Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: Did you see the picture of the umpire that got punched after a game? (@13:20)Paige's Power Play (@20:18)Illegal pitches and the discrepancies in enforcement. (@22:33)Does your bat weigh what it says on the label? (@45:31)Base Running. We need to work on situational awareness. (54:53)Support the show

We have all seen the chaos that can occur with weather delays. Everybody has to get to shelter when it starts and then you have to get them all back when play is ready to start again. If you don't already have a plan in place of how this will be handled you are asking for a lot of aggravation. Communication is critical and one person has to be making the decisions of what can and cannot be done.  Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: People are always asking for a drill to fix a problem. Is it really that simple that a drill can fix a problem?(@11:38)Paige's Power Play (@15:24)Interview with Tristan Hildebrandt of Anderson Bat Company (@19:39)Good, Bad and the Ugly. This week it is ugly. (@38:52)Body Language.  (@46:40)Support the show

When coaching a team of new inexperienced players, take absolutely nothing for granted. There isn't anything obvious in this situation. You have to break down everything to it most basic level. You have to teach all of the fundamentals of the game and assume nothing.Support the show

This Weeks Lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: Should our strategy of calling pitches feature our pitcher or the defense? (@10:43)Paige's Power Play (@16:35)Getting your money's worth. Have peoples attitude changed about what do they expect for getting their money's worth out of a team. (@19:23)Dance Dance? Players can learn a TikTok dance, but have trouble learning how to cover a bunt. What do we need to change? (@33:30)Every fast player does not need to be a slapper. (@42:45)Support the show

Things are usually not as bad as you think they are or as good as you think you are. Season is starting up and whether you are winning or losing don't over react in either direction. Stay the course, don't over emphasize the results and keep working on the fundamentals.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: What do we think about using the safety base in college games? (@10:28)A recap of college softball at this point in the season. Teams are starting conference play and a look at where things stand. (@19:15)Using music in games and practices. Good or Bad? (@39:29)Pitchers need to pitch to live hitters in practice. (@50:51)Support the show

The coaches discuss the importance of knowing the rules. It give you the knowledge to maximize your game management and improve your status with the players.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: Old school baseball guy wants to know if retaliation goes on in softball? (@13:22)Paige's Power Play (@18:08)Some think the strike zone is being squeezed this year.  Pitchers have to adapt and change their approach. (@21:41)Bobby Simpson has a quote "You must coach players from where they are, not from you wish they were or they or others think they are." The coaches agree and discuss how to accomplish this. (@38:16)Dealing with your team becoming over confident. (@54:57)Support the show

Players must have soft hands when fielding ground balls. What do we mean by soft hands? The coaches discuss what to look for, the reasons and how to teach it.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup Segment:Listener Question: We attended our first college games. Saw many adults acting foolish. Are super fans normal? (@10:28)Paige's Power Play (@15:11)Playing in Bad Weather. Should we or not? (@18:42)Coach's response to bad behavior by a player (@30:05)Athlete Mental Health. We need to pay attention (@41:32)Support the show

Hitting through the ball is a concept that a lot of players have trouble grasping. The coaches discuss what it means and some tips on how to improve your players hitting.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: What do we think of the shift and other specialty defenses? (@12:24)Paige's Power Play (@23:58)We have a real problem with the lack of umpires. We keep adding more games but we are losing umpires and it is effecting the quality of games. (@26:08)Is it better to win your pool so you get in the gold bracket even if you only play 1 game in bracket play or to finish lower in your pool and play more games in the silver bracket?(@39:50)As long as a player is working hard, coaches have to stay the course to help that player. (@52:15)Support the show

Sometimes we have a player that can throw the ball very hard and we don't evaluate how well they are throwing.  Accuracy is very important during the game and just because the player is throwing hard doesn't mean it is easy to handle on the other end. Work with those players so they can learn how to throw the ball correctly.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: What value to we place on skills videos for recruiting? (@10:21)Paige's Power Play (@17:23)Interview with a dad and daughter that attended the Clearwater Invitational. (@20:59)Importance of the little things and there are no little things. (@34:54)Where is a coach most valuable on game day? Rethink what role you should play to get the most out of your team. (@45:29)Support the show

Coaches have to teach and communicate their tolerance level for aggressive play. Aggressiveness can be almost zero with a play it safe mentality or all out on every opportunity. The players have to be taught your philosophy and most important you have to be uniform in your reaction to what happens in a game. Wherever your line of aggressive is you can't condemn a player that doesn't cross that line in either direction.  Parents and fans have to know what the team philosophy is also so they don't react negatively. Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: What are some metrics that I can track for our team? (10:47)Paige's Power Play (@19:39)A listener asks for some advice for bullying on a team, isolating some players, etc. (@23:32)Early impressions of the college season. Coach Tory talks about some of the things he noticed in the first big weekend of the season. (@39:05)Training hitters for fast pitchers. Hitting is reaction time and there are some drills that we can do to help them. (@59:22)Support the show

In this episode we warn coaches about creating an environment that is detrimental to the team and your own daughter. We are not talking about "daddy ball". If it wasn't for moms and dads coaching we wouldn't have softball. What we are discussing is your child becoming a de facto coach because of your actions. Points included are  having team discussions in the presence of your daughter. Using her as a messenger to the team. Using her to manage the drills, etc. We have all seen it where the coach's daughter acts like an assistant coach. And depending upon their maturity, becoming bossy, critiquing, etc.Support the show

This weeks lineup:Warmup SegmentListener Question: I am a new coach and I believe I have a player that is not being honest about why she is missing practice. Any advice? (@12:43)Paige's Power Play (@18:06)Senoritis: it is a real thing. Just because you have signed it is not the time to coast.Signing is not the end goal it is just the first step to playing softball in college. You are not giving yourself the best shot at succeeding in college and you are not being fair to your teammates. (@21:29)Rankings in travel ball is not something to be concerned with. (@38:25)When a hitter struggles it is not always mechanical. If timing is bad, mechanics will be bad. (@52:04)Support the show

When you are forming a new team or making major changes to an existing team, be realistic in your plans. You do not know how long it will take for them to jell into a team and reach their potential. And sometimes that doesn't match your expectations when you were putting the team together. Make plans to introduce your team to competition and then move up the food chain. Support the show