News

How New Facilities are Changing the Game of Baseball and the Way Players Are Developed

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By mattwalker | November 18, 2011 7:32 am | News, Training | Leave a comment

Brian Jordan, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Colorado Rockies

 

Brian Jordan, RSCC, Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Colorado Rockies. In 1998, Brian received his BS degree in Applied Exercise Science from Springfield College. Following a brief internship at the United States Naval Academy Jordan was hired in 1998 as a strength and conditioning coach for the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Jordan began his strength and conditioning career in professional baseball in 1999 as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Detroit Tigers. That year Jordan was the strength and conditioning coach for the AAA Toledo Mud Hens. After the season, during the 1999 off-season Jordan was hired by the Colorado Rockies as their Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator in which he served for 9 years before entering into his current position in 2009.

 

For years, Professional organizations not just MLB, sent their players home for the off-season to rest, train and be ready for the next season essentially on their own. A lot of these athletes would get an off-season job, go back to school and in some cases just rest and get ready for the next season.

This brings us to present day professional sports. Most athletes today make enough money or have a signing bonus great enough to not have to work in the off-season. With that being said, professional athletes are now training year round for their respective sports. This is the result of many factors. One, not having to work frees up time and energy to focus on their physical development. Two, most athletes come to their pre-season or Spring Training ready to compete rather than get ready when they get there. This means guys need to be ready earlier if they want to win a job, not get hurt or embarrassed due to their lack of off-season preparation.  Lastly, there are facilities and expert resources available that were not as readily available years ago. Training facilities for all athletes have popped up in the past 10-15 years widespread due to the needs and desires of athletes to get proper training and resources that relate specifically to their sport. These facilities provide a common place for athletes to commune, compete and to learn about everything from proper training to nutrition and recovery.

This past spring, the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks opened the Spring Training Facility Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. This facility marks what I believe is a shift in how Professional Organizations view the development of their athletes.

We had the opportunity to build what should be considered a state of the art Athletic Development Facility. The 85,000 sq. ft. facility consists of a clubhouse for all Major League and Minor League Players and staff, 6 full baseball fields, 2 ½ fields, covered batting cages, pitching mounds and a 40 yard x 100 yard conditioning field. The clubhouse has in it a Major League and a Minor League Training Room with a common wet area that has (4) 8 person hot/cold tank and an underwater treadmill, a full cafeteria for all players and staff, a video room and a 6,500 sq. ft. weight room. That is just on our side of the complex. The only thing we share with the Diamondbacks is the 11,000-seat capacity ballpark where all the Major League Spring Training home games for both teams are played.

A facility that was originally designed for 2 months of use to get ready for the season has now evolved into a year round athletic development facility. Our athletes will now have a place where in the off-season they can lift, run, throw, hit, rehab and utilize recovery techniques, all under the expert tutelage of our organization’s staff. This will allow for players to be smoothly transitioned from their off-season program to Spring Training to their in-season routines. Instructional and Fall League programs and mini-camps will also be run in the facility to further the young players’ development progress.

So, from the day a player signs, he will have the resources year round to develop every facet of his athletic development under one roof with the people in the organization whom he will work with for many years to come.

The Colorado Rockies are building this type of facility and concept in the Dominican Republic as well. This facility will be a smaller version of our Salt River Fields Facility at roughly 29,000 sq. ft. and a 2,400 sq ft weight room. In the Dominican we have 16-19 old athletes who will not only physically develop as I explained earlier but also develop the language and social skills to ease the transition from their country to here in the U.S.

Although the road to the Major Leagues for many will be long and challenging to say the least, today’s athletes have a tremendous opportunity to develop into the best athlete that their desires, work ethic and ability will allow.

 

For more information or questions, please contact me at: jordanb@coloradorockies.com

 

Acknowledgement: http://www.performancecondition.com/baseballsoftball

Pittsburgh Pirates ATLAS & ATHENA Schools

By mattwalker | October 3, 2011 11:40 pm | Community, News, Outreach | Leave a comment

The Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society (PBSCCS) and the Pittsburgh Pirates are providing an exciting opportunity for two local high schools in the Pittsburgh area to become Pittsburgh Pirates ATLAS & ATHENA Schools. Through this program, sport teams will receive the nationally acclaimed ATLAS and ATHENA programs. ATLAS and ATHENA are award-winning, evidence-based health promotion and drug prevention programs for high school athletes.

