Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

This week we emphasis how important it is for coaches and parents to instill an "I can do it attitude". In all parts of life, not just softball, the confidence and attitude that I can do anything leads to great success. Not all people naturally have that attitude. But, we as adults can lead our players and children down that path. You don't start out by placing them in the most stressful situation they will see then try to convince them that everything is okay. Listen as the coaches discuss working on developing this talent.Support the show

Listen to this weeks episode of Everything Fastpitch. We discuss the following topics:Using some type of heart protection to protect the pitcher.A listener question: Can a left handed player be a catcher?Paige's Power Play.Could colleges solve their sports economic problems by adding certain sports rather than dropping sports?Our now weekly update of the impact of COVID-19 on the softball world.Coaching Tip of the Week: Solving the problem of the wrists rolling over too early when hitting.Everyone have a great week and stay positive in these troubling times.Support the show

Base running is an underutilized offensive weapon, We go over a base running checklist of how a base runner should react in certain situations. This is not something that can just be explained but must be practiced. A player with these skills can elevate her performance and make her a much more valuable asset for the team.Support the show

This weeks episode has been split into 2 separate podcast downloads. This is the first part without an interview we did concerning anxiety and mental issues. We have our equipment tip of the week and  a listener question. We follow with what has unfortunately become our normal Corona update segment. Corona has far overshadowed softball news. We end up with a segment on pulling pitchers. When, how and what's best to develop a pitching staff.Support the show

This is the interview segment of the weekly podcast. It covers anxiety and other mental issues that young people experience. We felt it was important enough that instead of breaking it into 2 parts, we would post the complete interview as a separate podcast. It is an interview with Heather Murphy, LCSW. Heather is a former college softball player that experienced anxiety during her playing days. She works with parents of anxious teens but also specializes in working with high school and college students. She has a passion for helping student-athletes that struggle with anxiety. It's a great listen as the coaches and Heather talk about issues and how to help those struggling.Support the show

The outcome of each game can be put in one of four categories. You play well and win, you play well and lose, you play poorly and win or you play poorly and lose. Evaluating your games helps you develop a schedule that will help optimize your teams development. We discuss these game result aspects to help you know what to do for future games.Support the show

Another episode packed with information for the fastpitch enthusiast. Listener question of how early can a player start lessons. Our mental tip of the week from Paige Tonz. And of course a discussion of the disruption of softball because of Corona. We have an interesting interview with Dr. Joe Rouw. He is a developmental optometrist who enjoys working in the field of optometric vision therapy and has an interest in working with athletes and sports vision training. We end with a discussion of calling pitches and letting your catchers and pitchers be involved.Support the show

This weeks episode is covering conduct issues that a couple of our listeners have encountered in tournaments lately. Verbal abuse should not be tolerated by anyone at a softball tournament. Let alone young players. Threats of physical violence is off the chart. Coaches we have to set the standards for our team and be an example. And we have to do what is necessary to maintain those standards. Even if it means dismissing a good player from our team because of conduct of adults. It's unfortunate that we have to talk about this, but it is a real world problem and the solution has to start with the Head Coach.Support the show

A listener asks a question for some guidelines to maximize Batting Practice. Latest Power Play from Paige Tonz. We have an interview with Steve Goody the CEO of Pocket Radar. He gives us an update of their product and how it can be used in the recruiting process as well as how it can be used in the development of hitters and pitchers of all ages. And we have our normal good and bad with the Corona guidelines. Based on some listener comments we discuss how much talking should go on at practices. Field Time is a precious commodity for most teams and it is frustrating for a lot of people to see it used with players standing around while listening to instructions from coaches. We feel that field practice should be maximized and any instruction should be short and to the point and get on with practicing execution.Support the show

This week we discuss the lineup. The goal of the lineup is for the team to have the best chance to win. It is not as simple as putting players in positions or batting order based upon a set formula. It is all about synergy. The whole is better than the sum of the parts. The key to being successful is communication. Players (and parents) have to understand the strategy and buy in. Listen as the coaches talk about it and relate experiences they have had.Support the show

Our listener question this week is about dealing with a shy player. Paige Tonz of pagetonz.com provides her tip of the week. An interview with Ryan Taylor of SoftballBound which is an app that provides detailed information about colleges for use in the recruiting process. We have our normal Corona impact discussion to update what is going on related to softball.Coach Tory wants to challenge ESPN's choice of the Greatest Softball Team with is own picks. And our coaching tip of the week discusses how to properly handle pickup players.Support the show

I have learned one very important thing in the last couple of years, I wish I had started writing a blog when I was still coaching.Why, you ask? I would be a much better coach than I was. I think I’ve learned more from writing these blogs than I’ve shared with the reader.I was an all-time yeller and screamer! I came up when the idea was that great coaches were people like Bobby Knight and Vince Lombardi. Those coaching legends were very willing to get after a player and the volume was always turned up to “10.” It was always pretty easy for me to justify.Another one of those old dog, new trick moments, for sure!So what do I know now that I should have known then? There are a bunch of reasons why screaming and yelling doesn’t work. Listen to our thoughts.Support the show

We have a listener question about having a pitching rubber they can take with them to practice at locations where there isn't one. Our usual Corona update on the effects and changes that are being required. We discuss camps and showcases if the college coaches are not going to be allowed to attend. Create a system to keep your dugout from looking like an episode of Hoarders.Support the show

We will have far more rules and guidelines that we will have to follow now that we are starting to play again. This week we focus on meetings or the lack of them. Team gatherings that routinely occur during the course of a game are going to be curtailed or eliminated. We have to adapt.Support the show

A listener asks about taking over a team when the existing coaches have to leave due to changes brought about because of COVID-19. Again this week we discuss the latest changes to the softball community and the latest collegiate news brought about by the shut downs. What is your opinion about stalling in time limit game?. And finally we give you suggestions about building you game schedule.Support the show

When we get to start playing again, there are going to be restrictions that are going to be inconvenient for all of us. Coaches you have to lead the way of not harping on them, but staying positive.Support the show

Today we discuss a listener question of how to assist players who have been impacted financially by the pandemic. We have an interview with a mental game coach and our normal COVID-19 updates from youth softball through collegiate softball. Our coaching tip is how to best use the initial practices when we start back up.Support the show

College coaches may not be able to watch any games this summer. We know this to be true at least through June 30th. If we have established a connection with a coach we have to be able to give them something that can be a substitute. This year coaches may have to make decisions without any face-to-face opportunities. We go through the processes that coaches and parent of recruited players must do to give the college coach everything they can to help them make a decision in our favor. Support the show

Of course COVID-19 guidelines are still the dominate issue with getting to play. We update with the latest news we have collected. Are Showcases really showcases if the college coaches can't attend. We discuss ways for players to still interface with college coaches to get their name out there. Teams are having to fold because they are not going to have enough players that can come back when things open up. How do we handle that? Advice for coaches to come back stronger and more open minded than before with the downtime.Support the show

Starting practices back up will take some discipline. Bottom line is that the team that shows up for the first practice will not be the same team you saw the last time you were together, They will be at different levels of conditioning and muscle readiness. We discuss suggestions for starting back up and advice on following the rules and guidelines so that the option of playing is not taken from you.Support the show