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RANCH REVIEW THE
WINTER 2024
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FALL BACK, SPRING FORWARD
Looking Back at Our Adventures
Yeah, yeah, I know — my title is a memorized line to help millions of people remember how to adjust clocks for daylight saving time. But it felt fitting for this month’s Ranch Review. A LOOK BACK AT THE SUMMER AND FALL In late August, Jill, Alexa, Garrett, and I took some well-deserved time off
As we often say at the Ranch, we train hard, and we play hard. Our time in the Mountain West was amazing — the weather was perfect, the people were friendly, and the scenery was breathtaking. If you’re looking for a getaway, we highly recommend setting aside time to visit this beautiful part of the U.S.
Pitchers are looking for every advantage heading into the spring season, so our EPBC dates during this time of year are among the most popular of the year, and they fill up fast. If you’re interested in joining us, don’t hesitate to contact our office at (936) 588-6762 or visit our website, TexasBaseballRanch.com , to secure your spot.
SPRING AHEAD One of the most frequent questions at the Ranch is, “When is your slow
and traveled to the Mountain West, exploring South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Our 10-day adventure took us from Mount Rushmore to Jackson Hole. These are six highlights from the trip: The Grand Tetons Yellowstone Wildlife Mount Rushmore Old Faithful The Little Bighorn Battlefield A “Cowboy” Encounter in Deadwood, South Dakota
season?” The answer might surprise you: Our quietest
time is between early March and mid-May. During this period, we
focus on new construction projects and developing programming for the Ranch. However, from October through February, it’s very busy! Every month during this time, we host Elite Pitchers Boot Camps (EPBCs), regular classes, and private training sessions, as well as our once-a- year catchers camp and Alumni camp. If you’ve never been to The Ranch, we would love for you to visit the Ranch anytime — feel free to ask for a tour.
UPCOMING EPBC DATES: Dec. 28–30 (Saturday-Monday) Jan. 18–20 (Saturday-Monday) Feb. 15–17 (Saturday-Monday)
Hope to see you there!
–Coach Ron Wolforth
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Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762
Service Highlight
TBR’S ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMP The Gold Standard
Now is the time of year many athletes join us for an Elite Pitchers Boot Camp to make sure they’re best prepared for the upcoming 2025 season. We host one every month from October through February. If you or someone you know wants to travel to Texas to participate in this incredible event, don’t delay. Besides, the fall and winter are the best time to be in southeast Texas.
The Texas Baseball Ranch is the country’s top baseball pitching training facility, and our Elite Pitchers Boot Camps are easily the gold standard of pitching camps. It’s more than just a simple camp: An event! It’s an experience! It’s something that you leave knowing you made a great decision for the investment of your time and resources. Now more than ever, an individualized, hyper-personalized approach to pitching development is critical to catch up or surpass your competitive peer group. At the Texas Baseball Ranch, that is our entire focus: Helping YOU with what you need and designing YOUR personal plan. Nobody does it better. Others try, but it’s just not the same. We simply have better systems, people, and culture for training pitchers. The Texas Baseball Ranch is a
serious program for serious people who want serious results. Check out what these families had to say about their recent Ranch experience: “The Baseball Ranch is so much more than a ‘pitching camp.’ It is a respite from the ‘noise’ of Twitter, travel ball, etc. Coach Wolforth, his wife Jill, and his knowledgeable staff are a well of wisdom in pitching, movement patterns, and life generally. Their positive and encouraging energy was truly a blessing to me and my family.”
–David Skeels Parent, Aledo, TX
For more information or to register, go to TexasBaseballRanch.com/events .
TEENS AND CHORES How to Turn Reluctance Into Responsibility
No one loved doing household chores growing up, but chores are great for building character and work ethic. If we shirk our responsibilities, we inevitably turn into vegetables — couch potatoes. No doubt, convincing your teenagers of the value of hard work and the importance of doing their chores can be trying at times. Sure, many grumble about “kids these days” and how parenting used to be, but we should remember that child-rearing has come a long way since the old days. For example, when Aztec children refused to do their chores, their parents would hold them over smoking chilies, resulting in eye-watering, skin-irritating torment — basically the Mesoamerican equivalent of pepper spraying kids in the face. The
further we can get from that standard of parenting, the better. So, here are two tips to help convince your teens to chip in around the house — no peppers needed. FRAME IT DIFFERENTLY. Sometimes, all you need is a change in perspective. Rather than simply stating that things need to get done — “Because I said so!” — it can help to pitch chores as ways your teens can help around the house. Talk about everything that needs to be done to contribute to a healthy, happy home. There’s grocery shopping, feeding the dog, doing the laundry, maintaining the ever-growing collection of succulents, you name it. This will give them more perspective into how much their parents currently take on. Then, break down which responsibilities they’ll
be assigned to complete and how often you expect them to do each task. GOOD WORK DESERVES A REWARD. Chore money has always been a great incentive to encourage teens to do their part around the home. These days, there are even apps, like BusyKid, that assign a monetary value to different chores around the house. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank, but teaching your kids that hard work pays off can motivate them to accomplish more around the home.
