Mike Kaighn

I am a 1989 graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School and played the sport up until an eye injury at the age of 16. I pitched, caught, and played 3rd and NO. I have two sons that have or are playing college ball and a 3rd doing well at the HS level. I have been around the game either playing, coaching, or instructing since 1991 I founded a travel ball team in 2012 and have worked extensively with kids of all ages and skill levels from T-ball age to college. With everything I teach, I focus on a good beginning. With hitting, I teach the elite swing taught and executed at the college and pro levels. No swing down at the ball, no hit ground balls on purpose. The first thing I work on is the hitters approach. After finding this out, I'll take a look at the mechanics of the hitter, and implement drills to correct any problems. I'll then teach the hitter about breathing, getting in a rhythm with the pitcher, and how to spot breaking pitches. With Pitching, we'll start with a thorough warm up and arm care routine. After that, I'll discuss what he wants from training, what problems he has faced, and any injury history they may have. After that, I'll record him from a few angles, discuss any deficiencies they may have, then any correction drills. Again, a good beginning will fix a lot of issues here. I don't give many verbal cues, just drills to teach the feel of how to drive to your target. After the student can consistently locate his fastball, we can work on other pitches and how to work a hitter based on where they stand in the box, their swing, etc. I will also work on the mental approach and will teach sidestep, pickoffs, and how to vary times. **** Pitchers younger than 14 will only be taught a 4-seam, 2-seam, and changeup unless a parent gives permission for something else.

With Catching, We'll go through a warm-up and arm care program. I'll again discuss with the player what their goals are, any problems they've had, injury history, if any, and their approach. I'll record the student receiving, blocking, and pop time. Now if a kid is just starting, we'll work on stances, receiving and swaying and framing. We'll then work on how to block correctly, and finally pop time and, if applicable, how to call a game.

My price is $40 for 60-90 minutes, $30 for 30 minutes. I can afford to charge less because the indoor I use is free to me. I have a full time job, so I'm not looking to rip people off. I also offer a free assessment. I guarantee a marked improvement or your money back.

I've always loved the game, but what made me passionate about teaching was the underdog players. The ones who were told there weren't big enough, fast enough, good enough, etc. My two older sons were both told this and one played ball at D3 Alvernia and my middle son just made a top JUCO team and has interest from two D2 colleges. I don't tell you this to brag, I tell you this because you can do the same or better if you want it and are willing to work for it. You'll never hear me doubt a kid with desire and work ethic. Do you wanna get better and not kill your bank account? Give me a chance, I'll show you how to do just that.