Obviously, there are a lot of mistakes you can make while coaching softball. Some involve game strategy and calls or decisions made during the game, while others are made in preparation for competition. I won’t go into strategy today, but I will mention some 5 common mistakes coaches make with their team in preparation for competition.

5 Softball Coaching Mistakes that Can Limit Your Success

• Flying by the Seat of Your Pants – aka not having a practice plan. This wastes time, greatly reduces coaching efficiency, and hinders your team from progressing as quickly as they could.
• Trying to Please Everyone – Pleasing everyone is all but impossible. Not everyone is going to be entirely happy in any given situation. Worrying to much about and focusing too much on the few people who’d rather grumble than make adjustments is a waste of time and energy that could be better spent helping the entire team get better.
• Focusing Too Much on Your Opponent - It’s always important to stay focused on the thing you can change and let go of the things you can’t. Your opponent is not something you can change. Some feel it’s important to know your opponent to be able to form a plan of attack which is fine, but they should not be the focus of all your pre-competition chalk talk. Stay focused on your team and what you need to do to be successful.
• Not Practicing Skills You Expect to be Executed Well – Skills like taking leads, bunting, or getting out of the box are things that coaches often expect to be done well but may not dedicate enough practice time to.
• Ignoring the Mental Game - This is huge!  Don’t forget to train both mind and body.  All the skill in the world without mental toughness won’t get you very far.  You’re players need to be able to overcome the challenges and obstacles that are sure to arise during the season.

Take a look at how you prepare and see if you are making any of these common softball coaching mistakes with your team.  If not, great!  You’re on the right path.  If you are, identify the problem and make a positive adjustment to enjoy more success this season!

One thing that needs to be worked on every season is fly ball priorities. These are important because they will help you:

• reduce “campfires” – those times when everyone goes for the ball, then stops and lets it drop
• allow your players to go hard for the ball without worry
• make more catches which in turn means more outs
• reduce the chance of collision
• keep your players safe

If you don’t have fly ball priorities, bad things can happen:

• sure outs fall in for hits
• injuries to players
• the beginning (or extension) of the dreaded “bad inning”
• more opportunities for your opponent
• more pitches for your pitchers to throw
• frustration
• etc, etc, etc

I’ve heard of not only season ending injuries caused by unnecessary collisions on the field, but collisions that have had LETHAL consequences in the game of baseball.  Granted that’s extreme, but why take the chance?  Make sure your players are protected and give them the best chance at getting those outs on defense by setting up those priorities AND practicing them.  Simply “having” them is not enough!

Going by the “whoever calls it louder gets the ball” method isn’t good enough.  You will come across those times when two players are both calling for the ball loud and clear.  There has to be a clear rule that both players understand to determine who gets it and who backs off to cover.

So how do you set up fly ball priorities? Well, a common guideline goes as follows:

• Outfielders have priority over infielders
• Middle infielders have priority over corners
• Corners have priority over the catcher
• Everyone has priority over the pitcher
• Center has priority over Left and Right

Now, this is not set in stone.  It is not the ONLY “right” way to do this.  This is just a general guideline that can be used and implemented with your team.  HOWEVER, you may also alter, tweak, and adjust it so that it works for you and the personnel you are working with.  Hope this helps!

My daughter’s softball game just got rained out this morning which is why these Rainy Day tips are on my mind.  As we sat there watching the rain pour down, these two pitching tips went through my mind:

1. Ask for a new ball as frequently as you need to even if it’s annoying to everyone else
2. Bring a chamois to wipe the game balls with

I remember many games when coaches were trying to keep the game balls dry using towels on crazy rainy days.
It doesn’t work all that well.  It doesn’t take very long before the towels are soaked and you are trying to dry off a wet softball with a wet towel. Now if it happens to also be a rather muddy day, you may still want a towel around to get some of the mud off the ball before you dry it off with the chamois, but you definitely want to have the chamois on hand to keep that ball as dry as possible for your pitcher.

So I don’t know why I never thought of that before, but it never dawned on me until I got a nice e-mail from an All About Fastpitch member who told me that he keeps a chamois with him for those nasty weathered days.  Obviously a chamois is going to work a LOT better than a towel for drying off those game balls!

Now I have a chamois included as one of my top bucket essentials. 

