Good Stuff from new LSU Pitching Coach Alan Dunn

“I want pitchers to establish a mound presence so there is no question in anyone’s mind who is pitching on that particular day. This starts with their mound tempo, which is showing the ability to work fast and keep the pressure on the hitter. Body language is huge regardless of what is happening in the game. They have to show the ability to control the game and not the game controlling them.” Next he points to the pitchers attitude towards throwing strikes and attacking hitters, “It is a must that pitchers show the conviction in attacking the zone and pitching to contact. We want to make the action happen early in counts and to do this they must throw the ball in the zone.”

“The fastball is still the most important pitch a pitcher has in his arsenal. Whether it is 82mph or 98mph a pitcher must pitch off of his fastball to be successful. What I mean by this is that the pitcher must “command” his fastball. Commanding the fastball means he has the ability to make quality pitches with his fastball in fastball counts and get the hitter out. In this game if you are a hitter and you can’t hit the fastball and you’re a pitcher and you can’t pitch with the fastball you will never be successful.

Was today your best?

"At night when I go to bed, I ask myself, 'If I don’t wake up tomorrow, would I be proud of how I lived today.'”

-Muhammad Ali

Importance of preparation

"To this day, I consider preparation the most enjouable part of my work, and the most challenging. to the extent my teams have succeeded, I'd say that solid preparation -- not talent or strategy -- was the primary factor."

-Bill Parcells

Practice

This list was developed by Kevin Eastman:

Let’s take a look at some things that both coaches and players need to bring each day:

THE COACH

•must bring great energy and enthusiasm (and not just the first week, but every day)
•must bring the preparation needed to make sure that what he’s working on is what’s most needed for that day
•must bring a keen eye to spot the mistakes that will keep the team from improving that day
•must organize the practice so that he gets maximum work in the allotted time
•must know his system so well that he actually has the answers before the players ask the questions

THE PLAYER

•must bring great energy and enthusiasm
•must walk onto the floor “clutter free” — all outside distractions must be cleared up or at least put to the side for that time period
•must always seek to “get from” practice not just “get through” practice
•must bring great focus, as the first month is always filled with teaching and learning
•must have a “get in great shape” mindset for both physical conditioning as well as mental focus (being able to stay focused even through fatigue)
This is a short list of what all players and coaches must bring to make sure they’re holding up their end of the “practice bargain” and the “improvement bargain.”

One final thought — both groups must jump on every opportunity to help someone else get better, learn faster, go longer. That’s a sign of a great team!

TEAM FIRST

"The best teams are teams in any sport that lose themselves in the team. The individuals lose their identity. And their identities come about as a result of being in the team first."

Coach Krzyzewski

A. V. E

Each at-bat I have a plan and an approach. I constantly A.V.E (A=analyze, V=visualize, E=execute) after each pitch.

Edge must come from outworking your opponents

“Our edge has to come from outworking our opponents in every phase of the game and this certainly includes off-season conditioning. The program is in your hands…. If you are self-motivated and dedicated, you will go to work immediately and work each day to get better. We are going to win in Philadelphia. It is just a matter of being persistent. Go to work."
From the first letter Dick Vermiel wrote to his first team in Philadelphia

NO EXCUSES

LITTLE THINGS

"It always comes down to little things once the competition steps up."

-BO PELINI

GREATNESS

Greatness is made in empty stadiums. It's revealed in full stadiums.

WANT TO?

Each and every off-season workout, you have a choice to make. You can choose to work hard or you can choose not to work hard. Not working hard is a choice. You are 100%in control of the effort you put forth. For this off-season to be as productive as possible, you need to choose to work hard all of the time!

You need to choose to have a strong ‘want to.’ I want to jump higher or I want to start on varsity next season. Most player’s ‘want to’ is just lip service. They say they want something but they don’t make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen.


Think your ‘want to’ is strong? Let’s say your goal is to gain 10 lbs. this off-season. If I weighed you on May 1st and told you on September 1st I would weigh you again, and if you were 10 lbs. heavier I would give you $1,000,000 cash, would you accept my offer? Of course you would! Think you would achieve your goal? I guarantee you would. You would be so focused and determined you would probably gain 15 lbs. Your ‘want to’ would be unstoppable!

To maximize your off-season you need to find a way to tap into your ‘want to’ with that type of conviction (even though there isn’t a million dollar prize involved).

Too often players’ ‘want to’ gets weakened by the little voice in their head that says…

"I don’t ‘want to’ work out today. I will get up extra shots tomorrow. I will lift weights tomorrow.”

If you let that little voice win, your ‘want to’ is weak. If you let that little voice win, you won’t be successful.

How strong is your ‘want to’?

Strengthening your ‘want to’ is not easy. It is OK if you need some help. In fact, I recommend you get some help. Find someone who pushes you to be the best you can be. Someone that holds you accountable. Someone that motivates you, inspires you, and encourages you. Someone that tells you what you need to hear; not what you want to hear. Someone that gives you energy. Someone who supports and strengthens your ‘want to’.



Do you have a person like this in your life?

Leaders can't get down

Good stuff from Husker player Brandon Kinnie. He has not had the start to his senior year that he had hoped and prepared for:

"I can't get down because I'm a leader on this team, a leader on this offense," he said. "If I get down, that'll bring a couple other people down, and that'll start a little epidemic, and I don't want to do that.

"That's selfish, and I'm nowhere near that."

He said he'll remain humble and do "all the little things" to break out of his mini-slump.

"Adversity, the best way to face it is head on. I've got too much pride not to get better."