Hang out in the lounge of CT Edge or mingle with parents in the bleachers at East Shore, and you are bound to hear conversations about the status of the current youth population.  Common themes of lacking responsibility, work ethic, and exuding a sense of entitlement seem to resonate with parents of players across the state - a growing frustration that our children expect too much from their parents, their community, and their world.

Whether a parent, a coach, or a mentor, it is tricky to navigate our current reality where we are forced to limit many freedoms enjoyed in our youth in an effort to protect our children from the realities of a seemingly more dangerous world.  We expect children and adolescents to grow in maturity as they grow in size, yet we have difficulty finding safe places for them to learn responsibility and earn additional freedoms.  Jobs that we may have used to test the waters of the adult world in our younger days such as newspaper routes, walking door to door to shovel neighbors' driveways, or setting up a lemonade stand in the neighborhood are harder to come by in our "global" reality.  The opportunities for our children to get a taste of a paying their own way are few and far between.  This unfortunate truth has lead to many of our kids not understanding the hard work or sacrifice necessary to save up the money for that new bat, the preciousness of a brand new baseball, the value of their 3 week old batting gloves, or the honor of breaking in a new glove.  These items often arrive at their door with no effort of their own at the start of each season, in the middle of a season, or when one gets left behind at a ball field somewhere in between.  These precious items for which parents have worked so hard to procure become expected, deserved, and undervalued by many players.

As athletes who participate in activities that come with fees, fundraising opportunities are available to players and families to help defray the cost of tuition or associated expenses (i.e. equipment and tournament travel expenses). While not every family needs tuition assistance, every player benefits from helping to earn the funds necessary to support their commitment to baseball.  There is so much for our young players to learn from the fundraising experience such as understanding how to communicate clearly with adults to how to look beyond family and friends for sales to how to ask for permission to sell on private property to how to make change with cash to how hard one has to work to earn the money needed to buy a new pair of cleats.  All simple, small, valuable lessons that build responsibility, ownership, and character while awarding perseverance, diligence, and motivation.  These are the experiences that translate into real skills that can be applied in the classroom, on the field, and most importantly, in one's adult life.  They are the life lessons that so many young adults no longer have the space to learn.

The hard part for many families is that the process is time consuming.  It is another activity to which you have to carve out time in order to help a child on the journey of discovery.  Many of these kids simply don't know where to start in this process and many parents take on the responsibility of fundraising themselves without involving the kids.  Please don't!  Include your player in this process and explain that this is part of their commitment to the team and their baseball experience.  Guide players on how they can safely earn money towards their activity, but allow them the space to do the work and learn from the experience. 

Fundraising is so much more than a way to help lessen the cost of the travel program.  It is an opportunity for your child to learn that he/she is capable, that he/she can contribute, that he/she is a participant and not a bystander.  We are confident that the experience will teach our players the value of the opportunities that are given to them each and every day in the form of rides to practice, clothing and equipment, trips to tournaments, and everything in between. Our players that contribute personally to their tuition through fundraising or other means approach the sport differently.  They approach practice with more focus, they approach their games with more joy, and they handle their equipment with respect, knowing that none of these things are to be taken for granted, as they were earned with hard work and a commitment to the game that they love.

To learn more about the fundraising opportunities at CT Edge, check out our webpage.

CT Edge hosted five distinct, specialized training clinics for ball players 8-18 during December and January.  Players worked in small groups with a team of coaches to identify aspects of their game which required attention.  Over the course of seven weeks, structured practices in hitting, infield & throwing mechanics, catching, and pitching provided a framework for players to improve their skills under the guidance of coaches with skill specific expertise.

The success of these developmental clinics prompted CT Edge to introduce a second session for players interested in this opportunity.  Session II of the Winter Clinics will offer specialized Hitting Instruction and Infield Instruction.  In addition, pitchers and catchers interested in joining Session I of the Pitchers & Catchers Clinic may sign-up for a pro-rated registration.

For more information regarding these clinics, please refer to our website for a course description and registration information.
 

During the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons, you will hear our coaches repeatedly discuss teamwork, camaraderie, and sacrifice.  In each opportunity, the individual ball player has a responsibility to his teammates to do his best in that moment.  On the flip side, that player's teammates have a reciprocal responsibility to support that player regardless of the outcome of that singular moment - to cheer him on when he makes the play and to help him shake it off when he makes an error.  

