Instruction/Lessons

Private lessons or small group instruction is a great way to get the extra edge you are looking for to improve your game!

At The Varsity Shop Training Center we are committed to providing our members with every opportunity to improve their skills and reach their fullest potential. Our professional instructors and teachers can provide this skill set development on an individual basis or in small groups. They also conduct our clinics, camps and academies throughout the year helping countless baseball and softball players learn more about the game and ways they can improve their skills. Our Staff has also developed Coaches Clinic and Players Clinic programs to meet the needs of your organization. See information below for details on these programs.

Areas of Instruction: Hitting, Pitching, Catching, Infield Play and Speed/Agility Programs

Our private instruction may include classroom discussion, an overview of participant needs, on field drills/skills as well as personal training development for speed, agility and conditioning. We utilize the finest training and teaching aids on the market to teach our participants the proper fundamental skills for maximizing development and future success. We will select the best instructor to suit your skill level and specific needs. Our lessons are available for ages 8-18. Lesson time slots will be scheduled in 30 min. and 60 min. intervals based on your specific request.

Special Instruction Program Offerings:

Satellite Instruction Program: We'll Come to You! During the Spring and Summer seasons, our Team of Instructors are available to support your Team Practice and Workouts at a Special Rate. All programs can be customized to meet your individual team needs. Please Click Here for Complete Program Information.

Coaches Clinics-Players Clinics: The Varsity Shop Training Center and our Instructor Team have developed a Coaches Clinic Program and a Players Clinic Program that can be customized to meet the needs of your organization and team. Please Click Here for Complete Program Information.

Instructor Team

Baseball Softball

Mark Sackett Tiffany Worthy

Don Watchowski Heather Scott

Dylan Putnam Speed & Agility

Frank DiVito Jaime Jackson

Mike Micene

** See website or Information Center at our facility for full Instructor Bio's.

Time is available by reservation and appointment only. Each of our Instructors have designated "Available Times" Sunday through Saturday on our reservation system that can be viewed through our website. Contact the facility to sign up for your lesson today!

Personal Instruction and Lessons

Individual: 30 min-$45.00, 60 min-$85.00
5 Pack: 30 min-$40.50, 60 min-$76.50 Save 10%
2-Person: 30min-$30.00 each, 60 min-$55.00 each
3-Person: 60 min Only-$45.00 each
Team Training
Reserve an Instructor to Support Your Team Workout
$150.00 per Hour, 15 Player Max per Session
Includes Double-wide 28' Cage Rental at No Charge
Full Facility, Open Surface Requests Charged at Normal Rates

Click here for information on how to view available time slots

To make your time slot reservation:
Please call 248-874-4920 or email info@varsityshoptc.com

