Fun and Positive: Is This So Hard to Understand?

Isn't this what I've been saying from Day 1? Why does this seem like such a tough concept for "grown ups" to understand? So much so that it was a big part of the foreword of a book.

The main ideas?

• Children are NOT mini-adults (do not treat them as such)
• Fun and enjoyment are the MAIN reasons children participate in sports in the first place (either that or their parents are forcing them)
• Children's early experiences in the sport have a MASSIVE influence over their participation decisions later

When coaching 6U, 8U, 10U, probably even as far as 12U - Winning is NOT the ultimate goal! Let's teach the game, help the kids improve their skills while fostering/nurturing a love for the game. Do NOT overlook these aspects in favor of the WIN!

Players are NOT going to continue playing this game for the next 8, 10, 12 years if it's not fun. PERIOD! You've probably heard me say this before: the 2 times in my career when I seriously thought about quitting this game...the BIGGEST (actually the ONLY) reason was because I wasn't having fun. Why they heck should I "waste" my time with something I'm not enjoying. In one scenario I was part of a very good team. Winning and "success" were just about guaranteed and still I seriously though about giving it all up. Why? Because I wasn't enjoying it any more. Most kids feel the same way.

Why didn't I quit in those situations? Because I made the conscious choice to have fun no matter what. I was not going to let anyone take away this game that I enjoyed so much. It was something I loved to do and was good at and I decided I was going to have fun despite negativity in my surroundings.

But I wasn't making that decision at 8, 10, or 12. I had been given that fun and enjoyable foundation to fall back on when I was faced with this decision at an older age.

This is a game! Yes, it's fun to win. I'm not denying that. Yes, each time I go out on the field, I'm going out there to do my best and come out on top, but "the win" is not THE driving force behind why I'm at the field on a regular basis. I'm there because I love it, because even after being in this sport since the age of 9, it's still FUN for me. I still enjoy it.

Especially at the younger ages, I believe it's our job, as coaches, to give these players the most positively memorable experience possible. Not that it should all be fun and games, not that there should be no discipline or that striving for excellence should be thrown out the window...Just remember that kids are more likely to want to play softball if they enjoy it. They are more likely to continue playing for years and years IF the are having fun. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Here's an article that talks about this very issue. Read it HERE.

Interesting Fastpitch Discussions

We've got all kinds of fastpitch softball discussions going on at My Fastpitch World.

Should sunflower seeds be allowed?
How should tryouts be run?
Is stealing signals "playing dirty?"
Should you play up or stay down?
How do you motivate young players and reduce nerves before a game?
...and a bunch more.

If you haven't shared your thoughts yet, head over and tell us what you think. If you haven't signed up for your free account at My Fastpitch World, it only takes a few minutes and you'll be able to jump right in to the conversations!

I'm looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions you'd like input on, just post it up ~ there are a lot of great fastpitch people ready to help you out.

Fastpitch Shopping Alert

Wow! I just caught wind of some MAJOR sales going on at Baseball Savings including Up To 75% Off Mizuno Footwear. Even though the name of the online store is Baseball Savings they do also have some great deals on fastpitch Softball Stuff too!

I don't know about you, but 75% off is the kind of deal I love to see, especially during this time of year when you have to buy so many presents for so many people. If you still have some fastpitch lovers on your list, this is a sale you won't want to miss out on. When was the last time you saw deals like these?

• 60% Off Nike Youth Uniform Belts - Now Only $3.88
• Save Up To 70% On DeMARINI Gear
• Save Up To 70% On Wilson Catcher's Equipment
• Save Up To 75% On Bats
• Save Over 50% On Nike Footwear
• Save Up To 80% On Worth Catcher's Gear
• Discount Dugout - Save Up To 80%
• Plus take advantage of the Final Clearance - At Cost Or Below

Just the thought of those great deals makes me want to up and grab them before the sale ends. Best of all, you can shop from the comfort of your own home and don't even need to step out into that nasty weather, wait in crazy lines, or fight to find parking at the mall. Get some great gifts, pick up some cool Softball Gear, and maybe even something for yourself? Either way, have fun shopping and enjoy your weekend!

Tips for Running Quality Tournament

As promised, here is the recorded call I did with Elliott of Triple Crown Sports. If you're thinking of running a tournament or are already involved with organizing and planning one, this audio is a must hear.

P.S. - Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what part of this call you liked most OR add your tournament tips!

Fastpitch Softball vs Baseball

Let's take a little break from all the getting ready for the season talk and have a little fun. I was messing around with hub pages and created one for fastpitch softball. On this page I'm running a poll and I'm inviting you to Go Cast Your Vote! I know you already voted earlier this month in our Presidential election, but I promise this will take a lot less of your time. :D

Of course I'm trying to skew this poll by telling all the fastpitch softball people I know about it. AND of course, right above the poll I tell you why you should vote for fastpitch softball instead of baseball. As you can see this is entirely un-scientific and just plain fun.

So take a minute (probably more like 30 seconds) and Cast Your Vote - then feel free to leave me a comment either here or there and let me know why you voted the way you did (if you're so inclined). It's not necessary, but I'm just interested in what you have to say.

Please invite your friends to vote too. The more the merrier (after all Christmas is creeping up on us). Did I ever mention that it's good to take a break every now and then? I'm quite sure I have. This is just me practicing what I preach. ;P Now go vote.

2008 Bootcamp Now Open

More Success & Less Stress for 2009

The first Fastpitch Insider Bootcamp 2008 (Reduce Your Coaching Stress) is NOW open for Fastpitch World members only. All Fastpitch World members can join today at 40% off.

How to Claim The Fastpitch World Special

• Login to Fastpitch World
• Click on GROUPS
• Go to the *Members Only* Group to get the special discount link

The special is good for Monday, November 17th ONLY.

After that, the doors to the bootcamp will open up to everyone else at the regular price. Space is not limited, but the timeframe during which you can sign up is. The doors will not be open on an ongoing basis. If you want a spot in this bootcamp, now is the time.

If you're not a Fastpitch World member, it's free to sign up, you can still join today to get the discount. Otherwise, be ready to get in to the bootcamp tomorrow, November 18th. Lay the groundwork for your season now so you can have less stress and more success in 2009.

See you inside!

"Same Old Stuff" and The Movie Phenomenon

Yes it's true...

listen in and tell me what you think...

Free Tool to Help You With Tryouts

If you're a player or parent of a player and are looking for ideas to gain an edge on the competition for the upcoming season, stay tuned this week, because I'll have some ideas for you soon.

If you're a coach, the rest of this message is for you. The report I told you about in this post has been downloaded 307 times. If you haven't yet claimed your free copy of Preseason Paving yet, you can do so at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html.

But today, I have a free tool you can use to help you during tryouts. This was something that a number of coaches shared back when I asked for tryout tips, so I thought you may find it useful too.

Actually, I put together a little video to share this tryout tool with you so you can get a good idea of how it works. Not only that, I included a link so you can get this tool for yourself for free (no strings attached). Check out this free video and get this free tryout tool at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/matrix.html

If you're looking for a way to make things easier during tryouts, this may help. It's simple, easy to use, and fully customizable to suit your needs. Learn more at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/matrix.html

Now is the time to start preparing for next year!

If you're the type that likes to be organized (or wish that you were more organized) this tool is right up your alley.

Once you have a chance to watch the video - if you'll be using a tool like this at your next tryout, I'd like to hear from you - leave me a comment below and let me know.

AAF Live - Friday - Right Here on the Blog

Hey - I just had to give you a quick heads up. I know it's last minute again, but I'm going to be running an AAF Live session right here on the blog on Friday, November 14th at 7pm Eastern, 2pm Hawaii Time.

In this live session, we'll discuss:

• The freebies that have come out recently (3 Tips for Reducing Parent Conflict, PreSeason Paving, and the Free Tryout Tool)
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for reducing parent conflict
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for making tryouts easier
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for getting ready for the upcoming season
• The experts I've been talking with and what our conversations have been about
  
• Plus you'll be able to ask me questions about the bootcamp that I'll be opening up soon (Fastpitch Insider 2008: Reduce Your Coaching Stress Bootcamp)

So join us right here on Friday, November 14th for 1 hour as we discuss, in real time, the topics mentioned above.



Hey - if you're enjoying (or enjoyed) this event, please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought about this AAF Live! session. I'd love to hear from you.

How You Can Gain An Edge Starting Now

If you're like me, your season probably starts some time next year. BUT, that doesn't mean you can't begin gaining an edge over the competition now.

If you want to get ready to have the best season possible, check out
www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html

I have a free report up there for coaches.

Don't be the one floundering because you weren't ready for the season. Get this free report to help make sure your ready to hit the ground running when your season rolls around.

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html

P.S. - I may have another tool for you tomorrow. I'm working on it right now and if all works out well, I'll have it for you here. For now, head over to
www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html and claim your free report.

Lots of Great Information for Parents

Just in case you've never had a chance to check it out yet, I wanted to let you know about a few things going on over at Fastpitch Parents. I've recently found so many great articles and resources for youth sports parents that I decided to slowly but surely share them all with you over at www.FastpitchParents.com.

Recently, I posted articles about:

• 50 Tips for Helping Your Child Achieve in Sports
• 10 Tips to Improve Confidence in Young Athletes
• How to Manage the Busy Softball Season
• ACL Injuries in Young Female Athletes
• Help Your Child Handle Pressure

and so much more including how to help your child set goals, avoiding common post-game mistakes, sports specialization, youth sports psychology guidelines, etc, etc, etc

Like I said, there is quite a bit of great information there for you to consume and digest and help your daughter be the best she can be.

Check it out at www.FastpitchParents.com and don't forget to share the articles you like with the "Share" button at the bottom of the articles!

Poll for Coaches

What kind of players do you want?

I have a poll going on at Fastpitch World. If you are a coach, please come by and cast your vote. However, you only get ONE vote, so make sure you've decided on your "final answer" before hitting the "Vote" button.

You'll have to scroll allllll the way down to the bottom of my page to see the poll and cast your vote. I've hidden the results for now because I don't want you to be able to see them before you vote. I will post the results after I run the poll for a bit. I think I know how the results will turn out. Of course, now that I've said that, some monkeys will cast votes solely to produce "funny" results. Still, I'm curious to see the results since I have been known to be wrong before. ;P

Click Here to share your thoughts on what kind of players you'd like to have on your team.


Want to run your own poll?

Join Fastpitch World (free) and add the Poll Daddy application like I did. Then you can run your very own softball poll!

AAF Live! October 15, 2008

Tomorrow we'll be running our 2nd AAF Live! event. I hope you can join us, but please note the CORRECTED TIME. The event will run from 7pm-8pm Eastern.

If you didn't get a chance to join in the last conversation, it was a lot of fun! It's a free, unscripted, real time discussion on fastpitch softball. At this point, I'm not even choosing the topics, we'll discuss whatever you want to bring to the table.

Even if you can't stay the full hour, drop by, let us know you're there and join in for a few minutes! Hope to "see" you tomorow.

First Ever All About Fastpitch LIVE

Wow - that was a lot of fun! Thanks to those of you who joined in the conversation on such short notice.

We had over 30 people stop by and 224 reader comments.

If you want to see the replay of the live chat we had, it's still up at www.allaboutfastpitch.com/live.html

Next time I will try to make a bigger announcement and let everyone know with more advanced notice so that more of you can stop by and join us.

If you were there, leave me a comment here and let me know what you thought of the experience.

Fastpitch Conversations Update

Here's an update on those fastpitch conversations I'm putting together for you. If you have no idea what I'm talking about Click Here to watch the first video. (This all has to do with picking the brains of various eperts in the Fastpitch Softball World and in Youth Sports)




Sign up to receive priority updates HERE.

Great Reason to Join My Fastpitch World

You may remember that I set up a site a while back called My Fastpitch World where people who love this game can connect, hang out, and talk with other fastpitch people around the world.

