Coaching Objectives: Managing Parents
You don’t want to stumble across a grizzly bear cub if it’s mother is around the corner. And sometimes, the parents of the girls on your softball team can be just as scary.
Read MoreArchive for February 2013
Off Season to In Season: Making the Transition
Are you stronger, faster, better than you were at this time last year?
With your spring and summer seasons (in season) just around the corner, it’s time to step back and honestly evaluate the results of your off season work and make good use of the pre-season to prepare yourself for game conditions. The transition should not be that difficult if you spent the off season pushing the envelope to make yourself a better athlete.
Are Preseason Fitness Tests Hurting Your Athletes?
As spring approaches, many of my athletes are worried about ‘how much running’ their coaches will have them do during tryouts. As a former athlete, I remember this fear all to well. What do the mile-run or post-practice conditioning have to do with a speed and power sport like softball? Coaches, are preseason fitness tests hurting your athletes?
Read MoreCoaching Objectives: The Easiest Way to Make Your Team Better
There is something you can do as a coach that is almost completely in your control and has nothing to do with teaching skills or managing tough game situations. Yet, it can easily strengthen your team, especially if you’re involved with a school program. This post is aimed mainly at coaches of school teams, but it’s good advice for rec/travel coaches as well.
Read MoreIs Weightlifting Safe for Softball Players?
In this week’s video blog, I explain why Olympic lifts are extremely beneficial and safe for softball athletes when coached correctly. I’ve also included a video from the UMass Lowell softball team’s off season workouts. This is the best collegiate softball training video I’ve seen to date.
Read MoreHow to Get Better at Coaching Softball, Literally
I’ve been coaching softball for many years now, but I was a player for even longer. I, as any long-time player does, had coaches I respected and coaches behind whose backs I complained endlessly. While one might argue that simple competence means nothing if a coach does not promote a healthy emotional environment, a positive spirit, and responsible behavior, it is the essential foundation for good coaching. A coach may be an extraordinarily pleasant and caring person, and try wholeheartedly to cultivate these feelings within the team; but without skill and tremendous knowledge of the game, a coach will not earn the respect of his/her team.
Read MoreHow to Practice Pitching Safely During Injury Recovery
One of the most difficult things about being injured for an athlete is the time spent inactive during recovery. While you definitely shouldn’t push yourself, there are some simple windmill pitching drills that are likely safe for you to do while you’re recovering. They’re not intense or complicated, but they can be enough to keep you sharp.Today’s video will take you through an easy routine. ALWAYS ask your doctor before proceeding to work out.
Read MoreMedicine Ball Exercises for Hitting and Pitching Power
Poor exercise technique can contribute to poor hitting and pitching habits. In these videos, I explain how to correctly perform medicine ball exercises to improve hitting and pitching power while also reinforcing proper hitting and pitching mechanics.
Read MoreCoaching Objectives: Team Goal Setting
As I mentioned in my first post of this coaching series, your primary objective as a coach at all times should be to facilitate the physical AND emotional growth of the athletes under your watch. Aside from your general demeanor, the most concrete way to handle this is by setting goals. A sports team, especially one comprised of teen girls, is a delicate ecosystem, and like many other aspects of coaching, goal setting can easily become counterproductive if not done sensitively. Today we’re going to discuss how to set solid, productive team goals.
Read MoreBuilding Speed and Power: Don’t Sweat the Results
There can be many obstacles standing between a pitcher and her maximum speed potential. One of the biggest, I feel, is too strong a focus being placed on throwing strikes from too young an age. In today’s video, I’m going to share some drills that ONLY emphasize power.
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