Baseball Instructors

Mark Sackett: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing
Coach Sackett is a Level 1 instructor for the nationally recognized “Doyle Baseball Academy” school whose headquarters is in Winter Haven, Florida. He is annually certified as an ongoing Doyle Baseball Instructor and directs several of Doyle’s Midwestern programs. His full time position is as an elementary classroom teacher in the Troy School District. Coach Sackett currently is an assistant coach at Birmingham Groves High School and directs the Michigan Red Sox summer baseball program as well as the Michigan Motor City Pride Fall Showcase and Scout program.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Don Watchowski: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing
Coach Watchowski is currently in his fourth season as Head Baseball Coach at Birmingham Seaholm High School. His playing career, mostly as an elite infielder, included a three year stint at Michigan State University and one year at Missouri State University. During his senior season, Coach Watchowski batted .331 and led his Missouri State Bears to a National #23 and an NCAA Division I Tournament bid into the Lincoln, Nebraska Regional. Following his collegiate career, Coach Watchowski signed a professional contract with the Ozark Mountain Ducks of the Central Professional League. Coach Watchowski retired from baseball in 2002 and now focuses on player development and instruction.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Dylan Putnam: Pitching-Hitting-Fielding
Coach Putnam has over 5 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. He has coached and mentored 10 student-athletes who moved on to professional baseball. At Oakland University, Coach Putnam was hired as the University’s first ever, full-time head coach during the fall of 2005 through spring of 2007. He spent three years on staff with the Michigan State University Spartan baseball program where he served as the team’s pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and academic liaison. A 2002 graduate of Michigan State University, Coach Putnam played baseball for the Spartans as well as at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., where he started his career in 1997.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Frank DiVito: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing
Coach DiVito will begin his eighth season as the head varsity baseball coach at Troy High School during which his teams have won three league titles, two district titles and one regional championship. In 2007 he was selected to coach the top seniors in the East-West All Star Game played at Comerica Park. In addition, he was selected by his coaching peers throughout the area as the Eccentric Newspaper 2007 Coach of the Year. Coach DiVito has also served as the assistant coach at Oakland University the first year it was granted Division I status and has worked for the Detroit Tigers as the batting practice pitcher prior to home games.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Mike Micene: Pitching-Hitting
Coach Micene has been involved in the baseball instruction and teaching of young athletes for over 25 years. He spent his early baseball career on the East Coast while pitching at Wesleyan College, Eckerd College and playing in the Cape Cod Summer League for the Chatham Athletics earning All-Star status. He is still active as a competitive ballplayer, playing over 15 years in the Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL). He is the current batting title champion in the 35/over league as well as the Triple Crown champ for pitching in the 25/over division as a member of the Detroit MSBL. Coach Micene is a dedicated and focused teacher of all aspects of the game with a specialized emphasis on great pitching techniques. He is also a conditioning expert and works as a Personal Trainer/Sports Conditioning Specialist at the Oakland Athletic Club in Birmingham, MI.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.
Softball Instructors

Tiffany Worthy: Hitting-Fielding-Catching
Coach Worthy was a four year varsity letter winner for the University of Michigan Softball Team (2003-2007). She was a part of two Big Ten Tournament Championships, two Regular Season Big Ten Championships and the 2005 NCAA National Championship Team. Coach Worthy’s individual achievements include being named Captain of the 2007 Michigan Softball Team, All-Big Ten Tournament honors in 2006 and being named to the All Big Ten Second Team in 2007.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Heather Scott: Pitching
Coach Scott played softball for Lake Michigan College (Benton Harbor, MI) from 1988-1990 helping to lead the Lady Indians softball team to back-to-back NJCAA Region XII championships. At LMC she was recognized as First Team All-Conference, All-State, All-Region, and Second Team NJCAA All-American. Transferring to Western Michigan University on a full softball scholarship in 1991, she was a First Team All Mid-American Conference pitcher in 1991 and 1992, compiling an impressive 0.95 ERA in 1991 and a 0.96 ERA in 1992. She also holds the all-time single season records at WMU for innings pitched and complete games.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.
Speed and Agility Instructors

Jaime Jackson: Speed-Agility-Conditioning
Coach Jackson is recognized as one of the top instructors in the field of Speed and Conditioning and is one of only three certified SPARQ trainers in the State of Michigan. He was a 3 year starter on the Central Michigan University Football Team as a wide receiver and punt returner on the MAC Championship teams of 1979 and 1980. He was also a top sprinter on the CMU Track Team. Coach Jackson has spent more than two decades teaching physical education and coaching football, track, and baseball at the varsity level. He also has conducted personal training programs for several professional and amateur athletes nationwide.
Full Bio Information, Click Here.

Baseball	Softball
Mark Sackett	Tiffany Worthy
Don Watchowski	Heather Scott
Dylan Putnam	Speed & Agility
Frank DiVito	Jaime Jackson
Mike Micene

Baseball Instructors
	Mark Sackett: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing Coach Sackett is a Level 1 instructor for the nationally recognized “Doyle Baseball Academy” school whose headquarters is in Winter Haven, Florida. He is annually certified as an ongoing Doyle Baseball Instructor and directs several of Doyle’s Midwestern programs. His full time position is as an elementary classroom teacher in the Troy School District. Coach Sackett currently is an assistant coach at Birmingham Groves High School and directs the Michigan Red Sox summer baseball program as well as the Michigan Motor City Pride Fall Showcase and Scout program. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
	Don Watchowski: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing Coach Watchowski is currently in his fourth season as Head Baseball Coach at Birmingham Seaholm High School. His playing career, mostly as an elite infielder, included a three year stint at Michigan State University and one year at Missouri State University. During his senior season, Coach Watchowski batted .331 and led his Missouri State Bears to a National #23 and an NCAA Division I Tournament bid into the Lincoln, Nebraska Regional. Following his collegiate career, Coach Watchowski signed a professional contract with the Ozark Mountain Ducks of the Central Professional League. Coach Watchowski retired from baseball in 2002 and now focuses on player development and instruction. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
	Dylan Putnam: Pitching-Hitting-Fielding Coach Putnam has over 5 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. He has coached and mentored 10 student-athletes who moved on to professional baseball. At Oakland University, Coach Putnam was hired as the University’s first ever, full-time head coach during the fall of 2005 through spring of 2007. He spent three years on staff with the Michigan State University Spartan baseball program where he served as the team’s pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and academic liaison. A 2002 graduate of Michigan State University, Coach Putnam played baseball for the Spartans as well as at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., where he started his career in 1997. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
	Frank DiVito: Hitting-Fielding-Throwing Coach DiVito will begin his eighth season as the head varsity baseball coach at Troy High School during which his teams have won three league titles, two district titles and one regional championship. In 2007 he was selected to coach the top seniors in the East-West All Star Game played at Comerica Park. In addition, he was selected by his coaching peers throughout the area as the Eccentric Newspaper 2007 Coach of the Year. Coach DiVito has also served as the assistant coach at Oakland University the first year it was granted Division I status and has worked for the Detroit Tigers as the batting practice pitcher prior to home games. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
	Mike Micene: Pitching-Hitting Coach Micene has been involved in the baseball instruction and teaching of young athletes for over 25 years. He spent his early baseball career on the East Coast while pitching at Wesleyan College, Eckerd College and playing in the Cape Cod Summer League for the Chatham Athletics earning All-Star status. He is still active as a competitive ballplayer, playing over 15 years in the Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL). He is the current batting title champion in the 35/over league as well as the Triple Crown champ for pitching in the 25/over division as a member of the Detroit MSBL. Coach Micene is a dedicated and focused teacher of all aspects of the game with a specialized emphasis on great pitching techniques. He is also a conditioning expert and works as a Personal Trainer/Sports Conditioning Specialist at the Oakland Athletic Club in Birmingham, MI. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
Softball Instructors
	Tiffany Worthy: Hitting-Fielding-Catching Coach Worthy was a four year varsity letter winner for the University of Michigan Softball Team (2003-2007). She was a part of two Big Ten Tournament Championships, two Regular Season Big Ten Championships and the 2005 NCAA National Championship Team. Coach Worthy’s individual achievements include being named Captain of the 2007 Michigan Softball Team, All-Big Ten Tournament honors in 2006 and being named to the All Big Ten Second Team in 2007. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
	Heather Scott: Pitching Coach Scott played softball for Lake Michigan College (Benton Harbor, MI) from 1988-1990 helping to lead the Lady Indians softball team to back-to-back NJCAA Region XII championships. At LMC she was recognized as First Team All-Conference, All-State, All-Region, and Second Team NJCAA All-American. Transferring to Western Michigan University on a full softball scholarship in 1991, she was a First Team All Mid-American Conference pitcher in 1991 and 1992, compiling an impressive 0.95 ERA in 1991 and a 0.96 ERA in 1992. She also holds the all-time single season records at WMU for innings pitched and complete games. Full Bio Information, Click Here.
Speed and Agility Instructors
	Jaime Jackson: Speed-Agility-Conditioning Coach Jackson is recognized as one of the top instructors in the field of Speed and Conditioning and is one of only three certified SPARQ trainers in the State of Michigan. He was a 3 year starter on the Central Michigan University Football Team as a wide receiver and punt returner on the MAC Championship teams of 1979 and 1980. He was also a top sprinter on the CMU Track Team. Coach Jackson has spent more than two decades teaching physical education and coaching football, track, and baseball at the varsity level. He also has conducted personal training programs for several professional and amateur athletes nationwide. Full Bio Information, Click Here.