I’ve been around this game for quite a while and attended numerous camps and clinics up and down the East Coast, but after attending the Riseball Showcase Camp in Edison, NJ, run by Roy Kortmann of Long Island University, Bill Edwards of Hofstra, and Jay Nelson of Rutgers, I have to say, this camp leaves all the other ones fighting for 2nd place.
Let’s start with the instructor lineup card:
Bill Edwards Hofstra
Larissa Anderson Hofstra
Ryan Realmuto Hofstra
Jay Nelson Rutgers
Misty Beaver Rutgers
Roy Kortmann LIU
Krystal Mejia LIU
Andy Russo St. Johns
Andrea D’Innocenzo UCONN
Adreanne Clark Columbia
Jill Karkowski Boston College
Diana Consolmagno Hartford Univ.
Sean Cotter Umass-Lowell
Courtney Oliver Boston University
Chris Reyes The developer of the Catchermetrx Training for Catchers
In addition to the instructors, there were a number of players from their respective squads on hand to help.
A very impressive roster to say the least, with lots of awards, accomplishments and high level experience.
The camp was separated into teams designated by color. From there, each group hit a rotating circuit covering all aspects of the game then leading into scrimmage games.
“Your Rise Ball camp was one of my favorite softball experiences to date. The concept and execution was incredible. To have that many top notch college head coaches spend that amount of time with my 14 year old, helping her to do what she loves to do was priceless. To watch them interact with her, joking, laughing and instructing her on how to be a better player and person (all while knowing her by her first name) again is priceless.” – Ron M
I can hear many of you asking, “What’s so different about this camp?”
A whole lot.
The personal touch these coaches have incorporated into this camp is unheard of these days with the “showcase” tournaments out there now. The coaches are hands on as each offer help in their field of expertise, moving through the players, providing individual instruction during the drills, while constantly giving positive motivation and reinforcement.
This wasn’t coaches standing behind a backstop jotting down numbers and notes. Players were able to interact with the coaches, engage in conversations with them about the game, ask questions and have a host of experts answer with their unique, battle-tested philosophies. Great Stuff !
Here’s a link to their site. Do yourself a favor and check it out. If you or your softball player has aspirations of competing at the collegiate level, Riseball Camp will give you something to shoot for and a set of tools to help get there.
http://riseballcamp.com/index.php
I’d love to hear about your experience with the team at Riseball, so please stop back here and leave a comment when you finish.
Coach Mike
