Be the best!

We need a Major Baseball league in the United Kingdom. It would be great for the kids, too. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I hear you say. But absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when one is faced with challenges since the winning formula in today's competitive global baseball markets is not with those who are too conceited to think they have the know-how keenness of vision but with those who are prepared to master the fundamentals of the game, both, in a theoretical demeanour and a pragmatic deportment, and, of course be determined to go further than their natural boundaries, particularly, when the benefits are likely to result in valuable insights. It is a fact that an idea often belongs not necessarily to those who conceived it but to those who implement it. Indeed, it is my wish to build a team good enough to take the many challenges ahead and win the league time and time again, of course, and enjoy the satisfaction of working on a problem as a whole and in depth. Both, my current coaching position and social style enable me to combine a high degree of trust with a high level of social self-confidence as a result I am able to comfortably and confidently interact in even the most complex social situations. I am seldom fearful of my environment and I am both assertive and trusting but my greatest asset is my ability to confidently communicate with others in any situation. I see this as a very important aptitude since the ability to communicate and work with others are crucial skills in human relations, and far more important than any lack of qualifications, competence or skill. One does not need a degree in human psychology in order to understand and respect those special things about an individual which distinguish him from everyone else. I would, therefore, try with all my mighty, without sounding too condescending, to instil into my players' mind my way of thinking and I expect them to pay careful attention to my instructions of how to go about a particular drill.Yeah! Be the best!

P.FIGUERAS

"Amo la Libertad de la América más que mi gloria propia; y para conseguirla no he ahorrado sacrificios"

 Simon Bolivar.

Coaching baseball is our bread and Butter at the academy. Futhermore, we think that the essence of sport of baseball is to compete and a competition involves, for good or ill, a confrontation. Therefore, in every competition there have to be winners and losers. Having said that, it is not absolutely fundamental the winning that counts but learning to accept and deal with the losing as well. I utterly agree that sport ought not to be compulsory for every child in the land but it ought to be compulsory for every school in the country to offer competitive sport like baseball as part of its curriculum. The heart of the matter is that children are crying out to play organised sport against one another and there is not a better place for this to happen than at school. Indeed, organised sport thrives upon a variety of opinion in moderation and recognition of duty to others as well as of personal rights and self interest but there is one thing we would never do, at Figueras Baseball Academy, and that is to encourage our members to gloat at the abject failure of our rival and you can rely on us to steer confidently away from any such potentially occurrence. Malicious pleasure are not overlooked nor encouraged since we embrace a plan of continuous improvement and equal opportunity where everybody benefit. We believe in celebrating achievement and promoting responsible behaviour wherever possible. Indeed, we believe that all players achievement should be recognised and certificates will be awarded to those who show willingness to learn and they will also be given to those in recognition of consistent endeavour and participation in the academy community.

P.Figueras

Pedro Figueras writes on 2010-01-07 for Figueras Baseball Academy AllExperts! 

Keys to Youth Baseball and Softball Development

What does it take to become an exceptional good player?

Well,drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and natural ability are vitally important components of the make-up of an aspiring young player to become an exceptional good one. In addition, common sense and determination to acquire, apply and master the fundamentals of the game; namely, throwing, running, fielding, hitting and thinking are also crucial skills in the road to become an exceptionally good player. He/she must be able to master at least two of these skills and carry out the other three extremely well, time and time again. Much of the time, many players failed to progress to a better things in baseball, simply because they have not given those skills the attention they demand or they have not been encouraged to do so. I do not put this down to lack of natural ability, it is more to do with the inability to follow a set of procedures and lack of self motivation. Discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges but only by delivering the goods time and time again can we meet those challenges and keep our thirst for success on an even keel. It is not enough to train for the sake of training, a player must, if his aspirations are beyond playing baseball in the park, take learning seriously since it is the only sure route to fulfil those aspirations. Indeed, proper coaching is also mighty important since a talented player needs to be guided and shown the best way to use the harness so that he is able to take advantage of his natural ability. Finally, but not lastly, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of practising the basics of the game in training, time and time again, since only through this mastering will you be able to improve your technique on using those skills for you will be expected to make use of them at every opportunity during a match. Yeah! You need to able to transfer those skills, gained in training, into a real time game and apply your thinking faculties in a game situation, time and time again. From the coaching point of view it is of paramount importance that young players focus on throwing, fielding, batting and their mental and physical constitution. Yeah! Most definitely, good coaching will bring out the natural ability of your child since it will instruct him/her on how to do things in a proper manner.
 

Pedro Figueras
Head Coach
Figueras Baseball Academy
http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z2ueC4_Apc&feature=related = Salsa! Salsa! Salsa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvjRbnAVObo = Los 40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnPaZYCUHwI&feature=fvw = je t'apprendrais l'amour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNu431Xss8&feature=related = Fomidable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXIgqfQCo3U&feature=related = Formidable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY5vCHMuapY&feature=related = She

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyF9W-OovnY&feature=related = La bohemia

For the love of Mother Earth give the World and Peace a chance!

It has been said that the love of money is the root of all evil and therefore the weapons of a wicked world! 

Little and often occasional eccentricity attracts media attention when one's willingness to voice strong opinions is made known to the press and very often the content of one's subject determines the interest of the reader. Of course, I do not wish to be misinterpreted but the circumstances in which I have written this entry has a huge influence in the way I was brought up and the way I write for I am rather partial to genuineness. My parents cared very little about the existence of a supreme being and all the rest, therefore, I was never christened and throughout my life I have remained a sceptic in religious issues, an onlooker, if you like, rather than a participant. Nevertheless, I accept that it is worth giving particular attention to those whose opinions are usually accepted by others since they could prove to be a useful stepping stone in one's life. Having said that, I would be acting dishonestly to my ethical principles if I were to refrain from expressing personal opinions or passing moral judgements in what is going on in the world today. All my life I have searched for an answer to man's excessive desire for wealth, the lure of money to exploit the vulnerable, and everyday I feel more distant from that finding, and at the end of each day I feel rather worn out and very disillusioned by it all. Certainly, it has been said in many occasions that while the riches of God's Grace might freely forgives all sins, the love of money carries on being the root of all evil. As I ponder about the other side of the truth I find it tiresome that intelligent people can still remain blind to the insincerity of those who they, as the electorate, have put in a position of power so that they can legislate how their country ought to be administrated and all that jazz. It bothers me a great deal to see many of those in charge of delivering the democratic procedures to the people being economical with the truth since in doing so they are constantly spitting in the faces of the ordinary hardworking men and women who they seemingly represent. It is the easiest thing in the world to find and point out the resemblance between Santa and a politician - No-one believes in them anymore. Certainly, democracy thrives upon a variety of opinion and nobody should be afraid to air their views. But a democracy requires common sense and moderation, a recognition of duty to others as well as of personal rights and self-interest. On this note I must declare that it pains me to stand helplessly by while people are still being denied their constitutional rights in many parts of the world and all the rest. However, one needs the courage to keep shining like a beacon in the night so that one can put an end to the world of wicked men in which there are still many. Wars are not the answers to the plight of mankind but peace and tolerance are!

 P.Figueras

"De la paz debe esperar todos los bienes y de la guerra nada más que desastres".

Simon Bolivar

Venezuela the land of the brave and opportunities!

