When you attend a Paramount baseball or softball showcase, you will be evaluated for running speed, arm strength, accuracy, fielding technique and delivery mechanics. You also will have the opportunity to have trainers test your core and leg strength, along with bat speed, flexibility, and core strength.

   These tests of physical attributes are directly related to playing the games of baseball and softball. Knowing where you rate in these tests are important for you to know how you compare to other athletes across the country and what you need to work on to improve your game to attain your highest potential as a baseball player.

Trainers will test players in the following areas:

   Following the showcase, players tested at a Paramount baseball or softball showcase will receive a personalized report of their raw scores and information on how they compare to the norms of other athletes their age. Baseball Fit also will provide each player with information on how to improve his or her weaknesses and information on what it takes to attract the interest of college and professional scouts.

   Players can then use this information to develop a training routine that will improve on-field performance while reducing their chance of injury.

   The Baseball Fit testing requires an add-on fee to the regular showcase registration fee. Athletes may sign up for the Baseball Fit testing in advance, or may pay for testing at the showcase.

   Steve Zawrotny, a former NCAA Division I pitcher, specializes in baseball-specific strength and conditioning. As an all-star high school pitcher growing up near Los Angeles, he was recruited by some of the top college baseball programs in the west. Attending Brigham Young University on a baseball scholarship, his career there was cut short due to an arm injury. He then became a graduate assistant baseball coach at BYU before going on to coach at the high school level, including successful varsity, Connie Mack, and American Legion programs.

     A certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Zawrotny specializes in baseball-specific strength and conditioning. His programs, used by tens of thousands of baseball and softball players throughout the world, are designed to improve on-field performance while reducing chance of injury.

     Zawrotny has designed specialized training equipment to improve on-field performance, including the Designated Hitter Pitching Training System and the BIG Z Bat Speed Training Bat for baseball and softball players.

     You can learn more about Zawrotny, his programs and specialized training equipment at:

www.BaseballFit.com and www.PitchingPractice.com.