U18 Big Time Baseball Head Coach
I am from Brookfield, WI and I am a recent graduate of Brookfield Central High School (Class of 2019). I am currently enrolled as a Sophomore at Carroll University where I am double majoring in Business Management & Leadership and Psychology. My high school baseball career and beyond consist of playing baseball at Brookfield Central all four years, two of those years on varsity under Head Coach Jeff Bigler (KJ’s Brother).
I began high school as a catcher and slowly developed into a pitcher. I was not some highly touted stud, in fact, I barely managed to make the varsity squad as a junior (I was the last guy selected). I really didn’t earn any significant playing time until my senior season. I was far from a power hitter, hard thrower, or speed demon on the field, I earned everything through hard work and patience. Unfortunately, having a fastball that topped out in the mid-’70s, I had to develop my game from a mentality standpoint. I learned how to attack hitters, vary my approaches, and mix in different pitches to keep hitters off-balance. I found a niche as a command junk thrower. While being successful in my limited opportunities, I was only able to appear in nine games on the mound across two seasons. Following the conclusion of my senior season, I continued to play ball in the Bigler Summer League. That final opportunity allowed me to develop enough as a pitcher, that I was offered an opportunity to continue my baseball and pitching career at Carroll University. Unfortunately, I decided it was best that I not continue at the collegiate level due to my frequently reoccurring shoulder issues. That turned out to be one of my best baseball decisions I’ve ever made, as it led me right into coaching. In the summer of 2020, I was given the opportunity to coach the Junior-Varsity team at BC in the Bigler Summer League. Although I helped manage multiple sports across my years at Brookfield Central, this is my first year in coaching. I was asked to take over as Head Coach for the U15 BT Team this fall and I am looking forward to my first year in the BT Program. I have developed and shaped my coaching philosophy by incorporating the ideas from some terrific coaches that I have been able to learn from in my playing years. From a coaching standpoint, I coach just like I played. I like to focus on the mental aspect of the game and have really guided my focus on creating a positive team-first culture. I’ve always believed that the most successful teams are PLAYER led teams.
Yes, coaching is important, but putting players in a position to grow and lead each other is where the progress happens. My coaching philosophy is focused on having high energy, unmatched effort, and a winning attitude. I will never get on a player about a physical mistake, but if a player isn’t giving 100% effort and focus, I will not tolerate it. I truly believe baseball is 90% mental. Having talent can GIVE players opportunities, but hard work will allow a player to EARN and EXCEL in those opportunities.