Venezuela is a land of writers, bards, talented thinkers, great soldiers and heroes. How much do you know about this colourful and exciting country's history, its people achievements and its highly respected son, Simon Bolivar? Not much, I suspect, but don't allow this to stop you finding out for yourself since Venezuela is a country of contrast where the new blends with the old without any altercation. Indeed, it is like living a dream under the magical influence of surrealism but in the presence of real-time circumstances. It is very amusing to call a country intoxicating but that is exactly what Venezuela is, it is nothing short of mind-blowing and the zest for living and infectious candour of its extraordinary people would beckon you to be part of its continual celebration, and it will, I am sure of it, have you soon drinking from the merrymaking glass of passion for life and the bottle of its best brew, Polar. Certainly, thoughts, justifiably, are not accountable to dissemination unless, of course, the bearer wish to do so but freedom of speech is respected in Venezuela and every citizen is being encouraged to raise his living standard by  giving him the opportunity to start his own business. It is an enterprise that requires a great deal of promotion and the present Government administration is duly providing so. Come to Venezuela and be assured of a warm welcome.

Pedro Figueras

 "A nadie se debe forzar a obrar contra su conciencia y las leyes"

Simon Bolivar

This link will take u to the heart of  Venezuela!

https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/countries?_nfls=false&_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=CountryType1&navigationPageId=/venezuela

"Caracas no sólo ha convidado, sino que desea ver entrar por sus puertos a todos los hombres útiles que vengan a buscar un asilo entre nosotros, y a ayudarnos con su industria y sus conocimientos, sin inquirir cuál sea la parte del mundo que les haya dado vida"

Simon Bolivar

Margarita is still "The Pearl of the Caribbean Sea" 

Holiday matters have been on my mind for ages, but circumstances have prevented me doing anything about them. Now that unexpected developments have cleared from my path I might just be able to budge slightly away from past impasses and take the time and visit Margarita. My family and I need a holiday and the odds indicate that our eagerness will grow and make the decision to pay a visit to this beautiful caribbean island in the east cost of Venezuela. The warm light of the day is gearing up for the big spring fresh and while I consider the verdict from the rest of my clan I can only think about a voyage of discovery, self-search and some well-earned fun. It would be a unique experience since Margarita promises the right vibe for a new lease of life and the rebooting of one's brain with a effervescent desire of  thrill hunting. Spaniards, Gallics, Germans, Africans, Italians, Angles, Saxons, men and women of good minds in Europe and the world all have surrendered, at one time or another, to Margarita's magical spell, and its exposure to those spicy fusion of luminous cultures provided its people with great assimilation, buoyancy, forbearance and a playful disposition which delights much the fancy and the spirit of the visitors but it must be said that they have worked terribly hard to put a show for all its guests. Therefore, be assured of being received with open arms by amiable people who would be more than pleased to spare you all the time in the world to making your stay an incomparable one. Come and enjoy in full the experience, the zest and passion for life in Margarita. I anticipate that of all your past experiences this just might be the best of them all. Get a head full of yourself and visit a true paradise island in the Caribbean Sea.  Margarita will welcome you and your party with open arms, I can assure you of that and much more!

P.Figueras

"Creo más en el honor que en las pasiones"

Simon Bolivar

"La educación literal y civil de la juventud es uno de los primeros y más paternales cuidados del Gobierno".

Simon Bolivar.

Plenty to mull over!

It is human to have imperfections but it is plain wrong to ignore social issues in the community since tensions on the social front would not resolve themselves without the need for changes. As good as things seem to be, certain obstacles remain that will need to be tackled head on sooner or later since the biggest cause of antisocial behaviour is the lack of quality time among parents and children which prevents, both parties, of developing important social skills. Tired, bored, confused and demotivated children wait for parents to arrive home from work where the priority is not family activities but tedious school assignments which allows not the time to nurture their social skills and personalities. Would it not be nice if children were to be allowed to mixing with people in the community through baseball and other sports in order to discover the value of other people so that they can develop a sense of who they are?

P.Figueras

Baseball is our language Baseball is our gender Baseball is our choice of sport Baseball is our colour Baseball is our persuasion Baseball is our flavour Baseball is our tolerance Baseball is our orientation Baseball is our affiliation Baseball is our culture.  

"Me vería como un hombre indigno, si fuera capaz de asegurar lo que no estoy cierto de cumplir"

Simon Bolivar

Pedro Figueras writes on 2009-11-23 for AllExperts > Experts 
Keys to Youth Swing Development

Greetings everyone!

Drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges and, indeed, I fully agree with Coach Perl about the advice he gave to Paul Stevens in regard to hands dropping. Yeah! The tee ball drill will enable a coach to help young players to correct deficiencies in their swing while teaching them batting fundamentals that must be acquired in order to be a good hitter of the ball. It is of paramount importance that the correct grip of the bat and the correct stance are shown to the learner. Albeit the stance is elementary it is a very important issue in swing development. Feet just a litter bit wider than the shoulders, the knees bent, the hands must be at shoulder height and close to the body. The bat should be in a vertical position, the back elbow down, the head level so that the tracking eye has a clear line of sight to the ball and the bat must be kept still before the swing is executed. Certainly, a tee ball is not pitched to the batters and the ball must be hit from a stationary position, placed in front of a home base. A Constant batting objective is the shifting of weight towards the back leg before taking a short stride with the front leg while the foot, the front hip and shoulder remain closed. The hands move backwards and the leading arm stretches across the chest (Watch for bat wrapping and for hands dropping), turn the back foot at a 90 degree angle. Watch for front shoulder, and the hip opening, this should produce a strong hip rotation. The belly button must be pointing to where the ball goes after it has been hit and the bat should be driven by the legs and hips, not hands, ensuring that the player makes a solid contact with the ball towards the fielders. From the coaching point of view repeatedly hitting the ball off the tee will improve a player's swing and at the same time he will discover that there is a sweet spot on the bat at the end of the barrel when he makes a clean contact with the ball.

Pedro Figueras
Head Coach
 

London Baseball At The Palace, Roundshaw in Croydon and Clapham Common!

Ball players you are all wanted!

Together we can defeated wars, famine, emigration and misery through thoughtful enterprises which would ultimately allow us to change the inequalities in the world once and for all!

Indeed, it is a fact that the state of being well, happy and prosperous encourage people to be willing to embrace and support the principles of social and political dealings in a community as a whole but the world is in need of much, much, more than that. Hence my reasoning for my asking you to let your heart and not your head do what you can in order to help the have not since the only way  our world would get rid of wars, famine, emigration and misery is by making the external conditions and surroundings areas in which people live better.  Certainly not, this could not happen from dusk to nightfall but the world as a whole could do with a well-needed touch of guidance right now!

Nobody is perfect, that much is true, but indeed the window of learning must always be open to everybody like the beginning of a new-born day which often carries wisdom and the sunny side of discernment with it so that the world as a whole can have all the essential elements to bridge the gap between mediocrity and accepted standards of erudition. Certainly, learning is for life but in my view it is much, much, more than that since it improves the life and behaviour of many through training and indoctrination. I have got an idea let us all have a reachable dream and reach out to someone's heart, less better off than oneself, and give his/her misery a well-needed touch of guidance. I can assure you that they will thank you for that.  Having said that, an idea doesn't necessarily belong to the person who conceives it but to whom is able to implement it since it matters not if one has the intellect for one needs also to have the know-how and the ability to communicate it to those concerned. Equally, I believe it is of paramount importance to tell the world about one's attainment and findings. Indeed, when I write my heart is in the custody of my head. Aye, aye, it all must come from within me but it must be said that I am not a writer by any means of conventional definition; however, I enjoy travelling huge distances through my reading to both the past and the present without the need to use a time travelling machine. But above all, I love to put my experiences in life on paper realistically and reasonably coherent to the reader once I am back within my comfort zone of my natural environment, i.e. my digs in Upper Norwood. Yeah! I am being utterly honest when I say that I want to be an author but a quest, nevertheless, is indeed, I am sure you will agree, the desire to obtain something by means of effort and I would not stop taking journeys into yesterday and the present if that is what it takes to acquire the skills necessary to come to be a paperback writer and secure international recognition among my peers"   

Pedro Figueras

Electing to shout in a world of uncertainties!