This week I dusted off my coaching shoes and got back on the field a little earlier than I had planned.    I’m starting to feel the softball coaching wheels in my head beginning to kick into gear again.  During this week, I had some random coaching thoughts that, in themselves don’t warrant an entire blog post, but I still feel like I need to say them somewhere, so I’m going to jot down a few here in this post.

7 Random Softball Coaching Thoughts

1. I really don’t care much for the use of pitching machines in batting practice.
2. New players help remind you that there may be things you “assume” players know, but sometimes they don’t.  It’s always better to cover concepts you expect players to know even if you think they “should” already know it.
3. The only way to get comfortable and confident in game gear is to practice in game gear.  If you’re going to wear pants in games, wear them in practice.  If you’re going to wear shorts in games, wear them in practice.  If you’re going to wear knee pads or elbow pads in the game, wear them in practice.  In order to prepare for game situations, you must train in settings that are as game-like as possible.
4. Do you have goals and expectations for your team?
5. Have you ever shared those goals and expectations with your players?
6. “Fair” does NOT mean that each player is handled in exactly the same way as others.
7. While it’s great to watch the best and learn from them, it’s also important to be YOU.

As you can see from the comments on my previous post about softball hitting practice, most teams practice hitting quite often. However, you may be surprised to find out there may be a couple important things you’re leaving out.

1. Hit and Run - Getting Out of the Box
In a game, what do you have to do after you hit the ball? That’s right, RUN! Yet, how many of your swing in practice are followed by a run down the line to first base? If you’re team gets a lot of reps in station drills or in the batting cage, then chances are they may very rarely actually hit then run in practice. Maybe you NEVER actually run down the line to first after a hit in practice, yet this is a very important aspect of the hitting process! Obviously you have a better chance at being safe at first if you get out of the box as quickly as possible, but if you never practice it, how are you going to get better at it? How many times have you seen players, especially younger ones, hit the ball, then “forget” to run right away? This is not something that comes “automatically” to every player. It needs to be practiced like anything else. Make sure you practice running after a hit or swing.

2. Getting into the box
Another things that’s often overlooked is getting into the box. There are things that a batter must do and should do before getting into the box to hit. One, of course, is to look at the base coach for a signal (again, how many times have you seen players skip this step?). Another thing players should be doing is going through their own little routine when getting into the box. Just as basketball players often have a set “approach” before the shoot a free throw shot, softball hitters should have their own little routine when getting into the box. They should do they same thing each time. This is a big part of being in the right frame of mind and having a good mental approach to the at bat.

Routines are what make us feel comfortable, confident, and in control – the 3 C’s you really want when going into any at bat. Getting into the box the same way, a way that makes you feel comfortable and in control, each time helps promote the right mental approach to an at bat. Again, an important part of hitting, but how often is this practiced??? There’s a good chance you never practice this part of your hitting outside a game situation. But how can you expect to be solid in every part of your hitting when you leave out such important portions of it in your practice time? Set aside some time to practice at bats all the way through from beginning to end. One of the best ways to do this is with visualization drills. No equipment needed except, you, your bat, and your mind.

3.  Taking Leads
I realize this isn’t a hitting skill, but it does come right after a hit if you get on base and it is still an “offensive” skill if not a hitting one. But taking leads is also overlooked quite often, especially at the older age levels where most players already know how to do it. Unfortunately, many don’t do it well. You’ve probably seen players take leads a couple different ways: straddling the bag (rocker) or back foot on the bag. EITHER WAY – this skill must be practiced. The biggest mistakes I see players make are: not taking strong leads, not taking leads the same way all the time, and probably the most annoying for me to see…not timing leads properly which can most definitely mean the difference between an out and safe call!

So, when you put together your plan to practice hitting or offensive skills, please remember these.  Improving these areas can make an immediate positive impact on your game!

Hehe – great thread over at Discuss Fastpitch about coaching a young team. If you are coaching a young age group this season, it’s a great discussion to go check out. I especially love the part about When to Give a 4-year-old a bat. Very good advice.

Then comes the part at the end of the first post about an incentive for the kids (useful at any age level).

Good stuff!

Read HERE

Here’s another set of 5 Softball Coaching Tips for you. After you read them over, remember to take a few minutes to think about each one, then figure out how you can use these tips to make a few positive changes in your coaching. Enjoy!

