National News

Pitching Clinic with LA Dodgers Relief Pitcher Jon Link!

support@frozenropes.com () — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Feb 6: Jon Link, Chantilly native and relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, presents a pitching clinic for ages 7-18+.

Jon's baseball journey started in the CYA Little League through Chantilly HS where he was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2002. Jon then enrolled at Bluefield College and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2005. Jon was traded to the White Sox in July 2007 and finished 2008 as the Minor League Saves Leader and Reliever of the Year. Last month Jon was traded to the NL West Champion LA Dodgers. Jon is excited to offer this pitching clinic to pass along some of the knowledge he's acquired during his playing career.

Clinic Topics (age appropriate):

Pitching fundamentals
Importance of arm/shoulder care
Pitching styles
Types of pitches/Developing a 2nd pitch/ Breaking pitches

Fielding the position
Holding runners/pickoffs
Relationship with catcher
Pitching demonstration

Call 703-378-9090 to register!

» Register online now!

About Jon Link:

Chantilly High School- 1st team All District & All Region
Drafted by Montreal Expos in 2002 MLB draft
Bluefield College- 1st team all AAC, AAC Pitcher of the year
Drafted by San Diego Padres in 2005
Eugene Emeralds (Class A)- - 7 starts & 11 scoreless outings to end year
Fort Wayne Wizards (Class A)- - 2nd in league in appearances, 53 games- 57 K's
Lake Elsinore Storm (Class A)- 2nd in saves with 13
Traded to Chicago White Sox for Rob Mackowiak, July 2007
Birmingham Barons (Class AA) - Minor League Baseball saves leader, MiLB and Southern League Reliever of the Year, 35 saves 66 K's in 56 innings, 3.02 ERA
Closer at Charlotte Knights (Class AAA) in 2009 then played in Venezuela Winter League
Traded to Dodgers in December 2009 for Juan Pierre
Expected to be the Dodgers right handed setup reliever in 2010

Frozen Ropes in NJ Baseball Magazine

support@frozenropes.com () — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

As everyone in the baseball training industry knows by now, the Frozen Ropes franchise system occupies a significant niche in the national market. With over 40 franchises operating nationally and even one in Verona, Italy, more coaches and parents everywhere view Frozen Ropes as the go-to training facility for players of any age to learn the finer points of the greatest game on earth. New Jersey Baseball Magazine tracked down Bill Connolly, Bob Roland and staff in November '09 for an update on the two year-old Frozen Ropes of Union.

» Read more

Jessica Mendoza: Gold Level Hitting 2010 tour dates

support@frozenropes.com () — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Join Jessica Mendoza and Frozen Ropes for hands-on training:

Friday, February 5th Elmsford, NY

Saturday, February 6th Pinebrook, NJ

Saturday, February 6th Garden City, NY

Sunday, February 7th Chester, NY

Sunday, February 7th Danbury, CT

Danny Florence of McKinney, TX: Instructor of The Year

support@frozenropes.com () — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Danny Florence accepting his 2009 Frozen Ropes National Instructor of the Year award at the ABCA National Convention in Dallas.

Danny (Flo) Florence is co-owner of Frozen Ropes McKinney. He has more than 20 years of experience in coaching baseball and helping players maximize their baseball skills and is very well known in the national coaching community for his passionate attention to detail in all aspects of the game. Danny has been a national speaker at conventions throughout the country and is a specialist in analyzing throwing motion and helping players gain arm speed while reducing the chances of injury. He holds a BS in Kinesiology from University of North Texas. Danny served as Assistant Coach at both Brookhaven CC and McKinney HS before taking over the reins at Sherman HS and building that program into an annual playoff contender.

Danny has also spent the last 17 years coaching the highest level of select baseball in the DFW area and has been a scout for the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. He is in charge of the development plan of the company as well as overseeing the instructional consistency of all baseball instruction at Frozen Ropes North Dallas.

Turn and Burn Speed Camps race across the country

support@frozenropes.com () — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Everyone can run faster, do you want to?

Combining the most effective training techniques in the track and speed industry, the Frozen Ropes Turn and Burn Speed Camps are now being offered to players of all ages and sports across the US.

