BABE RUTH LEAGUE AND RIPKEN BASEBALL
ONLINE COACHING CERTIFICATION COURSES NOW AVAILABLE
                

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Last fall, two of the country’s premier youth baseball and softball organizations, Babe Ruth League (BRL) and Ripken Baseball Inc. (RBI), agreed to partner with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to provide online training and certification for the Babe Ruth’s nearly 200,000 baseball and softball coaches beginning January 2007.

That vision is now reality with the release of the online courses Coaching Youth Baseball The Ripken Way for Babe Ruth Baseball Coaches and Coaching Youth Softball The Ripken Way for Babe Ruth Softball Coaches.

The courses are available through the dedicated website Babe Ruth League Coaching Education Center: Powered by Ripken Baseball, also developed by ASEP with content provided by Ripken Baseball. The program can be found at www.BabeRuthCoaching.org and www.RipkenCoaching.org.

BRL and Ripken Baseball are establishing a leadership role in youth baseball and softball by requiring all Babe Ruth League coaches to successfully complete coaching education and certification by July 31, 2008.

“I have been talking about the need for an organized, effective youth coaching education program for many years, so it is rewarding to finally develop a partnership that can make it happen,” says first-ballot 2007 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Cal Ripken Jr. “It’s really exciting to know that young baseball players everywhere will be exposed to our methods of instruction and to partner with two organizations that are so respected in their fields.”

Ripken believes that overall youth baseball participation will increase if more coaches adhere to the principles addressed in the course. “Volunteer coaches are the lifeblood of our sport,” says Ripken. “If a young player’s first experience with the game of baseball is a positive one, the chances are much higher that he or she will fall in love with the game and stick with it.”

ASEP designed the customized online courses with considerable content developed and provided by Ripken Baseball, reflecting its “Ripken Way” coaching philosophy. Each course features more than 200 pages of material that is delivered as PDF downloads within the course. Also included is a “Coach’s Clipboard” feature that contains assessment tools, checklists, worksheets, and drill sheets that coaches can print and use at practices and games. The online courses take roughly 3 to 4 hours to complete and contain the following units:

Introduction: The Ripken Way
Unit 1: Coach responsibilities
Unit 2: Communication
Unit 3: Safety and fitness
Unit 4: Expectations and goals
Unit 5: Practice and practice planning
Unit 6: Skill development
Unit 7: Rules and equipment
Unit 8: Skills and drills
Unit 9: Tactics and strategies
Unit 10: Game day

The courses conclude with a 30-question online test that is scored automatically. Once a course is completed, coaches can print a certificate directly from the Web site and email a copy of their course transcript to their league administrator for documentation of course completion.

“Every manager and coach has an obligation to provide his or her players with the best instruction and leadership possible,” says Steven Tellefsen, President/CEO of Babe Ruth League. And it’s our belief that these courses provide managers and coaches with the best training available to meet this goal.”

As an incentive for coaches to take the course right away and not wait until the July 31, 2008 deadline to comply with the certification requirements, Babe Ruth League is offering four-year certification to coaches who take the course during 2007. Coaches who take the course beginning January 1, 2008, will be granted three-year certification.

“We’re very proud to work with Babe Ruth League and Ripken Baseball in the creation and delivery of this customized and uniquely branded coaching education program and Web site,” says Amy Tocco, ASEP Executive Director. “ASEP has been a leader in coaching education for more than 25 years, and our ‘Athletes First, Winning Second’ philosophy aligns perfectly with the missions of Babe Ruth League and Ripken Baseball. We look forward to bringing this important training to Babe Ruth coaches for years to come to improve the sport experience for all who are involved with these outstanding programs.”

To order the online course, which retails for $19.95, Babe Ruth League and Ripken Baseball coaches can visit www.BabeRuthCoaching.org or www.RipkenCoaching.org and click on the “Coaches” tab from the home page and follow the simple prompts. The course is not limited strictly to Babe Ruth League coaches. Coaches of any affiliation would benefit from taking the comprehensive course and are encouraged to enroll.

Babe Ruth League, Inc. is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to developing better citizens by providing properly supervised baseball and softball competition for players ages 4-18. Established in 1951, there are now more than 9,000 leagues and 56,000 teams representing more than one million players in the United States and Canada. It is the fundamental belief of Babe Ruth League, Inc. that every child with a desire to play baseball or softball be afforded that opportunity.

Ripken Amateur Baseball, LLC is a division of Ripken Baseball, Inc. Ripken Baseball is a sales and marketing company based in Baltimore, MD, representing the business and philanthropic interests of Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill Ripken. Established in 2001, the mission of Ripken Baseball is to grow the game of baseball worldwide the Ripken Way. Ripken Baseball is considered the nation’s leader in youth baseball instruction, holding camps, clinics and coaching education programs around the country in addition to developing a full complement of instructional products and resources.

The American Sport Education Program is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the United States. With the most easy-to-use and the highest quality programs, ASEP has educated more than one million coaches, officials, administrators, parents, and athletes. ASEP’s motto is “Athletes First, Winning Second,” and for 25 years local state and national sport organizations have partnered with ASEP to make sport a safe, successful and enjoyable experience for all involved.