In partnership with USA Baseball, the Reds Community Fund (RCF) hosted one of its signature Coaches Clinics on April 13.
Roughly 60 youth baseball and softball coaches visited Great American Ball Park for a morning discussion with four members of the Reds¡¯ coaching staff, headlined by manager Terry Francona. The Reds¡¯ skipper served as the first speaker of the day, followed by pitching coach/director of pitching Derek Johnson, hitting coach/director of hitting Chris Valaika and third-base coach J.R. House. The program concluded with words from USA Baseball Director of Player Development Jim Koerner. The participants also received tickets to that afternoon¡¯s game that saw the Reds sweep the Pirates.
Before Francona¡¯s Q&A started, the two-time World Series champion manager delivered a simple, all-encompassing message to the group, a message that was probably the most important of the event: gratitude.
¡°I want to commend all of you for what you are doing for your kids,¡± he said. ¡°I'm sure most of you are probably volunteering, so the fact that you're here shows you¡¯re doing it for the right reasons and speaks volumes about how much you care about trying to do it the right way for the kids, which is really important.¡±
From there, Tito talked about how he landed back in baseball after a year off, and why it was with the Reds. He gave insight into some of his coaching philosophies, in terms of how and when he addresses players after mistakes, roster construction, putting players in their best positions for success, the role of analytics and social media in today¡¯s game, the importance of having fun, and so much more.
Once Francona was finished, Johnson shared his thoughts on bad tendencies young pitchers are picking up and how to fix those tendencies early. He also broke down several different pitches for the coaches, demonstrating how and where to hold the ball, why it¡¯s important to hold it a certain way, and how the variations of each grip can manipulate the pitch. On the hitting side, Valaika talked about different drills the coaches could implement for their kids, how to limit chasing pitches and different swing techniques. House incentivized crowd participation during his interactive session, handing out Reds prizes to coaches who correctly answered his PowerPoint questions.
The baseball and softball coaches in attendance ranged from coach pitch instructors to 18U coaches, and the teams consisted of varying skill sets and competition levels. But the overall sentiment provided by Francona and his staff was applicable to all ages and abilities: creating a positive, fun environment for the young players while also maintaining discipline and focus.
¡°I just told them things that I feel strong about,¡± Francona said. ¡°And that doesn¡¯t mean they have to do it. But everything I¡¯ve learned over the years has stuck with me in some way to this day. I¡¯m not the smartest guy, but I kept my eyes and ears open, watched and listened, and tried to learn everything I could. And I am still doing that.¡±
The RCF is one of many organizations nationwide that teams up with USA Baseball for clinics to support current or aspiring baseball and softball coaches at all levels. These programs aim to create a higher standard of coaching education and enhance the ability of coaches to better serve their athletes, their teams and their communities. The clinics provide a hands-on learning experience for all coaches focused on some of the key fundamentals of the game, as well as practice planning and team management.
¡°Recruiting and training coaches is one of the most important elements of our mission. Fortunately, our clubhouse and baseball operations team understand the urgency of providing connection and content with the volunteers that help keep the game going,¡± Executive Director of the RCF, Charley Frank, said. ¡°We¡¯ve hosted this event for over a decade, and Terry Francona, Derek Johnson, Chris Valaika and J.R. House made for arguably our best lineup to date. USA Baseball has been a tremendous partner, providing additional content and helping to recruit coaches from throughout the region.¡±