Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

These week we discuss that there has to be some fun built into practices, especially for the younger ages. We want our players to want to come to practice not have to. We can make it fun and enjoyable and accomplish what we are trying to achieve by adding some new twists to our drills. It takes working on your practice plan and modifying it to add competitiveness and enjoyable aspects. Listen for some ideas.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Usual Shout Out topics.Listener question about punishment for mistakes. Mistakes need to be categorized between lack of a skill and effort. If some sort of punishment needs to be handed out we don't believe in running as a punishment. A complete athlete is well conditioned, so any form of conditioning should not be viewed as punishment.It's Tryout Season. We discuss how a player and her parents should approach the tryouts for a new team. It is almost like getting recruited for college, but on a smaller scale. Some of the same steps apply.Corona Update. Trying to keep up with the changes being caused by COVID-19 and all of the changes filtering down to the younger age groups.An honest discussion on Favoritism. We can't deny that we have favorites. But we need to have a system that everyone knows how we determine positions and lineups so favoritism doesn't play a part.Support the show

As schools start back, a lot of schools are going to be using virtual learning but with more structure than when it had to be implemented instantly back in the spring. If you are virtual learning, we discuss how to use your class breaks to become a better softball player.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Shout out sectionPaige's Power PlayListener question on needing help in finding dedicated players for her team.The merger of Perfect Game (PG) and Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF). Will this be good for the fastpitch community? The conversation also moves into the cost of travel ball and limits on how much you should spend for tournaments and showcases. High School softball has started up in some of the states that play in the fall. There will be restrictions and yes, you must follow them.Dropped 3rd strike. The rule is discussed and the nuances must be taught to our players and practiced. It can be confusing and confusion can lead to mistakes. If your players know all aspects of the rule, they will be able to handle the situation correctly on defense and might be able to advance a base on offense.Support the show

Throwing has to be practiced over and over to make the exceptional plays.There are many types of throws and each one should be practiced at every workout and at home. We go over many types of throws that you can build into your throwing program. Practice throwing, throwing and more throwing.Support the show

This weeks podcast was distributed with the wrong date. To avoid any confusion we are uploading it again with today's date.This weeks line up.Shout out section - Player of the week, Equipment tip, Did You Know, Listener question about foul tips and stealingPaige's Power PlayInterview with Steven Locke head coach of the AP Gold 16U team just off winning the Triple Crown Southeast Nationals. Listen as he explains how this team was built and their coaching philosophy.What has become a weekly update of the affects of COVID 19 to sports. Everyone is following college sports because what they do will have an impact on upcoming players for years to come.Finally a discussion of the large national organizations and some of the pros and cons. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/everythingfastpitch)Support the show

This weeks line up.Shout out section - Player of the week, Equipment tip, Did You Know, Listener question about foul tips and stealingPaige's Power PlayInterview with Steven Locke head coach of the AP Gold 16U team just off winning the Triple Crown Southeast Nationals. Listen as he explains how this team was built and their coaching philosophy.What has become a weekly update of the affects of COVID 19 to sports. Everyone is following college sports because what they do will have an impact on upcoming players for years to come.Finally a discussion of the large national organizations and some of the pros and cons. Support the show

A bat is a major expense for the fastpitch player and family. Understanding what you are buying and how to make this decision is discussed in detail.Follow us on facebook for the latest softball information:https://www.facebook.com/fastpitchpreponline/Support the show

Listen as we discuss different topics concerning the softball community.Shout out segment - Player of the week - City of the weekListener question - Should catchers remove their mask on fielding plays or leave it on?Segment 1 - Discussions are under way to change recruiting dates in an effort to clean up the mess caused by the Corona shutdowns. These decisions not only affect current players but ripple down through travel ball teams for several years. Segment 2 - The continuing changing Corona shutdowns continue to cause problems for colleges and travel teams. Also it seems that we are having more issues with decisions and conduct of participants of the teams that are getting to play. Coaching Tip - Use opportunities to teach and coach players in different positions to create versatility on your team. You never know when a condition will arise that cause you to put a player out of position.To keep current with Corona decisions and more great content follow us on facebook. www.facebook.com/fastpitchpreponline/

