Pitching In the Middle East?
Coach Paul,
Let me start by saying, thank you for the part you have played over the years in my development as a pitcher. All my hard work is beginning to pay off. As my dad says, “I’m on the cusp of achieving one of my long-term goals (to play college ball) and success in inevitable if I remain dedicated and focused”. Over the past few years, I have gone from an 11 year old beginning pitcher barely hitting 55 mph, to a 16 year old (just had my birthday in May) who is now touching 90 mph…with an arsenal of pitches, good control, and pretty filthy late movement.
I’ve finally returned to the United States! It was a little earlier than we had planned because of all the political problems that happened in Bahrain (where I was living and going to school). My dad (works at the US Embassy) is still there, but in March, I was evacuated with my mom. We are currently in El Paso, TX…getting adjusted to the new place…new school…and new HS baseball program with Franklin HS. As soon as my dad leaves Bahrain, he has to head to Afghanistan for a year — tough for me since he has always been my “personal pitching coach”.
My plan over the next few months is to continue my training program and start summer ball with Franklin Varsity HS team in June. In addition to Summer Ball 2011, I will fly Italy at the end of June to pitch and play for the Kuwait National Seniors Team during this year’s LL International tournament. At the completion of our Summer Ball season, I will spend a few weeks in California where I will spend time/train at the RDRBI (as I do each year). As part of my training, I will have a complete Motion Analysis conducted and STAR profile to better direct my training and hone my baseball skills (mechanics, conditioning, and mental/emotional). My story is a rather unique one, Coach Paul.
Due to my dad’s work, most of my baseball experience has been playing for teams outside of the United States. This meant that in order for me to grow to the point where I was competitive with those players surrounded by year-round baseball, my dad and I had to be creative, develop a comprehensive series of programs and opportunities that mirrored / simulated what most baseball players take for granted.
Over the past six years, I routinely played on three different teams in three different countries – one where I was living, one country that I would drive to a few times each week, another that I would jump on a plane and fly to every other week to pitch and play for a team on their double header weekends. On the days I was not playing, my dad and I would work hard on conditioning, drills, bull pens, etc. for two to four hours – often finishing after 9 or 10pm in the evening. Where other boys were out playing around, I spent most all of my free time working on bettering my skills. I have been taught that the only difference between good and great is “effort”. This is something that holds true across the board: for Athletics, studies, work, with family and friends. I believe you must be both balanced and consistent. You must strive to give your all in all aspects of life. For the athletics, in order for me to be the best I can be (all the time), I need to spend just as much effort on conditioning my body and mind…each and every day.
Coach Paul, I strive to do the right thing even when no one is looking. For my dad’s part, he is more of a practical individual, and the only focus he has is to provide the soundest platform possible for me and all the others he assist along the way. As you know from past conversations you had with my dad, although a novice in comparison to your experience, he is a pretty good pitching instructor who actively searches for information and methodologies to better understand pitching and how to effectively convey what he has learned to me and other young players. The one thing that drew my dad to the information and instruction you provided were the similarities in the pitching concepts he learned through Tom House. My dad’s belief is that different folks often say the same thing, but with a slightly different twist and/or delivery.
Through the 90mph club and your explanations, I was able to “see the light” on when and how to use my off speed pitches (why sometimes they were smoking and why other times they were not). It was the same information I had gone over during our numerous bull pens, but it was your reasoning and delivery that made the difference. When I incorporated some of the Zinger philosophes, the Super 7 workout, long toss, and your video analysis of my pitching delivery into my program, I had a noticeable improvement to my overall performance. For the most part Coach Paul, my current successes have come about because of a combination of lots of hard work…dedication…research…creativity…and “active listening”. My dad says I seem to have a gift when it comes to pitching, but it is the hard work has helped me move further down the path towards achieving my potential.
For the past five years, I have also worked with boys and girls, using my experience to help improve their baseball skills (both the mental and physical aspects of the game). I helped Head Coaches with Little League T-ball, Minors, Majors, and Challenger Division. I have had the opportunity to attend numerous baseball camps, to include specialized pitcher training. Part of this training consisted of time spent at USC where I audited a Coaches Certification Course. In returning to the Middle East (I played ball in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain), I was able to give back to the younger players in the local leagues the knowledge I acquired while back in the US — per my dad, diplomacy through the “Great American Past Time”. Teaching younger boys and girls what I have learned is not just limited to baseball.
This skill of “giving back to my community” can be applied to any and all subjects. This is something I try to do each day, Coach Paul. If I can teach at least one new thing to one person each day, that’s 365 people I will have been able to positively affect each year. This is something I view as an individual responsibility – a lesson my parents have taught me and one I embrace as part of who I am.
Respectfully (or as my dad would say, “Semper fidelis”),
George Max
GMNavadel
Management Officer
US Embassy
Manama, Bahrain