Schools will receive:

  • Curriculum materials to implement the ATLAS and ATHENA Programs with all of their school sports teams
  • Program training for all participating coaches and select student-athlete leaders, hosted by the PBSCCS and Pirates (includes transportation, breakfast snack and boxed lunch)
  • Stipends for coaches to implement the programs with their sport teams ($100)
  • Local and national recognition from the PBSCCS and Pirates
  • A school banner and t-shirts for all participants

Coach Expectations:

  • Coaches must be able to attend a half-day training at the Pirates stadium to learn how to implement ATLAS and/or ATHENA. Transportation, breakfast snack and boxed lunch will be provided.
  • Coaches agree to schedule and complete 10 ATLAS or 8 ATHENA program sessions during the 2011-2012 academic year.
  • Coaches agree to participate in the training only if they are committed to implementing ATLAS and ATHENA within their teams for the program.
  • Coaches will receive a $100 stipend at the completion of the program.
For more information, please contact:

Michelle Otis
Director of Implementation and Distribution
Oregon Health & Science University
Direct: 503-494-3683
Fax: 503-494-1310
steinerm@ohsu.edu

 

 

Download the PDF here

 

ATLAS and ATHENA are copyrighted programs of the Center for Health Promotion Research at Oregon Health & Science University. More program information is available at www.atlasprogram.com.

Pirates finding their (circadian) rhythm

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By mattwalker | September 16, 2011 3:47 am | News, Training | Leave a comment

By Rob Biertempfel, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 8, 2011

When it comes to sleeping, Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf is a night owl. That can be great when he pitches in a late game on the West Coast but not so much when he starts an afternoon game at PNC Park.

“I tend to not want to go to bed early, and I don’t want to get up (early),” Ohlendorf said. “If I sleep 7 1/2 hours, I usually feel pretty good. Nine, I usually feel better.” The turnaround from a night game to a day game is quick, robbing players of sleep. Travel also disrupts players’ sleeping habits. A two- or three-city road trip usually involves switching at least one time zone, which throws off a person’s internal clock. Making matters worse, teams tend to fly overnight and arrive in the next city in the wee hours.

“Going coast to coast, it definitely messes with your sleep patterns,” Ohlendorf said. To help manage their sleep routines, the Pirates this year hired Bill Sirois, senior vice president of Circadian, a firm specializing in 24/7 workforce performance and safety solutions.

The Massachusetts-based company advises construction workers who toil on the graveyard shift as well as globe-trotting CEOs. Sirois’ firm consults the Cleveland Indians and three NFL teams that he declined to identify. ”We’re hard-wired to be daytime creatures,” Sirois said. “But now we work, play and do so much else at night, and that can be difficult. It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”

Even a small change to a sleep pattern can be disruptive, Sirois said. He cited a study that showed auto accidents increase by 8 percent the day when Daylight Savings Time begins.

“Just an hour’s shift or loss of sleep can have an impact,” Sirois said. “Translate to finely tuned athletes, and you can understand why a guy will hit three home runs one night then strike out four times the next.”

That could explain why Ohlendorf’s career stats in day games are slightly worse than those in night games.

Last year, the Pirates as a team hit better in night games (.245 batting average, .683 OPS) than day games (.234, .663).

Perhaps Sirois is having an effect. The Pirates just took four of six games on a swing through Denver and San Diego. They are 5-2 in day games on the road. Just five weeks into the season, the Pirates already have won more road series (five) than they did all of last season (four). They are 11-8 on the road after winning just 17 of 81 road games last season.

Pirates head conditioning coordinator Frank Velasquez figures that in order to become winners again, the team must first become the Slumber Company. ”Not everyone has to lift weights, but everyone has to sleep,” Velasquez said. “So why not improve our quality of sleep, especially considering how much we travel?” Last season, the Pirates went 2-11 in the Western time zone, 3-3 in the Mountain zone and 8-28 in the Central zone. Velasquez puzzled over that awful road record all winter.

