I totally understand all that and I get it. But one thing you don’t want to do if you’re players aren’t ready for it, is blast grounders at them as hard as you possibly can. I understand the idea of getting used to the ball coming that hard and the whole “if they can handle that, they can handle anything” mentality. Really I do because I used to feel the same way and I even used this “tactic” with infielder before. When I was growing up I had a coach who did it to me and it DID help me feel like I could handle anything any player would ever hit at me.

HOWEVER, there are 3 big reasons why I don’t just jump into blasting balls at players any more, especially early in the season and especially if they’re not ready for it. Here are those 3 reasons:

1. They Learn to Sit and Wait: If you always hit screaming balls at them, they get into the bad habit of sitting back and waiting for the ball to come to them even if it’s hit slooooooowwwwwww. This is NOT a good thing. Bad bounces are going to eat them alive. I’ve seen players like this. You hit shots at them, they’re fine. But hit a routine grounder and all heck breaks loose! They don’t move to the ball, the ball takes that one, last, hard to handle hop and they mishandle the ball. Then because they sat back and waited and allowed the runner to get further up the line to first, they have less time to make the play after they finally get a handle on the ball. I would much rather have a fielder who makes the 5 routine plays that come her way vs the 2 hot shots she may get during the game.

2. They Go Into Survival Mode: Another thing that happens when you hit laser shots at your players is that they often times simply go into survival mode. All mechanics go out the window and all they’re trying to do is stop the ball without it hitting their face or some other sensitive body part. More often than not this creates and reinforces the bad habit of fielding on your heels. Again, bad hops will eat them alive! Not only that, they’ll be slower and have to work harder to get the ball to first (or anywhere else) because they’re back on their heels when they field the ball and therefore, have zero momentum toward their target. If this becomes their habit and their way of fielding, you’re not helping them!

3. Mechanics Go Out the Window: As I mentioned in number 2 above, if you’re players are going into survival mode because you’re ripping balls at ‘em, all mechanics go out the window. They’re just going to do whatever it takes to try to stop that ball without getting badly hurt. Most likely they will NOT be working on good fielding habits or mechanics. Early in the season and at the younger ages is the time to teach and reinforce good habits and good mechanics. Don’t skip this part because, in the long run, it’s going to hurt the players, not help them.

I’m not saying you should never hit the ball hard at your players. It’s just not something you should do all the time if they are unable to use proper technique with that type of hit being launched at them. Get those fundamentals solid so that they can increasingly handle balls hit harder and harder at them while still maintaining good form.

Yes, every once in a while there will be a ball in the game where players throw everything out the window and just “do what it takes” to make the play. I’m not saying it’s wrong to throw that at them every now and then in practice to help them get ready for that game possibility. It just shouldn’t be the play they practice all the time.

Master fundamentals. The fancy stuff will come. Sometimes players have to dive for balls or make an unorthodox throw from the outfield just because the situation called for it and it’s all they could do to make the play at that time. However, it’s not what you want them to practice on every single play. Get those routine plays down! The “Hollywood” stuff will come, but don’t focus on that so much in practice, then come game time, you can’t make the basic plays. Become exceptional at making those routine plays and those fancy shmancy ones, if they’re made, will just be icing on the cake (they shouldn’t BE your cake, just the icing). You won’t “need” those “Hollywood” plays so much in the game if you’re consistently making the routine ones that come at you.

The new softball drills that were just put up on the Defensive Softball Drills page include:

• Ball First
• The Triangle Drill
• Teaching the Relay

If you’ve got a great drill to share, feel free to leave a comment below and tell us about it!

“I am a youth basketball coach.

It’s really amazing that they don’t have an “Alcoholics Anonymous”-type program for recovering youth sports coaches.”

Coaching Youth Softball: A Baffled Parent’s Guide

Coaching Girls’ Softball: From the How-To’s of the Game to Practical Real-World Advice–Your Definitive Guide to Successfully Coaching Girls

Other Softball Coaching Resources at Amazon.com

“If at first you don’t succeed, do it like your mother told you.”
Author Unknown, Source: quote garden

“If at first you don’t succeed, you’re running about average.”
M.H. Alderson, Source: quote garden

“Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.”
Walter Cronkite, Source: quote garden

“Success will never be a big step in the future, success is a small step taken just now.”
Jonatan Mårtensson, Source: quote garden

“I couldn’t wait for success… so I went ahead without it.”
Jonathan Winters, Source: quote garden

I think my favorite out of this bunch is the first. Too many people let failures get them down. Just because they tried something that failed, they think they ARE a failure. But even very, very successful people have had failures in their lives. They just kept getting up instead of allowing their failure to bring them down!

