baseball Program Expectations

I briefly reviewed my expectations for acting with Class and Commitment at all times of the year; not just during the baseball season.

I took the opportunity to remind them of the consequences of chemical use, including vaping. Consequences to their bodies as an athlete trying to compete, and consequences to themselves and the team if they incur a violation that results in a suspension.

MVHS Construction

Construction at MVHS obviously impacts our daily athletic experience right now and will continue through next summer. It is what it is. No one outside of us cares; and actually our opponents may like the fact we have some extra challenges. Facilities never won a championship - we will continue to deal with it, and achieve our potential regardless of any construction challenges we have.

Baseball Bulletin Board

The Baseball Bulletin Board is located right next to the Back Gym. Keep an eye out for MVHS baseball program matters posted here!

Sign-up Sheet for Downey Communication

Freshmen and any other players not already receiving text messages from me wrote phone numbers down for me so that they receive future communication from me.

If your son was not at the meeting, and you would like him to be added to my list, please email me his cell number.

Diamond Club - Cub Foods Fundraiser

I explained that we have a premier Booster Club; why the Diamond Club exists, and how fundraising benefits the players.

I explained the upcoming Cub Foods Fundraiser on Monday, Nov 25. Sign-up genius coming soon.

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