ABOUT US
YRDWRK ECOLOGY
Our Story
At our core, we believe baseball is more than a game—it’s an opportunity to build confident, resilient individuals.
Our mission is to develop athletes in an environment where growth is prioritized over outcomes, and failure is embraced as a necessary part of the process. We teach players to trust their training, compete freely, and play without fear—because that’s where real development happens.
In a world that often focuses on results, we focus on the habits that create them. Effort, discipline, and mindset are at the center of everything we do. We challenge our athletes to step outside their comfort zones, take risks, and learn from every experience—both success and failure.
But what we build goes beyond the field.
We are committed to developing young athletes who carry confidence, accountability, and resilience into every area of their lives. Whether they continue in baseball or not, the lessons they learn here will stay with them long after the game is over.
This is more than training.
This is development with purpose.
MEET OUR STAFF
Jacob (JD) Madrid
Creator/Coach
INFO COMING SOON
jACE SMITH
Coach
Jace was raised in Dripping Springs, Texas, and played basketball and baseball growing up until making baseball a full-time commitment in High School. Jace was a three-year letter at Dripping Springs High School under Head Coach Tom Hancock receiving 1st team All-District Honors sophomore and senior season, Most Valuable Player senior year as well as first team All Central Texas senior year. Jace went on to play two seasons at Hill Junior College earning best pitcher award sophomore year and from there he attended King College (now King University) in Bristol, Tennessee under Head Coach Mark Conkin from 2007-2008. While there, he garnered the best era in the nation in NAIA with a 1.06 and ended up signing a free agent contract with The Kansas City Royals in 2008 after completion of his senior year.
Jace attended spring training with The Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League in 2009 but retired to finish his degree at Sam Houston State in December of 2009, earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. In December 2010, Jace became an associate scout for the Houston Astros tracking first year player draft eligible high school and college players as well as hosting pre-draft workouts and tryout camps. Jace has been part of the Summer Collegiate League, Perfect Game Collegiate League, and the San Diego League coaching circuit. Jace volunteered as an assistant coach for Longwood University in Virginia before Covid-19 halted the 2020 spring season. He continues scouting today while coaching private lessons and with Yardwork Ecology.
Jace enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking as well as the art of horticulture. Jace says that once his baseball career is over, he would like to be a small-time farmer and raise cattle like his late Grandpa Charles Smith.
nICK KONE
Coach
Coach Kone is a former NJCAA and NCAA pitcher who has turned his lifelong love of the game into a career in coaching and player development. After graduating from Texas State University with a BBA in Marketing in 2014, he worked in the insurance industry while continuing to pour into the sport through select and travel baseball. He is currently the head baseball coach at San Marcos Academy.
For over 10 years, Coach Kone has coached athletes from 8U to 17U—helping players build strong fundamentals, compete with confidence, and grow as leaders on and off the field. Today, his passion is mentoring players and families through the travel circuit, and we’re grateful to have him bring that same energy and commitment to our program.
Off the field, Coach Kone is married to his wonderful wife, Sarah, and together they share a love for baseball and the opportunities it brings to families and communities.
JOEY VANLANNINGHAM
SPEED & aGILITY COACH
INFO COMING SOON
KRISTEN ROSE
ADMIN/OPERATIONS
If you’ve signed up for a lesson, received a camp email, or gotten a reminder about payments… there’s a good chance Kristen was behind it.
Kristen helps keep the wheels turning at Yardwork by handling scheduling, registrations, communication with families, and the countless behind-the-scenes details that make the program run smoothly. While the coaches are working with players on the field, Kristen is usually the one making sure everything else stays organized.
She’s also a full-time baseball mom—which means she’s very familiar with early mornings, late nights, and the smell of a ballfield in the summer. When she’s not behind a computer coordinating Yardwork events, you can usually find her at a baseball field somewhere cheering on her kids or running a Game Changer.
Kristen believes baseball teaches some of life’s best lessons—hard work, resilience, and how to handle both success and failure with confidence. She also believes every good baseball program needs someone keeping the chaos organized… and she’s happy to volunteer as tribute.