Helping Athletes All Ages and Skill Levels
Lessons
Craig Dueker is the owner of Xtra Innings and the varsity baseball coach at Ankeny Christian Academy. He leverages technology as well as fun, energy, and positive reinforcement to focus on measurable results. Craig has a broad skill set that can assist baseball and softball athletes in all aspects of the game.
Lesson Technology
Craig and the other Xtra Innings coaches use the HitTrax technology in their lessons providing their athletes real-time stats and key performance metrics, along with powerful video analysis, trend reports, and more.
Patented technology provides a one-of-a-kind experience that fosters player engagement and a meaningful connection with instruction. HitTrax measures a variety of statistics for hitting and catching. Besides raw statistics, there are several additional player benefits including:
- Maximize performance through an engaging and competitive experience
- Quantitative and visual feedback delivers powerful insight to your training
- Gain visibility to college programs
- Immediate assessments & trending reports
In addition, with an active HitTrax subscription, players can access the HitTrax StatsCenter to review individual session stats, performance trends, rankings and more. You can also stay connected to training progress while accessing valuable data analysis at home or on an iOS or Android device.
Testimonials
Softball Player Loves Working with Craig
My 11 year old daughter, Maura, had been playing softball for about a year and we decided she needed some batting instruction to make her a stronger hitter. She was smart at the plate and usually got on base, but just could not get the ball to the outfield.
We went to Xtra Innings and signed up for 8 lessons with Craig. After 5 lessons Maura had her first tournament weekend. That weekend she hit 2 home runs, one a grand slam, a triple, a double and two singles. Every parent on the team was asking what I had fed her for breakfast. It was amazing and Maura was so excited. Not every weekend has looked like that, but she has consistently demonstrated improved distance and strength with her hitting.
Maura loves working with Craig for many reasons. Mostly, she has fun. Craig makes getting better fun and that is so important. He uses a variety of techniques to address some of her weaknesses or bad habits. He challenges her and requires her to self evaluate. Using the Hit Trax system, Maura is able to visually review what she is doing correctly or wrong, so she is able to make corrections when needed. She is also able to look at real time stats for exit velocity, placement and distance. All of this has made her a better, more confident batter. She moved up to 12U this fall and is one of the strongest hitters on her team.
We would encourage anybody who wants to improve in little or big ways to take lessons with Craig. It is time and money well spent. You will see improvements both in performance and self confidence. We love Craig!
- Jacki
Softball player on the field after having a lesson at Xtra Innings.
Ground Balls Turn Into Extra Base Hits with Craig's Help
When I first took my 10-year-old son to Craig, he had played competitive baseball for two seasons. He enjoyed playing baseball, but he struggled to contribute offensively and he realized that. When we talked about the upcoming season, he was not very excited. He decided to try one more season.
We went to Craig and I noticed a big improvement at home and at practice, even after just a few lessons. Craig not only helped him build a swing, but also more confidence at the plate. Craig helped my son learn about hitting. The season before, when my son got a hit it was usually an infield single. After working with Craig, my son started hitting line drives and getting extra base hits. He had so much fun that season. Being able to contribute more to his team was a huge part of that.
Craig is extremely positive and encouraging. My son always has fun going to Xtra Innings. I would highly recommend Craig to help out young baseball players of all skill levels.
- Adam
Personal Coaches at Xtra Innings
Coaches Need to Pay Nominal Fee for Lessons
Xtra Innings is committed to helping athletes be their best, whether that is through lessons with Craig, or any other personal coach who is providing individual instruction. However, all personal coaches will be required to pay Xtra Innings $20 per 30-minute lesson for use of the cage - regardless of whether the player is a member or non-member. Non-members will also need to rent the cage. These personal coaches should coordinate with Craig Dueker and plan to pay the fee on the day of the lesson or make financial arrangements with Craig.