Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

This weeks lineup:Warmup Segment:Listener Question: What are our thoughts on walk-up music (@13:50)Paige's Power Play (@20:15)College D1 Recruiting Changes (@27:45)D1 pre-selecting Regional Playoff Host Sites (@32:18)College Softball is Really Really Good (@38:05)Slap Defense 2nd baseman up close (@49:37)Support the show

We have had a lively Facebook discussion of our blog post on "a strikeout is just an out". The coaches discuss the concept that it is very difficult to have multiple swing mechanics. At the next game you attend watch the reaction of players, fans and coaches between going back to the dugout after striking out and after just poking the ball to the infield. Often we see shame in striking out even if it was a good at bat versus "good try" on a dribbler to the infield. Listen and get their opinions on " a strikeout is just an out".Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question:  Disappointment over not being team captain. (@16:27)Paige's Power Play: (@19:31)Interview with a Texas umpire on the shortage of umpires and the challenges facing umpires today: (@23:08)Safety Bases should be used at all levels: (@49:44)Preparing your team to play in bad weather: (@58:39)Support the show

The coaches discuss how to set up practice to make our baserunners better. The quickest way for a runner to advance is for them to be able to judge the ball and determine if it should get caught, might get caught or won't get caught. By the time a coach makes the determination and telephones it to the runner we probably have lost a base. But how much time do we practice this? Listen as they tell you how to set up practices to train them.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentAre parents just unhappy and what is the root cause. Do we really have that many bad coaches or are people just generally unhappy. Let's find the middle ground. (@19:56)The coaches talk about some strange endings to games and what we can learn. If high level teams can get confused, so can our teams. (@32:47)When you coach long enough you have a stack of buckets. How many times have you seen adults at the field trying to get a stack of buckets unstuck. (@46:37)Purchase Square Cuts Training Discsfastpitchprep.comSupport the show

Managing pitching staffs and allocating innings to the different pitchers is a difficult task. It takes a plan. You need to blend the objectives of the team and the development of the pitchers. One thing is for certain, to develop pitchers you have to play more games. To play more games you have to win more so that you go deeper into the tournaments. The coaches discuss different concepts that will help you come up with a plan for your staff. Support the show

This Weeks Lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: My daughter struggled during her first big tournament, should I panic? (@9:50)Paige's Power Play (@14:53)Softball has moved up to the 4th ranked sport  in college athletics. (@20:19)State of the umpiring crews. We have a serious shortage of umpires and coaches, tournament directors and parents have to get onboard with helping improve the situation. (@31:03)Coaches we have to do a better job on identifying our player's weaknesses and let them know specifically what they need to work on.  If you have ever said that we can't hit slow pitchers, then you need to listen to this. (@42:54)Purchase Square Cuts Training Discsfastpitchprep.comSupport the show

A listener asks the question of how to become a college coach. Tory and Don give their experiences and discuss what you need to do and how to go about it. If you have ever given it a thought, you need to listen to this episode.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question:  What are our thoughts on putting together a schedule.  (@9:38)Paige's Power Play (@16:00)Part 2 of interview with Justin McLeod of Justin's World of Softball. (@22:22)What do we think about the 1 knee down catching technique? (@49:56)Setting your defense. (@1:02:11)Purchase Square Cuts Training Discsfastpitchprep.comSupport the show

Coaching the bases is a full time job. It is the coaches responsibility to be totally focused on the base runners and continuously remind them of the situations. Just as players strive to be great, coaches need to strive to be great base coaches. Players need to practice to get better, coaches need to practice with them to get better. Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup segmentListener Question: Should I get a catcher's glove? (@9:38)Paige's Power Play (@12:24)Interview with Justin McLeod of Justins World of Softball (justinsworldsb.com) (@17:30)Field Conditions and the situations we experience in tournaments. (@46:45)Playing the sun fields on defense. (@56:45)Purchase Square Cuts Training Discsfastpitchprep.comSupport the show

We have all seen it. Team is struggling and the coach is not changing anything. The bench players and their parents are not happy because they are not getting a chance to see if they are better. The coaches discuss this problem and give our coaching friends some strategies to use in this situation. In fact, some of these strategies should be put to use even if you have a winning team.Purchase Square Cuts Training DiscsSupport the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup segmentListener question: My daughter says she wants to play high level college ball but doesn't realize the work ethic needed. (@11:24)Paige's Power Play (@16:16)How do you handle Sportsmanship questions when you run rule a team. (@23:40)Grab bag of questions (@33:38)Signals - Don't overdo it (@44:12)Purchase Square Cuts Training Discsfastpitchprep.comSupport the show

The verb "Try" means to attempt something. The verb "Do" means to achieve or complete something. Try has a built in level of failure. If we attempt to do something and don't make it we can always say we tried. It makes it too easy to quit. If we attempt to do something with the attitude that we will "do it", we will keep trying until we achieve it. Trying is just one of the steps to doing something, not the goal. Simple things like this can alter our player's mindset and help them perform at a higher level.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warm up SegmentListener Question:  My daughter is a super freshman and her coach never gives her a chance to play. During the recruiting process she was told she would be a starter. Do you have any advice? And should she transfer? (@12:20)Here is a link to an article describing what the coaches were talking about.  Some Quotes from the article:“Coming in I knew I had to compete,” Brito said. “We’re at a collegiate level now that everybody is good. Coming in I didn’t really have any goals such as that, but I said to myself compete every day, give everything I’ve got every practice and every day. Competing constantly.”“She brings a great energy to our team and we have seen it in practice,” center fielder Haley Cruse said.“I think my hard work and dedicating myself a lot to getting better every day has helped me over the years and I’ve tried to carry that into college and do the best that I can each game and put everything out there,” Brito said. “I want to go in there and be aggressive and als

It is still winter although we want to treat softball practice like its spring.  Indoor practices are the only option for a lot of the country due to weather conditions. With the right attitude indoor practices can be very beneficial and can give us the opportunity to work on things from a different perspective. And sometimes these can make improvements better than out on a field.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Lead off segmentListener Question: Coach is putting together his summer schedule. A lot of doubts about what will happen.  Wants coaches opinion of what they think about how to put the schedule together.  (@12:10)Paige's Power Play (@17:51)Recap of College Softball Kickoff (@25:50)Phenomenon of college coaches coaching teams at recruiting camps (@40:38)Throwing and Catching: Fundamental skills that players are not doing on their own.  (@52:03)Support the show

All teams have players at different skill levels. Could the difference between winning at the end of the season be how much you players with the lessor skills have advanced? You have weaker hitters and fielders with weaker skills. If your practice plans push those players as well as your top players they will close the gap. Often starters or the best players receive the most reps because we view them as the key to winning. We want you to think about if my weaker players can contribute more how much that will affect winning. If you reduce the fallout between the top of the batting order and the bottom you can keep that rally alive. If they make more defensive plays you get more outs.  Coaches, it's up to you to make your team better, not just the top players.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: Getting a pitcher in better shape (@10:51)Paige's Power Play (@16:33)Coaching staff and how to use them more effectively (@26:21)Getting players ready for college ball (@49:43)Quality outfield practice (@54:32)Support the show

We have all seen it. You have an athlete that doesn't think they have to abide by the same standards as the other players. Many times it is a very talented player who thinks they are better than other players and should have special privileges. Sometimes this is a home problem and sometimes it is a coaching problem. We have seen where an athlete was a difference maker on a team and the parents exploit that for special privileges. And sometimes the coaches create the problem because they fear losing the player to another team.Support the show