by Andrew Newman
Frozen Ropes Instructor

Maple, ash, and bamboo are a few of the types of wood used today in bats. Though they are only a necessity at the major league level, what are the benefits of using them at a younger age and lower ranks? I have spoken with many parents and players who wonder why one should use a bat that has a lesser range of pop and a shorter life span. Both these statements are usually accurate, yet a wood bat could be the most beneficial tool a hitter could add to their routine. A wood bat is the perfect tool in honing a player’s skills, while improving focus and hitting approach. The smaller sweet spot increases a hitter’s proficiency in hitting the ball on the barrel. Aluminum bats have a much greater area of potential power whereas wood bats reduce the amount of cheap hits and encourage the hitter to focus on hitting the ball on the premier sweet spot of the bat. The focus needed to hit the ball on a smaller scale directly translates into the player’s hitting approach; making players’ apply all concentration and visualization on hitting the pitch squarely. A heavier wood bat aids in developing the explosive muscles used in swinging to and through the baseball. Constant repetition of swinging a wood bat is a safe and functional workout that will allow the player to drive the ball harder when swinging aluminum in games. The wood bat is a great investment and a proven tool that yields results and should be incorporated in every aspiring player’s workouts. The life span of a wood bat may be its only downfall; however a simple and thorough tape job around the barrel will increase longevity immensely.

by John Carranza

One of the most common things we hear at Frozen Ropes from parents and coaches is how great some players perform at practice but struggle during actual games. ’My kid crushes the ball at practice but at games can’t hit.’ Obviously, these players have the physical ability to perform – as they constantly prove at each practice, so why do they have trouble performing when it counts? The simple answer is that during practice, they are relaxed and under no pressure. During games, they are in the spotlight with coaches, parents, family, fans, opponents, etc. all watching and cheering, screaming and chatting. So we have two very different situations for these players. The solution to this issue lies in the mental approach by the players – and it starts with the coaches and parents. If coaches and parents put unnecessary pressure on young players, it will make it more difficult for them to perform well. They need to be in a relaxed state to play well. It is extremely hard to play well when you are afraid to make a mistake and subsequently get yelled at by your coach or parent. I am currently managing my 12-year old daughter’s softball team. During my very first meeting with the parents and players, I made it clear that one of my main goals with each player was to get them to relax when they go up to the plate. It was very common for some players to run up to the plate when it’s their turn to bat and get in that batter’s box in a rushed manner. We practiced walking up to the plate instead, taking their time and taking a deep breath while getting the mind relaxed and ready to hit.

Good coaches run intense practices. I’m not talking about just a lot of yelling at the players, but a serious, structured practice where players are expected to practice hard instead of messing around for an hour or two. This prepares the players for game situations.

I have coached for many years, both baseball and softball, and have always had those players that during practice, are smiling and relaxed. During games, it’s like they are a different person, they have that deer in the headlights look, especially when it’s their turn to bat. As coaches and parents, we need to do our part NOT to put unnecessary pressure on our young players. If a pitcher is constantly looking to the stands at mom or dad after every pitch to make sure they are meeting their approval, then it’s evident that he or she is not very relaxed. Sometimes it is much better for parents to watch their children’s games from behind the outfield fence. Don’t suffocate your child, yelling instructions and analyzing their every move for all to hear. I could go on and on about this topic but I’ll save that for another article…

by Andrew Newman

Tuesday, March 20th was the start of our Born to Play 4 week session here at Frozen Ropes. As with all our all classes we are excited to begin with a fresh group of players, especially this particular class which is unique in many ways. Consisting of only 3-4 year olds, the Born to Play program is quite special in that it is able to establish a foundation for these young ball players. The purpose of this class is to teach basic fundamental mechanics disguised in the form of games. The program is fast paced and led by animated instructors who are able to instill proper techniques into the minds of the young players while keeping activities simplistic and entertaining. Throughout the course players will learn the basics of base running and the correct way to slide. Using color coordination with bean bags and cones, players will learn how to step and throw at the appropriate target; resetting the cones and bean bag toss helps develop hand eye coordination. As an introductory to hitting, placing the players’ feet on colored dots simplifies their batting stance and is a great visual which they respond to well. These are a few of the many games (drills) that our instructors teach with added elements of fun and creativity.

Born to Play is a very exciting first step into the wonderful game of baseball. Along with teaching the fundamentals of the sport, it allows the players to interact in an organized, competitive and fun environment. Our instructors feel privileged to be able to mold the minds of these young children with the knowledge, love and respect they have developed over the years. This class advances in a unique and powerful direction teaching basics, discipline and comradery through relatable and stimulating activities.