In the Winter, the conversation changes.  The baseball off-season is all about the individual athlete driven to identify his weaknesses and overcome them.  Independent training, without the advantage of a coach to push you or a teammate to commiserate with, is mentally challenging work.  More than in season training, athletes working independent of their team in the off-season require maturity, focus and determination.  It is no secret that no one likes working on breaking bad habits or learning a new skill.  Overcoming these challenges often require the most effort and may take months before seeing results, making it difficult to stay with the program and see the training through to the end.  But for the athlete that can overcome doubt and frustration, work through isolation, and maintain patience with isolated tasks aimed at eliminating weaknesses in his game, the rewards will be great.

In November, players were encouraged to meet with Coaches Jason and Dennis to outline their goals for the off-season.  At the mid-point of December, we are encouraged to see many players stopping by after school or on the weekends for some tee work or fielding work.  Some players are more inclined to work with coaches via private lessons or the specialized weeknight clinics taking place in December and January.  Others are busy playing a second sport this Winter, which we fully encourage and support, knowing that cross-training is a valuable tool for any athlete. The off-season is about the individual. No matter how you train, train hard.

Winter break is around the corner - what do you have planned for your ball player?  CT Edge has it covered with an exciting 5 days of baseball workouts for your athlete to help keep him focused, energized, and engaged in all things baseball.  Class size is small - register today!   

Owners, Dennis Boucher and Jason Pfannenbecker celebrated their inaugural year in business last week with an in depth planning session to plan for the 2016 Season.  The planning session incorporated a 360 review of 2015 from facility review to team performance to player development to program goals.  Here are some highlights: 

Facility Review
Since the Grand Opening in November of 2014, the CT Edge has made tremendous strides.  The building renovations were completed by mid Winter 2015 housing five turf cages for indoor training, a lounge to facilitate team meetings and parent interaction, and a ProShop with CT Edge clothing and accessories.  Despite a late Winter, two baseball fields were carved out of the adjoining property to facilitate convenient, outdoor practices as well as host 8U - 12U home baseball games.  Moving forward into 2016, CT Edge will focus their facility efforts on the adjoining baseball fields, by improving the grounds conditions for practices and games.  In addition, the ProShop clothing line will be expanded with a more extensive offering of clothing and accessories for players, parents, siblings, and fans.

Team Performance
Many of the CT Edge teams experienced winning seasons - racking up trophies, rings, and medals to adorn the walls of their bedrooms.  Others had seasons filled with continuous improvement through intensive player development of individual skills while learning how to work together to create a team chemistry.  CT Edge does not identify one of these seasons to be more successful than the other, as a trophy or a title does not determine the ultimate success of a player or a season in youth sports.  Development, perseverance, focus, drive, and desire are elements that can come out of a winning or losing season for which there is no medal, yet the rewards are far greater than the title.  As tryouts commence in mid November, CT Edge will look for players who are not only skilled ball players, but players that have the drive to improve and willingness to learn.

Throughout the course of the season, it became clear that leadership, in the form of both coaches and players, is crucial to the team dynamic. Changes have been implemented to ensure that players have strong role models on the field who excel at transferring baseball skills, increasing one's understanding of the mental part of the game, and are committed to the development of the players on all levels - as athletes, as students, and as young men.  In regards to player leadership, CT Edge will work with all players to model positive leadership techniques and address behavior unbecoming of young athletes.  To facilitate this ongoing effort, CT Edge is in the process of developing conduct code guidelines for both coaches and players to set an organizational standard for all members of the program and will communicate this standard prior to the start of the Spring season.

Player Development
Baseball is a team sport driven by individual opportunities.  As such, the Winter training regime has been revised to reflect the need for specialized, position specific training complemented with longer team practices to develop team chemistry on the field.  A series of Winter Clinics were announced highlighting opportunities for small group, specialized training in hitting, pitching, catching, and infield work.  These sessions promise to provide interested players with an opportunity to focus on their individual skills on their own time, in order to more significantly contribute to their team in the Spring.  This change in programming will allow for longer team practices during the off-season.  Open hitting, which was highly successful in he inaugural year, will start back up in December.  At $10 per player, kids are welcome to come to CT Edge and hit off of live pitching in multiple tunnels.  This informal, no pressure style is a great opportunity to kids to stay loose all Winter long, regardless of their commitments to other teams or sports.

