Walbeck Baseball Academy

My son went here for a couple of months and the one on one complete workouts were amazing! The owner Matt Walbeck watches the kids training on camera if he's not there and corrects forms. You can tell Matt truely cares about each and every kid in his academy. We live in Oklahoma or we would have stayed! Great Academy!

My son aged out of Little League/Fall Ball/Camps, he's got big dreams, and baseball is his thing. So, that got me looking for his next step. There are a lot of great baseball academies and travel programs in the Sacramento area, so I started by talking to parents who have their kids in different ones, or parents who have kids that are now playing college ball and have done programs in the Sacramento area. What I got from that was a list of what I didn't want, and a list of what I wanted. Walbeck fit the bill on everything. If you're in the same spot I was, here's my list along with how Walbeck met our needs. Sorry for the long review - but hopefully I can answer some questions and save you some effort:- You don't want a disorganized program. I heard horror stories from parents that some programs couldn't manage their teams or their businesses. Not knowing when the next practice or game is, or finding out about a cancellation only after arriving for a practice or game is unacceptable. Walbeck is very organized and runs like a well oiled machine. Their website for signing up for clinics is excellent and easy to use. You can check your schedule any time, and the system sends you reminder e-mails. The coaches use TeamSnap (a phone app) for team games and practices, and it's always up to date and scheduled way out. No questions ever about where to be, when to be there, what to bring, or what to wear. For travel, they even have a travel agent who works with everyone on lodging and can help you with getting there. Again, a well oiled machine.- You don't want a-hole coaches who yell at the players, and you don't want a culture where the players negatively criticise each other. At Walbeck, the coaches have very high expectations for the players, but they are always positive and encouraging. Players making negative comments to their teammates is not tolerated. This makes for a great learning environment, a tight team that works together, and a positive experience.- You want a place that teaches your kid responsibility and good values. At Walbeck, they emphasize responsibility, good citizenship, and solid academics. It's not all about baseball - you need all of those things to be successful and they realize that.- You don't want some player's dad coaching your team. That's what I discovered seasoned baseball parents refer to as "daddy ball." I'm sure you've seen how it works. Generally, you get the situation where the coach's kid is the star and the focus. Or, if you're really unlucky, you get the Al Bundy-esque coach who "played a little ball in high school" and is woefully underqualified to teach at a higher level. Or maybe you get both. At Walbeck, the coaches are legit. Matt Walbeck played in the MLB for ten years, then followed that up with an impressive managerial career earning Baseball America's 2007 Minor League Manager of the Year award. (It's pretty cool when, after a travel ball game out of town, the umpire asks for your kid's coach's autograph.) He's truly amazing with the players. And, the coaches that work for him are all experienced and well-trained. They are all amazing coaches and role models. So, that's the list. Walbeck Baseball Academy has exceeded my expectations on every requirement I had. After being in all of this for a bit, there's something else that I found important. If you've got to drive any distance to get your player to the academy you choose, you're going to be spending a lot of time there. Find a place that's comfortable. I appreciate that the parent waiting room at Walbeck has comfortable leather sofas, a big screen TV, tables with chairs (so you can get some work done), free wi-fi, free coffee, and games to keep waiting siblings busy.If your kid needs to move on to something more serious and challenging, good luck with your search for a program that works for you. I'd recommend Walbeck Baseball Academy.

Great facility, amazing staff. Building on strengths helped my sons confidence tremendously. Thanks again

Walbeck has provided great instruction for the Folsom Little Leagues. He breaks down technique in all phases of the game, but we are especially lucky to have a major league catcher in the area to provide advanced instruction behind the plate. The academy has a great media area to review film with comfortable seating. Indoor hitting area is clean and open.

My son did the mighty masher program. He is a shy 5 year old and this was his first time doing anything like this. Great program, great facility and great mentors for him to look up to. Can't wait for him to start his first year of little league.

Excellent instruction by dedicated and knowledgeable instructors. Matt runs an excellent academy and we feel so lucky to have him as a resource.

Our 12 year old son has played baseball for a number of years, fall ball and spring ball. He loves playing however, he's not obsessed. We started the Walbeck Academy months ago utilizing their monthly flat fee program. Needless to say his motivation, passion and confidence is unbelievable.. I'm always so excited to hear about his clinic. They offer several clinics and very flexible. All of the instructors including Matt Walbeck are awesome! If you have a son that plays baseball and your not doing this program, you are missing out!! Furthermore,the facility is really nice and very comfortable for parents having to wait.