REZ Sports

MORE TOOLS = BETTER DEFENDER

Coach Adam is working with S. Porterfield on his backhand movement, while mixing in some forehand work to keep developing a complete defender.

Great fielders don’t rely on one way to field the baseball.

There are going to be plays where getting two hands to the ball simply isn’t realistic. That’s why we want our athletes comfortable and confident fielding with the glove hand only and learning how to make plays from different positions.

The goal isn’t to make every ground ball look exactly the same. The goal is to give athletes multiple tools in their toolbox so they can find the right one when the game demands it.

CONSISTENCY STARTS AT THE RELEASE

Coach Karsen is working with S. Merritt on creating a more consistent release point in the circle.

When the release point changes, everything after it can change with it ... spin, direction, height, and ultimately the path of the ball.

The goal isn’t just to throw strikes. It’s developing a repeatable delivery that allows the ball to come off the hand the way you intended, pitch after pitch.

Small adjustments. Repeatable movements. Better command.

THE ARM DOESN’T THROW ALONE!

Coach Jossi is working with K. Jackson on learning how to use her entire body to throw instead of relying on just her arm.

A strong, efficient throw starts from the ground up.

When we learn to use the lower half, we create momentum and energy that can transfer up through the body and eventually into the ball. From there, we want to get the chest down and through the finish instead of staying tall and making the arm do all the work.

For Jackson, we’re building it one piece at a time:

🔥 Use the legs and lower half
🔥 Transfer energy through the body
🔥 Get the chest down through the finish
🔥 Let the arm work WITH the body ... not by itself

Next up: developing a more natural arm slot so the elbow doesn’t lead the way and we can create a cleaner, more efficient throwing pattern.

Development isn’t about fixing everything at once.

CREATE SEPARATION. KEEP THE HANDS BACK. STAY ADJUSTABLE.

Coach Kelsey is working with J. Sursa on feeling that separation between the hands/back shoulder and the front-side hip.

That separation matters.

As we load, land, and begin our launch, we want the lower half to start working while the hands stay back. When the hands race forward with the body, we lose valuable time and adjustability.

Keeping the hands back gives hitters the ability to:

🥎 Let the ball travel deeper into the zone
🥎 Recognize location longer
🥎 See spin more clearly
🥎 Adjust to different velocities
🥎 Make better swing decisions
🥎 Use hand-eye coordination later in the pitch

The goal isn't just to be quick to the ball ... it's to give yourself more time to gather information before committing the barrel.

YOUR FRONT SIDE MATTERS.

Coach Max is breaking down the importance of how we get down the mound and, more importantly, how that front foot lands.

One of the biggest things we want to avoid is jabbing the heel into the ground and immediately locking out the front leg. When that happens, we’re essentially slamming on the brakes before our body has finished transferring energy.

We want the front side to work with the delivery, allowing us to transfer force efficiently from the ground, through the lower half, and ultimately into the ball.

A firm front side is important ... but when and how we get firm matters.

Don’t let the front leg become a velocity killer.

PICKOFF BASICS: LEARN IT BEFORE YOU SPEED IT UP!

Coach JC is breaking down the fundamentals of picking off a runner while avoiding the dreaded BALK!

For an athlete preparing to make the jump into 10U kid-pitch, there’s already a LOT to process ... holding runners, coming set, knowing when you can move, and understanding what you can and can’t do on the mound.

Are there more advanced pickoff moves and techniques to learn? Absolutely. But before we get fancy, we have to build a solid foundation.

And with young athletes, HOW we teach matters just as much as WHAT we teach.

Finding creative ways to explain movements, using simple and fun cues they can remember, and connecting new skills to something they already understand can make all the difference. If they can remember it, understand it, and repeat it, we’re headed in the right direction.

TIMING IS PERSONAL.

Coach Lauren is working with Ka. Castaneda and Ki. Castaneda on finding their timing and rhythm at the plate ... and one of the biggest lessons is that everyone’s timing is different.

There isn’t one universal point when every hitter should begin their load.

Your timing has to work with:
🥎 Your swing
🥎 Personal rhythm and tempo
🥎 Individual loading style and technique
🥎 The pitcher’s rate of delivery
🥎 Average pitch speed
🥎 Changes in velocity and pitch type

All of these factors influence when a hitter needs to start their move.

That’s why developing timing isn’t about teaching every athlete to move at the exact same moment. It’s about helping each hitter understand their own rhythm, recognize what the pitcher is giving them, and make the adjustments necessary to consistently be on time at contact.

Different hitters. Different rhythms. Same goal: BE ON TIME.

DON’T JUST DO IT ... UNDERSTAND IT.

Coach JC is checking retention and understanding with W. Roberts by asking him to explain the skill back in his own words.

At REZ, assessment isn’t always a test, a number, or a measurable. Sometimes the best assessment is simply asking an athlete:
“Tell me what we’re working on and why.”

The ability to teach-back a skill is huge in athlete development. When athletes can explain what they’re doing, what they’re feeling, and why it matters, it shows they’re not just following instructions ... they’re actually learning the game.

That gives our coaches an opportunity to:
⚾ Check retention from previous sessions
⚾ Identify gaps in understanding
⚾ Reinforce the why behind the movement
⚾ Build athletes who can recognize and make adjustments on their own

Our goal isn’t to create athletes who need a coach standing beside them for every rep.

We want athletes who understand their game well enough to coach themselves when it matters.

That’s development!

SEE IT. READ IT. REACT.

Coach Kelsey is working with M. Mathers and R. Farmer on something every catcher needs to develop ... seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and learning to read the release.

Great catching isn’t just about reacting once the pitch is halfway to the plate. The more you know your pitcher, the more you understand what the ball is going to do before it gets there.

👀 See the release.
🌀 Recognize the spin.
🧠 Understand how each pitch reacts.
🥎 Anticipate whether you need to receive it, move with it, or get down and block it.

Different pitches create different spins, shapes, and reactions ... and every pitcher has their own tendencies. The better a catcher understands those details, the earlier they can anticipate the ball’s movement and put themselves in the best position to make the play.