Dec 28, 2022 | Baseball, Be The Best News, Community
Wilmington, NC – Be The Best is excited to announce the addition of Mark Scalf, the all-time winningest coach at UNCW, to the speaker line-up at their annual baseball and softball coaches convention in Wilmington, NC from January 13-15, 2023.
Following the 2019 season in which UNCW baseball brought home a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship and advanced to the NCAA Regionals, Mark Scalf gave up his spot at the helm.
Scalf’s storied career includes the coaching of 83 UNCW players who went on to play professionally, including first-round selection Brad Holt in 2008 who was drafted by the New York Mets. Under his tutelage, 134 players have earned All-CAA honors with five named as CAA Player-of-the-Year. He owns 941 career wins, nine CAA regular season titles, six CAA tournament championships and 10 trips to the NCAA Regionals.
“The number of wins is not what’s most important to a baseball coach,” Scalf says. “The real joy is in the lessons learned, the relationships formed and the gratification you get from seeing the men your players become. There’s nothing like it in the world.”
He will be forever immortalized with his induction into the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame on May 7, 2023. The GWSHOF honors people who, by their excellence in the world of sport, have brought recognition and esteem to themselves and the Greater Wilmington area.
“Connections, camaraderie, and collaboration – this is exactly what community is all about,” says Wilmington Mayor, Bill Saffo. “We welcome Be The Best with open arms and look forward to coordinating efforts as we foster our common visions for Wilmington.”
Known for its interactive and casual format, Be The Best levels the playing field, giving attendees an opportunity to connect with the speakers that include college coaches, professional coaches, former Olympiads and sports specialists. Topics covered range from skills and drills to conquering the mind game and building your best brand. Coach Scalf will be a part of the Champions Q&A along with Carol Hutchins who is college softball’s winningest coach ever.
“We are beyond thrilled to have Coach Scalf join us at our annual convention. He’s an absolute icon, not only in the baseball world but in the community at large,” says Lindsay, co-owner of Be The Best. “He is accessible, knowledgeable and a truly engaging leader.”
For 50 years, Be The Best Baseball and Softball Convention has preserved the founding concept of providing an affordable, accessible convention created for coaches, by coaches.
Now powered by Alphas Alliance, a woman and minority owned and operated business, Be The Best will be held for the first time in Wilmington, NC from January 13-15, 2023.
Dec 28, 2022 | Baseball, Be The Best News, Community
Wilmington, NC – Be The Best announces the addition of baseball legend Trent Mongero to the speaker line-up at their annual baseball and softball coaches convention in Wilmington, NC on January 13-15, 2023.
Self-proclaimed as a blue-collar baseball coach, Mongero spent 30 years as a successful high school coach in North Carolina and Georgia, developing thousands of student-athletes along the way. A passionate believer in helping players reach their full potential both on and off the field, Mongero now serves as a mentor, author, clinician, camp director, national speaker and Sirus/ XM radio host.
“I’m truly excited to share my experiences at Be The Best,” Mongero says. “I’m thrilled that they’ve brought the convention to Wilmington for their 50th anniversary and that I can be a part of the celebration.”
Trent is a former UNCW baseball alumni and 1989 CAA Conference Player of the Year and was selected to UNCW’s All-Decade team. His son, Taber, is currently a senior shortstop for the program.
Known for its interactive and casual format, Be The Best levels the playing field, giving attendees an opportunity to connect with the speakers that include college coaches, professional coaches, former Olympiads and sports specialists. Topics covered range from skills and drills to conquering the mind game and building your best brand.
“Coach Mongero is the perfect fit for Be The Best,” says says Diego, co-owner of Be The Best. “He is a great coach and mentor and believes in bringing out the best in every person, which is precisely what we’re all about.”
Mongero joins a dynamic line-up of speakers at the convention and will deliver a captivating talk about the five common myths of infield play and instruction.
For 50 years, Be The Best Baseball and Softball Convention has preserved the founding concept of providing an affordable, accessible convention created for coaches, by coaches. Now powered by Alphas Alliance, a woman and minority-owned and operated business, Be The Best will be held for the first time in Wilmington, NC from January 13-15, 2023.
Dec 20, 2022 | Baseball, Be The Best News, Coaching, Other, Softball
Wilmington, NC – With Be The Best and Title IX both celebrating 50th-year anniversaries, the annual convention has switched things up a bit and is heading to Wilmington, NC. Though the location has changed, Be The Best remains committed to bringing the best of the best to the speaker stage for a weekend of unforgettable conversations, connections, and learning experiences.
Over the course of the weekend, baseball and softball are equally represented with many speakers sharing insights and skills that are relevant to both sports.
The weekend kicks off Friday morning at 9 am with two veteran coaches discussing different ways of doing what’s always been done. Darren Fenster of the Boston Red Sox talks about how the cookie-cutter approach just may not be the way to go. And Doug Gillis, the Virginia Tech coach known for developing some of the country’s best softball pitchers, tackles the topic of how angles and power lines have been taught incorrectly for decades.
Throughout the morning, speakers cover everything from team offense and outfield ABCs to building champions and what makes a great competitor.
Friday afternoon is filled with the highly acclaimed Rap Sessions which are rapid-fire, shorter sessions, filled with invaluable information. Among many others, Patrick Anderson of the St. Louis Cardinals organization wreaks havoc on the base paths, and softball’s winningest coach, Carol Hutchins, fields Q&As. The importance of self-awareness is brought to light by sports research scientist, Cheryl McCormick, and Josh Bloomer, USC’s new hitting coach talks about what teams look for when it comes to recruiting.
Friday comes to an end with the ever-popular Coaches VIP Party, a time for everyone to kick back with a few drinks, make new friends, and have some fun.
