The clinic is slated for August 6th and 7th at Kapolei High School.

Cost is $99 per player for BOTH days.  Get softball hitting instruction from one of the BEST in the game!

General layout for this event will include hitting on Day 1 and fielding/defense on Day 2 (many don’t realize Crystl played SS for the National Team before).

Exact times will be announced soon.  I will keep you posted here at All About Fastpitch when registration forms come out.

Crystl is also interested in doing a coaches clinic for $45 on Friday night.  We don’t currently have a location set for this but will keep you posted as details unfold.

This is an event you don’t want to miss! Got Bustos is offering this first Hawaii clinic at a very special never-been-done-in-Hawaii-before discount.  Hope to see you there.

Yesterday I asked if you knew why St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year.  There were a number of good guesses, a couple of funny ones, and a number of people who have obviously been paying attention these past few years.

Before I get to the reason, I want to announce that the winner of our free DVD drawing (randomly selected from all comments left).  The winner of the free softball training DVD is…

~ Brad ~

Congratulations!

Brad, if you’re reading this, please check your email to claim your DVD.

Now for the reason March 17th is so special to me.  There were quite a few people who had the correct answer which is…

It’s my Anniversary!

Tomorrow my husband and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.  Yes, green is also one of my favorite colors and we did use green in our wedding. Yes, 17 is also my favorite number (I wore it in college).  Yes, I am actually old enough to have been married 15 years. 

No, I do not like St. Patrick’s Day because I like beer.  lol

In fact, anyone who knows me well knows that I dislike beer and that chocolate shakes are more my style.  Another guess that made me laugh said something about green beer, which just sounds nasty, while another talked about getting lucky. haha

There were also a number of birthday guesses as well as someone who thought maybe I hit my first homerun on St. Patrick’s Day.  That’s pretty creative.  Honestly, I have no idea when I hit my first homerun, but it was an interesting guess nonetheless. 

Thanks a bunch for participating in this prize drawing!  We’ll have to do this more often!

If you know the reason, or would like to take a guess, leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win a FREE Softball Performance DVD.  Winner will choose from one of the following…

• 4-Minute Dumbbell Workouts for Softball
• The Pitching Velocity System
• Breakthrough Speed and Agility for Softball
• Power Training for Softball
• Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball
• Bat Speed and Hitting Power System
• Softball Playground Workout

Hurry.  You must leave a comment with your guess today because I’m giving you the answer tomorrow.  Good luck! 

However, there were quite a few this week that people really seemed to like, so I decided to put them together in this Thoughts of the Week post for you just in case you’re not all that social media savvy or simply had no clue that I was on either Facebook or Twitter. 

5 Softball Thoughts of the Week

original versions shared on Facebook and/or Twitter

• Lack of focus during the week = sloppy game performance on the weekend
• If you don’t have the guts to call your head coach to say you’ll be late or absent, then you probably don’t have a very good reason.
• Dear softball bats,
  Wake Up! You should be well rested after the last 3 games…
• You know you’re a softball coach when you forget the bikini tan because you sport a major coaching shirt tan instead.
• Just Curious: How do you like your softball pants? Cast your vote and see the responses to date on Facebook

=====================

If you are super social and want to connect with me on the web, check me out at…

Twitter

All About Fastpitch on Facebook

Stacie Mahoe on Facebook

First is the Island Softball Experience which is a 2-day camp, October 16-17, featuring instruction from experienced softball coaches and former USA Olympic players.  It will also include position specific training for pitching, hitting, base running, infield, outfield, slapping, catching and bunting.  Cost is $200 if you register by the 1st of October.  For more information or to download a flyer/registration packet, go to Wahine Sports Network.

Next we have the Bill Hillhouse Pitching Clinic which will be November 20th (Saturday).  The location has not been set yet, but the format will be as follows:

9:00-10:30am – Pitching Clinic session required for all non-returnees

10:45-11:45 – Private Lesson (max 2 pitchers)

12:00-1:00 – Private Lesson (max 2 pitchers)

1:30-2:30 – Private Lesson (max 2 pitchers)

2:45-3:45 – Private Lesson (max 2 pitchers)

4:00-5:00 – Private Lesson (max 2 pitchers)

How much does it cost?

