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Parkland Student Athlete Academy
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Baseball

In 2018, Spruce Grove Minor Ball and Stony Plain Amateur Minor Ball, both in operation for over 30 years, united to form the Parkland Minor Ball Association (PMBA), one of the largest baseball associations in Alberta. The mission of PMBA is to provide athletes with a safe environment to have fun, make new friends and develop their baseball skills. 

PMBA strives to create experiences that result in a desire to continue with the game of baseball by giving these young athletes a sense of high self-worth that can be gained through organized sport. PMBA operates Rec & Rep teams from Rally Cap to Midget age for players in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and Parkland County.

Baseball Academy

The Parkland Twins Baseball Academy is a High Performance Program. The Parkland Twins operate under the banner of PMBA, and are the competitive stream for baseball players looking to develop their skills to the highest level possible. The Parkland Twins Baseball Academy will work with those PSAA students who are dedicated baseball players: students who want to develop their skills to play at the next level and perform at their peak in the classroom.

Our program is an intense and fun way to train and develop all aspects of the game. We focus on elite skill development, with the intention of helping athletes achieve their maximum potential while fostering their passion and understanding for the game. Whether it be hitting, fielding, throwing, pitching, or base running, the skills each player in this program will acquire will help them to get to the next level.

Student athletes who are accepted into the program will typically be playing in the higher levels of their respective age groups. Parkland Twins Baseball Academy athletes have a passion for their sport, a high motivation to set and achieve goals, and develop leadership qualities within the sport and community. The skill and training programs offered through the Parkland Twins Baseball Academy will provide the student athletes every opportunity to discover themselves, their strengths and their current limitations, and then put a plan in place to overcome these limitations and become the best student, athlete and citizen they can be.

Basic Information

Cost: $325 for Jr. High students & $375 for High School students. This includes all programming costs, midday transportation to facilities and apparel.

School Locations:

Outdoor Baseball Location: Henry Singer Ball Park (South Avenue, Spruce Grove)

Indoor Baseball Location: TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre (221 Jennifer Heil Way, Spruce Grove) 

Transportation: Students will be bused midday to the facilities for their baseball programming, where they can be picked up at the end of the day.

High School Academies: Grade 10-12 students interested in the Parkland Twins Baseball Academy should contact Mike Johnson for details. Some details provided on this page are only applicable to Grades 6-9.

Athlete Development Research: Baseball Canada Long Term Athlete Development

Baseball Schedules

Junior High Schedule

The Junior High baseball schedule runs on a six-day rotation. Below is a sample three-week schedule:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Baseball Development

Sports Science

Baseball Development

Dryland Training

Total Athlete Development
Day 6 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Baseball Development

Baseball Development

Sports Science

Baseball Development

Dryland Training
Day 5 Day 6 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Total Athlete Development

Baseball Development

Baseball Development

Sports Science

Baseball Development

 

High School Schedule

The High School baseball schedule runs on a five-day rotation. Below is a sample three-week schedule:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Baseball Development

Baseball Development

Total Athlete Development

Dryland Training

Baseball Development
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Baseball Development

Baseball Development

Sports Science

Dryland Training

Baseball Development
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Baseball Development

Baseball Development

Total Athlete Development

Dryland Training

Baseball Development

 

Lead Coaches & Instructors

Program Director - Chris James

Chris has been involved in baseball in the Parkland area since 1998, and has been actively working in the area to bring the game to a new level, including leading the charge to merge Spruce Grove Minor Ball and Stony Plain Amateur Minor Ball.  He believes “it only makes sense to take the best of both programs to create a better program for the kids.”

Chris' coaching career began in little league, where he coached from 1990-1994 while he was studying at college. Once his schooling was complete, he and his wife moved into the local area, and in 1996 Chris became involved at Spruce Grove Minor Ball, coaching teams in the Parkland area on and off since 1999.

Chris is currently under contract with Baseball Alberta as the Female Technical Director for the province. He has been to National championships and Western Championships as a coach 17 times. Most recently, Chris was the head coach of the 2019 14U Girls’ Provincial team that won silver medal at the Peewee National Invitational. In addition, Chris was a member of the 2017 Canada Summer Games 17U male team that won a bronze medal in Winnipeg. In 2006, Chris became the first head coach of an Albertan team (male or female) to win a gold medal at a National Championship. Chris continues to develop athletes and has a great love for teaching the game.

