MAKING THE GRADE

For teenage athletes to have the opportunity to take their skills to the next level—namely, college—it is imperative that they have proper technique and fundamentals. Talent aside, another important factor is grades and ACT scores.

One local man is doing what he can to help area athletes achieve all three. Jay Price, of Houma, recently opened the All American Athletic Academy, an indoor and outdoor, multi-sport training facility.

“We’re trying to get them all the help they can get,” the owner said. “That way they can possibly pursue their education through sports.”

Price said after playing ball in high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps. Today, he has a 15-year old son that plays baseball. “We traveled all over with his team,” said Price. “We saw the need to get extra help for the kids around here.”

The academy’s four focuses are football, baseball, softball and speed training. It is the first multi-sport facility of its kind in the Houma area. Some of the features include team clinics, one-on-one instruction, travel teams and ACT workshops. It also includes nine indoor hitting/pitching lanes and 11,000-square feet of indoor turf to practice on. Currently, an outside baseball field is being built, which will include a 50-yard football field in the outfield. The football field will be utilized for flag-football leagues.

Price said prior to opening the facility, he conducted research on others around the nation. “I’ve been trying to get it going for three years now,” explained Price. “I did research of probably 60 to 70 facilities all over the United States. I was able to visit a couple of them to see how they operated. It worked great everywhere else, so I figured it would work out here.”

The academy is open for ages three and up, with tee-ball leagues starting for the youngsters. “We have about 10 instructors,” said Price. “All from the professional level to the collegiate level. That way, they know all the new tricks of the trade as far as the new techniques and teaching methods.”

Price is not going on blind faith that the athletes are improving. Every three months the kids are evaluated on their performances, allowing them to see where they are improving—and where they need improvement. “Just to see how they progress,” said Price, “and the parents can see they’re getting their money’s worth.”

Another unique feature is the video motion analysis system. Price says that through a program on a computer, a video of an athlete at the academy can be placed over video of a Major League pitcher or hitter and display the differences in technique. “It’ll break down every part of their swing or pitch,” he said. “You can explain exactly what they’re doing wrong.”

Price said his reasoning for opening the facility was simple—kids are not learning fundamentals, and it is showing when they compete on the high school level.

“They’re not getting the proper mechanics, the fundamentals or anything taught to them,” he said. “You can tell when they get to the high school level, they’re way behind the kids that are getting the extra help. Why not give everybody the opportunity to be able to get that extra help?”

The help is not only coming on the playing field. The facility includes a classroom with Internet access where students can do homework. There is also an ACT prep class to help potential college athletes. “They have a lot of good college players that can get scholarships,” said Price, “but they’re ACT scores are not high enough to get to big schools.”

How has the response been?

“It’s working out fine,” he said. “The kids seem like they’re getting a lot out of it, and they keep coming back.”

Owner: Jay Price

Opened: Feb. 5

Focuses: Baseball, Softball, Football, Speed training

Leagues: Tee-Ball, Travel Baseball, Football (18 and up)

Phone Number: 985-580-7740

Staff photo by MATT LeBLANC • Tri-Parish Times * Jay Price, owner of All American Athletic Academy, looks on as a student practices his tee-ball swing. The facility opened on Feb. 5, and focuses on training athletes in baseball, softball, football and speed training