By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence When a hitter takes her stride, how hard or how soft she takes it can really determine whether she becomes a good or a bad hitter. What’s the […]
In and Out Pregame Warmup Drill with Lisa Navas – Univ. of South Florida
Watch as Coach Lisa Navas discusses this high intensity in and out drill series that touches on a variety of fielding mechanics and situational defense.
Turning Parents into Raving Fans of Your Program
So, over the last few weeks, I’ve heard about a ton of frustrations you guys have with parents in your program. I think it’s safe to say dealing with difficult parents is not on anyone’s […]
Position-Group Competitiveness
By: Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren Originally Published in: Practice Perfect Softball – NFCA Provided by: Human Kinetics Beyond skill development, position groups offer an important opportunity to help student-athletes learn how to deal appropriately with […]
Slapping Footwork with Donna J. Papa – Univ. of North Carolina
Watch as Coach Donna Papa explains, and a slapper demonstrates slapping footwork. There are two different types of footwork that a slapper can use: a one step or a slide step.
8 Ways to Make Your Pitchers Better
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence As a catcher, you’re working on blocking and throwing and framing and all the fundamentals, but do you know the 8 ways you can make your pitcher better […]
The 8 Situations of Softball with Randy Schneider
Watch as Coach Randy Schneider discusses the eight situations in softball. This list will help simplify a practice session when you want to work on situations. Situations can help create an offense plan that your […]
Team Building Activity Instructions
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics E-File Team-Building Activity Instructions Objective The E in E-File stands for enthusiasm. The activity is designed to teach and reinforce the […]
Infielder’s Ladder Drills with Colleen Powers – St. Catherine University
Watch as Coach Colleen Powers explains, and infielders demonstrate these ladder drills that emphasize quick hands and feet.
Quality At-Bats with Ricci Woodard – Texas State Univ.
Watch as Coach Ricci Woodard discusses a ‘team’ atmosphere versus an ‘I’ atmosphere. Quality at-bats over individual batting averages and a ‘what can I do for the team’ mindset is recommended for a successful program.
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make This School Year
If only someone had told me earlier in my career! Raise your hand if you have big plans to improve your program this school year. I know I go into every year with a plan […]
Pitching: In-Game Chart Per Inning with Melyssa Lombardi – Univ. of Oregon
Watch as Coach Melyssa Lombardi discusses her in-game pitching chart for each pitcher on the mound. Coach will ask that pitcher what she wants to accomplish in that inning and chart it throughout the game. […]
Infield Partner Rolls with Lisa Navas – Univ. of South Florida
Watch as Coach Lisa Navas explains and shows video of infielders demonstrating partner rolls. Coach also discusses pre-pitch positioning and infielders being set as the pitch is delivered into the hitting zone. It is important […]
Mentoring
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics Networking helps coaches build a support system for regular and ongoing coach learning. Effective networking can lead to opportunities to connect […]
Pitching: Windmill Drills with Lonni Alameda – Florida State Univ.
Watch as Coach Lonni Alameda explains, and pitchers demonstrate these windmill drills. It is important that the coach, pitcher, and catcher are all on the same page in understanding the techniques and fundamentals.
Three Things Pitchers Can Do to Stop a Rally
By: Megan Brown, Ph.D. – Assistant Coach, Boston College Provided by: NFCA Pitchers have a tough job. It is the only job where you can literally get fired on national television, be required to hand […]
Catchers: What We Teach with Melanie Coyne – McNeese State Univ.
Watch as Coach Melanie Coyne discusses how she tries to eliminate as much movement for the catcher as possible. The shoulders should be level and centered to the plate. The catchers can move on designated […]
Learn to Lose Well and Be a Better Coach
By: Samantha Ekstrand, NFCA Legal Counsel How well do you lose? That might seem like an odd question to ask a coach. You are all so competitive. None of you like to lose. But losses […]
Infield: Tennis Ball Drill with Mary Jo Firnbach – Southern Illinois Univ. Carbondale
Watch as Coach Mary Jo Firnbach explains, and players demonstrate this tennis ball drill. The drill works on drop steps and the players start out at their infield positions. Two hitters will use tennis rackets […]
Baseball Drills Can Aid Softball Players
By: Barb Kutch – Baseball and Softball Instructor Provided by: NFCA Throwing is as much rhythm and timing as hitting. The athlete is generating force from the ground and optimally transferring it into the ball. […]
Slapping: Footwork Non-Negotiables with Karen Weekly – Univ. of Tennessee
Watch as Coach Karen Weekly explains her footwork non-negotiables and what every slapper needs to do. The slapper’s feet should be on parallel lines with the toes pointed toward the SS/left side of the pitcher.
Hitting Groundballs with Lisa Navas – Univ. of South Florida
Watch as Coach Lisa Navas explains that when hitting groundballs in practice it is important to have a purpose. Start by using a stopwatch, emphasizing the internal clock, to make it more game-like.
Keeping Practice Fun
By: Ken Eriksen Originally Published in: Practice Perfect Softball – NFCA Provided by: Human Kinetics In softball (as in baseball), monotonous, repetitive teaching is what we do. The aspect of fun is incorporated in the […]
Teaching Pitchers to Be Mentally Tough with Melyssa Lombardi – Univ. of Oregon
Watch as Coach Melyssa Lombardi discusses how to teach pitchers to be mentally tough and how this must be accomplished in practice. Practices are divided into block and variable sessions, with the block session focusing […]
Know the Speed of Your Game with Larissa Anderson – Univ. of Missouri
Watch as Coach Larissa Anderson explains that players need to have an internal clock when fielding a ball and suggests that coaches reinforce this by using a stopwatch in practice. She also recommends having the […]
Hitting: Adjusting to Different Speeds with Ralph Weekly – Univ. of Tennessee
Watch as Coach Ralph Weekly explains that this three-plate hitting drill is easy to set up and good for adjusting to different speeds. The hitter starts at the back plate and moves to the next […]
Preparing for Difficult Field Conditions
By: Celeste Knierim Originally Published in: Practice Perfect Softball – NFCA Provided by: Human Kinetics In some areas of the country, teams have to play in difficult conditions. Teams need to practice in these conditions […]
Slapping Footwork with Bob Ligouri – Des Moines Area CC
Watch as Coach Bob Ligouri explains, and a slapper demonstrates slapping footwork. Emphasis is on footwork and load.
A Challenging Pitching Workout That’s Fun
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Looking for a challenging pitching workout that combines control, pressure and fun? I’ve got one for you. A perfect pitching workout for this part of the season. This […]
Infield: Triangle Drill with Megan Smith Lyon – Marshall Univ.
Watch as Coach Megan Smith explains, and infielders demonstrate this triangle drill. This drill consists of one fielder and two rollers and receivers. The receivers will be working on the force play and working on […]