495 Wolfpack Baseball

TESTIMONIALS

To anyone reading this I want you to first and foremost realize that I have been in your shoes.

I have been the individual admiring those who were “lucky” enough to have a spot on the wall. I’ve read everything Rob has thought important enough to use to decorate the walls of his facilities; I’ve studied every picture, and what I have come to realize is that luck has little to do with it. The only piece of this puzzle that I attribute to luck is the fact that I was fortunate enough to have a father who put in the effort to find Rob, back before we had any idea how this whole baseball thing would play out. I am forever thankful for having been given the opportunity to work with Rob because it has truly changed my life, and I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be where I am today without his mentoring and his guidance.

Rob has taught me the importance of hard work, persistence, and overall dedication. Growing up, playing summer ball, high school ball, college ball, I was never the best guy out there or the most naturally gifted player on the field, but I was always taught to be the hardest working. Rob helped to instill a mindset in me that preached the importance of what has yet to come, rather than get distracted by what is currently happening. I was always guided to work on my game by refining my mechanics, rather than getting caught up in wins, stats, and my ego. I agree with you that it’s not an easy thing to do, but I can assure you that it pays dividends over time. I hope that you too, realize how lucky you are to have been given the opportunity to work with some of the most knowledgeable people in the baseball industry… and I do not say that lightly. I implore you to take advantage of this opportunity every chance you get, to work harder than the guy standing next to you, and to strive for greatness, because to give anything less than your absolute best effort is truly a shame.

If you ever see me working out, or throwing, please feel free to chat or ask me any questions you may have. One of my goals is to share all of the information I have accumulated over the years.

Rob, I want to thank you again for all that you have done for me over the years. You have had a serious impact on not only my baseball career, but my life as a whole. I am proud to continue to be a student of yours and I am excited for what has yet to come!
I have been going to Rob since I was in middle school in 2003. The direction Rob provided me with has been instrumental in my development as a baseball player and person. Through working with Rob, the values of hard work, dedication, and competiveness were instilled in me and I have tried to apply them to any task or obstacle I face.

Rob has taught me everything from developing repeatable mechanics that allow a pitcher to get stronger as opposed to wear down, workout routines that emphasis leg strength and mobility, and nutritional guidance that keeps energy high and the body lean. Before going to Rob I would just go and play baseball with no real direction or plan to improve myself. During high school every Wednesday night my two friends and I would drive out to work with Rob staying some nights until 2AM. These are nights I will always remember and I have no doubt shaped the player I became at Manhasset High School, Princeton University, and with the Blue Jays in professional baseball.

The philosophy Rob teaches emphasizes getting better over time, and not sacrificing future growth for present gains. As with most successful investments, large profits are typically not seen right away but take time to come to fruition. As my career progresses I will continue to try and learn using the principles Rob has taught me will always be grateful for the time and effort Rob has put into my development.
As I was growing up I always had a pretty good arm. Before I met Rob I was an outfielder. I always had great carry on my ball and a lot of velocity but when I threw off the mound I lost about 8-10 mph and was sore for about 5-7 days. After Rob changed my mechanics I gained a huge amount of mph on my fastball. People always wonder when they see me throw how I can get the ball into the 90’s at 175 lbs. The best part is other than the velocity is I rarely get sore. Thanks Rob!
Rob has helped me realize my potential–far greater than I had ever imagined. His knowledge, guidance, teaching abilities, and passion about pitching have put me in a great position to succeed. I now have a great appreciation not only for what goals I should be working towards, but more importantly how to get there. Both of those have come through working with Rob. His passion and work ethic have inspired me and continue to inspire me to work harder and harder to become the best pitcher I can possibly become.
Rob has been tremendous players in my life and have helped shape not only the baseball player I am but the person I am. From a baseball aspect, I would not be even close to the player I am without their help. Working with Rob through lessons and boot camp allowed me to develop a successful high school career and provide me a Division-1 scholarship, which all would not have been possible with out their hard work and dedication. Rob is able to see and demonstrate things within the pitching motion that still amaze me to this day, even after 10 years of working with him. They both have instilled a mind set and a life style that go beyond baseball and translate into life lessons. I would not be the player I am and I would not be the person I am with out Rob Steinert in my life.
On a cold winter day, in a gym in Great Neck, NY, Rob Steinert completely revolutionized the way I thought about pitching. I’ll never forget when he asked the group of us, What part of the foot should you land on when you pitch? I, having worked with some well regarded coaches at home in Texas, stepped up and said what I was sure would be the right answer, You should land flat. Much to my surprise, Rob quickly answered with a no and then went into a mind-blowing speech on how landing on your heel allowed one to throw a baseball with maximum efficiency and accuracy. I was blown away and hooked. From than point on, I never looked at baseball the same way.

