8. Matt Swope - UMD "Developing the complete hitter at Maryland"

BIO

• Currently assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at University of Maryland (8th year overall)
• First 5 years he was Director of operations for the Terps
• During Swope’s time in College Park, Maryland has boasted nine All-Americans, two academic All-Americans and 32 Major League Baseball draft picks.
• The Terrapins advanced to their only two Super Regionals in school history (2014, 2015) and advanced to two conference tournament championship games.
• The UMD Alum was drafted in the 2002 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos after a great career at Maryland
• A great follow on twitter for some great hitting content
• A very loyal Maryland guy who breathes crabcakes and Old Bay!

How are you still helping your guys during the quarantine?

• Zoom calls, facetime
• Talking weekly or specific info
• Find ways to workout and challenge based on what they have

What is something you have been learning during the quarantine?

• Professional development - over 80 hours with over 200 slides on hitting
• Being clear and concise
• Driveline certification
• 108 certification

What lessons do you think will come from this quarantine?

• Break it down just in the slides
• Film myself to be clear

You have been a part of Maryland getting better and better, what do you think has made you guys successful?

• My heart is in MD
• Fully funded, over 200K fundraised
• Super regional and upgraded facilities
• Consistent people who are personally invested and passionate
• Good senior leadership and compulsive competitor

Describe the kind of players who have helped you along the way.

• Competitor
• Care about the details

Describe the kind of players who you have gotten in the way of your guys success.

• Bad senior/junior leadership
• Non-competitive
• Complaining about things instead of encouraging to keep moving forward

How are you developing competition?

• Brought in “The Program” & Brian Cain
• Growth Mindset, Toughness, and Ownership
• Pillars are reinforced consistently 
• We have standards not many rules
• Last 5 minutes weightlifting competition
• Outside time is compete time
• Team practice competition
• Games with hitters 
• Forcing competition

How are you keeping the focus on the team while individualizing?

• Better talent, recruit better players
• First 3 weeks - collect data, film, some constraints, 
• After 3 weeks - individual program
  • 3 exercises per day - every day for 2 weeks for 5 weeks
• Help you become your best coach

What has changed in the way you teach hitters since you started coaching? 

• Timing and balance - speeding up may not be best for the athletes movement pattern
• Specific way to load the machine to get the guys on time and be sure to promote good movement pattern

What are you doing to promote good movement pattern?

• Philosophy is timing and balance in a good movement pattern
• Start slow to get on time with your movement pattern
• Control your timing and how you start your move
• Categorize loose and tight movers  - 
  • Loose movers - most athletic, high leg kick, lot of movement in swing
    • Know why you leg kick and how you leg kick
    • Front foot under the front hip
  • Tight mover - super efficient and tight, small moves at the plate
    • Tight turn - trunk and pelvis closed to provide force to middle of field
    • Hinge position

How do you program the decel, next move after contact?

• Frisbee
• Exaggerated scissor - striding closed and back foot comes in front of front foot
• Blocked med ball toss - constraint to throw med ball
• Reciprocal movement 

You have been a part of some great teams, and great players, what are the traits of the best players you have been around?

• Self motivation and an internal drive with a competitive edge
• Guys like to be together
• Recruiting classes are organizing their own zoom calls

What do you look for in recruits?

• Look for the position and how they move and do they have a certain movement pattern
• Characteristics of guys at certain positions 
• Cross decisions and collaborate on all recruits - get judgment from each coach
• No such thing as a one man RC
• Competitive!
• Multiple sports, how communicates, social media

How much are you working on the mental game?

• Meditation at the start
• Write down the routine - know all the routines so know what kids needs at that time
• Release routines to get out of red lights (when umpire makes a bad call)

Has there been some mental skills that have helped with the transition to college?

• We need failure
• Be consistent 

How do you hold that line and be an example for your players?

• Be authentic so players know what to expect
• Be clear and consistent with how you handle yourself

Best way to contact you

• “Maryland Made Hitting” on Twitter/Instagram
• Go to UMterps.com for all Coach Swope info!

 Notes

• We are playing offense, not hitting. We are playing offense to score runs
• Write down each players routines
• Loose and tight movers
• Good teams don’t have rules, they have standards
• movements/mechanics off the field, competition on the field
• Recruiting classes doing their own zoom calls
• Being vulnerable allow to build relationships