The US Elite Baseball program has helped over 400 players play at Division I level as well as the Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JUCO levels. With their “Uncommon Standards” slogan, National Director Mark Helsel and his son, Christian Helsel, the Georgia State Directior have built an elite baseball organization. We recently sat down with them to learn more about their program and their partnership with Blast. Here’s what they had to say:
Blast at the US Elite Level
“The US Elite, a national player development program, recruits kids throughout the country. Our sole purpose is helping kids develop as baseball players, move on to the next level and have a lot more life at the end of the sport. We spend time talking about life skills: enunciation, body language, posture and communication.
Player Development
The old saying, “Information is power,” contains a lot of truth. You got to get the information first and then do something with it.
We use this information and create individual development plans, or IDP. We have five main IDP tools: hitting for power, hitting for average, speed, arm strength and defense. We’re very specific and tell our kids exactly what they need to work on during the off season and what they need to prove to reach their goals. That’s the ticket to the next level for you.
When I look at our guys, the reason we’re having so much success is because we’re swinging the odds in their favor. We are giving them the information; we’re along for the journey with our people. We’re helping kids believe they can do it. We’re giving them a plan and we’re following the plan.
Technology
For us to continue developing our kids to compete at the highest level, we want the highest level of technology. Blast gives us a hands-on approach, even when our kids are spread across the entire country. We’re able to monitor their development, have a hands-on approach to this development and tell them where they’re straying or how well they’re staying on track.
Technology is eliminating all the guess work now. I love technology. You think you know things and you really don’t.
If we can get that learning curve out of the way when they are 12 years old, they’re going to go so far ahead when they jump into their school or they go to a pro tryout before the draft and they’re using this technology. Now they already know what the technology means. They’ve already used Blast, and they know their numbers are going to be right where they need them.
I think the coolest thing ever is that I could possibly be using the same technology that the MLB guys use. This technology is here; it’s ready for us to implement into our program and help these kids develop the best way possible. We can do things that have never been done before now. Technology has changed our life. That’s the understatement of the day, but what’s it done for us in baseball? It’s given us the ability to help people at an epic level, all over the country in real time.
Our job as an organization is to develop people and develop players. So why would we not use the best technology and the best methods of development possible that are available to us?”
To see more Blast Baseball content, visit our Youtube page.