“We’ve researched different areas of recovery,” Velasquez said. “We do cold tanks, we do hydration and nutrition, and we stretch these guys out to keep them feeling good for as long as we can. One area we’d really never covered was sleep.” Sirois addressed the players and coaches in January at the Pirates’ minicamp in Bradenton, Fla. He continues to work closely with Velasquez, charting the players’ travel routines and their sleep patterns at home and on the road. Researchers have identified several different sleep personalities based on factors such as when a person falls asleep and wakes up without prompting and the number of hours slept. The extremes are what Sirois calls “morning larks” (early risers) and “night owls” (those who sleep in past 9 a.m.). Most people are “robins,” meaning they usually awaken around 7:30 a.m. Sirois wants players to remain on their natural sleep patterns as much as possible when traveling. On the Pirates’ recently completed Western swing, Velasquez charted game start and end times and time spent in transit. He also tried to track how each player behaved: Did he go to bed right away or stay up until what would’ve been 6 a.m. on the East Coast? ”When we go from home to the West Coast, usually the second and third days are the toughest,” second baseman Neil Walker said. “Your body starts to adjust, but you’re fighting it. By the sixth inning of that second game, it’s 8:30 p.m. but you’re working on 11:30 p.m. in your brain.”

Sirois told the players to adjust to Pacific Time by going to sleep at a “normal” time (around 1 a.m. after a game that ends around 11 p.m.) and not setting the alarm clock.

There’s a bigger challenge when the Pirates return from California because the time zone change costs them three hours. The effects of jet lag can be more severe the first few days in Pittsburgh than they were in San Diego, Sirois said.

“Traveling west to east, you’re going against the grain of your biology,” he said. “The strategy is to get to bed an hour early if you can and wake up early, get some sunlight in the morning, then try to squeeze in a 20-minute nap in the mid afternoon.”

It’s too early to say whether Sirois’ program will produce tangible, long-term results. But the early returns are favorable.

“We tried to reconstruct their road routines, which can make a difference,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “You can fall into ruts and routines that are completely different than they are at home. We’re trying to keep them fresh, keep them simulated and really just play good baseball.”

 

Strength Coach Traits

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By bh | September 1, 2011 1:36 am | Career Advice, News | Leave a comment

Hiring a Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach is a delicate and time consuming process.  As I sift through hundreds of cover letters and resumes, there are numerous traits that I look for in a potential coach; covering all of them would take a while. Below, I’ve listed the top 5 traits I look for in hiring a Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach:

1. Exceptional education/knowledge in the field of Strength and Conditioning.

- Exceptional education could be defined as an undergraduate degree from an accredited university in exercise science or a similar field.  However, I would prefer an applicant who holds a master’s degree in the same field because:

A. Better knowledge of the field

-       Superior knowledge in the field of Strength and Conditioning is a necessity when considering a position in Professional Baseball.  One obvious reason why this is important, Strength and Conditioning jobs in Baseball are hard to come by. What sets you apart from everyone else?  The second reason – this is a “teaching/leadership” position.  The candidate needs to be well educated in order to prescribe the correct workout for athletes to be successful on the playing field.

B. Higher maturity level

-       Going to graduate school gives individuals more time to mature and really figure out their career path.  Just like any other job, being a Strength and Conditioning coach in Baseball comes with a lot of responsibility.  Coaches have a lot of athletes who depend on them to help them excel in their careers.

C. More hands on experience

-       Graduate school gives an individual a chance to not only absorb the information they learned as an undergrad, but how to apply it to their prospective profession.  Serving as a Graduate Assistant will help you learn even more as you teach.

2. Internship/College weight room experience.

- Most universities who provide an undergraduate degree in exercise science (or related field) build in an internship to be performed during the students’ final semester. Since Major League Baseball is moving away from the strength and conditioning “internship” position, it would be beneficial for the student to perform a semester long internship at a university.  I look for candidates who have:

A. Served two years as a Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant

B. Served less than two years as a Graduate Assistant

C. Have college experience as a part of an internship

3. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Credential / CPR & First Aid    Certification.