1. Be Aware of Your Body Language – not only your words speak to your players

2. Remember the Process – results aren’t everything. Just because a big, strong player can throw hard, doesn’t mean she’s got great throwing mechanics. You do her a disservice to ignore her mechanics just because the end result (a hard throw) was achieved.

3. Know THIS Season’s Rules – they always seem to change from year to year. Keep up to date with the most current rules! You don’t want to a) look like an idiot or b) hurt your team because you aren’t aware of the rules. I supposed I should add in “know this tournament’s rules.” Not a good feeling when your team loses because of your poor time management in a game as a result of not knowing the rules of the tournament you are in (or losing by a tiebreaker you weren’t aware of during the game).

4. Success Requires Preparation – don’t allow your competition to defeat you simply because they chose to put more effort into their preparation.

5. Own It - don’t look to cast blame on others in areas where YOU can make positive changes.

Read Previous Softball Coaching Tips…

Softball Coaching Tips 1-5

Softball Coaching Tips 6-10

Softball Coaching Tips 11-15

Not long ago there were a couple of posts up at SoftballPerformance.com talking about “Soft or Hard“ and “Good vs Successful.” Both posts were quite thought provoking and got the wheels turning in my head. What’s more important? From a coaching standpoint, tons of arguments can be made for each side as well as for a mix or balance of each.

BUT, from a parent perspective…

What’s more important?
If you had to choose one or the other which would you choose?
Or if you had to say that one was primary and the other secondary, which way would you go?
If you knew one team guaranteed a winning season, but not necessarily a lot of progress for your daughter and the other guaranteed improvement for your daughter, but maybe not a championship type record – which would you choose for her?

What’s more important to you?

a) that your daughter be on a winning team
b) that your daughter improve her skills as a player/person

Leave a comment here and share your thoughts!  I, of course, have my own thoughts as a softball parent, but I am interested in hearing what you think too!

Everyone knows you learn many life lessons through sports, including softball. Most people don’t think about these sports lessons it in terms of relationship pearls of wisdom.  But I assure you, there are many lessons you learn on the field that you can apply to relationships and vice versa.  There are things that you learn in real life that you can apply to the field.

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

When it comes to college eligibility, I know a LOT Of student-athletes who need help with the academic side, including SAT/ACT prep. That’s why I thought it was so super cool when I saw that NCSA was partnering up with the company featured in this video.

Revolution Prep -- Revolutionizing SAT/ACT Prep for Student-Athletes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqX0L_XmDH8

Need help with the college recruiting process AND test prep?  Talk with a live person at NCSA

Here’s another set of 5 Softball Coaching Tips for you.  After you read them over, remember to take a few minutes to think about each one, then figure out how you can use these tips to make a few positive changes in your coaching.  Enjoy!

1. Remember to keep the “big picture” in mind. This will be a big help in guiding the decisions you will need to make as a coach.
2. Share the “burden.” Don’t try to do “everything” yourself.  Not only is it overwhelming, it’s not the most effective way to coach.  Allow your assistants and others involved in the team/program to make big contributions by delegating tasks that line up with their strengths.
3. Share the “wealth.” Help other coaches develop!  Too many are so concerned with guarding their “secrets,” but many forget that there is a lot to be learned by teaching and helping others.  Plus always remember that no matter how much or how little someone else knows, they are likely to know something you don’t or can show you a new perspective that will open up the way you think to new opportunities to get better.
4. Be flexible in the methods you use and approach you take. Not every athlete responds the same way to a particular method/approach.  Not every team responds the same way to a particular method/approach.  Be willing to find what works best for THIS player, for THIS team.
5. Treat your players like customers (what?!). According to a well respected “coaching guru” coaching is the ultimate in client/customer service.

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

Read Previous Softball Coaching Tips…

Softball Coaching Tips 1-5

Softball Coaching Tips 6-10

Last week I sent out an e-mail with 5 Softball Coaching Tips. If you missed it you can read it HERE.  Today, I’m going to share 5 more with you.  They’re short, their sweet, and they’ll for you to think about!

1. Develop Independent Athletes – you are there to coach, not dictate their every move.
2. Set aside time for your own person fitness and and health – obviously this is not only good for you as a coach, but good for you as a person…double the reason to make this happen!
3. Keep learning – I get e-mails from coaches who’ve coached for 30+ years who tell me they’re still learning new things on a regular basis (I think it’s so cool that they read my messages!).  Learning is for life, not just for coaching.
4. You will see it when you believe it – say that one again…you will SEE it when you BELIEVE it…don’t wait for it to happen the other way around
5. Surround yourself with the right people – success breeds success.  Mix and mingle and network with others who have already accomplished the things you want to accomplish.  Talk story with people who are already successful! (p.s. this one will help out a lot with #3)

Now what?