Pitching Clinic Session – $30/pitcher

Private Lesson Sessions – $45/pitcher

Important Information: ALL pitchers must provide their own catcher.  You CANNOT attend a Private Lesson Session if you have never been to a Bill Hillhouse Clinic in the past.  All new clinic pitchers MUST attend the Pitching Clinic Session at 9:00am.  If you have been to a clinic before, you do not have to go to the 9:00am session.  You can just choose a private lesson time slot and sign up for that session only.  For more information or to reserve a spot, contact me at staciemahoe [at] gmail.com.

Jennie Finch

But now that she is retiring, the question has been posed: Who will the next softball icon be?

Do you think someone else will reach the notoriety in softball that Jennie Finch has?

What player do you think has the best chance?

Leave a comment here and let us know!

Don’t believe me?  Keep reading…

There ARE fundamental concepts that successful softball players have in common with successful daters (or people who are successful in the area of relationships).  Here are a few…

5 Things Successful Softball Players and Successful Daters Have in Common

• both wait for the perfect pitch before they swing
• both know how to let bad pitches go
• both are good at reading signals
• both make their opponent earn each base they get
• both are excellent at quickly reading the situation then effectively executing the appropriate action

Pretty cool huh?  Go ahead, share the link to this post on your facebook wall.  I know ya wanna

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkCUsfknvu8

“How Do I Stack Up?”

This player is a freshman that college coaches of some of the best programs in the nation already know about.  She’s got great grades and doesn’t have to be hounded by her parents or coaches about it.  She’s not one of those players who’s been playing since she was 5 and yet, she can hit the ball and “has it all” as a pitcher.

AND is just a freshman in high school this year!

So how do you stack up?  Where are you in your skills and grades and attitude?  Are you working hard enough?  Or are you just “settling” for “being the best” where you are at?  Are you really, truly striving to being the best you can?  Why should a coach choose you?  Can you do better?  Can you strive for more?  Can you push for more than you’re doing now?  Do you need to raise the level of your softball performance?

Maybe now is a good time to do a serious self-check and re-evaluate your direction.  Be Great!

Sounds like a pretty fun fundraiser if you ask me. This particular one also includes appetizers and live music – so cool!

I hope it goes well for them.

Have you heard of any unique softball fundraisers recently? If so, please leave a comment below and share them here.  I’m sure many programs out there are looking for ideas for the upcoming season.

Yahoo Sports also shows a list of college sports that will be broadcast in some way shape or form so you can check there to see if your favorite college softball team is one of them.

Another place to follow your college team online is CSTV. You can search for specific events or schools there.

Hopefully we see even more and more of these avenues for following softball pop up!

By the way - who’s your favorite college team this year? Leave a comment here and let us know!

This event will be held on July 13 at Marengo Ridge Golf Club. Here’s a little more information about this fun softball/golf event:

Each hole at Marengo Ridge Golf Club will feature a different contest or challenge for the 18 holes of scramble-style golf. Check-in is scheduled for 8 a.m. with a shotgun start planned for 9 a.m.

Registration forms are now available for groups of four and also individual golfers. To golf with a Bandits player in your group, the foursome must pay an extra $125 (or only $31.25 extra a person). For $75 a person, golfers will experience a day of scramble-style golf and a golf cart, swag bag prizes, have the chance to earn on-course prizes and a lunch buffet after the round is complete.

Spots are limited to the first 144 golfers to register and a silent auction will be held during the dinner portion of the event.

For additional information, check out the article in the Daily Herald HERE.

• What bat should my daughter use?
• How should I run my team’s bunt coverage?
• What do I have to do to pitch faster?
• How do I handle this parent issue?
• What’s wrong with my daughter’s swing?

Believe it or not, I don’t actually know ALL the answers.  I know you’re shocked!  *wink*

It’s not only that, many of the questions, like the ones listed above require more information than what most people provide in one e-mail message.  Often times, the best answers or solutions for these issues come from discussing the exact situation at hand and receiving more than one suggestion.

