Practice with the Pros

2016 Fall Baseball Camps in Denver, CO

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Toronto Blue Jays Ryan Lavarnway & Texas Rangers Doug Bernier are offering a day of pro instruction for hard-working young baseball players ages 9 to 14 years.

  • Work with pro players to improve key baseball skills
  • Competitive, fun learning environment
  • Hitting, Defense, and Catching instruction
  • 8 to 1 player-to-instructor ratio ( or less )
  • Individual assessments with personalized feedback
  • Using technology for objective swing analysis

Our camp instructors bring a combined 24 years of professional playing experience. That means learning what DOES work, and what doesn't. And they are PASSIONATE about helping your player.

We get it... the emotions, the struggles, the passion to compete. We are players too! That means the goal of each Practice with the Pros instructor is to help YOUR player improve - to get the most out of his natural talent, to achieve his goals in baseball, and ultimately, to LOVE PLAYING THE GAME.

Registration now open for Sunday, Oct 23, 2016

Currently registering for your choice of morning or afternoon session on Oct 23rd at Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village).

  • Morning session - 9 am to 12 pm (ages 9 to 12 years old)
  • Afternoon session - 1 pm to 4 pm (ages 11 to 14 years old)

Other dates available soon. Click Here to get notifications of new camp dates.


Your Instructor


Ryan Lavarnway, Catcher
Ryan Lavarnway, Catcher

Ryan Lavarnway, Catcher

Ryan Lavarnway is an experienced Major League catcher with 8 seasons in the Major Leagues

  • Ryan Lavarnway has played with the following MLB teams: Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins
  • Lavarnway attended Yale University where he studied philosophy and played baseball for the Yale Bulldogs.
  • In 2007 he was named a Division 1 All-American after setting multiple single season records, and in 2008 he became the Ivy League's all-time career Home Run record holder.
  • Lavarnway was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.
  • Two-time Boston Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year
  • Rated by Baseball America best defensive catcher in the International league in 2012.
  • When Lavarnway made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox on August 18, 2011, he became the first player in MLB history to hit two Home Runs and throw out a runner in his first start as a catcher.
  • In 2013, Lavarnway earned a World Series title and ring with the Boston Red Sox.
  • 2019 - Lavarnway became the first player in history to hit 2 home runs in his debut game with the Cincinnati Reds
  • More recently, Lavarnway was a key member of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic is 2016 and 2017, earning himself MVP of Pool A of the Tournament.

Your Instructor


Doug Bernier
Doug Bernier

Doug Bernier is a veteran utility infielder with Major League experience at every infield position. His career fielding percentage at all levels after 15 years of professional baseball is .976.

  • Major League Debut in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies.
  • He has played professional baseball for 15 years: Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers organizations
  • 2013 MN Twins Minor League Defensive Player of the Year
  • 2014 Defensive Payer of the Year for Rochester Redwings
  • Pacific Coast League Player of the Week in 2016
  • 2016 Co-MVP for TX Rangers AAA affiliate Round Rock Express
  • 1st player ever to hit for the cycle in Round Rock Express 17 year franchise history

Bernier is also the founder of Pro Baseball Insider (PBI), which has 100’s of pages of free baseball tips & instruction – exclusively from professional baseball players, coaches, trainers, and scouts.


Baseball Camp Overview

Hitting

Every player wants to increase bat speed and consistency at the plate. From proper mechanics to mental approach, your player will leave with new practical insights, skills, drills and personalized feedback on what he is doing properly and what to work on for continuing improvement.

The best players in the game know that hitting is both an art and a science.

We will have objective evaluations using the Swing Tracker bat sensor to diagnose bat speed, swing path and angles.

We also have experienced coaches who have not only played at the highest level of baseball, but are currently still playing. That means it's not a distant memory, but something we eat, drink, sleep and breathe. Our coaches will relate to players not only what a swing should look like, but how it should feel and what to think... from experience!

