Baseball Instructor - Jim Nolan
Coach Jim Nolan has been around a baseball diamond his entire life. His grandfather was a player/coach for many semi-pro teams in the Cleveland area, and his father has been a high school baseball coach for over 35 years. Along with his older brothers and sisters, Jim’s family was always at a field for someone’s game all while learning the fundamentals, nuances, and the pure joy and beauty of the game.
Growing up, Jim played multiple positions. His father stressed to him the importance of being versatile on the field if he wanted to make a team or get quality playing time. So, he made sure he could play each position to the best of his ability. He eventually found comfort and stability in catching, at 3rd base, and in the outfield. However, his biggest contributions were as a pitcher. The mound is home for him!
As a pitcher in Little League, he began to thrive. One year, he had 70 strikeouts in 43 innings of pitching! After that year, he challenged himself to go out for travel baseball. The very next year, he made the team and continued to grow as an all-around player and pitcher.
As a Little Leaguer, the greatest team moments he experienced were winning not only the state championship, but also the national championship at the Super Series in Omaha, Nebraska where his team battled it out against the nation’s best. Getting to travel the country to play was a great eye-opener for him to see how much bigger, faster, stronger, and more skilled other top players were. This fueled his fire to work even harder to gain the competitive edge!
During his high school years, Jim had the opportunity to compete for a varsity pitching spot as a freshman. Unfortunately, this is when a serious elbow injury sidelined him for about a year. This is why he always stresses proper warmup and stretching routines for young players in order to avoid injuries and learn from his mistakes.
After recovering from his injury, he came back and started playing in competitive high school summer and travel leagues. For these teams, he had a combined 61 strikeouts in 43 ⅔ innings with a miniscule 1.12 ERA. It seemed like his elbow had healed nicely!
Set to pitch in college, Jim soon learned that his arm did not have the stamina to last through the grueling collegiate schedule. While playing for a college summer league, he pitched a 10 inning, 17 strikeout game and felt on top of the world! The very next week, during the 7th inning of a 1-hitter, Jim’s elbow failed him again. He decided to give pitching a rest for a while.
Much to his disappointment due to his injuries, there was a major blessing in disguise. It was during this time where he found his true calling to become a teacher, which is what he attended college to do.
Since graduation, he has taught elementary school and been able to still stay on the field playing recreational softball and coaching kids during camps put on by the Cleveland Baseball Federation. This was a perfect mix to combine his love of baseball and his love of teaching!
Now with Perfect Game, Jim stresses the areas of growth as an all-around player; playing the game the right way to avoid injuries; and also having fun with spirit, enthusiasm, and hustle!