• Step 1: Think about those for a few minutes each.
• Step 2: Think about ways those tips can help you become a better coach.
• Step 3: Make a few positive changes.

So the NCAA Div I 2010 season has come down to just two teams: UCLA and Arizona. UCLA has not lost a game yet in Oklahoma and Arizona had to overcome illegal pitch calls and win twice against Tennessee to get into the final. Tomorrow, both these teams will begin a 3-game series to determine the 2010 NCAA Div I Softball Champion.

Who’s your pick? What team are you rooting for?

Leave a comment below and also share your thoughts at our Facebook poll!

While UCLA’s head coach has some Hawaii ties, I have to say, I’m cheering for Mike Candrea and the Wildcats of Arizona.

Hawaii just completed it’s ASA 10U State Tournament this past weekend. Shown above is a picture of Ho’onou the A Division Champions.

Here are the Hawaii ASA 10U champions and runners up for the 3 divisions:

C Division Champion: Palolo
Runner Up: Pound 4 Pound

B Division Champion: Kulia
Runner Up: Lahaina

A Division Champion: Ho’onou
Runner Up: Psykos

Congratulations to all teams, players, and coaches who participated in the 10U State Tournament!

Shown below: Ho’onou and Psykos after the 10U A Division Championship Game.

Today was an amazing day for Hawaii sports.  University of Hawaii baseball wins the WAC and makes it to post season.  Hawaii Pacific University’s softball team advances to the NCAA DII Softball Championship game.  AND the University of Hawaii Softball Team makes history by breaking Alabama’s win streak (yesterday), taking the #1 seed of the NCAA post-season down, and making it to their 1st ever WCWS in Oklahoma City!!!

If you missed it on TV for whatever reason…here’s the bottom of the 7th of the UH vs Alabama game.  Gotta love YouTube!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJvYE6oLgxc

Year after year I see young softball student-athletes making this major college recruiting mistake – slacking on grades! Freshman and sophomores often feel like they have time “later” to prepare for their future.  But most people know, junior year often tends to be a “down” year.  Many students in general have their worst year in 11th grade.  Having said this, if you slack as a freshman or a sophomore, you have no room for error as a junior!

By the time your a junior, HALF your academic time has already passed.  ONE great semester does not undo the sins of four, or six for that matter.  While you may not care much about your grades now, believe me, when you’re a senior, and you’ve finally gotten serious about what happens after high school and your ready to grab ahold of the freedom you so desperately want – you WILL care.  You WILL want as many opportunities as possible. You WILL feel frustrated and bummed and sick when there are wonderful opportunities right there in front of you but you aren’t able to take advantage of them because you didn’t take care of business in the classroom as an underclassman.

I know, you may be only 14 0r 15, but the poor choices you make now will eventually come back to haunt you at what will likely be the most inopportune time.  Do NOT let this happen to you.  Give yourself a chance!  Start preparing for the future NOW!  Get in the habit of making good decisions and choices now.

• Wake up and get to school on time every day.
• Go to class every day.
• Do your homework every day.
• Get to practice on time every day.
• Do quality work in the classroom and on the field every day.
• Be your best every day.

The more you practice making the right decisions, the easier it will become and the more prepared you will be for life after high school.  Making good choices now will set you up for the brightest, most exciting, most enjoyable future possible.  High school and college are fun, fun years IF you make the right decisions.

Don’t leave your future to chance.  Make it what you want by laying the groundwork now.  It’s never too early to start practicing good habits or start making good decisions.  Be the best you can be every day.  Good things will come your way.

The other day I did this blog post about all the exciting Hawaii Softball action going on this week and I forgot to mention the UH Rainbow Wahine Softball Team and their quest for a WAC Tournament Title!

The cool thing? Anyone that’s a fan of softball and wants to watch this year’s WAC Tournament LIVE via the internet will have the opportunity to do so at WAC.tv. Find out more from this article http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=12391377

I hope to catch a few games, but we’ll see. Busy schedule this week!

Hope you have a great softball week!