Tag Archives: coaching tips

7 Success Thoughts of the Week

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success tips for softball

The past week has been crazy to say the least.  Big challenges, lots of emotions, unexpected events and so much more.  I didn’t have much time to write, but I did take some notes.  Here is some of what I’ve been able to take away from this week of challenge and change…

1.  The LAST thing you need to be doing when standing up for something you believe in is worrying about what other people think – ESPECIALLY when those people have NO clue about what’s really going on.

Been there, done that, and slapped “stupid” across my own head for being foolish enough to take advice from uninformed/misinformed/under-in…formed “know-it-alls” (aka idiots). Lesson learned…not making that mistake twice. :)

2.  Don’t let the opinions of others pull you away from your core values. Especially if those people have never been anywhere near your shoes nor the path you’re on! Stand strong!

3.  Saddens me to see that some people think so little of themselves, when STRANGERS say, “You don’t deserve to have all that” they BELIEVE it!

4.  When you work your butt off for what you have & earn every bit of it, you have NO reason to feel guilty for having more than others.

5.  There’s no way things ever work out in your favor if you decide beforehand that you have no chance.

6.  After all the blood, sweat, & tears you put in to what you’re fighting for, you’re gonna let someone else tell you you can’t win before you even finish the battle? Give it your best shot! You’ll never win if you give up before you even try.

7.  Never EVER sacrifice your long term vision for short term gain or just because it’s the easier, less painful thing to do now. More often than not the easy choice now is NOT the best decision long term.

Top Softball Tip of the Week 1/10-1/16

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This top softball tip of the week came from a Facebook post that I did.  If you haven’t “liked” the Official All About Fastpitch Facebook Fan Page (whew that’s a mouthful), you can do so at

http://www.facebook.com/allaboutfastpitch

If you’re on Facebook, a great way to keep up with All About Fastpitch and cool softball tips, is to go to the page and click “Like.” Once you do that…

  1. you can keep in touch with me via posts on the page (leave comments or ask questions!)
  2. you can see the latest AAF blog posts right there at Facebook
  3. you will get updates from the page right in your timeline – keep up with friends, family, and AAF all in one place!

Okay, now that we’ve explained that, let’s get back to the top softball tip of the week from facebook…

softball tip from facebook

I really, really, really (did I say really) believe in the importance of allowing players to earn things they get. Doing so from day one snuffs out the sense of “entitlement” that can penetrate the team.

Players sometimes fall into this entitlement trap and start thinking that just because they show up, they deserve playing time, or they deserve to start, or they deserve to win.

One thing you’ll notice in this situation is the disproportionate amount of time players spend grumbling about playing time rather than actually working to EARN it!

That’s one of the obvious signs you have an entitlement problem.

To execute this softball tip of the week, you must make it clear from day one, through your words, through your actions, through your decisions, through your expectations, through your policies that there will be NO entitlement!

ALL of these areas have to be in line.  You cannot say one thing and do another.  You cannot make a team policy and only follow it when it’s convenient for you.  You cannot say that everyone must earn their position then “give away” starting roles with comments or references you make before the season even starts.

Ahhh, but that would require integrity on your part.  For some coaches, winning now is more important than doing the right thing.  Typically, this type of decision is made by coaches who look at the short term vs using long term vision.  Winning now becomes more important than teaching your players the important lesson that success does NOT come without hard work, discipline, and diligence.

What these coaches fail to recognize is that often times, sacrificing short term (aka today’s win), will often lead to the long term success you truly desire.  These short term sacrifices are not always easy to make.  In fact they can be downright tough to make, but keeping the big picture in mind makes today’s “tough call” a lot less complicated.

That’s why having a long term vision for your team or program is absolutely vital to your softball coaching success.

Coaching Softball Tips – Importance of WHY

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One thing I love about coaching softball is the opportunity to see players and coaches learn valuable life lessons.