Well, since the holidays are coming up (well, not quite, but I really love the holidays so I'm getting a head start here), I'm going to give you a great gift when you join My Fastpitch World. Actually, I'll give you a number of great gifts once you're in there, but right now, there's just one ready for you.

What will you get?

Free Access to the Coach of Action program. (if you're already a COA member, keep reading because I have something for you too).

How does it work?

1. Go to MyFastpitchWorld.com
2. Create a profile
3. Sign in and go to "Groups" & Request an Invite for the *Members Only* group

That's it! Once you're invite request is approved, you'll have access to that *Members Only* group and that's where you'll get access to the Fastpitch World Members Only freebies.

Those that are already in COA, don't worry, I will be adding more and more freebies there as time goes on. In fact, the next freebie will be access to the College Recruiting Seminar I'm planning for later on this month. If you're in that *Members Only* group at Fastpitch World, you'll know be able to access that seminar for free too.

To join MyFastpitchWorld.com and gain access to these *Members Only* freebies, CLICK HERE.

Brakettes May Have to Forfeit 2009

With 28 Fastpitch National Championships, the Brakettes are one of the nation's best fastpitch softball teams. This Connecticut team won 59 of 62 games this season and have won 5 of the last 7 ASA National Championships. However due to financial issues the Brakettes may have to forfeit the entire 2009 season.

City officials are hoping the town can help the 62-year-old team out, but they're doubtful that taxpayers will be able to bail the team out of their funding problems. Read the full story at News Times.

Stealing from the Kids

When I read a youth sports news article today about a man who is accused of bilking Little Leaguers out of $16,000, I realized how important it is that background checks be done on those involved with running youth sports organizations. At the same time however, this story illustrates how that isn't enough.

The person that runs the association involved actually did a background check on James Michael Anderson, 42, who is now charged with felony embezzlement. Guess what? He did have a previous embezzlement charge that showed up on the background check at the time, but he was still selected as president of the Allendale Township Youth Athletic Association which runs the baseball and softball programs in the area.

First of all, I have a tough time with people like this who take advantage of youth sports organizations. There's just something so wrong with that. And yet, there are probably worse crimes that can be committed when it comes to working with children. So as crazy as this wrongdoing may seems, it's not even the biggest reason to get a background checks done.

To find out why the guy running the league still chose Anderson when we knew he had a previous embezzlement charge, read the whole story at mlive.com.

More Hustle and Guts Needed

Just sharing a few thoughts I had after this summers tournaments were over. 

Those on the AAF mailing list probably already read this, but if not, here it is again.

ALWAYS hustle down the line after you hit the ball, NO MATTER WHAT.

However you hit the ball, strong or weak, fair or foul ALWAYS,
ALWAYS, ALWAYS hustle down the line.

Hustle is your second weapon in an at bat. First, you hit the ball,
then you RUN like heck!

The defense needs to first defend your hit THEN beat out your
hustle. Your first strike is the hit you put on the ball, you
"attack" again by running your FASTEST to put as much pressure as
you possibly can on the defense AND to make them PAY if they make a
mistake.

I saw too many girls, including my own daughter, slow down before
first base. Granted some of them were already out by the time they
were within a few steps of the base, but I believe all players
should run all hits out at their best speed no matter what. If
they're able to slow down and stop before the base on a ground out
to the left side, they probably weren't running their hardest.
Some are slowing down before the bag and are only out by a step or
two, that's just not the way to play. Imagine if these players had
been hustling down the line, they could have rushed a throw, they
could have shaken up the 1b to possibly mishandle the ball because
they were right there - you never know, RUN LIKE HECK after you hit
the ball.

Then there was another situation when a girl popped up soooooo
high, she should have been standing on 2nd when the ball popped out
of the SS glove. Instead, she's dogging it and almost gets caught
in a pickle between 1st and 2nd because she wasn't going hard. She
was just trotted around 1st and then, bam, the ball pops out of the
SS glove and now she's in no man's land between bases not even at
top speed. Seriously, she would have made 2nd easy if she had run
as hard as possible from the get go. She hurt her team by giving
less than her best. I didn't stay at that field to see what
happened after that, but it's quite possible that her team had to
give up an out to move her to 2nd, a base she could have had "free"
if only she gave her best effort after her mis-hit rather than
pouted and felt sorry for herself. Team players, and players
giving their best effort, never give up on a hit. If you're giving
up on hits, if you have players that are, it's time do to a self
check and step up your game because you're selling yourself short.

I recently received an e-mail from Tom Hanson and he talked about this very issue.
Here's something he reported from an MLB game...

"I loved that he pulled Upton (after he'd run out to his OF
position...ouch) for not hustling on a play.

Even with Longoria and Crawford out he pulls arguably his most
talented remaining player for not running out a ball."

Apparently, even pros need do to self checks every once in a while,
so don't beat yourself up over it if that's you. Just make the
adjustment and get better.

AND....more coaches need to have the guts to reward those who do
play all out and sit those who don't. You're not doing a player
any favors by rewarding them with playing time (or anything else)
when they play and practice selfishly (showing up to practice when
and if they feel like it, walking on the field, doing drills half
way, etc, etc, etc). You're only asking for trouble because the
ones who only go all out when they feel like it will continue on
that path, and those who do go hard all the time (and never get
rewarded for it) will start playing like the others - only going
"all out" sometimes. Next thing you know, your whole team is
playing selfish, "go hard only when I feel like it" softball.
You'll have far bigger problems than you started off with and
you'll wish your only issue was having to play a game or two with
your "stud" on the bench and "less talented/big hearted" on the
field.

If coaches can do it (sit "studs") in the major leagues where jobs
depend on success and wins and losses, then you can do it too.
Telling your players that they should give their best all the time
and backing that message up with your actions are two different
things. But if you can create an environment where your players
know that nothing less than their best is acceptable and nothing
less than their best will be tolerated, your season will be filled
with much less headache. However, that will never happen if you
continue to reward the "slackers" and the "it's all about me"
attitudes. The rules have to be the same across the board -
consistency is key. You can't have one reward/punishment for some
players and another for other players. Be fair, be consistent,
back up your words with actions, and you'll have much more success.

Here's to having the guts to "honor the game."

You Will Never See This Kind of Softball in Hawaii

Okay, I know you should NEVER say "never," but seriously, it's going to take some really funky change of our entire environment before we ever see this kind of softball in Hawaii.

Gosh, I can't even imagine.  Remember, this is coming from someone who's never seen snow, much less played in it.  YIKES!  I'll take our Hawaii weather over that any day.  Of course, if anyone wants to sponsor my trip to a snowy softball game, I'll get out there and try it.  ;)  I most certainly can't guarantee you a full 7, but I'll at least get out on the field.  Of course, my agility may be quite hampered by the thick snow suit I'll be wearing.  :D

Winning is Over-Rated

You've probably heard the saying, "Winning isn't everything. It's the ONLY thing." Honestly, I've never cared much for it. It may sound good as a "slogan" and it may be motivating to some and look cool on t-shirts and stuff. But the truth is, it's totally and completely FALSE.  You may or may not agree with me, but in my world, that saying just never really connected with me for a number of reasons. I was reminded of why I feel this way over the course of this softball year.

IF winning truly was everything OR the "only" thing then, technically, there would be no gripes and no grumbles when a championship was won.  Everyone that had anything to do with the championship team (parent, fan, player, coach) would be utterly and completely happy and overjoyed if winning really was the ONLY thing. No one on a championship team would ever have any sort of ill feeling or complaint about anything related to the team or the season or the coaching or the players or the organization as a whole if winning was the ONLY thing. But that's simply not the case.

Even when a team wins a championship there are times when players or parents are not completely happy and satisfied with how the season/tournament went. Why?  No, it's not because they're cry babies (although some may be).  It's usually because they are HUMAN and because THERE IS MORE TO THIS GAME, TO THIS EXPERIENCE, THAN WINNING!

Don't get me wrong. Winning is great! Championships are awesome!  Any time I step on the field I'm out there to out-do my opponent and come out on top. But these things are not the end all/be all of participating in this sport. 

I'm sure you'll run into coaches or parents or players who've had "successful" seasons tainted by something that happened during the season (the way a situation was handled, the way the players were treated, the way the coaches acted, the lack or organization of the season, etc, etc, etc).  You will probably also meet people from time to time who will tell you that they've experienced a higher level of enjoyment and fulfillment in seasons where their record wasn't necessarily the best. If winning where "everything" OR the "only thing" that wouldn't be possible, it would never be true. But it is. Maybe not always, but it certainly is true and does happen on occasion.......because in this game, in any sport, in life....winning is NOT everything NOR is it the only thing.

When all is said and done, I wouldn't want people to remember me only for the championships I've been a part of, but hopefully also for positive qualities like integrity, honesty, determination, inspiration, etc.  In fact, if they could know me for either championships OR those positive qualities - I would want them to remember me for having those positive qualities. If I had to choose between being known as a coach with those positive qualities and no championships OR a coach with championships and but little integrity, little honesty, and little inspiration - I don't think I have to tell you which scenario I'd choose. What a shame it would be to be known for a championship or two and nothing else.

Winning isn't everything nor is it the only thing.  However, many have reminded me that while winning isn't everything, expecting to win and striving for perfection is.

What do you think?  Leave me a comment below and share your thoughts.

*NOTE: Yes, you may reprint this article.  Simply credit the author (Stacie Mahoe) and provide an active link (if posted online) either back to this post or to www.AllAboutFastpitch.com.

Are You Still Doing the Same Old Thing?

How many times have you seen great new drills or head cool new tips from other coaches?  It probably happens a number of time throughout each season.  As coaches, we always try to stay up to date with the latest training techniques and drills.  But how many of us actually use the new information we acquire?  How many times have you seen those cool new ideas, then 6 months down the road, nothing has changed.  Your practices are the same, your game strategies are the same, and you're still dealing with the same problems you had 6 months ago.  This is one of the biggest and the most common coaching mistake made!  

Hey, change can be scary, but if you never change you will NEVER improve!

In order to improve, change is necessary, and change requires ACTION.

It's wonderful to be a life long learner, but what's even better is actually APPLYING all that new knowledge you put into your brain!

Coach of Action is designed to help you

• Be active in increasing your coaching knowledge
  
• Overcome the uncertainty that comes with change
  
• Utilize simple tips and strategies for APPLYING the new knowledge you gain
  
• Develop or improve your vision for your program and for yourself as a coach
  
• Set effective goals
  
• Identify your BIGGEST coaching goals 
  
• Develop a solid plan of ACTION for achieving your big goals through a simple yet powerful 5-step goal setting process

But we're not going to just throw all this great information at you and leave you to sort through it and digest on your own.  We've broken it all down into manageable, bite-size pieces so that you can completely understand the concepts (and begin applying them) before another lesson is sent to you to digest.  

You'll practically be spoon fed all of the material so that you won't be overwhelmed with too many new ideas, strategies, and tips at once.  Remember, the whole idea is that you TAKE ACTION and sometimes with too much information you just don't know where to start, so you end up doing nothing at all.  Coach of Action is designed to give you only what you can handle AND we also give you specific instructions on how to actually USE the information covered in each lesson. 

If this is the kind of step-by-step, long-term help your looking for as a coach, then check out CoachofAction.com for more information.

Go, now and I have a little something special waiting for you ~ through LABOR DAY ONLY, get 50% off the regular price.  

Yup, you can have full access to the entire program at half the cost.  But when the Labor Day holiday is over, this offer will be gone!  Get it HERE.

Interesting Fastpitch Information AND a Chance to Win

Wow! I just spent some time reviewing the submissions posted by Fastpitch Festival participants. There is a lot of good input there from people in the game. I'm impressed! Not only do you have a chance to win a prize if you participate, but if you spend a few minutes reading what others have said, you'll come across some pretty interesting stuff. I know because that's what I've been doing for the past half hour.