Defense

The defensive instruction at this camp will be rigorous. Here are a few of the things we are going to work on:

  • Fielding footwork, increasing range, double play turns, recieving throws, tips for executing advanced plays
  • Improving throwing technique for better accuracy and power
  • Defensive awareness - Possibly one of the most important and under-taught qualities that can significantly improve your results in the field
  • Base running - Taking leads, stealing bases, making turns, proper lead distance, improving first-step jump, player's ability to know if he should steal base

Catching

Catchers will receive top-notch instruction from Major League catcher Ryan Lavarnway:

  • Receiving. Get more strikes called and have influence over every pitch.
  • Blocking. Keeping the ball in front and not letting runners take extra bases.
  • Throwing. Proper footwork and athleticism for strong, accurate throws. Shut down the running game and be a leader on the field.

🏅🏅🏅Individual Assessments🏅🏅🏅

Each player that attends a camp session will be assessed individually.

Through each facet of the game, we will present assessment tests that will give you a baseline of where your player is at now and will help for future improvement.

In addition to the objective scores, instructors will provide specific suggestions for improving future results.

Camp Replay

Optional *Lifetime* access to online video of everything that was taught at the camp (plus a few bonuses).

We've all experienced "ah ha!" moments, only to forget weeks, days, or even hours later.

Is there anything more frustrating?

Wait, I can think of something that's almost as bad. How about when you ask Little Johnny what he learned at baseball camp... and he says "I dunno."

Really? You don't know?

Maybe this only happens at my house?

Anyways...

With Camp Replay you can protect and reinforce learning.

A professional videographer will record all learning sessions that happen at the camp.

All hitting, fielding, and catching instruction from the Major League instructors.

All the drills.

Yours. Forever. An organized library of skills in an easy-to-review format.

Plus you'll have the ability to ask follow-up questions and receive responses from the instructors for 2 weeks after the camp ends. 👏👏👏

Bonus - We are also going to add more detailed information for how to get the most out of your individual assessments.

To recap: You'll have the ability to (1) see what your child learned (2) continue the learning with your child by reviewing the videos and continuing to work with them (3) The opportunity to ask follow-up questions for the next couple weeks after the camp. That is, lifetime access to online videos of everything that was taught at the camp, plus a few bonuses.

Note: This is an additional charge and is completely optional. The online videos will be made available 7 business days after the camp ends.

Now Registering - October 23, 2016

The date is Sunday, Oct 23rd and there are 2 sessions available:
  • Morning session - 9 am to 12 pm (ages 9 to 12 years old)
  • Afternoon session - 1 pm to 4 pm (ages 11 to 14 years old)

One session is 3 hours. Each player may choose a primary and secondary position they would like to focus on.

Camp location: Tom McCollum Field at Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village, CO)
Address: 9300 E Union Ave, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Frequently Asked Questions


What if the weather is bad?
If the weather is bad enough to warrant cancellation, your payment will be refunded in full.
What is the student to instructor ratio?
We will not exceed 8 players per instructor.
Who will the other instructors be?
Our goal is to have all instructors who have played baseball at the professional level (although this cannot be guaranteed). The final names will be released as we get closer to the date of the camp.
What if I need to cancel?
A full refund will be allowed up to 24 hours prior to the date of the camp. After that, no refunds will be given.
When will I get the individual assessment?
Please give us a couple days to get all the information organized into a report, and then we'll email it to you.
What if I want to register more than 3 players?
Just shoot an email to [email protected] and we'll work it out, no problem.
Where do I specify my player's position?
Once you enroll in the camp, you'll have access to the Practice with the Pros Member area. There you can finish the registration form and find lot's of other important information.
Where do I specify which session I want?
Once you enroll in the camp, you'll have access to the Practice-with-the-Pros Member area. There you can finish the registration form and select the AM or PM session. If one of the sessions gets filled up, we'll be sure to announce it on this page. Currently, both sessions are still open for enrollment.

Contact

If you have any questions about this camp, please email [email protected].

Other Dates

If you can't make the October 23rd camp, Click Here to get notified when the next camp date is announced.

Get started now!