We hope that everyone
enjoyed the Northwood Little League Clinic.
The coaches said that it was a rousing success, and that there was a lot
of talent on the field. We are looking forward to another great
season, and hope that you are too. Take advantage our fine coaches
and call
714-872-5851 to schedule you lessons. There's still
time before the season gets under way.
Clinic Clips:
Video clips from coaches clinic where coaches get in the
action. Our clinics are hands on and experiential.
Donations can be made
to the Benefit Fund for Jon Wilhite, #3980643658 at
any Wells Fargo branch.
A trust fund has been set up
for former Cal State Fullerton baseball player Jon
Wilhite, who was critically injured in the crash
that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, and two
friends.
Wilhite was a
passenger in the car driven by Courtney Stewart, a
former Cal State Fullerton cheerleader. Adenhart and
Henry Pearson of Manhattan Beach also were in the
car that was hit by a drunken driver.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Courtney,
Henry and Nick's families as they deal with this
horrific tragedy," the Wilhite family said in a
press release. "We are overwhelmed by the outpouring
of love and support we have received since this
senseless act of violence and ask for your continued
prayers for Jon's recovery."
Donations can be made to the Benefit Fund for Jon
Wilhite, #3980643658 at any Wells Fargo branch.
We are currently
giving baseball instruction at University High School thanks to the
generosity of Coach Conlin. Read more about
Kenny Dobbs and Cody Sandzimier below. To request more information or to schedule
a lesson, call
714-872-5851. You may also contact us through email at
TheYardBaseballTraining@yahoo.com.
Welcome to The
Yard. We have been providing professional baseball and
softball instruction to Orange County since 2003. We are here to
service the passion to excel. Baseball and Softball are
games that challenge young people to develop as human beings.
There are many "try hard" sports, but baseball and softball are
execution sports. Participants must have knowledge, technical
skill, and the courage to fail in order to excel in these
challenging arenas.
Director
of Baseball Operations
Baseball Instructor - 714-872-5851 EXTENSION 1
Kenny provides professional hitting
and catching instruction. Kenny has been an instructor for 3 years.
He is a Graduate of Canyon Springs High School and played two years
of college baseball at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, Ca.
Kenny is currently attending Vanguard University where he is playing
baseball.
Kenny has had extensive training in
hitting and catching mechanics from professional level coaches.
Kenny played for Team USA in the Pan-American Games in Mexico in
1996.
Kenny's older brother Greg Dobbs is
currently playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Both Kenny and Greg
grew up with the same hitting instructor and now pass the knowledge
they gained onto younger athlete's.
Kenny is now
available to give baseball lessons. He can be reached at
TheYardBaseballTraining@yahoo.com for scheduling. His training
will take place at University High School in Irvine, California.
You can reach him at 714-872-5851 EXTENSION 1.
Coach Cody is 24 and played at Woodbridge High school in Irvine where he played all 4 years on varsity as the starting catcher. After high school, he started in the Orange Empire Conference for Irvine Valley College and then moved on to Div I Chicago State University on a full athletic scholarship. He excelled at CSU, and went on to play professional baseball in the independent leagues. Most recently he was with the Orange County Flyers through the 2009 spring training. Unfortunately, Cody suffered a shoulder injury needing surgery for a second time.
Coach Cody worked with pitching
coach guru Tom House for 2 1/2 years as well as having coached the
Rancho Santa Fe Titans in San Diego the past 3 seasons (ages 8-13).
Through hard work and dedication to technique, he was able to coach
his teams to being the “teams to beat” at every tournament. He has
decided to shift his focus from San Diego to Orange County and is
now a head coach in the HB Nitro Elite organization.
Cody provides top level
instruction in the areas of Hitting, Catching, Pitching, Fielding,
and Base running.. Cody not only gives professional instruction to
players looking to become starters, make varsity, and play at the
collegiate level, but he specializes in up and coming players who
may not have the experience yet, but have the desire to make
baseball their primary sport.
“I'm no coaching guru, I
just love what I do. I've been a catcher my whole career, and as a
catcher, I was forced to know every aspect of the game. I soaked up
as much information as I could at all times (which situations called
for which actions, and why). All I do is take my love for the game
and instill it in my players. I teach my players to have respect
for the game and to play it hard. I'm not a win at-all-cost coach,
not even close. I don't care if they win or lose, just how they play
the game. Sometimes you’re going to do everything right but still
fail (line drive right to the short stop, diving stop, good throw
but fast runner, et cetera). As long as you are doing things the
right way, the chances of having success is greatly increased. I
like to set an example for the boys because I believe that we are
not only building good baseball players, but we are building good
men. I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement and giving praise when
the little things are done right that usually go unnoticed. I'm a
VERY vocal coach, but in a good way. I never liked playing for a
coach where the players only motivation to do something right, is to
not get yelled at. For me it's all about them, teaching them to love
the game, and preparing them for the next level. I teach them to
play at a higher level than they are used to, yet I
neverbreak them down mentally, it does no good. This is a game, they
should have fun!”
The following table depicts the pricing of our private
instruction. The rates are the same for baseball instruction
whether you would like to focus on hitting, fielding, catching,
throwing, pitching, base running, speed mechanics, or baseball
conditioning. The choice is yours. We offer bulk-rate
pricing to make it easier for those who would like to commit to
ongoing development and improvement. Once lessons are
purchased they are yours to use as you like. For instance, you
are welcome to share them with a brother, sister, or even a friend.
We also offer gift certificates.
Conlin Field at University
High School is a convenient location for Newport Coast, Newport
Beach, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin,
Orange, Anaheim, and Santa Ana. Exit the 405 at Culver Dr. and
follow Culver Dr. for just over one mile. Enter UHS to your
left. If you miss the turn just continue to Campus Dr. and make
a left, then turn left into UHS.
The Baseball Field is located
behind the school. When entering from Culver Dr., you must turn
right and drive forward to the corner of the parking lot then turn
left. Travel forward until you must turn left again, and
travel until you reach the parking area furthest back. Park,
then walk through the school to Conlin Field.
