Since 2010, CATCHERMTRX has been working with many of the top catchers in the region. Their staff of former and current professional catchers pride themselves on bringing the very best and up-to-date methods to the catching position.
The staff features current Blue Jays Triple-A catcher Patrick Cantwell (West Islip ’08), Washington Nationals High-A catcher Matt Reistetter (Hauppauge ’10), Miami Marlins Double-A catcher Cam Maron (Hicksville ’09) as well as several well-respected coaches from the area. Additionally, Sal Agostinelli has confirmed that he will make an appearance as a guest instructor during the program.
Below is a list of catchers who have gone through the 18-week program, which concludes on March 3.
“We’ve created an environment that allows the catchers to be self-driving,” said Co-Director Chris Reyes. “The key component is the inter-competition. When they leave, they are not afraid to compete–which is something that is lacking at certain levels of baseball. We strive for the implementation of strong leadership qualities. I would say 90 percent of the top catchers over the past eight years have come through the program–guys like Vito Friscia, Straton Podaras and Logan O’Hoppe.
O’Hoppe, who is committed to East Carolina University is going into his fifth year in the program.
“It’s helped me mostly with leadership skills–helping me to control a big group of people. If you can’t control a group of people, you can’t control a pitching staff. I’ve improved in all aspects of it. It’s also good hearing other voices who might notice small details that you don’t normally see. That’s what helps in the long run,” he added.
This year, the program will be introducing a new feature–which Downey and his staff are very excited for. They have partnered with New York Sports Science Lab in an effort to optimize the performance of each athlete. It will use state-of-the-art equipment to assess functional movements, sensory motor skills and coordination. Upon completion of the assesment, they will utilize visual training techniques to improve each of the aforementioned skills.
The program will run concurrently at Cove Sports Academy (27 Cedar Swamp Road, Glen Cove) and LI Indoor Sports (101 Union Ave, Ronkonkoma). For anyone interested, you can contact Tom Downey at 631-431-8601, email tdbaseball19@yahoo.com or register at catchermtrxli.net
