A structured development path for players 6 to 12 who aren’t on a travel team. Three levels, each built on the one before: how the body moves first, then strategy and power, then real game IQ by age 12.
$30 per class. Buy a class pack to book before single-class buyers. No membership required.
Every level keeps the same class structure and the same coaching philosophy. What changes is the depth of the skill work and the number of reps. Players move up once the skills from the level before are locked in.
Where every player’s habits get built. No strategy yet. This level is all about the body: how it moves, how to control it, and the mechanics everything else sits on.
Strategy enters the picture for the first time. Mechanics get more complex, and the focus shifts to moving quicker and generating power from the ground up.
The biggest jump in game IQ in the whole program. Rotational power becomes part of the swing and the delivery, and every skill starts blending mechanics with in-game decisions.
Focused, high-rep classes held indoors at our Vernon Hills facility, year round. Pay by the class, or buy a class pack to get first pick of class times.
Each week has a theme, and the coaching inside it is personal to your player: what they need, at the pace they can handle.
Coaches use video playback every session to break down each player’s movement, and HitTrax, Pocket Radar and Stalker radar measure exit velocity and throwing velocity, so players have real numbers to chase.
Batting, throwing, fielding, base running and speed, pitching and catching. The whole game, built in order.
Where every player’s habits get built. No strategy yet. Just movement, control and good mechanical habits.
Stance, grip, stride, separation and bat path, and learning to move from the legs instead of the arms.
Catching the ball properly, the right grips, body alignment, and using the lower body to build momentum into the throw.
Footwork to the ball, getting the glove down early, staying in front of the ball, giving a target, and a first look at forehand and backhand plays.
Running through the bag, hitting the inside corner when advancing, taking the right angles, a first look at sliding, and real running form.
Set position, leg lift and follow-through. Pure mechanics, with no pitch selection yet.
Strategy enters the picture. Foundation skills confirmed, mechanics step up, and players learn to move quicker and create power from the ground up.
Using the lower half for power, balance in the box, bat speed, barrel control, and the full swing sequence.
Footwork in every direction, a confident forehand and backhand, a clean arm path on throws, and the prep step.
A secondary lead, getting back safely, and sliding, plus explosiveness off the ground, change of direction, and start and stop mechanics.
Delivery sequencing, the set and the full windup, fastball command, splitting the zone into thirds, and a changeup.
Stance, receiving, throwing, and an introduction to blocking.
The biggest jump in game IQ. Development skills confirmed. Rotational power and real in-game decisions come into every skill area.
Pitch selection and swing decisions, weight transfer, consistent contact, game awareness, and rotational bat speed.
Angles and positioning, decision-making, hip and shoulder alignment, and drop steps.
Leading off, reading the pitcher and the situation, and stealing bases, on top of top-end speed and a quick first step.
Working the zone in quadrants, sequencing pitches, the spin of a breaking ball, holding runners, pickoffs, and hip and shoulder separation for velocity.
Primary and secondary stances, throws to every base, calling a game, and advanced blocking.
Players ages 6 to 12 who want to get better at baseball and aren’t on a travel team: rec players, kids new to the game, and kids getting ready for travel ball down the road.
Kids classes are short blocks of All-Skills Baseball and the easiest way to try Gorilla. Fundamentals Academy runs all year with a set curriculum by level, so players keep building from one month to the next.
Levels line up with age, but players move up once the skills from the level before are locked in. Coaches will tell you where your player is and what comes next.
Classes are $30 each. Families who buy a class pack can book classes before single-class buyers, so they get first pick of times. There’s no membership and no long-term commitment: come to the classes that fit your week. Fundamentals Academy is coming soon, so join the early interest list to see the schedule first.
A glove, a bat if they have one, and gym shoes or turfs. We have everything else.
Tell us your player’s age and what they play, and we’ll tell you where to start.
Gorilla Baseball Academy
958 Corporate Woods Pkwy, Vernon Hills, IL 60061