They say that… ..the day you stop learning you die. ..coaches who stop going to clinics and courses and always seeking better ways of doing things should retire. …all the most successful people in society are lifelong learners and never stop learning. Well, since I am not anywhere close to dying or retiring and that … Read more
Today, I was talking to the coach of a 14U team who is struggling at the plate. They haven’t been hitting well this year at all. After asking him several questions, it became pretty clear what the problem might be. You see – according to him, they work a lot on hitting. I told him … Read more
Coming back to coach at the 16U level is an interesting experience. I realize more than ever than kids today want results now. If it doesn’t work right away, it’s no good! Why is that? They are used to getting everything right away. They live in a world with… – Instant chat – Instant texting … Read more
I’m a firm believer is shifting the odds in your favor. Softball is somewhat of a complex game. Yet, to be successful, it comes back to accomplishing a few very simple things. Doing those simple things will “shift the odds in your favor.” What are these simple things? Here’s my top 10 list of rules … Read more
One of the things I am doing with my new 16U team this fall is put all of my athletes through a functional assessment. I hear you: “What the heck is a functional assessment?” Let me give you an analogy. When you intend to buy a used car, before you pay for it, you take … Read more
It’s the off-season. It’s time to: 1) Rest and recover from last season. 2) Heal injuries. 3) Do conditioning to get faster, stronger, more powerful, andprevent injuries. 4) Work on fundamentals. In other words, it’s time to get better for next season! Often, people wonder – what should I do more of? In an ideal … Read more
One of the many questions that I get from softball players doing dynamic warm-ups for the first time is: “Is it normal that I’m sweating and feel like I am working out?” My answer is always: “Yes and No. Yes, because you aren’t use to the exercises yet and it’s working the muscles that needs … Read more
Today, I was in NY State with my good friend Sean Cotter. Sean is the Head Softball Coach at Plattsburgh State University, one of the best NCAA Division III softball program in the country. Sean is very well-known for driving his opponents crazy with a very aggressive style of play. And I mean really aggressive. … Read more
There is a disease that often goes undiagnosed. Pitching (and other skills too) is very technical. It takes a lot of hours to learn, master, and refine the various technical elements of pitching if you include all of the pitches. It’s very easy to confuse pitchers. All you have to do is to give them … Read more
Most softball players are now in the off-season. What should you with that time? 1) You recover and regenerate for a few weeks; heal all injuries and recharge the batteries (mentally and physically). Don’t jump right away into heavy training if at all possible. Give yourself some time off. 2) Work on the fundamentals – … Read more