National News

Former Big East Player of the Year and Division 1 College Coach to oversee softball at Frozen Ropes

support@frozenropes.com () — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

The Big East's loss is a major gain for area softball players and coaches in the Tri-state area.

Laura Taylor will bring her unmatched coaching and playing career to the Hudson Valley where she will direct all softball instructional programs at Frozen Ropes.

A four year starter and three time Big East First team All-star at Seton Hall ,Taylor captured the NCAA homerun title in 2002 and an invitation to Team USA Softball's Olympic team.

A two-time recipient of the Female Athlete of the year award at Seton Hall, Taylor capped her stellar player career at the professional level, signing with the New York Juggernauts in the National Pro Fastpitch league. Prior to her five years coaching tenure at Big East powerhouse St. Johns, Taylor coached at Providence College in the Big East Conference.

"To have the opportunity to impact the playing career of so many girls is the ultimate challenge", said Taylor who has appeared at local clinics and camps throughout the Northeast during her coaching career. "Good instruction at an early age with motivated players who want to work hard is the key to playing in college" said Taylor who will be based in the new Rock Sports Park in Chester, New York.

"We are excited to have someone with Laura's resume and passion to teach join our staff", said Tony Abbatine, the National Director of Instruction at Frozen Ropes, "Her understanding of the college recruiting process and what it takes to be a college level player will be invaluable to local players and parents".

Taylor will oversee the pitching and catching program at Frozen Ropes and direct all college showcases for high school level players. Taylor will offer pitching and catching instruction to area players and also offer coaching seminars to travel teams.

For more information, contact John Penatello, Media Relations

845-469-7331
John.Penatello@frozenropes.com

Victor's Michelle Prong is among Section V's best

support@frozenropes.com (Jeff DiVeronica) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Michelle Prong's right arm is like a cannon and her crow hop belongs in an instructional video.

At the plate, her bat is like a whip - legs, hips and arms working in harmony as softballs explode off aluminum with every compact-yet-powerful swing. Prong looks like the prototype, but it took something inside of the Victor shortstop to make her a Section V rarity: A softball recruit headed to an NCAA contender.

clear pixel

"I had to have the confidence in me," she said.

The people around Prong always believed in her, and after working with a top hitting instructor in the New York City area, starring for four years on one of Section V's perennial powers and playing on high-caliber teams outside of the school season, Prong is ready. Later this year she'll head to Stanford University, a top-10 program that has had 15 All-Americans the past 14 years.

"She's very gifted but what sets her apart from probably any athlete I've had is her work ethic," Victor coach Shelly Collins said. "Michelle has gotten better every year and there's not many athletes you can say that about over six years."

It's the product of talent and a lot of drive.

Over the past few years, Prong has worked out monthly with Rob Crews, director of hitting for Frozen Ropes. He has worked with major colleges, seen his mental techniques used by major-leaguers and wrote a book on them. Prong and her father, Dave, have routinely made the five-hour drive to the Big Apple so she could work with Crews.

Michelle, who doesn't turn 18 until October, has even flown to New York City, had a session with Crews and flown right back to Rochester.

"Her softball IQ, focus, commitment-level ... she's really a special individual," Crews said. "For her, the best is yet to come."

Many regard the Pac-10 as the best league in the country, and at Stanford the 5-foot-5 Prong will have the same trainer who works with the U.S. national team. That will make her strong lower and upper body more powerful, Crews said.

A first-team All-State pick last spring, Prong batted .539 with 55 hits for the Section V Class A champions (27-3). She has been on varsity since seventh grade, playing third base before moving to short last year. She missed her sophomore season after an injury that required surgery on her right elbow. She was sidelined about four months.

"It happened at probably the worst possible time," Prong said.

The injury cooled recruiters because she didn't play until mid-August that summer. But Crews helped his pupil connect with Maryland and Stanford. Virginia Tech was another option.

The Prongs met Crews about 18 months earlier at a showcase in New Jersey for top prospects. Michelle and a few others from her Horseheads-based travel team attended, and Prong earned a spot on Team New Jersey, an elite group of girls from the Northeast.

"There were times I'd dread going to tournaments because I didn't think I was as good as these other girls," Michelle recalled. "I was playing with girls who were going on visits to Arizona, Tennessee, Oklahoma. I hadn't even looked at a college."

Crews remembers a conversation he and Dave had while at a tournament in Laguna Hills, Calif. They were at a Starbucks. "Is she good enough?" Dave asked.

"Definitely," Crews said. "You're not wasting your time."

Prong has played for TC Tremors, a Binghamton-based travel team, the past two years.

Prong said dealing with the movement of pitches, not velocity, is the toughest aspect at higher levels. She studies pitchers every chance she gets.

"What's her best pitch? Is she trying to throw a lot of first-pitch strikes?" Prong said. "Once you get into the box you can't think about your own mechanics, you have to be thinking what the pitcher's going to throw."

And learn from everything you do. That's something her father has stressed.

"You're always going to get another shot, so learn from (the past)," she said.

Collins marvels at Prong's approach. Prong is "by far" the best hitter she has had in her 21 seasons.

"To her, (hitting) is like an art and science put together."

Psychtests Teams Up With Frozen Ropes Training Centers to Develop Athletes of all Levels

support@frozenropes.com () — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Psychtests AIM Inc. and Frozen Ropes offer athletes the tools to become psychologically and athletically strong performers.

Montreal, Canada - March 5, 2010 - Frozen Ropes, renowned for their baseball and softball training centers and player development, and PsychTests AIM Inc., the online testing guru, announced today that they are teaming up to help develop young, aspiring athletes take their mental skills to another level.

Success in sports depends a great deal on factors beyond physical talent. It is not uncommon for highly skilled players of all ages to crack under pressure or struggle with bouts of competitive anxiety, loss of focus or loss of confidence. Coaches and researchers in sports psychology are well aware that in order for an athlete to succeed, they must possess the proper physical skill and mindset.

Frozen Ropes has now added a psychological assessment, created by Psychtests, to their training curriculum. ACE, (Athletic Competition Evaluation) now allows athletes and coaches to learn about players' psychological strengths, and the areas they will need to develop in order to enhance their physical performance on the field. The test assesses, among other things, an athlete's work ethic, ability to focus, parental and peer pressure, competitive anxiety and motivation issues. Assessments are developed for players as young as 10 years of age to the professional level athlete. Test results are then shared with the player and a customized mental skills training program is created by Frozen Ropes to address any weaknesses.

About Frozen Ropes
Featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Newsweek, ESPN and the New York Times, Frozen Ropes is the industry leader in baseball and softball player development. Since 1988, they have worked with hundreds of college baseball and softball programs, individual athletes and professional teams in the area of player development, visual mechanics and mental skills training. Past major league clients include the New York Yankees, the Colorado Rockies, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets.

About PsychTests AIM Inc.
PsychTests originally appeared on the internet scene in 1997. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts. PsychTests was founded and is led by Dr. Ilona Jerabek, a specialist in the field of psychometric assessments and Vrat Jerabek Ph. D., a researcher and authority in the field of artificial intelligence.

Contact

PsychTests AIM Inc. Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., President 1-888-855-6975 ilona@psychtests.com www.psychtests.com	Frozen Ropes Training Centers Amy Ferzoco Multi-Media Director 845.469.7331 amy.ferzoco@frozenropes.com	Sales and partnership development Tony Miglio The Inside Mind 859.835.1900 tmiglio@theinsidemind.com www.theinsidemind.com

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.