- Being known as the “Standard” as far as education requirements are concerned, the CSCS credential is necessary for a candidate to be hired to a part-time or full-time position in Baseball.  Beyond that, the exam is a great test of knowledge about the field of Strength and Conditioning.  I look for a candidate with this credential because it ensures that the applicant has a basic understanding of Strength and Conditioning.  It also gives the potential coach instant credibility with the players and staff.

4. Personality.

- During the interview process, I look for certain personality traits in the candidate:

A. Is the candidate a good listener/learner?

-       Can the candidate pick things up quickly?  Is the candidate efficient with his/her work?

B. Is the candidate personable?

-       The coaching position becomes easier if the candidate is able to relate to the athlete.  Developing a good working relationship with the athlete and other staff members is essential for the success of the organization.

C. Will this candidate be a good leader?

-       Great leadership skills are required to perform this job at a high level.  Athletes and staff will look to you for numerous answers concerning your profession.     You need to be able to set a good example for the athletes while at the field as well as off the field.

D. Is the candidate able to easily adapt to different situations?

-       There is a certain amount of adaptation that is needed to be a Strength Coach in Baseball.  Situations could be anything from personal to environmental.

5. Baseball / Athletic Background

- In our organization, I like my coaches to be able to condition with our athletes.  I believe this gives the more inexperienced coach a better understanding of what the athletes go through on a day to day basis and in turn, the coach can make more knowledgeable recommendations.  Plus, it builds better rapport with the athletes.

More about Gabe Bauer:
Gabe Bauer is in his third season as the Colorado Rockies Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Bauer has hired multiple Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coaches for the organization for the past three years. He previously served as a Strength and Conditioning intern for the organization for two years (2007-2008).

 

 

Career Advice – Arizona Diamondbacks

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By bh | August 31, 2011 4:21 am | Career Advice, News | Leave a comment

When looking at potential employees for our organization there are certain requirements we consider mandatory prior to an interview.  You must have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field (Kinesiology, Exercise Science, etc.), your CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) through the NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), and CPR/AED certification.  We also put an extremely high value on versatility within our organization.  Although not a requirement, having a feel and some experience with techniques and philosophies such as PRI (Postural Restoration Institute), DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization), ART (Active Release Techniques) among several others is certainly a plus.  Versatility will allow you to expand your role.  We look for candidates that possess a diverse background of related experience and bring a versatile skill-set (LMT, ATC, PT, etc.).  This will allow you to work both the training room and weight room, allow you to manipulate soft-tissue, and perform treatments in addition to strength and conditioning.  All of this will increase your value as an employee as well as the value you provide to the organization, the sports medicine team, and the players.  Once the prerequisites are in place you can apply for a job as an intern or a full-time strength coach.  Your versatility will be taken into consideration along with certain qualities we look for in employees that are very important to us as a team.  They include…

1. Team approach

The Team!  The Team!  The Team!  Always work as a team.  We are creating a culture of greatness.  The expectation is that everyone in the organization be committed to excellence.  It’s not about you.  Athlete care is your primary concern.  You will need to check your ego at the door and always take a ‘we before me’ approach.  Don’t think you know it all.  See yourself as a life-long learner, who is always looking for ways to improve, learn, and grow.  Be humble.  Be hungry.

 2. Integrity

Conduct your personal and professional relationships with honesty and confidence.  Earn and give respect.  It is extremely important that you can be trusted with your decision making as a part of our team.

3. Work-Ethic/Passion

You have to be motivated and work hard!!!  There is simply no substitute for hard work.  This job requires many long thankless hours, especially when you’re just beginning in the field.  Like anything else in life, you’ll get out of it what you put in.  You need to pay your dues to remain in this game for an extended period of time and your work-ethic will be a barometer.  Employees absolutely need to work hard each and every day.  Invest the necessary time and energy to be your best.  We don’t want anyone who strives to be average.  We want individuals who strive to be great.  You must be willing to pay the price that greatness requires.  Players and staff should never be able to say you were the reason they didn’t get better/improve/win.  The candidate will need to have motivation, and show a true passion and enthusiasm for what they do.  You will never be great without passion.  Passion flows from purpose.  Our organization will only be great if it is filled with passionate people.  Therefore, we look to hire passionate individuals.

