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“Over Christmas break (2019) I went in to EAP to see Mike. I wanted to see if I had any velo leaks in my mechanics. My first pen with Mike I was sitting 79-81 and was looking to throw a lot harder. This is my second year off of labrum surgery and still haven’t seen the velo jumps I wanted to see. At EAP Mike broke down every little thing about my mechanics with the slow mo cameras and recommended a few things that he thought would help. Some of the tips were mechanical, some of the tips were new stretches and new med ball work. I have already been up to 86 this season and looking for that to keep going up. Without Mike none of this would be possible. Mike always made the process about us (the athlete) and never about him. It made Mike a really easy guy to trust and listen to. Also he is one of the smartest people I’ve ever talked to in the baseball field” 

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Client Testimonial

Austin Cross LHP

Henderson State University

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“I talk to a lot of baseball guys on a routine basis. My son, a 16-year-old junior, hits at a facility 10 minutes from our house. The GM of the facility has a son who’s a pitcher in AA ball - one that’s gotten there quick. With my son being a pitcher, it was natural to want to pick his brain so I did. One common theme of our discussions and what his son does for this organization was Driveline. 

 

I also work at a school with, in my opinion, the best HS baseball coach in this state. Nobody has done more w/ less over a long period of time than this guy. He’s got 6 rings and both sons played college baseball. What does he do w/ his pitchers? Driveline.

 

My son is also very fortunate. He’s fortunate to be talented; to be a hard worker; and to perform well in front of the right people. This led him to receiving the dream offer from the dream school in August. He committed shortly after. This is a perennial powerhouse SEC baseball program. Speaking w/ their pitching coach and picking his brain. What do you do with your guys? Driveline.

 

My son plays summer ball w/ some very talented kids. Some that are throwing w/ really advanced velocity for their age - especially the NEA guys who work out at this certain facility. What do you guys do up there, I asked? Driveline.

 

So I began scouring my area for guys that were professionals who believed in/practiced driveline. This search quickly led me to a guy I had already been following religiously on Twitter - Michael Richards. 

 

About that time, my son went to Florida for a tournament and played with another local kid who will be his teammate this summer. A really good player that was a centerpiece for a big-time HS team and already a D-I commit himself. His father and I became fast friends and we talked. Apparently it was this dude and this facility in his hometown that really helped his game go to another level. 

 

That facility was EAP, and that person was Michael Richards. 

 

I was sold. My son and I met w/ Coach Mike, and despite a short offseason, he’s seen gains across the board attending EAP’s workouts. 

 

EAP is at the cutting edge of the baseball world. You’re doing the same stuff there that they’re doing in the SEC and the MLB. And NOBODY knows their stuff better than Coach Mike. Simply put, you’re crazy if you’re in Central AR and don’t take advantage of this place.”

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Jay Lupo

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“Over Christmas break (2019) I went to EAP in Benton, Arkansas with a couple of my teammates. I was about 10 months post Tommy John surgery and needed some fine tuning with my mechanics. I went to this facility intending on fixing my lead leg lock. I came in and topped out in my bullpen at 79 mph and I felt all out of wack. Mike was able to break down my mechanics with his high tech camera and noticed I wasn’t hinging at all on as well as no lead leg lock.  He gave me some med ball drills to help blend into my mound work. Within the next month I was sitting 90-91 off the mound, a 12 mph difference than when I first showed up at EAP.”

 

Taylor Langston 

Henderson State University

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My name is Katie Morrison and I am going to play volleyball at Cowley in Arkansas City, Kansas. I heard about mikes through my friend riley in December of 2018 (the end of sophomore year). I immediately started in January of 2019!! I was always the scrawny unsure player that could barely lift the bar and my vertical was not anything impressive. I always knew I wanted to play in college so finding a trainer was definitely something I needed. I went to EAP everyday after school for about an hour for 2 years and in the summer. It was something that I simply enjoyed doing. Lifting weights became something that made me feel stronger mentally and physically. In just a short amount of time my vertical began to go up and I began seeing a big difference in how hard I could hit the ball. It made moving on the court so much smoother. Deadlift is my favorite workout and I reached my goal max of 300 pounds. Only goes up from there!! 

EAP definitely turned me into a way better athlete in just the short years I was there. I became a way stronger and more confident player. 

I would recommend EAP to anyone that has dreams of becoming a college athlete or just wanting to strengthen for high-school sports. EAP is somewhere I can go to make friends and get stronger! 

I committed to Cowley CC in March 2020 and am so excited to continue my volleyball career. I could not have done it without EAP! 

Thank you!

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“My all time goal was to make it to the collegiate level to play baseball. My senior year at Bryant High School I had a few offers in which wanted to make me up my game. My senior year I started going to Salt County where I met Mike Richards. My velo steadily climbed after training with Mike. That summer of my senior year was the first time hitting 90 and a ton of credit goes to Mike along with the coaches that helped me along the way. After seeing the results from training there 1 summer I continued to do the same. The next fall I started my first semester at Henderson State University where I still continue to play baseball today. Over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks i trained at EAP where I continued to see constant gains in velocity and strength.

My freshman Spring as a Reddie I had an amazing season but knew I could be better than that. The next summer I went back to Mikes where my velo climbed all the way up to 93 and the next season was even better than my freshman year. My junior year I got hurt and never thought I would be able to play again but with the great Athletic trainers at Henderson State and Mike Richards I was able to take the mound again. 

My velo after surgery went all the way down to 75 and the next summer I trained at EAP and my velo steadily climbed to 85-86 and now i have topped out at 88. Being able to train with Mike and get to see everything that he does for the athletes that train there, i wanted to be apart of that. Mike has taught me a lot about the game and what it takes to be the best you can possibly be. If you’re looking for a place to train during your season off-season I highly suggest getting a hold of Mike Richards at EAP!”

 

Blake Patterson

Sr. Henderson State University

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“* How to be an athlete

* The grind never stops

* How to push yourself on your own

* Lessons about working hard as an athlete and in life

* Not brag about the work you put in; work hard in silence and let success do the talking.

 

When I asked my kids what EAP has taught them, these are some of the phrases they said.  We started at EAP about 4 years ago when my son was 13 and my daughter was 11.  We were looking for a place they can learn about fitness and learn how to take care of their bodies as athletes.  Michael and EAP was their new home!  Over the years the building and technology have changed, but they still feel at home.  Michael cares about each of his athletes and is committed to learning new things that will help them be the best they can be. 

From a parent’s perspective, I have seen their confidence grow.  They started at a very hard time in a kids’ life; middle school and junior high are difficult with self-doubt and body image issues always lurking.  After just a few months at EAP, their confidence grew, and they were feeling strong physically and emotionally.  So many things can shake the foundation of a child’s self-image, but my kids were gaining confidence in themselves and their abilities.  THIS IS PRICELESS!  Having them believe they could accomplish anything with the right preparation and work ethic, in my opinion, is one of the best gifts EAP has given to my kids. 

My son is about to start his junior season for Benton Baseball and will continue his career at University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  My daughter is a Freshman and working hard to earn a spot on the varsity team next season for Benton Volleyball.  No matter what their athletic careers have in store for them, they are better and more confident people because of their time spent with Michael and EAP.”

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Client Testimonial

Christy Garrett, Parent

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