Our Turn and Burn program includes:

• Sprint mechanics
• Redirection
• Acceleration
• Speed strength training

• Dynamic stretching
• Sprint plyometrics
• Overload speed techniques
• Sport specific running

Check with your local Frozen Ropes for dates and times for turn and burn camps.

Speed Thrills Velocity Camp!

support@frozenropes.com (Frozen Ropes) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Make 2010 your best throwing season ever!

This Specialty camp for high school level players is designed to increase throwing and pitching velocity through the supervised use of our underload-overload throwing program, advanced throwing drills and improved flexibility and range of motion.

Train with the same weighted ball program and throwing model used by All-Star Mariano Rivera and other high level players.

The Velocity Camp is conducted by Tony Abbatine, Frozen Ropes International Director.

» Event details

M-W football coach Pat D’Aliso’s new project

support@frozenropes.com (Kevin Witt) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Monroe-Woodbury football coach Pat D'Aliso is the director of football operations for the newly created Top Gun Instructional Football academy.

The business will operate out of the Rock Sports Park in Chester, once that facility is completed. For now, it is using the Frozen Ropes Training Center in Chester.

The program will offer year-round football training, incorporating biomechanics, sports psychology, visual skills, as well as strength and conditioning. Classes are beginning for children as young as 5, with more advanced training for older kids.

"Every other sport is training all year locally and football is being left out," D'Aliso said. "This is way to help our section's programs now, and get kids good teaching at a younger age."

D'Aliso plans to use only coaches with local ties. The staff is comprised of Warwick head coach James Sciarra, Minisink Valley head coach Kevin Gallagher and Monroe-Woodbury assistants Bernie Connolly, Jim Hintze and Mike Connolly.

Scarsdale assistant Devin Hoover, a former Washingtonville head coach and Monroe-Woodbury program assistant, completes the staff.

Howard (Hojo) Johnson announced as the National Hitting Director for Frozen Ropes

support@frozenropes.com (Frozen Ropes) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

New York Mets Hitting Coach and former Major League All-Star Howard "Hojo" Johnson joins Frozen Ropes as the National Hitting Director.

Hojo will be visiting Frozen Ropes locations to keep FR staff updated on the latest teaching techniques for hitting and offering personal video analysis and instruction to amateur players across the world.

Howard Johnson played 14 years in the major leagues for the New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. He had a lifetime batting average of .249 with 228 home runs, 247 doubles, 22 triples, 760 runs scored and 760 RBI's in his major league career. He was a member of the 1984 Detroit Tigers and 1986 New York Mets championship teams. He was a 2-time N.L. all-star in 1989 and 1991. In 1989 he led the league in runs (104) and in 1991 in RBI's (117) and homeruns (38).

NYSBCA Coaches Clinic and Convention: Jan. 2010

support@frozenropes.com () — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Frozen Ropes is pleased to be a corporate sponsor of the 1st Annual NYS BCA Coaches Clinic and Convention in Albany, NY this January.

The convention is geared towards amateur coaches of every level. Travel coaches, little league coaches and first-time coaches are encouraged to attend.

Please find additional details, including a schedule and registration information at the New York State Baseball Coaches Association website nysbaseball.org/

» View brochure

Date: January 29th and 30th, 2010
Location: Holiday Inn, Wolf Road · Albany, NY

Professional, College and High School Speakers
Over 75 Vendors received invitations
Full membership benefits with NYSBCA
Establishment of NYSBCA Hall of Fame
Coach of the Year and Player of the Year Awards

D'Aliso and SNF Staff Present The Top Gun Instructional Football Academy

support@frozenropes.com (Phil Dusenbury) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT

CHESTER - To say Pat D'Aliso has had a successful coaching career would be an understatement. He's won 10 Section Nine titles, taken his team to four state championship games and come away with a state title. In his 27 years of head coaching, he's won 199 games and a bushel of "Coach of the Year" awards. Now he's willing to share his and others' football expertise with all of Section Nine.

"People ask me why I want to give away my ‘secrets,'" he said after Monday night's open house at Frozen Ropes. "This isn't about giving away secrets. This is about building Section Nine football from the bottom up."

