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Phil at chicagojacksbaseball@yahoo.com and Zach at zach@convergemedia.com

TOP TEN PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDES OF 2009

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHICAGO JACKS 16U BLACK  2009 LEWIS UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONS!!!

CONGRATULATIONS CHICAGO JACKS 16U BLACK 2009 TRITON COLLEGE INVITE CHAMPIONS!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ACADEMY ELITE NATIONALS: 2009 DSP MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

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2009 DSP 18U MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS-ACADEMY ELITE NATIONALS

Using the "69Philpin" the Americans played great baseball all weekend behing solid defense and FINALLY some timely hitting.  Ray O'Connell went nuts totaling a program-high 10 hits.  Ray was unconscious using the whole field and driving in runs and 15 total bases.   The Americans advanced out of pool play for the first time this season.  Junior Stuart Haley was brilliant again notching his 3rd program QS on the mound.  The Nationals, behind the pitching of Bob Cook and timely bat of Andrew Touhy (9 hits-5 for extra bases, 7 RBI, 6 runs) won four times in five tries against some very high-end competition.  Tyler Chamberlain-Simon pitched a complete-game shutout against the powerful Cleveland Premier Baseball Club--unbeaten in pool play, and the Nats pounded the mighty Indiana Bandits like harp-seals 12-2 behind clutch hits by Christian Rivera, Tim Duxbury, Jimmy Wool, Touhy and Eric Mueller a.k.a. "Mulestick".  Zach Fudalej nothched back-to-back solid outings from the pen with his 90mph fastball and Johnny Schroeder and Esteban Abbey and Jeremy Tirado played phenominal defense.  Schroeder caught five games and called four victories including Cook and Chamberlain-Simons masterpieces.
So it was Touhy just saying "no" to the "iffy" eggs at Denny's, Paesanos family-style dinner with Ross Donnan stand-up routine (hilarious) and the best-looking hostess in Michigan (seriously) scouting Dux--you can use the truck, man!, hospital visits, great coffee, tubs of custom ice-cream creations (nobody but PA finished), TWO guys getting picked off on hit & runs (Ty...what's up with THAT???), and 1,243,506 cell phone calls to Will Rivera and of course...the "69Philpin" named for Phil Wisniewski's greatness in tights.  
The Jacks, Americans and Nationals will be at Northwestern University, Oakton College and Triton College this weekend.  Come on out and support the troops. 

Northwestern is upon us.  USSSA has assembled the best talent in the midwest for this five-day event.  The AE Jacks will start on Wednesday, the AE Americans and Nationals will follow on Thursday evening.  The schedule follows...

NATIONALS
Thursday 4PM @ Triton  vs. Finish Strong Academy, MO
Friday 8AM @ Northwestern  vs.  Palos Rip City
Saturday 8PM @ Oakton  vs.  McHenry Hurricanes

AMERICANS

Thursday 8PM @ Oakton  vs.  Upper Deck Cougars

Friday NOON @ Triton  vs.  Lakeside Cardinals

Saturday 8AM @ Northwestern  vs. Finish Strong Academy, MO

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1832 PICKWICK AVENUE, GLENVIEW -- WE'RE LOCATED OFF OF WEST LAKE AVENUE ABOUT 6 BLOCKS EAST OF GLENBROOK SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

JANUARY-MAY: MONDAY-THURSDAY  4-10PM, FRIDAY RESERVED

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Beginning Memorial Day, our hours of operation will vary on weekends. Appointment Only.

Mailing Address:

1832 PICKWICK AVENUE  GLENVIEW  IL 60026 | PHONE: 847-785-9404 | PA@academyelite.com

Phil Apostle (By Request 847-785-9404)

Zach Martin (Tuesdays 4-9PM, Saturdays & Sundays NOON-4PM 847-858-8149)

Eric Porter (Wednesdays 5-9PM, Saturdays NOON-3PM)


 

( LEFT): Atlanta Braves Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones bangin' away "AE-style!"

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Inside the AE Training Studios...yes, that's Monty hitting!

ABOUT OUR FACILITY...