I dream of a world where hunger and poverty would be a thing of the past for I passionately believe that is my duty to help those who are in need of a helping hand from those who are better off than themselves. indeed, not a day goes by without hunger claiming a life owing to lack of food even though there is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone and yet, somehow, more and more people seem to go hungry. Certainly, ideas and debates makes the world go round; however, on one hand, there are still many people who seem to spend a considerable time talking away about their needs while being blinded to good judgement and things under their noses, without given a thought to the affliction of others and, on the other hand, the world is full of folks who know the right things to say but as it is often the case it hardly counts for anything since they don't really mean what they say; the politicians do it for a living, and then there are individuals for whom the simplest statement somehow comes out discordant and yet, if they do as they say they will their sincerity will not cause one's to regard them as untrustworthy. Indeed, what passes through one's mind is absolutely private and though what passes from one's mouth matters, what matters more is what one does. Certainly, I am keenly conscious about the suffering and the calamity that many people are experiencing, as I put pen to this article, in many parts of the world, but I want to write on their behalf even though I have not been asked to do so. Informing the wider world of the plight of the sufferers is my quest, and by making that courageous request for help, it could just possibly turn out to be granted.

P.Figueras

"Me vería como un hombre indigno, si fuera capaz de asegurar lo que no estoy cierto de cumplir"

Simon Bolivar

Visit the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp

It is of fundamental importance to be able to have the right attitude to be prosperous in life but attentiveness, preparation, persistence and determination are the tools one needs to generate success. In the ability to having good judgement resides the strength of metamorphosing oneself and one's environment while remembering that learning is for life and the prize is a good education. You have been around for sometime in baseball. Seen it all, done it all. Right? Don't need to be coached! Maybe not. But you could learn a few tricks with us. Indeed, wising up to baseball coaching matters is a subject for a want to be and not for a time waster. Share your passion to be the very best at what you do is what it all ought be about and I am convinced that someone somewhere will read up on our current thoughts on the plight of contemporary society and help us to do something about its difficult situation.

   

Are Games substitute for Coaching and Gaining new Skills on the field of playing ?

Absolutely no! Having said that my opinion only amounts to solely my point of view and I have no real hope that my recommendations would be accepted by more than a small fraction of my readership but the single most important action a team can do to enhance its performance is through preparation.  In view of the fact that I respect other people's opinion the most I can offer is some guidance for those who may disagree with my views since I do not believe that Games are substitute for coaching and gaining new skills on the field of playing. Unreservedly, I would like to stress that no one on the subject of competition in sport could rationally nourish such a thought and please, please and please again don't allow anybody to convince you otherwise, since players need to learn what to do in different baseball situations, baserunning, catching, throwing, pitching and all that jazz. Indeed, baseball is a complex sport, easier to understand when you grow up with it, however, there are many variables and factors that could change on a minutes notice. For instance, the weather is a very important factor in baseball, especially, in the United Kingdom. If it rains before a match and the field gets covered with water it could stop a good player from making a play that he would, in most cases, make owing to the field getting wet and all that jazz. Unquestionably, baseball is one of the top sports played in the U.S.A., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela and it attracts millions of fans to ball parks every year. Aye, aye, practically, million thousand thousands of proud parents everywhere in the world enjoy watching their children learn and play the game. What a great feeling when one sees one's child hit the ball over the fence (Alexis Rodriguez comes to mind), steals a base or scores a run! Still, when it comes to sports, coaching, professional and amateur, baseball is ranked right up there at the top of my priorities. Nevertheless,I was one of those kids that enjoyed the benefit of my parents watching me playing my favourite sport and I thank them for doing so since their support was a source of inspiration to nurture an understanding for social skills and respect for other kid's values, and sense of who I was and who I wanted to be when I had reached maturity.  Wouldn't it be nice to reintroduce that way of life in which children were allowed to mix with people in the community and discover the value and idiosyncracy of other people in it through a game of baseball. I would like to invite everyone in the world to join us and support the work we are doing at Figueras Baseball Academy for the good of the community in general. Truly enough, there is wisdom in taking an interest in what is going on in the world, and learning about its characteristic features and be aware of its vulnerability ought to be of paramount importance to eveyone  since this wisdom offer a breath of fresh air to the world and its social issues by opening a window of learning to everyone. Absolutely, I care for the world and its social issues and I think that it would be selfish if I said that it had nothing to do with me just simply because it does not affect me; on the contrary, I think we should always help when there is a problem in the world and give its misery a well-needed touch of guidance. Unquestionably, and certainly not, the world is not perfect, it has never been and it will never be so; nevertheless, it is human to have imperfections, and therefore, it is plain wrong to ignore social issues in the community since tensions on the social front would not resolve themselves without the need for changes. As good as things seem to be, certain obstacles remain that will need to be tackled head on sooner or later since the biggest cause of antisocial behaviour, in my opinion, is the lack of quality time among parents and children which prevents the developing of important social skills which are essential to the basic nature of society. Nonetheless, many parents are poorly-equipped to deal with these issues discernibly and tolerantly since they themselves do not have the motivation to do so or perhaps it is due to their poor education background, lack of time and all that jazz. I am merely speculating for I do not know the real reasons for it. However, there is no point in sitting around kicking one's heels not knowing what do since experience has taught us that when people are at a loose end and don't know what to do, they sometimes cause annoyance, to put it mildly, and, as it is often the case, it gives rise to vandelism and hooliganism in areas where there are inadequate recreational facilities.   Yeah! I am a believer in applying real focus on something constructive, like building bridges in the community through co-operation, using the power of sport to help tackle issues such as improving health and fitness, developing education for young people, and by working together in partnership or as part of a team in order to make a visible difference to people's lives. My only wish is that this article would give parents, the focus and encouragement needed to rope themselves into shouldering a responsibility that is clearly theirs to deal with. 

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

Get up and go and make fruitful use of your leisure time!

I despair of people who watch television every evening and those armchair football/baseball supporters who most certainly love football/baseball but don't play the games themselves. Indeed, the issue of leisure time must be addressed promptly since there is a huge number of people who don't know what to do with it and as the working hours become shorter one might find that one has more time on one's hands than one needs for flabbiness. Certainly, the notion of people having lashings of free times seems a fabulous one for in the past one's forefathers used to spend so much time at work earning their living or rearing their young that there was very little of it left to do anything else. However, there are so many people these days poorly equipped to make productive use of their recreational time - even though some of them are highly educated and executive decision makers with direct influence in what is going on in the country- owing to, perhaps, poor motivation, education, social issues or simply because they live in areas where there are inadequate recreational facilities; indeed, it is an issue that has prompted one to be concerned with the health of the nation. Positively, the former issue (the building of recreational facilities) ought to be a number one priority since the lack of them might be conducive to the rise of vandalism and hooliganism in those areas. Evening classes exist over the length and breath of the nation and enlisting in one of those classes would be a nice way to get up of one's armchair and feel better about oneself. Leisure time is a great conception but it is no use in having it if one wastes it.  

P. Figueras 

   

Winter has come and the 2009  Baseball Season has gone!

Up in the clouds I raised a glass to the New York Yankees as they conquered the Philadelphia Phillis at Yankee Stadium to clinch their 27th Major League Baseball World Series title. Indeed, it doesn't get any better than winning the MLB World Series but as the news spread on 05 November 2009 I could not help being a bit jealous as I am a Mets fan. Certainly memories are made on the field of playing since it is there where the signs are taught and learnt for a good game, and as I look forward to the 2010 baseball season I wish the New York Mets the very best in the upcoming season. As I said above, winter has come and I will be off soon to the U.S.A. l shall miss you all for that time but I promise that I will let you have one more update before I leave. The reason, yeah! What's the reason? Well, the reason for my travelling to the States is to enrich my coaching experience so that I can help kids from a different walk of life in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world to learn the game of baseball and to show them how to use the game as a vehicle to be better citizens. A good enough reason I think since the need to be prepared to face the ups and downs of good and bad luck in life and succeed in today's world is of paramount importance, and my aim in my position as a coach is to help everyone to achieve their maximum potential so that they can make a positive contribution to society as a whole.

