Texas Baseball Ranch - June/July 2021

Texas Baseball Ranch - June/July 2021

RANCH REVIEW THE

SUMMER 2021

www.texasbaseballranch.com (936) 588-6762

Cale Matheson Joining the 100mph Club

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

Although there are a lot of activities that take place throughout the year at the Texas Baseball Ranch®, there is no busier time than the summer — and we absolutely love it. The first summer activity is our 10-week Summer Intensive Development Program that runs from the start of June through the middle of August. Players come and train for 2–10 weeks. There’s a lot of dedication, sweat, and hard work from the

athletes in this program, and they get incredible results to show for it.

There are also a lot of friendships formed and a lot of good times to be had. It has become tradition to take a “fun” photo during each session, and here is our most recent. In a way, it’s turned into our version of “Where’s Waldo?” (Check out Coach Massey & Coach Tompson in the front row.) In addition to the summer program, we host seven Elite Pitchers Boot Camps on the weekends starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day. These three-day events are a great introduction to the Ranch for so many people, and we are especially grateful this year that

2021 Session 1 Summer Program “Fun” Photo

things have opened up across the country and people are back to traveling. Our most recent camp had people from all four corners of the country, California to Maryland, Florida to Washington, and many other places in between. If you haven’t yet made plans to join us this summer, there’s still time! We’d love to see you at the Ranch. Even if you can’t get to Montgomery, Texas, please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of service.

Elite Pitchers Boot Camps Summer 2021

Until next month — stay curious and keep fighting the good fight!

–Ron Wolforth

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We’re halfway through the summer, which means we only have three Elite Pitchers Boot Camp dates remaining on our calendar, and one of those is already sold out. So, if you or someone you know is wanting to make a trip to Texas to participate in this incredible event, don’t delay. The Texas Baseball Ranch is the preeminent baseball pitching training facility in the country and our Elite Pitchers Boot Camps are easily the gold standard of pitching camps. It’s actually much more than just a simple camp: It’s an event! It’s an experience! It’s something that you leave knowing you made a great decision when it comes to the investment of your time and resources. Now more than ever, an individualized, hyper-personalized approach to pitching development is critical to catch up or surpass your competitive peer group. At the Texas Baseball Ranch®, that is our TBR’S ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMP — THE GOLD STANDARD Service Highlight

a better combination of systems, people, and culture when it comes to training pitchers. The Texas Baseball Ranch is a serious program for serious people who want serious results.

Check out what this family had to say about their Ranch experience this summer:

“We were so impressed with the facility and the professional staff. The level of instruction cannot be topped. The attention to detail is exceptional. This camp brings in a pitcher, studies him and

his pitching literally from upper body to lower body — from

foot to head — and identifies any and all disconnects from a fluid pitching style ... then implements and creates a program to ‘fix’ pitchers and allows them to be the best that they can be. There is a plan that goes forward with each player well after they leave the camp!”

entire focus, helping YOU with what you need and designing YOUR personal plan. Nobody does it better. Others try, but it’s just not the same. We simply have

—Philip & Hal Neilson, Oxford, MS

The two remaining boot camp dates that still have space available at the time of this writing are Aug. 6–8 (Fri.–Sun.) and Sept. 4–6 (Sat.–Mon.). For more information or to register, go to TexasBaseballRanch.com/events or call our office at (936) 588-6762.

BECOME A SAVVY RV USER And Save Money on Your Summer Road Trip

Save on Fuel Fuel could be your biggest expense, but you can cut down on the inevitable by driving slower than 60 mph when it’s safe to do so. Once you hit 60 mph or above in your RV, your gas mileage will drop. Furthermore, you can keep your gas bill in check by sticking to trips within your state, planning your route to avoid unnecessary detours, and leaving early to miss the traffic. Each little action could make a big impact on your fuel bill. Re-Use Items in Your Home You may have a long to-buy list for your RV, but not everything on there may be necessary. Before splurging on the latest gear, consider what you have in your home. Use old kitchen utensils and plates, cleaning supplies, bedding, and entertainment items like books and toys in your RV to save money and clear some clutter from your home. It’s a win-win!

This past fall, RV manufacturers reported a 31% increase in sales compared to 2019. This was no doubt related to an effort to stave off the spread of COVID-19, which had more families opting to take road trips and camp instead of going on tropical and European vacations. While the great outdoors can be the perfect affordable backdrop for family vacations, it doesn’t come without a cost.

You can hit the road without your bank account taking a hit with these three must-do tips!

Stay for Free If you’re on a cross-country adventure, you will need a place to park and rest each night before continuing your adventure the next day. Rather than shelling out money every night, consider free options. Search for public land that’s part of the Bureau of Land Management or in a Wildlife Management Area that allows overnight camping. Walmart allows RV parking at no cost, but some locations pose safety concerns. To mitigate this, well-meaning RVers have listed Walmart locations with red flags. You can check them out at AllStays.com.

Looking for more RV tips? Check out GanderOutdoors.com or download apps like AllStay, RVParky, and State Lines. Happy trails!

