A note from Steve...

Tis the Off Season, and with the hot stove season upon us talking baseball trades and free agents is all the rage. This week the annual baseball winter meetings get underway where professional baseball officials and coaches gather to exchange ideas, strategies, scouting reports, and in some cases players. I was fortunate to attend the winter meetings for many years and always learned a great deal about the sport just through idol conversation at the trade show or in the hotel lobby. Talking baseball is a sport in itself. At Grand Slam we're lucky to be able to discuss baseball year round. In addition to the conversation around the cages, I also have the opportunity to meet and talk with hundreds of youth coaches every year at the many coaches clinics that we offer. I'm not certain whether I get more excited by what I teach or by what I learn, but even after 30 years of teaching and talking baseball, I still can't get enough. Coaches clinics are a great place to learn the finer points of baseball (and yes, it's different than what Dad taught me many years ago), so if you're interested in talking more baseball, learning a little, or just having fun, look into a Coaches Clinic. If you your league or group would like to schedule your own coaches clinic either at our site or yours, feel free to call me. I just love talking baseball!

Steve

Grand Slam Turkey Bowl:

Thanks to global warming, the conditions could not have been better for the 2007 Grand Slam Turkey Bowl. Very little breeze, a dry field and temperatures pushing seventy degrees set the stage for the 11th annual meeting of the Red and Green teams.

Besides the weather most others things concerning the Turkey Bowl stayed the same. Dan and Randy did not speak the day before (because Dan “lost his phone”). A handful of players met an old friend the night before at a bar and slept in the same clothes they came to play in. Andrew “Money” Mancini came a few minutes before game time to oversee the game as official referee. There were many generations of Graham’s, Cook’s, Falcones’s, and other Grand Slam legends. A lot of innocent mothers were insulted during the game. Afterwards all players remained friends and started the countdown until next year.

The game started off with an unfortunate injury to the green team’s starting quarter back. Kevin Mancini took over the duty for the green team. Harry Timney took control of the snaps for the red team. Since the field conditions were so favorable, there was an impressive amount of pass completions by both QB’s. Due to a few interceptions from Scott Cleveland for those loveable green lunatics, the green team went into the half with a 3-2 lead.

Half time gave everyone a few moments catch up with each other. The highest ever attendance of twenty five, came out to root for their favorite team. After a little strategic game planning the teams took the field again for the final half.

The Red team came out ready to defend their dynasty and scored twice to take the lead. The green team stayed calm and came back to score twice to regain the lead. With less than two minutes to go Scott Cleveland came up with another huge interception to lock up a 5-4 victory for the green team. If the name Cleveland sounds familiar, he may have briefed you on laser tag rules in 1997. It is also a city in Ohio. Cleveland and everyone played a great game this year.

Congratulations to the Green team. The all time record for the Grand Slam Turkey Bowl is now 7-3 and one tie in favor of the Red Team. See you Next Year on Thanksgiving.

Coaches’ Corner:

It's been said many times that the only thing that is truly predictable is change. Never has this been more true than in teaching and coaching baseball. Mmmmm, how do I put this gently and politely? Let's just say it's not your Grandfather's coaching anymore. The game has changed in many ways over the decades. Bigger and faster pitchers. More variety of pitches. Changes in the strike zone. The height of the mound. The list goes on and on. We as coaches need to change as well. My Dad coached me for many of my mediocre years in baseball, and (no offense intended Dad) if I taught the same things to our kids today, I'd be doing a disservice to the players. Here are some of the changes just in hitting: weight shift hitting has been replaced by rotational hitting, power is now generated from a quick bat not a big swing, and the stride has been replaced by a trigger. These are all good changes that allow our kids to play more and have more success. With Thanksgiving just past, I'm thankful for all my Dad did for me and for all the Dads out there who are coaching their kids and yours; but its time to move beyond what my Dad taught me and on to the next generation of coaching techniques. You won't hear us saying "elbow up", "step into the ball", "get your weight into it", or "roll your wrists". In fact we might cringe a little when we hear those words. If you'd like to learn a little more about today's coaching, feel free to talk with any of the Grand Slam coaches. I'm sure your Dad will understand.