Here it is…

There is SO MUCH you can do to help your team!!!!!!!!!!!! (Whew, glad I got that out)

One thing you can do is PUSH HARD in practice. Why?
Well there are a number of great reasons:

1. Because you will improve your skills faster

2. Because you will increase your chance at earning some playing time

3. Because pushing hard in practice helps you get GAME READY just in case the starter in front of you gets sick, gets injured, has some kind of outside obligation to attend instead of coming to the game, or simply has a bad day

4. Because coaches love players that go hard in practice and HOW you practice leaves 1 of 3 impressions in your coaches mind:
a) you do things half heartedly because you’re not a starter and the coaches are left with a negative impression of how you practice
b) you don’t slack but you don’t push either and in the words of Simon Cowell your practice efforts are “forgettable” (*note: “forgettable” usually doesn’t make the coach want to put your name in that starting line-up)
c) you work hard and push yourself daily and a very positive impression is branded in your coaches mind about HOW you practice

5. Because the more you push yourself the more the starter in front of you pushes and gets better. If they don’t, you get their position. If they do and they are on top of their game and they make great plays on the field – YOU just helped your team get better by pushing and challenging that starter in front of you. You just made a HUGE contribution to your team’s overall performance…all because you chose to practice hard every day and push yourself and those around you.

…and that’s just ONE way to help your team as a non-starter. There are many more that I’ll probably share from time to time, but for now, make it a point to push and challenge yourself and those around you. You’ll get better and you’ll make a very positive contribution to your team’s overall performance and success.

Well, if you’re going to be in Hawaii on March 21-22, then you have a very special opportunity to learn what Core Power and Core Training is all about directly from Barry himself.

Join us at Kapolei High School on March 21 & March 22 for Core Power Clinics.

The cost is just $5 per session and is open to players ages 9 – college. Parents and coaches are welcome to come for free to learn more and ask questions. Additional details and contact information are available via the clinic flyer. Click on the link below to get it.

Print the flyer/registration form HERE

Because change can be:

• frustrating
• uncomfortable
• and downright SCARY!

You may feel like we’re taking two steps backward trying to do things the “new way.” Even though you know that this “new way” could take you further and make things better than the old way, it’s not unusual to feel like giving up on it. After all, who wants to feel frustrated, or uncomfortable, or scared? I know I don’t, but sometimes it’s necessary if you want to reach new heights in your game and in your life.

Too many people let frustration or being uncomfortable hold them back from making positive changes; changes that catapult them to new levels of success. Change can be frustrating and very uncomfortable and may even push you to the point of wanting to forget it all and just go back to doing things the way you used to. You know how to do it and it’s been “good enough” all this time right?

But imagine what would happen if you went back to the old comfortable routine, the one you know and love. Then think about what would happen if your opponents made the choice to push through the frustration and the feeling of uncertainty and make those changes. Yes, they may have go two steps backwards, but after giving the “new way” and honest try, they’ll also be taking the 5+ steps forward that you’ll never take unless you learn to step out of your comfort zone.

Yes, it’s feels weird. Yes, it’s frustrating. Yes, it’s scary, but it’s also GOOD FOR YOU! How will you ever know how far you can go unless you’re willing to push the envelope from time to time?

Heck, the “new way” may even go against everything you’ve previously known which may make it harder to accept (can you think of times in the past where this has happened-just think of the pitching or hitting mechanics that were being taught years ago). Take a look at what this “new way” has to offer, talk to others who are already trying it out, and see for yourself what the benefits could be.

If you can SEE proof and hear from other people that the “new way” really does work, then take a leap of faith, push the envelope, and step out of your comfort zone. Acknowledge that you may get frustrated, expect that you’ll may be uncertain from time to time, and understand that you may move backward before you ever take those awesome steps forward. As scary as it may be, make the change, stick with it, and watch yourself soar to new heights.