In order to do so, D'Aliso has teamed up with Frozen Ropes director Tony Abbatine to implement the Top Gun Instructional Football Academy (TGIFA). Frozen Ropes is a sports complex and athletic training center on Elkay Drive in Chester. D'Aliso is now the Director of Football Operations there. He'll work with his assistant director, Bernie Connolly, and a hand-picked group of successful local coaches to teach developmental football skills to players from youth football through the high school varsity levels. The first sessions are scheduled to begin on January 2nd and 3rd .

"People around the state are realizing that New York football is about 10 years behind everybody else, and Section Nine is behind most of the other sections in New York," D'Aliso told an interested group of primarily youth football officials and some booster club representatives. "We're not just interested in working with the younger kids but with all ages."

TGIFA will start off with sessions in the Quarterback Training Camp (age groups 8-10, 11-13 and 14 & up) and in Wide Receiver Training Camp (age groups 8-13 and high school). Each session consists of six hour-long classes that run on consecutive weekend days. Eventually there will be additional sessions to introduce kids aged 5-7 to football.

Warwick head coach James Sciarra, the architect of this past season's record-breaking Wildcat passing attack, will run the Quarterback Training Class while Mike Connolly, the M-W varsity receivers coach, will direct the Wide Receiver Training Camp. The cost for each six-week session is $95, quite a bargain for first-rate, hands-on expert instruction.

"(Frozen Ropes) gives us a great opportunity to go year-round," Bernie Connolly, M-W's well-known defensive coordinator, told the group. "It solves the old problems of how do we go year-round, where do we get facilities and how do we find spots in any facilities that are around."

"Fifteen years ago when Frozen Ropes first opened, I came here as a high school student," said Coach Sciarra. "Now it's come full circle. Now we have the chance to work on football year-round. In our quarterback camp we'll be able to deal with all the proper mechanics of the position in addition to passing and handing off."

Coach D'Aliso asked for suggestions from the open house attendees and smiled when he heard requests for youth football coaching clinics and for sessions in offensive line and defensive secondary skills.

"Everybody loves to tackle but not too many kids are interested in blocking," said one youth football coach.

Nods of agreement came from every level of coach in the room. So D'Aliso was happy to introduce his veteran line and special teams coach at M-W, Jim Hintze, who will be working with linemen in future sessions.

"We're here in part to create good competition (among Section Nine Football)," said Hintze who was an all-star lineman for the Crusaders in the late 70's. "The level of teaching has improved so much over the last 30 years."

Also on hand was another very familiar face and impressive physique. M-W grad and excellent football coach Devon Hoover, now down in Scarsdale, is a certified strength and conditioning coach who will also be on the TGIFA staff. The other staffer announced was Minisink Valley head coach Kevin Gallagher who was unable to make the open house because his Warrior wrestling team had a match.

"We're trying to develop athletes here. We're interested in developing our kids on the psychological and social levels as well as on the physical. Character development is very important," D'Aliso said. "In addition to football skills we'll integrate all the athletic skills like balance, agility, flexibility, running, strength and hand-eye coordination. It's not just about playing any more."

Abbatine was also proud to help D'Aliso show off some of the video equipment and software that will be available for player video analysis. Additionally, D'Aliso announced that TGIFA plans to have the NFL Player Development Program make a visit, perhaps as early as June. And that program won't cost mom and dad a penny.

Asked about having sessions in kicking, Abbatine was happy to tell the group how he had met Eric Schubert, the former Giant kicker and a resident of the Valley Central district. He also related that Schubert said he would be happy to instruct kickers at Frozen Ropes if the occasion ever arose. Well, it looks like that moment is approaching.

"I believe in this program and am sending my players to it. Our goal is to develop Section Nine Football from the bottom up. Most coaches are aware of our situation and know what has to be done to become more competitive," D'Aliso said. "And it all begins with local youth football. It starts down with you (youth coaches). Youth football is our foundation, and we (high school coaches) need to give back to you."

The 21st Century has seen Section Nine Football slowly but surely follow the path that other sectional sports (wrestling being a good example) have taken. The rivalries are all still there but so is a new camaraderie amongst coaches and players and their willingness to share ideas and even to help local opponents improve. Being the best you can be entails more than just sitting atop a tiny pumpkin in a small, un-nurtured patch.

For more Top Gun Instructional Football Academy details you can go to: http://www.therocksportspark.com