Enzo Villadolid has been at Gamespeed for 5 months working on his track technique.  In his first outing of the year it showed with a whopping personal best at the Los Gatos all comers. The twelve year old speedster is already posting times that would compete highly against any high school freshman. Way to go Enzo!

His dad Joey alerted me to the race in an email:

Hi, Coach!

Enzo ran today at the Los Gatos All Comers. Set his PB in both the 100m. and 200m.

He ran 12.93 in the 100 m.. His previous PB was 13.58 set in July 2011 (6 months ago). That is 0.65 secs. faster.

Also, even to my untrained eye, I can see that his running form is much improved. He runs in a more efficient way now. Not much wasted energy on unnecessary movement.

Thank you, Coach.

Noria also is the two time DFAL Sprint champion at 100m/200m for the Gaels and NCS finalist. She will be one of the areas top sprinters this year. She has also signed a letter of intent to play soccer at St Mary’s College right here in the Bay Area.

NORIA MITCHELL, Dublin, soccer, Sr. — Mitchell had a true hat trick for the Gaels in their 4-0 win over Moreau Catholic in the first round of the NCS Division II playoffs, then added a goal and an assist in their 3-0 win over Northgate in the quarterfinals.

Ive worked with Brandon off and on for about five years and this guy is dedicated. He asks for homework training and obviously he’s been doing it. Having a breakout senior year and helping his team to its first NCS appearance since 1985.

Brandon White      SCHOOL: Liberty    SPORT:    Basketball    YEAR: Junior                    POSITION: Guard

THE STAT LINE: White led the Lions to two Bay Valley Athletic League victories. He had 27 points in Liberty’s thrilling 66-65 win over Deer Valley and 11 in a 51-42 win over rival Heritage.

Photo courtesy Max Preps by Ernie Abrea

Just got a little update and sounds as though Joey is doing well. His club is struggling a bit (4-6) but he is hot.

He is currently 14 for 37 (.380), with 4 doubles, 1 homerun. slugging .580 and an on base percentage of .500. He is also leading the conference with 7 stolen bases. There have been anywhere from 2-5 scouts at most of his games to see him play.

Here is the article from his most recent game. http://presidiosports.com/2012/02/l-a-pierce-overcomes-vaqueros-epperson/

Great going Joey!

“Learn By Doing Track and Field Clinic”

Saturday February 25^th

^{Chabot College Track Stadium}

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

presented by Chabot College and Local High School Coaches

for all ages – Youth to Master’s

• Learn Sprint Drills, Starting and Sprinting from Chabot College Coach and Master’s World Class Sprinter Aaron Thigpen
• Learn Long Jump, Hurdling Technique by Coach Mike Jordan
• Learn to Throw the Shot, Discus and Hammer with Chabot College Coach Mark Marshall
• Learn to Pole Vault with Dougherty Valley Coach Kevin Stang

$10 per Athlete and Coach – Pre-Registration by February 18th

$20 per Athlete & Coach – Day of the Event

Make Check Payable to: Chabot College Track & Field

Send to: Chabot College Track, c/o Ken Grace, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545

In my seventeen years of Gamespeed working with pitchers and pitching instructors there’s one thing for certain. No one agrees on everything. There are many philosophies on pitching mechanics. With this always comes great debate. “Scap Loading” is just one of the latest, especially if you believe its contribution to shoulder and elbow injuries.

I was forwarded this article by Dave Giberti former minor league pitcher, now a private instructor and coach at California High.

Thanks Dave.

Check it out: http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/PitchingMechanics101/Essays/ScapularLoading.html

The Vaqueros lost their season opener but Joey contributed well.  He went 3-for-5 with an RBI double in the fifth and a two-run homer in the ninth.

Two great articles. Check them out:

http://www.sbcc.edu/baseball/2012_preview.php

http://presidiosports.com/2012/02/bullpen-has-rough-start-sbcc-drops-season-opener/

“Learn By Doing Track and Field Clinic”

Saturday February 25^th

^{Chabot College Track Stadium}

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

 presented by Chabot College and Local High School Coaches

 for all ages – Youth to Master’s

 Learn Sprint Drills, Starting and Sprinting from Chabot College Coach and Master’s World Class Sprinter Aaron Thigpen

• Learn Long Jump, Hurdling Technique by Coach Mike Jordan
• Learn to Throw the Shot, Discus and Hammer with Chabot College Coach Mark Marshall
• Learn to Pole Vault with Dougherty Valley Coach Kevin Stang

 $10 per Athlete and Coach – Pre-Registration by February 18th

$20 per Athlete & Coach – Day of the Event

Make Check Payable to: Chabot College Track & Field

Send to: Chabot College Track, c/o Ken Grace, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545

Please mail to Chabot prior to February 18^th

Don’t wait until your back is against the wall, be proactive not reactive. Start early, get a plan, get a good team of people around you and work the plan!

