Fall Ball Abroad
Play Baseball & Softball in Amsterdam or London
Calling all student-athletes! Each fall semester, IES Abroad partners with Old World Baseball to offer students the chance to study abroad for a semester while preparing for their spring baseball and softball season. Fall Ball Abroad provides college baseball and softball players high-quality coaching and access to world-class training facilities.
Fall Ball Abroad is an add-on to our existing Amsterdam and London semester programs. Students who wish to participate in Fall Ball Abroad will apply to an IES Abroad Amsterdam or London program, and, once accepted, choose the baseball or softball add-on.
How it Works
Fall Ball Abroad is intentionally offered in the fall semester so softball and baseball student-athletes can improve during their off season and return to their home campuses prepared for their seasons. Fall Ball Abroad abides by all NCAA rules and regulations.
What's Included
Players participate in high-quality practices and workouts with international coaches and players. Practice plans will be individually designed, accommodating student class schedules. Includes flexible weekly practice times, two organized weekend excursions, as well as independent sports facility access.
Cost
The Fall Ball Abroad add-on costs $4,475, inclusive of the following: coach-led practices with elite-level local coaches and athletes, independent facility access, equipment use & trainer consultation, two excursions with travel, accommodation & practices.
Benefits
Fall Ball Abroad - Amsterdam
All training plans are designed around and dependent upon academic schedules. Training plans can also be made more or less intensive based on individual preferences. The example below can be used as a rough guide.
September-October
- Mon 4-6 p.m. – Coach-supervised practice integrated with local players
- Tues 4-6 p.m. – Trainer/coach-supervised strength and agility training
- Thurs 3-6 p.m. – Coach-supervised practice integrated with local players and trainer/coach-supervised strength and agility training
- Daily - Independent access to batting cages, strength facilities
November-December
- 2x/week – Trainer/coach-supervised strength/agility training sessions
- Daily - Independent access to batting cages, strength facilities
Throughout the Semester
- Professional development seminars with international sports figures
- Overnight excursion to international city and integrated sports experience
- Daytrip excursion for sports viewing, social and tourism experience
Fall Ball Abroad – Amsterdam includes two excursions outside Amsterdam, including one overnight international fieldtrip and one daytrip within the Netherlands. Transportation, lodging, scheduled activities, and specified meals will be provided. Below are sample schedules of these excursions.
Belgium Overnight
- Saturday: morning train departure to Ghent or Antwerp, walking tour, group dinner, independent evening.
- Sunday: free morning, integrated practice with local players and/or seminar with prominent sports figure, evening return train.
German Overnight
- Saturday: morning train departure to Cologne or Hamburg, walking tour, group dinner, independent evening.
- Sunday: free morning, integrated practice with local players and/or seminar with prominent sports figure, evening return train.
Rotterdam Day Trip
- Train to/from Rotterdam, practice integrated with Netherlands national team players, Feyenoord soccer game and/or Neptunus baseball game, city center exploration.
IES Abroad is proud to partner with Old World Baseball, whose founders were both college baseball players that studied abroad. Stephan Rapaglia (Amherst College ’92), and Tom Gillespie (Macalester College ’00), have led high-class baseball trips to Europe for the last 10 years, and both have been heavily involved in European baseball for decades. In addition to his U.S. collegiate/professional playing and coaching career, Stephan played a season at the top level in the Netherlands, was a coach-player at the top level in Germany, and spent seven years as the head coach of the Great Britain national team (leading GB to the silver medal at the 2007 European Championships). Tom has lived in Europe since 2001, working 10 years in the MLB London office and coaching the Great Britain and Germany national teams, while also playing for top-level teams in England, Germany, and Sweden. Tom and Stephan will organize and lead Fall Ball Abroad. Learn more about the coaches and the program in the Fall Ball Amsterdam introduction video.
In addition, regular practice sessions will be led by current or former Netherlands baseball and softball national team coaches. For example (but subject to change):
- Robin van Doornspeek – Netherlands national team pitching coach, national academy director. 2004 Olympics as player. Multiple European Championships as player and coach
- Saskia Kosterink – Talent coach for Netherlands softball, national academy hitting coach. 2008 Olympics as a player. Played college softball in the US
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Fall Ball Abroad - London
All training plans are designed around and dependent upon academic schedules. Training plans can also be made more or less intensive based on individual preferences. The example below can be used as a rough guide.
September-October
- Mon 4-6 p.m. – Coach-supervised practice integrated with local players
- Tues 4-6 p.m. – Trainer/coach-supervised strength and agility training
- Thurs 3-6 p.m. – Coach-supervised practice integrated with local players and trainer/coach-supervised strength and agility training
- Daily - Independent access to batting cages, strength facilities
November-December
- 2x/week – Trainer/coach-supervised strength/agility training sessions
- Daily - Independent access to batting cages, strength facilities
Throughout the Semester
- Professional development seminars with international sports figures
- Overnight excursion to international city and integrated sports experience
- Daytrip excursion for sports viewing, social and tourism experience
Fall Ball Abroad – London includes two excursions outside the city, including one overnight international field trip and one day trip within England. Transportation, lodging, scheduled activities, and specified meals will be provided. Below are sample schedules of these excursions.
Amsterdam Overnight
- Saturday: morning train departure to Amsterdam, walking tour, group dinner, independent evening.
- Sunday: free morning, integrated practice with local players and Fall Ball Abroad-Amsterdam participants and/or seminar with prominent sports figure, evening return train.
Paris Overnight
- Saturday: morning train departure to Paris, walking tour, group dinner, independent evening.
- Sunday: free morning, integrated practice with local players and/or seminar with prominent sports figure, evening return train.
Brighton Day Trip
- Train to/from Brighton, city center exploration, connect with local sporting scene, including a seminar with a prominent sports figure. Worcester Day Trip
- Train to/from Worcester, city center exploration, connect with local cricket and/or basketball clubs, including a seminar with a prominent sports figure.
IES Abroad is proud to partner with Old World Baseball, whose founders were both college baseball players that studied abroad. Stephan Rapaglia (Amherst College ’92), and Tom Gillespie (Macalester College ’00), have led high-class baseball trips to Europe for the last 14 years, and both have been heavily involved in European baseball for decades. In addition to his U.S. collegiate/professional playing and coaching career, Stephan won a championship as a player at the top level in the Netherlands, was a player-manager at the top level in Germany, and spent seven years as the manager of the Great Britain men’s national team (leading GB to the silver medal at the 2007 European Championships and being inducted into the British Baseball Hall of Fame). Tom has lived in Europe since 2001, working 10 years in the MLB London office and coaching the Great Britain and Germany national teams, while also playing for top-level teams in England, Germany, and Sweden. Tom is currently a professional scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tom and Stephan will organize and lead Fall Ball Abroad.
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- Alan Dean – Current S&C coach for the Great Britain national teams in both baseball and softball; Director of Performance at Smarter Performance. 15 years of cumulative coaching experience with the Great Britain national baseball and softball teams.
- Drew Spencer – Current manager of the Great Britain national team; Complex Coordinator for the New York Yankees. Coached GB to a silver medal in the 2023 men’s European Championships and the 2023 u23 European Championships.
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Ready to play ball?