In the time that I have spent with Rob, he has totally reversed the path of my baseball career. Three years ago, I was playing D-III baseball and barely sniffed 83-84 on the gun. Since that time, I have progressed to the point where I am now. I am playing at a D-I university, throwing 90-92 with command better than I ever had when I was in the low 80’s and I’m getting serious looks from many professional organizations.

Rob has not only impacted the way I approach the game of baseball but also the game of life. He has taught me things that I will take with me for the rest of my life. He’s shown me how to maximize my strength and flexibility through different workout routines and nutrition. He’s instilled discipline in me by pushing me harder than I knew was possible. He has believed in me when no one else, including myself, has. You can’t put a price on how Rob has changed my life. Not only has he been a tremendous teacher and mentor, he’s been a great friend.

In a world full of impersonal, private lessons, Rob is an anomaly as he is extremely knowledgeable and truly cares about the progress of everyone he works with. Anyone truly passionate about the art of pitching and maximizing their potential would be well served to entrust their future to Rob Steinert. Thanks Rob!
I cannot express in a letter how appreciative I am of all of your teachings. The last 5 years have truly been on honor for me to work with you. The way you have taught me the art of pitching has changed my entire outlook on not just baseball, but my outlook on how I approach everything in my life. I used to think of baseball as a game. Through our many late night lessons and talks I realized it is more than just a game, but a science and an art. Regardless of what level I reach in my baseball career, I know that if I continue to work as hard as I can on what you have taught me—I will be satisfied with myself.

Baseball, especially for pitchers, is really a game against oneself. Like you have explained to me about pitching (golf has the same principle), you work as hard as you possibly can to be balanced, land on your heel, get on your front leg, keep your back toe down…but once the ball leaves your hand your control is gone, so a pitcher must only care about doing the best he possibly can and the results aren’t as important. And the journey to that point should be the only thing one cares about.

My entire life I’ve loved pitching more than anything, but I didn’t realize how much I loved to practice the art until I met you. While most of my friends were partying I chose to stay with you and late at night and practice. Baseball, like golf, is a sport where you can always improve on something and the journey to that improvement is the most satisfying thing in the world to me. I love the chase of throwing harder and repeating my delivery more than anything and I’ll continue this chase as long as I can.

Most of all, I want to thank you for changing my work ethic and attitude towards baseball and my life. While others go home and “hang out” after games, I enjoy staying hours after to run and do lunges. People think I’m crazy, but I now know what it takes to play at the next level and I thank you entirely for that. The metaphors and analogies you use to explain footwork, throwing, and work ethic have truly made me understand my goals and aspirations.

I know we will continue our relationship and hopefully work together in the future, as I know I will work in baseball one day. Your motivation has made me realize that if I want to do something bad enough, I will.
On a summer night in August of 2005, a week before my high school junior year, my life was changed forever. That night I drove from my Upper East Side apartment in New York City to a small baseball facility in Deer Park, Long Island for my first lesson with Rob Steinert. During that one hour lesson I learned more about baseball than I had in my previous 17 years. When I first met Rob, I was a skinny left-hander who threw 75 miles per hour. One year after my first lesson I was throwing consistently in the low 80s and was offered a scholarship to play ball at Wake Forest University.

Rob has not only been my pitching coach for the past three years, he has been my mentor. Every lesson I have with Rob is not only about improving my pitching mechanics, it is about becoming a stronger person. He has taught me how to work hard for something you are passionate about. If baseball is your passion, Rob Steinert should be your coach.
From the parent of a high school senior:

Rob (Steinert) knows the little things about the game that make a difference … Rob’s knowledge of bio-mechanics is one of the best of any baseball instructor, and he teaches the right mechanics to play the game.
From the parent of a 14 year old pitcher:

Rob (Steinert) put to rest a bunch of faulty ideas I have about pitching. I’m glad we heard this before it was too late for my son… Thank you for bringing Rob to town. It would have (been) worth the six hour drive to New York to see and hear him.
From a high school sophomore:

I thought I was a good pitcher, then I saw Rob (Steinert) throw the ball (at the Pitching Masters Clinic.) … Thank you for the wake up call!
From the parent of a high school sophomore:

I wanted to let you know what an enormous impact Rob Steinert has made not just on my son, but on his high school coach too.

