Watch as Coach Iyhia McMichael explains three drills to focus on leg drive. Coach emphasizes the importance of using and training leg drive, which ensures athletes don’t solely rely on upper body strength to swing. […]
I’m Stressed and I Have the Capability of Calming Down with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that when you are angry, frustrated, stressed, or have lost focus, your next word or thought should be “and”. Whatever the negative situation is that you need to announce, […]
Establishing Mutual Trust
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics Athletes will never reach their peak performance unless a deliberate and sustained effort to teach and build trusting relationships occurs […]
Common Inhibitors to an Efficient Swing with Mike Candrea – (Retired) Univ. of Arizona
Watch as Coach Mike Candrea discusses these common inhibitors to an efficient swing. He will explain and give examples of the following inhibitors that have a negative impact on hitters: #1 – Sway, #2 – […]
The Pitcher’s Priorities with Rachel Lawson – Univ. of Kentucky
Watch as Coach Rachel Lawson explains her pitchers’ priorities: #1 Priority is to get the strikeout. She explains that this does not mean pitching to contact. #2 Priority is to control the batter. The pitcher […]
Tips for Helping Your Athletes Unwind Using Their Comfort Zone (Phones) with Kim Karr – Digital4Good
Watch as Kim Karr discusses tips that administrators and coaches can use to help athletes unwind using their comfort zone (phones). Communication and conversations about an athlete’s phone can impact their mood and stress level. […]
Daily Outfield Drills with Vicki Corn – Greenville Senior High School (SC)
Watch as Coach Vicki Corn explains, and players demonstrate these daily outfield drills. Coach Corn will cover the following drills in detail: Crow Hop Drill, Ball in Glove Flyball Drill, Safety Catches Drill, Do-or-Die Drill, […]
Steps Coaches Can Take to Prevent Player Injuries with Dr. Robb Rehberg – William Paterson Univ.
Watch as Dr. Robb Rehberg discusses steps that coaches can take to prevent player injuries. He will explain in detail the following steps: Properly plan activities Provide a safe physical environment Provide proper instruction Supervise […]
The Ten Most Important Things a Coach Should Do in the Off-Season
Even if the last game of the season ends in a victory, the off-season begins for me after the last out of that game. Next season, I know I must be better and my team […]
Hitting: Common Mechanical Flaws with Cassie Reilly-Boccia – Softball Strength Academy
Watch as Coach Reilly Boccia discusses habitual mechanical flaws and what causes the mechanical error. She shows how to find the mistake and what to do to train the proper mechanical movement.
The Hamburger Theory: Catcher Pitcher Communication with Kelly Inouye-Perez – UCLA
Watch as Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez explains that communication is key when catchers are dealing with pitchers. She gives a couple of examples of a catcher using negative language when speaking with a pitcher. Communication needs […]
Open Culture
Originally Published in: Raise Your Game Another important part of culture is a sense of openness. If no one shares what they think, the culture becomes one of fear, suspicion, and failure. Problems fester […]
Teaching Intentional Tee Work with Larry Wooten – Wade Hampton High School (SC)
Watch as Coach Larry Wooten discusses intentional tee work. Many times, players want to do this as fast as they can. Coach Wooten wants to make tee work as close as possible to batting in […]
Can You Be Too Positive? with Jon Gordon – The Jon Gordon Companies
Watch as Jon Gordon responds to the question, “Can you be too positive?” He states that you can never be too positive because you need that positivity to elevate your state of mind. He cites […]
Educating Athletes That Social Media Is Their Life Resume with Kim Karr – ICANHELP
Watch as Kim Karr emphasizes the importance in communicating with your athletes and parents that their posts on social media represent their life resume. Colleges and athletic departments are checking potential recruits’ and applicants’ social […]
Bottom Hand Tee Drill with Larry Wooten – Wade Hampton High School (SC)
Watch as Coach Larry Wooten talks about contact hitting. He addresses proper stance, hand placement, and making solid contact with the ball. He breaks the movement down to just the upper-body arm swing.
Character, Attitude, Discipline with Mike Candrea – (Retired) Univ. of Arizona
Watch as Coach Mike Candrea discusses the foundations of his program: Character, Attitude, and Discipline. The five features of character, including players’ commitment, are explained, as well as the four types of players (kids who […]
Why Every Great Coach Assesses Their Athletes – Beyond the Scoreboard & Stats
By: Julie Hatfield-Still Provided By: Beyond The Game Alliance As a coach, you’re constantly evaluating whether it’s watching how athletes perform in a drill, tracking game-day stats, or observing who shows up ready to […]
Dynamic Infield/Outfield Throws with Austin Wasserman – High Level Throwing
Watch as Coach Austin Wasserman talks about an infielder drill to work on shifting weight, footwork, and working on going to the backhand side. He also talks about outfield footwork and throwing drills to focus […]
Hula Hoop Slapping Drill with Jessica Bracamonte – Univ. of Toledo
Watch as Coach Jessica Bracamonte explains, and batters demonstrate the Hula Hoop Slapping Drill. The focus of the drill is on barrel path and direction. The batter should be in the middle of the hoop […]
Breathing Exercises
By: Dr. Colleen M. Hacker, Mallory E. Mann Originally Published in: Achieving Excellence Provided by: Human Kinetics Learning to breathe properly can either activate or calm and relax your body. You can use the […]
Infielder’s Ground Ball Progression with Josh Bloomer – Arizona State Univ.
Watch as Coach Josh Bloomer explains, and players demonstrate this infielder’s ground ball progression. This is a group drill, with all the infielders completing each drill before moving on to the next one. The focus […]
How to Avoid Coaching Burnout with Dr. Lee Dorpfeld – Univ. of South Florida
Watch as Dr. Lee Dorpfeld explains that burnout is unlikely to affect coaches who don’t care or who aren’t passionate about their work. However, most successful coaches who invest significant time and effort without maintaining […]
Popcorn Flyball Drill with Michele Biffle – Langham Creek High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Michele Biffle explains, and players demonstrate the Popcorn Drill for infielders. This is a partner drill that works on fielding and catching, focusing on covering every angle that can occur in a […]
Outfield to Infield with Jennifer McFalls – Univ. of Kansas
Watch as Coach Jennifer McFalls explains outfield situational play. She emphasizes the importance of communication between players during outfield-to-infield plays. She also discusses common mistakes, including throwing to the wrong base, making bad throws, and […]
Mental Toughness: A Skill That Can Be Developed with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that mental toughness is a skill, and it can be developed. It is about how an individual responds to adversity, difficult situations, setbacks, and failure. Mental toughness is not […]
The Decisive Intangible for All College Athlete Recruits
Originally published in an Adam Sarancik Book Most college coaches have similar goals, philosophies, and priorities when recruiting athletes for their program. In short, they want people, athletes, and players who tangibly have sports skills […]
Understanding Swing Planes with Amber Freeman – Univ. of Arizona
Watch as Coach Amber Freeman discusses understanding uppercut and flat swing planes. Coach Freeman explains that uppercut swingers are better down in the zone while flat swingers are better up in the zone. Coach will […]
Hip Flexor Band Exercises with Garland Shirley – Clarke Univ.
Watch as Coach Garland Shirley explains, and players demonstrate band exercises for hip flexors and improving 1st step explosiveness. The players will demo material slides and banded leg lifts.
How Coaches Can Develop an OUTSTANDING Working Relationship With Your AD
By: Kevin M. Bryant, CMAA Many times, in my 35-year career in college and high school athletic administration I have heard coaches share their frustrations about their athletic director. While I would like to […]