You’ve probably heard a lot about what pitches you absolutely need to be able to throw in order to make a college softball team. If you’ve bounced around between different pitching coaches or different travel teams, you’ve probably even heard a lot of conflicting information—that college coaches never call fastballs, that you absolutely must have a rise ball, blah blah blah. Well, today I’m going to tell you the truth!
Read MoreI’ve received more than one question about what position a pitcher’s hand should be in at various points around the arm circle. Today I’m going to break that down, and also point out the overall arm position at various points in the motion as it relates to timing.
Read MoreIf we haven’t made it clear enough, strength training is NOT OPTIONAL if you want to be a serious softball player, especially if you have aspirations of playing in college. I’ve also lived through a teenaged softball career, and I remember clearly how busy I often felt and how when I was feeling overwhelmed, the workout was often the first thing to go. Though it’s a little late for my pitching career, I’m now working out more than ever, and I’ve come up with a simple little system that keeps me from slacking off.
Read MoreYou don’t want to stumble across a grizzly bear cub if it’s mother is around the corner. And sometimes, the parents of the girls on your softball team can be just as scary.
Read MoreThere is something you can do as a coach that is almost completely in your control and has nothing to do with teaching skills or managing tough game situations. Yet, it can easily strengthen your team, especially if you’re involved with a school program. This post is aimed mainly at coaches of school teams, but it’s good advice for rec/travel coaches as well.
Read MoreI’ve been coaching softball for many years now, but I was a player for even longer. I, as any long-time player does, had coaches I respected and coaches behind whose backs I complained endlessly. While one might argue that simple competence means nothing if a coach does not promote a healthy emotional environment, a positive spirit, and responsible behavior, it is the essential foundation for good coaching. A coach may be an extraordinarily pleasant and caring person, and try wholeheartedly to cultivate these feelings within the team; but without skill and tremendous knowledge of the game, a coach will not earn the respect of his/her team.
Read MoreAs I mentioned in my first post of this coaching series, your primary objective as a coach at all times should be to facilitate the physical AND emotional growth of the athletes under your watch. Aside from your general demeanor, the most concrete way to handle this is by setting goals. A sports team, especially one comprised of teen girls, is a delicate ecosystem, and like many other aspects of coaching, goal setting can easily become counterproductive if not done sensitively. Today we’re going to discuss how to set solid, productive team goals.
Read MoreThis wasn’t exactly my original plan for article #2 in my coaching series, but with Colin Kaepernick leading the 49ers to the Superbowl in Alex Smith’s place, I’m reminded that we all need to talk about concussions—in fact, I don’t think we can really talk about concussion safety enough.
For any of you who don’t follow football, Alex Smith began this season as the 49ers starting quarterback, and was doing pretty darn well before suffering a concussion mid-season. He wasn’t out of commission for long, but Colin Kaepernick did so well in his place that Smith lost his job, for no reason other than that he got hurt. I could rant on and on about concussions in professional football and how having to worry about losing your job if you have one is not a good situation…but we’ll keep this about coaching and parenting young athletes.
Read MoreI’m going to take a little break from the technical pitching info and spend a few weeks talking about what is probably the most important aspect of fastpitch softball: coaching. I know a lot of our readers are probably coaches, and parents who are not necessarily trained coaches but are volunteering their time to give their children the opportunity to play softball. Hopefully the information I provide in this series of articles will help you spruce up your coaching skills and move you toward achieving the common goal we all have: positively affecting the lives of young athletes and creating a playing environment that helps them grow not just as players, but as people also.
Read MoreAs a softball player, you’re always at some risk for injury by sudden accident—getting hit by a pitch or a hit ball, sliding awkwardly, colliding with another player, etc.—and there usually isn’t anything you can do to prevent this type of injury. It’s just part of the game. However, as you probably know, that isn’t the only way you can get hurt. Repetitive use injuries, or sudden injuries that result from an inherent weakness in the body, affect a tremendous number of athletes across all sports. Today we’re going to discuss how they happen, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them if you get one.
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