November 27 - NVTBL is expanding its educational program this winter by providing a number of learning opportunities for local coaches and players looking to further develop their game this off-season. 

Combined with monthly events and clinics, NVTBL will also incorporate weekly educational podcasts with online discussions throughout the winter. Each podcast will feature a member from the league’s Pro Advisory Committee and will focus on a specific baseball topic. Each podcast will also include a discussion board for coaches and parents to continue the dialogue. The podcast and all of the NVTBL’s educational material is available for everyone and can be accessed online at NVTBLBaseball.org.  

“We want to invest in the future of baseball in our area. The best way to do that is through our coaches. We are looking for students of the game who want to network, collaborate and learn,” said NVTBL executive director Rob Hahne. “We want to make sure that your coaches in your league are aware of this great opportunity to get better and learn from the best in our area.  We will also bring recognized national coaches and clinicians from time to time to speak at our EDU events.”  

NVTBL will be launching the podcasts beginning this week with the first episode featuring Ron Tugwell discussing college recruiting and showcase baseball.

Other guests from the Pro Advisory Committee that will be interviewed for the podcasts will include former professional players Carson Carroll, Shawn Camp and Mike Colangelo as well as local coaches Mark “Pudge” Gjormand, Sam Plank and Andy Bradley.    

Additional educational opportunities will include monthly events and coaching clinics, starting with a hitting workshop on Dec. 3 with four professional hitters from the area, including Miami Marlins first baseman Jason Bour. Other speakers for the clinic will include Bour’s brother Justin, Joe Rizzo and Michael Katz.

During the two-hour clinic, Bour and others will discuss their mental approach to hitting as well as their thoughts on launch angles, exit velocities and mechanics. Tickets for this event are still on sale for $15 at NVTBLBaseball.org/camps.

On Dec. 18, NVTBL will be hosting their annual hitting camp at the NOVA Fieldhouse in Chantilly. Players aged 8U-17U will be able to learn from various professional players as well the area’s top coaches and get tested for launch angles, exit velocity and bat speed. Tickets for the camp are $75 for players, $15 for coaches and can be purchased also at NVTBLBaseball.org/camps.

The following day, NVTBL will host the Premier Showcase League (PSL) recruiting seminar at Westfield High School for middle school and high school players interested in playing college baseball. PSL coaches and current college players will talk about the recruiting process and the alternative exposure the PSL provides.

Other events throughout the off-season will include a pitching workshop with Rapsoda technology in January, a coaching summit on Feb. 24 and NVTBL’s Baseball-A-Palooza with comedian Domingo Ayala on March 3. More details about these events can be found at NVTBLBaseball.org/camps.

For more information on NVTBL’s EDU program or to get further knowledge on a number of baseball topics, visit the EDU section at NVTBLBaseball.org. NVTBL has posted several videos, articles and other teaching tools to educate coaches, parents and players on a wide range of baseball topics.