I didn't think there would be so much to say about Fastpitch Headwear, but apparently there is. Like I said, lots of useful information from others in the game. I've enjoying it!

If you haven't stopped by yet, what are you waiting for?

Fastpitch Festival is Under Way

The first ever Fastpitch Festival is now under way!  Softball fanatics are already over there participating in the event and earning themselves chances to win prizes!  

We have 8 different categories and each category that has a prize pack DOES show what prizes are up for grabs for that particular category.  ALL are valued at over $100 and some are valued at over $200!

Only responses IN the "prize" categories will count as an entry into the drawing for THAT category.  If you haven't been over there yet, there's still time!  Visit www.FastpitchFestival.com to enter and win a prize from one of the following sponsors:

• All Star Greetings
  
• Fastpitch Forever
  
• Slow the Game Down
  
• House of Pitching (Bill Hillhouse)
  
• Softball Performance
  
• GetSoftballConfidence.com
  
• Softball Today
  
• Fastpitch Supply
  
• Pre-Wrap.com
  
• Winning Softball Online
  
• Mattingly Baseball
  

Japan Wins Gold Medal!

Oh my goodness!  Japan just beat the USA Women's National Team to win the Gold Medal 3-1.  I didn't get a chance to watch the game, but I have it recorded.  Wow!  Their game in the earlier rounds was also a great one that the US won, but this time, it was Japan's day.  

• USA Softball has a short report of the Gold Medal Game HERE.
• The LA Times had another story about the game.
• Here's the story from Yomiuri Online.
• The NY Times Blog has a story and a bit of a game track as well.
  

Wow!  Are you stunned like I am?

I've started a discussion over at Fastpitch World if you have comments or thoughts, or simply leave one here.

How to Stand Out at Tryouts

I have to admit, tryouts don't happen here in Hawaii like they do on the mainland US at this time of year.  Most girls only have to tryout for school teams.  I've only had to tryout for a team twice in my entire lifetime.  Once for our intermediate school team and once for my varsity high school team.  That's about it.  There aren't a lot of travel/ASA teams that hold "tryouts."  The tryouts we hold for school teams don't seem to be as big a deal or as intimidating as travel ball tryouts happening around this time in the mainland US.  Plus for school ball we get to hang on to girls for over a month and see them play in a number of preseason game situations before we ever have to make a decision.  So players have much more opportunity to show what they're made of and coaches have a lot more time to evaluate than in the typical "travel ball" situation.  

Because of this, I don't usually have a lot of input to contribute when coaches or players ask for tips for tryouts.  Lucky for you, I'm not the ONLY softball "go-to" on the internet.

Marc over at Softball Performance has just put together an awesome new resource for players who want to make a HUGE impression at tryouts.  

If it's that time of year for you and you want to have a game plan for standing out in the crowd at your tryouts, Marc tells you how to:

• Be super confident and perform when it counts
  
• Crush the ball when you have a chance to show off your hitting
  
• What coaches are looking for when they evaluate players
  
• Exactly what to eat so your body can perform at it's best
  
• Deliver your best tryout performance ever
  
• and a whole bunch more

Imagine how you'll feel when the coach selects YOU to be on the team!  Get prepared because you know what they say, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Make sure you're READY for your tryouts.  Be the head-turning player coaches can't help but remember.  The blue print for your tryout success all laid out for you - get it HERE.

More Fastpitch Videos at Fastpitch World

I've put up some of the Sportskool videos up at www.MyFastpitchWorld.com. However, those aren't the ONLY fastpitch videos there. Other members have uploaded videos with useful information as well. These videos are all free to view and becoming a member at www.MyFastpitchWorld.com is also free.

One of my favorites is the one I just added on fielding (from sportskool).

Some of you may know how I feel about doing the "alligator." The long and short of it is that I don't care for it. The reason is because of the very issue Mike Candrea warns against in the video - improper positioning of the throwing hand.
I've seen TOO many young player jam their throwing hand fingers because they aren't getting their hand into the correct position for this technique.

Of course, after voicing my opinion and saying that I use a different technique, I've had people ask me what the alternative is. Needless to say, it's not always easy to put softball techniques into words. Sooooo, the reason I like this video is because it shows the "other" technique which is the one I, personally, prefer. It's not more "right" it's just my preference. Like I said, I just see too many not using the proper hand positioning for "securing the ball" with the "alligator." Many players DO use this technique with success (as you will see in this video I've added to Fastpitch World), but if you do use it, or if you do teach it - make sure to emphasize proper positioning of the throwing hand!!!!

Actually, if you look at the picture I found to include here - this is an example of the fielder who is NOT doing the "alligator." Her hands do not form the top and bottom jaw of an "alligator" getting ready to chomp on the ball.

Fastpitch Softball Video: Baserunning Basics

Here's one of those videos I was talking about.

If you want to learn about how to run bases or learn about how to teach baserunning. This is a video you have to see.

Baserunning is such a tough skill to teach. A good baserunner is such an asset to the team. In this video, Mike Candrea explains that you don't necessarily have to be the quickest on the team to be a good baserunner. Knowing what to do in different situations and how to properly maneuver around the bases, though, are very important.

Of course, the cool thing about this video is being able to see demonstrations!

Watch the baserunning video here...

Great Fastpitch Softball Pictures

I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing fastpitch softball pictures. The members over at www.MyFastpitchWorld.com are putting up a bunch!

Click Here to check them out or to sign up free and share the pictures you have too.

I'm about to go and upload a few more myself.

Bil Hillhouse - Times and Locations SET

I know a lot of you have been waiting for the finalized information and details on the Bill Hillhouse clinic in Hawaii in September.

IF YOU ALREADY REGISTERED - PLEASE take note of the changes in clinic times!

Slight changes were made to the original schedule in order to secure our Saturday location.

With that said, here are all the details of the clinic...

Bill Hillhouse Pitching Clinic Sessions
September 20 & 21
Registration Fee of $35 covers ONE session on ONE of these dates.

Saturday the 20th will be at Moiliili Community Center - map
Sunday the 21st will be at Kapolei High School

Schedule for the clinic sessions on both days are as follows:

• 9:00-11:00 Ages 9-11
• 12:15-2:30 Ages 12-15
• 3:15-5:30 Ages 16+

Each session is LIMITED to just 12 girls!
Get your registration form HERE
All pitchers must supply their own catcher

Small Group/Team Sessions with Bill
September 27th at Moiliili Community Center

• Must attend pitching clinic in order to qualify for a small group session with Bill
• Up to 4 pitchers per one-hour session
• $160 per group/team
• All pitchers must supply their own catcher
• Click Here to Download Team Registration Form
  

To download and print the flyer for your league, your team, your friends, or yourself - CLICK HERE

New Freebie on Goal Setting in the Works

Hi, just stopping in to let you know that I'm working on a new resource on goal setting. It's called Avoid These 7 Costly Goal Setting Mistakes.

Not only will I share these 7 goal setting mistakes that I see many people make, I'm also going to share:

• Why Goal Setting is important
• How Goal Setting can help you
• Simple tips that will make you more effective at reaching your goals
  
• How to Avoid the 7 Common and Costly Mistakes in Mention in this resource

I hope to have this resource done by the end of August if not sooner, so I'll keep you updated on it's progress. The information will be in both audio and pdf format. I can get the audio part done quickly, but turning that into a written file is the part that I'm unsure of as far as how long it will take to be completed.

At any rate, stay tuned here or get on my mailing list and I'll keep you updated!

Are You There Yet?

I'm talking about Fastpitch World - Are you there yet?

Within the first two days, we were just shy of the 90 member mark. I hope to reach 500 in the first week, but could use your help!

If you haven't joined yet (it's free) - come by and see what it's all about.

If you ARE a member (yay! glad to have you) - please remember to utilize the different tools to share the site with your fastpitch friends!

I have to tell you, I've been getting some great responses to Fastpitch World.

Here's what people are saying:

"Stacie,I have now joined the site and love it. I believe you have started a wonderful thing for the world of fastpitch softball. an avenue for coaches, parents, and the whole reason we are currently continuing to teach....we love the girls and want only the best for each one of them as individuals."
-Coach Capers

"Stacie, Thanks for creating a site for all of us softball fanatics to socialize!!!!"
-David Y.


"Stacie
I'm glad to be here and hope to pick up some great ideas for conditioning
and hitting. My 18U team has some awesome players and I want to use you and Marc to
expand there horizons."-CJ


"Stacie,
Kudos to you! All your hard work & dedication in putting together this amazing site is brilliant! Thank You!!"
-Coach Nikki


"This a great idea by Stacie to put together a softball network just for fastpitch softball. I love the idea.

I will be contributing softball tips on hitting, pitching, coaching, training, etc. on a regular basis!

Great Job Stacie! I am looking forward to see its development!"
-Marc Dagenais
Softball Peak Performance Coach


These people have already made it worth my time and effort to create www.MyFastpitchWorld.com. They are what Fastpitch World is ALL about! Fastpitch people from around the world getting together to have fun, interact, share, learn, update/help each other in REAL time....content, ideas, and more for fastpitch lovers BY fastpitch lovers.

It's so cool to go there each day and see new faces and meet new people. I'd love to see you there too. It's simple and free to join - just go to www.MyFastpitchWorld.com and click on the Sign Up link. See you inside!

Cat Osterman Interview

No, I didn't do this interview, but it's available for you none-the-less.

Cat talks about:

• her expectations for the Olympics
• the importance of the games to her
• what she'll be doing after the Olympics
• and what she's been doing since leaving Texas

Read the full interview with Cat at the NCAA Website.

Hawaii Pitching Clinic Around the Corner

My kids are back in school and the summer is coming to an end. That means Fastpitch Festival will be here before you know it as well as the Hawaii Bill Hillhouse Pitching clinic.

The latest information for the pitching clinic is at http://allaboutfastpitch.com/Bill2008.html.

I'm still looking for a good location for the Saturday dates. I do have a field reserved, but I would like to get a spot closer to town. I have been in touch with a few people about other options and once I have finalized my decision on the Saturday locations, I will let you know.

In the mean time, people have already begun to send in their registration for the clinic. Registration forms are available here.

The cost is $35 for participating pitchers.

ANYONE who wants to come and watch (coaches, parents, players, pitchers) may come for FREE. Please encourage anyone you know who has questions or wants to learn more about pitching pitching to come to the clinic. Contact me with any questions you may have.

See you there!

Connect With Other Fastpitch People & Me!

Come join me and connect with other fastpitch softball people around the world!

I just started up a new fastpitch community and would LOVE to see you there. Come and share your fastpitch photos (and see photos from others), announce your fastpitch events (or find out what's going on in your area), talk with other fastpitch players, coaches, parents, leave comments for others, make friends, and more.

No cost to join. Looking forward to seeing you at Fastpitch World.

Click Here to sign up for free.

Fastpitch Festival Date Set

Just wanted to give you a heads up on the progress of the inaugural Fastpitch Festival (online event). The dates for the event have been set and Fastpitch Festival 2008 will run over the course of one week from August 25th - August 31.

Some people have already been posting their input, but the event hasn't even started yet!

That's okay, just remember to go back DURING the event and post your feedback, your opinions, your thoughts on the different categories of the event.

2008 Fastpitch Festival Categories include:

• Favorite Coaching Gadget
• Favorite Footwear
• Favorite Headwear
• Favorite Fastpitch Field/Complex
• Favorite Fastpitch Images'
• and more...

During the week of the event, softball players, parents, coaches, and fans can stop by at www.FastpitchFestival.com and leave their feedback, thoughts, and comments in each category.

Each response left in a particular category, gives the Fastpitch Festival participant an entry in to a prize drawing for the category they contributed to. Contribute to as many categories as you want as many times as you want during the week of August 25 - August 31 to increase your chance at winning the prize packs donated by our 2008 Fastpitch Festival sponsors.