"I am most proud of the number of players I have been able to work with that have gone on to play a level of rep ball. I am extremely blessed to have been a part of the White Sox, Royals and Twins programs. What makes me the proudest is in 2019 Parkland Twins operated the most amount of rep teams in the Province’s history!” 

Qualifications and Distinctions:

  • NCCP Master Learning Facilitator with Baseball Canada since 2004
  • NCCP Evaluator with Baseball Canada since 2007
  • Current Comp Development Certified since 2001 (Old level 3) 
  • Currently working on Level 4 modules through the NCCP
  • Baseball Canada 2012 Grass Roots Coach of the Year

Baseball Head Coach / Technical Director - Shane Dawson

Shane Dawson was born in Fort McMurray, where he grew up playing minor ball until moving to Drayton Valley and eventually playing in the Parkland area. After winning the Western Canadian championships with the Spruce Grove White Sox, Shane advanced to the collegiate level, playing for the Prairie Baseball Academy out of Lethbridge, and eventually winning the CCBC championship, after which he was selected to join the all-conference team.

Shane's achievements caught the eye of the Toronto Blue Jays, and he was drafted to the team in the 17th round (535th overall), where he became the 29th best Blue Jays prospect in 2015, accumulating a 15-6 record and a 3.03 ERA. That same year, Shane won a gold medal in walk-off fashion with Team Canada at the Pan Am Games. In his last two years with the Blue Jays, Shane pitched 241.1 innings (including some against David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox) and represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic. He finished his Blue Jays organization tenure with a 36-29 record and a 4.04 ERA over 505.2 innings pitched.

Shane has been coaching and operating academies over the past six years, starting as an instructor at ST.FX Baseball Academy during the off-season of his pro career, and most recently as the lead instructor at Strive Baseball Academy in Calgary, where he ran winter programs and coached the summer teams over the past three seasons, and as a member of the T12 Coaching staff. Shane also helped coach the Alberta women's team to a bronze medal at 2019 National Championship. 

Shane has very quickly developed into a great instructor, and continues to put a ton of time and research into his development as a coach, forging strong connections with the young baseball players he teaches, keeping close ties with the baseball world and maintaining a work ethnic second to none.

Baseball Director - Mike Johnston

Mike grew up playing baseball in Sherwood Park. He was drafted in 1993 by the Toronto Blue Jays and enjoyed a career that spanned 17 years. He played five seasons in the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos and Baltimore Orioles, and was also a part of the Texas Rangers, San Fransisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers associations. In addition, he spent a good amount of time overseas playing in Japan, South Korea and also Taiwan, where he enjoyed his most successful year going 20-2, and took home the MVP of the League Award.  

From 2003 to 2012 he was a member of the Canadian Senior National Team, where he participated in numerous World Championships, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He started for Team Canada in the WBC against a star-studded USA lineup at Rogers Center in 2009. One of the highlights of his international career happened in 2011 when he was part of the Canadian team that took home the gold medal at the Pan American Games. In 2012, Mike and that team were inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

After his playing career, Mike transitioned into coaching, working on and off for seven years with the Canadian Junior National Team and several notable players, including Mike Soroka of the Atlanta Braves and Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians, who were both first round picks. He has coached numerous provincial teams, and local teams that have gone on to win Western Canadian Championships. He is currently the owner of 5 Tool Fieldhouse, where he works with kids age 8-20 years old.

Baseball Development Program

Parkland Twins Academy offers a comprehensive program focused on developing elite baseball players while continuing to foster a love for the game. Coaches with extensive experience work closely with student athletes on their athletic development and progress.

Athlete development is focused on the six tools of the game:

  • Throwing (arm strength and accuracy) 
  • Hitting for power
  • Hitting for average
  • Fielding (infield/outfield defensive skills)
  • Speed 
  • Mental game 

In each of these areas, the program takes a data driven, evidence based approach of Test, Train, Retest in order to track individual athlete’s progress and maximize individual skill development. Coaches and athletes use this information to set goals and design precise and individual programming to optimize development and help athletes achieve their goals. 