P.Figueras

 http://galeon.hispavista.com/fguillen/CPTOESPCADSEL_2009.htm = Spanish baseball

Throughout the existence of organised baseball, teams and players have been haunted by dreams of celebrity's status and timeless existence and perpetuation have always been in the mind of a sportsman. I would be a sinner if I were to deny that such a thought never crossed my mind. Having said that it is sometimes very easy to forget that baseball it's just a game, which, for good or ill, involves a competition, the facing off between two teams in a battle to the final inning. It is also about a spell, which has brought people from different walk of life together in attachment with the sport. From my own point of view, it is not that simple to explain the reasoning behind my extreme zest for baseball but I can unreservedly tell you that the power of words is not sufficient to weigh the passion that my affection for the game carries. And so I ask myself, not once but endlessly, would my achievements in the game echo across the centuries and would the new generation of players, would they hear my name after I am long gone and wonder who I was, how pluckily and competitively I played; hard but fair my bearing was and I never failed to give my very best in every game. A game or two was won or lost, a slippery plank at times I walked but no force ever conquered my competitive spirit and my flagstaff was always flying my corsairs’ flag as I wandered the innings in search of outs and runs as plunder for my team's cause.

 P.Figueras

Benvinguts a Figueras Baseball Academy!

Noticies!

  

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z2ueC4_Apc&feature=related = Salsa! Salsa!

FiGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

The 2009 Major League Baseball World Series begins this wednesday night and I can assure you that I would not miss it for the world. May the best team win. 

23 October 2009

   

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z2ueC4_Apc&feature=related = Salsa! Salsa!

FiGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z2ueC4_Apc&feature=related = Salsa! Salsa!

FiGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

FIGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

 

Visit:  http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?video=200804172539937 for the latest in Major League Baseball.

"Ciertamente, el oro y la plata son objetos preciosos; pero la existencia de la República y la vida de los ciudadanos son más preciosos aún". 

Simon Bolivar

We cannot just sit down and do naught!

Climate change is the biggest threat the planet faces and if we are really dead serious about tackling it we must stop tinkering in the margins and put in place measurements to deal with environmental issues before it is too late to do anything about them. Everyone ought to take a natural interest  in the Earth's life and all the rest for it is everybody's duty to protect the planet in which they live and its environment from aberations and avoidable adversities . I believe that the Earth is in a vulnerable position right now as a vast majority of people are still refusing to make the sacrifices necessary to succour the planet to a clean bill of health.  If ignorance is bliss then those people who are not aware of the harm they are doing to the planet are chuckling in amusement, without realising it, at the espense and sufferance of the environment and those who really care for the wellbeing of the planet; however, I am sure that a lie is at the heart of these claims since ignorance is no longer, in my book, a valid excuse as climate changes have produced many environmental disasters which have been well-published by the world media as a whole. Indeed, the world is rapidly changing for the worse but we are, if we wish to, in a position to give it a helping hand to functioning well by encouraging others to follow a good guidance on green issues so that we can make our environment a good place to live.

P.Figueras

A felony always makes an excellent reading on the front page of daily newspapers as it often raises abrupt  sensationalism in order to evoke heterogeneous emotions and controversy within the structure and institutions of the community as a whole. It is all mighty right to express disapproval of unlawful acts; nevertheless, it is simply improper to disregard social issues in the community since tensions on the social front would never be resolved by wish thinking since the need for changes requires practicality and the believe that the right action is the one that brings about the greatest good for the greatest number of people in society. Indeed, more than just a mere act of kindness is needed in order to avoid drifting into irreversible syndromes of lawlessness and violence. Act quickly we must in order to head off troubles since we need to find an answer to solve problems in our localities. Yeah! An earnest plan must be put into action so that violent and unlawful acts, collectively, are better bridled in the inner cities. There is wisdom in taking an interest in what is going on in the world and we are delighted to offer a breath of fresh air to the world and its social issues by opening a window of learning to everyone. Absolutely, we care for the world and its social issues and we think that it would be selfish if we said that it had nothing to do with us just simply because it does not affect us; on the contrary, we think we should always help when there is a problem in the world and give its misery a well-needed touch of guidance. Indeed, at a time when the world is blighted by a not cool to be clever attitude with a growing number of children failing to meet the academic requirement needed to be socially successful the need for stressing the moral values prescribed by society has never been so weighty. Learning is for life and the price is a good education; with this in mind, Figueras Baseball Academy has been launched with the purpose of giving a learning hand and advice to parents on how to get their offsprings enthusiastic about learning the game of baseball. It is the view of the academy that parents ought to emphasise to their kids the importance of learning an interest in finding out about things, in order to stimulate their curiosity, and, of course, we encourage parents to support their children's school by attending open days and building relationships with coaches and galvanise their kids to think about education in the long term. The academy is committed to expanding its teams with people who have the ability to help its members succeed fully in achieving their objectives, which will, of course, make the academy approach welcomed by all concerned.  In simplest terms the academy has developed a comprehensive programme and training methodology which will ensure the standard of coaching to be consistent, in all, attitude, passion, drive, enthusiasm, training outcomes and above all self-belief. The academy is thirsty for success and committed to a course of action which will allow its members to succeed beyond their expectations.  Yeah! We are committed to ensuring that all players at the Academy are equal participants in the Academy's activities and, that they are given all the necessary means and knowledge both intellectually and physically in order to be successful. That is a promise!  Lead by example is the academy's motto and rest assure that the academy will endeavour to fulfil its promises. The academy is currently looking at a number of locations within Crystal and Upper Norwood at which to base its headquarters. Once a suitable location has been found we will then be putting more time into publicity around the locality. The academy is also on the lookout for players of all abilities and ages.

The academy also welcomes anyone else who would like to volunteer his services.

Our aim is to form a number of youth and senior teams that can compete in the Baseball UK South East League.

We are also on the lookout for anyone who may be interested in sponsoring the academy. If you would like any information on this please visit the academy page: http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/or contact us mailto:pedrofigueras@aol.com.  

Figueras Baseball Academy

Objectives

Short Term

1. Form a well run and organised youth and senior baseball clubs

2.  Preparation of a club constitution

3.  Find a suitable location at which to situate the academy 

4. Form several teams to compete in the South East Region of England

5. Organise promotional events to find people who are interested in joining the club.


Long Term

 

1. The development of our playing facilities

2. Organise promotional events to increase the popularity of baseball in the area

3. Attempt to encourage other local areas to consider forming a baseball club


Sponsorship Opportunities

We are seeking sponsorship to allow us to meet our objectives and to ensure that the academy remains active and achieving the desired results.
Our main locations for logo/brand placement are as follows:

Team
Each team within the academy will be seeking sponsorship. Logos/brands can be displayed on the team's playing jersey and training kit.
Removable Pitch Side Advertising Boards
These boards would be put in place during matches and any other events where the public is expected to attend.
Match programme
For each match we are to produce a match programme. This will contain information relevant to academy, and will also have space dedicated to logo/brand placement.

Custom sponsorship packages can be created which include any combination of the above, and also any other sponsorship packages, which both parties agree too.

Funding from sponsorship would be used for thing such as:

1. Ground fees and maintenance

2. Training equipment

3. Transport costs

4. Team equipment

5. League registration fees

6. Coaching fees

7. Administration expenses

Help us to help others


Anyone who is interested in sponsoring the academy, or would like more information, please contact: pedrofigueras@aol.com
Note: A commitment is now required since we are trying to determine how much potential sponsorship exists for us to base financial calculations upon, and we would like to ask you to register your interest if you or your organisation may be interested in helping us out.
Pedro Figueras

Head coach

12C Mowbray Road

Upper Norwood

London

SE19 2RG

02086535687 

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. 

