Rachel Balkovec
@_rachelbalkovec
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Director of Player Development, Miami Marlins
Joined October 2014
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Designing difficult training sessions with high failure rates is one of the best ways to close the gap between games and practices. Train realistically as much as possible, with as much failure as the athlete can emotionally tolerate.
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60 yrs of change in a photo
In 1961, Gwen was told she couldn’t be in the NYY dugout as a bat girl bc she would feel uncomfortable.
Yesterday, 60 yrs later, Cashman helped her to fulfill her dream.
Also yesterday: My 1st game as a hitting coach w/ the FCL Yankees- Coincidence?
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In 4th grade I said I wanted to be the 1st female kicker in the NFL on an assignment. The boy who sat next to me told me I couldn't do it.
23 yrs later, summer of 2020, that same boy presented me with the alumni of the year award for making history twice in MLB.
Have a day.🤙
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I didn’t craft my Twitter bio, or my personal coaching philosophy based on this rant, but if you’d like an explanation, it’s at 0:32 in this video.
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I’m proud to say that I’m the first woman to be smoked by an absolute laser in the MLB Futures Game.
This is a moment I will unfortunately never forget and I can’t thank
@mlb
& Kelenic enough for making this possible. 😂
Thread for the bruise.
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Athlete: It’s hard to eat healthy on the road.
Me: How about bringing a small cooler with you on the bus w. fruits and veggies.
Athlete: That’s a little over the top...
*Proceeds to bring a 20 inch TV monitor onto the bus to make sure he can play Fortnite.
Me: 😑
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I’d rather have an athlete that is overzealous or ‘too aggressive.’ You can tame a lion and put him in the circus, but you can never make a butterfly a predator.
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Good Coaching; A Memoir. Working at a high level doesn’t make you a good coach, working at a low level doesn’t make you a bad coach, a big Twitter following doesn’t make you a good coach, a small Twitter following doesn’t make you a bad one.
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Me, 2011:
I want to be an S&C coach in MLB.
Everyone:
...How? 🤯
Me, 2018:
I want to be a hitting coach in MLB.
Everyone:
...How? 🤯
Me, 2019:
I want to be a GM in MLB.
Everyone:
...How? 🤯
Me After Nov, 2020:
I want to be a GM in MLB.
Literally Everyone:
Oh, Like Kim Ng?
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If people in academia lifted heavy weight and people who lift heavy weight read scientific literature, the world would be a better place.
#worldpeace
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One of my favorite moments so far, sending the dynamic duo,
@Grantr_1
&
@gonjass7
to
@HVRenegades
together. Great pair on the field, but even better off of it! This vid says it all😂
Earlier this week, Jasson Domínguez delivered the news to
@Grantr_1
that he was being promoted to
@HVRenegades
... Little did
@gonjass7
know, he would be joining him up north! 👏
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Every single athlete on the planet says they work hard. Are there no lazy athletes out there? Or are some of them poor self-evaluators...🤔
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Buying tech is no longer progressive. Identifying valuable metrics, storing them in 1 place in a clear format, having coaches translate info to players & creating clear PD plans for improvement is progressive. That’s 5 steps beyond buying tech. 🦕 Buying tech is old school.
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My career as a DI catcher was derailed by the yips- it was devastating at the time, but effected my coaching career positively… Being able to help someone through performance anxiety is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
@GessnerJosh
- thx for sharing ✊🏼
The Mentorship that Changed my Life (and fixed my yips):
Powered by
@FlatgroundApp
@FlatgroundBats
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LSU was an incredibly impactful stop along my journey and it was truly an honor to be able to share with
@LSUsoftball
yesterday as they are undoubtedly one of the most electric cultures I’ve ever been around. Thank you ladies!
#foreverLSU
💜 💛 🐅
Special visit today from
@_rachelbalkovec
.
Rachel is a hitting coach for the New York Yankees organization and was a strength & conditioning GA at LSU from 2011-2013
#GeauxTigers
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I’ll probably do this some day, so you’ll get to find out.
@KaylaLombardo11
Imagine if a woman coach ever reacted like this. IMAGINE.
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I’m not even 100% sure I’m a good coach which makes me want to be a better coach all the time, which is a mindset that might make a good coach over a really long period of time. The end.
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The difference in ‘making it’ and not ‘making it’ (whatever that means to you) is how many times you are willing to reinvent yourself no matter how emotionally draining or physically painful that is. Mental pain tolerance is a priceless skill.
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In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t even consider wearing pants out to dinner the next night.
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Logo and seams on my pants, which I will obviously never wash, ever.
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At age 31 I moved to Europe for a 2nd master’s degree & depleted my life savings doing it. In Sept, my CC was declined bc I was so broke, in Oct, I made history for the 2nd time in my life. That’s just ONE of the times that I’ve put it all on red. The only risk is no risk.
