By Scott Lowe
One of the great aspects of sports – possibly the greatest – is that it can unite the masses. Whether it’s an entire city or state that gets behind a successful college or professional team or a famous athlete who makes it his mission to provide athletic and life experiences for coaches and young players all over the world, sports has the unique ability to transcend social, economic and even cultural boundaries.

For example, two people who call the same town home but otherwise – because of their occupations, incomes and chosen neighborhoods – might never interact, may find themselves high-fiving or even hugging each other at a stadium or local establishment when their favorite team hits a home run or scores a touchdown.

By Cal and Bill Ripken
Back in June we released the Ripken-Kinect Training Bat, a unique training tool that allows a hitter to improve both the timing and accuracy of his or her swing. The bat features a reduced-sized barrel, similar to some products already on the market, but what really sets it apart is that it is made of the same high-quality materials as the top game bats and comes in the same length-weight combinations as the bat a player would use during game play. That makes it the only reduced-barrel bat that can be used for live batting practice.

Obviously, when you attempt to hit a baseball with a bat that has a small barrel and an even smaller sweet spot, it will be more difficult to make solid contact. On the flip side, imagine how much easier it would be to make solid barrel contact when using a game bat and a regulation-sized ball after spending hours performing hitting drills with the Ripken-Kinect Bat. To make the training even more effective you can Ripken-Kinect Training Balls, soon to be available, or plastic Ripken Quickballs if you have limited space or are indoors. Both the Ripken-Kinect Training Balls and the Ripken Quickballs are reduced-sized balls.

By Cal Ripken, Jr.
Editor’s note: Each month in this space, Cal will address issues of concern to parents of young athletes. We hope that coaches, many of whom are parents, will find the information enlightening when it comes to working with their own children and dealing with the parents of the players on their teams.

What are your thoughts when a parent of an elite travel team member decides to discipline his or her son or daughter for a home- or school-related incident by forcing that child to miss a game or tournament? Shouldn’t the other members of the team be considered by parents who use this method of punishment, especially if it costs the team an opportunity to win?

In my opinion it’s not really anybody’s business other than the parents and their child when it comes to discipline. It’s really not my place to tell people how they should discipline their own children. Everyone has their own methods that they are comfortable with. I think that sometimes when it comes to athletics we lose sight of the age group with which we are dealing.

Ripken Baseball’s popular coaching clinics featuring Cal and Bill Ripken will be held in Indianapolis; Alexandria, VA, and Pittsburgh, it was announced redently. The clinics include a full day of baseball instruction from the Ripken brothers and usually are limited to about 500 participants. The Ripken brothers will be joined by 11-year major league veteran John Habyan at each venue.

Sites and clinic times are still pending, however the dates for each event have been selected. The Indianapolis clinic is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2008; the Alexandria clinic is set for Jan. 16, 2008; and the Pittsburgh event will take place on Feb. 23, 2008. Tickets will be available soon at www.RipkenCamps.com and will be limited, so check there frequently or call 800-486-0850 for more information or to register.