It has been quite some time since my last post. Thanks to those who reached out to make sure everything was okay. I am doing just fine, but I’m not quite so sure where to start or even how to go about explaining all that has transpired over the past month.
First and foremost, I recognize that most of you read my blog for a different look into player development initiatives, but I like to think some of you may want to know a little bit more about the life I am living while sharing training plans or thinking of ways to “ball on a budget” with baseball development. Therefore, I’ll begin by providing a quick update on what has been going on in the life of Adam.
The past month has brought me very high highs and some pretty low lows, all within the scope of baseball. In fact, to make this cocktail of emotion even wilder, both the highs and lows were playing out simultaneously. In the same week I was informed that Eckerd College baseball will not be competing this spring, FlexPro Grip – my product that improves velocity, movement, & control while preventing UCL tears – received significant interest across the baseball world, including MLB organizations all the way to top researchers. The week long rollercoaster ride left me confused yet excited, distraught yet encouraged, and devastated yet ecstatic. As new information poured in about our season, I was forced to put on a façade of fortitude in hopes of proving to our guys that everything would be okay. On the other hand, after practice each day, I’d have a slew of emails or voicemails from coaches and development staff across high school, college, and pro baseball wanting to meet to discuss FlexPro Grip or find out how soon they could buy the product. That one week more than ever showed me the importance of separating emotions from rationality. The swings of good and bad daily were monstrous. I am thankful I had my family and team with me through it all.
As I am sure you all have picked up on, writing is a bit of an escape for me. I feel comfortable on the keyboard. In my work, it has provided me a medium to share what I find valuable or actionable in hopes of moving towards better baseball. On a personal note, writing has provided me solace and peace as an outlet to express what races through my head on a daily basis. Writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to mix the two. I try to write with personal flare that showcases a bit of my personality, while still sticking to the central theme of baseball player development.
Since my writing journey primarily began as an escape, I am scared that at some point I will “burnout.” That is part of the main reason why y’all did not hear from me more throughout December. With my world moving a mile a minute in advance of our eventual season’s cancellation, hustling through proof of concept and market validation with FlexPro Grip, and working tirelessly to recruit for Eckerd, writing began to seem more like a chore. Things have seemingly calmed down a bit now that I have a better grasp on what my immediate future holds. With no “competitive” season in 2021, player development becomes the ultimate focus of our next 3-4 months of practice. We also have a better understanding of potential research and early adopters for FlexPro Grip as we prepare for a 2021 rollout. And with our 2020 “Fall” Showcase Camp behind us, we have a good idea of where the Eckerd program is headed. Although I stepped away from writing for a bit, I am ready to be back. I have found my joy again.
One of the big “highs” of December for Eckerd baseball, and we certainly needed one, was our prospect camp. Held on December 19, 2020 at Baseball City – St. Petersburg, we hosted 72 high school players from all over the country. This was one of the most competitive events I attended all fall, and has me stoked about our future at Eckerd. While we’ll have to see how the rest of the recruiting season plays out, I am sure there were a small handful of future Tritons in that group. Beyond that, the reason this camp was so successful to me is that we were able to run the campers through assessments that we feel translate well to the field. We performed all batting practice with Rapsodo Hitting. Pitchers threw a simulated inning on Rapsodo pitching. And we went beyond the traditional 60 yard dash and performed multiple short burst exercises such as the 5-10-5 shuttle, 10 yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump. These assessments, as well as others, allowed us to have a better look into where the campers stand and what is the lowest hanging fruit in their development. It was gratifying to hear a coach from another school in our conference tell me afterwards that this was the most useful camp he attended this entire year in terms of being able to see kids move the way they need to on the baseball field. We believe this camp depicted what Eckerd baseball is all about.
Going into the new year, our coaching staff will be tasked with creating a spring entirely based around development, with far from a full roster. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to have a large group together again to train and compete. Our plan to acquire some new training equipment and shift our focus to not just create better baseball players but better all-around athletes has me already amped up for the 2022 season.
Setting the tone for the spring is certainly the first order of business. Our players are going to be sad, and frankly, they have every right to be. For a second straight year, the one thing they love most was taken away from them. Some of the guys will be training knowing they will never play another inning of collegiate baseball. The staff will have to be steadfast and stoic in this process. The ability to roll with the punches, while remaining confident and undeterred will prove immeasurable as we get the spring rolling. There is no chance the staff will sit idle as our rivals and friends from around the world of baseball compete. Come 2022, we will have our guys ready. As our guys say, “We’re from the beach. We’re built different.”
Reflecting on this stream of thoughts, which turned into a decent review in my opinion, I know there is more that I will be sharing very soon. I have an announcement in the works that will almost certainly require its own blog entry. This will be more than an announcement, as I will discuss the story of how it came to be, and that is where the real lesson will lie.
Again, thank you all for baring with me through 2020. I look forward to continuing to share my coaching and player development journey with you all in 2021.
Happy New Year and mask up!
Adam Moreau, MBA, CSCS
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7242
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