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UNION COUNTY, NJ — Mike Gambino was named the head baseball coach at Penn State University in early July, just six days before his 46th birthday.
Last week, in Middlesex County, he was instructing fellow college and also high school, travel and youth coaches from Bergen County to South Jersey on how he handles practicing indoors. Gambino just moved to Penn State University after being the head coach for 13 seasons at his alma mater, Boston College, where he played his college baseball.
It’s been known to snow a bit at both Boston College and Penn State, so Gambino is prepared to instruct even on days when snow storms may shut down everything else going on in Happy Valley.
Gambino was one of a handful of respected Division 1 college coaches whom Governor Livingston High School head baseball coach Chris Roof was able to attract to the third annual New Jersey High School Baseball Coaches Association Garden State Coaches Clinic, which for the first time was a two-day event, on Thursday night, Dec. 7, and Friday morning, Dec. 8, at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick.
The event was powered by GameChanger, the big sponsor for the two-day clinic.
The first two times, in December 2021 and December 2022, the event was one day at Gamers Baseball & Softball Academy, a top-level indoor baseball and softball training facility in Kenilworth.
“It was everything that we thought it would be,” said Roof, who is vice president of the newly formed NJHSBCA. “We had 150 coaches and 15 vendors. The hotel was bigger for what we wanted to do and the right move.
“It was a fun night and day.”
Gambino was part of a group of guest instructors that included coaches from across the country, including former Roxbury High School standout Karl Nonemaker of Auburn University. Other head coaches were clinic regular Steve Trimper of Stetson University, Bill Mosiello of Ohio State University and Barry Davis of Rider University.
On Friday, Dec. 8, Mosiello talked about his offensive strategies.
ESPN college baseball analyst Mike Rooney, formerly an assistant at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame, spiced things up a bit with his knowledge of pitching in college baseball.
Presented by Gamers Baseball & Softball Academy and the NJHSBCA, Roof outlined several highlights: “The hotel ballroom was the No. 1 thing,” Rood said. “Our roundtable that included all five coaches and Rooney as well, was our last session on Thursday night.
“The coaches were very personable where anyone could approach them. They were easy to talk to.
“It was also very beneficial to the vendors, who were able to speak to the coaches.”
On Thursday night, Dec. 7, Nonemaker spoke about hitting and Trimper about baserunning.
“Coaches were able to come away with a vast amount of knowledge and expertise from the coaches who spoke,” Roof said.
On Friday, Dec. 8, Davis had the crowd in attendance entertained with his “seven drills in 35 years” speech, as he is about to begin his 20th season as the head coach at Rider. Winner of his 1,000th game this past season, Davis has been a head coach now in total for 35 years.
The first clinic two years ago drew 50 coaches, the number rose to 110 last year and increased again this year to 150.
“We already have our lineup set up for next year,” said Roof, who was the head coach at Millburn High School for three seasons, from 2001 to 2003, and has been the head coach at Governor Livingston since 2004.
Roof said that vendors for next year can contact him at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
“We have a good group of coaches who other coaches can learn a lot from during the time they spend with us at the clinic,” Roof said.
Photos Courtesy of Chris Roof