Teaching with video

For years, the only videos in the Frontier League were the ones played on the team bus during long road trips. The Wild Things' current coaching staff, however, seems to be raising the bar for instruction in the league and video analysis is one of their favorite tools.

Manager Darin Everson says the Wild Things take video of roughly half of the team's hitters each night. They'll record all the lefties one night, then all the right-handers the next. He also has video of the pitchers, fielders and outfielders that can used for analysis of a player's mechanics.

"I'm a big video guy," Everson said moments after pitching coach Mark Dewey concluded a video session with pitcher Tim Smith. "Teaching through video analysis is something I do during the offseason.

"Athletes are very visual learners, especially baseball players. That has held true everywhere I've been. If an athlete can see it, then they will adjust to it."

Everson adds that a coach must be careful not to over-analyze. Sometimes giving a player too much information about his swing or pitching mechanics can do more harm than good.

"Sure you can overdo it. I've seen that happen, even in affiliated ball," he said. "It can be overdone. But for me, video is how you can get a struggling player back to being good. You can show him what they're doing wrong."