Jeff has a very unique way in which he runs baseball camps and/or clinics. The only real difference between the two (camps and clinics) is the amount of time which is involved in the event. Everything ties back to the basics, and that is having fun. Even the most serious camps necessitate fun. There are two principals that are used by Coach Potter, the first being the 3F’s – Fun-Focus-Frequency, and the second one being “Coach the Coaches”
Fun is the essential ingredient in baseball. Kids learn more, and can be taught more, if they are in an environment of fun. Instructors can not create an environment of fun unless they, too, are having fun. Instructors must be able to relate to kids of all ages. You can look long and hard, but it will be difficult to find anyone that has more fun out on a ball field than Coach Potter. The same is true of the kids that attend his events. They will all tell you that they had lots of FUN. Perhaps there is a correlation between the two.
Focus is always prevalent at Coach Potter’s events. Although fun is always aplenty, Coach Potter demands focus on whatever the kids are doing, demands that the participants are listening, and understanding his orders. Many a game of fun is interrupted by a lack of focus, whereas time is lost by the “Coach” explaining to the kids in detail the importance of focus, and how the lack of it not only disrupts the guilty individual but the entire group………which usually leads into a lesson on being a good teammate.
Frequency is a major component into kids having fun at a clinic. Too many times kids go to a clinic, pay lots of money and are treated like a herd of cattle, with the goal being nothing more than keeping the kids “busy”. So many parents have bemoaned the fact that “my kid only got ten swings all day”. Kids need to get plenty of repetitions, and plenty of chances to perform. Frequency puts emphasis on focus. If there is something going all the time, and things are fast-paced, the players need to be focused. Kids have more fun when they get frequency…
Coach Potter has an ability to have plenty of competition, instill a lot of focus, and have a lot of fun. Tell me what kid doesn’t like the “dirt game” !!! Tell me what kid doesn’t like to go home with the most dollar bills. Tell me what kid doesn’t have a good experience with Coach Potter.
The other aspect of Coach Potter’s clinics that is lacking on a large scale with other clinics is the failure to “Coach the Coach’s”. Many, many people run clinics which are done in a very professional manner. Everybody gets something positive out of the clinic. But, if you are not coaching your coaches to be able to duplicate this function, then it becomes nothing more than a high expensive one shot deal, whereas once the event is finished, nothing is followed up by the organization. The goal of a good clinic is for the instructors to not only put on a good clinic, but to also teach the organization’s coaches how to put this on again THEMSELVES without paying a company to come in again and do the same thing. A good clinic empowers the coaches of that particular organization to not only watch, but to be proactive and involved in the process. Coach Potter strongly recommends this process, and will actually meet with the coaches before hand and set up the process of how they can actually help run the clinic.
Coach Potter also works with many other professionals in training young athletes. Included in this list is Mark Shropshire. For more information about Mark, visit his web-site (www.shropshiresportstraining.com).
Interested in a Potter camp or clinic? Email Coach Potter for more information.
