Watch as Coach Shana Easley discusses tee work and the use of resistance bands to work on the batter’s hands and stride. A partner will hold the bungee band back, so the hitter feels what […]
Minimizing Your Athletes’ Anxiety with Robert Schinke – Laurentian Univ.
Watch as Robert Schinke discusses minimizing your athletes’ anxiety. Lack of confidence is the main cause of anxiety for athletes as an upcoming event nears. Focusing on previous negative performances instead of their positive performances […]
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 […]
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 […]
Leaders Must be Great Communicators with Robert Grasso – La Jolla Country Day School (CA)
Watch as Robert Grasso explains his philosophy of leadership on how athletes must be great communicators. They must be able to communicate with teammates as well as the coaches. He stresses that team leaders should […]
Leading Others
Originally Published in: THE LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK It is not just enough to lead yourself effectively, you must also have a positive influence on others, John C. Maxwell says, “A leader without a follower is just […]
Infielder’s Flips & Feeds with Marissa Young – Duke Univ.
Watch as Coach Marissa Young leads her infielders through an engaging flips and feeds group drill. In this session, players focus on key techniques, including the outside turn, pivot turn, and cut across. They refine […]
Show Up and Don’t Miss the Game with Randy Fox – FoxPoint.Net
Watch as Randy Fox explains that leaders need to pursue excellence, not perfection, as perfection is not attainable or sustainable. He states that an individual can always be searching for the highest and best level […]
The Team! The Team! The Team!
By: Jamy Bechler Originally Published in The Leadership Playbook The old acronym of T.E.A.M. in which together everyone achieves more is true more often than not. Players need teammates that are willing and able to […]
Triangle and X Drills with Michele Biffle – Langham Creek High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Michele Biffle explains, and infielders demonstrate the Triangle and X Drills. The Triangle Drill has the players working in groups of three with two on the baseline and one fielder. The shortstop […]
Groundballs: Palm Up vs. Palm Down with Josh Bloomer – Arizona State Univ.
Watch as Coach Josh Bloomer explains, and infielders demonstrate this palm up vs. palm down groundball drill. The ball always dictates where an infielder’s glove should be. If a groundball is coming to a fielder […]
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 […]
Put It Into Practice
By: Dr. Colleen Hacker Originally Published in: Achieving Excellence Provided by: Human Kinetics Coaches and sport leaders cannot control athletes’ feelings of confidence; however, they oversee the environment in which athletes perform. The following suggestions […]
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, […]
Rising Above the Noise: Six Ways Student-Athletes Can Overcome Online Bullying
By: Chris Szabo – Rewild Coaching and Consulting After a Tough Loss for student-athletes, the aftermath of a tough loss can be emotionally challenging, especially when the pressure to perform is amplified online. Social media […]
Baserunning: Zone Read Drill with Jen Fisher – 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 […]
New Coaches Guide to Teaching Slapping with Kenzi Corn
Watch as Coach Kenzi Corn explains how she teaches slapping. You need to identify good candidates for slapping, focusing on speed, and target players who haven’t found success from the right side. Coach will explain […]
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 […]
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 […]
A Cornerstone of Effective Coaching: Mastering EQ
By: Julie Hatfield-Still Provided By: Beyond The Game Alliance Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a cornerstone of effective coaching. It directly influences a coach’s ability to manage emotions under pressure, resolve conflicts, and foster an environment […]
Mental Toughness vs. Mental Health: The Strength to Push Through and the Wisdom to Seek Help
By: Tommy Brown Provided by: One Heartbeat I believe in mental toughness. It’s what I do for a living teaching teams, leaders, and individuals how to push through obstacles, develop resilience, and refuse to quit […]
Slapping: BOSU Ball Balance Drill with Jessica Bracamonte – Univ. of Toledo
Watch as Coach Jessica Bracamonte explains, and slappers demonstrate the BOSU Balance Drill. This is a progression drill that incorporates the swing, walkthrough, and running to 1st base. The slapper will get into their crossover […]
Reading a Hitter’s Posture with Rachel Lawson – Univ. of Kentucky
Watch as Coach Rachel Lawson discusses reading the posture of opposing hitters. She describes this as the “game within the game”. If you are calling the game based only on what you see, the batter’s […]
4-3-2-1 Baserunning Drill with Leah Campbell – (Retired) Rockwall High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Leah Campbell explains, and players demonstrate this 4-3-2-1 baserunning drill. The drill starts with 4 singles with the players running to 1st base. On the 1st and 4th single, the players will […]
What Every Softball Coach Should Know About Emergency Preparedness with Robb S. Rehberg, PhD, ATC, NREMT – William Paterson Univ.
Watch as Robb Rehberg, PhD, ATC, NREMT, a certified athletic trainer and nationally registered EMT, shares insights on the critical need for emergency preparedness in sports, especially at the high school level. He highlights that […]
Tunneling Spin Progression Pitching Warm-Up with Paige Cassady – North Carolina State Univ.
Watch as Coach Paige Cassady explains that she wants all the pitches to look like strikes within 15 feet of a hitter before falling off in different directions. The pitcher’s Tunneling Warm-Up involves throwing every […]
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 […]
Tips and Guidelines for Communication and Teaching Methodology to Protect Mental Health
At all times we must remember the influence we have on the players we coach. If the way we act toward them and the way we communicate with them are done properly, the effect will […]
Run-and-Catch & Run-and-Throw Slapping Drills with Kenzi Corn
Watch as Coach Kenzi Corn explains and demonstrates the run-and-catch and run-and-throw slapping drills. The first drill consists of the slapper using her glove and running through the box, catching a tossed ball. The focus […]