So mark your calendars and bookmark the site so that you can attend and participate in the event!

Fun Softball Picture

I just learned about a FUN new thing I can do with Twitter. If you're not following me on twitter yet, it's easy and free to set up a twitter account of your own so that you can follow me and get AAF updates.

• Just go to Twitter.com
• Set up a free account
• Go to my page at www.twitter.com/staciemahoe
• Click on the "follow" button near my picture

That's it! Once you're following me, you'll get my twitter updates any time you log in to your account OR you can have updates sent to your mobile phone (see the "mobile set up" link on the right side of the page when you're logged in)

Anyway - back on topic. I just found out a very easy way to share pictures using twitter. I love taking pictures and sharing them. Sooooo, of course, I put up a fun softball picture on my twitter page. I can also share pictures directly from my phone if I take any cool ones while I'm out and about.

That's one of the things I LOVE about twitter, it's super easy for me to update even when I'm not at home. Plus there's no pressure to write something perfect or long because there is a limit to the number of characters I can use in any one update that I post. So it's all just short, sweet, and to the point thoughts and information being jotted down. I think that character limit is part of why so many people love twitter. It doesn't take much time to do updates nor does it take much time to read what others are saying.

If you DO set up a twitter account and start following me, send me a "direct message" to let me know you are following me from AAF and I'll be sure to follow you too so that I can see what you have to say OR see any responses you may have to my posts. Once you have an account and go to my page and follow me, you should also see a "direct message" link on the right side of the screen so that you can let me know you're and AAF follower.

Go check out the fun softball pic I put up though....www.twitter.com/staciemahoe

Practice Canceled, Look on the Bright Side

Softball practice for my daughter got canceled today...during the summer, in Hawaii, on the dry side of the island - go figure. It is, what it is, and we're making the MOST of it! Plus, breaks are good every now and then.

This practice cancellation is giving us time to watch a BluRay movie we bought over the weekend together as a family. It's also giving me a chance to prepare a home cooked meal for my family! That's rare these days with everything we have going on, but I'm looking forward to eating Beef Stew on this day of canceled practice!

It can definitely be a challenge to stay on top of things nutritionally during the busy softball season. I don't know about you, but I find our family relying on fast food and take out much more during season. Because eating healthy can be tough during season, I'm working on putting together a resource that answers the most frequently asked fastpitch nutrition questions AND gives you simple tips on how to improve your game with better nutrition. Soooo, if you have ANY questions about nutrition, please post a comment here so that I can cover them in the nutrition resource I'm working on.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of this new resource and will certainly tell you when it's ready. In the mean time, you may also want to check out Fastpitch Juicing which offers Simple Juicing Solutions for Busy Fastpitch Softball People. Enjoy your dinner!

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Grass?

After watching many games over the course of a couple of tournament weekends this summer, I saw something that interests and annoys me at the same time.

What is it?

Middle infielders who are afraid of the big bad grass behind them.

This just drives me bonkers. Some of them seem to have an aversion for going after bloopers that take them away from the safety of the infield dirt onto that plush green outfield grass. Being a middle infielder myself, I just don't understand why some of them don't want to just go after any ball they can get.

Seeing this issue brings a couple of things to mind:

This IS something that needs to be worked on in practice: even infielders need to practice tracking fly balls and pop ups.

Setting up priorities really helps: making it clear whose ball it is when both the infielder and the outfielder are going for it would help when this situation is cause because the infielder doesn't want to run in to the outfielder. The infielders need to have confidence that that ball IS there's unless they hear the outfielder call them off. The outfielder needs to know that when they call for the ball, the infielder WILL back off and give them free reign to charge that ball hard. This also is something that needs to be practiced in practice so that it works during a live situation.

The ones that do it right are so much more impressive: the simple ability for middle infielders to go after any ball and even make a catch deep into the outfield grass makes them look sooooooo much more impressive than the ones that look completely unsure of themselves once they have to take a few steps back. Working on this simple skill can make you, as a middle infielder, look so much better at your position. So if this is something you're weak at, it's a simple area to improve upon. If it's not, keep going after that ball and catching everything you can!

Don't Throw Hard

"Don't throw hard. Just throw strikes."

Eek! I cringe when I heard coaches or fathers saying these words to their young (or maybe even not so young) pitchers. I know I'm guilty of it sometimes too. Well, not the "Don't throw hard" part, but the part when I see a pitcher trying to hard to be too "fine" and I just want the ball in the zone because I know the batter isn't going to do much, I catch myself saying something to the effect of just having the pitcher get the ball over the plate.

But I do NOT tell a pitcher to slow down in order to gain more accuracy.

So many times I hear young pitchers being told to slow the ball down and not throw hard in exchange for strikes. More often than not what I end up seeing is this young pitcher begin to throw both slow AND wild. So she just went from having 1 issue (not throwing accurately) to having 2 issues (not throwing accurately AND not throwing with any speed/power).

How often to you hear coaches telling their infielders, "Don't throw hard, just get the ball to the 1st baseman's chest." I don't know, maybe you hear something like that on occasion. I personally can't think of a time I've heard that though. If we don't use this "logic" for throwing overhand, why do so many insist upon using it for throwing underhand, for pitching?

I know some young pitchers try to "aim" the ball on their own. My 8-year-old does this. She starts of throwing nice and strong. Sometimes she's a little off - the ball is the right height, but off left or right OR the ball is straight, but too high or too low. These are very minor "problems." Yet, she will try to slow down to gain more accuracy. It NEVER works. She still throws off the plate, sometimes even worse than when she was going all out, and her ball has very little on it.

So I just remind her that she's not gaining much by trying to go slower. I ask her if the ball was going straighter (where she wanted it to) when she was throwing slow. She always says, "No." So she's beginning to realize that's not the answer. She's starting to correct the part of her motion that IS causing the inaccuracy (releasing too late or too early, not keeping her arm swing close to her body, not stepping toward the target, etc).

The results are much better with those kinds of adjustments than they are with "slowing down" to gain increase accuracy.

I talk a little more about this in the most recent Fastpitch Talk Radio episode. It's just a short episode and you can listen to it HERE.

Oh My Goodness I Had to Sew

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

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!

Keep the Drama Off the Field

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?

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

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

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

Softball is Supposed to be Fun

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

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

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

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

Don't Get Caught Like This

I just "talked" with an online sports mom friend. Actually she shared this with my on Twitter. My fellow softball mom went to a high school tournament softball game last night and told me about a situation that happened during the game. After reading what she wrote, even I felt a sense of frustration.

I know this happens on a regular basis because I've seen it myself. You probably have too.

Here's the situation...

Bottom of the 7th...

Score tied...

2 outs...

Bases loaded...

Batter rips one to right field...


...can you guess where I'm going with this?


Batter doesn't hustle down the line and gets thrown out at 1st base!

Ugghhhhhh

Always Hustle Down the Line!

Those hits to right are no where near a guarantee any more. Especially when you hit it solid with today's high performance bats, that ball get there in a hurry. Right fielders and coaches are aware more now than ever that they CAN gun that runner out at 1st. Outfielders train for that now. They aggressively pursue that out ESPECIALLY with 2 outs and runners in scoring position because if they can get that out at first, it wipes out the score of any runner that crosses the plate on that hit.

Always, Always Hustle Down the Line!

Another situation that drives me nuts as a coach AND as a former player....Batter pops up the ball SKY HIGH and trots to first all frustrated. Then the ball is misplayed and drops. Instead of the batter/runner being able to take advantage of that next base, they are scrambling to get to first after the drop. Thankfully I've never been subject to seeing anyone get thrown at at first due to their lack of hustle. Maybe you have.

In those situations, the weak grounder, the ugly pop up, you've already "messed up" in a way by not hitting the ball as solidly as you can. You owe it to yourself AND TO YOUR TEAMMATES to give your best effort to get to that bag. Don't choose to compound the poor hit with a poor run. Get you butt in gear and get down that line as quick as you can and put pressure on that fielder or make the other team PAY if they make a mistake. Never give up on any hit.

Always, Always, Always Hustle Down the Line

I'll tell you about another situation similar to this in another post. When a coach told me about this other situation, it was another one of those "wow" moments.

Explosive Power for Softball DVD Giveaway

Did you know that Marc Dagenais is GIVING AWAY his Explosive Power for Softball DVD? I didn't know it either until today when I saw the offer up on his website.

This DVD normally sells for $39.95 and he's giving it away free.

In this video a variety of softball and training experts go into great detail explaining and illustrating plyometrics exercises and medicine ball drills for developing greater explosiveness, speed and power for softball.

The DVD also features

• The best plyometrics exercises to increase explosiveness
• Innovative jump and medicine ball drills that you can do anywhere with minimal equipment
  How many sets and reps you should do
• How long your should rest between each set

Of course, this offer isn't going to last forever....
so check it out at Softball Performance. Scroll down and look for the Softball Performance Achievers Club" link. That'll take you over to this free DVD offer.

Coaches and parents, this is a great way to get ideas for helping your players get faster and stronger. And the really cool thing is that it won't cost you anything, so why not take advantage of it? Get your Free DVD.

7 Free Ways to Increase Your Coaching Knowledge

Great coaches know there is always more to learn about the game. Most are actively seeking new knowledge on a regular basis. If you want to step up your coaching game a bit, there are certainly a multitude of options. But if you're just starting out or simply on a tight budget and don't want to spend a lot of money on books, DVDs, coaches clinics, seminars, or other paid resources just yet, I have good news for you. There are a number of free resources with quality information available for you to learn from. Not only will you gain useful information from these resources, but they'll also help guide you when you are ready to invest some money in a paid coaching resource. Here are 7 free ways to increase your coaching knowledge.

Borrow Books from the Library
Typically, there are a number of great coaching books out there. But if you're like me, you probably can't afford to buy every one you want. This is where your local library can help. You will probably be able to find at least a handful of good coaching books there. As long as you return the books on time, you can read each and every book they have to offer for free. Of course, if you come across one that you particularly like, you can always make the choice to purchase it for future reference. But only after you've gotten a free use of a number of books and are able to choose the one(s) you like best.

Visit Free Informational Websites
If you do an internet search for your sport or coaching tips for you sport, you will probably be able to find some website out there with free tips. For example if you are a softball coach you can search for "softball," fastpitch softball," "softball coaching tips," or "free softball tips." I'm sure you can think of more, but those are just a few ideas of what you could enter into a search engine to find free information about your sport. The cool thing about learning from websites is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Plus, it's easy to share with a friend or colleague.

Read Free Articles and Free Newsletters
Most free information websites have these next two items: free articles and free newsletters. Often times there will be a page with links to free articles you can read. Most of these sites also have free newsletters where you can have tips sent to you via e-mail on a regular basis. Usually all you need to provide is a first name and e-mail address and you're set to get free tips delivered right to your inbox.

Fastpitch related examples:
Softball Peformance
Get Softball Confidence
and of course...this site!

Download Free e-books/Short Reports
Some websites out there also offer free short reports or e-books. These resources are usually provided by instant download in a pdf file. Even websites that offer paid products usually have some sort of free short report or e-book that you can take a look at. I like e-books and reports because you can print them out and take them with you to read when it's convenient for you. You can also highlight, circle, or otherwise mark the important parts of the report. Another cool thing about free reports or e-books is that, often times, you arealso allowed to pass the report on to others. The publisher of the report will tell you in the first couple of pages whether or not it's okay to reproduce or redistribute the report. If it's okay, you can make copies for your coaching staff or your players if it's something you'd like to pass along to them.

Participate in Free Forums
Another great place to learn is at online forums. There are paid ones out there, but there are often many free ones as well. Some are better than others, but usually there are one or two with a lot of activity and input from experts in the sport as well. A forum or message board is a great place to ask your coaching questions and have them answered by a variety of people. They are also great for browsing just see what hot tips or products other members are talking about or see what questions other coaches, parents, or players have about the game. Typically you'll have to register at a forum before you can ask or answer questions there. For the free ones, all they usually require is that you provide a username and password and maybe your e-mail address.