With 5800 square feet of actual training space, our facility was designed and laid out by a group of instructors with over 100 years of private instruction experience.  We wanted useable space that allowed for instructor interaction and quick access to equipment and video analysis angles. With that in mind, all of our cages are instantly retractable and are also instantly separated for semi-private/group instruction and tee work.  Fully retracted, the shell is a 55-foot wide by 76-foot long by 14-foot high "Monster Cage" that was installed by the professionals from Boston, MA at On Deck Sports.  We drew it up, flew 'em in, and after four days of work around the clock--and a lot of Dunkin' Donuts, we have what we believe to be the finest professional-gauge cages in country. The cages themselves are 18 feet wide (typical cages are 11-12 feet wide--18 is MASSIVE and there are 3 of them) and are each 76 feet in length.  The cage cielings make the biggest difference. With a height of 14 feet, the cages are suspended uni-directionally by cables secured by industrial turn-buckles that allow a flat top with a light graduation toward the rear of the cage. This creates a virtual plane for the flight of the baseball.  We have noticed that cages that are too high or "straight up" suspended by chains to the ceiling create kids uppercutting and lifting the ball into the peaks.  Our cages, while higher than most, create a mind-set for the player that they must hit through the ball and extent to reach the rear of the tunnel.  A line-drive mentality and hitting plane makes a big difference when taking hundreds of swings. Our lighting recieved the same photographer light reading as mid-court at the United Center and is brighter than centerfield at Wrigley.  The weightroom is supported by standard free weights as well as an Olympic Power Tech system that is truly state-of-the -art.  The training surface is 1.7" thick professional-grade sport turf with a 1" pad providing a realistic and comfortable feel.  At AcademyELITE we only use ATEC machines.  These are used by minor-league clubs as well as every Major League team because of their accuracy, durability, and ease of use.  At the rear of the studio is a hitting room that currently houses  Academy Elite Golf.  With two driving stations and a putting green, it can also be used by our players in the evenings for soft-toss or tee work in our inflatable bubble and sock screens.  We love it and think you will, too!  Come on by and check it out!  

This site  The Web 

Tim Duxbury: Walkoff Slam 10/11/08 vs. Missouri
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AE's Jimmy Wool in action for AE's Chicago Jacks
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2008 AE Fall Prospects
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"You've gotta be a man to play this game...but you've gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too."
                                                        _Brooklyn Dodger HOF'er ROY CAMPANELLA

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Spring vs. Fall
I understand the daylight limitations, vacations, and even field availability, but fall baseball HAS to be the better option for area high schools than spring.  Beginning in mid-August and playing through mid-late October, the season would culminate in a "world series" atmosphere and would be more in keeping with baseball traditions, including actually PLAYING the games.  College coaches could actually even catch a few games. The spring in Illinois is a joke for baseball--and not a funny one.  Last fall the AE Prospect club played 27 games in 6 weeks.  It began in late August.  This spring the AE Mavericks decided to avoid April altogether.  Finally, succombing to offers from area teams, doubleheaders were scheduled last weekend.  Needless to say, we practiced indoors at Academy Elite.  Spring baseball in Illinois is just...bad.
2:58 pm cdt 

Friday, December 5, 2008

HOLIDAY SHOPPING, 2008
SEASON'S GREETINGS!!! 
I trust the last of the Turkey left-overs has been turned into a soup or pie of some sort (guys, if it's still in the fridge, it's questionable at this point...)

Okay.  Each year I get asked a thousand times about bats, gloves, shoes, etc.  I love to help.  In fact, it gives me some purpose.  As a father of four that is very involved in the day-to-day operations at the homestead, I know the machine can get pretty crazy and "quick and easy" become of paramount importance.  Like you, I want the quick and easy to also offer quality and be free--for the most part--of disappointments.  Disappointments can not only ruin a day, they can cost precious time.  Time is of the essence especially around the holidays.  With that in mind, I spent a month and a half researching the best bats, gloves, and shoes in the world and have posted my findings--complete with INSTANT LINKS right to the source of these great (and sometimes not-so-great) products.  Highlights include the Kelley N Fuego Bat, Adidas cleats and Rawlings Primo Gloves. The links are right under the descriptions in BOLD print.  You can visit AcademyELITE eMagazine for the whole report (December Issue--available on-line now).