To Your Ultimate Softball Success,

Stacie Mahoe

Goal Setting | Free Coaching Tips | Useful Softball Drills

You can get:

• A spot in the Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp (reg. price $25)
• Coaching Unplugged (reg price $7)
• Access to the Online College Recruiting System ($15/year)

…that’s $47 worth of softball stuff all at the deeply discounted price of $20. Yowza – that’s a savings of 57%!

That’s slightly crazy, but it’s only because I love ya! Get all 3 of those very popular resources for just $20. This Valentine’s Day Special is only good for today and tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

Give me the Valentine’s Day Special!

It’s very difficult to achieve that BIG thing and set goals to help you get there when you have no idea what it is.

So, right now I’m going to share an example of how you can set more effective goals and improve your game.

Let’s not think about a huge thing right now, let’s just focus on ONE practice day.

How often do you think about what you want out of practice? You probably attend practice with the hopes of improving your game or getting better right? But what would you ultimately like practice to be like?

Think about that for a second.

Maybe one of the things you want is to improve your game at least a little each day?

Maybe you want to enjoy yourself and have some fun?

Whatever it is, ask yourself if those things are happening on a daily basis.

If not, why not?

Maybe your always rushing to practice so you’re already starting of full of anxiety instead of starting practice off in a positive way.

Maybe you don’t really see yourself improving as much as you’d like.

The idea is to:

1. Think about what you really want out of practice
2. Figure out some reasons why that’s not happening regularly
3. Then listing a few things you could do to make it happen

Maybe you really enjoy socializing with your teammates, but your always getting to practice in the nick of time, so you don’t really get that opportunity.

One thing you can decide to do is: make sure you get ready for practice early and make it a point to arrive at the field at least 15 minutes before start time. That way you can take your time. You don’t need to rush. You don’t need to feel pressured right off the bat. You can relax, find a great spot to put your bag in, and chit chat with your friends for a bit before you have to get to your training.

Wouldn’t that make your practice experience better? Wouldn’t you enjoy it more than always having to rush in, run to the dugout with your equipment bag, throw it in any remaining available spot, hurry to get your shoes on, scramble to find your glove, and hustle out to the field because everyone else is already ready to go?

Which way would you rather start practice? Which way do you usually start practice?

Is this a change you can make?

Another scenario: Maybe one of the reasons you go to practice is to get better, but somehow you’re not sure if it’s working. Try make it a point to learn one new thing each day.

• Listen closely each day to what your coaches have to say (instead of chatting with your friends on the field)
• Observe your teammates to see if you can learn from them (instead of chatting in the back of the line when it’s not your turn)
• At the end of the practice review and see if you learned anything new

If you look back and can name something you learned, you will see that you did accomplish something during practice and will feel better about your practice session. You’ll also be more motivated to get out there again the next day and take another step. Since you’re making it a point to learn something new, you’ll probably get more out of practice because you’re paying more attention and looking for ways to get better rather than just relying on your coaches to make you better. You will start to see that you are improving and raising your game by attending practice each day.

Have you thought of what you’d like out of practice or what you’d like your practice to be like?

Give it a try.

• Think about what you’d ultimately want your practices to be like
• Identify a few reasons why it’s not like that
• Then decide on a few things you can do differently to make it better

Try it today and let me know how it goes.

These are the types of exercises you’ll go through in the Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp – just on a larger scale and with a bit more detail.

Take the challenge of answering soul searching questions to get down to the meat of practical, action steps you can take to pump up your performance.

Sound like fun? You know I’m all about fun and I think you’ll enjoy the process of going through to activities in the goal setting bootcamp. Enjoy the game more and make bigger gains.

Start today. Try the stuff in this blog post, then go over to the GSA page and sign up to get Part 1 of the Bootcamp for FREE.

You’ve probably heard other say (and even me too) that you have to know your players to be as effective as possible as a coach. Well, in this video I share a specific example of how this will help not only improve your players performance on the field, but also make your players more likely to listen to what you have to say and be more open to receiving “coaching” from you.

Did you find this video useful? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Related Post: Are You Coaching Unplugged?

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.

Are you up for the challenge???

Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp: For players and coaches want to catapult their game to a higher level

By the way: The dose of “Hawaii” in the video…love it or hate it?

It’s said that Barry’s exercises help increase speed and power for athletes quite quickly. I’m trying it out, so I’ll let you know how that goes.