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THE TRUTH ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

When high school baseball is good, it can be a very rewarding experience. When it’s bad, it can be a living nightmare in the life of a young adult. Many parents have told me directly that they thought “high school coaching would have been better.” The truth is that while there are many great coaches out there, some have personal agendas that end up ruining what should be a joyous experience. With that in mind, here is my advice to the parents of any aspiring high school athlete.

an advantage to their child. Sad as it sounds, it’s a regular occurrence for nearly every team in the country.

THIS MONTH IN BASEBALL HISTORY The Birth of the All-Star Game The MLB All-Star Game is a fixture of the baseball calendar. Every year, the best players from around the majors come together for a week of events culminating in the game itself. Given how big of a deal the Midsummer Classic is now, you may be surprised to learn of its humble origins. The idea for the first All-Star Game was the brainchild of Arch Ward, a sports editor at the Chicago Tribune. The Windy City was slated to host the World’s Fair in 1933, and Ward thought it would be a good idea to showcase the best players from America’s national pastime. He conceived the event as a one-off showcase, but it grew to something much larger. Looking at the lineup of the first game, which took place on July 6, 1933, it’s not hard to see why it became an annual fixture. Twenty Hall of Famers played that day, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx. Since that original matchup, the All-Star Game has been held every year except 1945, which was canceled due to World War II. Nearly a century later, it’s hard to imagine a baseball season without All-Star festivities. • Expect cliques or alliances to be formed in order to increase other individuals’ ability to shape or influence coaching decisions. Resist becoming involved in such cliques or alliances to assist your child. Simply put, don’t play politics. • I suggest you view high school baseball as a great opportunity for growth, development, and learning that life is far from fair or perfect. It is a fabulous opportunity for young athletes to learn how to work as a team toward a shared goal without relinquishing personal integrity and independent thought. These days, high school baseball isn’t the be-all, end-all determining factor it was 20 years ago. While it’s still important, you shouldn’t treat it as a make-or-break situation for your athlete. Remembering that will keep you from becoming another angry parent who spends games berating coaches and umpires. Not every program is perfect, but most have integrity and are trying their best. That’s what really matters.

• Don’t expect your coach to be baseball’s equivalent of John Wooden. That’s unfair and unrealistic. Truth be told, you are probably not perfect baseball parents either. Instead, expect your coach to simply have personal integrity. The rest you can work through. • Expect other parents to try to influence or shape circumstances to positively give

UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS

ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS: JULY 23–25 SOLD OUT AUG. 6–8

SEPT. 4–6

SUMMER PROGRAM: JULY — SESSION II BEGINS JULY 5 AUG. —SESSION III (SPECIAL MINI SESSION) BEGINS AUG. 2

INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION AT WWW.TEXASBASEBALLRANCH.COM/EVENTS

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,

www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro

3 Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762

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FIRST-CLASS MAIL US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

www.texasbaseballranch.com 5451 Honea-Egypt Road Montgomery, TX 77316

(936) 588-6762

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 1 The Boys Are Back in Town PAGE 2 Elite Pitchers Boot Camp 3 Tips for RVing on a Budget PAGE 3 What to Expect From High

School Baseball The Midsummer Classic Is Born

PAGE 4 4 Celebrities Who Were Student-Athletes

4 Celebrities Who Were Student-Athletes FROM COLLEGE SPORTS TO SUPERSTARDOM

Actress Emma Watson When Watson enrolled at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, she joined the field hockey team. She loved the sport as a child, and as an adult, her passion for field hockey continues to motivate her. She occasionally travels to elementary schools for a few friendly games in hopes of encouraging young players. Watson has also worked with Hockey Futures, an organization that promotes the sport to British youth. Actor Steve Carell Much like his character Michael Scott in “The Office” once said, Carell too has “been pretty much skating my whole life.” Carell is a fantastic ice skater and has played hockey since he was a child. He was a goalie for Denison University, a Division III school in Granville, Ohio.

Many students play sports in addition to their studies in high school and college, and many famous people also spent much of their youth playing sports while going to school. Here are four stars who were also college athletes. Singer Garth Brooks From a young age, Brooks loved sports and hoped that his athletic abilities would make him famous. He earned a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University as a javelin thrower and spent most of the 1980s perfecting his technique. In 1999, he played left field for the San Diego Padres, and he continued to play baseball in the early 2000’s, signing with the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. Today, the famous country singer provides children with health and education assistance as well as recreational and sporting opportunities through his foundation, Teammates for Kids.

Today, Carell still plays in a Los Angeles recreational league whenever he has the opportunity.

TV Broadcaster Robin Roberts Roberts began her career in

broadcasting as a sports director at Southeastern Louisiana University’s radio station. She also played on the school’s basketball team, the Lady Lions, between 1979 and 1983. During her career on the court, Roberts scored 1,446 points and had 1,034 rebounds, which earned her a place in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and on the NCAA’s list of most influential student-athletes.

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