Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all you softballers out there! Hope everyone is having a great Monday. Fall is really starting set in especially here in Tallahassee. I don't think it got to 70 degrees this past Saturday. So what is on the menu for today? Well, candy obviously and softball of course. With that being said what are you doing to get better? I can remember being back home in Oklahoma when the cooler temperatures were starting to set in, good times with friends, football games, basketball season right around the corner, and oh boy, Thanksgiving and Christmas are almost here! But this was also the time when I got better. Softball season was done, well in Oklahoma it was, and it was time to hit the weight room. The older you get,  more distractions might come your way. Now, hold on a second before you might think wow don't I need some time off? Yes, of course you or your daughter needs time off to enjoy all those things I mentioned above. But you also need to keep priorities ahead of yourself. For example, Family, Grades, Softball, Social Time. And to be more clear about this I am talking to you young lady who wants to attend a division one school or play college softball at any level. If you do not have these dreams or aspirations then by all means these priorities are not for you. But for those who want to play at the next level you might want to start getting you priorities in line. I read a book awhile back that said in order to be a professional at something you must at put AT LEAST 10,000 hours of practice in it. Thats a lot of practice time... So...if you are between the ages 13-16... what are your priorities? You may not know if you want to play college or not at the age, but if you love the game with everything inside of you, chances are you gotta a good shot at playing after high school. With all that being said, I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween! I am looking forward to working with of you in the off season and getting better at the game. Have a good time with friends tonight and keep up with the homework!

Fundamentals

The fundamentals of softball are so important to have in order to play the game and really enjoy the game of softball. It stings me sometimes to watch a team practice and none of the fundamentals of the game are being taught or at least implemented with a team.  This weekend we (Gamespeed softball)  and some of the FSU softball girls went to run a camp in Bainbridge, GA with the 10U Merchants team. The clinic lasted 3 hours and all we worked on was the fundamentals of the game. Yes, of course we had some fun because who wants to do drills all day? During the clinic we worked on the fundamentals of fielding, throwing, hitting, base running, catching and pitching. It turned out to be great a clinic and the girls loved it! It was awesome to see the parents into the game as well. What pains me the most is seeing kids playing the game of softball and not having ever been taught the fundamentals of the game. Don't get me wrong I think this game is about having fun however, I believe kids have more fun when they play the game with the right fundamentals. This past weekend I was talking with a 14U team and I was explaining that the game is all about having fun and enjoying time however, nobody likes to lose or fail, it is a crappy feeling. So, why not learn the fundamentals and win a couple games? If you should lose the game, at least lose the game playing it to the best of your ability. It drives me a little crazy when I watch a practice and coach who yells at a kid to catch a ball or field the ball and clearly the kid has no fundamentals to whatever skill(s) she is trying accomplish. I just want to walk out to the practice field and be like "HEY! Maybe we should break down fielding or catching a pop fly and that might give the kid a better chance at performing the skill."Now, I am not totally blaming the coaches but that's where it starts in my opinion. I could go on about this but I will stop for now. I am sure you hear me talk about this later on down the road. Check this video out by the UCLA head coach and I think you will understand where I am coming from.

http://www.coachesdirectory.com/new/coachesinsider/softballv.php?videoID=1173409700001