Jake Brooks should be avoided at all costs. Our relationship actually started out very good...delivering on lessons and team play as promised but about a year ago, it totally fell of the rails with in excess of 20 kids on a team, not delivering on paid for services (like recruiting video and tournament) and not delivering a team for the season promised at all. Also had to chase and chase for equipment to get something with much less value than what was ordered and delivered.
Parents started talking and it turns out that some kids were being told games were cancelled and others not...and this switched from game to game and at the last minute. However, he only "fielded" one team...just kept a roster of kids enough for two or three teams deep. There were times when promised tournaments that were on our schedule and that we booked travel for on his instructions were cancelled at the last minute because he never paid the entry fee. I could go and on, and I think I am a lucky one becuase in the the end I figure that Mr. Brooks only owes me about $1200. There are parents who paid for much more and never got anything.
I tried so hard to give him the benefit of the doubt with kids and his grandmother and other family problems...but after he has several grandmothers die in a few week period of time (not impossible, but it was one of his favorite excuses), I knew something was up. And other parents heard other times when he used this same excuse. I'm sure he's out of grandmothers by now. He's a conman at best...more likely a criminal.
He did teach my lefty to throw a mean slider. Just wish he would have followed through with everything else. I tried and tried and even got a commitement at one point last fall from him that he would return money to me in several installments and, of course, that never happened.
If you cross paths with Mr. Brooks, go the other way. He is sweet talking and tries so hard to sell it and I am ashamed to say I let it go as long as I did, but please, please don't give him any money. Sooner or later, he'll be gone.