The VTS is our online video training program for our players, parents and coaches. It’s a series of short videos designed to educate and inform. Short quizzes pop up after each training video and correct answers are required to continue. All players, parents and coaches must complete the training course before participating. This ensures that everyone involved is well aware of what is expected of them as a representative of the D1D National brand.
D1D National differentiates itself in many ways from most other travel programs. Here are the top five biggest differences.
Players come in all shapes and sizes, but there are some common denominators among the players we select to play for D1D National.
Our rosters are usually formed with this formula
(4) OF
(3) MIF
(3) CINF
(2) C
(6-12) Pitchers (depending on age of team)
We do have some players who do both, and we have some pitcher only positions. That varies according to team and age of players.
Yes, but they stay as the coach of an age group. They do not move along with their son.
Yes, we have very successful fundraising options for individuals.
Yes, this is a requirement of all players in our program. We are interested in developing “other centered” people. Players can choose their community outreach, or we can help them find a worthwhile project.
We state publicly that our coaches are the most important position in the organization. All head coaches go through a series of personal interviews before we hire them. We are evaluating them on their communication skills, leadership skills, organizational skills, understanding of elite level baseball, evaluation skills, in game management and player development. They must also pass a background check and complete our online training course before they are allowed to coach. D1D National coaches are held to the highest standards in all of travel baseball.
We have many, many standards as outlined in our Player, Parent, Coach Agreement. Some of the more notable standards are;
This varies from team to team depending on age and demographics of the team. Most D1D National teams probably won’t practice as a team on a weekly basis simply because the players are from a wide geographic region.
We strive to keep our player fees as low as possible. Each head coach in the program creates his own team budget. Therefore, no two teams have the same budget or player fees. Fees are determined by the coach’s salary and expenses, number of players on roster and number of events the team plays.
Players must make a 100% commitment to their D1D National team. However, we are fine with players playing on other teams, but only when we are not playing and there are not conflicts. We also like to see our players take some “down time” when we are not playing. We care alot about risk of injury and burnout. Players cannot play for another program on an off weekend if it will have any impact on their ability to play for D1D National.
Our teams typically play 4-6 events per season. We consider there to be 3 seasons. Spring (Feb-May), Summer June-August and Fall (Sept-November). Not all teams will play 3 seasons, but all will play at least 2.
We invented the College Prospect Series by sitting down and talking with college coaches about an alternative plan for our elite level teams. They prefer a model where we play on their campus against other elite level competition as opposed to playing in tournaments against weak competition. Keep in mind, most travel teams are not elite. D1D National is elite, so it takes extra thought and effort to be challenged. The CPS is a superior model to typical travel ball tournaments. The advantages are many:
We have the support of over 250 college coaches. We communicate with them about our program and our players. Please understand, college coaches are trying to find the best talent they can find. They are also trying to find players and families who are a good fit for their program. That’s why they love our program so much. Based on 20 years of experience they know they can trust our opinions and they know we are holding our players to standards very similar to what they are holding their players to. In short, we are a very valuable source of talent for college programs.
It starts with our mission, which is to choose quality over quantity. We will never be the biggest program, but we will be the best at developing players. We focus on individual needs. Every player receives a written IDP (Individual Development Plan). Our players understand that they are constantly being evaluated. They are given developmental assignments and goals. They are held accountable to their assignments and tasks.
Yes.
As far as we know, we are the first organization in the country to offer weekend camps to players with the goal to be challenged mentally and physically. The camps are fun and very effective at helping our players learn how to push beyond self imposed barriers. Building tough kids is part of our mission at D1D Natiional
If we invite your son to play for us it means we see his God given ability and we want to invest our time, money, resources and credibility on him. This should not be taken lightly. We are VERY selective with who we invite to the program. Certainly, he needs to want to be in our program and embrace our culture. But, if we want him, and he wants us, then we believe that’s a pretty good sign this is where he needs to be.
No. D1D National has a professional coach at each age group. Players will move through our system and play for a different coach each year, provided they are invited to the next team the following year. This is a superior developmental model for young players. It’s very similar to professional baseball. With this model they learn to play for different types of coaches and they learn how to compete for their spot….every year.
No. Players must earn their roster spot every year. This is a very valuable lesson for them to learn early in life. The message is simple. Stay hungry and keep improving because somebody wants to take your spot.
We have helped nearly 1,000 players move on to college and/or professional baseball. We have assisted players to play at over 100 different colleges and universities.
Division One Development
Yes, we have many additional resources available such as individual consulting and recruiting assistance, professional athletic testing, nutritional help and skill development.
It depends on the player. Many players know by 13U that they want to play college baseball. In other words, the goal is already firmly in place. We take 13 year olds seriously who tell us they want to play high level baseball in college. Some kids have their sights set even higher and want to play professionally. Again, this is someone’s dream. We are the program that embraces these dreams. But, we also know the difference between a dream and a goal. We need to teach most young players that playing college and/or professional baseball require a plan of development, sacrifice and time. The sooner we can start with a player the better. That’s why we start at 13U. That gives us a good 4 years to help bring this dream to life.
We have a saying at D1D National. We will strive for perfection and accept nothing less than excellence. That means that we believe details matter. We believe mediocrity is the enemy of exceptionalism. We believe that young players need to be taught to demand more of themselves. We believe that a standard of excellence can be taught. We believe that being average is easy, but being excellent is worth the extra effort.
Our founder, Mark Helsel, is a Christian. Many of the values in the program stem from his Judeo-Christian beliefs. Many leaders in the program are also Christians. However, by no means does one need to be a Christian to play in the program. All people, from all walks of life and religions, are welcome at D1D National.
