Wednesday, November 27, 2002
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Wednesday, November 27, 2002 |
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Indoor baseball school opens in PTC By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Lloyd Thompson never got his cup of coffee in major league baseball but he hopes that his experience in college and minor league ball will help him help others get that taste. Thompson has opened Home Plate Hitting and Pitching Instruction, an indoor baseball instructional facility in Peachtree City. Thompson has been teaching baseball for four years on the weekends but he decided in April to teach full-time. He has a good base of students right now and the numbers continue to go up thanks to good word of mouth. High school baseball starts Feb. 10 and he wants the local crop of players to be ready. Thompson played college ball as a shortstop for the University of New Mexico and was drafted twice. He played minor league ball for Montreal and the Chicago White Sox. Thompson also played ball in the famous Cape Cod League where six of his colleagues were drafted into the pros as well. One of his coaches in the minors was Leo Mazzone in Corpus Christi. Thompson now resides in Fairburn and spent four years as an assistant baseball coach at Woodward Academy. He also coaches an all-star team of local players each fall. "After one day of coaching I realized that this is what I should have been doing my whole life," said Thompson, who now owns and operates his own baseball instruction business. "Aspiring students have to have good grades and a good attitude before we can better their skills," Thompson said. "The goals for my students are to get on their high school team. Exceptional students can shoot for playing in college or professionally." Several students he has worked with in the past are already playing college ball, including pitchers at Yale and Princeton, outfielders at Alabama and the University of New Mexico and a catcher at Andrew College. Students first do some calisthenics for warmups and then work on their speed and agility. The program for each student can vary, however, depending on skill level and the position they want to work on. There are several batting cages and pitchng pens in the 4,000-square-foot area and Thomspon has another 4,000 square feet set aside for when he needs it. He hopes one day to expand into a full building with an outdoor field or two. Teams can also rent out batting cages but are encouraged to call and make an appointment first. Along with baseball skills, Thompson encourages his students to exercise year round and to play other sports in order to stay fit. He knows that few students will play major college ball and even fewer will make it to the pros, which is why he wants to produce good people who love to play baseball. "Anything you want to do takes concentration, time and effort, whether it's learning to hit better or improve your grade from a C to an A," Thompson said. "If you can do it on the field, you can do it in class and vice versa." Home Plate is open from 4-10 p.m. during the week and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on the weekend. It is located off of Paschal Rd. in Peachtree City, the first left after the railroad tracks. Thompson can be contacted by pager at 770-397-0000.
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