Posts Categorized: Baseball
Cangelosi Sparks Adds New Leadership Roles
The Cangelosi Sparks organization has grown significantly since the merger of Illinois Sparks and Cangelosi Baseball in 2016. The goal of the Youth Division is to capture as many competitive 8-14u players and to train and develop them in preparation for the high school division. Our High School Division continues to build on the many…
Talkin’ Baseball with TJ McFarland and John Cangelosi during the COVID-19 Shutdown
Recorded on 3/26/20 John Cangelosi and TJ McFarland sit down, on Zoom, to talk baseball during the COVID-19 shutdown of the MLB season. They talk about the similarities and differences from the 1994 MLB player strike which Cangelosi lived through as a player. TJ touches on what he is doing during his time at home…
Episode 3: College vs. Pro: The MLB Draft
This episode titled “College vs. Pro: The MLB Draft” addresses the choice a premium High School prospect has of either attending college or entering professional baseball. How are this decisions made? What are the priorities? What are the differences of each developmental experience. For those that follow the MLB Draft each year, this conversation can…
Episode 2: Old School vs. New School
Welcome to the Podcast ‘Cangy’s Corner”. This episode titled “Old School vs. New School” addresses both the use of analytics in baseball and its effect on how the swing is taught. John Cangelosi argues a more old school approach while Bob Lisanti takes the side of the latest approaches. The purpose of the discussion is…
Tom Knapczyk joins Cangelosi Sparks as Director of Player Development
In an effort to continually upgrade and better our organization, we are always seeking opportunities to hire quality individuals that share our vision and mission. We are excited to announce that Tom Knapczyk will be joining our team as Director of Player Development for Cangelosi Baseball in conjunction with Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports. Tom brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and professionalism to…
Cangy’s Corner Podcast: Episode 01 Kickoff Talkin’ Baseball
We have started this podcast because we wanted to spark some discussion around the many aspects of baseball from the mental to the physical side of the game. Throughout these podcasts we will tackle the hot topics in the game along with some throwback stories from Cangelosi and some special guests. “It’s a sport but…
Derek Kopacz named 2019, 9u Sparks White Coach
We are excited to announce that Derek Kopacz will be running our 9u Sparks White team for the 2019 season. Derek won a National Championship at Joliet Junior College in 1994 and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 33rd round out of Triton College in 1995. He has 9 years under his belt…
Advice to Parents of Collegiate Athletes
Written by Mike Deegan Congratulations! Your child is going to college and attempting to play a collegiate sport. What an exciting time. While there is cause for celebration, I wanted to let you know that challenging times are ahead. Playing a collegiate sport is hard. Being a parent of a child playing a collegiate sport…
The Youth Sport Epidemic: Parental Involvement
Written by Michael Deegan We pulled up for my sons first “all-star tournament” a few weeks ago. He’s seven. It was a beautiful day for baseball; low 80’s with bright sun. As we walked to the field and past much bigger kids with matching bat bags (my son is mesmerized by this) and the names on…
Ryan Quigley named Director of Throwing Development
Cangelosi Baseball powered by Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports proudly announces the addition of Ryan Quigley as Director of Throwing Development. Our initiative has always been to provide answers and solutions to the questions of the baseball community that we serve. Arm care has been a hot topic in the baseball industry. The addition of Ryan…