Field of Dreams Practice & Training Academy

Field of Dreams Practice & Training Academy Indoor training facility in Lancaster that WILL improve your skills. NOTE/WE DO NOT SELL UNIFORMS. Welcome to Field of Dreams Practice and Training Academy!
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Field of Dreams is the result of a shared passion for teaching the games of fastpitch softball and baseball by three individuals; Chris Zaker, Allan Anderson & Don Holbrook. We knew that there was tremendous demand and need for an indoor softball and baseball training facility in Lancaster Ohio. These same sentiments have been shared by many other people in this area who have thought about doing s

omething like this for many years. They all say the same thing..."I'm waiting on investors, we can't find the right building, I'm not sure the risk is worth the reward", etc. Pooling our efforts and resources, we decided to stop talking about it, stop Dreaming about it and start doing something about it! We found an excellent location in the center of Lancaster, near General Sherman Jr. High School and began the process. We already had the LLC and Tax ID #. We simply needed to create our partnership agreement, and pool our thoughts on the best way to make this work. We decided that starting small, and possibly working up to an expansion was a better route than taking more of a risk and borrowing $1,000,000 from a bank and building a much larger facility. We knew that we could make this work if we started smaller. Don and Chris bring the softball knowledge, the contacts with other teams and coaches, and the passion to work the business. We both have been actively involved in teaching and coaching the game of fastpitch softball for at least 6 years each. Allan brings the baseball knowledge, the history of running a facility similar to this, and the ever-important part...the hitting cages, machines and the knowledge of how to set up a room. It doesn't hurt that he also brings the experience of a guy who has lived the Dream...as he played in the Major League as a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins for six years! We met for lunch one day at Panera Bread and Field of Dreams started to form. That evening, the three of us met again to look at the equipment that Allen owned, to see how his personal facility was set up and to discuss further how this Dream could become a reality. From that meeting Field of Dreams became a reality. Less than a month later, we have all paperwork signed, the building secured, the bank account opened, the vendor's license approved, and a plan to get this business up and running. The key to our success is to ensure that enough revenue is earned during the winter months to sustain the business during the summer months. We decided that we would reach out to a network of baseball and softball instructors and secure enough lesson time to help us through those tough months. We will also permit the facility to be used for peripheral purposes such as speed & agility training, aerobics training, etc. There may be other potential for the space as well. Those interested in gaining access to the facility for other purposes are encouraged to reach out to us so we can discuss these uses. So, the business has begun. Now it is time to put all of this thought into action, and turn our passion into improvement in the kids in and around Lancaster Ohio. We look forward to serving you, and are welcome to any suggestion as to ways we can improve the services we offer. Our standard services we offer will be (baseball and softball):
Hitting lessons, pitching lessons, defensive technique lessons, catching lessons, hitting leagues, hitting & pitching practice area for rent, entire facility rentals for teams, individual contests for the customers, birthday party facility rentals, and team sleepover facility rentals. We will offer t-shirts for sale as well as healthy snacks and drinks for our customers and spectators. More offerings will be considered in the future. Thank you for visiting our page, for your support of our business, and most importantly for your interest in the development of the young athletes we serve. Chris, Don & Allan
Field of Dreams Management

08/31/2026

Hey there, everybody, Coach Donnie will have to cancel his lessons tonight. He sends his apologies. And a reminder next Monday is the holiday and we will not be having lessons.

So sorry for the late notification!

08/29/2026

Let’s go!!

Some amazing stuff happening at FOD tonight.First wave of athletes learning how to properly sequence their bodies for ma...
08/28/2026

Some amazing stuff happening at FOD tonight.
First wave of athletes learning how to properly sequence their bodies for maximum efficiency and throwing velo, courtesy of Performance Velocity Systems

Matt is amazing at this stuff.

Round 2 coming at 7:30.
(Sold out!)

08/26/2026

PVS Throwing Clinic registrations for this Friday:
Note-FOD has nothing to do with registrations, cancellations, changes etc.
We are posting this here more as an FYI for the athletes than anything else.
If you have questions reach out to Matt at PVS.
Please park on the street or in the lot to the South of FOD.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF KARSHNER’s. They have evening appointments for their customers.
You can also park at Filter Technology, that amazing air filter sales company just North of FOD. 😁

4:30 Group:
Audrey Kilpatrick
Hannah Ecksmith
Ava Riley
Emma Riley
Izzy Schultz
Layla Geiger
Makayla Chapman
Jianna Shaker
Sophia Longshoth
Brooklyn Gamby
Mycah Massey ****
Brie Jennings

7:30 group
Kenison Richard
Maci Stafford
Alanna Myers ***
Reese Hughes
Emilyn Delaney
Iris Crites
Bailee Walter
Joslyn Cable
Layna Howard
Sophia Richardson ***
Quinn Dorr ***
Natalie Brownfield ***

****denotes hasn’t paid

The Ross Family is very dear to one of our instructors, Coach Donny. He has had the pleasure of coaching and giving less...
08/25/2026

The Ross Family is very dear to one of our instructors, Coach Donny. He has had the pleasure of coaching and giving lessons to their daughters. We are also partnering with the Ross family to sponsor a scholarship fund for the event. Keep watch, more details to follow.

08/25/2026

Field of Dreams player spotlight!

Meet Logan HS (Ohio) '28 pitcher Kaelin Thompson.

Kaelin (KK) has been training with FOD pitching instructor Cassidy Zaker and has been really working hard on developing her drop ball.
Tonight...in KK's words..
"It clicked!"

Keep up the hard work, KK!

