Fastpitch Softball Blog

Oh My Goodness I Had to Sew

2008-07-03T22:54:00.003-10:00

I really think sewing is becoming a lost art. Who the heck sews anymore? I know there are people who still own sewing machines and do know how to sew, but I don't think nearly as many young ladies are taking up sewing class like they did in my mom's generation.

Thankfully, my mother was one that did learn how to sew (I know, right about now you're wondering what this has to do with softball, but hang in there). My mom even let me play (I wouldn't call what I did with the machine "sewing"...) with her sewing machine and she also showed my how to stitch a single line a stitches by hand. I at least know how to tie knots in the end of the thread so that they hold and I get the general idea of how to do simple stitches.

Okay, so what does sewing have to do with softball?

Well, those of you who've ever had experience with Bobby Sox softball knows about the patches that are required to be on the uniforms for tournament time. For those of you who don't - the league requires small embroidered patches to be sewn into the girls' uniforms. This year, it was just one square patch that had do be sewn onto the back of the girls' jerseys (top middle area).

This weekend, my 3 softball playing daughters are all playing in the Hawaii State Bobby Sox All Star Softball Tournament. So, that means they ALL needed to have patches sewn onto their jerseys. Thankfully, the coaches for my oldest daughter's team volunteered to take care of it for us. Whew! All we had to do was give them her jersey at practice the other day.

But coach for the team my 2 other daughters play on decided to give the parents the patches to sew onto the the jerseys. I got the two patches earlier this week, but here I am, the night before the tournament, and I just finished sewing the patches on to the jerseys.

Boy, what an experience for me! I didn't even have a needle and thread. I had to go to the local grocery store and pick up a sewing kit and a pack of needles! At least I knew enough about sewing to realize the needle in the sewing kits was NOT going to be very good for sewing through the thick embroidered patch I was working with.

All I have to say is, "Thanks Mom for doing this for me every year while I was growing up!" Of course, she probably took care of it 10 times faster than I did, but I think I did alright for a first try. The second one I did came out a little better than the first, but the first jersey is for my 7-year-old and it's a little big for her, so it's not like her jersey is going to be hanging nice and straight all the time. Hopefully no one will really be able to tell that her patch is not quite as centered and aligned as it should be. I'll let you know after I see her wear her jersey tomorrow. Maybe I'll even be able to post a few pictures. LOL

Oh, and that's not the only thing. I found out yesterday that this may not be the end of my softball related sewing experience....and it's my family's fault. I'll tell you all about it another day. For now, I need to get to sleep. We have a long tournament day ahead of us tomorrow. Have a Happy 4th of July!

Fastpitch Talk Radio - New Episode Ready

2008-07-03T07:18:00.002-10:00

Yes, it's been quite a while, but there is finally a new episode up for Fastpitch Talk Radio. In this episode you'll hear a commonly asked pitching question (sent in by one of our listeners) and what my answer to that question is. Plus, find out what message this year's Women's College World Series reminded me of.

Go listen to the audio at www.FastpitchTalkRadio.com. See you there!

Celebrating the 4th

2008-07-02T00:04:00.002-10:00

We have a long weekend ahead! How will you be celebrating the 4th?

As for me, and I'm sure many others out there, I will be at the softball field. This weekend, my 3 daughters are all participating in Hawaii's Bobby Sox State Tournament. Of course, less than 3 days away, and we still have no schedule. I still don't understand why tournament schedules are set up so last minute. Why don't the tournament people all get together the week before the tournament (instead of 1-2 days before) and set up the schedule so that parents and team members can do some planning? I guess we're simply supposed to plan to be at the park all weekend from start to end; details not all that necessary, but will be provided later.

Anyway, while others are out bar-be-quing, beach going, firecracker popping/watching, and celebrating the 4th of July, my family and I will be at the park. Softball....the story of a lot of my life. But that's just fine with me.

So - what are you doing this weekend?

Summer Softball Camps Are Fun

2008-06-27T21:54:00.003-10:00

Well, at least the ones I've been to. I have no idea what summer softball camps at universities are like on the mainland US (I do hope to find out one day), but my daughters had a blast at the University of Hawaii camps these past two weeks.

