A number of top college coaches will step out of the dugout and up to the podium to share their knowledge with youth and high school baseball coaches from across Nebraska at the Second Annual Nebraska Baseball Coaches' Clinic.  The two-day event will take place Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1 at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont. 

 

The impressive line-up of speakers includes keynote speaker Ron Polk, the former head coach at Mississippi State University and now an assistant at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Kansas Head Coach Rich Price, Creighton University Head Coach Ed Servais, Wayne State Head Coach John Manganaro, Nebraska assistant Dave Bingham, Oral Roberts assistants Ryan Folmer and Ryan Neil, former Nebraska assistant Andy Sawyers, now an assistant at Kansas State, Creighton pitching coach Rob Smith, Ultimate Baseball Academy Dean of Instruction Bill Olson, Toronto Bluejays Scouting Supervisor Steve Miller, Elkhorn High School Head Coach Jerry Frerichs and physical therapist Keith Weinhold.

 

The event is the product of much planning and effort by Fremont resident Steve Gossett, scouting supervisor for the Kansas City Royals and a former assistant coach at Midland.  Gossett has drawn on his extensive contacts in the coaching ranks to bring some top notch coaching talent to Fremont for the event.  "UNL used to have a coaches' clinic similar to this three or four years ago," observed Gossett, "and it was really a great way to get instructional information out to high school and youth coaches across the area.  After that event ceased to exist, I talked to some folks in Fremont, including Bergan coach Roger Ortmeier and YMCA director Jerry Rinne about putting together a coaches' clinic in Fremont.  We've had great cooperation from Midland, which has a really outstanding facility for this event.  Last year was a very successful event for our first time out, and we think it will only get better and continue to grow from here."

 

The clinic will be held at Hopkins Arena on the Midland campus and features breakout sessions in the facility's classrooms as well as demonstrations utilizing the all-purpose arena surface, batting cages and pitching mounds.

 

A new feature this year is the inclusion of an NSAA Baseball Rules Meeting conducted by NSAA Assistant Director Jim Angele.  Since high school coaches are required to attend a rules meeting prior to every season, incorporating the meeting into the clinic agenda will allow coaches in attendance to satisfy this requirement in a convenient manner.

 

The event is open to the public, although the instructional sessions are primarily intended for coaches and parents.  "I don't think we can provide enough instruction in a two-day clinic that players would be able to come away with skills that they could readily incorporate into their game without more instruction and reinforcement.  Our goal is to teach the coaches and parents who will then work hands-on with the players to make sure the skills are properly introduced and reinforced." 

 

The registration fee is $35 per individual or $25 per coach if more than four coaches from the same program register together. 

 

| Clinic Website |

 

 

 

2009 Nebraska Baseball Coaches' Clinic Agenda Saturday January 31st
Time	Speaker	Topic
800am	Jim Angele, NSAA	NSAA Rules Meeting, HS Coaches
900am	Ron Polk, Volunteer Asst Univ Alabama - Birmingham	Signals and Player Response (team signs)
1015am	Dave Bingham, Asst Coach, Univ of Nebraska	Team Defense / Bunt plays / Relays
1115am	Rob Smith, Pitching Coach, Creighton Univ	Daily plan and Throwing Progression to Bullpen
1200pm	LUNCH
1220pm	Collegiate Coaches Panel	"Recruiting Process Discussion"
		Folmer, Price, Sawyers, Manganaro, Smith
1:00pm	Rich Price, Head Coach, Univ of Kansas	The "Double Play"
200pm	Ryan Folmer, Asst Coach, Oral Roberts Univ	Hitting Principles / Daily Drills
300pm	Andy Sawyers, Asst Coach Kansas State	Absolutes of Catching / Drill Series
400pm	John Manganaro, Head Coach, Wayne State Univ	Pitchers / Team throwing program
500pm	Ed Servais, Head Coach, Creighton Univ	Infield Play
545pm	Social	No Host Bar
630pm	Ron Polk, Volunteer Asst, Univ Alabama - birmingham	Keynote address
Sunday February 1st
Time	Speaker	Topic
800am	Bill Olson, Ultimate Baseball Academy	Practice organization / Maintaining a Winning Program
930am	Steve Miller, Scouting Supervisor, Toronto Bluejays	Advanced Hitting Concepts
1030am	Jerry Frerichs, Head Coach, Elkhorn High School	Handling Parents
1130am	Ryan Neil, Asst Coach, Oral Roberts Univ.	Aggressive Outfield Play / Drill Series
1230	Keith Weinhold, PT Sports Medicine Coordinator	Simple Strength Training and
	Fremont Area Medical Center	Core Stability in Baseball Players