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras

Thank you so much for visiting this website.   

Note: It'll be good if  the P.M. Gordon Brown and President Hugo Chavez were to read up on our current thoughts and would lend us a hand in the quest for ending truculent behaviour in our streets. Substance and credibility are being now put to the test and our vision is to pre-empt a potential and genuine issue to keep its distance and aid it to move in a new direction away from our young generation. Maybe I am just a dreamer but I would like to think that  I am not alone in my quest for harmony among people of the Earth.

I sometimes call my delusions experiences but only if I take the time to put them right.  Indeed,  I have learned everything and all there is to know in baseball through personal participation but I have also learned that only the true warrior can fall off his horse in a battle while the faint-hearted can only watch and kneel to the recklessness of the brave. Assez, c'est assez! Bring our boys back home now!

P.Figueras

All in the name of the game of baseball!

Throughout the existence of organised baseball, teams and players have been haunted by dreams of celebrity's status and timeless existence and perpetuation have always been in the mind of a sportsman. I would be a sinner if I were to deny that such a thought never crossed my mind. Having said that it is sometimes very easy to forget that baseball it's just a game, which, for good or ill, involves a competition, the facing off between two teams in a battle to the final inning. It is also about a spell, which has brought people from different walk of life together in attachment with the sport. From my own point of view, it is not that simple to explain the reasoning behind my extreme zest for baseball but I can unreservedly tell you that the power of words is not sufficient to weigh the passion that my affection for the game carries. And so I ask myself, not once but endlessly, would my achievements in the game echo across the centuries and would the new generation of players, would they hear my name after I am long gone and wonder who I was, how pluckily and competitively I played; hard but fair my bearing was and I never failed to give my very best in every game. A game or two was won or lost, a slippery plank at times I walked but no force ever conquered my competitive spirit and my flagstaff was always flying my corsairs’ flag as I wandered the innings in search of outs and runs as plunder for my team's cause.

 P.Figueras

Learning is for life and the price is a good education!

"¡Cuan superior es la suma de las luces a la suma de las riquezas!"

 Simon Bolivar. 

Dr.José Gregorio Hernández

La beatificacion del siervo de Dios Doctor Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros es lo que mucha gente en Venezuela y el mundo pide al Vaticano y al Papa hacer cuanto antes pues hemos esperado tanto tiempo que a veces dudamos si esta peticion este en la agenda del Papa. Las voces de los manifestantes de esta peticion jamas seran silenciadas pues estas voces estan determinados en seguir este clamor hasta que logremos la beatificacion de un hombre que mucha gente considera un santo pues existen testimonios orales y escritos de sus milagros y curaciones. Los extraordinarios eventos de la vida del siervo de Dios envolvio pasion, tolerancia y trajedia al mismo tiempo mas su caridad con los pobres y los enfermos fue algo que no tiene ni tendra valor monetario ya que su benevolencia venia del cielo mismo. Nuestra fe estar estara siempre latiente con el siervo de Dios. 

Unete a esta peticion enviandome un e-mail a: pedrofigueras@aol.com

P.Figueras 

Visit the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp

" Tú me pides que diga que no quiero a nadie. ¡Oh, no!  A nadie amo; a nadie amaré.  El altar que tu habitas no será profanado por otro ídolo ni por otra imagen"

Simon Bolivar

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WTswCOMlWzU = Oscar D' leon - Mi Tierra

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FW-6A6ahISs&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lo920NiE3bA&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YgTiL6qZCOU&feature=related

It is absolutely necessary to rise to one's expectations time & time again in this game!

It must be said that the road that takes people to the top of their choosing careers is very often long and winding. Indeed, it is not that easy to hit a homer off a 95 miles per hour pitch in just one visit to the home plate, you know, but the desire for success demands that one ought to have an impressive ability to put up with the sort of thing that others simply could not cope with and work hard, of course, for what one wishes to achieve. But one must be able to listen to hear and do the things that need to be heard and done, and, of course, one needs to make sense of what one hears too. I have been in baseball long enough to realise that in order to pursue an ambition one must abandon the flat land of conformity and ignore physical pain and mental suffering especially when there might be a life-changing chance to reach for a dream and make it in the Majors. Indubitably, on the way to the apogee, one would find the going tough and, certainly, one would exhaust oneself and, as it is often the case, one would have good enough reasons to be tired but one must enlist one's natural resilience and be committed to one's dreams in order to reach the acme. Nevertheless, one must be conscious of the fact that sometimes a powerful urge to pursue an ambition could lead to one to forget the risk of disappointment and all the rest; therefore, one must not take things for granted, the more so because the higher one climbs, the further one has to fall. Having said that, one must be prepared to rise constantly to one's expectations by learning from one's aberrations if one wishes to achieve one's full potential.

P.Figueras  

Head Coach

"A nadie de debe forzar a obrar contra su conciencia y las leyes".

Simon Bolivar

Humans' foibles.

There is an apparent colossal weakness in people's understanding about environmental issues that could be detrimental to the future of the planet. Climate changes and global warming issues are the greatest threats that humanity has faced for some time and those threats we are all facing stem from our own doings and the dissonance among countries, regarding environmental issues, which is rather worrying, to say the least. Nonetheless, it is most importantly that we do something about the environment and take personal responsibility for our actions otherwise the real world could become a very harsh and hostile place to live for us all. The need to act now has never been more important since we owe it to ourselves and future generations to prevent environment issues going into irreversible ailment. We will all be judged in the time to come and found guilty if we fail to do what is required to preserve the environment for future generations. Certainly, every one of us can do something about climate changes since every little thing that we do for the environment would help the objective of defeating the causes that are causing global warming since it is all what everyone does as an individual which finally will make a difference. It is high time to start doing your bit for the planet and its environment since claiming ignorance to the Earth's plight is an unsound reasoning and therefore no longer a valid excuse to do naught for the environment and its ill-health for circumstances that have prompted many recent environmental disasters, and which are all too common occurrence in the world we are all living right now, are owing to environmental issues. Absolutely, I care for the world, its environmentt and its social issues, and I think that it would be selfish if I were to say that those issues had nothing to do with me just simply because they do not affect me; on the contrary, I think we should always help when there is a problem in the world and give its misery a well-needed touch of guidance.

P.Figueras

Baseball is our language Baseball is our gender Baseball is our choice of sport Baseball is our colour Baseball is our persuasion Baseball is our flavour Baseball is our tolerance Baseball is our orientation Baseball is our affiliation Baseball is our culture and diversity.

 

Make it happen for others!

My concern for the environment!

Mother Earth is not very  happy at all with all those environment changes taking place since they oppress its bohemian nature. Indeed, where one starts isn't always necessary where one ends up but the distinctive style of the country where my ancestors and myself came from, worked and lived does not exist any longer.  Certainly, not only is mankind partly responsible for the ill effects of Mother Earth but he has also brought into existence the means to make them into existence. Of course, there is nothing new in that but his ill-disposed wisdom is destined to end up in tears for many.  He must be stop and stop he must since the signs that the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals, is changing are there for everyone to see but many, still, choose to disregard those strong possibilities of something dangerous happening. Ill-advised, perhaps, they are, but I just cannot ignore those signs and I have no option other than to give voice to my concern for the environment and views of which I am keenly conscious. And to those who don't want to hear I have nothing else to say other than ask them to stop, stop, stop, now, harming the natural surroundings" .

