Why I Started Bison Hitting Academy

More Than Swing Mechanics

These days, kids are carrying a lot.

Beyond baseball, they're growing up in a world filled with pressure, comparison, expectations, and constant noise. And unfortunately, I think a lot of young athletes begin tying their identity to things that were never meant to define them - batting averages, statistics, playing time, rankings, and the opinions of other people.

I know that because I've experienced it myself.

There are times in my own baseball journey where my happiness was completely determined by how well I played. A good game meant confidence. A bad game meant frustration, self-doubt, and feeling like I wasn't enough. Looking back, that's not how it's supposed to be.

Baseball is a beautiful game, but it was never truly meant to carry the weight of our identity.

That realization became even more important after becoming a dad.

My three-year-old son Clayton already loves baseball. He'll come downstairs wearing a superhero mask, random shoes, and carrying a bat ready to hit in our basement batting cage. And honestly, those moments have changed the way I think about youth sports.

Right now, my job isn't to make him mechanically perfect.

My job is to help him fall in love with the game.

To help him experience joy, confidence, resilience, discipline, and growth through baseball - not pressure, fear, or constant comparison. Because adversity will come. Failure will happen. Baseball guarantees it.

What matters is whether young athletes are equipped to handle it.

That's a big part of why I created Bison Hitting Academy.

A bison is the only animal that faces a storm instead of running from it. While other animals retreat, the bison moves directly into the storm, enduring it head-on. That mindset represents everything I hope to help develop in young athletes.

I want players to learn how to face adversity with courage instead of fear.

To handle failure without letting it define them.

To become great teammates who encourage and lift others up.

To understand that their worth doesn't disappear after a strikeout or a bad game.

Yes, I want players to become better hitters. I care deeply about teaching proper swing mechanics, fundamentals, confidence at the plate, and helping athletes improve their game.

But I also believe baseball instruction has become overcomplicated.

Today's training environment is filled with advanced analytics, technology, and endless opportunities for comparison. While those tools can certainly be valuable, I also think they can unintentionally make kids feel insufficient. The game becomes less about growth and more about performance, perfection, and comparison.

At Bison Hitting Academy, I want to simplify things.

I want instruction to be clear, age-appropriate, encouraging, and rooted in something bigger than baseball itself.

Most importantly, I want Christ to be at the center of it.

I believe every single one of us was created by God for a purpose. Sometimes baseball becomes a part of that purpose. Sometimes it's simply a tool God uses to shape character, relationships, leadership, and faith.

Either way, the ultimate goal isn't just winning games.

It's becoming more like Jesus.

'Compassionate.

Gracious.

Slow to anger.

Abounding in love and faithfulness.'

I want players to understand that baseball can be a platform to glorify God, encourage others, and grow into who He created them to be.

That's why the things I want players practicing away from our lessons are more than just their swing.

I hope they practice resilience.

Encouragement.

Confidence rooted in Christ.

Handling failure the right way. Being the teammate who lifts others up.

Facing the storms of life instead of running from them.

At the end of the day, Bison Hitting Academy isn't about building perfect baseball players.

It's about helping build confident young athletes who love the game, compete the right way, and know their identity is rooted in something far greater than baseball.

If that sounds like the kind of environment you want for your young athlete, I'd love to connect with you.

Let's Connect