***Balance is a 2-way street***Have had several parents reach out to me recently to discuss their daughter’s catching st...
08/24/2026

***Balance is a 2-way street***

Have had several parents reach out to me recently to discuss their daughter’s catching stance.  The main question u get is regarding a knee down stance and whether they should learn that or stick with the traditional two-footed approach? 
The 2nd most common stance-related question is whether or not I can help get their daughter be quicker at blocking.
Umm…I thought the question was about her stance…what does that have to do with their blocking quickness?
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!!!!

1.  Should your daughter start to learn a knee down stance and if so, at what age should she start learning that? Regardless of her age, the answer is “right now!!“. I don’t care if she’s nine years old and just started catching one week ago or 20 years old  going into a third year of college softball. Absolutely she should learn a knee down stance and practice her receiving in that stance. Ever since 2021 (when the data was first made available to the general public about the drastic increase in framing effectiveness from a knee-down stance) I have been a huge supporter of this. So yes, you should learn it and get comfortable doing it.

But…in the beginning, only use that method when there was nobody on base. I do have a lot of catchers who use it with runners are on base as well… but before they try that they must learn how to make throw downs, how to block balls to the right left and straight down, how to fire out of the hole to cover a bunt or go get a pop fly… how to shoot up out of the stance to catch a wild pitch that is too high, etc.  It is absolutely possible to use the KD stance with ROB, but they must learn the precise techniques. They must learn exactly how their body should be positioned in the stance to provide maximum balance, athleticism and mobility. Those three keys are absolutely essential in their stance.
Look at this attached photograph… This is Fairfield Union HS Senior & JMU commit Ella Harmon from 2+ years ago.
👀 at that balance front to back.
(Balance is a two-way street… the Catcher must be balanced from right to left, but also front to back!!)

(VERY IMPORTANT!)))
Most catchers have too much of their weight leaning back on their heels. If you look at them from the side it looks like their back is straight up, which puts the majority of their weight towards the rear.
This picture shows incredible balance.
She is balanced, athletic and mobile.
If there is a pitch in the dirt she get to a blocking position in < .18-.20 seconds! (Umm…yeah that can be measured!).

How can you get more weight forward when in a stance??
Teeter totter. Tell the catcher that the line from her tailbone to her neck is a teeter totter. if you want to get the shoulders and head going forward and down, then her butt must come up a little bit!!!
 I will actually post a training video about this within the next week!
Just wanted to show this pic of Ella.

***Safety rules for FOD attendees***And…parking spot reminders.Starting tonight on Mondays and Wednesdays we will have 4...
08/24/2026

***Safety rules for FOD attendees***
And…parking spot reminders.

Starting tonight on Mondays and Wednesdays we will have 4 instructors training students simultaneously. Some other training facilities prohibit parents and siblings from the training area.
We have always believed it is important for parents to see and hear what their child is being taught. Therefore,we support you watching, making notes, taking pictures and videos!.
In order to provide a safe training environment for our students and all onlookers we need people to remain in their specified area.
See the attached diagram. This is going to be vital on Mon & Wed when Don and Shawn both have hitting groups, Cassidy has a pitcher in the lane and Chris will have up to 2 catchers working in the central catcher’s training area.
All that is happening at the same time.

Parents-if you want to observe your daughter’s lesson please position yourself accordingly per this diagram.
ATTN INCOMING STUDENTS:
Incoming students and their parents must stay in the front waiting area until it is time for their workout.
We cannot have people walking through the catchers’ training area during their workout, for your safety as well as theirs. (There are times that Shawn’s hitting group ends at :15 or :45, so that will be unavoidable!). Please cross through very carefully!

Incoming catchers and pitchers (ONLY) may go to the plyoball wall to start their warmup process with a plyoball. No parents need to go over there…they can certain handle grabbing a blue PB and start their warmup process!
(No pitching warmups to a catcher in that area-all pitches must be with a PB to the PB wall).

SIBLINGS::
Siblings must be kept under control at all times during lessons. We know it can be difficult for a younger child to remain seated while their older sister is in a lesson, but they must be controlled. They cannot run around, throw, hit or jump on our trampoline. It is simply not safe so please keep watchful eye.

One last reminder…parking will be challenging. You may park on the asphalt lot anywhere between FOD & the wooden fence to the South (except the driveway to the garage door for 725 Slocum (FCA Archery).
PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF KARSHNER’s. They often have evening appointments for their clients and those spots belong to them.
You can park anywhere on the opposite side of the street anywhere between Habitat for Humanity all the way to the gymnastics facility. You can also park in the last few spots in front of the brick bldg to the north of Karshner’s.
Just do not block that garage door.
Also….you may park anywhere in the gravel lot on 8th Ave (entrance to Filter Technology) between FOD & Dairy Queen.

While the weather is still nice this won’t be much of an inconvenience to help keep the peace with our neighbors!

FOD Mgt.

Was such a joy to start working with a younger group again and coaching with two daughters, both of which who were previ...
08/23/2026

Was such a joy to start working with a younger group again and coaching with two daughters, both of which who were previously coached by me. ❤️
our roster currently has a solid eight and we are looking for three more talented players, primarily infield/outfield/catchers. Pitching is solid.
Girls will be taught and play multiple positions.
Chris Zaker 740-243-8850
Cassidy 740-243-8815
Alison Zaker 740-243-6791

Pride ‘16 - Zaker had our first practice yesterday! These girls spent lots of time fine tuning their base running, learning about different infield throwing techniques, and their favorite part of the day: pulling weeds. We are so impressed with this group after just one practice and can’t wait to see what this season has in store!

Address

731 Slocum Street
Lancaster, OH
43130

Opening Hours

Monday 5pm - 9pm
Tuesday 5pm - 9pm
Wednesday 5pm - 9pm
Thursday 5pm - 9pm
Friday 5pm - 9pm

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