 Pedro Figueras

The essence of sport is to compete and a competition involves, for good or ill, a confrontation. Therefore, in every competition there have to be winners and losers; nevertheless, it is not absolutely fundamental the winning that counts but learning to accept losing as well. I utterly agree that sport ought not to be compulsory for every child in the land but it ought to be compulsory for every school in the country to offer competitive sport as part of its curriculum. The heart of the matter is that children are crying out to play organised sport against one another and there is not a better place for this to happen than at school. Organised sport thrives upon a variety of opinion in moderation and recognition of duty to others as well as of personal rights and self interest but there is one thing we would never do, at Figueras Baseball Academy, is to encourage our members to gloat at the abject failure of our rival and you can rely on us to steer confidently away from any such potentially occurrence. Malicious pleasure are not overlooked but we embrace a plan of continuous improvement where everybody benefits. We believe in celebrating achievement and promoting responsible behaviour wherever possible. Indeed, we believe that all players achievement should be recognised and certificates will be awarded to those who show willingness to learn and they will also be given to those in recognition of consistent endeavour and participation in the academy community.

Pedro Figueroa

Head Coach

Make it happen for others!

We are inviting you to share your passion for baseball so that you could prepare yourself to be the very best at what you do with us. Preparation counts for 90% of a performance on the field of playing, the other 10% counts for the uploading of that preparation on the field of playing. Indeed, If you share our passion to be the very best at what you do, and you'd like to be part of our exciting future, we'd love to meet you.

Figueras Baseball Academy is on a fast track to growth. Here's your chance to join our Academy. Our ambitions are big, our aims are high and right now there's everything to achieve. We want you to be part of our exciting future; all we ask of you is your commitment to learn the game of baseball and have the passion to be the very best at the level of your ability. We will teach you all your need to know about the game and as we nurture your development you'll be guided in the right way towards your gradual growing since our approach to coaching is unique and our aim is to bring out the very best of our team members. Come on! Get in touch with us and be part of our exciting future.

Head Coach

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

FIGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

Become a sponsor!

What does it mean to be a sponsor? Sponsors will play an important role in the success of this non-profit baseball academy. We need your support so that you can help us to fulfil the aspirations of many!

"La educación literal y civil de la juventud es uno de los primeros y más paternales cuidados del Gobierno".

Simon Bolivar.

 

Baseball is our language Baseball is our gender Baseball is our choice of sport Baseball is our colour Baseball is our persuasion Baseball is our flavour Baseball is our tolerance Baseball is our orientation Baseball is our affiliation Baseball is our culture and diversity.

Figueras Baseball Academy 

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

Winning is not everything it is absolutely everything!

 

 

It is a demanding driven world but moving on into a positive direction is an extremely effective way to sharpen your thinking and skills since your determination will take centre stage in your quest for betterment. Nevertheless, the Key to success is not how much you promise but how much you deliver. Indeed,  your success is measured by your level of performance on the field of playing as it is the place where young starts get their shining and it is also the moment which tells a coach whether or not a perfect theory has met a perfect execution. Indeed, I believe that it is of fundamental importance to be able to have the right attitude to be prosperous in life but attentiveness, preparation, persistence and determination are the tools one needs to generate success in whatever one chooses to do. Certainly, it is in the ability to having good judgement that resides the strength of metamorphosing oneself and one's environment while remembering that "Learning is for life and the prize is a good education."

 

 

P.Figueras

Pedro Figueras writes on 2009-10-05 for AllExperts > Experts 
 

Keys to Youth Swing Development!  

The tee ball drill!

Hi everyone!

Drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges and, indeed, the tee ball drill will enable a coach to help young players to correct deficiencies in their swing while teaching them batting fundamentals that must be acquired in order to be a good hitter of the ball. It is of paramount importance that the correct grip of the bat and the correct stance are shown to the learner. Albeit the stance is elementary it is a very important issue in swing development. Feet just a litter bit wider than the shoulders, the knees bent, the hands must be at shoulder height and close to the body. The bat should be in a vertical position, the back elbow down, the head level so that the tracking eye has a clear line of sight to the ball and the bat must be kept still before the swing is executed. Certainly, a tee ball is not pitched to the batters and the ball must be hit from a stationary position, placed in front of a home base. A Constant batting objective is the shifting of weight towards the back leg before taking a short stride with the front leg while the foot, the front hip and shoulder remain closed. The hands move backwards and the leading arm stretches across the chest (Watch for bat wrapping and for hands dropping), turn the back foot at a 90 degree angle. Watch for front shoulder, and the hip opening, this should produce a strong hip rotation. The belly button must be pointing to where the ball goes after it has been hit and the bat should be driven by the legs and hips, not hands, ensuring that the player makes a solid contact with the ball towards the fielders. From the coaching point of view repeatedly hitting the ball off the tee will improve a player's swing and at the same time he will discover that there is a sweet spot on the bat at the end of the barrel when he makes a clean contact with the ball.

Pedro Figueras
Head Coach
Figueras Baseball Academy
 

Baseball has conventionally been considered as America's number one sport. Major League, of course, is the topmost league of baseball in the world and therefore its players are creamed off from the best sources in America to play the game. Having said that, the passion for baseball has now spread into Canada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, the Pacific and it has been gradually dispersed in Europe. The game today is certainly as a multinational business.

George Herman Ruth was undoubtedly baseball's greatest ever player and an excellent advert for the game. He played baseball for the most universally known team in the world, the New York Yankees, for most of his 21 years career which ran from 1914 to 1935. He was affectionate known as "Baby Ruth" and he held the record for most home run hits with 714 until 1974 when Henry "Hammering Hank Aaron hit 715 homers and went on to established a new mark of 755 which coincidentally has now been surpassed by Barry Bonds' mark of 756 home runs. But Barry Bonds is still setting the pace and we will not know what the next earmark will be until he retires. 

Joe DiMaggio or Jolting Joe to his fans was a powerful hitter. He became the leading player of the New York Yankees when he joined the team in 1936 and it was no coincidence that the Yankees went to win four world series titles in as many seasons with him in the team. His most lasting achievement in baseball was in 1941 when he had hits in 56 consecutive games. He was also the husband of Marilyn Monroe.

Denton True Young or Cy Young to his fans. He was the Boston Red Sox best pitcher in the first ever World Series in 1903. He won two games in that series helping the Red Sox to win the thing that year. In his remarkable career he won 511 games, the best ever. To remember his record Major League named a trophy after him and which is awarded every year to the best pitcher in both leagues, the American League and the National American League. The award is Known as the Cy Young award.    

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play baseball in Major league. He attended the University of California in Los Angeles before war broke out in Europe and the rest of the world. He made his Major League debut in 1947.  He used his baseball skills to good effect and he had a great strength of character which helped him deal with the racism abuse he encountered on the field of play by a great number of  rude and insensitive people.

P.Figueras

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

Look after your heart properly and you stand a much better chance of avoiding coronary heart disease! 

Last wednesday afternoon while walking the dog my sister, who is 57 years old, was taken to a hospital close to her home in San Juan de los Morros - Venezuela when she suffered a cardiovascular seizure which merited hospitalisation. The surgeons and the friendly team that dealt with her condition were very efficient as my sister's well-being became their priority. Needles to say that their prompt intervention saved my sister's life. I am very grateful to the National Health Service program and its staff for my sister's life and I would like you to know that the efforts that the hospital team made available that day were greatly appreciated by a great number of people.

This incident has prompted me to delve into the mainspring which causes heart disease and my findings are very interesting since they might help one to look after one's heart a lot better if one uses one's sense of judgement in a reasonable manner. I must say that my findings have been fruitful and this is what I unveiled while researching into coronary heart disease: 

What is coronary heart disease?

One's heart needs a constant supply of oxygen to function properly.  Oxygen is transported in the blood through arteries or blood vessels to the heart muscle. The disease comes about when the supply of oxygen is suppressed or interrupted and consequently leads to an affliction called angina or chest pains. Once the arteries or blood vessels become fully blocked the chances are that one would suffer a heart attack. 