Was it intensive training where they got all their mechanical problems corrected? No. I did hear the coaches giving them great advice though. I love having another source, a fun one at that, give them the same messages I'm also trying to get across when I work with them. Plus, all 3 of my girls who attended camp (ages 7, 8, and 11) all thoroughly enjoyed themselves which is the whole point of being involved with this sport in the first place. That and the fact that I know they all learned at least one new thing at camp makes the experience worth the time and money in my opinion. I just know my girls will be asking to go back next summer.

My oldest daughter even sent me an @reply on twitter to thank me for taking her to camp. Cool beans!

Coach of Action Academy will Open Doors...

2008-06-24T08:57:00.000-10:00

Tomorrow! Yep, the Coach of Action Academy will be open TOMORROW, June 25th!

That means that TODAY is the last day to qualify for Pre-Launch pricing (50% off).

All you need to do is go to Coach of Action now and enter your name and e-mail address and tomorrow you will get the link where you can get in at 50% off the regular price.

The Coach of Action Academy was designed to help you tackle one of the major fundamental problems coaches face in their quest to improve their coaching skills. AND, we help you through it in manageable, bite-sized chunks over the course of 12 weeks. This is NOT a 50+ page e-book you have to make your way through on your own. Learn more and sign up for Pre-Launch pricing at www.CoachofAction.com.

Hope to see you on the inside!

Coach Be Consistent

2008-06-24T00:06:00.004-10:00

When you learn about raising children, you hear about consistency. When you learn about working with animals and training animals, you hear about consistency. I think it also applies to coaching softball as well.

It's only fair to your players (and vital for you) that you be consistent in your actions, words, rules, and discipline as a coach. Ground rules should always be laid out at the beginning of the season. This should also include potential disciplinary actions for when those rules are broken. Be sure that you do NOT set a consequence that you will not enforce. I think this would have the same effect as "empty threats" in parenting...

1. Your players know that you won't follow through and will push the envelope as far as possible
2. You are undermining your own credibility and believability because you haven't kept your word
3. You may even lose respect or simply make it harder to gain the respect of your players.

Whenever you give your word as a coach, be it in speech or in writing, ALWAYS do your best to stick with it. Avoid making up rules and consequences as you go along. Clear guidelines and boundaries make life much simpler for players, parents, and coaches. Be up front about what your expectations, your rules, your guidelines, and your consequences and follow through.

Following through only *sometimes* is only asking for trouble as a coach.

Be consistent.

For additional coaching tips, check out our FREE Special Report for Coaches or
Softball Coaching Essentials from A to Z

It's all in the FUNdamentals

2008-06-23T08:18:00.003-10:00

I'm huge on fundamentals and mechanics - and, as you can see by the title of this post, FUN! You As I've said many times before, fun is so important when it comes to softball, or any sport for that matter. The two times in my life that I SERIOUSLY thought about quitting this game and giving it up completely as a player, the main thought going through my mind was that it wasn't fun any more. I wasn't having fun playing the game and that was the main reason behind dropping the game altogether. That's why I feel it's important to remember that as a coach, especially at the younger ages.

Another thing I'm picky about is fundamentals. I am big on working proper fundamentals, proper mechanics until it's second nature. One of my first softball coaches did this for me and I went back to it time and time again whenever I started to struggle. I've often wondered what kind of player I would have been had that ONE coach not done that because NO coach after her stressed those mechanics and drilled them like she did. I don't know that I would have had that to fall back on if she hadn't been so insistent on going over those fundamentals again and again and again.

Too often I see coaches breeze through the basics. They are so anxious to move on to other more "advanced" skills, but I just don't see the rush if your team hasn't gotten the basics down yet. For example, I've seen 10U coaches want to work on turning the double play when their team has a tough time simply fielding a ball and making a throw. Why even worry about how to turn a double play when you're still having trouble fielding a ball and making good throws? I'm not saying that you should never work on it, but it just seems a little silly to me to drop the work on the basics to "move on" to something like that. I would still work the basics in practice and give it some quality time, then maybe introduce the concept of the double and work it a bit. But to spend all your defensive practice working the double play in that particular situation doesn't make sense to me. Work the fundamentals and those "advanced" plays will come.

