By: David Emeott Author of: Beyond the Finish Line: The Art of Transformational Coaching – Click Here The parents’ role is simple: encouraging their athlete and the team, being positive, and remaining present. The […]
Pitching: Whip Drills with Dr. Megan Brown – Longwood Univ.
Watch as Coach Megan Brown explains and shows practice videos of Whip Drills for pitching. She uses the same motion as rock skipping to teach pitchers about arm mechanics and body positioning. It highlights the […]
6-Part Bunting Progression with Vicki Corn – Greenville Senior High School (SC)
Watch as Coach Vicki Corn explains, and players demonstrate this 6-part bunting progression that uses tennis balls simulating catching a raw egg on the end of the bat. The progression starts with a toss and […]
Recognizing Effort and Strategy
By: Dr. Colleen Hacker The popularity of growth mindset literature over the past few decades has had a positive effect on people’s lives. However, a significant and potentially deleterious misconception has also emerged, one that […]
Baserunning: Zone Read Drill with Jen Fisher – (Retired) Colorado State Univ.
Watch as Coach Jen Fisher breaks down a baserunning zone read drill. This drill focuses on a runner on 3rd base reading ground balls, line drives, and fly balls. The runner must tag up on […]
Drill Progression to Introduce Blocking to Your Catchers with Kelly Inouye-Perez – UCLA
Watch as Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez explains the drill progression for introducing blocking to catchers. The drill starts with catchers fully geared up and on their knees, working on body blows. The coach throws the ball […]
Alternate-K Pitching Drill with Marissa Young – Duke Univ.
Watch as Coach Marissa Young explains and shows practice clips of the Alternate-K Drill. The focus of the drill is to help isolate timing and arm path positioning. The pitcher starts with their arm across […]
Providing Positive Feedback
By: Rainer Martens, Robin S. Vealey Originally Published in: Successful Coaching Provided by: Human Kinetics Take this short true-or-false test to raise your awareness about giving feedback: Questions Save feedback until the end of […]
3-Pitch Plate Drill with Marissa Young – Duke Univ.
Watch as Coach Marissa Young explains, and a pitcher demonstrates this 3-pitch plate drill. The pitcher will start on the inner part of the plate and pick 3 different pitches that they throw back-to-back on […]
How to Build Integrity with Stephen Mackey – 2Words Character Development
Watch as Stephen Mackey explains how to build integrity in athletes through sports. He discusses three exercises that can build integrity muscle: tell the truth, make commitments count, and take 100% responsibility for your actions. […]
Band Hitting Drill with Garland Shirley – Clarke Univ.
Watch as Coach Garland Shirley explains, and hitters demonstrate this band drill. This drill works on balance and coordination and helps the hitter to feel the front hip flexor working the muscles that reinforce her […]
Communication
Originally Published in: The Coach’s Bulletin Board It’s not what we say, but what they hear. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” (George Bernard Shaw) NEGATIVE words […]
Hitting Drills with Iyhia McMichael – Emerson High School (TX)
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]