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The goal of the Allen Coyotes Baseball Club’s
coaching staff is to prepare the players to succeed now and in
the future. While
the team plays to win and tries to develop a winning
mentality, the coaches want to ensure that up-to-date and
top-quality instruction is provided to maximize their
long-term baseball potential. The result of this
goal can be summarized in a phrase the players hear over and
over again...
Play Coyotes Baseball!
Playing Coyotes Baseball starts with
well-organized, efficiently-run practices that stress
fundamental player development. Practices consist
mainly of working on individual fundamentals, team defensive
concepts and rehearsing game situations. Extensive use of small
groups and stations allow for advanced techniques to be easily
understood and permits sufficient repetitions, in a relatively
short period of time, to enhance “muscle-memory”. The skills learned in
practices are then tested in games and tournaments against
some of the best competition that the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has to
offer, when the players really get to Play Coyotes
Baseball.
With that background, the Coyotes coaches
are…
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Coach
Vrska
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Michael (Mike) Vrska is the founder and
head coach of the Allen Coyotes Baseball Club. Coach Vrska
played three years of varsity baseball, as a catcher, at
Chesterton
High School in
Chesterton, IN under Jack
Campbell; Coach Campbell is one of the state’s
winningest coaches, with over 500 victories. Mike then played
baseball at Valparaiso University, before
a series of knee injuries ended his playing career. Since the
conclusion of his playing days, he has coached numerous
levels of youth baseball, from High School to
T-Ball.
Mike also co-founded and coached the Lake
Michigan Breakers Baseball Club, which finished
3rd in the 1998 AAYBA 15U World Series in
St.
Louis, MO, won several
regional tournaments and has produced numerous college
and several professional players. The 2008 Allen
Coyotes season will be Mr. Vrska’s 16th year
of coaching.
He specializes in instructing pitchers,
catchers and team defense.
Mike is married to Robin and they have
three children: Michael (11), Julia (8) and Tyler (3).
They have
lived in Allen,
TX for over 5 years,
after moving from the Chicago area. He is employed
at Adams Golf as a Senior Design
Engineer. |
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Coach
Creech |
John Creech is a second year assistant
coach for the Coyotes, specializing in pitching
instruction; he also coaches 1st base. He starred in
both basketball and baseball at Kingwood High School in the Houston area and was a
three year varsity starting pitcher. At Kingwood, John
set school records for strikeouts and lowest ERA during
his senior season.
He also pitched a shutout in Kingwood’s first
ever 5A playoff game in 1989. After being
heavily recruited by a number of Division I schools,
John accepted a scholarship from the University of Houston. After a
promising start, arm injuries cut his career
short during his junior season. Coach Creech has
coached youth baseball in various leagues the last
several years, including in Kingwood/Forest Cove, Allen
and Plano.
John and his wife Jennifer live in Allen
with their four sons, Brennan (4), twins Brett and Brady
(12) and Brooks (14). They are active
members of the First Baptist Church of Allen. Mr. Creech is
employed by JP Morgan Chase as a Corporate Real Estate
Manager. |
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Coach
Locklear |
Danny Locklear is the main hitting
instructor for the Coyotes and serves as the
3rd base coach; 2008 will be Danny's second
full season on the Coyotes staff. Coach Locklear
played three years of varsity baseball as a shortstop
and third baseman at Fort
Walton Beach High school in Fort Walton
Beach, FL. He was also a
standout football player and garnered All-Northwest
Florida honors during his senior year in both football
and baseball. After high
school, Danny continued his playing career at
Enterprise
State
Junior College
in Alabama for two
years. He then transferred to and finished his
education at the University of Florida, earning
a degree in Electrical Engineering. Over the past
six years, Mr. Locklear has coached youth
baseball, football and basketball in
Allen.
Danny
and his wife Susan have four children: Lauren (16),
Jenna (14), Tate (11) and Dane (8). They have
lived in the Fairview/Allen area for the past 9
years. Danny works in the wireless
telecommunications industry as a Director of
Marketing. |
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Coach Welsh
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Pat
Welsh serves as an assistant/bemch coach, focusing on
outfield play, and is the team score keeper
during Coyotes games. Pat grew up in
Michigan and played
football, baseball and basketball all four years at
Peck High School. In baseball,
Pat
led the team in hitting and was named 1st
team all-county. Mr. Welsh has previously coached
in the Spring
Valley Athletic Association and the Plano Baseball
Association; 2008 will be Pat's third year with the
Coyotes.
Pat and his wife Kendal have three
children: Leah (14) and Patrick (12), who are still at
home, and a married daughter, Tracy (28). Pat and his family live
in Allen. Coach Welsh has been
employed with the Dallas Police Department for 25 years
and currently holds the rank of
Sergeant. |
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Coach Forkner
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Tim Forkner is an associate coach for the
Allen Coyotes, working with hitters and infielders
during practices when possible. Tim was the
1992 NJCAA national batting champion while playing for
the Seward
County
(Kansas) C.C. Saints,
hitting .512.
He followed that up in 1993 by being named the
NJCAA Region VI MVP while "only" hitting .489. He
was drafted in the 14th round of the 1993 MLB
draft by the Houston Astros and was a Midwest League
All-Star in 1994 and a Texas League All-Star in
1996.
Coach Forkner was an excellent hitter
throughout his amateur and professional career and his
expertise greatly benefits the Coyotes
players.
Tim, wife Fiona and 2-year-old son Drew
live in Plano. Tim is
employed at Adams Golf in Sales
Operations. |
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