A word from Robby Naylor

"First and for most, let me say what a pleasure it is to be associated with the North Florida Baseball Academy. Sometimes I think we take for granted the things that are offered to us, whether big or small. I started playing major league “little league” baseball when I was nine years old. Little league was the only thing available for organized baseball at that time. Meaning no disrespect, the coaching given to us at that time was from a volunteer, or from someone volunteered because their son or daughter was playing and nobody else wanted to take the time or responsibility.  That being said, of course there was the “diamond in the ruff” coach that had played at a level higher than little league. Let me take this time to thank those coaches for their time and effort.

That out of the way, the coaching I received was detrimental to my future as a baseball player. At twelve years old, I was the kid that threw the hardest in the league. I know what you’re thinking, wow this guy is full of himself. Just bare with me there is a point. Throwing a fastball would have made me dominant, but there were those volunteer coaches out there saying “could you imagine if that kid could throw a curveball”. That mentality almost cost me a future in baseball. At twelve I was starting to throw curveballs, the right way or the wrong way? I was told that there is a right way and a wrong way to throw a curve. Has anyone ever heard of a change up? Long story short, I had surgery on my elbow when I was a sophomore in high school. Fighting through the pain all through middle school. Times have changed!

I played baseball at Choctawhatchee High School. I was First Team All State three out of the four years. My senior year, I was the Northwest Florida Player of the year. I was named top 100 players by baseball America. Top 100 players to watch by baseball America, and invited to the United States Junior Olympic Team. I was then drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 27th round. I did not take the offer; instead I signed a full scholarship to Okaloosa Walton College. While there, I was named First Team All-Conference two years in a row. My sophomore year I was invited to the NJCAA All Star Game. After junior college, I received a scholarship to the University of West Florida.

My goal is to take all the knowledge I have received playing this great game and apply it to young men as soon as I can. If you can imagine, knowing what I know now, teaching a child now what took me fifteen years to learn. That is my goal. Whether through hitting drills, fielding drills, or pitching drills; the sooner they learn the longer they have to succeed. "

- Robby Naylor