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RANCH REVIEW THE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
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WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?
4 Options After Boot Camp
One of the most common questions Jill and I get at the Texas Baseball Ranch is, “What is the next step after we attend an Elite Pitchers Boot Camp event?” In truth, it is a very good question. “What is next? Where do we go from here?” is a very natural thought process. Because the Ranch is so developmental in philosophy and in process, the question becomes even more relevant, and of course we have a very specific answer. The athlete who attends the EPBC event has four quality options available to them. #1. REGISTER FOR THE ALUMNI EVENT. Over the last several years, the Alumni Boot Camp has included professional baseball coaches Brent Strom and Flint Wallace. Brent is currently the pitching coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks and truly is the dean of MLB pitching coaches. He’s one of the very best pitching coaches in the history of Major League Baseball. We have been close friends for more than 20 years now, and have worked over 300 camps together. Flint Wallace is currently the pitching coordinator of the Colorado Rockies and has worked over 200 camps with us. Along with our regular Ranch staff, we put together an amazing event designed specifically for athletes and parents already well versed in Ranch philosophy and protocol. But the event only happens once a year (the first weekend in January), is limited to 24 athletes, and sells out very quickly. #2. ATTEND A SECOND EPBC EVENT. Returners get a very special rate, and the honest truth is that the second event is almost always more impactful toward improving performance. Oftentimes the first event is overwhelming with information and content. During the second event, athletes begin to internalize and master the philosophies and protocols we teach. I often say to parents, the sweet spot for maximizing the EPBC impact is 2–3 camps over two years. #3. SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING SESSION WITH A RANCH COACH. Sometimes the training has to become more individualized and more involved. This is typically true
for those dealing with a return from injury or a very inefficient movement pattern that requires a great deal of remediation and observation. #4. I BELIEVE THE BEST CHOICE FOR MOST EPBC ALUMNI IS TO COME TO 3–8 WEEKS
OF THE SUMMER INTENSIVE PROGRAM. We like to say that the summer program is the EPBC on steroids. Every morning we start with a mindset presentation that many have said is the single most impactful part of the summer program. In fact, we always have parents stop in and watch the mindset and then come back at 11:30 to get their athletes. 9:45–11:30 a.m. is dedicated to strength, stability, mobility, flexibility, and explosiveness. The morning session is devoted to building athleticism and creating better movers. It is fun, challenging, high energy, and demanding. It is always rewarding to watch young athletes blossom right in front of your eyes. 1–3 p.m. is dedicated to the throwing element of performance: wake-up/warm-up, arm care, deceleration, connection-arm action, synergy, utilization of the posterior chain (legs/hips/ trunk), velocity enhancement, command enhancement, developing secondary offerings (curveball, slider, changeup), recovery and, most importantly, health and durability. The summer program runs 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Thursday from the last week of May through the second week of August. There is a two-week minimum stay for Ranch returners (three weeks for new athletes) required with one exception: You can attend an EPBC event and add on a one-week summer program stay. The Ranch extended-stay summer program is going on its 18th year and has changed the baseball lives of literally hundreds of athletes. The training atmosphere is like no other.