                  “Motivation is simple.  You eliminate those who are not motivated.”  -Lou Holtz

 

4. Communication

As a part of a sports medicine team, we should always have a uniform message/response.  We always need to be on the same page.  Consistency in our message and approach throughout all levels of the organization is extremely important.  Be concise, accurate, and confident when communicating.

5. Positive Attitude

Optimism is important.  We expect to lead with optimism.  Positive belief leads to positive actions.  To be a champion you need to think like a champion.  Be a positive influence.  Baseball has enough negativity in it.  If you fail 7 out of 10 times as a hitter you’re considered a very good player.  It’s a game based on failure.  As a member of the sports medicine team we should never add to that negativity.  One person can have an impact on the team/culture/environment and we want that impact to always be a positive one.

6. Continuing Education

Learn! Learn! Learn!  Knowledge is power.  Continually striving to better oneself intellectually, morally, and physically builds character.  We only consider high character individuals.  Always be learning and digging for answers.  Improved people improve organizations.  This profession is constantly evolving, if you’re not improving along with it you’ll be left behind.  The candidate should posses a solid fundamental understanding of anatomy and function, the ability to be versatile (manual therapy, conditioning, rehab, etc.), and have critical thinking skills including why injuries happen, how to quickly and safely return a player from acute injury, and how to prevent injuries from occurring.  We expect employees to eventually teach, mentor, and interact with all of our team members.

Brett McCabe serves as the minor league strength & conditioning coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  2011 is Brett’s sixth season with the Diamondbacks organization and his ninth year in professional baseball.  He is responsible for overseeing the strength and conditioning programs for the D-backs’ seven minor-league affiliates.  McCabe served three seasons as a strength and conditioning coach in the Toronto Blue Jays system, first arriving in professional baseball with Double-A New Haven in 2003 before taking over at Triple-A Syracuse from 2004-2005.  He completed his undergraduate work at Grand Valley State University (MI) in 2002, earning a bachelor’s of science degree in movement science.  He is also a licensed massage therapist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Hiring: Areas Of Importance

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By bh | August 24, 2011 2:02 am | Career Advice, News | Leave a comment

When looking at candidates for strength and conditioning positions in professional baseball, and specifically ones that are looking at professional baseball as a career, I look for certain criteria within their resume.  Here are 5 things that I immediately look for when look at a resume.

1. CSCS CERTIFIED—When a potential candidate is CSCS certified, I know they have invested in becoming a professional as a strength coach.  I feel that the candidate has thought out the process of becoming certified to be qualified for the position he is applying for.  I also feel that the CSCS certification provides an overall base knowledge of not just program design and lifting technique, but of the physiology of why program’s need to be designed certain and specific ways.   Finally, the certification requires continuing education to ensure the strength coach keeps up and maintains a certain level of education and awareness of new trends, new science, and what is currently affecting athletes.

2. COLLEGE DEFGREE IN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY/PHYSICAL EDUCATION EMPHASIS—This is the basis for our profession.  The base of a strength coach’s education needs to have anatomy, physiology, and the study and understanding of the human body.  You need to have the basis of what, where, and why the body works, moves, and responds to different environmental stressors, nutrition, biomechanical changes, and how the body adapts to change.

3. VOLUNTEER/GRADUATE ASSISTANT WORK AT COLLEGE OR WITH SURROUNDING SPORTS TEAMS IN YOUR AREA—Experience is vital as a strength coach.  If you are not working with a team, either in the weight room or on a field at any level, then how are you.gunnertechnetwork.comeloping your skills as a strength coach?  Coaching style and experience is only gained through specific weight room experience and practices.

You need athlete-coach interaction to.gunnertechnetwork.comelop you coaching style.  Having a candidate who has this diverse background on a resume is a major plus for my hiring decisions.  It illustrates that the candidate is motivated, has been exposed to a variety of sports and athletes, and is serious about taking the next step in their career to become an professional strength coach.

