Mister Baseball

The German Baseball and Softball Federation announces the DBV-Baseball and Softball Academy 2009.

In cooperation with the International Sports Group (ISG) the DBV is hosting the DBV-Academy from January 16-18, 2009 in Darmstadt (South-Frankfurt) in the Deutsche Telekom Training Center.

This event follows the tradition of the MLB-Clinics organized by Major League Baseball International in the 90s all across Europe.

In addition to our national team coaching staff, ISG recruits experienced Major League and College coaches give lectures on all aspects of the game. (See below)

We will also have a showroom where the Forelle Company offers Equipment, Honigs Europe shows everything an Umpire needs to have, possa.promotion takes care on team promotional stuff and SPSN Sport Snacks offers original US-food products from Cracker Jacks to Root Beer.

Please find further information about the venue, speakers, costs etc. on the website: http://academy.baseball-softball.de and do not hesitate to ask questions: Hoffmann@baseball-softball.de

BIOGRAPHY – TOM O’CONNELL

The first high school coach ever elected to lead the American Baseball Coaches Association as President; Tom O’Connell has spent 36 years coaching baseball.  From 1974 – 2000 he guided the teams at Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where his teams won more games than any sport in the school’s history.  Eight years ago, after retiring from teaching, he took over as coach at Catholic Central High School in Burlington, Wisconsin and continued his success there winning back-to-back Wisconsin State Championships in 2004 and 2005, reaching the Elite Eight in 2006 and 2007, and winning another State Title last spring.

Long involved in the ABCA, O’Connell was Chairman of the High School Division from 1984-1996 and still serves on its Board of Directors and serves as chair of the Ethics in Coaching Award Committee.  He also served as President of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association and organized their successful Clinic and Convention for twenty years.  In 1987 he was inducted into the WBCA Hall of Fame, and, in 1991, was named their Man of the Year.  In January of 2007, he became only the 16th high school coach to be inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in its 62-year history.

O’Connell was named National High School Coach of the Year in 2004 by the ABCA, and in 2005 was named Midwest Coach of the Year for the third time.  In 1995, he skippered the North Team in the United States Olympic Festival in Colorado that featured major leaguers Mark Mulder, Jody Gerut and Robb Quinlan.

An accomplished author, O’Connell has had two books published by Human Kinetics Press, Coaching Baseball: Techniques and Tactics, the textbook for coach licensing in the USA and Coaching Youth Baseball, a manual for youth coaches.  He recently finished work on his third book, Baseball Practice Games – a book of games to use in practice for teaching tactics. It should reach the market by spring, 2009.  Besides speaking at clinics around the United States, for the past nine years he has organized winter coaching clinics in Europe for International Sports Group.  He has spoken at clinics in Germany, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Austria.  O’Connell has served as an envoy coach for Major League Baseball since 1993 – spending ten of his summers developing players and coaches in his adopted homeland, Germany – and is a scout for the Baltimore Orioles.

BIOGRAPHY – KIRK CHAMPION

Kirk Champion – Pitching Coordinator, Chicago White Sox Player Development Staff
Born: September 4, 1957, Granite City, Ill.
Resides: Shiloh, Illinois

Managerial/Coaching Highlights: Begins his seventh full season in 2009 as the minor-league pitching coordinator after serving 14 seasons as a pitching coach in the White Sox system … in 2001, was the pitching coach for the USA squad that won the Silver Medal at the World Cup Tournament in Taiwan … served as pitching coach for the International League Triple A All-Star game, Indianapolis (2001)…was a coach for the World Team at the 2000 Futures Game in Atlanta … was pitching coach in Venezuelan Winter League in 1990, 1992-93 … coached the pitchers in the 1989 Midwest League All Star Game and 1992 Florida State League All-Star Game…served as assistant coach at Southern Illinois-Carbondale (1986-1988) and Southwest Missouri State University (1979-1981) … was head coach at Rend Lake (Ill.) Junior College (1982-85) …Pitching coach for Team USA at Olympic Qualifying tournament in Havana, Cuba in 2006…

Managerial/Coaching Career: 1989-91 – Pitching Coach, South Bend (White Sox); 1992 – Pitching Coach, Sarasota (White Sox); 1993-96 – Pitching Coach, Birmingham (White Sox); 1997 – Pitching Coach, Nashville (White Sox); 1998 – Pitching Coach, Calgary (White Sox); 1999-2002 – Pitching Coach, Charlotte (White Sox); 2003-current – Pitching Coordinator, Minor Leagues (White Sox).  Post-season six times in the minor leagues with 3 Championships…’89 South Bend, ’93 Birmingham, ’99 Charlotte.

Miscellaneous/Personal: Married Jodi … has two children: Atlee and Mabree … graduate of Southwest Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education … younger brother of Keith Champion, longtime scout, now the special assistant to the GM with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Credit: 2008 Chicago White Sox Media Relations

BIOGRAPHY – DANA CAVALEA

Dana Cavalea – Strength and Conditioning Coordinator New York Yankees

Cavalea enters his first full season as the Yankees’ strength and conditioning coordinator after taking over post in May 2007.

He was appointed as the Yankees’ strength and conditioning assistant prior to the start of the 2007 season after serving as a strength and conditioning coach during spring training from 2003-06.

He also served in the same capacity with the Toronto Blue Jays (2002) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2003).

Dana Cavalea founded Major League Strength, a sports performance consulting firm that teaches nutrition, injury prevention and performance maximization to coaches around the country.

Cavalea was born on 10/15/82 in New York, N.Y. and attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he earned his degree in exercise science in 2004.

He holds a CSCS certification from the NSCA and PES certification from the NASM.

He is single and resides in Long Island.

SPONSORS: