This "athletic position" is practiced in nearly every sport (with very slight modifications). It's the position that Brian Urlacher assumes while playing middle linebacker. It's the position that a basketball player uses while playing defense. It's even used in golf--just watch Tiger Woods as he prepares to drive a golf ball.
The athletic position is also used in nearly every aspect of baseball. Most commonly, our team goes into this position on defense as the pitcher releases the baseball. But, this is the same position (with slight modifications) that we use while leading off of a base, during our batting stance while preparing to hit and while getting ready to delivery a pitch. Note how this batting stance is nearly identical to the fielding position with the exception of having the arms raised slightly:
It's a focus on the basic fundamentals that will allow us to build the foundation for improvement during the season. One of our goals is to be sure that all of our players are in a proper athletic position so that they give themselves the greatest chance for success.