–Ron Wolforth
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Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762
Summer baseball camps are everywhere these days. There are local high school camps, college camps, academy camps, etc. And depending on your needs and goals, these can be a good fit. For example, if you’re a 13- or 14-year-old trying to make a high school team next year, you might want to get in front of your future high school coaches. If you’re a high school player interested in a specific college, attending their camp and getting a feel for the campus and coaching staff can be a good idea. (Word of warning: Many times, college baseball camps are a fundraiser for the volunteer coaches, and the major decision-makers aren’t there. One way to know is to simply Often Copied, Never Duplicated TBR’S WORLD- RENOWNED SUMMER CAMPS Service Highlight
ask, “Will the pitching coach or recruiting coordinator be involved?”) If, however, you are a serious baseball pitcher and you have a specific goal to gain velocity, improve your command, develop your secondary pitches, and/or maximize your arm health and recovery, then the Texas Baseball Ranch is the place for you this summer. We have two options for you: 1) Our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Boot Camp is the best choice if you want to squeeze in as much information as possible in a short amount of time. This is what we recommend if you are new to the Ranch. 2) The Summer Intensive Program is
lower body video analysis, a pain audit, a recovery audit, and the BRAT movement assessment), your program will be hyper- personalized to focus on your specific needs and performance constraints. The development of a complete baseball player is critical, so every participant takes part in our skill-specific strength development and explosiveness training. You will also experience our powerful mindset presentations. It is important that you develop physically and mentally. When combined, your performance can skyrocket. Our events are world-renowned as the gold standard among summer camps. Information
perfect if you are looking to take your performance to the next level. You can choose to stay from 3–11 weeks and really put your nose to the grindstone during your stay.
and registration can be found at TexasBaseballRanch. com/events , or you can call us at (936) 588-6762. The Early Bird deadline ends March 15, 2023.
Each experience offers a holistic approach to your training and development. After a series of initial assessments (including an upper and
We’re excited to have you join us in Montgomery, Texas, this summer!
5 REASONS TO SEE A PLAY THIS SEASON The Theater Is Calling Your Name
This Spring, consider making a family trip to your local theater. There are a surprising number of benefits to seeing a play in person. 1. YOU’LL SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY. Theater companies are almost always local organizations, and many of them are nonprofits. That means the money you spend on your tickets will go into the pockets of the actors and/or right back into the company to bring more productions to the community. 2. YOUR KIDS COULD DISCOVER AN INTEREST IN THE ARTS. Your children might have a passion for acting or stage design. They’ll never know unless they see both firsthand. 3. YOU’LL PROVOKE FAMILY DISCUSSIONS. Chatting about the play with your family during intermission and the drive home will help you learn more about each other and forge stronger bonds. What did your kids enjoy about the plot? Which character did your spouse identify with most? Are there any plot holes or unanswered questions that are bothering them? 4. YOU’LL BOOST YOUR FAMILY’S LITERARY KNOWLEDGE. A study from the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform found that students remembered more about stories like “Julius Ceasar” after watching them as plays
than they did after watching movies or even reading the original books. Exposing your kids to the work of Shakespeare and Dickens at the theater is a great way to help them get ahead in their studies.
5. YOUR KIDS WILL
DEVELOP THEIR TOLERANCE AND EMPATHY. The same study out of Arkansas found that students who attended the theater scored higher on tolerance and empathy tests. Watching live helped them identify and relate to the emotional turmoil of the characters. This Spring, check your local theaters for productions like “Julius Ceasar,” “Twelfth Night,” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” You’ll bring your family closer one curtain call at a time.
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A HEAVY LOAD The Truth About Weighted Balls
Many baseball experts are opposed to weighted-ball training, but at Texas Baseball Ranch, we are some of the strongest advocates for the practice. That wasn’t always the case — many of us used to be opposed to this method. What changed? We realized that every ball is weighted to some degree, and there’s nothing inherently riskier with a heavier one. A regulation softball is just over 6 ounces, while a baseball is just over 5 ounces. Meanwhile, regulation footballs are 15 ounces. If a heavier ball automatically translated to injury,
automatically make it riskier. At the Ranch, we’ve found that lighter balls are more dangerous. Why? A more lightweight ball can create a higher end point velocity, meaning soft tissue can stretch farther, and players need more efficiency to avoid injury. In other words, a 2-ounce Wiffle ball is riskier than an 8-ounce water-logged baseball when thrown at full speed. Perhaps views would shift if we measured success in baseball differently. In our sport, it doesn’t matter whether a pitcher strikes out a hitter by throwing at 65 mph or 105 mph — only the strike itself counts. Meanwhile, in sports that constantly try to push the barriers of individual performance, like track and field, over- and underweighting exercises are common. That’s not to say that weighted balls are always better. We primarily use them at the Ranch for arm care and warmup everyday as a matter of routine. While we originally started the practice in an attempt to increase velocity, that wasn’t the primary positive outcome we saw. Instead, we saw the most improvements in health and durability. Our players never “pitch” a ball that isn’t regulation, but they throw balls between 3.5 ounces to 6 pounds for various exercises using special movement patterns. While weighted- ball training has the potential to be misused, like any other technique, it’s a powerful tool we use to create better, more well-rounded pitchers.