BYU Baseball Strengthens Team Chemistry as 2012 Season Approaches

The BYU baseball team has developed a strengthened sense of teamwork and chemistry amid several changes as it enters the 2012 season.

The Cougars have become a member of the West Coast Conference, completing a trio of transformations for BYU sports. With the new conference come new opponents and a tougher schedule, but the players and coaches are excited about their team’s chemistry and talent going forward.

“I’m most excited about our team camaraderie,” senior infielder Austin Hall said. “I’ve never been on a team as close and as personal as this one. We’ve got a group of great talented guys. It makes me really excited.”

The transformation to the conference brings new challenges that have the Cougars face more quality opponents than they have had to play in recent years.

“I think that the quality of the programs from top to bottom in the WCC is even better than it was in the Mountain West,” BYU coach Vance Law said. “Every program in the WCC is really good. It will be a real good challenge for us. ”

The season schedule gives the Cougars an early non-conference test as they face the preseason No. 8 University of Arkansas on Feb. 28 and 29 in Fayetteville, Ark. They also play road games against formidable opponents UC-Irvine and Creighton in early matchups.

“We don’t want to think about them being a top-10 team,” freshman pitcher Cameron Keysor said. “We just think about it being another game, and do what we need to do.”

The Cougars welcome a multitude of new players to the roster, including 10 freshmen and two junior college transfers. Among them are pitchers Mason Marshall, Matt Milke and Keysor, who all pitched well during the Dominican Republic Tour in late November.

“One of the biggest surprises we had was Cameron Keysor,” Law said. “He really dominated in the fall, and pitched well in the Dominican Republic. Matt Milke pitched a solid four innings, and Mason Marshall is capable of throwing all of his pitches for strikes at any time.”

Returning as captains for the Cougars are junior pitcher Chris Capper, senior catchers Alex Wolfe and Wes Guenther, and senior infielder Austin Hall. Also returning are several sophomores who were awarded freshman all-America honors last year, such as outfielder Jaycob Brugman, and pitchers Desmond Poulson and Marc Oslund.

“The mixture of our veteran and younger players is really good this year,” Law said. “We have a couple of sophomores and juniors that I look to have big years also, so I think our mix is really good.”

The team’s depth at almost every position is a reason for optimism as the Cougars enter the new season.

“Games are won and lost at the mound,” he said. “I’d say overall, the depth of our pitching staff is really solid.”

BYU opens the season on Feb. 17 at UC-Riverside, and their home season opener is March 17 against Seattle.

Dave Keysor and his son Cameron and came to me five years ago. Cameron was an incoming freshman at Monte Vista High. They had a plan, play college baseball. They set about putting the pieces together. Those pieces included high caliber baseball competition with NORCAl baseball and athletic physical development with Gamespeed. Two years later add in the VIP Throwing program and whola! a DI athlete sitting at 92mph and part of the starting rotation as a incoming freshman.They never abandoned their plan and the results showed.

Don’t wait until your back is against the wall, be proactive not reactive. Start early, get a plan, get a good team of people around you and work the plan!

Dublin quarterback Edward Achziger committed to Marist College, a Division I Football Championship Subdivision school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Achziger led the Gaels to the North Coast Section Division II semifinals in 2011.

Come to Gamespeed on any given day and you’ll witness the hustle and bustle of our athletes going at it. Bodies flying in sprints, zig zagging through cones, medicine balls slamming, and weights clanking.  Look a little closer and you’ll see a serene young athlete quietly going about his business. He is John Pacha, freshman at Alhambra High. With a demeanor reminiscent of last years first round draft pick pitcher Robert Stephenson also of Alhambra. John has been training at Gamespeed only since April of 2011.  He has a specialized program specifically designed for pitchers. His attendance record would garner him an attendance award if there was such a thing.  Well its paying off, his previuos fast ball before training with GS was at 67mph, he has just reported he is now at 77mph!! And get this the start of the baseball season is still a month away. Congratulations John You’ve always been on my radar.