I was invited to practice yesterday at school so I could observe what Rob had showed him at the clinic and was very pleased. I was able to see a young coach adopt new techniques and immediately start the process of changing conditioning and mechanics, it was very exciting for me to say the least!

It is an honor for us to participate in your events. I definitely would like to keep my son in front of Rob as much as possible, so keep us in mind whenever he’s going to be available.

Thanks again, Rob. You are truly a class act.
From the parent of a 12 year old:

You can’t imagine the impact Rob Steinert had on my son at the D1Draftable.com Advanced Pitching Clinic. He truly made him feel like a million dollars and created a new surge of belief in him.

I thought you’d appreciate knowing a couple comments he has made:

I asked him if he’s feeling more confident. He responded enthusiastically, “Yes! Rob helped me A LOT!! He explains things in a way that is easy for me to understand.”

Cooperstown is in New York, isn’t it, Dad?…. Maybe we could go see Rob just before our tournament there!”

“I worked out tonight the hardest I ever had. Did you notice, Dad, it took me a lot longer to finish my workout than normal?”

These are very special moments in the life of a young boy, who is full of dreams and ambition. Thank you so much. You have truly inspired him.
I always knew he was strict with me for a reason. I did not know what that reason was until a late cold night in December when his intentions of making me mentally stronger showed through the way he taught me to pitch. Going to Long Island for pitching lessons every Tuesday and Thursday was not always the most convenient task, but if I wanted to get better at what I live, it was a priority.

On that Thursday night in December, Rob Steinert told me “go over there with your glove. I want to show you something.” I walked about sixty feet down towards a net at the end of the cage. I crouched down at the end of the narrow cage as he picked up a baseball out of a bucket and without hesitation, he threw the ball, and almost instantly, my hand swelled up. I was awe stricken and looked at him in disbelief. How can a man throw a baseball that fast and not be a major leaguer? The pop from the ball striking my glove was one I have never heard or felt before. He truly looked like a professional pitcher and right then and there, Rob revealed to me a world I never thought existed. What I witnessed then is what I see on television by ball players today.

I walked back with my jaw dragging behind me. Rob laughed indicating that what he just showed me is capable of changing my life forever. He then promised to teach me how to throw like a professional pitcher, but he also said it is going to take hard work and constant training. He told me “the journey is always better then its result” implying that getting better in what I love should be the reason why I strike for perfection and not because of its benefits.

I could not sleep that night. What he had, I needed. Therefore I began to develop a sense of urgency to throw like him as quick as possible. But like anything else, one cannot wake up and expect to run a marathon. I needed tow work twice as hard with twice the intensity as I had before. After homework and studying, while other people are sleeping, I am working out and pushing my body as far as it can go. Devoting oneself entirely to something that is not guaranteed takes courage. I prefer working out and training to become a stronger and more effective pitching than seeing my friends on a Saturday night. All I think about is getting better and I work so hard at it, people think I am crazy. Ever since then, getting better is all I think about. This experience parallels my philosophy of life: never give up and always give it your all. To echo Rob’s definition of “journey”, it is essential to sacrifice the things of now to achieve the goals of later. Thank you much!
I wanted to write you this letter to show my appreciation for what you have done for me. Over the years while attending your clinics, and personal sessions you provided the learning experience not only about pitching, but in all aspects of baseball on and off the field. Like a professor teaching a student.

All those years of hearing, “Stay back, let your hand get in front of your body”, “Get your legs big, run everyday”, did something for me in the end mentally more than physically. I understood the art of pitching in my mind more then in my body, and it stuck with me ever since. Over and over again, you would repeat these words to me like a machine, and now I can’t thank you enough for doing that. You’re the only person that actually took the time to break apart the pitching world to me. I remember the nights when we wouldn’t even throw the ball; you would just talk to me about different players, and what they did to be the best. I didn’t realize back then why you would repeat these philosophies to me over and over. Now I do, and I have taken your teachings ot the Major League level. Not on the field, but in the front office working under the eyes of Mr. jay Horowoitz, and general Manager Jim Duguette. They brought me aboard because of the understanding I have to perform at the Major League level. I feel very comfortable talking to players, and having the ability now to understand what they do everyday on the field to prepare. Many of your students will make it to the Major Leagues through your great mechanics, but I made it through your speeches. Without your teachings, I would have never understood what it takes to work, and perform at the Major League level. Your understanding fo the game is better than any other person I have ever met. Thank you for Everything.