Strength in Numbers #182 For over 75 years, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention has served as the beating heart of baseball innovation, education, and making new friends in the game. It is a hallmark event that gathers coaches, educators, players, and innovators under one roof to advance the game we all love, and…

Strength in Numbers #181 Athletic performance, particularly in sports like baseball, is profoundly influenced by the condition of the nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are critical in coordinating muscle function, reaction time, and overall performance. However, these systems are susceptible to fatigue, especially in athletes engaging in…

Strength in Numbers #180 Environmental and psychological stressors can have profound effects on athletes, impacting not only their mental health but also their physical well-being. This is especially true for baseball players, where repetitive high-stress movements like throwing can result in arm injuries that are often linked to stress-induced physical impairments. Understanding the connection between…

Strength in Numbers #179 With the successful launch of two of our new ArmCare Accelerators this weekend, skill coaches, strength coaches, athletes, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and baseball enthusiasts learned some new concepts, challenged beliefs, and were comfortable with being uncomfortable.  We contested conventional player development and injury prevention thought processes - shared facts, practical…

Strength in Numbers #178 In today’s fast-evolving professional landscape, how we learn and grow has transformed dramatically. While digital education platforms have democratized access to knowledge, in-person conferences remain irreplaceable for fostering human connections and hands-on experiences -especially for coaches.  Together, these two modes of learning complement each other beautifully, enabling professionals to maximize growth…

' Strength in Numbers #177 When you hear the word "INVERTED," your mind instantly wanders to the dark side.  Two elbows over the shoulders, arms turned down, a la Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, the famously perceived mechanical flaw considered insidious by the entire industry. However, the word "inverted" can be positive and is integrated…

Strength in Numbers #176 Catch22 – Offense No Defense Conundrum at the Catching Position In baseball, the catcher's role is integral to a team's defensive and strategic success.  Very rarely do you find an offensive catcher that plays good defense, and I have found catchers are spending more and more time at the plate than…

Strength in Numbers #175 People often ask me what I miss about being in Major League Baseball. I used to think it was going to work and playing for a championship—the competitiveness of it all and wanting to dominate the league each day, especially being on teams that were sometimes the underdogs that the world…

Strength in Numbers #174 Carry exercises—movements in which athletes hold weights while walking or performing other actions—are fundamental for developing stability, strength, and endurance. I see too many suitcase carries prescribed, heavy trapbar carries, and athletes wonder why their throwing arms continue to be unbalanced and how their grip strength becomes overly fatigued.   For baseball…

Strength in Numbers #173 Welcome back to the discussion (Read Part I HERE) on whether you should or should not attempt to learn Olympic lifting techniques.  In my 20 years of coaching, I have seen more injuries happen with heavy loading on a tired body versus Olympic lifting, but you have to have common sense…