Program Goals
In 2015, several of our CT Edge athletes were identified as players to watch by college recruiters.  Invitations to college showcases in Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts were offered to these players in the Fall of 2015.  Beyond the responsibility of providing baseball instruction, CT Edge will continue to work with our players who have a desire to play baseball at the college level.  We will achieve this program goal by assisting them with the recruiting process, providing mentorship with the application process, communicating with coaches in accordance with NCAA regulations, and providing opportunities for players to be seen by college and pro recruiters.

Halloween weekend.  The last weekend of a long season highlighted with amazing comebacks at Nationals in South Carolina, fierce battles against the best in the country at the World Series in Long Island, and victories at home in Connecticut.  

The 14U CT Edge Select started preparing for the 2015 season in Winter of 2014, determined to push themselves to be better than they were the season before - stronger, smarter, smoother. Seamless on the field, cohesive as a team.  So on their journey, the long Winter of training finally gave way to Spring on our new fields. Seemingly, without notice, Spring trickled over into Summer and before our eyes the season was over. The team wrapped it up with an impressive record of 57-8-2, but CT Edge is not about records or wins in the book.  It is about growth.  It is about player development.  It is about challenge.  CT Edge is about finding out what the team and the players need, even when it is harder, more uncomfortable, and means not as good of a record.  It is about the players and about the team.  With this is mind, the coaches gathered the team family together to make a decision to place the boys in 16U Wood Bat for the Fall Season.  The decision was approved with the hope that it would ensure that the team would be pushed to face stronger, faster, older athletes who would challenge the players to play smarter, cleaner, and more focused baseball in every game.    

There were concerns ... Were the boys ready?  Would the pitcher be at risk?  Would the catcher be at risk? Would the boys lose confidence? Would they fracture and splinter when the wins weren't racking up and games weren't a 4 inning mercy?  Could they adjust to the wood bats?  In addition to the baseball concerns, many of the boys started high school this year.  The added work load, new social dynamics, changing of schools, and for some, the addition of a second competitive sport in the Fall season would all culminate at the same time as asking this group of kids to play up two age groups.  On paper, it looked like a lot to handle for a group of 13 and 14 year old boys.  To make it work, and to ensure the well-being of the players, parents and coaches had to commit to working together towards common goals for the Fall: continued progress of each and every player emotionally, socially, and athletically both on and off the field.

Coaches and parents worked together to ensure that scholar athletes were keeping up with school commitments both in the classroom as well as on the football field or cross country course.  Meetings were held to discuss the need for sportsmanship, a team dynamic, and personal maturity.  Conversations continued regularly stressing the need for a dual effort between parents and coaches to remain focused on the common goal - continued progress.

And so the boys played 16U this Fall.  The racked up a few more losses than in the Summer season.  The games were closer and required more focus, and not to our surprise, there were stumbles.  Players needed to adjust to the reality that their opponents were better competition than they played during the regular Summer season.  The fly ball to left center that was a stand up double was now an out. The hard ground ball in the hole that was a single in the Summer was now an out.  Those high pop-ups were a whole lot higher and that line drive came off the bat a whole lot faster. The pitchers were stronger, had better control, and more pitches in their repertoire.  There were more strikeouts, more ground balls, and yes, more outs.  The boys had to learn to control their emotions, count on one another to bring in the man on second, stand up and high five the kid who just hit a sac fly to right field, cheer on the kid who just hustled to run out the throw for a base hit, and support one another in the face of increased setbacks, including defeat.  Injuries surfaced, teammates had to skip practices to finish homework or prep for an entrance exam, and players had to fill in at new or unfamiliar positions, requiring veterans to communicate plays and provide leadership in the field.  The boys were challenged in every possible way: physically, mentally, and socially.  When they faltered, they were asked questions for which they did not yet have answers.  What kind of ball player do you want to be? What kind of man do you want to be?

The culmination of this team family decision was Halloween weekend, coming off of a USSSA Championship victory in a 14U tournament.  It was time to go back to the tougher world and less predictable world of 16U for the playoffs. Their hard work during the regular season bought them one game on Saturday, which they won without too much struggle. Sunday promised to be a harder day.  Single elimination, with a possible three games against strong, well-rounded teams.  Tough pitching all day required better pitch selection, well-placed hits, and small ball basics.  Faster base-runners challenged our pitchers and catchers to keep leads short, block better behind the plate, and stay on their toes to throw out or pick off runners at every opportunity.  And finally, inevitable mental or physical errors in the field required players pick each other up, hustle back into the dugout, and remain committed to one another on every play - regardless of outcome.

