The 2024 ABCA Convention concluded on Sunday morning, January 7, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas after four days filled with coaching clinics, workshops and panel discussions, the ABCA Trade Show, and various other celebrations and activities! Altogether, almost 7,800 member coaches participated in the 80th annual ABCA Convention.
The ABCA Trade Show doors opened in the afternoon of Thursday, January 4th to officially signify the start of the 80th ABCA Convention! Covering the Longhorn Exhibit Hall of the Gaylord Texan, the sold-out ABCA Trade Show featured companies showcasing the latest baseball products, services, technology and innovations.
Meanwhile, the Expo Theater presented by Hour-A-Thon, also launched on Thursday and featured three days of new product releases, demonstrations, panel discussions and chats hosted by ABCA Trade Show Exhibitors. Notable ABCA Official Partners such as Airwaav, BaseballCloud/Yakkertech, Driveline, GameChanger, Gipper, HitTrax, Hudl, Kilogear, MaxBP, PitchCom, pitchLogic, Pocket Radar, Rapsodo, Rotor System USA, SmartMitt, United States Marine Corps, and Wilson/ATEC all took the stage during the event.
The opening day came to an end with the Divisional Coaches Meetings in the evening, which included rules and legislation reviews for each respective division, including NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, NWAC, High School, Youth and Travel Baseball. Following the divisional meetings, attendees took part in the Rookie Coaches Mentorship panel presented by The Marines. The panel explored various themes, including career growth, maintaining a harmonious coaching and family life, professional development in teaching and coaching, and more!
Friday, January 5th, marked the beginning of the rest of the educational opportunities at the Convention. After honoring the 2024 ABCA/ATEC National Coaches of the Year, ABCA/Marines Assistant Coaches of the Year, the newest ABCA Lifetime Members, and recipients of the 2023 Youth and Travel Baseball Service Award and 2023 ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award, the main stage clinics, presented by ATEC, got underway. The opening presentation was delivered by the reigning NCAA Div. I national champion, Jay Johnson (LSU). The 23 main-stage clinics were arranged by ABCA Second Vice President Bob Whalen (Dartmouth College) with the assistance of ABCA Third Vice President John McCormack (Florida Atlantic University) and continued through Sunday morning.
Simultaneously, the Youth Coaches Session, presented by GameChanger, commenced as well following Johnson's opening presentation. The Youth Coaches Session featured 14 clinics across Friday and Saturday. These clinics were tailored specifically for coaches of youth-level teams up to age 14.
Friday evening concluded with more festivities as the ABCA hosted the annual Coaches Social in the ABCA Trade Show. Every registered ABCA Member received two complimentary drink tickets for the Coaches Social with their registration materials! Following the social was the ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet presented by C&H Baseball, which was highlighted by the induction of the 10-member ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2024, along with the presentation of the ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award. The night ended with the first two Hot Stove Panel Discussions focused on Pitching and Outfield Play.
Saturday, January 6th, featured more clinics across the Main-Stage, Youth Coaches Session and Expo Theater. The morning also featured the Diversity in Baseball Workshops, which were conducted by the ABCA's Diversity in Baseball Committee. The Diversity in Baseball Workshops were broken up into two segments –– Youth Development and Professional Development. The evening featured six more Hot Stove Panel Discussions, delving into topics such as Leadership, Baserunning, Strength & Conditioning, Hitting, Catching, and Infield Play.
Every ABCA member who registered for either the Convention or the Clinics Live Video Stream will receive the complete set of clinic videos for on-demand viewing in their ABCA account later this month. The comprehensive collection includes the Main-Stage Clinics and Post-Clinic Question & Answer Sessions as well as the Youth Coaches Session and Expo Theater presentations. For all 2023-24 ABCA members who did not take part in the clinics, access to the 2024 ABCA Convention on-demand videos will be available on May 20 as part of the ABCA membership benefits.
"This year's ABCA Convention exemplified the strength of our association," expressed Keilitz. "Over the past decade, the ABCA has grown immensely, going from around 6,000 members to close to 16,000 members from all 50 states and spanning 41 different countries worldwide. Bringing our membership together each January highlights the collective spirit of our coaches, which is to collaborate and exchange insights for the betterment of our sport across every level. I believe the collaboration of our members truly sets us apart. I extend my gratitude to each coach who participated in this year's Convention by either joining us in Dallas or online through our Clinics Live Stream."
"I want to wish all of our coaches the best as they return to their teams and get prepared for the upcoming spring and summer seasons," continued Keilitz. "I look forward to watching your teams this season and am excited to reconnect at the 2024 Barnstormers Regional Coaching Clinics in the fall and, of course, at the 2025 ABCA Convention next January in Washington, D.C.!"
The 2025 ABCA Convention will be held January 2-5, 2025 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Information regarding Priority Convention Registration for 2023-24 ABCA Members as well as additional Convention-related announcements will be made this summer on the ABCA website, as well as in Inside Pitch Magazine, Press Box e-newsletter and the My ABCA app! Registration for the 2025 ABCA Convention will open to everyone on September 1, 2024.