American Baseball Coaches Association

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest amateur baseball coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coaches.[2][3][4][5] Now, the ABCA is composed of over 13,000 baseball coaches from all levels of amateur baseball, including youth, high school, travel ball, NJCAA Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA, and NCAA Divisions I, II and III, among others.[6]

American Baseball Coaches Association
NicknameABCA
Formation1945[1]
HeadquartersGreensboro, North Carolina
Membership (Sept. 1 - Aug. 31)
13,000
Executive Director
Craig Keilitz
Websitehttp://www.abca.org

History

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its nearly 13,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.

Read more about the association's inception and history.

Membership

The association has almost 13,000 members hailing from all 50 U.S. states and 25 different countries. The membership includes coaches from all ranks of amateur baseball as well as some coaches with pro affiliation. The membership year for the ABCA runs from September 1 through August 31.[6]

Membership Benefits:

  • Ability to attend the World's Largest Baseball Convention, which the association holds annually in January.
  • ABCA Video Library access, which contains over 500 on-demand baseball coaching clinic videos. Videos include clinic presentations from past ABCA Conventions dating all the way back to 2008 as well as Barnstormers Regional Coaching Clinics, Webinars and more.
  • Inside Pitch Magazine subscription, which is mailed every other month and also has a fully digital online archive.
  • $1 million Personal Liability insurance coverage for U.S. residents while performing coaching duties.
  • Attend ABCA Barnstormers Regional Coaching Clinics for free.
  • ABCA Press Box weekly e-newsletter with links to the latest articles about baseball news, coaching tips and training.
  • Membership Discount Program - discounts on ABCA Partner products such as baseball apparel, gear, training aids, technology and more! Members also receive discounts on hotel and rental car bookings for team and personal use.
  • Free Job Board postings & Open Schedule Date Listings.
  • Participate in surveys regarding rule changes and legislative issues affecting the sport and members' respective divisions.

National Convention

The ABCA hosts the world's largest baseball convention every January.[6] The convention features coaching clinics, trade show, meetings, several awards presentations and honors.[7] Over 7,000 coaches attend the convention, which lasts for four days.[8]

The convention is on a rotating schedule around the United States. Upcoming locations include Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.

A major draw are the over 50 clinic speakers each year. These include some of the most knowledgeable baseball coaches and minds in the world and are on-hand to share their experiences and expertise with fellow coaches. Clinics run across the General Session, Youth Coaches Session and Expo Theater. The clinics are also live streamed online for members that cannot attend the Convention in person. After the convention, all clinics are available on-demand for members in the ABCA Video Library.

At the ABCA Trade Show, over 350 companies fill up over 200,000 square feet of exhibit space with state-of-the-art equipment and products, including coaching aids, apparel, field equipment, pitching machines and software. Many products are displayed for the first time and some items are even raffled off as prizes.

Barnstormers Regional Coaching Clinics

The ABCA hosts 20 regional coaching clinics throughout the United States and Canada each fall. The one-day clinics, known as Barnstormers Regional Coaching Clinics, feature presentations and on-field demonstrations by ABCA member coaches within that region. Presentations vary from video instruction to on-field demonstrations to live practice commentary, and focus on fundamentals, practical position-specific drills, coaching cues, and practice organization tips.

The clinics are free for members to attend! At least half of the clinic sites are filmed each year with the on-demand videos available on ABCAvideos.org.

My ABCA mobile app

The My ABCA mobile app was launched in Fall 2019 in both the Apple & Google Play Stores. Members and non-members can download the free app! Within the app, members can access their membership benefits year-round as well as stay up-to-date with ABCA news and content.

Additional features include the ability to collaborate with other members in forums and through direct messaging, register for the ABCA Convention and Barnstormer Regional Clinics, update member profiles and access the Coaching Resource Library.

The app allows users to view the ABCA Clinic Videos as well as tune in to the ABCA Podcast as well!

Hall of Fame

For members by year of induction, see footnote[9]

Induction to the ABCA Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the ABCA organization.[10] The ABCA Hall of Fame was established in 1966 with the inaugural 18–member class. Each year's Hall of Fame class is inducted during the Hall of Fame Banquet at the annual ABCA Convention in January. The entire ABCA Hall of Fame can be found online at ABCAhalloffame.org.

