When The Cleats Come Off

There have been countless times in my career where I wanted to throw in the towel, give up when it got tough because I was embarrassed by how I looked when I first tried something. We’ve all been there…BUT we don’t have to STAY there! Today I’m sharing a few of those moments I’m most proud of not giving up on, because the person who came out on the other side is pretty dang happy she stuck with it...

There aren’t a whole lot of female sports broadcasters out there, but sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill, Anna Laible, is in pursuit of changing the game. Learn her persistent and gritty approach to making her dreams become a reality by starting as a writer for Sports Illustrated Kids, hosting The National Dog Show - Junior and recently being invited to covering the most recent Olympics in Paris! Follow...

This snippet from a parent session I led at Amanda Schaefer’s Fearless Warrior Retreat breaks down a few key elements to consider to help grow the bond between you and your athlete and help her reach her goals without feeling like you’re overstepping! Join the Virtual Hitting Academy - https://www.ashleybtraining.com/virtual-hitting-academy-2-0   Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - https://pod...

Whether you’re in the recruiting process now, will be in the future, or just want to learn the NECESSARY skills to have a good conversation with someone, this episode is for you! I’m a midwest girl here to teach you how to be a genuinely effective communicator and feel more prepared for (what could be) nerve wracking conversations! You’ve got this! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - https://pod...

Just like anything, the best way to become faster and build reactionary skills on the bases is to practice it which will lead to more aggressive and smart baserunners! Here are 3 easy ways to implement essential baserunning skills to your practice today so your team can find themselves scoring MORE runs for you tomorrow! JOIN THE *NEW* BASERUNNING COURSE WAITLIST! - https://www.ashleybtraining.com...

In this re-release from season 1 on the podcast, we learn from Tokyo 2020 Olympian, Delaney Spaulding, about her inspirational journey from tearing her ACL just months before the original Olympic games in 2020 and how, because of the Coronavirus, she was able to get a surgery, go through 8 months of physical therapy and get back to competing with her team in the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. If you...

When you become obsessed with becoming the best version of you as an athlete, you may be surprised with what you can achieve. Here’s a clip from my speech at the Fearless Warrior Retreat in Omaha, Nebraska about how to choose the right goal for you, make sure you focus on the process and also why having good role models to look up to can help you stay inspired and driven in your pursuit of it! Lea...

Every great athlete does some type of mental skills training and this episode will help your athlete find her inner edge and believe in herself more than she ever has before. You’ll learn from Mental Performance Coach, Lindsey Nadler, what separates the good from the great, how parents can help their daughter own her mistakes and move on from failure quickly and also teaches athletes a few ways yo...

Our athletes don’t need us to solve all their problems, they need us to help them figure things out on their own and regulate emotions so they can grow up to be strong, confident, independent and curious athletes who run into their fears instead of hide from them. This episode shares what you can start doing to help her stay calm under stress better and build up her own self confidence. Articles M...

University of Michigan grad and 2023 National Champion at Oklahoma, Alex Storako, joins us today to talk about how some of her biggest failures prepared her to thrive on the biggest stage. She also answers some questions from some of our Virtual Hitting Academy members like: What her presence and self-talk looks like for her on the mound, why it’s important to have a great pitcher-catcher relation...

Sometimes we can make hitting a little more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode, I’m sharing three tips on how to train to hit the high pitch (and other locations) with more ease from a tee warm up that I swear by, a productive mindset approach and a front toss drill to help you build discipline at the plate. Watch the 9 spot tee tee warm up (45 swings) on YouTube - https://youtu.be/H...

Hear from a former Florida Gator and 2020 Olympian, Aubree Munro Watson, why softball will NOT be played this round in Paris, her unique (COVID) Olympic experience in Tokyo 2020 and why she doesn’t agree with the decision for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic softball games to be played in Oklahoma City. Her take is unlike any you will see, and I’m so grateful to have her on talking about it! Follow Au...