#TNP
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Playing at the professional level doesn’t make you a good coach, only playing little league doesn’t make you a bad one. What makes a good coach? There isn’t one recipe, which makes it very hard to pinpoint what good coaching actually means.
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A thread on change: Last weekend I was a coach at the MLB Futures game. I was walking into the clubhouse fully dressed in my uniform. A **woman** security guard stopped me abruptly to ask if I had credentials to enter the clubhouse. I looked down at my uniform, confused… 1/4
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Are you really ‘keeping your eye on the ball?’ Survey says: Likely not.
#trackingofthegazes
#ownyourdata
@DrivelineBB
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Rule
#1
for coaches in your 20's: Don't chase 💰, work for the best in the 🌎 no matter how many protein shakes you have to drink to survive
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‘Serving’ athletes must not be confused with being their servants. ‘Giving them what they need to succeed’ can quickly escalate to robbing them of self sufficiency, taking initiative, planning ahead and independence. ‘teach a man to fish...’
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Making history by bringing a lifetime of excellence, Kim Ng steps to the helm as GM.
#JuntosMiami
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Trying not to suck at BP when the corona-cation is done. Lots of strikes today to the imaginary hitters, they went yard quite a few times against the wind in a big park in the South. These imaginary hitters are yoked ;)
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Hitting Coaches: DYEL?
.
A little PAP for
@slugfest2019
Day 1 in the sunshine state!
.
#imnotdoneyet
#isthisonplane
#pvcsfordays
#noteesallowed
#DYEL
#teamDYEL
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Don’t be disappointed by finding a gaping hole in your repertoire. Just noticing that you are behind likely puts you ten steps ahead of most of the human race.
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If you don't think about quitting occasionally, you might not be close enough to the edge.
Thanks
@emmalawrence90
@10NewsFirst
for the thoughtful piece💙
@itstaiki
@Watch_Momentum
@DrivelineBB
making a cameo appearance on the Aussie news circuit 🤙
Women in sport are constantly breaking down barriers, but it's far from easy.
Rachel Balkovec knows that better than most from her journey to become the first female hitting coach for the Yankees. |
@EmmaLawrence90
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Deeper issue: S&C claiming to prevent injuries when many athletes are drinking, eating gummy worms for breakfast & gaming until 3am. S&C coaches should claim to get players stronger, faster & in better shape. Injuries are wildly complicated. Getting an 18yo stronger is not.
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Save the $ you would spend on a cert, spend 7 days shadowing the best in the field instead. More value than any letters behind your name.
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Don't ask me for a "sport specific" program if you can't do a body weight squat.
#youfancyhuh
#crawlfirst
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This is saddening, but equally motivating. Every time I think I’ve done something, there is always a clear reminder that there is still much work left to do. Lasting, generational change happens over the course of decades, not in one person, moment or statement. Onward and upward
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Focus on maximizing intent. A basic program with maximum intent will forever trump an intricate program with lack luster focus.
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Incredible when your childhood heroes become your adulthood heroes. Thank you for setting the bar for walking the walk and living your creed.
@thisisussb
#thisisus
#empowerment
"Women empowering women. Thank you Rachel Balkovec for being our biggest fan tonight and taking the time to talk, share and keep our fire lit!" -Cat Osterman
@_rachelbalkovec
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Sports teams are businesses, fans are the customers, customer service is everything. Pausing the game to allow customers to enjoy the game more is a good thing.
The Cubs broadcast wasn’t happy about the game being paused after Acuña’s 70th steal
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We don't need more women in sport. We need more *qualified* women interested in applying for jobs in sport. This reframing is crucial for long lasting change over reactive change.
@FoldenFastpitch
@Cubs
As always, the most quality solution takes the longest time.
These women are breaking barriers in baseball and broadcasting.
#WomensHistoryMonth
Watch the full conversation with
@Taylor_McGregor
,
@bethmowins
,
@FoldenFastpitch
and Deb Schneider:
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I call this The Workhorse Rule: If the workhorse (player/staff) loses energy or doesn't buy in, it's the leader's fault. Some energy suckers will always complain/slack off, but if the workhorse shows this behavior, look in the mirror for the culprit. thx
@AllistairMcCaw
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⬇️It's not about lifting weights. It's literally just doing *anything* difficult & the weight room is a ready made environment for attempting and completing difficult tasks, which many young people need more of, not less.
Max Scherzer on the importance of having a killer mentality not just on the mound, but in the weight room. ⠀
Courtesy of
@PitchingNinja
#contentober
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"I don't know a manager in the world who is fair."
Fair does not mean equal - what is fair is relative to the person. A lazy teammate does not get the same treatment as a workhorse - from anyone. Treating them the same creates a problem.
