Baseball athletes need to possess skill, strength, speed, and power. Just as youth athletes develop their skills over years of practice as they progress through their careers, they must also develop athleticism and physical capabilities as they grow.
It is common to see coaches copy programs used by college or professional athletes and water them down for application with their youth athletes. Rather than taking a watered down approach, we focus on developing athletes through each stage of their growth and skill development by using the building blocks of fundamental movements and mechanics to help them progress and improve over time as their bodies mature. Our training programs are developed specifically to meet the needs of athletes in each age group and skill level.
Our Long Term Athlete Development approach is built upon the premise of continual improvement over time, allowing athletes at every age and skill level to progress and develop to bring their skills and abilities to the next level.
Building Healthy Athletes
The Long Term Athlete Development approach is critical for baseball athletes to prevent injuries and help them stay healthy and active in their sport.
Strength, coordination, and movement patterns for efficient mechanics are trained to provide a strong athletic base. Speed and power are layered upon those building blocks using the training methods most effective for the athletes at each stage of their physical and neurological development. This helps to develop good overall athletes capable of applying their skills to baseball or any sport while also equipping them to minimize risks of overuse and strength imbalance injuries that are all too common in baseball athletes.
Rotational Power
Rotational power is essential for hitting strength and throwing velocity. In order to get the most power out of their hitting and throwing, athletes need to realize that those movements aren’t all about the arms. By using the legs and transferring power all the way up through their hips and core to their upper body, baseball athletes can achieve much more dynamic rotational power.
We work with athletes to help them understand this connection and improve their rotational power by developing the mechanics of effective rotation and the core strength needed to maximize its impact.
Speed That Makes A Difference
Baseball athletes that possess greater speed are able to steal more bases, run the bases faster, and have greater range in the field.
Developing this kind of difference-making speed doesn’t just come from running some sprints at skills practice, but through improved technique and mechanics and intentional training to apply that speed when it counts. Pair that speed with agility training, and you have a baseball athlete with the ability to respond and react in a flash – and the speed and acceleration to make big plays.
Rotational Power
Greater throwing velocity and hitting power depend on the development of rotational power. The hips are the link that allow an athlete to transfer power from their legs up to their arms. We develop the mechanics of effective rotation and build strength needed for dynamic rotational power.
Linear Speed
We introduce and reinforce proper technique and mechanics while developing strength in the primary hip extensors and posterior chain. This creates greater linear speed and acceleration. Baseball athletes with more speed can get down the base line quicker, steal more bases, and have greater range in the field.
Injury Prevention
With athleticism, bi-lateral strength and mobility, and overall conditioning among our goals, we help baseball athletes avoid injuries that often occur due to overuse, repetitive motions and strength imbalances. Our training programs help produce well-rounded athletes that are equipped to safely and successfully participate in their sport with a long term perspective.
Strength
When a baseball athlete improves their overall strength, they are capable of greater throwing velocity, grip, and swing speed. Our training programs develop strength for movements, not individual muscles. This results in improved overall coordination of those muscles through athletic movements.
Group Training
In Group Training sessions we work with small groups of athletes to get faster and stronger. We introduce and reinforce proper technique and mechanics and develop the strength to correctly apply them for speed and power. Working in groups is a fun way to improve while being motivated by others in the group to train hard. Sign up for our Group Training program, or contact us if you want to start a new group with your friends or teammates.
Private Speed and Power Training
Our Private Training sessions allow for fully customized planning, training, and analysis to help you achieve your goals. You’ll get 1-on-1 coaching to build the speed, strength, and agility that will enable you to stay healthy while playing with skill and athleticism. Knowing that you want to apply your training to baseball, your Speed & Agility coach will help educate you about how each exercise in your program is aligned with that goal.
Team Speed, Power & Conditioning
Champion Sports Performance can create a customized training program to fit the needs of your team. From age-appropriate conditioning to specific speed and power training, we work with you to develop a program that equips your athletes for long-term health and success. Let us know your goals and requirements and we can deliver a progressive training program to guide all of your athletes through their competition season.
For a group ranging from 9 through 28 years old, and including beginner through elite levels, their average improvement in explosive speed and acceleration was over 12% during a 6-month training period.
That same group of beginner, intermediate, advanced and elite athletes, improved their speed endurance by over 15% during a 6-month training period. This allowed them to apply their improved speed for longer periods during competition with faster recovery.
For a group ranging from 9 through 28 years old, and including beginner through elite levels, their average improvement in explosive speed and acceleration was over 150% during a 6-month training period.
With reduced workloads during the offseason, intentional work was programmed to keep athletes from straying too far from their competitive peak levels of conditioning. Many returned the next season with improved strength and quickness, and on average returned within 3% of their competitive peak.