Network with Other Coaches
Networking can be done over the computer or in person. Basically, just talk with other coaches. When you attend tournaments, clinics, or coaches meetings, take the time to talk with other coaches who are there. Everyone know something you don't, so you never know what you can learn by simply introducing yourself and talking with others in your sport. Networking can also be done via e-mail or in forums as mentioned above. This may not be something you're completely comfortable with at first if you're not the outgoing type, but just think of the opportunities you may miss out on simply because you're more "comfortable" staying to yourself. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone just a bit and make contacts wherever possible. You just never know what someone else may be able to offer you one day down the road if not sooner.

As you can see there are a number of ways to increase your coaching knowledge or knowledge of the game for free. Successful coaches are life long learners. There's no reason you can't learn something new today with all the ideas listed in this article. When you're ready to take the next step and make an investment in yourself as a coach, these free resources will be a great starting point to find the paid coaching resources that are the best fit and value for you.

Don't forget to apply what you learn! The Coach of Action Academy is dedicated to help you USE the coaching knowledge you acquire.

Marc is a "Softball Authority"

I just found out that Marc Dagenais from Softball Performance has just been featured on National Forum on Girls Fastpitch Softball. Whew - is that a mouthful!

It's a pretty cool website with some great softball pictures and if you've ever wondered just who Marc Dagenais is and why I recommend his stuff, check out the little write up National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball did on him. His "rap sheet" is even longer and more impressive than mine. ;)

National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball also has a cute little "tweet" feature in the left margin that I think you'll have fun with, so click here to check them out.

Oh, one more thing before I go. You know summer is right around the corner! School's out or almost out and I know my kids are looking forward to it. Anyway, if you wanted to be fit for summer you don't have a heck of a lot of time, but Marc now has a new program available that can get you fit in just 3 weeks! Crazy right? Three weeks to get fit, hit harder, and throw with more power. According to Marc, he can help you get ready by the end of June. Don't believe me? See for yourself at Softball Performance.

New Articles on Catching

It's been a while since I added articles to the Articles Page, but there are now two new catching articles up there for you to read.

Both are written by Dave Weaver founder of The New England Catching Camp LLC. Coach Weaver teaches at numerous facilities throughout New England and conducts group clinics, team workshops, coaches clinics, as well as private sessions with catchers of all ages.

The first article is called Never Teach Your Catchers to Frame a Pitch.

The second article is Blocking is the Easy Part.

Both articles are absolutely free for you to read and learn from. Check out the articles and let me know what you think of them by leaving me a comment below. (Click on the "What do you think? link)

A Reason to Stay Fast

So the other night at dinner my husband tells our girls that if the end up being faster then me then they'll be FAST. So of course my middle two want to race me now (they are pictured in this post). They are 6 and 8 years old. I told them that they can race me once they can beat their oldest sister because I can still beat her.

So my 6-year-old asks me if she can race me when she gets older.

My husband replies, "Well that wouldn't really be fair because then you'll be 17 and Mom will be 40-something."

Yikes!

But I know of some pretty fit 40 year olds so now I'm determined to still be able to beat my kids even when my 6-year-old is 17.

Hmmm, maybe I better take another look at that free speed report I was telling you guys about.

Upcoming Hawaii Softball Clinics

If you're in Hawaii (or need a reason to come to Hawaii) there are a couple of camps/clinics that are coming up later this year. The first is the University of Hawaii Summer Camp. There are two, one for ages 8-12 and the other for ages 13-18. More information and the registration form is available at http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu/camps.html.

The other clinic is the pitching clinic I'm putting on with Bill Hillhouse of HouseofPitching.com. He was here a few years ago and many people wanted to have him come again. We couldn't swing it last year, but he will be here again in September. The clinic sessions will be on Sept. 20 & 21. The small group sessions will run on the following Saturday, Sept. 27th. I don't have the eact time and location yet, but other important information is already up at www.allaboutfastpitch.com/Bill2008.html. When times, locations, and registration forms are available, they will be up at that link.

Last time we had just one day of clinic sessions and that was not enough, so that is why we're doing clinic sessions on the 20th and the 21st. On top of that we want to be able to keep the groups of pitchers down to just 10-12 per session, so we needed to be able to offer more sessions. Last time we had about 15 per session and that was just way too much. So even though we are offering two days worth of sessions, space IS LIMITED and will fill up very quickly. So keep the dates open and be ready to register once the forms come out. I'll post it here on the blog when that's ready and I will also send out notification via the mailing list if you are on it.

Obstruction Calls Are Frustrating

Most of the time when I see an obstruction call on a tag play, I don't agree with it. I saw two obstruction calls over the weekend that I didn't really care for. I suppose they were "right" by the rule book, but they just don't seem "right."

The first one was on a short stop. She was coming over to cover 2nd base on a steal. She never did stop moving. She was running from her short stop position, then had to jump because the ball was thrown high from the catcher. After she caught the ball she landed and tried to apply a tag to the runner who actually got her hand in to the base before the tag was applied. The short stop got called for obstruction. I mean, really, she jumped where she had to jump to catch the high throw from the catcher and is she really supposed to have that much control over where and how she lands? As if she decided on the way down to put herself in the perfect spot to block the runner. It's not like she was sitting in the base path blocking the bag prior to the jump, so the call couldn't have been made because of that. The only thing I can think of is that she came down from her jump in the base path, but by then she has the ball and is trying to apply a tag. Anyway - I didn't really care for that call. In that case, the runner was actually safe even without the obstruction call, but I just didn't think it should have been called at all.

Then, the other play I saw was at the plate. A fly ball was hit to centerfield and the baserunner at 3rd tagged up. So obviously, the ball was on it's way to the runner as soon as the catch was made. Seeing as how the runner couldn't leave 3rd until the ball was caught, the ball was definitely on it's way to the catcher by the time the runner was half way home. The throw was right on line and the catcher didn't have to move to catch it (well attempt to catch it, she ended up missing the ball because the ball and the runner got there at the same time). So it's not as if she's occupying the spot she was in just to block the plate even though the ball was somewhere else. The ball was in flight heading right AT her. She was exactly where she needed to be to catch that ball and yet she was called for obstruction. Again, the runner would have been safe even without the call, but again, I didn't care much for the call.

The other obstruction call I saw recently was the short stop going over to cover a steal to 3rd. Again the short stop was on the run the entire time, basically raced the runner to 3rd, caught the ball on the run then applied the tag and she gets called for obstruction. Her momentum from running over from her position actually carried her almost over and beyond the bag itself. So I really don't see how she "blocked" any part of it when she was on the move the entire time and ended up beyond the "front" of the bag by the time she stopped. Ironically, this was the same player (the SS) who was told the inning before that she had been in the wrong as a baserunner by staying in the base path and going directly into a bag because she didn't give the defender the lane to make another play. So as a baserunner she had been told she had to give up the base path to a defender and as a defender she was told she had to give up the base path to the runner. But that's getting a little off topic.

Back to the obstruction calls.....Seriously, the defense is there to DEFEND their bases. Why should they have to just give the runner an open lane to the bag? Why should they make it easy for the runner to get to the bag quickly? Why should they have to put themselves in a position where they need to reach to make a tag? If they ARE in the basepath, that means there's a whole outside or inside that's open. If they have a big enough frame to take up a path wider than that with their legs, then most times there's a good space right under them. OR you learn the art of going straight for ONE of those legs so that you don't get completely blocked and can still reach the base. All I know is that when I was playing it was my job as a runner going into the base to get to that base wherever the opening was and I loved the challenge. I didn't see the problem with that. If the defender made it tough, heck, then they did a good job DEFENDING their bag. If I was so dead blocked, then I probably deserved to be out because the ball really did BEAT me there. If I'm getting there before the ball or at the same time as the ball I really should be able to find a way to the bag before the tag is applied. That's why we learned to slide way outside or way inside and reach in to touch the base. That's why when my runners are trying to steal second, I tell them to slide stay "outside" (on the outfield side of the base path). You don't just slide right into the defender who's trying to get you out and make it easy for them. But now days it seems like that's what you should do because they'd probably get called for obstruction and you'd be safe.

The only obstruction calls I ever see that I totally agree with are the ones where the defenders interfere with a runner's progress or running path and they don't even have a ball or have a ball coming to them. For example, when a batter hits a ball to the gap outfield and is rounding first (ball still in the outfield) and the first baseman is in the way. Or maybe a runner is running around the bases and an infielder going out to set up for a cut gets in the way and disrupts their running path, then yes, by all means make and obstruction call. But I think most of those bang-bang tag plays really should be left alone. Even if they're not so bang-bang because if you're really there that much ahead of the ball, you should be able to find a way to the base. If the ball is that far ahead of you, the defender shouldn't have to move off to the side to give you a lane and then try to apply a tag.

Is That Too Much Pitching?

Wow I just read an article about a high school softball league who's state tournament is only 2 days long. Not only that, it's double elimination with 16 teams! So a team can play as many as 6 games in two days (up to 4 on the second day). Now, I've done this before (play 4 games in one day) and I have to admit that, by that last game, you do feel tired. And I'm not even a pitcher. I can only imagine what a pitcher feels like after having to pitch multiple games in a row. Now, in college, it's not so bad, most teams are equipped to have some kind of back up so that one pitcher does not have to pitch all the games. But in high school, it's different.

This article also talks about the mechanics of pitching and the stress or lack thereof on the shoulder. That's fine, but what about the rest of the body? The shoulder isn't the only part involved in pitching.

I'm just a bit surprised at the format of the tournament they talk about in the article because our state tournament here in Hawaii is only 12 teams, single elimination and it runs over the course of 4 days (and does include teams from outer islands who travel away from school to come and play). Now I'm not saying the girls are not capable of it. I'm sure lots of the girls LOVE playing that many games in a short period of time. I would have, but that doesn't mean it's the best way to do things.

In high school, the team I was on entered lots of pre-season tournaments where we played a number of games in a short period of time, but pre-season is very different from post-season. In pre-season, you're usually carrying extra players (those trying to make the team), you're doing lots of subsitutions (to give everyone a chance to see what they can do), and the "Big W" isn't all that important. In post season, it's a completely different story.

I just can't imagine why a state would run a 16 team double elimination state tournament in just two days. There's probably a logistical issue I'm not considering? But I would hope that, for the sake of the girls, they'd come up with a better way to run the tournament. What do you think? Read the article here, then leave me a comment below with your thoughts.

Free Performance Program For You

Mr. Tom Hanson of www.GetSoftballConfidence.com has put together a free program for you called:

"How to Overcome Failure and Play as Well in Games as You Do in Practice"

Wouldn't that be great? Do you find yourself (or your players) performing great in practice when there's no pressure, but not quite so great in game situations when the play or hit really counts? Find out how you can take your success from practice field into game situations. After all, it doesn't do a whole lot of good if you can hit the ball out of the park in practice, but can't even tough it in the game. It doesn't matter much if you can throw every change-up just right in practice, but don't have any command over it in the game. And it can be very frustrating to field zillions of grounders in practice just fine (and follow it up with a great throw too), but miss the simple ground ball your team needed you to stop in the game.

This free program can help. It includes 5 Lessons which take you step-by-step through the fundamentals of the mental game. Get it now at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

The other day I received an e-mail from a coach who asked for help because his team would often fall apart once errors were made in the game. That made me think of the title of this program "How to Overcome Failure..." Again, this program is designed to lead you through the fundamentals of the mental game which is what needs work if your team is unable to overcome mistakes.

There's no cost, no risk, nothing to lose, just knowledge and simple, helpful tools you can use to improve your softball performance.

Instantly download your free copy of this program at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

After you've had a chance to go through this program, please let me know what you think my clicking on the "What do you think" link below an leaving me a comment.