I believe this is one of the reasons why the
@Arsenal
players perform for Mikel Arteta. They know they are going to get the honest truth. Something I remember
@Fizzer181
telling me about Sir Alex at MU. They respected him because of his brutal honesty.
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Thanks to
@YESNetwork
and
@NancyNewmanYES
for having me on, proud to be a part of the Yankees family!
#Yankees
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I'd rather fight to earn a role for 5 yrs while less qualified candidates pass me up bc of my gender than wonder for 5 seconds if I was handed a position bc of a diversity push.
Diversity initiatives *and* hiring qualified candidates are both vital for long term change.
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Congrats to
@ezaler
first woman to be hired as a coach (S&C) for the
@Broncos
Also sincere gratitude goes to
@LorenLandow
@LandowPerform
No doubt a huge part in this. For him to hire her in this role speaks volumes given his experience working w/ NFL players for decades.
Emily Zaler, one of our Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellows, has been hired on full-time.
She’s our first full-time female coach in team history. 👏
📰 »
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MLB is on break. Time to go to work for others. I’m pledging $5 per day that we’re off to COVID relief. If you can’t donate, stay away from crowds, eat your veggies and call your Mom. If you can, click the link to learn more:
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Really liked this slide from
@billhezel
at the
@DrivelineBB
pitching cert today- Coaching Dichotomy: The best athletes need less coaching, but can cognitively handle more, while less dev athletes *need* more but can handle less. 🤔 To cue or not to cue? That is the question.
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Challenge accepted
@gabekapler
little remix on the challenge, post a photo of you coaching *and* donate $20 to a charity in the next 24hrs. I’m in for $5 for each day MLB is on a break to the Gofundme in my bio.
@maxgordon40
@Berticushill
@DocSoph
@MartijnNijhoff
@jeffmalbert
✊🏼
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In the midst of the greatest baseball drought in history, I couldn’t be more thankful to have an opportunity to coach with
@SydneyBlueSox
this winter. Thx to owner Adam Dobb & mgr Shane Barclay who care deeply about growing the game down under!
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Athletes should be dubbed the injury prevention specialists on staff. Good nutrition choices, sleep habits and intent on technique will out perform any medical staff personnel’s foam rolling techniques.
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God bless
@CrossFit
for making barbells and bumper plates as commonplace as Walmart.
#roadworkout
#everydayislegday
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The secret to how I crossed over from strength coach to hitting coach:
I trained with the hitting coaches. Squats, deads, sprints, miles. That’s it.
Ok, 7 yrs in MLB, another master’s, internship at driveline, etc also helped. But communal suffering was truly the genesis.
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Coaches, do not blame your athletes. You get what you tolerate.
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Where were you when you first read Moneyball?
2010: I was a sports admin grad student at LSU, completing my graduate assistantship in the weight room. I asked to borrow it from my professor & I told him I wanted to work in pro baseball. He jokingly suggested a sex change.
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Thanks for sharing
@MLB
First week of donations goes to feeding kids that are at home that would’ve gotten meals at school. It’s not our problem, but it is our responsibility. Be a good human. ♥️⚾️
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For a lot of teams, departments and athletes, data is like hydration. By the time you *feel* like you need it, you’re probably too late. Your competition has been using IVs for decades.
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If you have an opportunity to be a part of change in this way, it’s your responsibility to do it in the name of those who came before you and never got the chance. This hit home.
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When things are at their worst, you’re closer than you can imagine to some of the greatest victories in your life.
#billwalsh
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“Coach, thank you so much for not pushing me too hard.” -No One Ever
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People who think that there has been no progress forget that true, widespread change often takes decades, generations even... A blend of patience & pushing.
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Don't ask me for an 'individualized' supp regimen if you are on snapchat until 2AM & eating fruit loops for breakfast 🤔
#firstthingsfirst
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Thankful for
@MLB
hosting yearly events showcasing and promoting diversity in the game. They have been instrumental in my career and I always look forward to participating.
#MLBWinterMeetings
Pics: Baseball player, Olivia, Latin American Scout, Anayma Acta & Youth coach, Cassie.
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You can’t effectively lead a group of people while you are chasing your own demons.
@jerrycolonna
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If you havin analyst problems I feel bad for you son, we got 99 problems but a nerd ain’t one.
@DrivelineBB
R&D team member
@kylelindley_
getting markered up and jumping in the lab in the name of science
#roadto90
#forthedatas
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This week’s donations go to
@FoodBankCENC
next week is going towards medical supplies. In it for the long haul. Link in bio. Thank you! 🙏🏼
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So thankful to have been mentored by this man early in my career- He is the definition of the growth mindset.
#strommie
More from Brent Strom on why he’s not going to return as Major League pitching coach.
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I will never apologize for having high expectations.
