Caldwell University coach Hasani Whitfield has been watching the continued growth of the Garden State Coaches Clinic, which has gone from 50 coaches attending the first year to 110 in 2022, both at the indoor Gamers Academy in Kenilworth.
Now, with even more coaches expected to be on hand, the third annual event for New Jersey’s high school, college and youth coaches will take place inside the spacious Hyatt New Brunswick, 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Dec. 8.
A huge plus for the upcoming 2023 event is that it is now officially the New Jersey High School Baseball Coaches Association (NJHSBCA) Garden State Coaches Clinic.
And, the list of guest instructors, including coaches from across the country, is impressive, including former Roxbury High School star Karl Nonemaker of Auburgn University and head coaches including clinic regular Steve Trimper of Stetson, Bill Mosiello of Ohio State, Mike Gambino of Penn State and Barry Davis of Rider.
Plus, as an added plus to the proceedings, the colorful ESPN college baseball analyst Mike Rooney will also be on hand to provide a unique outsider’s perspective on key fundamentals for top-level college programs, and also moderate what should be an entertaining and informative roundtable.
“We wanted to bring a variety of voices in the game together in one place to provide education and just some great ideas for coaches to learn about and consider implementing with their own teams,” said Whitfield, who is one of the directors of Gamers Academy, a top-level indoor baseball and softball training facility in Kenilworth. “As the Garden State Coaches Clinic has continued to grow, and with a great organization like the NJHSBCA fully behind it, we just felt we needed to provide a learning environment with more space and the Hyatt is perfect for this 2-day event.
“We have national level coaches, including knowledgeable people in the game from different states, including New Jersey, and the opportunity is definitely there to explore so many innovative ideas about the game of baseball which we all love.”
Governor Livingston coach Chris Roof, who is vice president of the NJHSBCA, stresses the fact that not only do coaches learn from a terrific group of instructors, but there are so many positive intangibles to be garnered from attending the Clinic as well.
“There is no other event like this in New Jersey,” stressed the GL head diamond mentor. “Attendees gain insight into top-level programs, pitching, hitting, and other fundamentals and the ins and outs of the recruiting process from the best.
“It is also a great networking opportunity to meet other coaches and our sponsors.”
All interested coaches can register on line by visiting http://www.gamersba.com and then clicking on Garden State Coaches Clinic.
Nonemaker, who burst on the Jersey scholastic scene as a Roxbury Gael outfielder, went on to star at Vanderbilt and has coached at a number of colleges, including Monmouth and Old Dominion before settling into a role at Auburn where he was voted as the American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Division I Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022.
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