4. HAVE OBTAINED OR WORKING TO OBTAIN A MASTERS DEGREE IN EXERCISE SCIENCE/PHYSICAL EDUCATION CIRRICULUM—Higher education and the pursuit of knowledge is what a professional strength coach should strive for.  To better your base knowledge through education and experience exemplifies the dedication you have towards your profession.  A candidate who has this degree, or who is pursuing this degree, shows me they are dedicated to becoming a professional strength coach.

5. HAVE A CLEAN, PROFESSIONAL, AND JOB POSTING SPECIFIC RESUME—After all of the education, volunteer work, preparation, and studying to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach do not overlook the importance of a clean resume.  Your resume should highlight the experiences that have prepared you for the position.  In describing your experience, let me know how diverse you are as a strength coach.  This includes characteristics or experiences that set you apart from another candidate.  Finally, every professional should take the time to have the proper name, address, and contact info on their information before they submit it.  Additional details such as a cover letter, resume, and references will be important in identifying yourself as a qualified candidate.

I hope that these 5 things will help you.gunnertechnetwork.comelop your approach to applying for strength and conditioning coach positions in professional baseball or in any other sport or arena you are looking to apply to.  Professionalism begins with preparation and presentation.

Sean Marohn MS, CSCS, RSCC

Cincinnati Reds

Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coordinator

 

Join the The WiL Power Challenge!

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By bh | August 21, 2011 7:23 pm | Community, Featured, News, Outreach | Leave a comment


The WiL Power Challenge was developed to help combat the growing incidence of childhood obesity. By educating children and their parents on the variety of ways to live healthier and more active lifestyles and providing the necessary tools to execute change, we are able to positively impact individuals struggling with weight and health issues and decrease the prevalence of depression, low self-esteem and inactivity.

Since its inception, the WiL Power Challenge has benefited over 350 families and has shown tremendous body composition changes, increases in self-esteem and increases in nutrition and fitness knowledge of our participants and parents. Our program has demonstrated the benefits of leading a fit and healthy life style.

Participants are identified by physicians across the valley and referred into this free twenty week program. During the twenty weeks of their participation they work out with our strength coaches, take nutrition education classes from our dietitians and get the opportunity to attend doctor presentations, cooking classes and weekend workouts.

Nathan Shaw has not only been involved in motivating the kids and parents for the weekend workouts, he has been an intragal part in obtaining donations and support across the community.  Nathan has also served as our keynote speaker on a number of occasions and his involvement is vital to the continued success of the program.

Thank you Nathan for your continued support and involvement in the WiL Power Challenge.

Logan’s Freedom Ride fund

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By bh | August 21, 2011 7:18 pm | Community, Featured, News, Outreach | Leave a comment

 

Greetings,

We are writing you on behalf of Logan’s Freedom Ride.  Our annual event began in 2007 to assist Logan Severance, an eleven-year-old boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).  This year, our motto is “Helping Children and Families in Need,” and we have multiple beneficiaries.

 

On Wednesday, August 31st  the Logan’s Freedom Ride committee and members of the World Champion San Francisco Giants will be hosting our 5th annual Logan’s Freedom Ride benefit event at Broadway Studios in San Francisco.  The event will include a silent auction and raffle and live music with proceeds benefiting the Logan’s Freedom Ride fund.  Tips and door charges will also be donated to the cause.  Last year, the event raised over $40,000, and with the help of our generous supporters, we are aiming to surpass that amount this year.

 

Any donation of goods or services, gift certificates, and/or cash contribution is greatly appreciated.

The LFR committee sincerely appreciates your consideration and generosity.  We have teamed up with Champion Charities this year and for your records, the Champion Charities non-profit tax ID number is 65-1252760

For more information, or to purchase VIP and/or Regular Admission tickets for the event, please visit: www.freedomridesf.com.  If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Devon Fox (415-760-0472) or Justin Fox (916-296-7399) with any questions.

Many thanks,

Logan’s Freedom Ride Committee

 

I would like to donate ___________________________ valued at $ ____________.