Testing and program design for each of the six tools of a baseball player includes:

Throwing

  • Max velocity
  • Average velocity
  • Accuracy
  • Pitch design
    (age and athlete dependent) 

Hitting for Power

  • Exit velocity
  • Launch Angle 

Hitting for Average

  • Contact %
  • Barrel % 

Fielding

  • Fielding %

Speed 

  • Sprinting (60-yard dash)
  • Agility test 
  • Reaction test 

Mental Game 

  • Measured performance in live competition

First Season of Play (September-January)

General

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to philosophy, routines, expectations & culture
  • Individual evaluation & assessment
  • Skill and physical testing
  • Introduction to foundational concepts
  • Introduction to individual goal setting 

Week 6-10

  • Introduction to team building
  • Continued emphasis on culture
  • Introduction targeted and individualized plans for athlete development aligned with athlete goals
  • Introduction to video analysis 

Week 11-15

  • Continued emphasis on team building and culture
  • Mid-point individual evaluation & assessment
  • Mid-point skill and physical testing
  • Review & adjustment of individual athlete goals
  • Review & adjustment of targeted, individualized plans for athlete development
  • Video analysis
  • Introduction to creating recruiting video

Week 16-20

  • Continued emphasis on team building and culture
  • Final individual evaluation & assessment
  • Final skill and physical testing
  • Review & adjustment of individual athlete goals
  • Review & adjustment of targeted, individualized plans for athlete development
  • Live competition video analysis
  • Creation of recruiting videos
  • Showcase days (introduction to scout days)

Throwing

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to arm care (plyocare, J-bands, pre- and post-recovery)
  • Off-season build up (stacking the base, long toss)
  • Introduction to Kinetic Chain
  • Introduction to movement patterns

Week 6-10

  • Arm care
  • Off-season build up (velocity building, long toss, pull-downs)
  • Developing kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • On-ramping for mound work
  • Introduction to pitch design

Week 11-15

  • Arm care
  • Off-season build up (velocity building, long toss, pull-downs)
  • Development of kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • Integration for mound work
  • Introduction to pitching program
  • Pitch design
  • Introduction to live competition at bat

Week 16-20

  • Arm care & maintenance
  • Maintenance of throwing program
  • Improvement of kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • Pitching program
  • Live competition at bat

Hitting

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to developing bat speed (overload & onderload training)
  • Introduction to Kinetic Chain
  • Introduction to elite swing mechanics & movement patterns

Week 6-10

  • Developing bat speed (overload & underload training)
  • Introduction to quality of contact hitting program
  • Development of elite swing mechanics & movement patterns
  • Introduction to swing adjustibility (location and timing)

Week 11-15

  • Introduction to developing bat speed (overload & underload training)
  • Introduction to kinetic chain
  • Introduction to elite swing mechanics & movement patterns

Week 16-20

  • Maintaining & improving bat speed (overload & underload training)
  • Maintaining & improving quality of contact
  • Development of elite swing mechanics & movement patterns
  • Adjustability of swing (location and timing)
  • Live competition at bat

Fielding

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to foundations of infielding
  • Introduction to foundations of outfielding

Week 6-10

  • Development of foundations of infielding
  • Development of foundations of outfielding
  • Introduction to position-specific skills

Week 11-15

  • Development of foundations of infielding
  • Development of foundations of outfielding
  • Development of position specific skills
  • Introduction of individual positions-targeted focus
  • Introduction of team defense concepts
  • Introduction of competitive fielding (reaction & decision making)

Week 16-20

  • Development of foundations of infielding
  • Development of foundations of outfielding
  • Development of position-specific skills
  • Development of individual positions-targeted focus
  • Development of team defense concepts
  • Competitive fielding (reaction & decision making)

Speed

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Introductory & assessment phase
  • Introduction to nutrition

Week 6-10

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Growth phase
  • Development of a nutrition plan

Week 11-15

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Growth phase

Week 16-20

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Maintenance phase

Mental Game

Week 1-5

  • Growth mindset
  • Thinking habits

Week 6-10

  • Identifying individual mental approach
  • Work ethic
  • Process & preparation

Week 11-15

  • Development of individual mental approach
  • Focus on confidence: becoming a fearless competitor
  • Focus on attitude: making plays

Week 16-20

  • Application of individual mental approach
  • Focus on overcoming failure & adversity
  • Learning how the situation dictates approach

Second Season of Play (February-June)

General

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to philosophy, routines, expectations & culture 
  • Individual evaluation & assessment
  • Skill and physical testing 
  • Introduction to foundational concepts 
  • Introduction to individual goal setting 
  • Introduction to try-out preparation

Week 6-10

  • Introduction to team building 
  • Continued emphasis on culture 
  • Introduction to targeted and individualized plans for athlete development aligned with athlete goals
  • Introduction to video analysis
  • Try-out preparation