Same with when you start pitching. Work those fundamentals! It always baffles me to see coaches/parents/players wanting to go from never pitching before to throwing 5 different pitches in a year. Of course, if you have an unbelievably talented athlete that happens to catch on to the fundamentals and to all of the other aspects of pitching THAT quickly, than by all means, go for it. But most of us don't have that type of superhero ability. Fundamentals is what's going to give you the most power and the most accuracy whether it's throwing overhand or underhand.

If you're looking for a DVD on pitching fundamentals, the one I personally bought is from www.HouseOfPitching.com (Building the House by Bill Hillhouse).

Another one that's currently on special for $19.95 is available at Softball Performance. But that pricing is only going to last for the next day or so. If this is something you've been looking for, now's a good time to get it.

You Make It Their Business

2008-06-22T14:14:00.000-10:00

Wow! The drama post brought out some strong feeling/opinions in those who read it. Funny thing is, I just read about another example of it online. This time it was in the online business world and no fist fight broke out, but again, insults, attacks, name calling and your basic drama. However, one of the guys involved admitted he was wrong, admitted that he should have privately contacted the person he was upset with, and admitted that there are so many other things to do than be involved in drama. He also talked about the fact that if you stay away from the NEGATIVE and stay focused on the POSTIVE you'll have much greater returns.

You see, this is not only a lesson for your softball team. This is a lesson for life AND business.

I have one more thing to add to it. Often times people who DO bring their personal life into public areas end up saying something like, "This has nothing to do with you, you should keep your mouth shut and stay out of it."

Well, that's true. Your personal life isn't the business of your teammates....UNTIL YOU CHOOSE to bring it on to the field with you. At that point, YOU'VE made the conscious choice to make your personal business the business of everyone on the team because now your personal issues have invaded team time and space. So if you want everyone to "stay out of it" do NOT bring NEGATIVE opinions/actions/words of anyone onto the field with you. If you have a personal problem with your left fielder, keep it personal and keep it private. Then your SS or your P has no say in how you handle that issue.

However, IF you DECIDE to bring it up in ANY way shape or form during softball time, you've just made it the entire team's business. Again, I'll say it, personal drama has NO place on the softball field and you are not being the best softball player you can be if you bring it there. I'll explain why have such little tolerance for this in another blog post.

If you haven't read the original drama post and left your comments yet, I'd still like to hear from you. Or, if you have thoughts on what was said here, feel free to leave a comment on this post.

Scholarship Winners Announced

2008-06-20T07:30:00.002-10:00

As promised, the winners of the drawing for the 3 Full Ride Coach of Action Academy Scholarships will be announced today, right here in this blog post.

But FIRST - I just have to remind you that if you didn't get a chance to enter, or if you didn't get one of the 3 scholarships being awarded today, you still have a chance to get in to the Coach of Action Academy at a discounted price!

What do you have to do to qualify for the 50% discount?

1. Go to the Coach of Action Academy
2. Enter your name and e-mail address to sign up for the Pre-Launch special
3. Check your e-mail when the Coach of Action Academy opens so you know how to get in at 50% off

Okay - now that that's out of the way, let's get to the announcement!

The 3 people who will have COMPLETE access to the Coach of Action Academy when it opens in less than a week ARE...

drum roll please....

Matt of Englewood, NJ

Coach Lisa of Anderson, IN

Jeff H from Pennsylvania

WooHoo! Congratulations to our scholarship winners! Winners will also be notified via e-mail.

5 Great Tips for Enhancing Performance

2008-06-19T11:01:00.003-10:00

This has to do with nutrition too. I guess I'm on a little bit of a nutritional roll right now. I think it's because I'm working on another resource for you that will give you all the answers to the most frequently asked nutritional questions on regards to softball. There's still quite a bit more that needs to be done before that resource is ready for you, but for now, I have another nutritional article that I think you'll like.

This article includes 5 simple tips for getting your body to perform at it's highest level when you're on the field. That's something we all would like right? Read the article HERE.

Winners Will Be Announced this Friday!

2008-06-18T11:07:00.000-10:00

The winners of the drawing for the 3 Coach of Action Academy Scholarships will be announced this Friday, June 20th, 2008.

