Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: Why do people think that having coaches with no players on the team is the greatest thing ever? (@10:32) Paige's Power Play (@20:29) What to do when a player outgrows her team. (@24:36) How can we help the player that is all-american in practice but fails in a game. Its like she has stage freight. (@34:23) We see it all the time where a te...

The coaches discuss this time of year where teams are finishing this season but are planning for next season. We are finishing up with probably our biggest tournaments of the year. But, many are trying to get a jump on preparing for next year. It is hard to stay focused on the task at hand for the players and coaches if we are distracted by working in tryouts at the same time. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: What do we do when the coach plays a guest player and several of the team members are given limited playing time? (@8:51) Paige's Power Play (@15:52) Etiquette for showcases. The coaches discuss some dos and don'ts for parents and coaches regarding the college coaches that are in attendance. (@21:32) Organization Jumping. Is the grass...

We can increase the softball IQ of our players by teaching them the basics of scorekeeping. They will better understand how their batting and fielding average is computed. Also they could look at an online or offline scorebook and reconstruct what had occurred. Every little bits helps in the education process. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Is there any place where I can find clips of great plays to share with my team? (@10:32) Paige's Power Play (14:04) Ramifications of UCLA and USC going to the Big 10 (@17:13) Based upon some listener responses we talk some more about loyalty and other topics.(@30:43) Great advice based upon a quote by Matt Lisle. (@44:37) Support the show

We have all seen it. A runner is sliding into a base or homeplate and the fielder reaches and tags the runner high and the runner is safe. Remind your players that the runner has to come to the base, so we should get in a position to tag the runner at field level on whatever body part is going to be the first to hit the base. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: How quickly should a player be able the change a bad habit? (@12:11) Paige's Power Play (@18:23) We had some good responses to our topic on loyalty. There are some more things to consider. (@24:03) How do we make the pro-leagues work? (@36:54) We have to teach sliding better. Let's eliminate the collisions. (@50:55) Support the show

Players need to advance their skills by practicing skills that are out of their comfort zone but not into their panic zone. The middle ground is the stretch zone. Learn to push them, but not to far. Support the show

This week's lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Can you give me some ideas on how to make practice fun for younger players? (@14:24) Paige's Power Play (@26:16) Is there any loyalty in our game and how do we deal with it? (@28:59) A lot of the country is experiencing a heat wave. How do we deal with the heat and make the call that it is too hot? (@48:08) Get our players onboard to...

Today we discuss enthusiasm. There is a line that you can cross where enthusiasm becomes obnoxious. It is our job as coaches to keep our team on the right side of that line. Support the show

This Weeks Lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: My daughter is a pitcher and a shortstop. How can she be ready if going straight from shortstop to pitching? (@10:21) Paige's Power Play (@17:24) Interview with the ROWVA/Williamsfield Varsity Cougar softball team. A smaller school in Illinois. The players decided to do something to raise awareness of mental health and suicide this year. Li...

You are going to a big out of town tournament. It's costing the parents and players a lot of money. When you factor in travel, living expenses and missed work the investment is significant. Don't let "we have to get our money's worth" alter your coaching style. Your team will play better if you stay consistent. If you display a lot more pressure, it will carry over to the...

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: I keep score for out team. What determines if it is a wild pitch or a passed ball? (@10:24) Paige's Power Play (@17:28) How many pitchers and additional players should a team have? (@21:03) Tips for trying out for a team. (@32:35) If practiced, bunting can be an additional weapon for your team. (@40:49) Support the show

It invariably happens in a critical situation. The ball gets hit into the Bermuda Triangle of the field where infielders and outfielders are racing as hard as they can go to get to the ball. Communication breaks down and the ball doesn't get caught or we have a train wreck and somebody gets hurt. It happens rarely, but we need to practice it often. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question:  My daughter plays high level softball and soccer. Her softball coach is putting pressure on her to focus on softball and drop soccer. What do you think? (@12:16) Paige's Power Play: (@19:38) College Season Wrap up (@23:51) Softball community support in times of tragedy  (@41:23) No cookie cutter approach to coaching! (@43:47) Support the...

Coach Tory discusses the need to know what you are going to do when you make a mound visit. Don't just wander out there and figure out what you are going to say when you get there.  If things aren't going well don't add to the frustration with your visit. Go out there with a plan to make things better. Every coach should listen to this. Support the show

This weeks Lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Can a position player wear a catcher's mitt? (@7:37) Paige's Power Play (@8:48) The end of the college regular season and a lot of good stuff happened this year. Coach Tory gives some highlights. (@12:16) Things that need to be fixed in college softball. (@19:00) Coaching your own daughter on a team. (@37:00) Support the show

Tournaments can turn into a marathon with many games on the same day. The coaches discuss the need to have a plan well in advance on how to manage the day. Make sure you have a strategy and everyone knows it. You don't want any surprises.  Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question:  The level and quality of broadcasts of college softball varies a lot. What do we think? (@10:21) Paige's Power Play (@15:47) Accountability. Before we blame the umpire, did we put ourselves in the position of letting the umpire make the final decision. (@19:55) Safety Equipment. Use IT!(@32:24) Coaches need to practice their skills just li...

Patrick Winston, a former professor and computer scientist at MIT, used a formula in one of his talks about things that go into the quality of a performance. Obviously he wasn't talking about softball, but it really applies developing players. The formula was Quality is a function of Knowledge, Practice and Talent with the importance in that order. The coaches break this down and apply it to...

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: My daughter is a pitcher and the coaches forfeited a game because the field was in such bad shape and unsafe. Did he do the right thing? (@12:03) Paige's Power Play  (@22:12) Keeping the game fun (@26:55) Recruiting questions (@38:21) Proper mental approach for hitters (@47:17) Support the show

There is information out there that tells us what we need to work on in practice. When we make mistakes they go on the practice list. Look at that scorebook and identify things that need practice that are not there. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Daughter is on a good team. A former college player has been brought in to coach the team. What are our thoughts on a former player coaching a team? (@13:08) Paige's Power Play (@21:21) The catching position. Responding to questions relative about the catching position. Are they being neglected in practice? (@25:05) Mental Health and tragic...

The coaches discuss that a visual cue can be a more effective method of communicating something to a player than verbally shouting it out. It is more subtle and is between you and the player and just a quick reminder of something you have been working on. Support the show

This weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question:  Pretty strong team. Comments on number of tournaments played vs amount of practice time.  (@11:52) Paige's Power Play (@20:34) The Good this week: Softball is in a  place where it has never been before. (24:58) Pressure that is on kids playing the game. (@35:46) Compassion and empathy vs competitive edge (@47:56) Support the show