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Does it ever strike you as odd that a veteran major league pitcher, a fully grown man with years of experience and supposedly “a sound movement pattern,” will only throw 1-2 innings in his first outing in Spring Training, while it is not uncommon for a high school pitcher to throw a complete game in his very first game of the season, or for the youth pitcher to throw his maximum allotment of 9 innings over his first weekend tournament? THE TRUTH ABOUT SOFT TISSUE, GROWTH PLATES, AND INJURIES
RYAN’S RECORD STANDS THE TEST OF TIME Pitching Powerhouse When the Houston Astros signed free agent Nolan Ryan for $4.5 million in November of 1979, his salary was the highest on record in Major League Baseball at that time. As it turned out, Ryan was worth every penny and more, helping drive the hapless Astros to three division titles. Ryan’s $4.5 million contract is dwarfed by the eight-figure salaries paid by MLB luminaries today. At least one player on half of all MLB teams earned $25 million or more last season. Even adjusted for inflation, Ryan would only make about $19.5 million in 2024 dollars. Today’s massive payouts reflect stars’ critical role in generating billions in revenue for the league through broadcasting rights and ticket sales. Still, Ryan’s unparallelled performance record has stood the test of time. The Hall of Famer pitched at velocities over 100 mph into his mid-40s. His legendary 12-to-6 curveball struck fear in the hearts of batters. And Ryan still holds the MLB strikeout record at 5,714, the no-hitter record at seven, and the modern-era record for the most seasons played at 27. showcase or two, add some mechanical inefficiencies and/or immature movement patterns, mix in a strength imbalance, include mobility and/or flexibility constraints, and what we have is the perfect storm. It is amazing to me that even MORE youth pitching athletes don’t require medical/surgical intervention these days. The average velocity of pitching at every level of baseball is going up, and the risk of injury to soft tissue and growth plates is going up as well. Therefore, parents and athletes have two primary choices: 1. Stay safe and be passed over by other athletes willing to risk injury; 2. Or risk injury themselves. If your athlete has decided pitching a baseball is something he is truly serious about, then preparing his soft tissue for the stress it will encounter, improving mechanical efficiencies, managing workloads, and paying attention to growth plate issues, growth spurts, tenderness, tightness and pain is not only a good idea, but mandatory due diligence. A systematic preparation of soft tissue for the stress it will be placed under is absolutely essential. Cleaning up mechanical inefficiencies is imperative. Managing workloads, scheduling down time, and focusing on recovery only make good common sense. Wishing for an ideal environment is a giant waste of time, in my opinion. Here at the Texas Baseball Ranch, we expend our energy on the variables we can affect.
It should.
It represents a real intellectual disconnect. From the time they are born until they are 25 years of age, most males are a literal growth machine. To allow for amazing spurts and expansion, the soft tissue around the joints and growth plates are really put to the test; and that’s without doing anything out of the normal. Enter competitive athletes and the desire to throw harder, run faster, jump higher, etc. Then do this all year long, play on two teams, throw in a
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS
WINTER ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS:
• DECEMBER 28–30 • JANUARY 18–20 • FEBRUARY 15–17
WWW.TEXASBASEBALLRANCH.COM/EVENTS
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,
USE PROMO CODE: TBR5
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Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow!
PHONE (936) 588-6762
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www.texasbaseballranch.com 5451 Honea-Egypt Road Montgomery, TX 77316
(936) 588-6762
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PAGE 1 Recounting Fall and Summer Adventures at the Ranch
PAGE 2 Service Highlight
Encouraging Teens to Help Around the House PAGE 3 The Truth About Soft Tissue, Growth Plates, and Injuries
This Month in Baseball History
PAGE 4 The Essential Fats You Need on Your Plate
Why Your Body Needs Omega-Packed Foods DON’T FEAR THE FAT
The word “fat” might sound like something to avoid on your wellness journey, but not all fats are created equal. Certain unsaturated fats are essential for keeping your heart strong, brain sharp, and energy levels steady. Knowing which fats to add to your plate can take your health goals to the next level. Get ready for a healthy serving of omega fats as we explore three of the best foods to fuel your body and improve your overall well-being.
you can reap a wealth of benefits like lower cholesterol levels, healthy blood pressure, strong bones, improved brain function, and reduced risk of stroke, just to name a few. AVOCADO Avocados are a superfood, and while they are high in fat, they’re the good kind. This creamy and indulgent fruit also contains a high amount of vitamin E and provides a healthy serving of dietary fiber. Add this green superstar to salads or toast to get the nutrient booster you need to maintain weight, reduce heart disease risk, control blood sugar, and improve brain function. NUTS Nuts are heart-healthy snacks that provide protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and beneficial monounsaturated fats. When you incorporate these into your diet, your
heart will benefit. Studies have found that nuts can help reduce the risk of diabetes and lower cholesterol levels. Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts are all wonderful options to try out. Just make sure you moderate how much you eat, as they are high in calories. These nutrient-packed foods taste great and provide essential benefits to keep your heart, brain, and body functioning at their best. So, next time you prepare your plate, don’t fear fats! Embrace the healthy ones that fuel your body.
SALMON Salmon is one of the best sources of
omega fats and one of the most nutrient- rich foods you can find on the whole planet. Not only does it contain omega fats, which support a healthy nervous system, heart, and brain, but it also contains quality protein and multiple nutrients. By adding this tasty and popular fish to your plate,
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