By Pierce Jones –
When I first came to the Texas Baseball Ranch®, I was 14 years old with a curious mind and an eagerness to learn how to take my game to the next level. I would be lying if I told you that when I first arrived on site at The Ranch, I wasn’t a little intimidated. I knew going into the weekend boot camp I was attending that I would be put through something I never had before. With that knowledge brought the fear of being exposed or being put in a position that would make me think, “Maybe baseball isn’t for me”. What I didn’t know at the time, was that weekend would change my outlook on my career, and completely change how I developed into the pitcher I am.
Coming into that weekend, I was a tall, lanky right-handed thrower looking for more velocity and a way to abolish my arm pain that I was having (that would always seem to sneak up at the worst possible times… every summer). After leaving what was the best experience I had ever encountered in baseball training (and still has been to this date), my development took off like a rocket. I came in throwing 72mph with arm pain that would constantly shut me down from throwing, and would leave me sitting in the dugout watching all my friends enjoy the game I loved so dearly. I eventually became a 15-year-old with ZERO arm pain who hit 90 for the first time and found a whole new appreciation for the game.
The Texas Baseball Ranch® has always been a place near and dear to my heart. It is somewhere that I knew I would always be taken care of for my personal needs of the game, and not just thrown in with a herd of players and told to do the same things as everyone else. Not only did coming to The Ranch make me a better pitcher, but it made me an all-around better athlete, person, and mentor of the game.
Although I am no longer training at The Ranch, I am fortunate enough to be on the other side; helping athletes in the same way I once was. As said earlier, The Ranch is a place that is near and dear to my heart, and throughout all the years, was a place I knew I needed to be. When I knew it was time to wrap things up in my playing career, the dream shifted from professional baseball to the next best thing… The Texas Baseball Ranch®. Being here and having the opportunity I have is something I have an immense amount of appreciation for, and I will forever thank Ron and Jill Wolforth. To be able to put all the time and energy back into a place that gave me so much is a feeling unlike any other. Every day, I wake up knowing, “This is where I am supposed to be,” and I could not be more excited to get into work every day and help those who are here chasing the same dream I was at one time.
I look forward to seeing those of you who are returners of The Ranch through the years to come, as well as those of you who are coming in and looking to take your game to the next level and be a part of an experience that you won’t find anywhere else.
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Important TBR Updates
- Information and dates for our 2022 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamps can be found on our website. Dates are filling up fast so don’t delay! Call the office or fill out the online registration form(s) to reserve your spot. https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/elite-pitchers-bootcamp/
- We’ve released the information on our Summer Intensive Training Program. Ranch athletes receive messages like the one above at the start of every training day. If you’d like more information, go to https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/events/tbr-summer-program/
- Would you like to experience both? We do have that option. Attend one of our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamps and Add-On one week of our Summer Program. Call for the details (936) 588-6762.
