UPDATES (Jan 30, 2021): HPP, Preseason & Tryouts

The Padres Task Force Team has met and decided to cancel the remainder of the Padres High Performance Program due to the continued unknowns around the duration of the enhanced guidelines and what exactly will be possible once they end.  Based on the January 29, 2021 update from the province, the soonest that we might be able to resume would be February 8 with 1-on-1 training but hospitalization benchmarks still need to be met for the province to open things up, coordination with facilities is an ongoing challenge in shifting bookings and we would still need to receive sanctioning from Baseball Alberta.  That would put us well into mid-February at the earliest to realistically resume programming which would only leave a maximum of 2 weeks for HPP February.  Therefore, the decision was made to cancel February payments (this has been updated in RAMP registration accounts for those registered – pending credit card transactions for February have been cancelled and all accounts have been adjusted by the amount of the February payment – anyone who had already paid for February will have a credit on file to be carried forward to tryouts and/or the 2021 regular season registration).

Private Instruction (1-on-1 Training)

With Padres AAA/AA tryouts upcoming and HPP not being able to resume, an option for players is to book private lessons with Coach Alberto.  Players would cover the cost of the batting cage or facility rental directly with the facility and pay Alberto a $25 per session private instruction fee.  This option is running outside of NEZ programming so no registration is necessary on RAMP.  The earliest Private Instruction would be available is February 8, based on reaching Step 1 of the Alberta “path forward” guidelines.  Please contact Alberto directly to coordinate: albertgm450@gmail.com

AllSports Batting Cage

We have now used up our HPP batting cage credit at AllSports.  Players are encouraged to book additional cage time within the current guidelines in order to continue to prepare for evaluations.  Contact Ryan Kosolofski at ryan@allsportscycle.com to book cage time during their regular store hours (players will be charged the regular cage rental fees which are extremely reasonable at AllSports).  Individual or family usage of the batting cage is currently permitted and AllSports has all of the equipment necessary to facilitate individual batting cage usage (tees, screens, baseballs, pitching machine).

February Technical Program

A 4-week (February) program is linked below which provides players with at-home baseball activities to help them prepare for the 2021 Padres Spring Training Camp being planned for March.  The activities within this programming are intended to be simple and doable from home with minimal equipment and space (even throwing may be completed using a sock taped over your hand to “throw” the baseball into).  Please contact me with any questions about the at-home programming.  As outlined previously, this program may be enhanced with Private Instruction through Coach Alberto (in-person, 1-on-1 training with individualized drills and feedback, all following current health and safety guidelines).  Once we have a better idea of the interest in 1-on-1 training, additional coaches may also be available to accommodate.

2021 Edmonton Padres February 4-Week Schedule

2021 Edmonton Padres February 4-Week Throwing Program

2021 Edmonton Padres Pitcher Core Balance and Shadow Mechanics

2021 Edmonton Padres February 4-Week Fielding Dailies

Padres HPP Zoom Series – remaining sessions (pre-registration required):

• UPDATED TIME: Saturday, January 30, 5:00pm-6:00pm – Featuring former Cuban National Team Coach Rolando Verde
  • Details: join Padres HPP Coach Alberto Gonzalez as he connects with Cuban baseball legend Rolando Verde.  They will discuss topics such as baseball in Cuba, international competition, professional baseball and player development.
  • Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrf-CrrD8oGdAFnEYAPE_AG86DJQeEdNcJ
• Sunday, January 31, 7:00pm-8:00pm – Strength & Conditioning for Baseball featuring Michael Kicia of Acumen Performance
  • Details: Mike spent over a decade working as a strength and conditioning coach in professional baseball with the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins organizations.  During this session, he will focus on the importance of athleticism and arm care for the baseball athlete as well as provide details about his college and professional baseball experiences.
  • Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfuqorDstHtXPEqYfBODEfP5K1AFQkfSF
• Sunday, February 7, 7:00pm-8:00pm – Featuring former US Women’s National Team player Donna Williams
  • Details: join Lexie Kinniburgh, NEZ Girls Baseball Director as she connects with Donna Williams to discuss her experience growing up playing baseball and competing at the international level with the US Women’s National Team.  Lexie and Donna will also discuss opportunities for girls in baseball and connect with some of the girls playing with the Edmonton Padres.  This session is open to everyone and would be especially inspirational for girls currently playing or interested in playing baseball this season.
  • Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsdOmqqjktGtE_B1s2d4zoUd5yujmQQN8Z

Thank you all for your continued efforts and commitment to the program and personal player development.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  From what it seems, we’re very close to getting back to more normal activities so let’s keep focused on our goals and finish the offseason strong for the four weeks of February.  March will be an exciting time and here before we know it!