Hawaii Gains Unlikely Berth to NCAA Tournament

Wow! I was hoping it would happen, but everyone was saying that the University of Hawaii softball team's only chance at post season was to win the WAC tournament. When they came up short in Friday night's game against Nevada, I thought their season was done.

However, if anyone had told me that Nanci Coolen, Coach Coolen's wife, believed they were going to make it, I would have immediately believed it too. I remember Nanci from when I was a freshman in college. I always did like her. She's played this game and she's been involved with softball for a long, long time. She's a former player, a woman, and a mother....so, of course, I trust her intuition. ;)

Anyway - Hawaii is in, but it won't be an easy road. They have just 1 true starting pitcher left and they're in a regional with some TOUGH competition. But I'm still going to have fun following their journey in the post season.

Read the story of their post season berth in Hawaii's Local Newspaper.

For more information on the 64 team DI field, visit the NCAA website.

Join Us in a Fastpitch Discussion

Yep, there's a new fastpitch forum up where you can go and get fastpitch softball questions answered, answer questions of others, or simply take part in the discussion going on.

Now, this is not a place to post your team announcements, this is not a place to advertise your softball product either. This is a place to do exactly what the site name suggests, Discuss Fastpitch.

This forum is not my forum, but I'm already registered there and look forward to seeing you there too. There is no cost to join. Registration is free - I'm already registered there, so go check it out and get your fastpitch questions answered for free at DiscussFastpitch.com. Hope to see you there.

Hawaii Softball Live Online Tonight

Hawaii High School games will be available for you to watch live via streaming video at http://www.oc16.tv/ - If you've never seen Hawaii High School softball...go check it out if. You'll see what I mean when I say that Hawaii High School softball is different from a lot of "high school" softball in most parts of the mainland US. Check it out tonight at http://www.oc16.tv/ - first game is at 5pm Hawaii Time (8pm West Coast).

These games are OIA semi-final games and the first game of the night features the #1 team in the West (Miliani) and the #2 team in the East (Kailua) who managed to take advantage of the opportunities they got yesterday and put the points they needed on the board to beat us 2-1. Congratulations to both teams for making it to this semi-final game.

The second game of the evening is the other semi-final which has the #1 team in the East (Moanalua) facing the #2 team in the West (Campbell). Congratulations to these two teams as well for making it to this semi-final game.

Both games should be pretty good, but my prediction is that the West team in each match up will come out ahead. But with sports, you never know, so we'll see what happens.

If you're in Hawaii and have OC16 - the games will be broadcast live on local tv. The first game begins at 5pm Hawaii Standard Time (8pm on the west coast).

After the broadcast at http://www.oc16.tv/, post a comment here and let me know what you think of the games.

Speed Training e-Book For You

Okay, I did get that e-book uploaded so that you can download it to your computer. There is no charge, no strings, and no credit card required. Simply click on the link and begin reading

The Complete Speed Training Report: Secrets to Dominant Speed in Every Athlete.

This report was created by Patrick Beith of Athlete's Acceleration who gave me permission to give this report away to you for free. Here are the few things you'll learn in this free 35 page report:

***7 secrets to dominant speed
***The importance of strength training
***How To develop explosive power in your athletes (a great asset for any softball player)
***3 Steps to improving agility (another important asset for softball players)
***Find out what one of the most widely ignored aspects in speed development is and what you can do to address this area in your own training
***The RIGHT way to use conditioning to improve speed

Click Here to download get this Free Speed Training Report now.

Free Speed Training E-Book

I just received permission from Athletes Acceleration to give away The Complete Speed Training Report e-book to you for FREE. No strings attached. I'll have the download link ready for you this week.

This 35 page report covers:

***7 Secrets to Dominant Speed
***Importance of strength training
***Using plyometrics to build explosiveness
***3 steps for agility training
***The RIGHT way to use conditioning to improve speed
***and more

So stay tuned here at the blog for more information. I'll be posting the link where you can download this resource later this week!

Fun 8U Moments

Here are the pictures I promised in my last post. It's from the first game of the season for my two daughters who play 8U. They were all excited because it was their first game and they had just gotten their new helmets, uniforms, bags, and jackets. They hadn't seen their uniform jerseys until that day, so at the end of this post I'll tell you what they told me about their uniform after I got home from my game that day.

But first, there are the pictures...

Two sisters at the field early on a Saturday morning




Big smile from my 8-year-old


Hmmm...looks like my 6-year-old is giving signals LOL


When I got home from my game that day, my girls were already out of their uniform. I hadn't seen it yet because they got it right before the game. So after I got home the both wanted to show my their uniform. My 8-year-old goes,

"Mom! You wanna see our jerseys?"

Before I could finish the word "Yes" she's off and running to go get her jersey.

My 6-year-old runs after her while she yells out, "Oh yeah! You wanna see our jerseys? They're so (now I'm waiting for her to say cool! or awesome! or something, but she says) preeettyyy!" *sigh*

I have a feeling that one will be choosing a bat based on color and appearance some time in the future. LOL

Use Your iPhone to Count Pitches

Wow, I just learned something new today! You can use your iPhone to count pitches. Of all the things an iPhone can do, I probably think this one is the coolest. LOL

I don't have an iPhone (my husband has one though), but I thought some of you out there might have one and be able to utilize iPitch.

This is what iPitch does:

• Displays total pitches.
• Displays total strikes and balls.
• Displays percentage of strikes thrown.
• Tracks up to 5 pitchers.
• Select your pitch mark, and it will flash red once it is reached.

Kinda cool huh? Learn more at ipitch.us.

I'm Not Ready

As I've said before, I'm so glad to have 8U softball in my life for now. It's always so refreshing to see the excitement of the players at this age! This past weekend, two of my daughters participated in their first 8U games of the season (I'll share a few pictures later this week).

Just a few weeks back I mentioned a few Sue Enquist Video clips. In one of them she talks about how preparing for a game helps take away anxiety and nervousness. I had just talked to the high school players I coach about this topic not long ago as well. So I found it quite interesting when, on the way to school on Friday morning (the day before my daughters first games), out of the blue my 6-year-old says,

"Mom, I'm not ready."

"Not ready for what?" I ask her (we weren't even on the subject of softball, we were just listening to music, riding in the car).

"For my game tomorrow," she says.

I didn't know what to say. My first thought was that it was obviously bugging her if she was thinking about it when we weren't even in a softball setting. Then I immediately began wondering what it was that was making her feel like she wasn't ready. I just couldn't imagine what would be going through a 6-year-old's mind to make her think that she wasn't prepared enough for her first game of the season.

All I could think of to tell her was that she'd been doing lots of practicing in all these weeks leading and that I was sure she would do fine. I was just surprised that she would give any thought to whether or not she was "ready."

She ended up doing quite well though. She played outfield so she didn't have any action on defense, but out of the 3 times she went up to bat she got on base twice. I have no idea if she got on on actual hits or on errors because I wasn't able to make the game since I had a game of my own. My husband was there, but he didn't exactly give me all those types of details. He said she was 2-3, but he's not exactly a "real" scorekeeper and I don't even know if he knows all the rules about how to figure out hitting stats and such. I imagine there was some kind of error along the way in at least one of those plays, but it doesn't really matter. My husband did take a bunch of pictures for me so that I could "see" some of that day so I was happy about that.

This weekend, my game doesn't overlap with theirs so I'll be able to watch be there this time. I can't wait!

New Coaching Resource - Sneak Peak

If you're a fastpitch member, you know I'm working on a few new resources. Well, I got a small preview of one of them up and ready for you to check out. The original name of the resource was going to be 5 Steps for Achieving Your Coaching Goals (plus 3 Keys to Coaching Excellence), BUT instead of just creating a short report for you to digest on your own, I decided to go with a new approach and a completely different method of delivery which I think you'll get a LOT more out of.

This new resource is NOTHING like anything we've ever done before here at AllAboutFastpitch.com and I think you're going to love it. It's called Coach of Action and you can get a taste of what it's all about and how it's going to work at www.CoachOfAction.com.

Sue Enquist Videos - I love it!

I've never seen these before, but I LOVE them. If you haven't seen them either or heard Sue Enquist talk about "Prepare for the Game," "Love the Game," and "Honor the Game."

The clips are great. You can view them at
http://sueenquist.com/speaking/prepare.html

Heads Up Baseball - First Impressions

I've been talking about the book Heads Up Baseball that I ordered and have recently received. I just wanted to share some of my first impressions of it with you.

1) The book was bigger than I thought it would be, but it can still fit in my bag or a players softball bag.

2) There are pictures in it! Yay - that's a big plus if you want players to read it...they like the pictures.

3) Then I started reading the little testimonials and the cover and the beginning and already I was Loving It! It covers exactly the type of material I was hoping for.

4) It's not "just a book." One worry I had was that it would be full of great information, but that none of it would be applied. That happens often, we go to a class, we read a book, we get training in something, but we don't apply what we learned so that we can get better. Well, if you've already been through the book, you already know, or if you've already ordered the book, you will soon see that this is not "just a book." It actually helps with some of the application - it helps people who are reading it TAKE ACTION which, in softball AND IN LIFE, is always the first step after being a life long learner. Not only do you have to continue to be open to learn, but you have to take at least a few things from your newfound knowledge and APPLY them so that you can actually make your game or your life better.

I have to say though, I was not expecting my 4th impression at all. I really thought it was "just a book." I'm very impressed with the layout thus far and even though I haven't gotten through the first 20 pages, I already see the value and the wealth of information the book contains.

This book was meant for high school age and up, but I think I'll have my 11 year old read through it too....and I'll have her read it again....and again....and maybe one more time when she's a little older.

Seriously, if you work with players of the high school age group and above, this is a book you want to have. You can get it at Amazon for about 10 bucks.

Joining the Gym to be a Better Coach

Yup, I'm going to The Gym. Well, no, actually The Gym (by Tom Hanson) is coming to me. As you can see, I'm doing a lot of "being a life long learner" at this point. I guess I'm just in that mode right now. I've learned a lot, but I feel like there are great tips out there that can help me hone in on where I can get better and there are ways that I can help my team get better. So in addition to the books I've talked about recently, this is the other resource I really wanted to check out.

The things that really caught my eye with this Gym were...

• "How to Get Players 'On Board' with Developing their Mental Game Skills"
• “How to Teach Pre-Performance Routines so Your Players are More Consistent,”
• "How to Work on the Mental Game During Practice,"
• "How to Give Feedback," and
• "How to Work Effectively With Parents."

Then of course there are the bonuses for joining for a year...

• Pitching Dominator DVD -- Watch me teach the mental mechanics of pitching. Shows exactly, step-by-step what to do on the mound to pitch with a dominating mindset ($67 value) (mailed to you).
• Hitting Dominator DVD -- Watch me teach the mental mechanics of hitting. Shows exactly, step-by-step, what to do at the plate and before you get there, to hit with a dominating mindset ($67 value) (mailed to you).

You see, I KNOW how important the mental game is, but I also know how hard it is to teach. I don't know that anyone really took clear cut steps to "teach" it to me, but being mentally strong and having the right mind set to be successful is something I learned along the way as I played softball and became an adult.

As a coach, I always want more consistency from my players. To me, one thing that separates good players from great players is consistency. They almost ALWAYS get their job done, no matter what the situation. I'm not saying they are always perfect. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, but I'd much rather have someone consistently make those routine plays rather than be hot and cold and sometimes make unbelievable plays, but not consistency make the routine ones.

Then there's working on the mental game in practice....any time I can learn more about how to work on the mental game in practice, I'm in.

So, again, I will let you know how things go in The Gym!

Going to the Post Office

Yay! I'm going to the post office today to pickup my copy of "Heads Up Baseball." I guess the packaging couldn't fit in my mailbox and since I have a long driveway that's locked, the mailman can't exactly come to my door to have me sign for it. So it's off to the post office I go. Again, I've heard a number of great things about this book. I'll definitely let you know what I think of it when I'm going through it and when I'm done with it.