Steve

Party Central:

Here at Grand Slam we are always happy to work with Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops. If you have special requests or budget restrictions, we are always happy to work something out for you.
Grand Slam is a great place to have your end of the year party.

The possibilities are endless, so give us a call today to set something up, or e-mail Jill Cook at j.cook@grandslammalvern.com

Black Friday Clinic a Success:

While some people were out amongst the bustle and the hustle of Black Friday Shopping or sleeping all snug and warm in their beds, we were having a blast at our First Annual Black Friday Baseball Clinic Extravaganza.
The clinic, led by our own Coach Steve Cook, started off at 8 am Friday morning. Once the players wiped the sleep from their eyes we were in full swing with our hitting and pitching drills.

Anyone who knows us here at Grand Slam knows that we are not just baseball. We always try to mix in some fun and games while learning the game of baseball. During this clinic, we made sure to mix in enough fun to make it a memorable reason as to why these players let their parents drag them out of bed on a cold November morning. After playing an intense game of dodge ball, the players went into the Laser Tag arena for a good couple rounds of Laser Tag followed up with a game of Knock Down back on the basketball court. Of course we took time to re-fuel by having some pizza, popcorn and drinks, then it was back to the academy once again to learn more baseball. The clinic ended with a good amount of video game tokens and batting cage tokens until parents came to pick up at noon.

By the end of the clinic, these players had a good taste of what our summer camp is like. Hopefully, we have made a few more believers as to how fun our camps and clinics can be. If you have not had the chance to experience first hand what our clinics and camps can do for you or your child, stop by and let us show you!

Food Drive:

Grand Slam is now collecting food for a local shelter in West Chester, PA. This shelter offers temporary emergency and transitional housing for families with children. If you are coming to Grand Slam and would like to help us fill the pantry of this shelter please bring something from the list provided below:

Boxed meal kits such as Taco Kits, Hamburger Helper, Casserole kits, etc.
Rice, Pasta, Noodles
Sauces, Gravies, etc.
All items must be non-perishable. Please, no canned vegetables.

The shelter will also accept gift cards for Grocery Stores and Department Stores.
If you would like more information on this food drive, please contact Jill Cook at j.cook@grandslammalvern.com
Thank you!

Toys for Tots:

This year Grand Slam will be collecting Toys for Tots once again. If you are in the area or are coming by to play, please drop a new un-wrapped gift in our collection can. What seems like a simple gift to you or your child may make all the difference in another child’s life.
Make a difference this Holiday Season!

Gift Certificates:

That’s right, shopping for that perfect gift just got easier! For one month only, Grand Slam Gift Certificates will be available for purchase on-line from November 24- December 24. Why do Grand Slam Gift Certificates make the best gifts? They are EASY for you and FUN for them! Gift Certificates can be purchased in any flat dollar amount. Log on to www.grandslammalvern.com today to order your gift certificate. We will send it to you or to the recipient directly! Could it be any easier??????

Employee Spotlight:

Our very own Dan Jordan just recently returned from a two month stay in Guatemala. Dan stayed with a host family and learned the Spanish language. Going into this adventure with absolutely no knowledge of the language was a huge challenge for Dan but he came out of the experience with a new appreciation for other cultures. While in Guatemala, Dan hiked up volcanoes, made chocolate, and got to know the locals and their city while working in a weaving co-op. Dan also made friends with other exchange students from around the world. All in all, Dan’s experience was a most memorable one.
Congratulations on your endeavor Dan, and thanks for bringing us all back some homemade chocolate!

Player Spotlight

The player of the week is Mike Arpa. Mike has been a student at Grand Slam for 4 years. Mike is one of the top players in the Devon Strafford Little League. He had a great year as a hitter and was one of his team’s top pitchers. Mike finished his great season by being picked for his third straight tournament team.