As a teacher, Shaun currently teaches Math and Physical Education and develops vocational work sites for Danbury High School in Connecticut. He has been a vision / sports vision therapist for over thirty-five years at the Institute for Sports Vision in Ridgefield, CT. In his role as a therapist, Shaun has worked with, trained, and consulted athletes on the professional, Olympic, collegiate, high school and amateur level. Shaun has coached summer collegiate baseball as an assistant coach for the Westerners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League and DIII men’s college basketball at Western Connecticut State University. He just completed his thirty eighth year as the varsity baseball coach at Danbury High School, where he has been named Coach of the Year in 2003, 2010, 2014 and 2022. His team won a state championship in 2004 and finished the year ranked number one baseball team in the state. He has had numerous players go on to play college baseball. This summer his Danbury 19u Legion team won the state championship. Shaun has lectured nationally and internationally on the relationship of vision to sports. He earned his BS in Special Education from the University of Connecticut and an Educational Masters in Reading from Western Connecticut State University. 

CLASSES:

Individual Package – $250 per lesson

Group Package – $100 per lesson – maximum group of 4 (total of 5 lessons)

Baseball Instructional Course

“You haven’t taught until they’ve learned” – John Wooden

Mission: To provide a great baseball learning experience for players at every ability and experience level

My coaching plan will strive to:
1. Put safety above all else
2. Keep the course fun
3. Develop the baseball skills of every player to the maximum
4. Instill a respect for the game including teammates, opponents, umpires and coaches

Coach Ratchford’s course training sessions will include:
1. Setting the goals of the session
2. Warm up and stretches
3. Base running and understanding the signs that are being provided by the coach
4. Throwing (including quick hands and accuracy)
5. Batting and individual defense
6. Team Drills (infield, outfield, cut offs….)
7. Game Like Situational Drills (pick offs, bunting, etc.)
8. Review talk

The goal of this training is to implement these practice skills until they become automatic. A player will know that he or she has achieved this goal when the skills are executed correctly in a game or scrimmage without much thought; i.e. when they have reached alpha!!

Coach Ratchford’s course for baseball coaches:
Shaun will address:
1. How to teach the skills, drills and the game situations
2. Team and player development
3. Practices that are purposeful in that they teach new
skills, reinforce learned skills and address team and
individual weaknesses
4. Teaching the players that hard work, effort, learning
from mistakes and practice will lead to improvement

The newest theories on greatness (Anders Ericssen)
1. 10,000 hours of practice (a deep, deliberate practice, physically, mentally and emotionally)
2. Expert coaching and instruction
3. Motivation, passion, drive, will and commitment to succeed!

“Excellence can be controlled, while success cannot!”