Where can you get this type of help to get your biggest fastpitch softball questions answered?

The place to go is DiscussFastpitch.com.

It’s a great fastpitch forum that is regularly monitored so that you can get your questions answered on just about ANY fastpitch topic without having to sift through tournament/tryout spam and without fear of down right rude or harsh responses.  From coaching softball to being a softball parent, there’s a place for you to ask about the issue you need help with.

And yes, I drop in from time to time to chit chat or share my two cents.

Who knows?  There may already be a discussion going on about a topic you want to learn more about.  Take a moment to check it out – DiscussFastpitch.com.

See you there!

“What where those little things you could put on your glove so you don’t lose it and you identify it faster?”

When I see the message and read the question, I know EXACTLY what they are talking about.  I actually shared a video about it a while back.  This “thing” everyone is asking about is MittMates! Now that spring is around the corner and softball teams are forming and seasons are about to start, everyone wants them.

If you’ve never heard of them or need a refresher of what they are, I here’s the short video I put together to share a little more information on what they are and why I like them.  Plus you can use the promo code in the video for a special offer from Jessica (the intelligent former softball player that created them).

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3WR65NBwc

You’ll notice that if you click on any of the names in the display of twitter posts, it will take you directly to that person’s twitter page and you can “follow” them on twitter from there.  However, you’ll need your own twitter account to do that.

Honestly, signing up for twitter is VERY simple and can be done within a few minutes (maybe even less).  Just go to Twitter.com and click on the green “Sign Up Now” button.  You’ll be joining in the conversation with us on twitter in no time.  If you’re having trouble finding people to follow, you can do a couple of things…

1. type “softball” into the Search field at twitter and see who’s talking about softball (or any other softball related term).  You may be able to find some people that way
2. check out the list I made of some cool softball people on twitter in this blog post
3. when you do find a cool softball person on twitter: check out who they’re following OR scroll down their page and see who they’ve been talking to

Those are some simple tips for to getting started on twitter and finding cool softball people to follow.  And don’t forget, you can also follow me as well at twitter.com/staciemahoe ~ see you there!

Hey – just a quick note to let you know about a live interview I just found out about.

• Who: Make It Pro, Michele Granger, and YOU!
• What: Live Interactive Interview
• When: Jan. 7th, 5pm Pacific.
• Where: Take part, listen in, watch the interview live at http://www.makeitpro.com/tv

Hopefully you and I are able to take advantage of this opportunity to check out a fun softball event.  Mark your calendar.  Set an alarm on your phone or in your e-mail program.  Tell your friends, teammates, and colleagues about it!  Should be lots of fun.  Hope to “see” you there!

There are 3 main things I love about this TCB ball…

3.  This ball cuts down on hitting/pre-game time and space needed – this means more reps in a shorter period of time

2.  This ball gives instant feedback - any time your players can see for themselves what they are doing wrong without you having to tell them just makes your life as a coach/parent easier and less stressful.  One problem with today’s bats and hitting off pitching machines or hitting regular balls off live toss is that a player can hit a ball badly and it may still look and “feel” just fine.  Then as a coach, when you try to correct, it you may get some resistance from your player because their end result was “good” and they felt no negative feedback during the swing or hit.  With this ball, unless you hit it right, it doesn’t look and it doesn’t feel right.  You instantly see that your hit wasn’t a solid one.  This leads me to the #1 thing I like about this ball…

1.  This ball is addicting - I was able to get in the cage and take some swings at this ball.  Because of the instant feedback, whenever I didn’t hit the ball well, the competitive “player” inside me just wanted to try again.  Then when I did hit it well it was just something I wanted to keep doing over and over and over again since the “good” hits look and feel so much better than your “bad” ones.  Seeing it happen right was cool!  Seeing it come off your bat poorly, just makes you want to have another chance.  So, the player in me liked it.  It was addicting.  I just wanted to keep trying to hit that ball and hit it well.

In my book, anything that…

• cuts down on time
• makes your practice more efficient
• gives players immediate feedback
• AND is something players enjoy and want to do…

that’s a pretty great thing.