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Different is different. Change is change. For *everyone.* I routinely get upset when my iPhone updates and when the grocery store is rearranged…I refuse to believe that she is a hateful, sexist woman. Rather, she is a product of long held deep societal beliefs.
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On playing Santa Clause with
@StealBasesCom
daughters last year. I never know who is watching and how it will impact them. Thanks
@MLBNetworkRadio
"I have two jobs to do. It's being a hitting coach, and be a visible idea for young women as much as humanly possible."
@Yankees
@_rachelbalkovec
on why it 𝒂𝒍𝒍 matters, with
@JennyCavnar
, now available on the
@SiriusXM
app:
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I also don’t drink, get 7-8 hours of sleep, eat like I’m dying and don’t have kids... Before anyone says it, I’m aware I don’t throw 95mph and also am aware I didn’t play professional baseball.
#armcare
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Athletes: If you want to be comfortable, you are in the wrong business. Comfortable & champion are rarely in the same sentence.
#toothings
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“I applied for 23 jobs and didn’t even get a phone interview in the same year that I made history.” - Me
#discipline
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The specificity of a drill can be measured in failure %. If the failure rate of the task is 70% and the failure rate of the drill is 10%, the specificity is likely low. It doesn't mean that these always have to match depending on the goal, but it should be considered.
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My expectations are high, clear and consistent. I will not apologize for your inability to raise the bar.
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‘Sports Performance’ departments cannot become, ‘Keep your job’ departments, otherwise performance is lost... But this takes a unique mindset and massive support from the top.
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(European) Classmate: Rachel, I want your help, I want to do my research in baseball! 😃
Me: 🤔 Ok...Have you ever been to a baseball game?
Her: No
Me: Have you even seen Major League? Bull Durham? The Sandlot?
Her: No
Me: You’re killin me smalls!!!
Her: 🤨😕
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Minor League Hitting Coach for the Yankees Retweets Hitting Coordinator for the Yankees who Retweets Director of Player Health and Performance for the Yankees. Why? It just can't be said enough...🙌
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here is my shocked face
Let me put it on Twitter too cause this needs the attention
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Do not train for injury prevention. Train to triumph and you will become more resilient in the process.
#antifragile
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Eve has worked in MLB since 2010 w/ the league office & Red Sox, then in the NFL league office for 2 yrs, then the Astros for 4 yrs where I was lucky enough to work w/ her, then w/ the O's. Glad to see a long time front office/player dev professional get this opportunity
The Orioles have named Eve Rosenbaum assistant GM. She previously served as the club’s director of baseball development.
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Unimaginable. This gives me chills. What an incredible program that has built and sustained an elite culture for decades.
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When constraints don't change, movement variability is low (repeatable mechanics in pitching makes sense). But when constraints/environment is intentionally variable, the ability to have mechanical agility is very valuable (hitting).
@ShakeyWaits
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Observation Readiness Test:
1. Athlete enters weight room wearing headphones and looking at Snapchat
2. Athlete enters weight room yawning and grabs a foam roll
3. Athlete enters weight room with a smile on their face and claims the speaker rights.
Circle which applies.
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To young coaches: Every time I've worked for free, I've been 'paid' more than I could've ever imagined.
#earnit
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Did he ‘pull off the ball’ or was he just at a later point in the swing because he was *10 milliseconds* too early? The fact that milliseconds and millimeters separate a bomb from a weak ground ball is wildly fascinating. 🧠👀
@ShakeyWaits
It’s good to look at the “not quite” swings too sometimes.
5 years ago I would have said be pulled his head off the ball.
Now I see that he just missed it, because hitting is hard. And that’s what makes it good.
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As a young softball player, I watched
@jessmendoza
change the game for female athletes as a 2x Olympian, never imagined I would be on a panel w/ her talking about changing the game for women working in men's pro sports. Thx to
@BankofAmerica
@Yankees
@sagesteele
@jenniferking5
In honor of
#InternationalWomensDay
, we brought together three women who are changing the sports world forever.
Watch these trailblazers share their history-making experiences in one incredible conversation.
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Innovation and criticism live in the same home. No exceptions in the history of man. A thread worth reading!
Bryson DeChambeau might be the most innovative athlete in the world right now.
He just won his first major championship and is changing how golf is played at the highest levels. People call him "The Mad Scientist of Golf." Here's what you can learn from him.
THREAD
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Is it just me, or does every ex softball/baseball player have a bat and glove in their trunk 'just in case.'
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A nearby male security guard quickly walked up and informed her that I was indeed a coach. Truthfully, I was really disoriented & even shocked, but I introduced myself to her & tried to make sure she couldn’t see my disappointment. 2/4
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⬇️ Me throwing batting practice in a nutshell. Getting lit up, balk, completely inconsistent mechanics, curveball at 47, weird warm ups and laughing at myself the whole time. Yep, that sums it up. 😂
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