On a breezy Sunday, marking the first day of November, the boys met at the field at 8am and left just shy of 11pm that same evening.  Yes, the CT Edge Select 14U team left with trophies naming them the 16U league champions for the Fall Season.  They played all weekend with a love of the game most often seen in little boys, but with a progressing maturity that brings each one of them a step closer to becoming young men.  

CT Edge Baseball Academy has announced the Spring 2016 Tryout Schedule.  For information and registration, visit our website at www.ctedgebaseball.com. 

Saturday, November 7th & Saturday, November 14th

8-10u 
9:00am - 10:30am
 
11-12u 
11:00am - 12:30pm

13-14u 
1:00pm - 2:30pm

16-18u 
3:00pm - 4:30pm

Rain Dates will be Sunday, November 8th & Sunday, November 15th.
Advance registration is recommended.  Register online at www.ctedgebaseball.com.

Congratulations to the CT Edge players and coaches for an extraordinary Fall tournament season.  From our young, developing players to our experienced athletes preparing for college showcases, the CT Edge Program experienced great success this October at the USSSA Columbus Day and Fall Foliage Tournaments.  Over the course of two weekends, one filled with heavy rain and the other with frigid temperatures and even some flurries, the Edge players battled through their brackets to take home the Championship in four distinct age groups: 10U, 13U, 14U, and 16U. Congratulations to the players, the coaches, and the families that cheered them on all weekend long!  Go Edge!

At the end of the Spring/Summer season, the oldest of our young ball players, those who are getting ready for the transition to the big diamond, are offered a unique opportunity to play in the wood bat league. This league, comprised of local teams from around Connecticut, allows players a chance to experience baseball in its most innocent form, absent of the technology geared towards sending as many balls into the outfield as possible at as young an age as possible.

The wood bat game is certainly different, starting with the obvious point - the bat is different.  This one single differential has a ripple effect which is undeniable.  For starters, batters step into the box with a new tool.  Thanks to legendary Yankee, Yogi Berra, we all know that "baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical." Based on this assumption, we can assume that the new tool has a big effect on the player's mental approach to the at bat.  He already knows the bat is heavier, he can feel it.  But that nagging thought can start to work its way into the hitter's mind with every step leading up the the plate.  He may be thinking he won't have the pop he is used to with his cherished DeMarini or that he isn't as good of a hitter without the latest and greatest bat shared across Instagram feeds of 12 year old boys everywhere.  Then comes the physical reality.  Wielding the heavier bat makes the at bat fundamentally more challenging.  Can he maintain control of the bat all the way through the swing?  How can he deliver the same bat speed to get around on that fast ball in time to pull it down the line?

Now take a step back from the batter.  The use of the wood bat changes the game overall - including the defensive aspect of the game.  Generally speaking, wood bat league games are lower scoring games overall and move faster than their metal counterpart.  Speed wise, the faster moving game is usually viewed as an equal advantage.  Players are more alert with less downtime between innings and pitchers maintain their rhythm.  As a result of lower scoring games, teams used to a large run cushion, compliments of exceptional displays of power hitting, must rely more heavily on their defensive skills to maintain a competitive advantage in a tight game.  Coaches and managers are more apt to apply small ball strategies in tight games, requiring fielders to literally be on their toes with every pitch, adjusting field position to the situation and working cohesively as a unit to defend bunts, suicide squeezes, as well as hit and run situations.
 
The debate regarding the return to wood bat baseball across all levels will most likely carry on endlessly to no avail. Age group and league administrators will continue updating, revising, and rethinking their position on the use of metal vs. composite vs. wood bats.  Ultimately, players will need to adjust the same as they adjust between turf, skin infields, backstop depths, grass infields, and mound size.  Our CT Edge players on the 11 & 12U wood bat teams this Summer were fortunate for their opportunity to play grass roots baseball for three glorious weeks.  Not only did they challenge their skills and knowledge as baseball players, they were able to extend their season of baseball just a little bit further into the Summer before taking the August break.  See you all back this Fall!