Coach A. Robinson

UMES Softball November Camps Pitching & Catching Camp - November 15th 9:00 to 12:00 pm Defense & Hitting Camp - November 15th 1:00 to 4:00 pm Showcase Game Camp - November 16th 11:00 to 3:00 pm UMESsoftballcamps.com

A good coach is not afraid 2 admit 2 their team they were wrong. It builds trust & credibility even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment

The coach who becomes family. The one whose lessons you still quote 20 years later. If you have that coach, you're blessed. Tag them. Call them. Thank them. They shaped more than your game.

Trusting the process means focusing entirely on doing what it takes to succeed without worrying about the possibility of failure.

PREP WORK makes the swing work! We spend 15–20 minutes on prep work every day, usually 3–5 movements depending on the season. The goal is to build and maintain movement quality so hitters are actually ready to compete. If I coached a travel team, a Tidal Tank would be a must-have. It keeps players moving instead of standing around and gets the body ready to swing. Expecting players to only hit off a tee, maybe get some front toss, and then face the best pitchers in the country is tough 😅. It’s no coincidence UCLA’s offense has stayed strong all season. I had the opportunity to watch them hit in the cage at the Clearwater Invitational, one of their cages was dedicated entirely to movement prep using Tidal Tanks and PVC pipes. If you want a simple prep work routine, send me a DM and I’ll share it. 🙌🏼

If you struggle with this… Try these things⚡️⚡️ 1. Counter weight knob 2. Late-add drill 3. Short bat full swings Hitting is complex but doesnt have to be complicated. You need the right stuff compounded over weeks. I specialize in finding the right stuff, cleaning up your “engine”, and teaching how to compound your success. Save and share this. Be sure you’re following. DM me “train” to book a free call with me. 👊🏻

The best athletes are secure with themselves. They know that their self-worth isn’t determined by athletic success. This self-assurance allows them to take risks and perform well under pressure.

Athletes: It’s easy to get better quickly when you realize you have no other choice but to buy in & go truly “All-In”.

Coaches: You determine how successful you want to be by how much time you dedicate to growth & self-education. Books, Videos, Podcasts, Articles, Clinics, Conventions. So many ways to get better.

When adversity strikes, you have two choices. You can either feel sorry for yourself and give up, or you can stay strong and rise above it!

“The path to success is not a straight line. Success is not possible without a firm foundation built on two things, BELIEF and HARD WORK, not talent. Definitely not luck. Belief and work,” Lindsey Vonn Nobody can tell you how to win unless you learn from failure.

“Whatever you do in life, have the courage and commitment to do it to your absolute best.” - Pat Summitt Not halfway effort. Not excuses. Not “good enough.” The courage to show up. The commitment to stay with it. That’s where excellence lives.

Energy is contagious, standards are learned, and habits are often shared. Surround yourself with people who push you toward growth, accountability, and purpose. Drill work focused on rhythm, timing, and direction. See the ball, get the feet to the hop, and maintain momentum and direction through the movement. Build efficient habits through quality reps.

Coaching today can be hard. BUT... Hard work still wins. Consistency still wins. The small gains still compound. It's still about life lessons. Always has been.

Speak this 21-word affirmation and watch how fast your life improves:

Excuses are easy. Excellence is hard. Everyone has a reason why they can't. Champions find a way anyway. What excuse needs to die today?

The Scouting Classroom #12 THE WHOLE BALL PLAYER One of the biggest mistakes young scouts, parents, coaches, and even players make is believing evaluations start and stop with tools. Velocity. 60 times. Exit velocity. Bat speed. Power. Arm strength. Those things matter. But if you spend enough years in scouting, eventually you learn something: The easiest part of evaluating a player is often the part everyone sees. The difficult part is finding everything else. For years in scouting circles there was a phrase that always stuck with me: The Whole Ball Player Because great evaluators weren't simply trying to identify who had the biggest arm, loudest tools, or best workout. They wanted to know who the player really was. Not just physically. Completely. THE PART EVERYBODY SEES Some things jump out immediately. You can see them from behind home plate or during batting practice. For pitchers: • Arm strength
• Fastball
• Breaking ball
• Off-speed feel
• Command For position players: • Speed
• Hands
• Actions
• Power
• Arm strength
• Range
• Athleticism Those are measurable. Those become report grades, stopwatch times, and radar gun readings. And they matter. But they only tell part of the story. WHERE SCOUTING GETS HARD The second half of the player rarely reveals itself immediately. You don't always see it in batting practice. You don't find it from Trackman or Rapsodo. You definitely don't find it from a stat line. Because some of the most important parts of a player live underneath the surface. Questions like: How does he handle failure? Does he compete when things go bad? Can he make adjustments? How does he react after an 0-for-4 day? How does he treat teammates and coaches? How does he carry himself when nobody is watching? Because now you're no longer scouting tools. You're scouting people! THE INVISIBLE TOOLS Some of the biggest separators in baseball are difficult to see: • Desire
• Drive
• Competitiveness
• Baseball sense
• Teachability
• Confidence
• Instincts
• Maturity
• Intelligence
• Habits
• Family background Those traits don't show up on a stopwatch or a radar gun. Yet over time they often determine who survives. Everybody eventually faces adversity. Everybody struggles. Talent may open the door. But what happens after the door opens? That's where these traits start showing up. THE LESSON Anybody can scout the player everyone sees. The difficult part is finding the player underneath. Because the whole ball player isn't just speed, power, or arm strength. 👇👇 It's tools + makeup = All-Star Ability + competitiveness. Skill + instincts. Talent + character. The best scouts never simply looked for players. They looked for complete players. They looked for the whole ball player. That's scouting. #BehindTheRadarGun 🔎

Use every experience you’ve ever had, good or bad, to help you become the person you want to be!

A coach will coach your technique. A coach will coach your game intellect. A coach will coach your practice habits. A coach will coach your fundamentals A coach should NOT have to coach your energy. Ever Your energy reveals your attitude & how badly U want it. -Darren Fenster

Watch this video to LEARN how to… Analyze your OWN video and see if you’re MATCHING with the GREATS #theblueprint #Baseball #BaseballLife #MLB #BaseballPlayer #Hitting #HittingMechanics #PowerHitter #BaseballTraining #BaseballDrills #BaseballDevelopment #ExitVelo #LaunchAngle