Zawrotny Helps Dutch Coaches Improve Their Skills
In America, when the baseball playoffs end it is time
for trainers and inventors to show the results of their
latest discoveries. Mr. Zawrotny shares knowledge and tools
with Dutch coaches. (source: http://www.prweb.com//releases/2007/10/prweb561303.htm)
Yukon, OK (PRWEB)
October 17, 2007 -- In America, when the baseball playoffs
end it is time for trainers and inventors to show the
results of their latest discoveries.
For Steve Zawrotny, a Certified Strength & Conditioning
Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and
Conditioning Association (NSCA), this season will start with
an invitational trip to speak at the 21st European Baseball
Coaches Clinic in the Netherlands.
There he will address Dutch coaches of youth and adult
players from all competitive levels on how to properly apply
strength-training principles to improve player performance.
Why the Netherlands?
Since Amsterdam English professor, Emile Grasé, first
introduced baseball to the Netherlands in 1911, the game has
taken deep root there. In fact, there are more baseball
fields in Holland per capita than in other European
countries.
These days, Dutch players start training indoors in
February. The playing season starts in late March, early
April and continues through the baseball playoffs in late
September, early October. Most clubs play two, occasionally
three, games a week--even at the highest level of
competition.
"At the national level, Dutch Baseball is at the
forefront of European Baseball," says Mr. Zawrotny. "And,
the Dutch continue to build on their International
reputation. Especially, after their Olympic team ended the
Cubans 21-game Olympic winning streak at the 2000 games in
Sydney. So, it's an honor for me to speak at this clinic."
Despite the game's growing popularity, volunteer or low paid
non-professional coaches, with limited coaching backgrounds
and playing experience, coach most teams. That's where the
annual European Baseball Coaches Clinic comes in to help
these coaches learn more on how to "teach" the game.
The true visionary of the clinic was a former American coach
named Bill Arce. Mr. Arce started the clinic in 1985 by
inviting college and pro coaches from the United States to
the Netherlands to share their knowledge and experience with
the Dutch coaches.
As the strength and depth of Dutch baseball has grown, so
has the clinic. In its early years, the clinic had around
200 registrants. In 1992 almost 400 coaches attended. Today,
Dutch coaches see the clinic as the resource for ideas and
thoughts about baseball and softball.
"These dedicated coaches arrive motivated, ready to
improve on their past successes and gain new knowledge to
better their coaching skills," says clinic leader, Jim
Jones. "And, all the attendees share a common goal of giving
baseball players across the Netherlands a quality experience
and to grow the game of baseball."
Mr. Jones is no novice to international baseball. He
began his international baseball career in 1991 after
serving as an assistant coach at Stanford University and
head coach of the University of Wyoming and St. Mary's
College (CA). Since that time, he has served as a coach and
consultant in Czechoslovakia, France, and Spain. He also
served as Co-coordinator of Game Development in Europe for
Major League Baseball.
Now, as President of International Sports Group ("ISG"), Mr.
Jones heads up winter baseball and softball clinics, like
the European Baseball Coaches Clinic, throughout Europe with
the help of outside sponsorship.
ISG and The Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association
("KNBSB") will host this year's clinic at the Novotel
Rotterdam Brainpark hotel in Rotterdam on December 8th and
9th.
And, thanks to sponsors like Louisville Slugger, Diamond
Sports, World Sports Tours and Major League Baseball, Mr.
Jones can afford to bring in outstanding baseball speakers
like Mr. Zawrotny.
Mr. Zawrotny, who runs two baseball web sites:
BaseballFit.com (http://www.baseballfit.com)
and PitchingPractice.com (http://www.pitchingpractice.com),
plans to arm coaches with useful strength and conditioning
information. He will zero in on ways coaches can reduce the
risks of injury to players and increase player performance
on the field.
An inventor and co-developer, with former L.A. Dodgers
pitcher Jim Haller, of several baseball and softball
training products like the Big Z Training Bat (http://www.baseballfit.com/bat-speed.htm),
TheHeavyBall® (http://www.pitchingpractice.com/pitchingworkout.html),
and the Designated Hitter (http://www.pitchingpractice.com/baseballpitchers.html),
Mr. Zawrotny hopes to show coaches the value of combining
strength training with skill development.
"When you say strength and conditioning, many coaches
think only of weight lifting," says Mr. Zawrotny. "Yet more
advanced training methods such as over-load and over-speed
training and plyometrics, for example, can greatly improve a
player's throwing velocity or bat speed."
Through the years, Americans have supported Dutch
baseball in many ways.
At the end of World War II, baseball materials were in short
supply in the Netherlands. The Americans sent shiploads of
baseball materials--uniforms of all colors, bats, balls, and
the likes--to help get baseball up and going again. Their
support helped set the stage for the Netherlands to win
their first European title in 1956 and earn a chance to go
to the Global World Series.
"That's a hard contribution to top," says Zawrotny. "But
I'm sure that the 'baseball materials' and ideas I have to
share will help them too."
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