The partnership between the National Sport Academy and Diamondawgs Baseball is a model for corporate synergy in sport. NSA allows for the integration of baseball training in Calgary public schools while Coach Kawahara handles all aspects of delivering high quality baseball training to the student-athletes. Our High School program is based at Central Memorial High School.
The National Sport Academy is an incredibly unique training and development opportunity for baseball players in Calgary. Our program runs inside of the school day for the student athletes and that has a number of positive benefits:
1. Student athletes have the ability to develop multi-sport athleticism because they are not training for baseball each evening and through the weekend. It also provides better life balance and the opportunity to develop other areas of their life or work a part-time job.
2. Training during the school day creates more time outside of school to take care of their academics.
3. Our program develops better baseball players, but our teaching curriculum is centered around developing outstanding young men. Having our training intertwined with the high school provides many more avenues to develop our student-athletes on a personal level.
Our yearly training is broken into 3 different categories:
1. Classroom Sessions:
We have a classroom session one time per week through the winter months. We cover topics such as mental skills training, college placement, leadership, time management, test taking strategies, SAT prep, study skills, skills analysis through video, and baseball specific "chalk talk". Starting in 2018-19, NSA Baseball started to offer mandatory tutorials every Tuesday throughout the entire school year. During this time student-athletes have access to tutors, have their grades and progress reviewed in each class, list upcoming assignments and tests, work through their SAT prep, and develop as a learner through our study skills sessions.
2. Baseball Training Sessions:
These sessions take place either on the field (Sept-Thanksgiving & April 15th-end of school) or indoors (Thanksgiving to April 15th). We teach position specific details as well as discuss, in depth, all team systems. While indoors players have the opportunity to make significant adjustments to their mechanics and see exponential improvements when combined with quality repetitions and work in the weight room.
3. Strength and Conditioning:
Besides the detail of our instruction and our classroom sessions, the NSA strength and conditioning program is what sets us apart from any other baseball program in this area. Our head strength coach has significant experience working with amateur and professional athletes and he has in depth knowledge of baseball mechanics and how to improve those skills through strength development in the weight room.
Overview of High School Program
Registration is on-going throughout the year.
The National Sport Academy is an incredibly unique training and development opportunity for baseball players in Calgary. Our program runs inside of the school day for the student athletes and that has a number of positive benefits:
1. Student athletes have the ability to develop multi-sport athleticism because they are not training for baseball each evening and through the weekend. It also provides better life balance and the opportunity to develop other areas of their life or work a part-time job.
2. Training during the school day creates more time outside of school to take care of their academics.
3. Our program develops better baseball players, but our teaching curriculum is centered around developing outstanding young men. Having our training intertwined with the high school provides many more avenues to develop our student-athletes on a personal level.
Our yearly training is broken into 3 different categories:
1. Classroom Sessions:
We have a classroom session one time per week through the winter months. We cover topics such as mental skills training, college placement, leadership, time management, test taking strategies, SAT prep, study skills, skills analysis through video, and baseball specific "chalk talk". Starting in 2018-19, NSA Baseball started to offer mandatory tutorials every Tuesday throughout the entire school year. During this time student-athletes have access to tutors, have their grades and progress reviewed in each class, list upcoming assignments and tests, work through their SAT prep, and develop as a learner through our study skills sessions.
2. Baseball Training Sessions:
These sessions take place either on the field (Sept-Thanksgiving & April 15th-end of school) or indoors (Thanksgiving to April 15th). We teach position specific details as well as discuss, in depth, all team systems. While indoors players have the opportunity to make significant adjustments to their mechanics and see exponential improvements when combined with quality repetitions and work in the weight room.
3. Strength and Conditioning:
Besides the detail of our instruction and our classroom sessions, the NSA strength and conditioning program is what sets us apart from any other baseball program in this area. Our head strength coach has significant experience working with amateur and professional athletes and he has in depth knowledge of baseball mechanics and how to improve those skills through strength development in the weight room.
Overview of High School Program
- Full academy schedule consisting of just under 350 hours of training.
- Access to an additional 63 hours of optional training to enhance skill development.
- Students-athletes complete most of their training during their regular class time.
- Transportation to/from training sessions during the school day.
- Approximately 15 games during the fall and spring (dependent on registration).
- Training sessions will be a mix of baseball skill development (4 sessions during a typical week), strength and conditioning (4 sessions per week), and classroom sessions (1 session per week).
- Baseball skill development sessions will include position specific instruction, team defensive systems, as well as slow motion analysis of pitching, hitting, and defensive techniques. Teaching will take place mostly in small group sessions and will be held both outdoors (fall and spring) and indoors (winter months).
