Interview with Visionary and Club Owner Josh Skinner
When did you start the Prospects baseball club?
Colorado Prospects LTD was established in August of 2021.
What inspired you to start and/or lead the Prospects baseball club? Being a Colorado native who grew up playing every sport, I always had a vision and dream to create a place where youth could come to receive elite training opportunities. Prospects Park creates this safe haven for the youth of any/all walks of skill set to work on their craft andpotentially create opportunities beyond high school
What sets the prospects apart from others regarding coaching philosophy and approach? The Prospects Park facility truly allows us to create endless opportunities, especially during the off-season. With the large field, we take advantage of a high volume of controlled reps working on defensive mechanics & situational looks, to base running, but the key separator, in my opinion, is the live “at bats” opportunities with pitchers/hitters working on their timing and confidence before we ever hit the dirt. Our philosophy is no “secret sauce” per say; it's just high volume reps, with true quality time in the facility, offered to all our members and affiliated Prospects teams.
How do you assess and select players for your teams? How many teams do you currently have? For the ’24 Spring/Summer season, the Colorado Prospects have (12) teams competing. We conduct tryouts, assess all ages 7U-16U+, and attempt to find the young athletes who have an appetite to train hard with their respective development path, as well as individuals who have a genuine love for the game of baseball. We have zero issues stating that our training regime and approach is not for everyone. HOWEVER, we have a membership class schedule, great instructors offering lessons on every aspect of the game, and we roster the various teams at every age group that cater to all skill sets.
Can you describe the typical training regimen and schedule for players on prospects teams? Our teams range in age groups 8U – 16U, every affiliated Prospects team is allotted three (3) days a week of training opportunities inside the facility that starts in early January and runs through mid-April. Our in-season training switches to one day a week inside as well as whatever respective team’s desire for outdoor practice schedules.
What are the primary goals and objectives you have for your players? Our primary goal is to have any player enter the Prospects organization and, year after year, develop into a quality baseball player with a great understanding of increasing every athlete’s baseball IQ, as well as challenging their mental and physical game to become stronger. If we can assist with individual development and love for the game, we’re winning as an organization. Lastly, if we can create opportunities that open doors to continue their play beyond High School, we’re winning!
What opportunities does your club provide for players to showcase their talents to college or professional scouts? Since we’re still relatively new to the market, we’re quickly establishing our brand locally and regionally. It is our intent to take players/teams to national showcase opportunities yearly so that we’re taking them to where some of the best ball is being played and allowing these young athletes to see it younger and younger vs waiting until they are in their high school ages and seeing truly elite ball. By establishing ourselves both locally and regionally, it is our intentional focus to create networking opportunities with college scouts (JUCO, NAIA, DII, DI, etc) that again further create opportunities for these young athletes to aspire towards.
How do you prioritize player safety and injury prevention? Our number one goal and priority will always be in the player's health. We heavily emphasize our dedicated commitment to our physical performance training for all age groups through our winter training, our in-season training, and our off-season classes, as well as introducing “yoga” into our program over this past year. It inevitably will assist in the proper care and maintenance of their bodies to perform at an elite level. Mixing that with the various approaches we take with “arm care” and ensuring our kids stay on a ramp up, ramp down, and overall maintenance year-long program is also the key to arm injury prevention. We hear it too many times from youth athletes that once a baseball season concludes, the parent(s)/athlete “shut” their athlete down, and in our opinion, that is the worst approach and most definitely leads to these young athletes being exposed to injury.
How do you foster a positive team culture and camaraderie among players within your club? Our organization takes pride in having open conversations on a weekly basis with our players, discussing how hard this game of baseball is. The old cliché, this is a game of failure, etc. Our motto is “WHAT’S NEXT,” and we truly embrace everything about that statement. We are constantly reminding our young athletes to focus on the things they can control and to live –looking forward versus living in the past and or holding on to whatever last play, last at-bat, etc.,took place. The mental training and intentional focus on this topic are discussed weekly and truly will set these athletes up for not just this game of baseball but, more importantly, the game of life.
Can you discuss the role of parents within your club and how you facilitate positive parent-coach-player relationships? We truly try to create an environment where “coaching” from the stands is not necessary. In fact, the distractions created by doing so create opportunities for failure vs more success. As mentioned previously, this game is already so hard for all ages. Our coaching philosophy is more about the kids getting “coached” up during the week and allowing the players to showcase their talents on the weekend with less “coaching” and more words of encouragement. We require both players and parents to sign off on theProspects Code of Conduct, and these are all topics discussed and agreed to honor and commit to. We get it; it is going to happen, BUT if we can focus on the above-mentioned messages, we’ll hopefully stand out in the marketplace and represent the organization the right way more often than not.
What are your long-term goals and visions for the growth and development of the Prospects baseball club? Long-term goals and visions will not change too drastically, as stated already. Our goals are to continue to touch as many young athletes as possible and introduce them to developing a hard work ethic and commitment looks like that allows these young athletes to grow and flourish. With our state-of-the-art facility, mixed with our dedicated and hard-working staff, the Colorado Prospects will look to continue to have a strong hold in the marketplace as an organization that many want to seek out to play and train with.
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