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Proof that good news sometimes travels slowly, Iván Fernández Anaya and his kind gesture during a cross-country race last December is now gaining widespread attention in social media circles.

The Spanish runner trailed Olympic bronze medallist Abel Mutai of Kenya during an event last December.

Mutai slowed as he neared the finish line, believing he’d won when he was still several meters from the tape.

Realizing his competitor’s mistake, Anaya approached Mutai from behind and motioned him to the proper finishing line.

“I didn’t deserve to win it,” Anaya, 24, told El Pais. “I did what I had to do. He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake.”

Read the entire story

BE A STUDENT OF THE GAME

Success at baseball pitching is more than how hard someone can throw, although society wants us to believe otherwise. Learning how to truly pitch requires a broad knowledge of not only the physical aspects of the pitching motion but so much more. It requires an in-depth knowledge of strategy, technique, a basic knowledge of how to play baseball at all baseball positions, and mental awareness of what skills you as a pitcher possess and how to maximize them.

Think of becoming a pitcher like a building a house. A house will crumble unless it has a strong, solid foundation. But you must build upon that foundation a solid internal structure so that it can stand tall. And the outside structure must be strong as well to ward off any harmful external forces. A successful baseball pitcher is built upon:

1. Knowledge of the position and what its true purpose is
2. A rock-solid mechanical approach, with help from critical video review
3. Physical strength gain from functional, specific-to pitching workouts
4. Mental strength allowing the pitcher to overcome any situation 

"I'm just a ballplayer with one ambition, and that is to give all I've got to help my ball club win. I've never played any other way."     - Joe DiMaggio
 

STRATEGY

Pitching is quite the chess match. Pitchers and hitters, going back and forth, constantly making adjustments to outwit and outperform each other. The best pitchers understand that you have to know what to throw and when to throw it. Likewise, you have to know what not to throw and when not to throw it. Still, that’s not enough.

Great pitchers know that hitters can also become base runners. So they must know the hitters that can run and the ones that can’t. The ones that have good instincts on the base paths are the ones that can cause trouble.

The most successful pitchers understand this and they gather as much vital information about their opponent as they can, and way before the competition even starts. They know that paying attention to certain details about their opponent can tell them everything they need to know about how to get them out. Great pitchers know their opponents strengths, weaknesses and abilities and skills before the hitter even steps into the box. Great baseball pitches are always gathering information on hitters and opponents to store away so they can draw upon that information when they need it to attack a hitter in any situation. Learn how to size up your opponent by looking for weaknesses in technique, movement, weight transfer and overall approach. Look for mental weaknesses such as nervousness, ab anxiety and arrogance.

The hitter will tell you his weaknesses if you only pay close attention and know what to look for. As the game goes on, you will have the opportunity to gather much more information as well.

Understanding strategy not only means understanding your opponent, but also yourself. You must know your own skills, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Are you a power pitcher? Do you have a great curveball? Do you have to rely on pinpoint control because you lack a good fastball? Baseball is such a complex sport with so many different potential situations that a pitcher must be able to navigate through.

Understanding baseball pitching strategies of all types that cover all situations is information you must possess in order to be successful and win games you must be able to put together a pitching strategy that combines all the knowledge you have about you, your opponent and the situation. Take time to learn how to play baseball and you’ll better understand how to pitch and get hitters out. Be a master at understanding strategy and you will have more fun on the mound and be more successful than you ever thought you could be.

There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Pitching is my Passion, and my goal is simple. It’s to provide you with unbiased and useful information you need to succeed as a pitcher. I encourage you to take advantage of this, and really use this as a resource to build on your skills, use every useful piece of information from this that you possibly can. You have to want to it! Some of the pitching tips you may find more helpful than others; find what will work for you and run with it. Succeeding in the game of baseball as a pitcher can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. There is no feeling like winning a championship and achieving something that you have worked hard for. I sincerely want to make sure you have all the tools you need to do just that. Love every minute of it.  Blessings

PHILL 4:13 For I could do all things through Christ who gives me Strength

A brief Bio on Coach Luis Villarreal: Drafted in 2002 by the Boston Red Sox. Played 9 years in the minor leagues. Currently is the pitching instructor at Xtreme Speed in San Antonio, TX. 
 

Pitching Instruction Part 1

Pitching Instruction Part 2

Pitching Instruction Part 3

First, understand that there are 4 general aspects across all sports that are similar.
 
Physical- Players must be fit enough to perform the movements required by the sport
 
Technical- Players must understand and be able to perform the correct technique of different movements in order to succeed.
 
Tactical- Players must understand the game’s strategy and apply that a little differently depending on the opponent.
 
Mental- Players must be prepared for the challenges they will face across all of the previous three aspects and develop proper methods to deal with these challenges. The mental part of pitching is the most challenging one to master but the most important one to master.
 