At Academy Elite, we are your source for wood bats.  Don't buy 'em anywhere else.  We guarantee ours against breakage and make 'em to order.  We also supply the finest batting gloves at an unbeatable price. We carry sexy apparel for the serious player as well as the whimsical.  From winter and spring jackets for men and women to the latest in performance fleece by mizuno and dri-fit by Under Armour and A4. We even carry the finest golf shirts around...that's right gang...I said GOLF.  I don't like my players to play it, but the clothes are awesome! Just hit the CONTACT US navigation link and let us know what you want--we'll get it for you.
Please have a SAFE and HAPPY season.  Remember to freeze-frame a little quality time with the kiddies and your loved ones--as so many of you told me when I had my first eight years ago--it goes FAST.  How right you were.
Hope to see you all real soon!
PA
9:38 pm cst 

Monday, October 6, 2008

Pitchers: Shut 'em down!
LISTEN UP! This is for all of you pitchers out there that are looking at your offseason and wondering which direction to go.  One of my favorite sayings is;  "If you don't know where you're going--any road will take you there."
First things first...SHUT YOUR THROWING DOWN 6-8 weeks.  In some ways it's no different than a bodybuilder needing rest to allow his muscles to soften and to stimulate them into new growth.  The throwing arm takes a fair amount of abuse during the spring and summer--and sometimes the fall.  The holidays are a great opportunity to build your fitness and to stretch and build some muscle and allow the arm a chance to refresh itself.  Some pitching coaches, like Paul Kosinski at The Strike Zone, use the down time to build better mechanics and to help pitchers gain an understanding of the workload and purpose of the work that lies ahead.  Eric Porter, of Academy Elite Baseball likes pitchers to simply focus on cardio and core work and college football; "There's no reason a kid should be throwing off a mound between Halloween and Thanksgiving...none.  I like our staff to get after it in the gym and in the classroom, go to homecoming, spend some family time--go see Grandma...anything--just stay off the bump for awhile."
Finally, make sure you and your pitching coach have a specific plan in mind when training begins.  Most pitchers I see spend way too much time aimlessly throwing.  Develop a slow curveball you can throw for a strike in off-counts.  How about developing a new lane you can command for your fastball to make your decent split become dominant.  How about learning to pitch inside?  These are all worthwhile pursuits you should discuss with your pitching coach.  White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper told me once, "Phil, I've never seen a pitcher succeed without purpose.  They need a plan.  That's a pitching coach's main gig."
Work hard guys...your teams' success will be dictated by the work you do this off-season!
11:11 am cdt 

Friday, September 26, 2008

"ENOUGH"
I get emails with touching little anectdotes seemingly daily.  I am blessed that people think enough to include me in their left-clicks.  Today, I recieved one that really hit the target with me.
I like the message and want to share it you.  It  follows...

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments
together at the airport. They had announced the departure.

Standing near the security gate , they hugged and the mother said , 'I
love you and I wish you enough'.

The daughter replied , ' Mom , our life together has been more than
enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough , too , Mom'.

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the
window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and
needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed
me in by asking , 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it
would be forever?'.

Yes , I have,' I replied. ' forgive me for asking,
but why is this a forever good-bye?'.

'I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the
reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye , I heard you say , 'I wish you
enough'. May I ask what that means?'.

She began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from
other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone'. She paused
a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she
smiled even more. 'When we said , 'I wish you enough' , we were
wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good
things to sustain them'. Then turning toward me , she shared the
following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray
the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may
appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

She then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person , an hour to
appreciate them , a day to love them but then an entire life to forget
them.


TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....

To all my friends and loved ones,
I WISH YOU ENOUGH



5:32 pm cdt 

Thursday, September 4, 2008

How to send a College Coach an email...