Your Name/Organization:       ______________________________________

Address:                                                   ______________________________________

City/State/Zip:                                   ______________________________________

Phone/Email (optional):            ______________________________________

 

 

Please send donations and this portion of the letter to:

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, c/o Logan’s Freedom Ride, 370 Third Street, Suite 200, SF, Ca 94107

Dodgers Youth Baseball Camp presented by Kaiser Permanente

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By bh | August 21, 2011 7:14 pm | Community, News, Outreach | Leave a comment

WHAT:

Tomorrow is the first day of Dodgers Youth Baseball Camp presented by Kaiser Permanente. One hundred thirty-seven campers will attend and all proceeds will benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Twenty campers from El Centro Del Pueblo, a community service agency that provides social services to the youth and families of Echo Park, Silver Lake and other central-city communities, will attend camp on scholarships provided by Kaiser Permanente.

 

WHO:

Campers will receive instruction from Dodgers Major League staff, including coaches Dave Hansen, Rick Honeycutt, Trey Hillman, Ken Howell and Manny Mota, Dodger Strength and Conditioning Coach Brendon Huttmann, Bullpen Catchers Mike Borzello and Rob Flippo and Dodger alumni Billy Ashley, Bobby Castillo, Tommy Davis, Al Ferrara, Lee Lacy, Kenny Landreaux, Rudy Law and Todd Zeile.

 

WHEN:

Tuesday, July 5 – Friday, July 8

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tomorrow, approximately 1:40 p.m. – Jamey Carroll speaks to campers

James Loney and Chad Billingsley are expected to speak to campers at 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

WHERE:

Dodger Stadium
Outfield grass

 

MISC:

The second session of Dodgers Youth Baseball Camp this summer will take place the week of July 25.

Founded in 1998, the Dodgers Dream Foundation (DDF) was created to provide educational, athletic and recreational opportunities for the youth of the Greater Los Angeles community. The Foundation places special emphasis on helping traditionally under-served youth. More information can be found atwww.dodgers.com/community.

2nd Annual Holiday “Hike For Heroes” Says ‘Thanks’ To Heroes And Brings Joy To Their Families This Season

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By bh | August 21, 2011 6:56 pm | Community, News, Outreach | Leave a comment

 

PEORIA, Ariz. (December 1, 2010) – The  annual holiday “Hike for Heroes” hiking event will be hosted at Sunrise Mountain Trail in the community of West Wing on Saturday, December 11th from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

“Hike for Heroes” invites families, friends and supporters of our serving military to an inspirational hike on the 4.2 mile loop up Sunrise Mountain and will conduct a toy drive for their children and families. Hikers are encouraged to bring at least one unwrapped toy to participate in the hike.

“This hike was inspired in honor of all of the families and children who have serving family members and friends in our military,” said James Clifford, hike coordinator and Coordinator, Sports Science and Performance for the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club. “We hope to once again bring joy to families in need during the holiday season and to thank our heroes for their courage and sacrifice. Last year, we donated over 150 toys to families and hikers had a great time.”

Sunrise Mountain is located in the community of West Wing. Hikers will meet at the Sunrise Mountain Trail entrance at the Southwest corner of the West Wing Elementary School parking lot – 26716 North High Desert Drive SW, Peoria, AZ  85383. “We encourage supporters of our troops and families from all over the Valley to join us,” said Clifford. “It is a great way to show your support, with an added bonus of a great workout with a spectacular view of the Valley.”

The hike routes on Sunrise Mountain Trail range from beginner to advanced – with the most difficult trails designed for individuals in good physical condition. The intermediate and advanced hiking paths offer elevation inclines and undulation as well as birds-eye views of Peoria, Glendale and Phoenix. Proper hiking shoes and water bottles are strongly encouraged for hikers.

All of the toy donations will be delivered to the Luke Air Force Base Adopt-A-Family program, specifically to children of Airmen in need. For more information about the Luke Air Force Adopt-A-Family program, contact Sgt Christopher Huard at christopher.huard@luke.af.mil or via phone at 623.856.5919 (office), 623.512.8889 (cell).