Baseball Factory Introduces Innovative Method for Baseball Development: Game Time Pressure Training

COLUMBIA, Md., June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The leader in baseball player development and college guidance in the U.S. with over 300 alums in the Major Leagues including C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder, David Wright, and Roy Halladay, Baseball Factory, has created Game Time Pressure Training (GTPT) an innovative training program which provides a simulated environment for players to practice and train in a game-time situation.

Founded in 1994 to train players and educate them on the college recruiting process, Baseball Factory teamed up with James E. Driskell, Ph.D., one of the leading researchers for NASA and the U.S. Navy, who has more than 20 years of research experience in stress and human performance, to research and develop the GTPT simulation, which allows a baseball player to interactively practice in a game time situation.  Designed by Baseball Factory Founder and CEO, Steve Sclafani, GTPT offers players a training experience and a basis from which to improve.

"The goal of Game Time Pressure Training is to help players overcome game-time stressors so their true ability can come out and they can enjoy playing the game they love to the fullest extent," said Sclafani, Baseball Factory Founder and CEO.  "The only way to accomplish this was to put players 'in-game' and get them accustomed to the sights, sounds and emotions of a real game."

Through a study of 45 participants, ages 7-17, Dr. Driskell found that stress can be a proven factor that affects batting performance. The findings, which are published in "Stressors in Youth Batting Performance," co-authored by Sclafani and Driskell, identify five key stressors that affect batting performance: performance pressure, competition demands, time pressure, task load, and noise.

Specifically about these stressors, the study found:

• 83% of players report performance pressure is often or sometimes a problem in affecting their batting performance
• 73% of players report that competition pressure (importance of game, pressure to perform well against top competition) affected their batting performance
• 69% of players report that game time pressure (being rushed to perform, fast pace of opponent's pitches, dealing with quick pitching) affected their batting performance
• 58% of players report task overload (having to simultaneously deal with the pressure of the day, opposing pressure, crowd, coaches' directions, etc) affected their batting performance

With these results and Dr. Driskell's extensive experience research in mind, GTPT was created. The technology is a multi-step process that helps to simulate the environment of an actual game. The training is comprised of the following four key elements which are incorporated into the published "Game Time Pressure Training Manual" (co-authored by Sclafani and Driskell):

• Vision Training
• Balance
• Skill Development
• Game Time Pressure Training/Simulation/Live At-Bats

GTPT technology uses a combination of sight and sound to develop a virtual situation for the player during practice. This allows the player to practice with the same distractions he may experience during the game, and thus gives him an edge up over the opponent.

Mark DeRosa, 13-year MLB veteran and current MLB player for the Toronto Blue Jays, is just one example of the many skilled players who believe this technology has a great potential to change baseball training.

"What Baseball Factory has created with its Game Time Pressure Training program is unparalleled," said DeRosa who went through the GTPT simulation. "Being able to practice in the right conditions so you can perform when the game is on the line is invaluable.  It will go a long way in preparing players to have success at higher levels when the pressure mounts and being able to seize the moment and slow the game down."

GTPT's innovative characteristics can change the future of baseball training. Baseball Factory's mission is the produce the best possible player who can play to his/her full potential in any situation.

About Baseball Factory

Baseball Factory has developed programs to provide players with world-class instruction and life-changing experiences, which when combined, lead to future success both on and off the field. Baseball Factory holds over 600 events nationwide for players age 8-18.  Events are held in 45 states and 150 cities each year.  The company prides itself on giving families an unbiased assessment of where the player stand against other players nationwide. Baseball Factory events have featured more than 320 players who have played or are currently playing in the Majors and over 40,000 players have gone on to play at the college level. 98% of Division I, 70% of Division II and 60% of Division III programs have at least one Baseball Factory alumnus on their roster. Learn more about Baseball Factory and GTPT at www.baseballfactory.com.

Contact:

Meredith Geisler
Meredith Communications
[email protected]
301-610-5001

SOURCE Baseball Factory