Your thoughts in the box can either HELP you or HURT you, and here are 10 ways you can shift your mindset and training to give you the best chances as possible to be successful in the box and beyond! Previous episodes  mentioned: Ep. 67 - 10 hitting challenges to amp up your hitting - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dc50d78b-e2d9-40ce-9f90-cf9d2129f2b1   Ep. 127 - Erin Coffel: How sh...

This 2024 WCWS was incredible, so incredible that I broke down some of the key moments and players that we can be inspired by and learn from to help us stand out and play to our potential this summer! Previous episodes  mentioned: Ep. 141 - Kaitlyn McNally: Maximize performance through nutrition - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c749c6e5-6eb5-4efe-8dd9-e9bc7fef0e97   Ep. 22 - How Wha...

Women's College World Series (WCWS) LEGEND, Odicci Alexander, brings her fun personality to the podcast today sharing her epic journey of learning how to pitch on YouTube, practicing on her own by throwing into a water well, getting recruited to college by almost chance, and how she’s taken her incredible work ethic with her to the biggest stage in college softball and then into the professional g...

Leadership expert, JP Nerbun, is back for part 2 talking about his traumatic experience from a verbally abusive head coach and how he was able to heal from that negative experience. Later, we talk about similarities between programs with great culture and leadership, how coaches can get their players to buy in to high standards, and how to build a team that can successfully hold themselves account...

Bestselling author, podcaster and leadership expert, JP Nerbun, joins us to talk about how coaches can build a better partnership and connection with parents. He believes the key to successful teams and culture is clarity, communication and vulnerability, and this conversation dives into all those elements and more around establishing healthy boundaries and standards from coach, player to parent....

I’m excited to share with you the behind the scenes of an “Ask Ashley” session we did recently with my Virtual Hitting Academy members! I get to answer questions they had from: “How do I make sure I’m physically and mentally prepared for games?”, “How did you deal with not being able to hang out with friends a lot because of softball?”, “How can I work on the high pitch so I can get better at it?”...

D1 Softball journalist, Justin McLeod, is BACK sharing some of his 2024 postseason softball predictions along with who his “dark horses” are, what teams are trending upwards at the right time, his take on the transfer portal, and why he believes this might be the year softball breaks out some new household names.  Follow Justin’s work at D1 Softball - https://d1softball.com/   Follow Jus...

A huge hitting MENTOR of mine and former Notre Dame Softball Hitting Coach, Lizzy Ristano,  is on the show this week talking about the importance of consistently practicing swing fundamentals, timing and tempo, the power of visualization and creating and owning your own style as a hitter. Get ready to boost your hitting IQ and learn what you should be including in your next hitting practice (...

I can’t believe I’ve been a Mom for an entire YEAR! Here are 12 lessons I’ve learned through raising Barrett these past 12 months that I’m definitely going to need to remind myself of in the future. Enjoy! Join the When the Cleats Come Off Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/whenthecleatscomeoff   Leave a review of When the Cleats Come Off on Apple Podcasts - https://podca...

This episode with current catcher and leading power hitter for the University of Michigan’s Keke Tholl dives into all things catching from developing strong relationships with her pitchers, drills that help her with her transfer, throwing and more along with building her game IQ day by day. Then we dive into hitting, what drills she loves to feel her best at the plate (physically and mentally) and...

How do you know you chose the right university to represent? My experience traveling across the country to watch Purdue Men’s Basketball compete for a National Championship this week solidified that I played at the right school (for me). You deserve to find the right school FOR YOU.  Leave a review of When the Cleats Come Off on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-the-...

One of the most humble and gifted athletes of our time is joining us on the podcast today talking a bit about her experience playing at Oklahoma and the mindset that helped her shine her brightest in post-season, what it was like being part of the Championship culture at OU and playing for Hall of Fame Coach Patty Gasso, the overwhelming challenges she’s faced in her career, and some recruiting ad...

Today I’m sharing a list of do’s and don’ts that will make your experience watching softball better as a parent, and it will especially help your athlete’s experience on the field so she can perform her best and really gain confidence while doing so! Join the When the Cleats Come Off Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/whenthecleatscomeoff   Leave a review of When the Clea...