Clifton B Neeley

Clifton Neeley was born in Cortez, Colorado. After his birth, his family moved to a small “story book” farm 5 miles north of the city where he attended a two room K-8 country school.

The 81 acre farm included a 17 acre apple orchard, several gardens from which his mother selected fresh vegetables to can, a mesa to the east full of large boulders; a trout stream identified the west border, a grassy pasture was north of the house and barn, and wildlife was plentiful. A stock watering pond, which served as the neighborhood swimming pool was nestled to the north and east between two mesas. There were Native American Indian artifacts in several burial grounds on the farm.

Cliff and his siblings roamed freely on the farm and experienced life in an array of physical activities and mental quandaries. Many of their toys were handmade objects, tools and sports equipment. Bicycles, football pads, ice skates and BB guns were about the only equipment which couldn’t be made from willows, string and baling wire. During high school, he turned his attention to sports playing baseball, basketball and football.

Cliff worked his way through college at the University of Northern Colorado, and graduated with a degree for coaching of baseball and business education.

Clifton pitched and played baseball and fast-pitch softball in the mountainous southwest Colorado area (from 4,000 feet in Grand Junction to 6,000 feet in Durango to 9,000 feet in Telluride) prior to his college experience in baseball. Exposure to baseball at various temperatures and altitudes has given him a practical understanding of the physics associated with ball movement versus air density.

Clifton Neeley grew up playing baseball at a wide range of elevations in Colorado. His research has included physics, aeronautics, meteorology, engineering, construction, pressurization, kinesiology, altitudinal effects on the human body and the psychology of sports performance. His goal is to provide talented youth with the confidence to continue working through the frustration of regional and national performance difficulties which have more to do with the venue than lack of individual talent.