OR, don’t wait for me, check out Barry’s Core Power Program for yourself HERE.

Some people think that goal setting isn’t necessary or that you can just keep your goals in your head. But here are a couple of thoughts from GoalsGuy.com – words from a goal setting expert.

Goal setting is not that important.
The GoalsGuy says: Success Requires Goals – End of Story! A life of meaning needs goals and specific plans to achieve them. Success does not happen by accident.

Goal Setting is Difficult and Takes Too Much Time.
The GoalGuy says: Performance is accelerated by time invested in strategy. The game of life is won behind the scenes, in time spent on preparation.

Some of the biggest reasons people fail are because:

• They take action without planning
• They plan and never take action
• Their “Why” is not clear
• They lack focus
• They are afraid to fail
• They try to do it alone

The upcoming Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp addresses many of these issues. If you’d like a sneak peak at the inside of the Bootcamp, I have a screen shot HERE. Of course, it doesn’t capture everything, but I like the way it looks and just felt like sharing it with you.

Click to enlarge

The only difference is, in real life, instead of a win or loss being at stake, you may be talking about your livelihood. It may be the difference between having a job or not having a job, being able to put food on the table or not being able to put food on the table, being able to take care of your family or not being able to take care of your family, etc, etc, etc. I think you see the point.

In “real life” the stakes are much higher and yet, some adults just do NOT understand what it means to be part of a team effort. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why some insist upon making it about THEM. It’s not about you! Why can’t these people understand that if they do NOT put their own personal issues aside and work WITH the people on their team (whether they like it or not, whether they like these people or not), they may lose things in their life that are VERY important to them.

Isn’t it ridiculous for a team member to want to drum up sympathy for themselves because of something another team member did months ago? Especially when you have a potentially devastating challenge in front of you that you need everyone’s united efforts to overcome?

Why tell Cindy and Mary and Jane all about your sad story when the issue you have is with Jill? Only Jill can makes things right, the others can’t fix things for you. Going around to your other teammates to tell them about what Jill did to you way back when isn’t going to help your team accomplish their goals!

I’m not saying you don’t have a legitimate gripe with Jill. Maybe you do, but that’s something that needs to be straightened out with Jill, not with Cindy, Mary, and Jane. In fact, by spreading the word about this personal issue you have with Jill, you will probably take your teammates focus off of what they need to be focused on and that,obviously, will only hurt the team’s efforts.

Seriously. Can you imagine what a team would be like if everyone decided to sit there and grumble about every other member of the team who ever did something they didn’t approve of or who had ever wronged them in any way in the past? Talk about D-R-A-M-A! Yikes! That team wouldn’t stand a chance. If you don’t think it’s a good idea for everyone to be sitting around doing this, you can bet that means it’s not right for even ONE person to be doing it (not even you).

I understand that there will be times when you feel very wronged. I understand there will be times when you just don’t have respect for a teammate because of the way they conduct themselves or because of the choices they make or for any other legitimate reason. But these types of situations don’t only happen on the field, they happen in life too. The bottom line is, these people are on your team. When you are seen by those outside your team, you are judged as a WHOLE. No one on the outside knows who said what about who or who disrespected who in the past and they don’t care. All they see is one team that is either a strong unit or a weak, divided one. Are you helping your team be a strong unit? Or are you part of why your team is weak and divided?

Look, if you have a problem with Jill, talk to Jill. Your team gains nothing when you try to bring a team member down in the eyes of the other team members. That’s all talking badly about Jill with your other team members is going to accomplish. All you do is weaken that person as a member of the team, and you know what they say, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” So why try to weaken members of your team? Not a smart move to say the least. I just don’t get people who insist upon trying to get attention and sympathy for themselves by bringing down other team members. It’s not the best way to play this game. It’s not the best way to live life. I’m not saying you have to accept or condone all the actions of your teammates, but there are times when it’s necessary, for everyone’s sake, to put those things aside for the time being (not saying you have to forget about it forever), so that you can work together, be the strongest team possible, and accomplish the goals everyone on the team wants.

If you want to have a great season, if you want to do what’s best for you and your team…

Think before you act. Think before you speak. Everything you say or do either helps your team or hurts it. There’s no in between. Know what you want for your team, for your season and always think about whether or not you’re moving toward that or away from it with your actions and your words. Make sure what you say and what you do moves your team closer to it’s goals.