One of the best ways to get the attention of college coaches is to email them. The problem is most recruits don’t know exactly how to go about doing that. From my own experience, I’ve whittled contacting coaches down to an effective formula. Here are some tips on how to email college coaches for maximum results:

  • Have a legitimate sounding email. It looks better to be emailing a coach with an email address that has all or part of your name in it. The goal is to be professional here, and it isn’t too professional if a coach is receiving an email from “kick_ass_badass@hotmail.com”. Don’t hesitate to create a free email account on Yahoo! or Hotmail with your firstname_lastname@website as an email specifically for your recruiting emails. It will help you keep track of all your contacts.
  • The subject line. You want the coach to open your email. Simply putting “read this” at the subject line probably won’t do it. Provide a little bit of your information in the subject line. For example, write something like “Mitch Thompson, LHP Prospect from Rockford, IL”. I’ve found that providing your name, your position (you should put down any position that you play, multiple positions look better to a coach), and your location.
  • Pack that email with recipients.  search for “athletic directory” on Google. This will give you many, many schools at all levels with coaches you can email. Upon finding the coaches’ emails on your page of interest, copy and paste them into the recipients section. Make sure to go after assistant coaches too; they’re more likely to check their inbox. I would often send out emails to 100 coaches at a time. They really don’t care if there’s a lot of other recipients listed because they do the same thing when emailing their recruits.
  • Introduce yourself.  Don’t jump straight into a pitch about why you’re the next million-dollar bonus babyr. Remember, this coach probably still has no idea who you are. Repeating the information from the subject line is a good start: “Hey Coach, my name is Mitch Thompson and I’m a 6’2”, 200 pound LHP from Boylan High School in Rockford, IL, class of 2009.”
  • List some of your athletic credentials. Start with some of your athletic feats. How many years have you been a starter? Do you have any honors such as all-league, team captain, etc.? Any other statistical claims (i.e. led the team in steals last season) as well as a 60 time (if it makes you look good) should be included as well, but don’t be so quick to list the results of every single showcase skill out there. Some mystery can be a good thing...
  • Move on to academics. You’ve got to be honest here. Coaches want to know how you’re performing in the classroom, and they have to know at some point, so it’s best to not have any surprises. List your GPA (weighted if possible), test scores (ACT, SAT) and any other relevant academic info you can put in there, such as honor roll, AP/IB classes, etc. You have to present yourself as a kid who can appeal to the admissions office as well. Coaches want the whole package.
  • Leadership. Any other way you can demonstrate your leadership and character (i.e. volunteering, Boy Scouts, involvement with church) will make you more appealing to a coach and an admissions office. Again, coaches want the whole package.
  • Link any other resources you have available. This is why I recommend setting up a free profile with AcademyELITE. You can post all your stats, info, pictures and even some highlights. That way, if your email interests a coach, he can visit your profile to find out even more about you. Say something along the lines of “For more information about me, here is my AcademyELITE  profile: (link here).
  • Don’t make it an essay. That’s why it’s good to have a AE profile. You don’t want to write several pages about how awesome you are. Just a paragraph with a few key points about why you would be a good fit for their program, a place to find out more about you, and ways to contact you (include phone numbers, cell phone especially).

    Thank them for their time. College coaches are busy guys. While they should be interested in finding out more about potential recruits, they didn’t have to read your email, so thank them for doing so.

    • Tell them how to contact you. When emailing coaches,  provide  name, address, phone numbers, and email address (again). Make it as easy as possible for them to contact you.
    • Follow up. If a coach requests additional information, a copy of your transcript, and/or video, don’t hesitate to send it, even if you’re not too interested in the school.

     

12:56 am cdt 

2009.04.01 | 2008.12.01 | 2008.10.01 | 2008.09.01 | 2008.05.01

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Leyden's John Weaver-selected in the 17th round this spring by the Chicago White Sox goes deep into games and competes with the best--yet remains smart about arm health. 

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AE Nationals OF Christian Rivera (Notre Dame 2010) scores a run vs. Carmel

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L to R: Coach Fine, Coach Towsend, Coach Bennett

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