• If your team wants to be recognized in high school baseball history, they’ll have to follow the example of these top ten teams in America.
• One of the cornerstones to any teams success is the high school baseball training it does in the off season.
• Coaching high school baseball involves off season and preseason training, establishing quality relationships, forming a cohesive unit, and teaching valuable life lessons to their players.

Teams That Will Soon Go Down in High School Baseball History

The Big League Dugout National Invitational of 2009 is causing a reshuffling in the order of the best teams in the United States. According to Baseball America and the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, the former #1 Bishop Gorman has fallen all the way to the #11 spot. The top 10 high school baseball teams include:

1. Bellaire HS, TX
2. Jesuit HS of Tampa, FL
3. Menchville, HS of Newport News, VA
4. Mater Dei HS of Santa Ana, CA
5. Farragut HS of Knoxville, TN
6. Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, AZ
7. Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey, NJ
8. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, CA
9. Columbus High School, GA
10. Owasso HS, OK

Off Season High School Baseball Training

It’s important to get the baseball season off to a good start if you want to have a winning record. Good teams get into shape during the preseason, great teams stay in shape in the off season. There are three components to any high school baseball training fitness program. They include:

• Cardiovascular Training
• Resistance Training
• Flexibility Programs

Due to its stop-and-start format, cardio for baseball should incorporate interval training. Interval training prepares the players aerobic capacity to handle short burst of power needed to play the game effectively. Historically, long cardio sessions were the norm; however, jogging is only a part of the game when players are leaving the field, taking the field or hitting one over the fences. Wind sprints followed by brief periods of rest will train the muscles explode with power when needed.

Resistance training will prepare the baseball player to hit and throw with power. Think of a world-class sprinter or an NFL receiver and the power they demonstrate. Of course, all of this training will be ineffective if the player is on the disabled list. Flexibility is needed to help prevent injuries. A daily stretching program should be incorporated into any high school baseball training program.

Coaching High School Baseball is About Relationships

In addition to creating a winning team and developing quality baseball players, the single most important skill in coaching high school baseball is to build quality relationships. You’re not just making baseball players, you’re creating American citizens. You want to instill in these young players qualities such as confidence, determination, and respect for others. You must establish relationships with their parents as well. Most players won’t make it to the major leagues or the minors for that matter. They may, however, be offered scholarships to colleges and universities. Prepare them for that and the life ahead and you’ll have done your job coaching high school baseball.

As an electronic scoreboards continue to light up.