All About Fastpitch Softball Blog » fastpitch softball

A Piece of Hawaiian Fastpitch Softball History – Puueo Poi Pounders

Stacie Mahoe — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:21:29 +0000

This article was sent to me by Hal Skinner. It’s about a men’s fastpitch softball team who traveled to Clearwater, Florida decades ago to represent Hawaii in the ASA Men’s Fast Pitch National Tournament. The team battled many challenges along the way, but still made a great showing for Hawaii all the on the other side of the country!

Click to enlarge…

Battle of the Sexes Softball Style

Stacie Mahoe — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:12:57 +0000

I think this is so cool! I wish I could be there to see it.

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!

Awesome Softballers On Twitter

Stacie Mahoe — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:52:28 +0000

Twitter is a real time social media network that allows users to post short updates about what they’re doing to a timeline. When you join twitter for free, you can see all the updates posted by people you “follow.” Twitter is very simple and straightforward without the “fluff” off applications, games, photo albums, and other add-ons that other social media networks like MySpace and Facebook have.

It does take a little time to get the hang of the conversation and community there, but once you do, you can meet some great people and learn things you would have never known if it wasn’t for twitter. The best way to do it though, is to just jump in and try it.

Here’s what you need to do to get started:

Go to Twitter.com
Click on “Get Started-Join”
Fill in the form and click “Create my account”
Input your account/profile/settings information
Then look for cool people to follow

To help get you started, here’s a bunch of softball people I’m following (after you’re logged in to your account, click on the links below then click on the “follow” button on these twitter people’s pages):

NCAA WCWS: http://twitter.com/NCAAWCWS

DI Coach Bill Vasko: http://twitter.com/CoachBook

Marc Dagenais: http://www.twitter.com/coachmarc

Steven Anderson: http://twitter.com/ATumblebug

Jessica Jobes (MittMate): http://twitter.com/JessicaJobes

Angela Tincher: http://twitter.com/ATinch1

STATE the Movie: http://twitter.com/statethemovie

We Play: http://twitter.com/weplay

Philadelphia Force: http://twitter.com/PhilaForce

ASA Softball: http://twitter.com/ASASoftball

Ringor: http://twitter.com/ringor

Big West Softball: http://twitter.com/BigWestSoftball

Barry Lovelace: http://twitter.com/barrylovelace

Fastpitch News: http://twitter.com/FastpitchNews

Oh yeah, and you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/staciemahoe

There are also some pretty cool softball parents on twitter as well. You may see me talking to them every now and then. Any time you see me talking with other twitter users about softball, I’d suggest clicking on their twitter name to go to their page so you can see if you’d like to follow them too. If so, just click on the “follow” button on their page.

I’m seriously thinking about doing some short tutorial videos to show you some twitter basics. I’ll certainly let you know if I get those made!

Softball Drill: Pressure on the Infield

Stacie Mahoe — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:27:25 +0000

This is one of my favorite softball drills to put an infield through because it forces them to treat each play with urgency. You can tell them to get to the ball quicker or to get rid of it quicker, but this drill gives them an “in your face” reason to do that.

Now, I’ve also heard that using a stop watch is helpful as well. However, with a stop watch, the players don’t get as much of a visual on how far off or how close they are to making the play. Using runners, like in this drill, gives them a more concrete visual of what’s going on.

So, how does this drill work?

Set up an infield
Have the rest of the team put on helmets
Runners will start 10 feet up the line to first (not from the batters box) and will start running when they hear the coach’s bat hit the ball
Coach stands in the batter’s box and a hits grounders to the fielders
Fielders field the ball and and make the urgent play at first

Obviously this cuts down significantly on the time the field has to field the ball and make the play. I like to run this drill with routinely hit ground balls…not screamers. Force the players to come get the ball instead of sit back and wait for it and quickly get rid of it to make the play. Do not hit laser shots at them and force them into a defensive mode.

This drill is a great way to put pressure on your infield and challenge them in practice so that game situations seem easy. It’s also a great way to get some sprints in. You can also switch out the infield and the runners to give everyone a chance at making these urgent plays as well as give everyone some sprint work.

Unearned Runs Come Back to Bite You in the Butt!

Stacie Mahoe — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:47:10 +0000

It may not always be true, but more often than not, those unearned runs will come back to bite you in the butt. Maybe even more-so when they come in the first inning. Of course, if it happens early, you have more time to recover and get it back. However, a coach recently shared an interesting observations about first innings with me. He said that after looking back through his scorebooks from the past few years, the majority of the games were won by the team who “won the first inning.”

What do you think about that? Do you think that’s true? Do you have scorebooks you can look back through and report back to us? If so, leave a comment here and let us know what percentage of games were won by the team that “won the first inning.” Go through each game and see if either team was leading after the first inning. Then check to see if that’s the team that ended up winning the game. Jot down your findings then calculate what percentage of games were won by the team who was leading after the first. I’m curious to see what others have to say.

Anyway, getting sidetracked here. I’m sure you’ve seen or been in games when unearned runs come back to bite you in the butt. It really stinks! But the fact of the matter is, great teams will rarely “give” you anything. If you’re going to get across the plate you’re going to have to earn it! And if you happen to “give” them anything, you’re just about done for. Not that coming out on top is impossible, but it’s definitely going to be a fight to the end! Either that or great teams know how to make you pay for your mistakes. If you make one, they’re jump all over it and you better make sure you do the same if they happen to slip up. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself in a major uphill battle. Again, not impossible, but definitely a tough situation.

Given the observation above, IF your team was going to give up unearned runs, when would you rather have it happen? I’m thinking I’d choose the 2nd. Still time to get it back, yet possibly avoid losing that first inning and becoming a statistic.

Fun and Positive: Is This So Hard to Understand?

Admin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:51:00 +0000

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

Admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:46:00 +0000

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

Admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:26:00 +0000

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?

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

Admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:32:00 +0000

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

Admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:44:00 +0000

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.

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

Admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:20:00 +0000

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

Admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Yes it’s true…

listen in and tell me what you think…

Free Tool to Help You With Tryouts

Admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:30:00 +0000

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

Admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:28:00 +0000

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

Admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:18:00 +0000

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

Admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:15:00 +0000

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:

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

Admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:08:00 +0000

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

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:44:00 +0000

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

Admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:34:00 +0000

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

Admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:23:00 +0000

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)