How does coronary heart disease occur?

It occurs when there is a build of fatty cholesterol deposits and a presence of waste in the walls of the arteries or the blood vessels. These deposits form plaque that clogs up the arteries or blood vessels, narrowing them and restricting blood flow. This is called arteriosclerosis. 

How does one protect one's heart from coronary disease?

It is vitally important that one's cholesterol level is low and one's blood pressure remains normal. indeed, one can help one's heart by abating one's saturated fat intake, eating a healthy diet, getting some exercise, stopping smoking, limiting alcohol intake and reducing stress levels.

What does one do once one has been diagnosed with heart disease? 

One's Doctor will be the best qualified person to answer that question but there's no need to despair since there are many positive steps one can take to improve one's diet, prevent the condition from getting worse while still enjoying one's food. One is not confined to a dull and tasteless diet.

What is Cholesterol?

It is a fatty substance made from the saturated fat that one eats. It is inherent to healthy cells but too much of it can lead to heart disease.

Who is at risk? 

Smokers, obese and physical inactive people are most at risk. Certainly, smoking is a major risk factor since carbon monoxide and nicotine put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. They can also make it more likely that one's blood would clot. As it is other chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage the lining of one's coronary arteries or blood vessels, leading to furring of the arteries or blood vessels. Being overweight means that one's excess fat produces hormones that might increase one's risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes. Lack of exercise means that one's heart is not getting the workout it requires since it is a muscle and in order to operate properly it requires regular workout. 

Pedro Figueras

 Head Coach 

 Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

Hola! Hoy como siempre y con gran entusiasmo te invito a que visites mi pagina electronica para que te enteres de la labor deportiva que llevamos a cabo en el Reino Unido, especialmente en Londres donde mi academia tiene base.  Nuestra labor en primer plano es la de dar fuerza a la fomentacion de buenas custumbres e ideas en esta tierra, ayudando asi a la dispersion,vocalizacion y fortalizacion del beisbol y la educacion en este pais, que se esta llevando a cabo en estos momentos. Educacion y deporte, indudablemente en mi opinion, dan origen al desarrollo intelectual de las masas y a la formacion de ciudadanos rectos y eficaces de un pueblo; mas en esa direccion y sin mucho esfuerzo intelectual me uno al celebre contenido filosofico del texto de uno de los pensamientos del Libertador Simon Bolivar, eso sin comprometer mis no tedencias politicas,que dice:

P.Figueras

Head Coach

"Moral y Luces son nuestras primeras necesidades"

Simón Bolivar

 

"Saltarse el turno en una cola es de mala educación"

Follow the road in our direction and make http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras your favourite website. Be aware of what is new and what is happening in the world of baseball. Give support to our cause, We need your help to inspire kids to unlock their learning talent through the game of baseball. Join us to take our new strategy forward and help us to make our vision a reality. Choose ample delight, pick a winner, choose us.

P.Figueras

No one is immune to embarrassent!
 

When Baseball was Young in London and Monsters Roamed the Earth over 60 million years ago in what is known as the Cretaceous period, the Earth's large masses of land were all part of one vast continent. The name given to this huge land was "Gondwana land" and baseball was played on large treeless stretch of grassland and level country at Roundshaw Playing Fields in the Borough of Sutton, south east of London. Bill "Triceratops" Browny from bonny Scotland, a horned dinosaur, good with finance and all that jazz, was the manager of the "Terrible Lizards and Dinosaurs Baseball Club" which played their home games in an area of grassy land belonging to the Borough of Westminster in Central London. Bill was known for his ability to talk a lot of baloney and at length, and for arguing animatedly with umpires, too often, in an almost naked hostility and childish manner, including a widely exaggerated parodied routine in which he used to jump and stamp on the ground, heavily and repeatedly in a boyish outburst of temper, he even used to throw grit onto their eyes and pull their guarding masks in disobedience. Moreover, he used to be far too often criticised for his drinking spree and he was once heavily censured by the media for drying a licensed bar in East London of its booze in one visit, smoking too much and for not having a good working relationship with his coaching staffs, "Big Head" Georgy Brushy or "The Reptilian Crusader" to his cronies, a Stegosaurus, frightful-looking creature with a row of shields along its spine, and pointing into the air from West America, who was in fact a harmless vegetarian, a bible basher and a pushy ranch owner who would sort out any team or player that was not in accord with his beliefs and enactmentand and Ton Blary "The Deceiver", an hypocritical,two-faced, insensitive hybrid cold-blooded egg-laying vertebrate Lizard", who resembled an Archaeopteryx, a feathered creature - part bird, part reptile from nowhere in particular - that had wings which it used to parachute from trees to the ground and had teeth like a reptile and claws on the end of its wings. There was also Johnny Thomas Gargantuany Ex-pressy "The Terrible Tyrannosaurus" from Yorkshire, an ill-tempered and fearsome creature, measuring over 46 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail, ever to play for the Terrible Lizards and the Head of of London's municipality, Kenneth Carmine Chieftain Thomas- Livestone, a two-faced, insensitive hybrid cold-blooded egg-laying vertebrate Lizard from South London, they were two of his most fearless critics and reporters for the "Sporting Phororhacos", a large flightless bird newsrock magazine in Streatham - South London and who also worked as a part-time traffic warden in the city of London. When Bill and his mates roamed the Earth there were a number of baseball teams in London. Notably, The Blue Chelsea Amphibians, Jersey Ictidosauria, from which mammals evolved, the Gliding Pteranodons, the Aquatic Mesosaurus, The East African Brachiosaurus, the Oxfordshire Megalosaurus Bucklandi Lizards, the Bromley Brontosaurus and the Richmond Mammoth were some of those team which played in the South East League in England. Unfortunately, the Earth decided to split into continents and these teams and creatures were sent to a far off distant land to live a lonely and misterious life and many of those teams and creatures were extinct and some others had no other option but to accept an evolutionary way of life in order to survive.

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

Organised baseball thrives upon a variety of opinion in moderation and recognition of duty to others as well as of personal rights and self interest but there is one thing I don’t understand; what is the reasoning for practicing a long-standing myth?  Read on. Still, one the most commonly held credence in amateur baseball is that strength training and conditioning principles, with highly technical guidelines, are reserved for professional athletes and not something to be introduced to Sunday League amateur baseball players. Needless to say that this acceptance is in total contrast to my perception of the subject and therefore I utterly disagree with it; nevertheless, I am very determined to do something about it. I know I am going to ruffle a few feathers on this one but it is time that we as a team started to think about strength and conditioning in order to develop an effective training program with a few fun ideas to incorporate into and on the field of training. There are a few components that need to be included in each training session such as speed, power, strength, agility and endurance. These components are very baseball specific and I am sure we can enjoy them if we turn those exercises into a game's situations where everyone takes part.

P.Figueras

Head Coach

 Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

It ain't Cricket, you know! I once took off to the sky, flew without winds and no feathers. A whirlwind immerse me in his blustery rage and borne me to the earth's farthest corner as I was hit with a cudgel out of the park for a run. I was called rounders in England, baseball in Wales and North America, pelota in Mexico, Cuba , Puerto Rico, Venezuela and 野球 (やきゅう or yakyū in Japan and 中国棒球联赛 in China. I was never bowled on the stump or delivered in the wicketkeeper's hands but pitched in the catcher's mit. What am I? Baseball is what I am.

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

"Vale mas un desengaño que mil ilusiones"

Simon Bolivar

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

London the Rhapsody capital of the world!

