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 […]
Rewriting the Story Begins Today
By: Jen Croneberger, President – JLynne Consulting Group Provided by: National Fastpitch Coaches Association Truly, it is amazing how many times I have started over. How many times life took me in different directions. I […]
Empowering Your Athletes with Scott Whitlock – (Retired) Kennesaw State Univ.
Watch as Scott Whitlock discusses empowering your players. He explains that captains can be the conduit between you and the team and assist in spreading your team message. Have regularly scheduled meetings with your captains […]
Hitting: Barrel to Path Drill – Challenge U. Softball
Watch as Coach Lisa Rizzo explains and demonstrates this barrel to path drill. The drill isolates the upper half while the batter loads up and hits the ball up the middle.
The Dangers of Cheering
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate cheering, I just know its hidden dangers. I’m not saying don’t cheer, but you better know it’s side effects when you […]
Infielders: Catch and Throw Technique Drills with Peter Turner – San Jose St. Univ.
Watch as Coach Peter Turner explains, and infielders demonstrate these catch and throw technique drills. Coach recommends rolling the ball instead of hitting fungos as the pace can be controlled by the coaches and they […]
Pitching Solutions from a Bucket
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Could your pitchers stand to have more break or velocity on the ball? If so, you might be surprised to discover what will help them get it. Discover […]
Pitching: Fastball BOSU Drills with Chelsey Barclay – Univ. of North Carolina
Watch as Coach Chelsey Barclay explains, and pitchers demonstrate these BOSU fastball drills. The drills will start on the knees, then the K position, and finally the full pitch. The focus is getting a firm […]
Critical Reflection
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics Unlike reflective practice, critical reflection is not focused on solving a specific problem. Critical reflection is used more sparingly, but still […]
Why a Sequential Practice? with Larissa Anderson – Univ. of Missouri
Watch as Larissa Anderson discusses the benefits of using a sequential practice schedule. A sequential practice allows for multiple reps in a short amount of time and you can cover every game situation in practice.
Pitching: Scouting Philosophy with Lonni Alameda – Florida State Univ.
Watch as Coach Lonni Alameda explains that she wants her pitchers to be able to go “me versus you” and be successful. When scouting your opponents, take in to consideration what type of team they […]
Putting Time on Your Side on the Diamond
By: Barb Kutch, Baseball and Softball Instructor Provided by: National Fastpitch Coaches Association In a sport where there is no clock, timing is everything in softball. While an athlete may appear fast, subjective opinions lead […]
Learn What You Do Well to Be a Better Coach
By: Megan Brown, Ph.D. – Assistant Coach, Boston College Provided by: National Fastpitch Coaches Association Have you ever wondered why kids pick up on certain skills really quick only to take weeks to grasp the […]
Pitching: Batter Silhouette with Lin Casciato
Watch as Coach Lin Casciato discusses how he uses a batter silhouette with a piece of string attached to the elbow to assist pitchers on delivering an inside pitch. The silhouette helps the pitchers feel […]
Understanding Motivation and the Learning Process
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics Effective coaches devote considerable time to identifying and creating training activities for their athletes. But even the most creative and engaging […]
Catching: Catch and Release Drill with Stacy Iveson – Univ. of AZ
Watch as Coach Stacy Iveson explains and a catcher demonstrates this catch and release drill. The catcher receives the ball and rakes the ball to the throwing hand by the ear. The catcher must get […]