This week we emphasis how important it is for coaches and parents to instill an "I can do it attitude". In all parts of life, not just softball, the confidence and attitude that I can do anything leads to great success. Not all people naturally have that attitude. But, we as adults can lead our players and children down that path. You don't start out by placing them in the most stressful situation they will see then try to convince them that everything is okay. Listen as the coaches discuss working on developing this talent.Support the show

Listen to this weeks episode of Everything Fastpitch. We discuss the following topics:Using some type of heart protection to protect the pitcher.A listener question: Can a left handed player be a catcher?Paige's Power Play.Could colleges solve their sports economic problems by adding certain sports rather than dropping sports?Our now weekly update of the impact of COVID-19 on the softball world.Coaching Tip of the Week: Solving the problem of the wrists rolling over too early when hitting.Everyone have a great week and stay positive in these troubling times.Support the show

Base running is an underutilized offensive weapon, We go over a base running checklist of how a base runner should react in certain situations. This is not something that can just be explained but must be practiced. A player with these skills can elevate her performance and make her a much more valuable asset for the team.Support the show

This weeks episode has been split into 2 separate podcast downloads. This is the first part without an interview we did concerning anxiety and mental issues. We have our equipment tip of the week and  a listener question. We follow with what has unfortunately become our normal Corona update segment. Corona has far overshadowed softball news. We end up with a segment on pulling pitchers. When, how and what's best to develop a pitching staff.Support the show

This is the interview segment of the weekly podcast. It covers anxiety and other mental issues that young people experience. We felt it was important enough that instead of breaking it into 2 parts, we would post the complete interview as a separate podcast. It is an interview with Heather Murphy, LCSW. Heather is a former college softball player that experienced anxiety during her playing days. She works with parents of anxious teens but also specializes in working with high school and college students. She has a passion for helping student-athletes that struggle with anxiety. It's a great listen as the coaches and Heather talk about issues and how to help those struggling.Support the show

The outcome of each game can be put in one of four categories. You play well and win, you play well and lose, you play poorly and win or you play poorly and lose. Evaluating your games helps you develop a schedule that will help optimize your teams development. We discuss these game result aspects to help you know what to do for future games.Support the show

Another episode packed with information for the fastpitch enthusiast. Listener question of how early can a player start lessons. Our mental tip of the week from Paige Tonz. And of course a discussion of the disruption of softball because of Corona. We have an interesting interview with Dr. Joe Rouw. He is a developmental optometrist who enjoys working in the field of optometric vision therapy and has an interest in working with athletes and sports vision training. We end with a discussion of calling pitches and letting your catchers and pitchers be involved.Support the show

This weeks episode is covering conduct issues that a couple of our listeners have encountered in tournaments lately. Verbal abuse should not be tolerated by anyone at a softball tournament. Let alone young players. Threats of physical violence is off the chart. Coaches we have to set the standards for our team and be an example. And we have to do what is necessary to maintain those standards. Even if it means dismissing a good player from our team because of conduct of adults. It's unfortunate that we have to talk about this, but it is a real world problem and the solution has to start with the Head Coach.Support the show

A listener asks a question for some guidelines to maximize Batting Practice. Latest Power Play from Paige Tonz. We have an interview with Steve Goody the CEO of Pocket Radar. He gives us an update of their product and how it can be used in the recruiting process as well as how it can be used in the development of hitters and pitchers of all ages. And we have our normal good and bad with the Corona guidelines. Based on some listener comments we discuss how much talking should go on at practices. Field Time is a precious commodity for most teams and it is frustrating for a lot of people to see it used with players standing around while listening to instructions from coaches. We feel that field practice should be maximized and any instruction should be short and to the point and get on with practicing execution.Support the show

This week we discuss the lineup. The goal of the lineup is for the team to have the best chance to win. It is not as simple as putting players in positions or batting order based upon a set formula. It is all about synergy. The whole is better than the sum of the parts. The key to being successful is communication. Players (and parents) have to understand the strategy and buy in. Listen as the coaches talk about it and relate experiences they have had.Support the show

Our listener question this week is about dealing with a shy player. Paige Tonz of pagetonz.com provides her tip of the week. An interview with Ryan Taylor of SoftballBound which is an app that provides detailed information about colleges for use in the recruiting process. We have our normal Corona impact discussion to update what is going on related to softball.Coach Tory wants to challenge ESPN's choice of the Greatest Softball Team with is own picks. And our coaching tip of the week discusses how to properly handle pickup players.Support the show