University of Tennessee Athletics
ROD DELMONICO'S INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
September 22, 2005 | Baseball
For each of the past six summers, Tennessee head coach Rod Delmonico has worked closely with MLB International's European Baseball Academy, which works to raise the level of play among young baseball players in Europe and Africa while also developing players and coaches that will lead and stimulate further advancement of the game in their own countries.
Most recently in 2006, Delmonico was among an elite group of coaches who mentored players with the Italian Baseball Federation as a part of the MLB Envoy program in Italy. It marked the second year that Delmonico has conducted baseball instruction in Italy, working with fellow international instruction leader Rick Dells (head baseball coach at the College of New Jersey). Delmonico has also taught at the Italian National Olympic Training Center in Tirrenia, Italy.
Among the five main development areas within the European Academy's instructional program are:
1) On-field baseball skill development
2) Physical development and awareness
3) Personal development
4) Individualized year-round development plans
5) Coaching development
Delmonico's reputation for player development has made him a regular on MLB International's summer academy circuit, and his work has taken him to countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Holland and Austria.
Croatia bought into Delmonico's coaching know-how to such an extent that the country formally requested that he coach its National Team in the 2005 European Baseball Championships.
In addition to instructing young players from around the world, baseball federations from around the globe send their promising coaches to the summer academies to learn from Delmonico and the rest of the MLB instructional staff.
 Delmonico (second from right) has been a key staff member at numerous MLB International camps, including the 2004 Europe Elite Baseball Camp in Amsterdam. |
