RPM's Latest Coaching Clinic

On March 8, 2008, Patrick and I put on pitching and throwing demonstration clinics in Thompson, CT. We were honored to be featured alongside Jon Doyle and Dave Weaver, two top, nationally known clinicians with superb credentials. Here's a review from their local newspaper, The Thompson Villager.

Overwhelming turnout at annual Thompson coaching event
200 PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL EVENT
THOMPSON, CT - March 9, 2008

Nearly 200 New England coaches attended the Northeast Connecticut Little League Coaches’ Clinic held at Tourtellotte Memorial High School this past Saturday. This is the ninth season the Thompson Little League and Thompson Schools have co-sponsored the event.

This year’s clinicians included strength and conditioning coach Jon Doyle MA, CSCS of Shelton, Connecticut, Dave Weaver of the New England Catcher’s Camp, Hudson, New Hampshire and Bill Peterson and Pat Howe of RPM Pitching from Longmont, Colorado. Aaron Coleman of the Positive Coaching Alliance, New York, New York also attended and discussed the very important topic of keeping youth sports in perspective. Aaron also discussed the book Double Goal Coaching by Jim Thompson.

“We could not have asked for a better day,” states Dan Durand, recently appointed first term president of the Thompson Little League. “These guys do an outstanding job. All of them volunteered their time, some coming from across the country to help our coaches.”

The clinic was founded 10 years ago as a means to help local coaches develop their skills. Sessions included keeping youth sports in perspective, the legal responsibilities of the coach along with how to teach basic baseball and softball skills. The clinic has trained more than 1200 coaches making this local-based clinic the largest all-volunteer coaches’ clinic in Northeast United States. “The clinic took on a life of its own,” states Ed Charlton Connecticut District 11 staff member. “Little League International and other youth organizations could learn a great deal from what Thompson does with its coaches.” The clinic attendees ranged from Tee Ball coaches who coach children as young as five years old, to American Legion and high school coaches whose players range in age from 14 to 19 years old.

“This year we were especially pleased to have Bill Peterson from RPM Pitching as a clinician. There are few in the country who understand the injurious nature of throwing as well as Bill. Improper throwing techniques are the number one reason for injuries in youth sports. Conventional and traditional methods simply do not work. Even Little League has stepped in and limited the number of pitches a player can throw, but they fall way short and do not address the reasons why children get hurt throwing,” states Joe Lindley, clinic organizer. “The average parent or youth coach simply does not understand how to teach throwing, and given that more than 90% of professional pitchers end up with throwing arm problems I would offer that conventional methods are probably not the way we want to teach our children.”

The clinic is an all-volunteer event that includes local players who give their time to help local youth coaches. This year's junior participants included Jake Eddy, Chris Alves , Sean Leary, Evan Touchette and Greg Biron from the Thompson Middle School and Mike Kingsbury from Tourtellotte Memorial High School.