of this position. This helps her to relate to her pitchers and exactly what they are going through…”
My name is Gianna Baca from Flagstaff AZ and I have been fortunate enough to work with Kally Vander Valk as my pitching coach since I was 7 years old. When we started I was completely inexperienced, lacked technique, and was not very consistent or confident. But, even at that young age, I knew I loved being in the circle. So the work began. Kally and I have worked every week since, with only a handful of times that we missed a practice. I am now 15 years old and just finished my freshman season of high school ball. Through these years, I have been a starting pitcher and short stop for my club team since I was 10, in 2018 we were the Little League US West Champs and the US Western Regional Runner-Up, and just recently made the All Region 1st team on the varsity high school squad.
These accomplishments would not have been possible without Kally. Kally has been there every step of the way. Kally is very diligent to our pitching practices, they are very disciplined, organized, well thought out and she communicates often. She has always held me accountable. Technique is a very important part of our practice, but Kally is also very motivating, caring, focused and understanding. She has been my pitching coach, but has become a mentor, life coach and my friend.
The extra benefit that I have received from Kally that I did not expect was the understanding and empathy that she has for a young pitcher.
Kally has experienced herself first hand, all of the highs and lows, opportunities and pressures of this position. This helps her to relate to her pitchers and exactly what they are going through.
Kally has taught me that as an effective pitcher, it is not just about how well you can deliver a pitch. There are many other important things to work on. You must learn about your physical health, mental focus, how to be a teammate, and many other strategies of a game. Her insight into all of these things has helped me way beyond the circle, it has been applied in many levels of my life.
- Gianna, student, age 15
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