103: Tom Griffin - Carson Newman University

Bio

• HC Carson Newman University
• Over 18 years guiding the Eagles, the New Jersey-native has coached five Major League Baseball Draft Picks and 22 total professional players. 
•  38 players have earned All-SAC honors, 15 have been named to all-region teams and seven have taken home All-American honors.
• Griffin is considered one of the premier catching minds in the game authoring an instructional catching baseball video, "Catch It, Block It, Throw It" 
• featured speaker at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Orlando, Florida in 2007 and Anaheim, California in 2012.
• He has compiled an overall record of 421-321 and a conference record of 187-165 at Carson Newman.
•  He is 605-489-2 in 30 seasons as a college baseball coach. (1 year in high school)
• Griffin, ranked second among active SAC coaches, becomes the 37th active skipper in Division II to win 600 games as a head coach

 

Notes

• Am I getting better at communicating?
• Am I getting better at helping the players get better?
• There is a greater purpose than the wins and losses
• The purpose in coaching, and it helps us reflect
• Coaches have a ton of content to be able to reflect and learn from so much of that good content
• Help run camps!
• This is more than just camp, this is lesson in life and how to play the game the right way
• Be a constant learner
• Learning when to say things
• Find out about your kids and what makes them tick
• Learn to communicate with kids either as a group or individually
• Have a feel, common sense, street awareness
• How do we get instincts?
  • Experience, have awareness of what is happening, watching the game,
• Variety in our training
• Different drills create athlete as catcher
• The body get used to the training it is under
• Catchers Gear only comes off when they hit
• Ask our catchers how their legs are train accordingly. This is after you get to know them so you know who to push and who to put the brakes on
• Different stances during each commercials
• Nothing better than catching bullpens for a catcher
• Top Gun competition - different test for every aspect of competition
• The more you can have some competition for receiving, blocking, throwing
• Spending more time on hitting might not allow you to get in the lineup
• Working on balls out of the zone to learn how to handle it. 
  • Gives the pitcher more confidence
  • Keeps the run game in order
• Dry work, shadow drills, specific area, simple to complex
• Pushup to catch - help the body organize it and help when the skill is les complex
• Training needs to be a higher level than the game so the game becomes easier
• Visual training, verbal training, and have a lot of tools in the toolbox to help kids get better
• We are teachers trying to get players from point a to point b
• We all have opinions and no one is wrong
• If i am passionate about something and i can get my players to buy in then do it!! 
• Skid mark on a movement object
• Listen to the umpire (quit moving)
• Its got to be something you believe and you are passionate about it and what works for you
• What works for you!
• You have to have some core principles
• When you go shopping, bring a small cart
• The key is getting the players to buy into what you are teaching
• Servant hearts - when we develop our catcher we need to develop leaders!
• The catching position is the leadership position
• Pitching calling, umpire relationship, leading pitching staff/team relationships, 
• Classroom, video, we talk about it, show examples of leadership
• If we don’t have them, we need to learn them
• What are the traits of a good leader?
  • Teach, talk, and practice it!
• Get feedback when they do it!!
• Remind them of the time we missed it
• Specific feedback 
• Intentional about finding wins everyday!!
• Pick up on things from a recruit during a visit and how they handle conversation and speak to parents
• Can we change this mans life?? Why not us??
• Never forget where your heart is and what your purpose is 
• Need someone to tell you the right thing and hold you accountable
• Need some sort of pitt stop and check in to slow it down and take moments to spend time with someone to make sure you are 
• Any relationship starts with HELLO!
• We don’t come to watch game, we come to learn!
• Life is about relationships and learning from others!
• You gotta see everything 
  • Bullpens to outfield - catch the good and catch the bad - want kids to know they are always being watch - everything matters
  • Stretching, weight room - i need to evaluate the player to know you are going to our guy
  • Want players to take ownership of that eventually
• 90% is being encouraging and 10% is correcting and holding the standard
• Practice variety - plan it like the game (from offense to defense)
• Baserunning, team defense, batting practice
• Creating mass hysteria!!! Help make them make decisions in those chaotic times
• Be a constant learner
• Find a mentor
• Find a servant heart
• Help the game grow
• We want a generational kid!
• Program built on developing the generational player
• tgriffin@cn.edu
• https://catchblockthrowit.com/
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