Of course, you could always get it for yourself at Amazon and read it with me. ;)

Learning to be a Better Leader

I'm all excited because I believe in being a life-long learner and right now I'm actively exercising that belief. My book came in the mail yesterday, the one I mentioned on another post. It's Tom Hanson's "Who Will Do What By When" - I started reading it last night before I went to sleep and I'm already just about half way through!

If you didn't read the other post and don't have any idea what this book is about, it was created to help you get powerful results for business and in life. Learn about leadership as you read the story about a guy who was an all-star salesman, but was promoted to a management position. His job was in jeopardy because his team's sales had been dropping ever since he became the manager. So you follow along with him as he learns how to be a better leader and help his team achieve everything they are capable of.

I can't go back to reading it just yet, other responsibilities need to be taken care of first, but you can bet, first chance I get today, my nose will be back in the book. I have a feeling I'll have to re-read it (or at least review the main ideas) to really get everything out of it and have some of the main points STICK so that I can APPLY them.

Bill Hillhouse in Hawaii 2008

Yep, we're doing it again. Bill Hillhouse is coming to Hawaii in September. I know a LOT of people here in Hawaii were asking about whether or not he was going to come down again last year, but we just couldn't swing it for 2007 but we ARE doing it for 2008.

We're looking at September 20-21 for the clinic sessions (2 - 2 1/2 hours) and the following Saturday (27th) for small group sessions. Just like last time, in order to attend a small group session, you MUST attend a clinic session first.

I'm not quite sure on location yet, but we're looking at the CORP again and possibly another field in town. Ideally we'll be able to do CORP one day and the town field another day to make it easier for pitchers from different parts of the island to attend a session.

Most likely will run something similar to what we did two years ago. Clinic sessions will be offered by age group. One session will be for ages 10-12, another will be for 13-15, and the last for ages 16+. We'll run those 3 sessions on Saturday (20th) and if you can't make the Saturday date, we'll run them again on Sunday (21st).

Clinic sessions will be limited to 10-12 girls EACH. This is part of why we are running it for two days because 10-12 spots per age group will fill up FAST. So one session of 10-12 girls will be available on Saturday and another will be available on Sunday. Last time we had 14-16 per session and that was too much. This year, we're only allowing 10-12 per session so that your pitcher will get more attention during the clinic and get more out of it. Also remember, all pitchers MUST bring their own catcher.

As we get closer and closer to the clinic I will provide additional information (finalized location and pricing). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the clinic. All clinic sessions will be FREE for ANY coaches or parents that want to attend. Bill's demonstrations during his clinics are very cool, so please come by if you have the chance. There is no charge to anyone who wants to come to see the demonstration and instruction. Only the pitchers that actually go out onto the field and go through drills and get instruction from Bill pay the clinic fee.

Cost to the pitchers will probably be about $40 to attend a 2-hour clinic session in the appropriate age group on the 20th OR 21st. Small group sessions (27th) are one hour long and Bill will work with just your group (up to 4 pitchers) for that full hour. These sessions will probably be about $140. Small group sessions will be VERY limited as we will only run them on one day, so once we finalize location and start taking applications, please don't wait too long.

Learn more about Bill Hillhouse at www.houseofpitching.com.

Follow Me at Twitter

Keeping up with tips and updates at AAF just got easier. I don't know if you've heard of twitter, but it's pretty cool. I can post short little bits of information, tips, or updates and YOU check them out very easily OR have them sent to you on your own free twitter account OR have them e-mailed to you OR have them automatically sent to your cell phone. So even if you don't have internet access on your phone, you can still find out when I post little tips, news, or updates via Twitter.

One thing I like is that the messages are limited to 140 characters so they have to be short and sweet. Not ongoing trilogy-like pages of information.

I just started, so I only posted twice so far, but you can see what I'm talking about at twitter.com/staciemahoe. Remember, if you do get an account, it doesn't only have to be for AAF purposes....get your friends and family on there and you can easily keep in touch and send messages to them via twitter. You can do ONE message and all your friends can see it and get notification of your new message via phone or IM if they have their account set to do so.

To get AAF updates on your phone or IM via twitter...

1. Go to Twitter.com and sign up for your own free account
2. to go twitter.com/staciemahoe and click on the "Follow" link below my picture
3. go back "Home" and click on the "Take Twitter with You" link to get notifications via cell phone or IM

I would love to see you there and be able to interact with you via twitter. Go now. It'll be fun.

Finally Getting Heads Up Baseball

Yes! I finally did it. I finally ordered my very own copy of Heads Up Baseball. It's the book that many, many AAF Members swear by and give their team as required reading. It's the book that I have people write to me about. These people often attribute at least a part their team's success to their players having read this book. So, since my taxes are done and I have a little extra spending money, I'm finally getting the book for myself. None of the local bookstores had it and I couldn't find it in the library, so I had to order it online. But, it's on it's way to me as I type, so I can't wait to get it.

I'm also getting Tom Hanson's new book, Who Will Do What By When, which is a great book for anyone trying to lead a team, whether on the field or in an office. I'm actually getting a few extra copies of this one so that the other coaches I work with can read it too.

If Tom Hanson sounds familiar, he is the co-author of Heads Up Baseball and he is also the guy that runs the Confidence website. He helps players and coaches get up to par with training for the mental aspect of the game. You can check out his website and sign up for his free newsletter at www.GetSoftballConfidence.com. He's got some other cool freebies there as well (look for the "Free Stuff" link), like the 5-day course I just finished "5 Steps to Unstoppable Confidence." Go check it out.

Fastpitch Vision Training Drills

It's been a while since I mentioned Fastpitch Vision Training, but if you haven't had a chance to check out that website yet, there is a lot of free information on vision training there.

With that said, I just wanted to let you know that in addition to some of the sample drills there, you can find more drills at Be A Better Hitter. Maybe some of those free drills will help your players improve their batting.

There's also an interesting article on the importance of visual training for pitchers. Of course, this article is written for baseball, but I think most of it also applies to fastpitch softball as well. You can read the article here.

I'm also working on getting some new articles up at www.FastpitchVisionTraining.com. I'll let you know when that's completed.

If You Want to Play Softball in College...

...I have an announcement you won't want to miss coming up soon .

AAF Members will get this message directly via e-mail. If you're not a member, you can sign up HERE, or stay tuned to this blog for more details in the next few days.

Who Do You Copy

Here's an excerpt of a message I sent out to AAF members recently. I had quite a few responses from it, so I figured I'd share it here were others could check it out too.


When I got back into coaching, I saw a number of things that had changed since I played. One thing that comes to mind is the idea of eliminating the hitch, load, or any backward movement of the bat/hands prior to bringing the bat forward in a swing. The other thing that comes to mind is eliminating the stride from the hitting process.

Now, like I said last week, when I saw this, I tried to keep an open mind. Maybe these coaches had learned something I didn't know during the few years I was away from the game. Then I saw the US National Women's Team play. Do you think I saw anyone on that team trying to shoot their hands forward to the ball without going back first? Do you think I saw all of them swinging without a stride? Not really.

I've heard people say that if you make a back ward movement prior to "starting" your swing you'll be too slow. I've heard that strides are "just timing mechanisms" so you don't really need them. I've heard that the stride only "messes you up." I've even heard some players convinced that the stride messes up their timing. I've heard that the stride is the reason why some players are late on the ball. If they eliminate that stride, they'll be able to catch up to the faster pitches better. etc, etc, etc

When I heard all of this, I had to admit that I'd never tried hitting without a stride or without some kind of "load." So how would I know which way was really "better" or "right?" The answer: watch the best in the game and see what they do. Whenever I have a question about technique, whenever I doubt my own thoughts on the way I've "always done things" I take a look at what the best in the game are doing. Have they picked up "new and improved" techniques that I never used as a player? Sometimes, as in the case of dynamic stretching, the answer is yes. In other cases, I'd say, in most cases, the answer is no. But if I ever wonder, I just look to the best and try to learn from them.

I know I'll hear some people say, "Well, they are the best....they are the fastest, that's why they can afford to take a stride or go "back" with the hands, or use some other technique." To me, that's a backwards way of thinking. It's not "they are elite players so they CAN use that method or technique" .....to me it's "they are the elite players BECAUSE they use these correct/good/right techniques."

Take a look at your game. Are you doing what the best in the game are doing?

Just Sharing NPF Video

Keep Your Catchers Injury Free

I got a question from my good friend Stacie Mahoe from http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com asking me about preventing knee injuries for catchers.

I thought this is information you would like to get.

Yes, catchers have a greater risk of developing knee issues just because catching puts more stress on the knees than any other position.

What can you do to prevent this?

1) Use the Knee Savers. These are support padding that you attach to your shin pads and that gives you good support when squatting down. It takes away close to 85% of the stress when resting before you get into your catching position.

Some people think it makes your catcher lazy. To me, you can't play with knee safey. However, I don't buy the lazyness thing. A good coach will know how to properly train their catcher and if the catcher is hard-working, this is a non-issue.

Now, it is not mandatory to wear them but it can really help to prevent a lot of the stress placed on the knees.

2) Do Hindu Squats - old, silly-looking, martial art exercise that many personal trainers would tell you "It's bad for the kneess" exercise because the heels are coming off the ground but guess what.. every catcher has their heels coming off the ground.

It is actually a great muscular endurance exercise for catchers. I would do 50-100/day several days a week.

After that, you catcher will have the best conditioned legs of any catcher in your league.

Check this exercise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPSVpo4mzNI

3) I would get also get them to do single-leg squats for strength and stability. They are killers but boy do they work.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu-6ywxbu1A


4) Make sure you teach proper catching techniques; especially the basic catching position. You want to make sure that their weight is well-distributed. Teach them good fundamentals and you will take a lot of the stress away.

From experience, most softball players with knee problems are not catchers but former/current gymnasts, basketball or soccer players.

Make your catchers injury-proof.

Who loves ya? ;-)

Marc
"Your Personal Softball Peak Performance Coach"

That Doesn't Make Sense

Every once in a while I'll see something on the softball field that doesn't make sense to me. I could be watching a practice or a team warming up and I'll go, "Why in the world are the doing that?" My husband, who never watched a softball game in his life until he met me, will always ask, "Why? What's wrong with that?" LOL

Anyway - in most cases, players are practicing things they would never do in a game (or things we would never want them to do in a game). Let me give you a few examples:

Catchers catching without gear
Why is it that catchers are allowed to catch without gear? First of all it's a bit dangerous. Second, they are going to play in gear during the game so why not use it during practice? I've heard catchers say things like, "It's hot today, do I have to put on the gear?" Uhhhh.....YEAH! Why should a coach go easy on a catcher in practice because it's "hot" then expect them to be able to perform in gear for a 2 hour game or in a double header or in a tournament environment?

I even like to see catchers in gear when a coach is working the defense. Even better, I like to see catchers get down in their squat prior to each ball that is hit to the defense during situational practice. Then after the ball is hit, they can take off their mask, get out in front of the plate and help direct the defense (or cover the plate and direct the defense) just like they would do in a game (what a concept!).

Funky pitcher drills
Another thing that often boggles my mind is some of the pitching drills I see pitchers going through. The ones that especially surprise me are the ones where the pitcher is standing or kneeling with their shoulders square to the catcher throughout the whole delivery. Why on earth would you have a pitcher do that? They will NEVER do a windmill like that during a game! I don't understand why they'd do it in practice.

