Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 November 2011 06:47

Our son has been a part of the North West Diamond Sports (NWDS) Program for the past 8 months and the experience has been nothing short of sensational. Our son is 11 years old and actually played on the 11U short season baseball team during the summer/fall of 2011. Although the cost may appear to be a little steep when looking in from the outside, once you experience, the passion, knowledge and discipline that not only our sons coach (Gehrig Richins) provides, but all the coaches at the academy, the price is more then fair. I can honestly say that if your son thoroughly enjoys the game of baseball and wants to not only take his talent for the game to the next level, but also his knowledge of the game to a level above his peers, this academy is a must. We can speak from our son’s perspective, he has learned more about the game from Gehrig in such a short period of time then we could even have possible imagined. Every practice is not only a practice, it feels like a one on one lesson. The passion from not only Gehrig, but the other coaches that get involved is incredible. They care about each and every child on that team. Every practice is planned out and it is non stop action (whether book learning or on field drills) from start to finish for that 1 ½ to 2 hours. There is teaching going on not only during practices, but also before, during and after the games. We definitely feel like we have gotten our monies worth and some. My boy can tell me things about the game and strategy behind each play that blows my mind. I am not saying he is a genius or knows all, but at 11 years old, knowing the strategy behind the moves is awesome. He is not only learning about baseball, but also life lessons, which actually mean more to my wife and I then the baseball knowledge. My boy was getting the ABD syndrome (Anyone But Dad), but having him at this academy has re-energized his passion for the game and allowed me to be Dad and not coach! That is priceless! We really feel if our sons wants to take his game to another level and be prepared for high school ball and possibly college ball, this academy is preparing him for that next step. The instruction is top-notch! We continue to drive the 45 minutes to the academy for lessons in the off season and plan to play for future NWDS teams. It has truly been an amazing experience for our son and the other families you meet along the way are fantastic as well. The other thing that we have found to be fantastic, is that even though our son does not get lessons with the other coaches, they always ask him how he is doing and give him high fives when they see him at the facility. They make him feel special and wanted! I know some will say, of course, they are getting your money, I would say “Try it our for yourself and you will find that it is hard to fake the genuine kindness that each coach has for the kids”.

Hope this help and if I can think of anything else we will send it to you.!

Jeffrey Laeng
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Clark Knappenberger: 2010 Lake Oswego High School Freshman Coach