Did you know we have The Iron Woman as one of our softball instructors at Frozen Ropes Glendora?
Yep, our own Katie Gollhardt who played 4 years at Cal State Fullerton. Born and raised in Glendora,
Katie attended Bishop Amat HIgh School and went on the play at CSF. Read about her collegiate playing
career and why she was the Titan’s Iron Woman here:

http://www.dailytitan.com/2008/05/katiegollhardttheironwoman/

CSF's Iron Woman in action

by Al Salgado

We as athletes are constantly trying to figure out how to compete at our very best. I have experienced over the past 15 years many players being challenged with their level of confidence. A recent experience with a player posed the obvious fear of feeling challenged and the immediate response was, and I quote “Oh I’m done”! This response was given before the task had even been attempted. The player immediately felt he was not going to be able to accomplish the task because he felt it was difficult. I questioned the player on his response about why he felt he was done so quickly. His response was “I don’t know, it’s hard!”  I posed a question to him asking where in the game of baseball we could relate this feeling of “I’m done”. I expressed maybe when we are facing a pitcher who throws hard or has good command of a few different pitches. Is this really as difficult as we may think or is it possible to face the challenge and find success?  The player did not trust in his ability to perform this task at that moment, but soon learned and understood how to achieve the task. A lack of understanding and trusting himself promoted a level of “Fear” (low confidence).

Analogy of the unknown – Light
Night fell among a group of campers in the woods. One young camper dared the group to venture off into the pitch-black forest. With hesitation, a few campers took one small step towards the dark forest and stopped.  There was no way they were going to go out there in the dark. The camper then pulled out a bag full of flashlights for each member of the group and then dared them to go out into the woods. After turning on the flashlights all campers ventured out into the darkness (unknown fear) because now they had light (understanding, knowledge, confidence) of what was out there and overcome their obstacle.

Let me know your thoughts…

Hey Ropes followers! Kate O’Malley here. I am one of the softball trainers here at FROG. I have played softball since I was 6 years old, and went to travel ball when I was 12. I spent most of my softball years on the pitching mound and have a serious passion for softball and pitching. I graduated from Bonita High in 2011 and now attend Azusa Pacific University as a Sports Psychology major with a minor in Business. Unfortunately, I have dealt with knee problems since I was 14, and found out a couple years ago I have a condition which causes the deterioration of the cartilage that lines the underside of my knee caps (lovely right?!). I hung up the cleats after high school because I was going to have to have surgery anyway, so that’s why I’m here at FROG! I still want to stay in the softball world, and this is my way of doing so.

We have been off to a great start these past couple of months!! We had an awesome round of classes for the first four weeks. We start our second round of classes this week- January 9^th! Our classes went so well the first time around that we even added a few others J Our Scope ‘n’ Rope classes were a hit, especially with our older baseball players! I had a ton of fun working with the 7-12 year old players in “After School Academy” and the girls that were in the Softball Pitching Class and all of the other instructors really enjoyed interacting with their students as well. The classes here are age-specific, so you can come into FROG or look online for the class you should sign up for! Born to Play, Rookie Class, After School Academy, Softball Pitching, Scope ‘n’ Rope, and Speed Thrills will all continue this round and we have added a catching class, throwing program, and ground ball fielding class as well. We also continued our conditioning class called “Diamond Strength” that we teach every Tues, Wed, Thurs from 6:30-7:30pm (2 for 1 special the month of January so bring a friend!! J). That’s all for now!

-Your FROGGER, K.O.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to the Frozen Ropes – Glendora Official blog! Known to workers and some regulars as “The FROG”…Frozen Ropes Of Glendora – get it?? This blog is for us, as instructors, to talk and interact with baseball and softball players, coaches, and parents.

Let me introduce myself! My name is Katie Gollhardt and I am a softball trainer here at the FROG. I’ve been playing competitive softball since I was 10 years old but for 3 years prior I was trained within COYSA! YAY! I graduated from Bishop Amat in 2004 where I played both softball and volleyball. In their new gym, you can see a faded picture of me in the Hall of Fame for 2002 and 2004 – my junior year was a hard one with the changing of divisions.  I then went on to play at Cal State Fullerton, which I was recruited as a catcher. Although a knee injury kept me from behind the plate, it did not keep me off the field. First base, third base and right field were my new homes for the next four seasons! I am back from Orange County and residing in “the Foothills”. I currently have 1 more semester in my RN program – so if you see me in the cutest white uniform, please say hello! Hopefully I will be in a hospital next summer and still be at the FROG part time! Softball is a passion of mine and I love sharing my knowledge with the community!

Okay so I’m done rambling! Get excited for the New Year and what the FROG has to offer! I’m excited for season to be here already!

Your FROGGER – Katie

There is a great deal of information we want to share with our baseball & softball community. We felt a blog would be a great platform to present it.