Winners will also be notified via e-mail. Remember, even if you're not one of the 3 that were selected, you STILL have time to get on the list for Pre-Launch 50% off special pricing for the Coach of Action Academy. Your time is running out though because once the doors of the Coach of Action Academy open, your chance to get your name in for the special discount ends.

How much time do you have exactly?

When will the Coach of Action Academy finally open?

In LESS than ONE WEEK!

Yup - Coach of Action will be OPEN in less than ONE WEEK. Stay tuned for the exact day. If you're an AAF member, keep your eye on your inbox for the date.

New Article - Help with Hydration for Hot Game Days

2008-06-17T22:35:00.003-10:00

Summer is here and there's no doubt we'll all be at the field on some HOT summer days. I know many, many softball moms and coaches want to know what kinds of foods they can take to the field for their players on long hot days. Well, I've got a new free article up that may help just a little. Find out what fruits can help keep your kids, your players, and your team stay hydrated on those hot game days.

Read the article here and feel free to pass this information along to anyone you feel may be interested!

Read the Article

Oh yeah, and if you haven't checked out Fastpitch Juicing yet, remember, I've got a free report available for you there too. Get the free report HERE.

Keep the Drama Off the Field

2008-06-16T08:49:00.003-10:00

I went to a non-softball related event this weekend and the whole concept of "keeping the drama off the field" was brought to the forefront of my mind.

This was basically and all day event and there was a little bit of trouble in the beginning of the event, but things were kept under control. But at the end, when it was over and everyone was breaking down a fist fight broke out. Not among kids, not among fans, but among people who were part of the community that was putting on the event.

Of course, the fight made the local newspaper with just one line on at the end of the article that said what other activities happened at the event. Negative stories are what the media is going to eat up, but this fistfight made EVERYONE look bad, not just those involved. They brought personal issues and drama "to the field."

I understand the tension between both sides, BUT when they are out at an event, they are seen as a whole, not as parts. Just as a team is seen as a whole and not as individuals. No matter what personal issues you have with your teammates, if you want the BEST chance at success as a player, you MUST put aside your personal differences when you're on the field. Softball is a TEAM sport and the BEST players know how to do what it takes (including drop the personal drama) to get EVERYONE performing at their best on the field.

People always talk about how girls have so much drama on the team and how boys are so much easier. I don't know...we may have drama, but guys have way too much testosterone sometimes. These guys that were involved in this fist fight at the event were all athletes in their high school years. I'm glad I wasn't on a sports team with them because they obviously didn't learn how to put personal problems aside when it's time to get on the field and be part of a team who is trying to reach a common goal. They also didn't really learn much about how to resolve conflict effectively. I really do think sports can be good training for that. Everyone is out to get you, people will say things to try to put you down, and if you're smart and if you want to be the best, you learn HOW TO DEAL with all of that in a POSITIVE way. Those of you who are still playing this game - I really hope you work on this. I don't want to be reading about you in a newspaper years from now as a 30-something-year-old looking like an idiot because you don't know how to handle the BS that gets thrown in your way and you don't know how and WHEN to handle the conflict in your life. Use softball as an opportunity to practice this because in real life it's much more serious and your actions will carry much heavier consequences than an error or a lost game.

So back to the "Girls and Drama" issue - Yes, girls have drama, but between that and testosterone overload, I'm not sure which is worse. LOL - what are your thoughts?

Last Day to Send in Your Coaching Tip...

2008-06-14T07:38:00.000-10:00

...for your chance at a "Full Ride" Coach of Action Academy Scholarship. Everyone who sends in a tip will be eligible to win one of 3 scholarships to the Coach of Action Academy. Winners will be announced next week!

Even if you don't win, you can still get in the the Coach of Action Academy for 50% off if you sign up for the Pre-Launch special. Go to www.CoachofAction.com and enter your name and e-mail to be notified of when the Coach of Action Academy will open it's doors and to take advantage of the 50% off Pre-Launch pricing when it opens.

Back to the scholarship opportunity....

Get your best coaching tips in by the end of the day today for your chance to win - send your entry (best coaching tip(s)) to stacie@coachofaction.com.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Free Fastpitch Juicing Report Ready

2008-06-13T00:17:00.000-10:00

I know I've mentioned www.FastpitchJuicing.com before. I've got a couple of new free articles up there ready for you to read if you're at all interested in fruit/vegetable juicing for improved health and optimal performance.