I also love the way life, business, and relationship lessons or principles often overlap with what we see, learn, teach, do, and have a chance to practice on the field.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen or heard concepts shared well outside the context of coaching softball and the first thing I think of is how it also applies to the game!

I ran into this again recently when I saw a tweet by Dave Ramsey, who will probably never really talk about softball because he is a personal finance/business leadership guy.  I’m not sure Dave Ramsey has any experience whatsoever with the game of fastpitch softball, but still I loved his tweet…

coaching softball

Now he was talking about business, but this totally applies to coaching softball!  Actually, it can apply to raising kids as well.

Our job, as softball coaches, is to equip our players with the tools they need to get the job done, think on their feet, and function well without us. On game day, there’s only so much we can do.  We cannot play the game for them, though I admit I’ve wanted to steal a jersey and jump into the game myself on a number of occasions.

The reality is that many key plays and decisions will be must by the players themselves in the heat of battle.

There is NO way you can instruct every move and every decision from the sideline, though I know there are probably times you wish you could.  There simply isn’t enough time for you to command every part of the game.  Some decisions on the field have to be formed and executed before your brain could ever get the message to your mouth to say the words.

Not only that, can you imagine how annoying it would be to play for someone who constantly barks from the sideline as if they have no faith and no trust in your ability to make plays and make decisions on your own?  That’s not the ideal situation to play in.

Like Dave says, “If you take…the time…to TEACH your team…”

Have you ever seen those coaches who don’t explain anything.  They are just commanders.  They command that players do this or do that and players have no idea why other than “Because coach said so.”

Teams coached in this manner will fall apart under pressure!

Coaching softball successfully requires that you TEACH your team so they understand why they are doing what you are asking.

This way, in game situations, they will be able to stand on their own two feet and make key decisions and plays without you.  Because the honest truth is, in the game, you CANNOT do it for them.  They must be able to think on their feet and make adjustments on the fly in order to be successful!

The same is obviously true with raising kids…eventually, they must be able to make great decisions without you.  I’ll admit, as a mom, I wish I could control every decision my children make.  They’d make less mistakes that way so there would be less stress and pain right?  But they’d also be useless on their own and probably lack any kind of self confidence as well.  Not a life I want for them.

How different is that from coaching a softball team?  If you want your team to be confident…If you want a team to be able to perform under any circumstances… you must give them the tools they need by teaching them they WHY, not just telling them what to do.

How to Control Parents During Softball Games

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I recently read an article that talked about silent games for youth sports.  In other words all spectators are asked to keep completely quiet during the game. How crazy is that?

My first thought was that the idea was completely absurd.  Then I continued reading and found out that youth sports organizations around the country have been using silence as a tool for promoting a more positive atmosphere surrounding games.  They aren’t using it as a long term, permanent solution to obnoxious fans or overbearing parents, but more for sending a message or creating teachable moments on conduct for parents and fans!

The length of time that youth sports organizations ask spectators for silence varies.  Some require an entire weekend, while others ask for an hour or a quarter of the game.

Other ideas for curbing undesirable conduct include

  • no-direction cheering: spectators are allowed to cheer, but can’t give directions such as “throw the ball” or “hit it deep.”  Phrases like “great hit” or “way to hustle” are acceptable.
  • cheering for both sides: instead of asking parents for silence, encourage them to cheer for great plays on both teams
  • assigned seating: separating spectators from people who are actually involved in the game or having parents sit away from the team

What do you think?  Have you ever participated in a silent game before?  Do you think a silent game would even be possible for in your league?  Is this a strategy you would use?  Do you have your own methods for keeping good sportsmanship a priority from the field to the dugout to the stands?

Leave a comment here to share your thoughts on this issue.  Can’t wait to hear from you!

Get Out of Jail Free for Softball?

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You know how in Monopoly, you get to use the “Get Out of Jail Free” card to get youself out a jam?

Well, sometimes players need it in softball too!

