Making it to “The Show” Part II
Did you ever have the feeling that you were being watched? When you make it to “The Show, ” it won’t just be a feeling!
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Making it to “The Show” Part 1
So you finally made it. The next field you play on is going to be surrounded by college coaches, and guess who they might just be looking at? Welcome to “The Show.”
Read MoreA Bad Trend In Young Athletes
As Americans, we’re growing accustomed to putting too much on our plate, and I’m not talking about food. It’s a trend that is influencing young athletes who are being run down physically and mentally with unhealthy schedules and expectations. Who’s to blame?
Read MoreTo Play Up, or Not to Play Up?
In response to my original post, a parent of a 14U travel player comments on the relatively non-competitive nature of 16U softball in their region. She goes on to indicate that many good 14U players skip right up to the 18U level which, in their area, is mainly showcase softball. She asks: a) Should her daughter play up? and b) What type of team should she look for if she is not quite ready to be seen by college coaches?
These are excellent and compelling questions and, although there are no simple answers, I hope my perspective will be helpful to the may players facing similar choices.
Read MoreRecruiting Camps: Good, Bad or Indifferent Part 2
As a follow-up to last week’s post on “Recruiting Camps: Good, Bad or Indifferent?”
I received two excellent questions, the answers to which may be relevant to many of our followers.
The first question refers to a multi-talented player who pitches for her high school and travel teams, but only pitches at around 60 mph. In addition, she is an outstanding hitter and fielder. The father of this athlete is concerned that showcasing as a pitcher might not impress college coaches sufficiently to get them to stick around long enough to see her other considerable abilities.
What follows is an answer which should apply to any prospect under similar circumstances.
Read MoreRecruiting Camps…good, bad, or indifferent?
Every season our older, more advanced students, mainly pitchers, ask the same question: Should I register for a recruiting camp? This is a much more complex issue than it would appear, especially since my answer will likely be different for pitchers than for hitters and fielders.
Read MoreYour Workouts Should NOT Be Too Softball Specific
Are you looking for a softball specific workout? What exactly do you think makes a workout softball specific? In this post, Joe explains how some “sport specific” exercises are not the best choice for athletes and will actually lead to worse performance on the field.
Read More6 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a College
The end of August always sneaks up on us too quickly, doesn’t it? Some of you may have already started your school year, and the rest of you will probably be going back to school sometime within the next couple of weeks. If you’re a high school senior, you’ll be sending in your college applications, and if you’re a junior, you should start visiting colleges if you haven’t already. Choosing a college can be an overwhelming process, and if you want to play softball it can get even more complicated. For the vast majority of junior and senior softball players who will be walking onto a college team, or even younger players who may be recruited but have not yet committed to a school, here are some critical questions you should be asking.
Read MoreAre You Strong Enough to Play Softball In College?
For this week’s post, I decided to pull some YouTube clips of college softball strength and conditioning off-season workouts. I think it’s important for parents and athletes to realize the physical committment it takes to be a part of a high level program. If you plan on playing softball in college, this will be your reality.
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