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As Mickey Owen School engages its 5th decade of service, you may ask how did we begin and what can we accomplish. The school was founded by Major League catcher Mickey Owen, a much respected and popular player, who in the late 1930's, 40's and early 50's played for various clubs including the St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.
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His years in baseball convinced him that players were developed, not just born. He realized that to be proficient at baseball requires mastery in a set of intricate skills and the self-assurance to make quick choices during complex game situations. This could be accomplished only by playing many games incorporated with a daily regimen of instruction and practice. Ahead in the teaching of his day, he promoted the rationale that players learned better in small specialized groups, improved more quickly when relaxed and excelled when a non threatening atmosphere was fostered.
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About the time Mickey retired from Major League baseball, an idea was born to create an environment for young players, dedicated to advancing their talents and enhancing their appreciation for the game of baseball he so loved. In 1959, the Ozark site he selected was on a hilltop, nestled in a lush stand of oak trees 25 miles west of Springfield, Missouri, where he proceeded to carve out a real "Field of Dreams".
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Mickey Owen Baseball School has since been host to thousands of young baseball enthusiasts who come each year from all over the world. They all arrive with a dream and immerse themselves in the essence of baseball. Many former students have achieved success in baseball, while others have found accomplishment in life's diverse endeavors. However, all have taken with them the knowledge that only through a recipe of responsibility, dedication, discipline and hard work do we achieve our dreams.
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As the 21st Century unfolds, Mickey Owen Baseball School continues to refine its baseball program's educational method through the self-improvement of our instructors, and by producing an up-to-date learning environment that utilizes current technology and the latest advances in student education. But at the heart of all we do, the school remains devoted to the tenets with which Mickey Owen began the school many years ago.
Instructional Curriculum
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