Koppelman returns to baseball instruction
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

When Craig Koppelman was looking for a permanent home for his baseball instructional company, CK's Baseball 4U, the Marlboro area was a priority.

"I wanted to stay local," he said. "I grew up here. I played Little League and high school baseball at Marlboro.

"I wanted to give back to the community a little and teach the kids," he added.

Koppelman, a 1994 graduate of Marlboro High School, found that home at 209 Commercial Way in Morganville. CK's Baseball 4U had its open house on Sunday and begins its first classes on Saturday.

For Koppelman, who went on to play baseball at Rhode Island University and to have a tryout for the Montreal Expos, the CK's Baseball 4U is his way of staying involved in the game he loves so much.

"Baseball has always been my passion and this is a way to get back into it," he said. "I learned so much from the coaches I've had, and I'm to teach the kids what I know."

His academy will feature the latest technology that includes personalized DVDs that provide video analysis for each player that is unique to their skill, along with a report card.

"They get a chance to visualize what we're teaching," Koppelman pointed out.

With a staff that includes former and current players who specialize in all aspects of the game, players can come to CK's Baseball 4U for help in every area, from hitting and pitching to defense to the often overlooked mental part of the game.

Koppelman believes that what separates his baseball instruction from other academies is the size of his classes.

"We limit the class size to maximize instruction," he remarked.

Koppelman takes pride that he and his staff members are teachers. Koppelman is a physical education teacher at Dwight Morrow High School in Engelwood, where he coached baseball for four years. CK's Baseball 4U, he explained, isn't a "baby-sitting service." The instructors are there to teach and make the players better via their baseball knowledge and limited class size.

"We're teachers," he noted. "There's a difference between telling someone and teaching someone. We pride ourselves in being teachers."

Koppelman's staff is local, consisting of instructors who played high school baseball locally and went to college and in some cases, pro ball.

Brad Dobin, a Marlboro grad who played at Michigan State, specializes in infield and hitting instruction. Kyle Goldwater, a Freehold Township grad, who starred at Ursinus College and is currently playing professionally with the Kalamazoo Kings in the Frontier League, specializes in pitching.

Jay Jubak, from Brick Memorial, played baseball at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and specializes in catching. David Dobin, Brad's younger brother, played baseball and soccer at Marlboro and went on to play college soccer at the University of Central Florida. His specialty is catching instruction.

Stephen Grippo, who is the varsity baseball coach for McKee Staten Island Tech and was an infielder, specializes in infield defense.

Justin Cocliff, a Manalapan grad who went on to pitch at Rider College and coach in the Mid-Monmouth Babe Ruth League, specializes in pitching and infield instruction.

Also included on the staff are trainers George Walker and Michelle Cohen to help the baseball players become better athletes. Walker, a Matawan High School graduate who played baseball at Wagner College and is a certified personal trainer, specializes in speed and agility training.

Cohen, a Manalapan High School graduate, is the head athletic trainer at Colts Neck and specializes in strength and conditioning.

Koppelman's area of expertise is infield and hitting instruction.

The baseball skills that are taught at CK's include defensive techniques, strategies, offensive hitting theory and mechanics, pitching mechanics, situation baseball and comprehensive strategies.

Players can receive group or private lessons and clinics along with the video analysis.

Anyone interested in learning more about CK's Baseball 4U can visit the Web site www.cksbaseball4u.com.