Fielding a ball on the glove side of the body (and with just one hand)
Now I'm not talking about a ball that can't help but be fielded on the glove side. I'm talking about grounders or fly balls that players purposefully receive on the glove side of their body (often times slow rollers). Maybe it looks like a cool "Hollywood" play or it looks like what some baseball outfielder guys do, but, to me, it just doesn't make a lot of sense. Why field the ball on the side of your body AND opposite your throwing hand/arm, then bring it all the way across your body to your throwing side to make a throw? Often times when a player makes this kind of play their throwing hand is no where near the glove. So now not only do you have to bring the ball from one side of your body to the other, you still have to get it to your throwing hand. The idea on defense is to get the ball to the base BEFORE the runner gets there. This means you have to get rid of it as fast as you can (not take a roundabout route). Why not get the ball more centered and go to it with both hands so that you can make a quicker transition to the throw?

I also don't care for trying to take those slow rollers off to the side of the body because if it's not judged it right or if it takes a weird hop, it goes right by the defender! One of the first (and main) things you have to do on defense is CONTROL THE BALL. You have to stop it, keep it in front of you, or keep it in an area where you can get control of it before you can make any kind of play. Fielding a ball off to the side and allowing the possibility of running right by it because of misjudging it or having it skip right past you is something that doesn't make sense to me. I can't stand seeing those weakly hit balls get past fielders because they are trying to field it off to the side of them. Okay, had to get that out....I feel better now.

Practicing a Bad Habit
One "new" drill I've seen for the first time recently involved fielders catching a ball, then moving the glove and ball away from the throwing position then back over toward the throwing shoulder, and then throwing the ball. Absolutely NOT something I want to see any player do during a game EVER. I didn't see any real positive reason for doing this drill. I call it "new" because I've never seen it before, maybe you have. Maybe you know why it's done and can enlighten me??? I really don't think there's any reason you could give me that would convince me that this is a drill that players should be doing on a daily basis, but if you know why this drill is done, I'd certainly like to hear from you.

No One is Moving
This is another "bad habit" that I see practiced. You've probably seen it too. Players are out in defensive positions and the coach hits balls and tells the defense where the play is. What happens? The grounder goes to 3B, the play is at 1st and the ONLY people moving are the 3rd baseman and the 1st baseman. The SS and the 2B just stand there and watch the play. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! If you allow this in your practice, then please DO NOT grumble or yell at your players during a game if they just stand and watch the play when the ball is hit to them. Every defender should be moving on every hit in practice and in the game.

Practicing in Inappropriate Attire
Often times I see players wear shorts to practice because it's more "comfortable" than wearing pants (even though their team uniform consists of pants). Half the time, actually, more like 90% of the time these are not even softball type shorts. These players end up holding back in practice because they don't want to scrape up their legs. Then come game time, they don't perform as well as they could because they don't go all out in practice. On top of that they often feel "restricted" in pants. Their pants feel like they "get in the way."

The same is true the other way around. Some players love wearing pants and are most comfortable in pants and ALWAYS wear pants even though their team wears shorts for the game. These are the players that feel uncomfortable or maybe even hold back a bit in games because they don't have the "security" of having softball pants on.


There are other things, but I think you get the idea. Sooooo.....what do you (or players on your team) do that doesn't make sense? What things do you do (or not do) in practice that are completely the opposite of what happens (or should happen) in a game? See if you can identify 1-2 senseless things you practice and make adjustments to better your game performance.

Sign up to get softball tips like these delivered straight to your e-mail inbox - Click Here.

1st Scrimmage - I'm Taking Notes

Anyone else think it's kind of crazy to be able to scrimmage just one week after actual field practice starts? I think it's a little nuts, but I still enjoy this time of the season and the girls look forward to getting up to game speed. With that said, tonight is our first pre-season scrimmage (the first contest of a tournament that will continue on through the weekend). Like I said, we've only been practicing on the field for a week. So I can't wait to see how the girls perform. I'll must remember to take a piece of paper and a pen for notes. I'm sure I'll jot down quite a bit, both positive and negative. I know if I don't write things down, I'll forget some of the concepts or skills I want to work on with the girls in the weeks before the regular season starts.

Honestly, what I should do is carry around a little notebook with me all the time. How many times do you get an idea when you're not in a softball setting? It happens to me all the time. Now that it's softball season, I need to start carrying that notebook around. It's a great way to remember those great ideas and STILL perform the other functions you're supposed to tackle during the day (like work). Having a digital recorder in the car is also great. I don't know how many times I've come up with ideas while driving. Of course, I'm not going to write while I drive, so a digital recorder comes in quite handy. Having these tools at your disposal helps you remember all those great thoughts and ideas AND clear your head for even more great ideas and/or to concentrate on the other things in your life (you do have non-softball aspects of your life right?).

Anyway, wish us luck in our first pre-season scrimmage!

Get Fast Like These Champs

I just bought another one of Coach K's programs and I just thought I'd share an article with you from Coach K's website (the hill sprinting guy).

Sprinting Hills: 7 Champions Who Found The Quickest Way To Get Fit, Fast and Lean

If you are like most athletes out there, you are looking for a simple solution. You are looking for training that can simultaneously:

Improve your speed

Increase your strength and power

Get you lean and mean

Raise your endurance levels

All without adding huge amounts of time to your already hectic workout schedule.

And if you are like most athletes, in the quest for this perfect training, you have wasted precious time and money on the latest and greatest, hi-tech supplements, exercise equipment, training apparatus and fad diets.

But, the truth is the answer is not really that hard at all. It goes something like this:

1. Find a hill.

2. Start at the bottom.

3. Run up as fast as you can.

4. Walk down.

5. Repeat.

Think this seems too simple? Many people do. But, if you need some convincing, take a look at what hill sprinting has done for these sports legends:

Football legend Walter Payton made hill sprints his bread and butter... they carried him to the NFL rushing record and the Hall of Fame.

Another gridiron great, Jerry Rice ran legendary make you puke hill sprints... and was still playing in the NFL at age 40.

Running back Marcus Allen... all he did was win the Heisman and become Super Bowl MVP with hill sprints.

Linebacker Junior Seau has played 17 years in the NFL and made over 1200 tackles using hill sprints... sometimes while carrying a partner on his back.

Defensive end Simeon Rice stays relentless in the 4th quarter due to his hill sprint training... he has 119 sacks in 11 years to show for it.

Jets running back Curtis Martin - who rushed for 1000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons and has over 100 career touchdowns - regularly runs the hills of Santa Monica, California during the offseason.

Even Lance Armstrong - although on a bike - has made hill sprints a staple of the training that won him 7 Tour de France titles.

And that's not all... besides these incredible athletes, plenty of people who need to stay in top shape run hill sprints. From old time strongmen to police and fire departments, from the elite military forces of the world to Olympic sprinters and from NBA stars to baseball's best... all know the secret power of this training. Yes, the toughest of the tough use hill sprints to stay strong, powerful and in tip-top shape.

Give them a shot and get ready for some serious results.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006


If you think this applies just to sprinters or just to football players...think again. Learn more about Coach K's program and sign up for his free newsletter today - CLICK HERE.

Fastpitch Softball - Hitting Picture

Just sharing a picture I took today. It was our first Saturday practice of the season. We just did a quick batting practice session and my daughter and I got to jump in at the end to take a few balls off the machine. I can tell I haven't hit in over a year....timing is all off! LOL That's okay, I'm not playing competitive softball and I know with a few more chances in the cage, I'll be back on track. Here's a picture of my daughter hitting the ball. The picture quality stinks because it was actually a video clip I was playing on my TV. I paused it and took a picture of the image with my digital camera. I know there's probably a better way to get the still image, but this was the fastest way. :)



Hopefully, one day, her helmet will actually fit.

We Can Throw the Ball!

Yay! Yesterday was the first day we could handle the ball for the high school season here in Hawaii. It was so cool to show up to practice and see most of the girls already there. Not only that, they were already dressed and ready to go (shoes on, gloves out, etc) and most of them were already starting to stretch out or toss the ball around. I guess after the past few months of conditioning, they were anxious to finally do SOFTBALL stuff. It's so great to see girls who WANT to be out there on the field. Of course, I'm sure with time, the excitement will die down a bit, and we'll see the days were a few players here and there come running to the field and make it to practice in the nick of time. Hopefully we, as coaches, we'll be able to help keep the girls WANTING to come out to the field every day. Yes, some of it is on them. If they don't want to be there, they don't want to be there. BUT we can also do our best to keep practice fun and interesting and provide the girls with the opportunity to feel like they actually accomplished something out there.

So how is your season going so far? Still got the beginning of the season excitement?

Sale at Softball Performance

I know a lot of you already know about Marc Dagenais' Softball Performance website. If you've been around this site for a while or if you're a fastpitch member, then it's almost impossible for you not to know about it.

Anyway, Marc's site is full of great information for improving your softball performance. However, right now it's undergoing a major renovation and because the site is temporarily unavailable due to the changes being made, Marc is holding a HUGE Renovation Sale! He's offering big discounts on some of his best products right now. Also - for those of you who've been interested in his Softball Performance products, but just couldn't afford the chunk of change all at once, Marc is now offering a Payment Plan to make it easier for you to get his super bundles!

Check it out before all the super bundles are sold! Click here

Howard Kobata - Good Stuff

So I've heard a ton about Howard Kobata. I've been to his website and watched the short video clips too. But, this weekend, I finally got to meet him in person and see him do a clinic. He covered some good stuff!

It was interesting to me because a lot of what he talked about makes sense. There's quite a bit that I do, but never saw taught. It's another eye opener about how I, as a coach, overlook some things that need to be taught. Since they were not taught to it doesn't dawn on me that some players need to have such things explained.

Anyway, I loved the concepts he presented to the kids. I could see that there was a TON covered in a short period of time. I can also see why players would sign up for lessons vs just go to a clinic with him. I don't think even I was able to soak up everything that was covered in just that one session. I liked being at the clinic because it gave me a better idea of how to TEACH better skills to the players I work with, and, of course, to my own daughter. I only wish I was able to jump in with the girls.

At any rate, Howard, if you're ever back in town for a clinic or, if and when you start giving lessons in Hawaii, I'll be there.

The Ultimate Clinic with Mike Candrea

If you are not on the mailing list or if you missed the online presentation with Mike Candrea, the replay is now available! Listen in at www.baseballconfidence.com/aaf.html.

Dave Feinberg Steps in to UA Asst Position

Dave Feinberg is not a new face to the Arizona softball team, but he will be stepping in to a paid assistant position this season. He's been a volunteer assistant for the past two years, but with Nancy Evans leaving the staff, Feinberg will be filling a more prominent role this year.

Feinberg brings a passion for education, more than 15 years as an elite fast-pitch softball player, and 20 years as a softball and baseball coach to his new job. Learn more about Dave Feinberg at azstarnet.

Have You Had a Parent Meeting?

Yep coaches, it's that time of year. Time for pre-season meetings to let your team, your staff, and your parents know what to expect and what is expected during the upcoming season. If you need some help with your plan for the season or what to cover during your parent meeting, grab a free copy of our Special Coaching Report today.

Get your season off to the right start by following a few of the guidelines in this free report for coaches. Have a wonderful 2008!

Get in Shape for 2008

Hot off the press! I just found out that Marc Dagenais, peak performance expert of Softball Peformance, is offering his LOWEST price on his Fully PERSONALIZED, Softball-Specific Program. This special low, low price is available today only.

It's the New Year and you know everyone (including your competition) has their mind on getting in shape for the upcoming season. But who will actually TAKE ACTION and do it? Start today and get Marc's High-Performance, Fully Personalized, Softball Specific program and get into the best softball shape ever. Click Here and get going today. Make it a great 2008! His prices will be going up tomorrow so don't wait.

NFCA Team Offense and Strategy

The 2008 NFCA National Fastpitch Coaches College schedule begins with Team Offense and Strategy in Massachusetts. This instructional course will be held Jan. 4-6 at Tufts University in Medford.

For more information about this course or about National Fastpitch Coaches College, visit http://www.nfca.org/news/?id=2840.

Coaches looking for additional information or to sign-up for the course can do so online at http://nfca.org/college/ or by calling (662) 320-2155.