So if you’d like to learn more about this hitting aid or buy some for your team/player, check out Total Control Sports OR if you are in California or Hawaii, call your sales rep directly (Howard) at (714) 293-3088.

TONIGHT the Schaumburg Flyers baseball club, of the independent Northern League will battle the Chicago Bandits, of National Pro FastPitch softball at Alexian Field.

The really cool thing is that it seems like a lot of people will have a chance to see first hand, what the Chicago Bandits can do. While most of their games average under 1,000 spectators a game, this Battle of the Sexes match-up has a chance of selling out the 8,500 capacity field by game time.

I sure hope there’s another article after this game is over that will let us know how it went.  While it’s not a true, men’s softball vs women’s softball game – I think it’s great that an NPF team will have a chance to play in front of a big crowd and hopefully spark interest in people who’ve never really watched the pro fastpitch league (or even the game in general) before.

If you’re in Chicago and are attending this game, you have to give us a report here!

That’s one of the main reasons the “Shameless Brags” group was created at Fastpitch World: to give you a place to celebrate and share your small (or big) victories and motivate you to keep pushing forward toward your ultimate goals.

Plus, I always find it motivating to read success stories from others in the game.

So…have you or your team accomplished something cool this season?

It doesn’t have to be big – it can be something small (1st homerun even). If so, please come and share your story! “Shameless Brags” was created specifically for sharing positive stories so that
others can celebrate with you and get inspired as well.

Or, if you don’t have anything to write, maybe you’ll find a little inspiration in the stories there.

If you haven’t been to Fastpitch World yet, you do need to sign up for an account before you can post, but it doesn’t cost a thing and only takes a few minutes.

Can’t wait to read your success story there!

——————————————————-

Don’t have any goals set yet? Elite members have 24/7 access to our Goal Setting Bootcamp which walks you through the questions and process you need to in order to set powerful
effective goals for your future.   Join our Elite Members Today

Photo credit:

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ve heard me talk about Twitter.   Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably heard about Twitter through some other source.  Many major news stations, radio stations, newspapers, celebrities, and softball people are ALL on Twitter.

Now you have another reason to jump into the fun – COLLEGE.

Earlier this week, ESPN published an article about how colleges and college coaches are tapping into social networks like Twitter and Facebook for recruiting and exposure.

Some coaches use Twitter as a way to allow fans and potential recruits to see what the program/coach is like.  Others utilize it as a way to “stay in front” of a recruits face (and at the forefront of their minds) without breaking NCAA contact period rules.  According to the article:

“Currently, the NCAA allows coaches to direct-message recruits from Twitter or send them a private message on Facebook.”

If you’re looking to attend college and play sports – this is HUGE!!!

Like me, there are coaches out there who prefer Twitter over Facebook “mostly because of the ease of posting.”   Of course, there are others like my husband who prefer Facebook because there are more pictures and it’s similar to MySpace which he’s already familiar with.  Twitter does have a different sort of layout/format and does take a little while to get used to, but once you do, you’ll love it!

The ESPN article also talks about why Twitter is so super popular:

“It’s the reason why USA Today worked. It’s the reason why people want to see the ticker on ESPN. [People] don’t want large bites. Give me a small bite; make it fast, I’ll see what it is, I’ll laugh and I’ll move on to something else.”

Another important point…

“The one thing I like is that it’s a little bit of an unobstructed view,” Calipari said. “They (fans/recruits) get to know what you are and how you are and how you think without someone telling them who you are, what you are and how you think.”

So you don’t have to take someone’s word for it. You have a way to judge for yourself what a program or coach is like. This is a very important part of choosing the right college for yourself or helping your child do so.

Signing up for Twitter is super easy…

1.  Go to Twitter.com and click on the green Get Started – Join! button at the bottom of the screen.

2.  Fill out the fields on the next page and click Create My Account

3.  Choose the options you want on the following pages (add contacts from e-mail or follow suggested users) and you’re all done!

Once you’re in, here are some softball coaches you can follow…

AuburnSBCoach

coachjaymiller

UFCoachWalton

UACoachMurphy

…and you’ll probably also want to check out the other cool softball people I listed in this post and this post.

Happy Tweeting!