Tuesday, January 29, 2008

VBCA Spring Clinic Feb. 17, 2008

Dear VBCA Member and/or Coach,

Our annual Spring Coaching Clinic and State Association meeting will be held on Sunday February 17, 2008 at Essex High School, in Essex VT from 9am-1pm. The registration fee is $40. This includes membership into the VBCA. High school membership is mandatory for senior baseball players to receive All-Star consideration. Make checks payable to VBCA.

The Keynote Speaker this year is Brian Cain, of Brian Cain Peak Performance. Brian is one of the top peak performance consultants in the country and specializes in working with athletes and coaches to get the most out of their ability through mental skills training. Brian has worked extensively with some of the nations top athletes having worked in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League, and with major universities including Vanderbilt University, The University of Tennessee, Cal State Fullerton, Texas Christian University, The University of California, Irvine, and The University of North Carolina, to name a few. Brian also works with individual Minor and Major League baseball players as well as with youth, high school and collegiate athletes and coaches of all sports. A frequent guest on XM Radio, and a renowned speaker, Cain has addressed national audiences all over the world. An instructor of Sports Psychology at UVM and the athletic director at Mount Mansfield Union High School, Cain will challenge you and will teach you the mental skills used by champions all over the word.

The baseball clinicians are Kris Doorey, Plattsburgh State Head Coach, and Ed Hockenbury, South Burlington Legion Head Coach and Essex High School athletic director.

Coach Kris Doorey resurrected baseball at Plattsburgh State in 2002 after a 26-year hiatus from the sport. Coach Doorey has built the Cardinals from club status into one of the top NCAA Division III teams in the New York region. Doorey started his career in 1995 as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Stony Brook. He became one of the youngest head coaches in the nation in 1999 at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Doorey came to Plattsburgh State in 2002 and was voted 2003 SUNYAC Coach of the Year.

South Burlington Legion head coach Ed Hockenbury rejoins the VBCA clinician docket. Hock is a highly respected athletic administrator at Essex High School. Before arriving at Essex, Ed was a baseball assistant at UVM for six years. Widely regarded as one of Vermont’s finest baseball talents, Hock was the leader of three state championship teams for legendary coach Frank Pecora at Northfield High School, a 3-year starting catcher and All-League performer at Princeton University, and had a brief stint as a free agent with the California Angels in 1991.

There are significant rule changes in store for the 2008 high school baseball season. Bruce James will review the new rule changes and changes to the VPA’s baseball guidelines. Bruce has been umpiring baseball for over 22 years and currently serves as the VT High School Umpire’s Rules Interpreter and High School Baseball Commissioner.

I strongly encourage you to invite your area Youth League and Sub-Varsity coaches to attend. Attending the clinic with some of your youth league coaches makes for a good opportunity to gain knowledge of skill and program development, and helps to build relationships.

State and League meetings will follow the clinic. During the State Association meeting we will continue to discuss the Senior All-Star series and other issues concerning future activities of the VBCA. Your ideas and assistance is greatly appreciated.

It is suggested that leagues have a pre-season meeting after the clinic. Many leagues met last year to great effect. League discussions, dates for all-star selection meetings, Senior All-Star nominations, and league specific discussions will take place at that time.

As always, we will need your help during Championship Weekend at Centennial Field. It is a great time working with fellow coaches, watching the championship games, and talking the game of baseball. Championship Weekend is our major fundraiser each year! The continued health and stability of the VBCA is dependent upon membership help, support and participation.

If any coaches need reimbursement for clinics attended, please contact outgoing Treasurer Steve Ferreira for reimbursement.

The spring season is fast approaching. We have a great clinic planned for you next month to help you prepare for opening day. I am looking forward to seeing you on February 17th.

Think spring!!!

Mike Brown
President, VBCA
802-849-2967 (home)