softball throwers would have more injuries than baseball throwers, and football players would have roughly three times as many throwing injuries as baseball players. But that’s not at all true. In fact, pitching expert Paul Nyman argues that we’d have fewer injuries if a baseball weighed 7 ounces instead of 5. Of course, throwing a football isn’t the same as throwing a baseball. But the example proves that adding more weight to a ball does not
BASEBALL’S FIRST ARBITRATION CASE This Month in Baseball History
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS
ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS:
SUMMER INTENSIVE PROGRAM (STAY 3-11 WEEKS):
The unique institution of baseball arbitration began in 1974, with 48 players exercising their new right to settle salary disputes through the procedure. On Feb. 11 that year, the arbitration panel made its first-ever ruling in favor of Twins player Dick Woodson, who requested a $29,000 salary.
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MAY 27-29 JUNE 9-11 JUNE 23-25
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BEGINS MAY 30 AND RUNS THROUGH AUG. 10.
JULY 7-9
JULY 21-23 AUG. 4-6 SEPT. 2-4
Baseball arbitration remains an option for players who have professionally played the game for three years but won’t become a free agent until the six-year mark. When negotiations between a player and team fail, they take their dispute to a three-member arbitration board, which decides in favor of either the player’s or team’s proposed salary — no compromises. Arbitration has been used to decide players’ salaries almost 500 times since Woodson’s ruling, with most arbitration-eligible players now commanding seven-figure salaries. The sport’s quirk is exciting for die-hard fans and keeps the game interesting even during the offseason.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,
www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PAGE 1 You Have Many Options After Boot Camp PAGE 2
TBR’s Summer Events The Theater Is Calling Your Name PAGE 3 Where We Stand on Weighted Balls This Month in Baseball History PAGE 4 This Game Combines Tag and Parkour
The History of World Chase Tag TAG, YOU’RE IT!
sport. Devaux told his brother, Damien, about his idea, and the brothers began devising rules to turn the game into a team sport. In 2013, the Devaux brothers began organizing meet-ups for people to play competitive tag, which was a huge success. It quickly gained popularity among parkour athletes and ninja warrior competitors, leading to international competitions. Today, World Chase Tag has gained tons of interest worldwide, with many parkour gyms and clubs creating their own teams. In addition, the national, continental, and world championships are now broadcast on ESPN2. HOW DO YOU PLAY? The basics of the team game are still simple: Players chase their opponents and try to tag them. But you must follow a few rules. Two teams compete against each
other, with six players on each team. Every match, or chase, is 20 seconds long and consists of one player from each team — the chaser and evader. If the chaser, the one trying to tag the evader, fails to tag their opponent in 20 seconds, the evader’s team gets the point. Each team alternates chasing and evading. Whoever has the most points in 16 matches wins the game. You can only make tags with your hands, and if you step out of bounds, you lose the match. Sounds easy, right? Well, instead of running on flat surfaces, the chaser and evader are jumping over bars and blocks, sliding under surfaces, and navigating other obstacles as they attempt to get away from their opponent. Who knew a children’s game would gain such popularity in a decade? Did you know this sport existed? We would love to know your thoughts!
Although tag is best known as a popular children’s game, it’s also a competitive sport. The game combines tag and parkour to create a unique and exhilarating experience for competitors and viewers. But how did this sport come to be, and how do you play it? Let’s find out. IT ALL STARTED IN 2012. After playing a game of tag with his son, Christian Devaux started thinking about how he could make this simple and well- loved children’s game into a competitive
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