I also wanted to let you know that the FREE report "What Juice Can Do for You!" is now ready and available for you to download for free. Get your copy today at
http://www.fastpitchjuicing.com/freereport.html

Bill Hillhouse Registration Form Ready

2008-06-12T15:19:00.000-10:00

I've been having a bunch of people ask when they can register for the clinic. I really wanted to have sites confirmed for each of the clinic dates before taking registrations, but due to popular demand, registration IS open.

Location and times for Sunday (the 21st) is already set - the clinic will be at Kapolei High School on the 21st.

I still need to confirm a location for the 20th (Saturday) and a location for the Small Group/Team Session on the 27th.

Only registration for the clinic sessions are open at this time.
The Small Group/Team Session registration forms will posted at a later date.

Again - Bill Hillhouse will be in Hawaii in September 2008!

Last time, we had WAY too many girls in each session, so this year EACH clinic session (20th & 21st) is limited to just 10-12 girls. That's why we are running two days worth of clinic sessions - so that we can make more than just 10-12 slots per age group available. One session for each age group will run on Saturday and another session will run on Sunday.

The clinic is $35 for participating pitchers (must supply your own catcher). This fee is good for ONE session. Parents, coaches, non-participating pitchers are FREE.

Also - in order to secure a spot in a Small Group session (on the 27th with no more than 4 pitchers per session), you MUST attend one of the clinic sessions.

So a Re-Cap
20th & 21st (Sat & Sun) - pitching clinic, 3 sessions each day - registration is now OPEN
27th - Small Group/Team Sessions, only 5 hour-long slots available - not taking registration yet

Sharing a Story: "What you look for..."

2008-06-11T03:48:00.000-10:00

I heard an interesting story recently that illustrated an interesting point of "What you look for is often what you see." I think this is an interesting concept that applies to any part of life, including softball, but the story is REALLY cool. Honestly, I don't know if it's true or not, but it illustrates a point very nicely and it's one that I think you'll be interested in hearing, so click on the play button below to hear the story and don't forget to let me know what you think with the "What Do You Think?" link below.

Raise Team Funds with Softball Today

2008-06-10T00:12:00.001-10:00

Eek! Fundraising! I've done quite a bit this year myself. Often times it's the same old thing. Although this year I did do a couple of Jamba Juice Fundraisers for the first time ever.

I don't particularly like fundraising, but I also know how expensive softball can get if you're paying everything out of pocket. Remember, I'm a coach and I also have 3 daughters who play
too. Between the umpiring fees, league fees, tournament fees, jackets, banquets, pictures, trophies, balls, practice equipment, game equipment...well, you get the idea. This sport is probably not as costly as football, but it's getting there.

The thing is everyone LOVES football, but not so many people are as eager to support/sponsor softball. BUT, I just heard about a unique, relative fundraiser that teams are using to raise money.

Softball Today offers a fundraiser that gives teams a 50% profit.

There's even a chance of your team being sponsored by DeMarini if you partner with Softball Today for your fundraising needs. There are no minimums to meet and no money to pay up front. This is not an elite fastpitch magazine only so a variety of softball people can benefit from a subscription (slow pitch, fastpitch, travel, high school, and rec). For more information on working with Softball Today (and your team's chance to get sponsored by DeMarini) visit http://www.softballtoday.com/fundraisers.asp

Free Juicing Information

2008-06-09T01:27:00.001-10:00

No, I'm not talking about steriod juicing. I'm talking about the real, fresh fruit and vegetable juicing.

This past year was the busiest softball season I've EVER been a part of. I had virtually no time to cook and my family relied on fast food and take out way more than I would have liked.

Because of the busy season, my daughter's quest to gain weight, my husband's quest to lose weight, our lack of time, and my positive first experience with juicing, I decided that I wanted to learn more about juicing to see if it could help our family.

Are there really health benefits to juicing or is juicing just one of those "health fads?"

Does juicing really provide a nutritional alternative to other beverages and snacks?

What juicer should I use?

What should I juice?