The mind can affect each of these aspects either negatively or positively and in so many ways. Mental pitching means knowing all potential ways a pitcher’s mind can react to a certain situation and understanding what psychological concepts and methods to use to attack them. How well a baseball pitcher can train his mind to deal with challenges positively and with the right approach will effectively determine his ability to succeed in any situation.
 
Finding the answers to these questions is very important. We all have seen extremely physically talented players who never live up to their “potential.” And we’ve all seen less physically gifted players excel to levels no one thought possible. What can explain this?
 
"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is." -Bob Feller
 
1. Have a Purpose
 
Want to improve fastball command? Have a goal in mind every time you pick up a baseball. Every time you pick up a ball you have a chance to improve your location. Playing catch, throwing a bullpen in practice, or pitching in a game…it does not matter. Every throw gives you an opportunity to get better. 
 
2. Make them count
 
Make every throw count. Do not waste your time by throwing from different arm slots or trying different useless grips for fun and wonde why your location is not there on game day. You only have so many throws in your arm. Make them count.
 
3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
 
Implement the same throwing mechanics on every practice throw that you would on the first pitch of a game. You will make a lot of practice throws in your lifetime. Why not use those throws to improve what will ultimately be the deciding factor in whether or not you are successful? 
 
4. Focus, Focus, Focus
 
Pick out a specific spot on your target and focus on hitting that target with every single throw. Start when your partner is close and its easier to hit the target. Expect to hit your target every time, especially when you are close. This will build confidence in your ability to hit spots. Adjust your expectations somewhat when your target is far away; as it’s harder to hit that target the further back you go. But do not use that as an excuse to lose focus.

 5. Aim Small, Miss Small 

As cheesy and overused as this phrase is, it’s actually quite profound. Make your target as small and specific as you can; your misses to that target will be small as well and you will improve command.

6. Visualize, Visualize, Visualize

Tell yourself what you want to do with the baseball and visualize it in your head and it will be easier for you to achieve it. If you can see yourself do it in your head, then you will be more likely to do it on the field.

7. Become a perfectionist

Expect to locate the ball exactly where you want to 100% of the time and nothing less. Always strive for perfection… but know that you will never attain it. You may ask why I would encourage you to spend so much time and energy on something you will never be able to achieve. Because it will make you better and you will constantly be harder to reach this unattainable goal. This takes time and maturity.

Follow these fastball pitching tips and you will significantly increase your level of pitching performance.

A brief Bio on Coach Luis Villarreal: Drafted in 2002 by the Boston Red Sox. Played 9 years in the minor leagues. Currently is the pitching instructor at Xtreme Speed in San Antonio, TX.

Pitching Instruction Part 1

Pitching Instruction Part 2

Pitching Instruction Part 4

KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO DOMINATE…
 
Before you can fully commit to being a great pitcher, you have to figure out what exactly it takes to be the best. Great pitchers put forth the effort and go to great lengths to find out what it takes to dominate. How do you find out what it takes to be great? Study great pitchers.
 
Great pitchers are successful for good reason. They’re determined to find out what it takes to be physically great, to strengthen their body to gain maximum velocity and endurance to last the season and be healthy. Great pitchers also understand that physical prowess is not the only key ingredient to dominance. It is the intellectual, mental and emotional training as well. That means learning the game of baseball and its strategies, how to control your thoughts in a positive way, finding out what your mental weaknesses are and how to develop them, what your mental strengths are and how to maximize them, ect. It seems at the Little League, Select Baseball level there is so much emphasis on gaining velocity that other equally important qualities are left by the wayside. Maximizing velocity while developing sound, injury preventative mechanics are keys to being successful. But they’re not the only keys. Good pitchers know this. Great pitchers do something about it.
 
WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO?
 
Knowing what it takes to dominate and doing it are two different things. This is where the rubber meets the road and what separates the men from the boys. Total commitment means taking this information and putting it into practice. Are you prepared to throw 5 or 6 days a week, and workout 4 or 5 days a week, and spend 5 more hours a week developing your mechanics? Be determined to put it into practice and make it a habit.
 
"If you could equate the amount of time and effort put in mentally and physically into succeeding on the baseball field and measured it by the dirt on your uniform, mine would have been black." -Mike Schmidt

Always keep in mind your ultimate goal… dominating in order to have success (however you want to define it). If you’re totally committed to succeed you will put in the time and effort required to make yourself great and you will want to do it. Eventually you will enjoy doing what it takes to make you better. I remember as a freshman pitcher in college I was introduced to tubing, tubing is for the strengthening your body without using weight. Well I absolutely hated them at first because they were tough and they hurt. However, I knew they would make me stronger and more flexible and that might translate into better performance so I learned to enjoy doing them. I felt the same way about running.  You might feel the same way about running or lifting or doing drills. It doesn’t matter. You must see the big picture and know that by totally committing to the little things, either physically or mentally, you are making yourself stronger. Becoming stronger and tougher will condition you to be better. Better physical and mental conditioning leads to better performance on the mound. Better performance on the mound leads to more success and more success leads to more fun and achieving what you want to. Your level of performance usually dictates your level of success, your ability to get a scholarship, your ability to win championships, etc. If you’re not willing to be totally committed to doing the big and little things required to dominate, then your performance will suffer and you will not succeed and failure is in your future. Putting it simply… you must do more to be more.
 
