Strike Zone Academy is pleased to announce that Curtis Grah has joined Strike Zone Academy as a speed & agility instructor. Curtis has extensive experience and a great reputation for getting the most out of athletes in all sports....not just baseball and softball. Please see Curtis' bio below.

Curtis was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but moved to Mt. Juliet when he was 8yrs old.  He graduated from Mt. Juliet High School in 2003 where he was a multi-sport athlete competing in football, basketball, and track.  After graduating from Mt. Juliet High School he had the opportunity to play sports at Tennessee Tech University.  While at Tech, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies and became a certified teacher.  Curtis is currently finishing up his course work in order to receive his Master’s Degree in Health and Human Performance from Pittsburgh State University.  

Currently, Curtis is the Strength and Conditioning teacher at Mt. Juliet Middle School.  He also coaches football at Mt. Juliet High School for the Golden Bears.  He has been the Head Strength Coach for the past 4 years and was the Assistant Strength Coach 4 years prior to that for the Bears.  Curtis is also the offensive line coach and special teams coordinator for MJHS.  Prior to becoming a teacher and coach, Curtis was a personal trainer for the YMCA and Tennessee Tech for 5 years.  He is married to his beautiful bride Courtney and has a 2yr old son named Paxton…..with another young boy on the way (Pace).  Curtis and his family attend church at The Bridge Fellowship and are actively involved in WHOUWITH ministries where his wife is the women’s minister on Vanderbilt’s campus.

If you are looking for speed & agility instruction for yourself, your player, or your team, please call Strike Zone Academy at 615-829-4531 or 615-516-5311 today! We will be glad to discuss your needs and connect you with Curtis! You can also email us at [email protected]. To learn more about Strike Zone, visit our website at www.strikezoneacademy.net

Strike Zone Academy is very proud to announce the addition of Emily Echols as softball instructor! Emily is a talented teacher and we are excited to have her as part of Strike Zone Academy. Emily's bio is below.

Emily was born and raised in Texas.  She played high school softball in College Station for A&M Consolidated High School where she received All-District honors 3-years, and was named to the All-State team. Emily pitched in high school and held the record for most innings pitched over her 4-years there.  Emily received a 4-year scholarship to play at East Texas Baptist University.  During her 4-year career there, she was named to the All-American team, the All-American Academic team and received MVP for her junior season. During her college career, Emily pitched, played short stop and 3rd base. After graduating with her degree in Education, she began teaching and coaching. Helping young girls develop a love for softball became a passion. Emily moved to Mount Juliet and has been teaching, coaching, and doing pitching lessons for the past 10 years.  Emily currently lives in Mount Juliet with Jeremy, her husband of 13 years. They have one daughter, Madison.

If you are looking for softball instruction, please call Strike Zone Academy at 615-829-4531 or 615-516-5311 today! We will be glad to discuss your needs and connect you with Emily! You can also email us at [email protected]. To learn more about Strike Zone, visit our website at www.strikezoneacademy.net

Good morning everyone! I hope you are doing well and are getting excited about the upcoming softball/baseball season. I thought I would have a little fun today and share ten little known facts related to the greatest game on earth. Did you know....

1) The Albuquerque Isotopes minor league team was named after a baseball team in the show The Simpsons.
2) All baseballs used in the MLB are rubbed with a specific mud. Only one person knows the location of the mud, and he sells it to the MLB each season.
3) MLB umpires are required by rule to wear only black underwear...in case they split their pants. 
4) Lefty slugger, Prince Fielder, is a natural right-handed hitter. However, as a child, his father made him hit left-handed and said Prince would thank him for it later.
5) Former MLB player Jason Varitek is the only person to have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series, MLB World Series, and the Olympics.
6) The Yankees, Cubs, Angels and Dodgers are the only MLB teams that do not have a mascot. The Yankees used to have one, but he quit after being beaten up by fans, who didn't want a mascot.
7) During a typical MLB season, approximately 160,000 baseballs are used.
8) In 1957, Richie Ashburn fouled off a ball and hit a spectator, breaking her nose. A few pitches later, he fouled another pitch and hit the same fan as she was being led out of the stands on a stretcher.
9) Former MLB player Don Mattingly once pitched three innings right-handed and three innings left-handed in the same Little League game.
10) In 2011, the Florida Marlins set an attendance record for a game...in a bad way. Only 347 fans were in the stands for a game in August due to a chance of inclement weather.