Awards
See also: Baseball awards § U.S. college baseball, and Baseball awards § U.S. high-school baseball

ABCA/ATEC Coaches of the Year
  • The prestigious ABCA/ATEC Sports National & Regional Coaches of the Year are selected by member coaches in 11 divisions. The Coaches of the Year are recognized annually at the ABCA Convention.
    • NCAA Division I National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NCAA Division II National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NCAA Division III National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NAIA National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NJCAA Division I National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NJCAA Division II National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • NJCAA Division III National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • Pacific Association Division National and Regional Coaches of the Year
    • High School National and Regional Coaches of the Year[11]

ABCA National Assistant Coaches of the Year
  • The ABCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award, selected in 11 divisions, recognizes coaching expertise, recruiting, loyalty to the program and respect for the players and the game, among other criteria. The Coaches of the Year are recognized annually at the ABCA Convention.
    • NCAA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NCAA Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NJCAA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NJCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • NJCAA Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • Pacific Association Division National Assistant Coach of the Year
    • High School National Assistant Coach of the Year

Lefty Gomez Award

The ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award has been presented since 1962. The award goes to an individual who has distinguished himself amongst his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally and internationally. This award is sponsored by Wilson Sporting Goods.

ABCA/Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award

ABCA Ethics in Coaching Award honors individuals who embody the ABCA Code of Ethics. The ABCA strives for sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity to the highest degree.

ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams

The ABCA has selected All-American Teams in each division of the ABCA, as well as an All-American/Coach of the Year Committee, as well as All-Region Teams.[2] Each division also selects a National Player of the Year, as well as All-Region Coaches of the Year and National Coaches of the Year.[2] Each year, over 1,700 All-Region Players and 330 All-American Players are selected.[2]

ABCA/Rawlings Position Players & Pitchers of the Year
  • ABCA/Rawlings Players of the Year:
    • NCAA Division I Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NCAA Division II Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NCAA Division III Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NAIA Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NJCAA Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NJCAA Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • NJCAA Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • Pacific Association Division Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year
    • High School Position Player of the Year & Pitcher of the Year[12]

ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans
  • ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans:
    • NCAA Division I All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NCAA Division II All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NCAA Division III All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NAIA All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NJCAA Division I All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NJCAA Division II All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • NJCAA Division III All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • Pacific Association Division All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)
    • High School All-Americans (first, second, and third teams)[13]

ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
  • ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Awards:
    • NCAA Division I Gold Glove
    • NCAA Division II Gold Glove
    • NCAA Division III Gold Glove
    • NAIA Gold Glove
    • NJCAA Division I Gold Glove
    • NJCAA Division II Gold Glove
    • NJCAA Division III Gold Glove
    • Pacific Association Division Gold Glove
    • High School Gold Glove[14]

ABCA/Rawlings All-Region
  • ABCA/Rawlings All-Region:
    • NCAA Division I All-Region
    • NCAA Division II All-Region
    • NCAA Division III All-Region
    • NAIA All-Region
    • NJCAA Division I All-Region
    • NJCAA Division II All-Region
    • NJCAA Division III All-Region
    • Pacific Association Division All-Region
    • High School All-Region[15]

ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award

The ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award honors high school and college programs that posted a GPA over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Over 300 programs are recognized annually.

ABCA Century Club

The ABCA Century Club recognizes member coaches for every 100 victories they accumulate, awarding each with a certificate and recognition in ABCA publications.

ABCA Lifetime Membership

ABCA Lifetime Membership is awarded to coaches who have been members of the organization for 35 consecutive years and support to amateur baseball across the world. Currently, there are nearly 400 active Lifetime Members within the association. The newest Lifetime Members are honored each year at the annual ABCA Convention.

References
  1. "About the ABCA". American Baseball Coaches Association. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  2. "This is the ABCA". ABCA. June 29, 1945. Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  3. McCarthy, Kevin M. (1996). Baseball in Florida – Google Books. ISBN 9781561640973. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  4. "Alexander Joins ABCA All-America Committee". CSTV.com. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  5. "The Leader – Serving the communities of Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Mayport and Ponte Vedra Beach". Beachesleader.com. February 20, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  6. "ABCA Membership Benefits". ABCA. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  7. "2015 ABCA Convention". ABCA. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  8. About the American Baseball Coaches Association. ABCA website. Retrieved on 2016-12-02.
  9. By Year Inducted. ABCA Hall of Fame website. Retrieved on 2016-12-02.
  10. Award criteria and nomination information. ABCA Hall of Fame website. Retrieved on 2016-12-02.
  11. Coaches of the Year
  12. Players of the Year
  13. ABCA All-Americans
  14. ABCA Gold Gloves
  15. All-Region Teams
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