Week 11-15

  • Continued emphasis on team building and culture 
  • Mid-point Individual evaluation & assessment
  • Mid-point Skill and physical testing 
  • Review & adjustment of individual athlete goals 
  • Review & adjustment of targeted, individualized plans for athlete development 
  • Video analysis 
  • Introduction to creating recruiting video

Week 16-20

  • Continued emphasis on team building and culture 
  • Final individual evaluation & assessment
  • Final skill and physical testing 
  • Review & adjustment of individual athlete goals 
  • Review & adjustment of targeted, individualized plans for athlete development 
  • Live competition video analysis 
  • Creation of recruiting videos
  • Showcase days (introduction to scout days)

Throwing

Week 1-5

  • Rest, Restore, Recover (for athletes in SOP 1)
  • Continuation of arm care (plyocare, J-bands, pre and post recovery)
  • Off-season build up (stacking the base, long toss)
  • Introduction to kinetic chain
  • Introduction to movement patterns

Week 6-10

  • Arm care
  • Off-season build up (velocity building, long toss, pull-downs)
  • Development of kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • On-ramping for mound work 
  • Introduction to pitch design

Week 11-15

  • Arm care
  • Off-season build up (velocity building, long toss, pull-downs)
  • Transition to in-season maintenance 
  • Development of kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • Mound work integration
  • Introduction to pitching program 
  • Focus on pitch design 
  • Introduction to live competition at bat

Week 16-20

  • Arm care & maintenance 
  • In-season maintenance 
  • Refinement kinetic chain and movement patterns
  • Continuation of pitching program 
  • Live competition at bat

Hitting

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to bat speed development (overload & underload training) 
  • Introduction to kinetic chain
  • Introduction to elite swing mechanics & movement patterns 

Week 6-10

  • Bat speed development (overload & underload training) 
  • Introduction to quality-of-contact hitting program 
  • Development of elite swing mechanics & movement patterns 
  • Introduction to swing adjustibility (location and timing)

Week 11-15

  • Maintenance & improvement of bat speed (overload & underload training) 
  • Quality of contact hitting program 
  • Development of elite swing mechanics & movement patterns 
  • Adjustability of swing (location and timing)
  • Introduction to live competition at bat

Week 16-20

  • Maintenance & improvement of bat speed (overload & underload training) 
  • Maintenance & improvement of contact quality
  • Development of elite swing mechanics & movement patterns 
  • Introduction to swing adjustiblity (location and timing)
  • Live competition at bat

Fielding

Week 1-5

  • Introduction to foundations of infielding 
  • Introduction foundations of outfielding
  • Continuation of SOP 1 athlete development

Week 6-10

  • Development of foundations of infielding 
  • Development of foundations of outfielding 
  • Introduction of position-specific skills

Week 11-15

  • Development of foundations of infielding 
  • Development of foundations of outfielding 
  • Development of position-specific skills
  • Introduction to individual positions-targeted focus
  • Introduction to team defense concepts 
  • Introduction to competitive fielding (reaction & decision making)

Week 16-20

  • Development of foundations of infielding 
  • Development of foundations of outfielding 
  • Development of position-specific skills
  • Development of individual positions-targeted focus
  • Development of team defense concepts 
  • Continuation of competitive fielding (reaction & decision making)

Speed

Week 1-5

  • Introduction of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning 
  • Introductory & assessment phase 
  • Introduction to nutrition

Week 6-10

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Growth phase 
  • Development of a nutrition plan

Week 11-15

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Growth phase

Week 16-20

  • Integration of strength, power, speed, & agility conditioning
  • Maintenance phase

Mental Game

Week 1-5

  • Growth mindset 
  • Thinking habits

Week 6-10

  • Identifying individual mental approach 
  • Work ethic 
  • Process & preparation

Week 11-15

  • Development of individual mental approach 
  • Focus on confidence: becoming a fearless competitor
  • Focus on attitude: making plays

Week 16-20

  • Application of individual mental approach 
  • Focus on overcoming failure & adversity
  • Learning how the situation dictates approach

Dryland Training Program

Dryland programs are individually designed and implemented by Acumen Health in Edmonton. Workouts are conducted in our weight room at Broxton Park School. 

Parkland Student Athlete Academy

Contact

WEST entrance 505:McLeod Ave
Spruce Grove, Alberta T7X 2Y5

Phone: 780-962-1414