"Put the right pitching mechanics together with good health, and there's nothing surprising about lasting a long time." - Nolan Ryan
 
 
What you need to know about Baseball Pitching Mechanics

Proper Pitching technique is a very popular topic in the baseball world today and has been for a long time. Everyone wants to know how to throw a baseball the correct way and improve their pitching technique so they can increase pitching speed, have more pitching velocity and remain healthy enough to pitch for a long time. There are some things you should know as you embark on the journey of finding the right pitching mechanics for you. I want to help you have the right mind set before you set out on that journey. Keep the following in mind before you begin:
 
The ultimate mechanical goal is to build a delivery that allows a pitcher to:
 
The ultimate mechanical goal is to build a delivery that allows a pitcher to:
 

• Maximize athleticism
• Have ultimate balance control over his body and movements
• Be deceptive
• Repeat these mechanics close to 100 pitches a game
• Minimize the chance of injury

• Maximize Athleticism

I want to better develop the athlete’s use of his existing physical skills and abilities. If I can increase a pitcher’s strength, agility and stamina while maintaining great flexibility, we will make him a better athlete and very likely a better baseball pitcher.

• Balanced and Controlled

Show me a pitcher who is athletic and I’ll show you a pitcher who can maintain balance throughout his delivery and control where he wants his body to go and what he wants it to do. Balance and control is vital in baseball pitching because you have to be able to release the ball from the same spot every time for all pitches. If you can’t control your body then your body will do something a little different every time.

• Deception

In addition to being athlete who can control their movements, you have to be able to deceive the batter. A pitcher’s goal is be able to develop a delivery that is sound but that also can hide the ball from the hitter as long as possible. I don’t to give the hitter any idea of what we’re throwing until it leaves our hand, giving him the lease amount of time to react.

• Repeatable Mechanics

Every one of these concepts builds on the others. Having repeatable baseball pitching mechanics is important because it allows you to know what your body is doing because you don’t have balance and control, then you can’t expect to know where the ball is going to go and what it’s going to do. I always tell my students that if you want to control what the ball does at the plate then you have to control what your body does on the mound. Being able to repeat your delivery gives you the confidence in a game to concentrate on getting hitters out rather than worrying about your mechanics.

• Minimize the chance of injury

It’s logical to conclude that if you want to continue to pitch you have to be healthy. Understand, too, that a pitcher can easily repeat bad mechanics. A pitcher that repeats bad mechanics in his delivery can develop many problems like lack of control, velocity and more importantly… the likely hood that they’ll get hurt. Study the pitching mechanics of great pitchers who have remained healthy for a long time. No two pitchers are exactly alike and there is not one set way to deliver a pitch to the plate. But there are certain elements of every great pitcher delivery that give them a better chance to stay healthy and injury free.

 
Keep in mind:

There are no “perfect” pitching mechanics. And no two pitchers are exactly the same. Your goal should be to develop a baseball pitching delivery that follows the concepts above but is specific to your skills, abilities and talents. Keep working hard to improve those skills, abilities and talents and your performance will get better and you’ll give. 

“Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don't move.” - Satchel Paige

A brief Bio on Coach Luis Villarreal: Drafted in 2002 by the Boston Red Sox. Played 9 years in the minor leagues. Currently is the pitching instructor at Xtreme Speed in San Antonio, TX.

Pitching Instruction Part 1

Pitching Instruction Part 3

Pitching Instruction Part 4

The following article was provided to me by Coach Luis Villarreal who just happens to be my son's pitching coach. Selecting a coach to work with your son or daughter is a tough thing to do as you are entrusting someone with the well being of your child. Not just from a physical standpoint but from a mental standpoint. After all, the real goal is not just to make your child a better baseball/basketball/soccer/football/softball player it's to make them into confident, respectful and driven adults.

After a few sessions with Coach Luis and getting to understand his philosophy I was more than comfortable that we had picked the right coach to work with my son and when he shared the following article he had written that opinion was solidified.

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

By Luis Villarreal

"THE ROAD TO SUCCESS." The road to success starts within a heart
that wants to be the best at something--a heart, mind, and
soul that does not want to be ordinary, but extraordinary.

Most pitchers have a tough time mastering the mental game of pitching at a younger age. A lot of mistakes and poor outings are made from a weak mentality. When these pitchers are confronted about their mental game, they tend to deny it and say their mentality has nothing to do with it. The sooner they can get over this obstacle, the sooner they will master the mental side of pitching.