Whatever it is that gets you going London has it tailor-made for you. There are thousands of years of history to discover and all there is to see and experience in just one city. Make no mistakes about it, Yeah!  It will astound you. London offers also a life experience of events of a period far back in time, which awakes unconscious appreciation for fairy tale castles and traditional stories, art and literature of an immeasurable scale. Indeed, it is like living a dream under the magical influence of surrealism but in the presence of real-time circumstances. Certainly, it is very amusing to call a city intoxicating but that is exactly what London is, it is nothing short of mind-blowing and the zest for living and infectious candour of its extraordinary people would beckon you to be part of its continual celebration, and it will, I am sure of it, have you soon drinking from the merrymaking glass of passion for jubilation.  Yeah! London is bursting at the seams with rhapsody and if you don't know what rhapsody is London is the place to find out.  I cannot put into words how wonderful my experience in London Town has been but I can tell you this much, one day I made up my mind that I was to learn British English and came to London on a whim really, and it turned out to be a good move since I am still having a whale of a time in old London.

 

 

Celts, Picts, Scots, Romans, Jutes, Angles,Saxons, Vikings, Normans, men and women of good minds in Europe and the world all surrendered, in years gone by, to London's magical spell, and its exposure to those spicy fusion of luminous cultures provided its people with great assimilation, buoyancy, forbearance and a playful disposition which delights much the fancy and the spirit of the visitors but it must be said that they have worked terribly hard to put a show for all its guests. Therefore, be assured of being received with open arms by amiable people who would be more than pleased to spare you all the time in the world to making your stay an incomparable one. Come and enjoy in full the experience, the zest and passion for life in London. Having said that London isn't just a wonderful place to visit but it is as well a very fine city to work and live. Nevertheless, what makes London the best place to be in the world right now in my judgement is its great multicultural diversity where many languages are spoken besides English. Be assure of rapturous reception since Londoners will make you feel at home the moment you arrive. Make no mistakes about If there is such a thing as heaven on earth London is it.

P.Figueras

If it is the physical ease, well-being, exultation or paradise that move you, like the opportunity to be a tourist, watch and play baseball, and become an international baseball emissary for your country at the same time, Venezuela is your destination. Certainly, for many years baseball has been a subject of great enthusiasm in my homeland and it is a long-established activity which has come to be regarded as a part of Venezuelan people's make-up and passion for life. In truth, the love for baseball has never been at a low ebb in the heart of the nation as a whole and I very much doubt that happening will ever come to be a consideration in the mind of the aficionado. Albeit, there have been times of political and economically disquietude the game has never become less important to the Venezuelan people since it not only represents an entertainment but a way of unwinding after a busy or tense time at the office. Having said that Venezuela has a resilient population which has enjoyed a democratic system in the true sense of its definition for nearly sixty years which is more that can be said about any other country in Latin America, and I am fully confident that it will remain so for many years to come. In recent years, with the accession of Hugo Chavez to the presidency of the nation, Venezuela has become a major player in the international emporium and it is fast becoming a destination area for tourists from around the globe. the names of many of past and present baseball players, such as Alejandro Carrasquel, Alfonzo "Chico" Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Enzo Hernandez, David Conception, Tony Armas, Cesar Tovar, Victor Davalillo, Roberto Marcano, Camaleon Garcia, Oswaldo Guillen and Johan Santana, are still being chanted by their adherents forever more without any signs of coming to an end.  In fact, between 1939 and 2007, 199 baseball players born in Venezuela played baseball in the Majors. Indeed, baseball is the national game of Venezuela. Nonetheless, each year thousands of holiday-makers are drawn to Venezuela and many go back there year after year with the same reason as the first one that took them there: eagerness to find out about unfamiliar regions, customs and local art. Indeed, Venezuela is steeped in enlightenment, customs and local art. Venezuela's fauna and flora are unique;  it is a near-perfect place for bird-watchers and the hospitality of its people is second to none. Deep in the countryside, Venezuela has large areas of unspoilt beauty and I can assure you that the variety of landscapes will not fail to impress anyone. It vaunts snow-capped peaks and chains of mountains along the Andes and the Caribbean coast line rising up to over 2500 metres above sea level. The southern part of Venezuela is clutched tightly by the Amazon and its wilderness where one will find the highest waterfall in the world (Angel Falls). Rivers, plains and savannahs in the heart of the country are anglers' paradise on earth. The Orinoco river is perfect for holidays and pageantry in Venezuela tends to go down well with tourists. Caracas, the capital of the country, has everything a tourist could want. You name it, Caracas has it and it does not suffer from sky high prices. Caracas is never boring. There is always something going on and its main attractions are set out in most guide books. My wife, Sally, fell in love with the Venezuelan countryside at first sight. Venezuela extends a welcome to all tourists to discover its landscapes, mountains, rivers, cities and its people. It will be an enjoyable experience. It is worth a visit.

P.Figueras

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Coaching Tips

A good coach will never ask his player to do something that he cannot do himself but he would certainly endeavour to do his very best to help his players to fulfil their potential through constant drills. Albeit, I take baseball very seriously I believe in treating every player as an individual and I take time to find out who the player is and what training needs he/she has. Furthermore, I am committed to ensuring that all players in the academy are equal participants in the Academy's activities and, that they are given all the necessary means and knowledge both intellectually and physically in order to be successful. My aim is to develop today's young players into tomorrow's professional ones. Indeed, I have been brought up with a very strong pattern that I am not to get too big for my boots and therefore my ambitions are moderate, in spite of that I believe that it is okay to have a dream. Having said that, one must believe in oneself and work hard towards making that dream into reality and I can assure you it is achievable but it can only be made possible by one's enterprise and resolution". Certainly, absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when one is faced with challenges since the winning formula in today's competitive global baseball markets is not with those who are too conceited to think they have the know-how keenness of vision but with those who are prepared to master the fundamentals of the game, both, in a theoretical demeanour and a pragmatic deportment, and, of course be determined to go further than their natural boundaries, particularly, when the benefits are likely to result in valuable insights. It is a fact that an idea often belongs not necessarily to those who conceived it but to those who implement it. Indeed, it is my wish to build a team good enough to take the many challenges ahead and win, of course. Yeah! Reach for the stars. Be the best since nothing’s impossible if your heart is really in it.  

P.Figueras

Head Coach,

Figueras Baseball Academy

"En los pensamientos de Simon Bolivar se encuentran su sinceridad, su ciudadania y las pautas que determinaron el proceso y la ejecucion de su empresa libertadora junto a sus planes para el desarrollo politico, economico y social de los pueblos de las Americas"

P.Figueras

Were you aware that the first World Cup in baseball was held in England-UK in 1938? Indeed, teams from the USA and United Kingdom played a series of five games and naturally, Great Britain beat the Americans four times in five games as they became the first baseball team to win the world cup in baseball. What a feast!

Past and Present World Cup Champions - Year Winner  - 1938 United Kingdom - 1939 Cuba - 1940 Cuba - 1941 Venezuela - 1942 Cuba - 1943 Cuba - 1944 Venezuela - 1945 Venezuela - 1947 Colombia - 1948 Dominican Republic - 1950 Cuba - 1951 Puerto Rico - 1952 Cuba - 1953 Cuba - 1961 Cuba - 1965 Colombia - 1969 Cuba - 1970 Cuba - 1971 Cuba - 1972 Cuba - 1973 Cuba - 1973 - United States 1974 - United States - 1976 Cuba - 1978 Cuba - 1980 Cuba - 1982 Korea - 1984 Cuba - 1986 Cuba - 1988 Cuba - 1990 Cuba - 1994 Cuba - 1998 Cuba  - 2001 Cuba  - 2003 Cuba - 2005 Cuba - 2006 Japan - 2009 Japan.

Pedro Figueras

"La educación de los niños debe ser siempre adecuada a su edad, inclinaciones, genio y temperamento".

Simon Bolivar

Check this link out: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2291228