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Blizzard Elite and Fall Program

06/20/2017, 7:30am CDT
By Adam Barta, Minnesota Blizzard

Which program best fits you? ... info on Elite and Fall Only programs

What program fits you ?

Blizzard Elite Fall Program (10u-18u) - August 1st - December 31st
Blizzard Elite Summer Program (10u-18u) - May 1st - August 1st

The Blizzard Elite Baseball Program is the premier, comprehensive baseball experience for players ages 11u-18u.  An optional winter season includes traveling tournaments, full practice regimen, college consultations, varsity showcases and more. Teams will travel to some of the top tournaments in the country including PBR, Perfect Game, Prospect Select, Bullpen Tournaments, and West Coast Premier events including the Desert Fall Classic in Las Vegas.

  • more tournament play
  • more baseball training / performance training
  • UpperClass / games vs. colleges
  • 12-14 players / team (Elite Program

Blizzard *Gold* Fall Only (9u-18u) - August - October

The Blizzard Fall Only program is for players who may be involved in multiple winter/fall sports and want a high-level fall baseball experience. Our Blizzard Fall Only teams will compete in 4-5 local tournaments and have the same August and September practice schedule as the Blizzard Elite teams. The fall teams also act as a minor league system for the Blizzard Elite teams as we have had several players called-up after the fall to participate in tournaments.

Blizzard Spring Program (9u-14u) - March 1st - April 30th

The Blizzard Spring program is our longest standing program developing players and teams ages 9u-14u.  Teams typically practice 10x with two coaches / team with two-three tournaments scheduled in month of April.  

Our primary purpose in the Blizzard Spring Program is to show young players what we have to offer including our culture, values and how we teach.  Our goal is also help players get a jump start on their summer season, train hard twice a week and compete!

 

Standard of Excellence

The BLIZZARD BASEBALL ACADEMY was started in 2003 by Adam Barta and Johnny Anderson in order to give kids an opportunity to compete on a level playing field with warm weather states. By starting small and working with kids seven days a week, Barta and Anderson graduated some of Minnesota’s most decorated prep baseball players including: Joe Loftus (Vanderbilt), Madison Boer (Oregon), Logan Shore (Florida) in their first years running the Academy.

Standard of Excellence

Currently, there are four divisions of Blizzard Baseball Academy (sometimes referred to as Minnesota Baseball Academy):

  • Blizzard Baseball Academy (instruction and development)
  • Minnesota Blizzard (regional and national teams ages 9u-18u)
  • Prospects AFBL Fall League | USSSA Spring and Summer Tournaments
  • Blizzard Performance - Strength | Speed | Agility | Quickness

All four divisions use sports specific training to achieve a broader impact on our student athletes. In each case, this is achieved through a standard of excellence set by our leaders and mentors in our program – primarily our instructors and coaches.  As a result, this standard of excellence is the founding principal of the Blizzard Baseball Academy and it continually resonates throughout all four of our divisions, guiding the continued growth of our student athletes.

But teaching baseball skills isn’t the only thing the Blizzard do for their players.  They teach that attitude, effort and the importance of preparation is what makes great baseball players and more importantly – great people. The lessons learned at Blizzard Baseball go past the lines and into the real world.  Our Blizzard Big 5 are a key component and is the centerpiece to the Blizzard program.

Definition of Teams

Our Blizzard Elite teams are separated into three groups – Blue (top team), Black (2nd team) and Red (3rd team).  Players are not guaranteed roster spots and must be earned every season at tryouts every season.

The Blizzard Regional teams are separated into two groups - Gold National and Gold American.  These teams (12-14 players) are picked on skill level, position depth charts and proximity to teammates.  Our fall teams are very competitive and are usually comprised of many top-tier players who cannot travel due to other sports.  We use our Regional Gold Blizzard teams as a minor league system and are the first players called up when an Elite Blizzard player is unable to make a traveling trip.  Last year, over 20 players were brought up to play on Blizzard Elite teams throughout the season.  Fees for one tournament are on a case by case basis but typically range from $350-$500 / tournament.

PITCHER ONLY players are rostered players who are on the team primarily as pitchers.  The fee structure is the same but there are more options including lessons.

Values, Vision and what drives Blizzard Baseball – The Blizzard Big 5

The competition, college and pro exposure, player development, alumni involvement and family are what drive our program.  The Blizzard is more than baseball – it’s a life experience with coaches who care and players who want to get better.  Our vision and values of the Blizzard Big 5 drive our core values, guide players through their youth years, into high school and onto both college and professional baseball.

Why play for the Blizzard?

Quite simply, the Minnesota Blizzard is the best elite travel baseball program in state, with a strong tradition of producing the top players in Minnesota. 

The Blizzard travels to top-tier tournaments throughout the U.S., providing players the opportunity to play against some of the highest-level competition in the country.  The competition, college and pro exposure, player development, alumni involvement and family are what drive our program.  The Blizzard is more than baseball – it’s a life experience with coaches who care and have players who want to get better.

The tournaments also provide exposure to college recruiters for the upperclassmen, as 100% of the varsity players have gone on to play college baseball over the past three years.  The coaching staff includes scouts for MLB teams, current and former college coaches, as well as former college and professional players who all have an expansive baseball network.

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