Among scores of others, Saturday’s sessions bring one of softball’s most beloved coaches, John Tschida, to the stage covering throwing fundamentals; Savannah Bananas’ Tyler Gillum introduces infield throwing programs and progressions; UNCW softball’s recently retired coach, Kristy Norton, talks about building the ultimate championship team and former Olympian mindset coach, Joey Lye talks about coaching the female athlete.
Sunday wraps up with one of the sport’s most captivating baseball coaches, Jeremy Sheetinger talking about team culture and Andrew Bartman covering life off the field.
After a weekend spent with Be The Best in Wilmington, you’re pretty much guaranteed to emerge as a better player, parent, or coach. After all, there’s a reason this convention has been around for 50 years.
Click here for the full schedule and visit www.bethebest.com for more information and tickets.
Dec 4, 2022 | Be The Best News, Community, Partners
Wilmington, NC – Be The Best is excited to announce a unique partnership with Youth Connecting Foundation (YCF) as the longest-running baseball and softball coaches convention comes to Wilmington in January.
“Joining forces with Be The Best makes perfect sense,” says Ricky Holden, founder and CEO of Youth Connecting Foundation. “We are both fully committed to making a positive difference in the community through the integration of athletics, youth and personal development.”
Youth Connecting Foundation was founded in 2018 after Holden returned to the states from serving in the Air Force. His vision for creating programming for inner-city youth and teens was fueled by his passion for athletics and mentorship. Over the past five years, YCF has helped countless youth navigate their challenges through programs designed to develop integrated solutions and deliver reliable solutions to those who need them most. YCF has established multiple sustainable non-profits, for-profits and events and programs that bring positivity to the community.
“When I heard that Be The Best was going to be celebrating their 50th anniversary in Wilmington, I knew this was something we wanted to be a part of,” says Holden. “North Carolina is our home base and we welcome the opportunity to work with other like-minded organizations.”
As the nation’s longest-running baseball and softball coaches convention, Be The Best is committed to the education and development of youth in sports. Hundreds of coaches, players and sports enthusiasts from across the country attend this annual event. Known for its interactive and casual format, Be The Best levels the playing field, giving attendees an opportunity to connect with the speakers that include college coaches, professional coaches, former Olympiads and sports specialists. Topics covered range from skills and drills to conquering the mind game and building your best brand.
“With Ricky Holden and YCF in our orbit, there’s no limit to the good we can do for kids,” says Diego Ibarra, co-owner of Be The Best. “Sports are not only empowering but they consistently instill important lessons that follow players and coaches off the field into real life. “
For 50 years, Be The Best Baseball and Softball Coaches Convention has preserved the founding concept of providing an affordable, accessible convention created for coaches, by coaches. Now powered by Alphas Alliance, a woman and minority owned and operated business, Be The Best will be held for the first time in Wilmington, NC from January 13-15, 2023.
For more information, please visit www.bethebest.com or call (910) 839-7131.
Nov 3, 2022 | Be The Best News, Coaching, Community, Partnerships and Opportunities
Wilmington, NC – Be The Best is excited to announce that due to growing support and unprecedented interest, it will cost only $50 to attend the three-day baseball and softball coaches convention in Wilmington this January.
The price was established to reinforce the significance of the number 50 at the annual event which celebrates 50 years of Title IX, as well as the 50th anniversary of Be The Best Baseball and Softball Coaches Convention.
“We wanted to give back to fellow coaches and sports enthusiasts by making our convention affordable for everyone,” says Lindsay Mayer, co-owner of Be the Best. “We couldn’t think of a better way to honor these past 50 years than to lower our ticket prices to $50.”
Speakers at the January 13-15, 2023 event include softball’s winningest coach, Carol Hutchins; Patrick Anderson of the St. Louis Cardinals; USA Baseball’s Andrew Bartman; USC softball’s Josh Bloomer; Darren Fenster of the Boston Red Sox; VA Tech softball coach, Doug Gillis; CJ Gillman from the Seattle Mariners; Savannah Bananas coach, Tyler Gillum; Team Canada Olympian and mindset expert, Joey Lye; Cheryl McCormick of Gravitational Performance; former UNCW softball coach, Kristy Norton; the 2022 D3 NCAA championship softball coach, Keith Parr; Georgia Gwinnett baseball’s head coach, Jeremy Sheetinger; Tony Short of Starz Gold softball; Mount Olive Baseball’s Rob Watt and John Tschida from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota softball.
“The athletes these coaches interact with on a daily basis will not only represent our county in some of the most hallowed stadiums and competitions on the planet but will also develop into skilled entrepreneurs, business leaders, elected officials, and coaches themselves. We are excited Wilmington gets to play a small role in that development process,” says Josh Hallingse, VP of Small Business Development and Business Retention, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
For 50 years, Be The Best has preserved the founding concept of providing an affordable, accessible convention created for coaches, by coaches. Now run by Alphas Alliance, a woman and minority-owned and operated business, Be The Best will be held for the first time in Wilmington, NC from January 13-15, 2023. The convention traditionally attracts about 1,500 attendees who come together each year to interact with former professional and Olympic athletes, college coaches, and other baseball and softball professionals who share their experience and expertise. Speaker topics include everything from how to build a championship program and making sense of the mental game to pitching mechanics and defense skills.
“Hosting the longest-running baseball and softball coaches convention in the country for its 50th anniversary is an honor,” says Kim Hufham, CEO of New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority. “We look forward to welcoming attendees and sharing with them all our destination has to offer, from Wilmington’s pedestrian-friendly Riverwalk and historic district to our three colorful island beaches.”
For more information and tickets, please email info@bethebest.com.