As you can imagine, I had lots of questions. I didn't even know where to start. The one and only time I had tried juicing was at a breakfast buffet and I loved it. However, no one I know juices so I didn't really have anyone to point me in the right direction as far as getting started with juicing. So....I did a bunch of research on my own and put most of it together for you so that you wouldn't have to go searching all over the internet for the information you need to:

~ see how juicing can help you
~ answer your questions about juicing
~ get started with juicing

If you've ever wondered about juicing or wanted more information on getting started, visit www.FastpitchJuicing.com for free juicing information and free juicing articles.

Softball is Supposed to be Fun

2008-06-08T11:30:00.002-10:00

If you've been a visitor for any length of time, you KNOW how much I believe this game should be enjoyed to it's fullest. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of this as we get super-competitive. Hey, I'm competitive too, but I LOVE competition. It's fun for me.

At the end of our high school season, one of our players had a great tips for her teammates. She told them that if they ever felt like they didn't love the game any more, like it wasn't fun, go watch the young girls play. Go watch 6U or 8U.

The players are sooooo excited just to be on the field, to wear a cool uniform, to touch dirt, and even for the other team to make a great play! You get the idea. Personally, I find watching the young ones very refreshing. Check out this video, you'll see what I mean...

*Note: please feel free to share this video ;P

Win a Coach of Action Academy Scholarship

2008-06-07T02:00:00.002-10:00

Yep, I'm giving away 3 "full-ride" scholarships to the Coach of Action Academy. If you win a scholarship, you will get to go through the full Coach of Action program for FREE.

All you have to do to enter is send in the BEST coaching tip(s) you have. Each tip will be considered a separate entry IF sent in a separate e-mail.

In ONE WEEK, all entries will be entered into a drawing for 1 of 3 "full-ride" scholarships to the Coach of Action Academy. To qualify for the drawing your entry must:

be received by the end of the day, Saturday, June 14th
contain your best coaching tip
contain at least your first name AND your location

Send your best coaching tips in to Tips@coachofaction.com.

New Coaching Freebie

2008-06-06T09:50:00.001-10:00

Yep, I'm working on yet another free coaching resource. I think it'll be the best one yet. Yes, Coach of Action Academy is also still in the works, but I'm waiting on a technical ordering issue that is not under my control before I can really move forward and open it up.

Stay Tuned
BUT, keep your eye on this blog over the course of the next week (hopefully just the next few days) for an important announcement about the Coach of Action Academy. This announcement also involves the word FREE and is time sensitive, so please check back here over the weekend.

The New Coaching Freebie
Anyway - back to this new free resource. It's coming along great. I can't wait until it's all put together and ready for you to download because it's going to GIVE you the Secret Every Championship Softball Coach Knows. You won't want to miss it. Besides, it'll be free, so there's nothing to lose.

I'll let you know when it's complete!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the game.

My Biggest Fear as a Pitcher's Mother

2008-06-04T09:37:00.000-10:00

Great play though...I hope the pitcher was okay.

This is Why We Call for the Ball

2008-06-02T09:39:00.000-10:00

...and set up priorities (i.e. which players back off to who when more than one players is calling for the ball. It shouldn't just be whoever calls first or loudest.)

Phew - Long Tournament Days!

2008-06-02T00:47:00.002-10:00

My daughter just played in the ASA State 12U Tournament. Unfortunately, her team decided to lose their first game in elimination play which made for a VERY long day on Saturday. We were at the park at 7:30am and, 4 games later, didn't leave until about 9:30pm. The did make it to Sunday, but lost their first game that morning.

I forgot how energetic young people can be. This team only used 2 pitchers (one of which was my daughter and she only pitched about half a game total) and 1 catcher. Yet at the end of the day on Saturday (in the 4th game) they were still showing enthusiasm and energy. The parents and coaches, of course, were quite tired.

It was definitely easier to play 4 games in one day back when I was playing than it is to coach or watch 4 games in one day now. I know, it probably has something to do with age right?

Anyway - great job to all the 12U teams that were in this weekend's tournament!

Here's a picture of my daughter (the little one) and her teammates in the Sunday game...still showing a little pep in their step....and, yes, my daughter's hair is colored red......and blue (see bottom pic).