If you are looking for individual lessons, team practices, speed and agility or velocity training, please contact Strike Zone Academy today. Don't wait and lose your edge on the competiton! Call 615-516-5311 or 615-829-4531. You can also email us at [email protected]. Visit us at www.strikezoneacademy.net for the latest specials and offerings.

The Young Guns Velocity Training has been an extremely popular program for players since Strike Zone Academy opened in December. There are two teams that are in the final stretch of the six-week program....which means there are spots and times available for the next round of training in early January.

If you have a player or team that would like to raise the level of their game, this program is for them. In fact....we will prove it! Stay tuned to this blog and over the next couple of weeks we will post the velocity improvements of the teams that are completing the program.....

Don't wait and let a competitor take your spot on the calendar! Call today to reserve your spot for the next round of Young Guns! Call 615-516-5311 or 615-829-4531.

It is the night before the big game. As a coach, you are looking over your roster to figure out the best batting order for the matchup. How do you maximize your players' strengths and create the most productive lineup?

Many coaches will look at their stats and create a lineup based strictly on batting average and on-base percentage. However, the most effective coaches will look at quality at bats to determine the order. What does that mean?

Quality at bats (QAB's) is a measure of productive at bats for each game. As an example, the Texas Rangers define a productive at bat by the following. In fact, this chart hangs in their dugout.

1) Hit
2) Walk
3) Hit By Pitch or Catcher Interference
4) Sac Bunt
5) Sac Fly
6) Move runner with an out
7) Move runner with an error
8) 8 or more pitch at bat

Coaches that explain the importance of a QAB will begin to see their batters take a different approach at the plate.....an approach that will produce better results.

If you are a coach, I encourage you to begin keeping stats on QAB's, and set your lineup accordingly. Explain it to your team and stress it at practice. I can assure you the results will follow......

When it's the middle of winter, most people aren't thinking about softball and baseball. I mean, these sports are played in the summer sun, right?

While softball and baseball may be summer sports, the best players in the game develop and hone their skills during the offseason.....in the cold winter months. That is the time when good players can become great, and great players can reach elite status.

How do you spend your offseason? Just as important....how are your competitors spending theirs? Are they building strength, speed and agility while you are at home? How many more swings have they taken in the cage than you? Have they gotten the edge on you without you being aware? If so, it will definitely show once the season rolls around.

Don't lose your edge. Make the decision to be great! Dedicate yourself to working hard in the offseason.....because that is when champions are made. Remember, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

If you're interested in an offseason regimen for you and/or your team, contact Strike Zone Academy today. Don't delay......because your competition isn't. 

Call Rob at 615-516-5311 or Derek at 615-829-4531 and regain your advantage!

The instructors at Strike Zone Academy are leading several teams
and groups through Young Guns arm strength training….and seeing great results!
Did you know that this training program not only strengthens your core and the
muscles used for throwing…..but it also results in increased velocity? Some
extra pop on that fastball could come in handy when you are facing your rival
team for the championship!
 
This program is designed for baseball and softball as well. Not
only will your strength increase, but the instruction regarding proper mechanics
will decrease your chances of injury as well.
 
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to improve your game! Spots are
available for the next round of training. In fact, invite your entire team and
receive a group discount! Call Derek at 615-829-4531 or Rob at 615-516-5311 and
get in the Zone!

We are excited with the positive response we have received thus far from the community. We are still in the process of finishing the buildout of the facility…..and our calendar is booking up quickly!

We have several baseball and softball squads that have already placed team practice memberships, and we have multiple Young Guns strength training programs going on simultaneously. Not to mention the many individual hitting and pitching lessons that are taking place each night.

If you’d like to check out the facility, sign up for team or individual memberships….or if you want more information on individual lessons, please call Derek Hunley at (615) 829-4531 or Rob Brown at (615) 516-5311. Or, you can go to www.strikezoneacademy.net

Softball and baseball season is around the corner…..so get in the Zone!!