The mental game consists of not only knowing your surroundings, situations, and plays given, but staying inside of yourself and controlling what can be controlled. Don’t, let small talk like, “Keep the ball down, this guy can hit” get inside of your head. Controlling the mental game means ignoring this kind of talk and pitching without any of this negative outside influence.

Playing with fear must always be avoided. Don’t let negative thoughts creep into your mind while you are pitching. Thoughts of failure, negative “what ifs”, ect should not be thought about. These will inevitably lead to you actually doing this negative thought.

BECOMING MENTALLY TOUGH ENOUGH TO OVERCOME ANY SITUATION!

The Mental Pitching Tips you find here will teach you everything from dealing with failure and success as a pitcher to learning how to make necessary adjustments and pitching with confidence, and much more. Remember, being physically talented is not enough. Being able to perform all the right techniques and strategies is not enough to guarantee success. The key is being a successful baseball pitcher is to develop all of these traits and become mentally strong enough to handle any situation that comes your way. Learning how to succeed mentally at baseball pitching is fun but it is hard and it takes discipline and effort too. Experience in game situations is the best way to apply these concepts. Learn from past experiences and apply what you’ve learned to the future. You’ll improve more than you ever thought you could.

Any pitcher with any experience on the mound at all understands that there is much more to winning than meets the eye. Having great pitching mechanics and technique is not enough, especially against experienced hitters. So what is missing?

Confidence is a key factor in pitching. We have to know that we will get the next guy out. We have to know that we are in control on the mound, and that nobody else can affect what you do out there. Pitching with confidence is a key component of pitching that all the great pitchers eventually learn how to do. Having the confidence to go out there and know you are the best can only help you, so the earlier you can learn this, the more effective you can be.

A good pitcher knows how to block out distractions. For a pitcher, a baseball game can become very noisy. You may have coaches yelling across the field, other players yelling to each other, and the background noise of the fans all coming at you at once. This can be a very daunting situation, but must be mastered to be an effective mental pitcher. When you are pitching, it is just you and your catcher. You should not care about what the other players are chirping about, or how obnoxious that guy behind the fence is. Just focus on your task at hand, which is pitching the ball to your catcher.

"If your not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job." -Brooks Robinson

THE HIGH PRICE OF COMMITMENT

Total commitment means sacrifice. It means being the first one at practice to work on pickoffs. It means staying late to better develop command of your pitches. It means taking a bucket of balls and a jug of water to the field by yourself in the summer in 95 degree heat to long toss to the fence when you don’t have anyone to throw with. It means bundling up when it’s 40 degrees and windy outside to get your throwing in over the holidays. It means running sprints in the summer instead of going swimming with your buddies. Total commitment means sacrificing things that may seem good at the moment to give you the best chance to be great on the mound later. I suggest you do some soul searching and ask yourself if you’re willing to pay the high price of total commitment. Ask yourself what your true motivation for playing is, and be honest with the answer. If you’re not willing to to give 100% commitment, someone else is and I guarantee you they will be successful.

The goal of every truly competitive pitcher I know is to be successful. People may define that success in many different ways. One thing is for sure though… consistent success will not come without total commitment. Sure, there will be days that your commitment will not be 100%. It is human nature to want to find the easy way to do something and you will want to try and find that easy way at some point in your journey. I warn you though not to use human nature as an excuse to ease up. Fight human nature and do what most will not do… take the hard way. Great pitchers find out what it takes to dominate and more importantly THEY DO IT. They do more so they can be more. What are you prepared to do? Totally commit to doing the same and you will have more success than you ever thought you could.

"Baseball is 50% from the neck up" - Ted Williams

KEY POINTS TO TOTAL COMMITMENT

1. Understand your true motivation so you can know for sure if you’re willing to totally commit to becoming a great pitcher
2. See the big picture…your commitment on a daily basis to the little things will lead to your desired result of success and domination
3. Read, study, learn, ask questions to find out what it takes to be great
4. Make it a habit to put into practice what you now know is required to be great
5. Learn about yourself and what things might distract you from total commitment and eliminate them. Be prepared to make hard decisions to do that.
6. Understand that your success depends on your performance, and that your performance is directly related to your commitment level
7. Learn to enjoy doing things that you know are making you better

"HARD WORK."
It will take hard work on the part of anyone who wants to
be the best. How much work will it take? That depends on your
final goal, or the greatness of your dream. If you want to
be the best, then you are going to have to do more than others

A brief Bio on Coach Luis Villarreal: Drafted in 2002 by the Boston Red Sox. Played 9 years in the minor leagues. Currently is the pitching instructor at Xtreme Speed in San Antonio, TX.

Pitching Instruction Part 2

Pitching Instruction Part 3