Have you ever run across a player that wants to be too perfect?  Perfectionism in athletes can actually be detrimental because athletes that are perfectionist often:

  • are afraid to make mistakes
  • get upset over the littlest mistake
  • are often disappointed frustrated with their performance because it never measures up to perfection
  • are reasonably critical of themselves
  • expect too much of themselves

All of these things can put a dent in a your confidence. If you try to play this game without confidence, you’ll probably fail much more than you should and, on top of that, won’t find the game very enjoyable. Obviously if you get to that point, you’re in trouble!  Once this game is “no fun” its either time for serious changes or time to give it up.

SO – since you probably don’t want to get to that point, here’s a little trick Dr. Patrick Cohn, youth sports psychology expert, uses to help players who are perfectionists.

He suggests giving them 3 “Get Out of Jail Free” cards at the beginning of a game or practice.  If your player/child makes a mistake, they (mentally) use one of the cards to let go of the mistake and move on.  Being able to let a mistake go and keep moving forward is such a critical part of becoming the best softball player you can be.  Not only that, this is yet another skill that applies to all areas of life, not just to playing softball on the field.

What do you think?  Is this something you would try?  Do you think this can help you?

Softball Coaching Tips: Is Your Practice Too EASY?

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It’s easy to perform well when things are “just right,” when everything is going your way.  Your players have great, positive attitudes, they’re hustling, they’re encouraging each other, they’re cheering, and everything is fine and dandy.

But what happens when a call or two doesn’t go your way?  Or when one mistake leads to another?  Or when the playing conditions are less than desirable?  Or after you’ve been playing all weekend long and fatigue is starting to set in?  Or when your “best” players go down due to injury, health, or ineligibility issues?  How does your team react then?

Do they have the same approach? Do they remain upbeat and positive?  Or do they start to fall apart?  Do they start to press?  Do they start to get frustrated with themselves or each other?  Does your team fall apart or can your team still perform when things get tough?

I’ll admit, it’s not possible to re-create every challenging game-like situation in practice.  However if your team is never challenged in practice chances are they won’t be able to respond the way you want when challenge arises during the game.

Some very wise coaches and elite athletes suggest that training should be harder, tougher, and more challenging than competition.  That way when game day comes, it seems “easy” in comparison.  Is that what you do? Are you preparing your team to perform under adverse conditions, under any circumstance that may occur?  Or is your practice and training too easy?

Here’s an excerpt from an article by Wayne Goldsmith, high performance expert which pretty much sums it all up…

Accept that all teams have to learn to win in tough conditions and prepare to deal with them better than your opposition.

Notice he didn’t say “your team” – he said ALL teams. Often times we use an unfortunate circumstance in our season as an excuse for poor performance, but that’s just a cop out. Do you really think that the best NEVER have a bad day, or calls go against them, or bad weather to deal with, or personality clashes aka drama?

I’m sure you’d agree that such a perfect team environment doesn’t exist. Every team has it’s ups and downs, it’s challenges and obstacles, but the ones that are best prepared to perform in spite of how tough it gets are usually the ones that come out on top.

Not only is “your best no matter what” a great skill to have on the softball field, but in life as well. Help your players learn to keep moving forward no matter what adversity they may face.  Not only will you probably win more games and maybe even a few championships, but your players will also carry invaluable life skill off the field and into the real world where stakes are much higher than a few statistics or a win-loss record.

Softball Coaching Tips: DP/Flex Strategies Explained

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The dp/flex rule allows much more than many coaches realize. It can be a bit confusing and complicated, but if you take some time to at least get familiar with some of the uses, the ones that can help your team the most, it will give you options you never knew you had.

One document that came in handy for me was the dp/flex strategies printout available at nfhs.org (DOWNLOAD HERE). Like I said, at first it was a bit confusing, but actually writing out a lineup with names of players on your team may help you grasp the concepts and dp/flex strategies being shared. You may not understand all the different possible uses, but just choose one or two that you feel will help your team most and get familiar with how to implement the strategy and use it in a game situation.

Then…give it a shot in a real game or scrimmage and let me know how it goes!!!