Post By: Scott Abramson
Jim Chester, current head coach of Gardner-Webb's impressive 26-win baseball program shares this exclusive advice and more for current and future college baseball players to flourish in this episode of The Prospect Blueprint.
Kelly Kleinman: “What does your day look like, fundraising, managing players, and dealing with internal issues?”
Jim Chester: “Once I walk into the office, it's full go. You have to be fully accessible to all 40 players.”
Kelly Kleinman: “People always wonder why a small college coach schedules against a big power school. Why is that?”
Jim Chester: “We wanna play the best. And we wanna beat them. It also challenges the players and prepares us.”
Most important is to have the guys healthy
Rick Dempsey: “You were at Division 3, then Division 2. Now Division 1. You are doing something right. What are you looking for that is going to bring you to the finish line in a season?”
Jim Chester: “What we get out of what we do, is how hard we work. But then I gotta remember that we have to keep these guys healthy down the stretch.”
Related: Too Hurt to Play? 3 Ways Athletes Can Cope With Injuries When They Feel Like the End of the World
Rick Dempsey: “Do a lot of your players come from your summer camps?”
Jim Chester: “We've done really well with camps, camps are a big deal”
Rick Dempsey: “Do you use the portal, is it good for you? How do you use it?”
Jim Chester: “I'm on it every day. Some of our best players have come from the portal”
Related: How Does Transferring in College Sports Work? A Step-By-Step Explanation of the Transfer Portal
Independent college advisor, make sure you find the right one
Kelly Kleiman: “Independent college advisors who charge to get kids on a roster?”
Jim Chester: “Depends. I've worked with some really good ones. But there's some crazy fluff out there and it's not real.”
Jim Chester, an exceptional head coach, shares his winning advice and experiences on this podcast episode of The Prospect Blueprint.
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* Originally published on May 17, 2023, by Prospect Blueprint