- Every hitter in the program uses a Blast Motion bat sensor to track and provide feedback on every swing. This allows for focused and individualized development of each hitter.
- Pitchers develop through the use of the Rapsodo pitch tracking technology during each of their bullpens leading up to the season. Multiple metrics are tracked including spin rate and spin axis.
- Strength and conditioning sessions will be baseball-specific in design and will be built to coincide optimally with each player’s competition schedule.
- Speed and agility training.
- Classroom sessions will cover baseball-related assignments, mental skills training and nutrition, as well as college placement projects (baseball resume, developing a list of possible schools, researching academic eligibility, etc.).
- Students who attend NSA from grade 10-12 will also earn their LEAD certificate which is a leadership program designed specifically for youth and accredited by the City of Calgary.
- Student-athletes can obtain 15 credits from participation in the NSA high school program.
- Comprehensive apparel/equipment package.
- A coaching staff consisting of qualified teachers who have professional and college experience.
- Performance testing to measure progress.
- Top quality indoor and outdoor facilities.
- Skill evaluations after receiving student-athlete application.
- All players return to the program of their choice during the on-season.
Registration is on-going throughout the year.
Central Memorial HS Student-Athlete Schedule
NSA Alumni
There are dozens of NSA Baseball Alumni since 2007 (the programs inaugural year) who went on to play college baseball. Here are a few:
Bobby Bogensberg - Grad 2007
California State University East Bay, CA (NCAA-II)
Glendale Community College, CA
New Mexico Junior College, NM
Tyler Lowey - Grad 2008
Thompson Rivers University, BC (CCBC)
Donovan Feenstra - Grad 2010
University of the Cumberlands, KY (NAIA)
Professionally with 2 Independent Teams
Nicholas Granton - Grad 2010
Northern State College, SD (NCAA-II)
Truman State University, MO (NCAA-II)
Andrew Malone - Grad 2010
Coloroda Mesa University, CO (NCAA-II)
Jeremy McPhee - Grad 2011
Jamestown College, ND (NAIA)
Wylie Johnston - Grad 2012
University of Calgary (CCBC)
Michael Heaton - Grad 2013
Spokane Falls Community College (NWAC)
University of British Columbia (NAIA)
Nick Pelletier - Grad 2015
Okanagan College, BC (CCBC)
Levi Pellett - Grad 2017
PBA in Lethbridge, AB (CCBC)
Braydon Saunders - Grad 2017
University of Calgary, AB (CCBC)
Ethan Balogh - Grad 2018
Mendocino College, CA (CCCBCA)
Bayley Hartl - Grad 2018
Cabrillo College, CA (CCCBCA)
Raj Gill - Grad 2018
PBA in Lethbridge, AB (CCBC)
Dymitri Pavlove - Grad 2019
Big Bend CC in Moses Lake, WA (NWAC)
Dillon Rouleau - Grad 2019
University of Calgary, AB (CCBC)
Koll Cherkowski - Grad 2019
Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC (CCBC)
Cole Alguire - Grad 2020
transfer to Vauxhall Academy
Bobby Bogensberg - Grad 2007
California State University East Bay, CA (NCAA-II)
Glendale Community College, CA
New Mexico Junior College, NM
Tyler Lowey - Grad 2008
Thompson Rivers University, BC (CCBC)
Donovan Feenstra - Grad 2010
University of the Cumberlands, KY (NAIA)
Professionally with 2 Independent Teams
Nicholas Granton - Grad 2010
Northern State College, SD (NCAA-II)
Truman State University, MO (NCAA-II)
Andrew Malone - Grad 2010
Coloroda Mesa University, CO (NCAA-II)
Jeremy McPhee - Grad 2011
Jamestown College, ND (NAIA)
Wylie Johnston - Grad 2012
University of Calgary (CCBC)
Michael Heaton - Grad 2013
Spokane Falls Community College (NWAC)
University of British Columbia (NAIA)
Nick Pelletier - Grad 2015
Okanagan College, BC (CCBC)
Levi Pellett - Grad 2017
PBA in Lethbridge, AB (CCBC)
Braydon Saunders - Grad 2017
University of Calgary, AB (CCBC)
Ethan Balogh - Grad 2018
Mendocino College, CA (CCCBCA)
Bayley Hartl - Grad 2018
Cabrillo College, CA (CCCBCA)
Raj Gill - Grad 2018
PBA in Lethbridge, AB (CCBC)
Dymitri Pavlove - Grad 2019
Big Bend CC in Moses Lake, WA (NWAC)
Dillon Rouleau - Grad 2019
University of Calgary, AB (CCBC)
Koll Cherkowski - Grad 2019
Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC (CCBC)
Cole Alguire - Grad 2020
transfer to Vauxhall Academy