Meet OUR softball INSTRUCTORS
Meet some of the elite instructors that work out of our facility! Interested in booking with one of them? Fill out the form below and our team will connect you.
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Jake has been involved in baseball and softball as both a player and coach for over a decade. His coaching career began in 2015, and he has worked in athletic performance and training since 2016.
Jake played baseball through high school and has competed in men's Major Fastpitch softball since age 17. He spent 2.5 years as a volunteer assistant coach at Fontbonne University. Over the years, he's worked with a wide range of athletes — from youth players and beginners to high school athletes, college players, and women's professional baseball players.
His coaching approach is centered around developing strong fundamentals, building confidence, and helping each athlete understand not only how to perform a skill, but why it matters. He works with baseball and softball athletes on hitting, pitching, fielding, and catching.
Jake enjoys working with athletes of all ages and experience levels, whether they're just learning the game or competing at the highest levels. His goal is to meet each athlete where they are, identify areas for improvement, and give them the tools and instruction they need to become a more confident, knowledgeable, and well-rounded player.
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Lauren is a collegiate-level pitching instructor who was a starting pitcher for four years at Northwestern University. She played professionally in Europe for two seasons following her college career. Lauren has been providing pitching lessons since 2008, including one year of instruction at Webster University.
A first session will consist of an analysis of the player to assess their skill level and go over basic drills and what to expect from future lessons. Typical lessons will go over drills as well as quality reps in either pitching/hitting/fielding. Older players will also get coached on the mental aspects of the game and game situations. With younger players we will usually play a more game like drill during the lesson to keep it fun and go over basic rules to enrich their understanding of the game. All lessons finish with a recap of what the player needs to work on before the next session. I expect players to practice on their own between sessions. You should plan on having someone to catch, if you cannot do this please let me know ahead of time and we will likely be able to make it work without a catch.
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Sam Polk competed as an NCAA student-athlete for six years with stops at Baylor, Saint Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis. At SLU in 2023, he contributed to a record-setting offense that established new program records in runs and RBIs, finishing among the top 50 offenses nationally. During his final season of collegiate summer baseball, Sam posted a .345/.493/.491 slash line over 143 plate appearances with a wood bat in the New York Collegiate League, and later captured a prestigious Northwoods League Championship with the Green Bay Rockers.
Sam began his college career as an infielder before transitioning to the outfield, giving him a well-rounded defensive background across multiple positions. As a switch-hitter, he understands the unique needs of hitters from both sides of the plate.
Sam’s coaching style centers on personalization and enjoyment. He believes in teaching foundational swing principles, like direction, plane, and efficient mechanics, while tailoring instruction to each athlete’s strengths, tendencies, skill level, and learning style. Sam sends each player home with a note card of key takeaways and cues to carry into their next practice or game.
Ready to train? Fill out the form below to book a hitting or defensive private or semi-private session with Sam.
Interested in Private Coaching?
If you are interested in getting more information about private coaching at the Kirkham Fieldhouse, fill out the form below and the coach will be in touch shortly.