Monthly Archives: November 2024
Giving a Little Love to the First Basemen
Have you ever stopped to think about which defensive position in fastpitch softball is the least valued? I think you can make a pretty argument for first base.
I mean, sure, there are plenty of parents who think that playing the outfield (doesn’t matter which specific position) is an insult to their highly talented daughters. Especially in the 10U-14U age groups.
But eventually they come to see that playing the outfield has some pretty unique challenges, as well as that having great outfielders can make or break a team’s success. Game-saving catch or throw, anyone?
There is, however, one position that doesn’t seem to get much love from coaches, parents, or fans in general: first base.
I’ve heard plenty of long-time coaches say that first base is where you put a good hitter who can’t field or throw. Or it’s where you put a left-handed thrower whose parents are complaining about her being in the outfield.
Those who think that way, however, are missing an important point, which is that a great first baseman can make up for some serious deficiencies at other positions.
The most obvious, of course, is when you have a team that struggles to throw the ball accurately. A quality first baseman will snag all those errant throws while still finding a way to either keep her foot on the bag somehow or sweep a quick tag as the runner is approaching first.
I’ve even seen first basemen do the splits trying to pick up a throw going in the dirt. Not consciously, necessarily, but they’re so focused on getting the ball and getting the out they just end up there. It’s quite a sight to see.
A heads-up first baseman can also save you some runs when another infielder forgets there is a runner on third with less than two outs. A quick snag and throw to home can catch a baserunner who thought she could take advantage of a fielder who either didn’t know or should have known better.
On a dropped third strike first basemen have to know where to position themselves based on where the ball ended up, then have to stand there while that batter/runner charges full steam ahead toward them. That may not seem like too complicated of a play but how many times have you seen it played incorrectly – and had a hitter who struck out reach base instead?
First basemen have to know when to charge a bunt and when to go back to the base. They’re often involved in rundowns between first and second as well as home and third.
They have to know when to go for that ground ball to their right and when to let off of it to cover the base. And they’re often the cut on throws to the outfield, which means they have to understand how to get in position depending on where the ball is hit and then pick out the catcher’s voice from the cacophony of voices on the field, in the dugout, and in the stands telling them what to do.
In other words, it’s more than just standing there playing a simple game of catch on an easy ground ball to short.
Basically, first base is what you might call a “lunch bucket” position because most of the time, if you’re playing it well, no one notices or they take it for granted. Even on some of the crazy stretches or the jump and tags.
But don’t come up with a ball in the dirt and you’re going to hear about how you have to “scoop it.” Come off the bag a little late on a wild throw and you’re going to hear about how you have to come off sooner. Even if the real solution would be a better throw to begin with.
It can be a frustrating for sure. Which is why I thought it might be nice for those first basemen out there to get a little love and recognition for everything they do to basically fix the mistakes everyone else makes.
So here’s to all of you who play first base – a position so under-valued it doesn’t even have a cool nickname. I see you.
Keep doing what you’re doing and saving your teammates’ bacon time after time. You may not get a lot of recognition, but they’ll surely miss you when you’re not out there.
6 Softball Things I’m Grateful for: 2024 Edition
With Thanksgiving coming next week it seemed like a good time to offer up a potpourri of things in the softball world for which I am thankful.
Now, this isn’t going to be one of those sentimental posts where I talk about how thankful I am for my understanding wife who lets me spend so much time working with other people’s kids, or my supportive family, or the opportunities I have to work with my students and their families, or all the people over the years who have and still continue to help me expand my knowledge of the sport and how to teach it, or you, my readers. That would be lame, right?
Instead, I thought I would talk about more tangible things that we can all appreciate. In other words, stuff.
After all, what good does it do you if my wife is awesome? But the items on this list are things that you can easily benefit from as well if you’re willing to put the time and/or money to take advantage of them.
So without further preamble, here are some of the softball things I am grateful for in 2024. If you have anything you’d like to add, please throw them into the comments below.
New GameChanger Home Page
This probably won’t mean much to a lot of you, but for me it was a literal game changer. If you follow multiple teams and haven’t seen it yet I’m sure you’ll love it too.
Most users probably only follow one or maybe 2-3 teams per season, so it was easy for them to keep track of when game were happening. I, however, typically am following dozens of teams where I have students playing.
When a team I am following is playing I typically receive a notification on my phone. On a typical summer or fall weekend my phone might get pinged 10-20 times an hour.
Prior to this fall, if I clicked on one of those notification I could see what was happening in the game. But if I forgot which team it was later I couldn’t check back on it until I received the notification the game was over.
This fall, GameChanger changed the home screen to list every game for teams I’m following that is currently happening at the top, upcoming games in the middle, and then final results for the day (I presume) at the bottom. So all I have to do to see what’s happening is open the app and click on whatever game I want to check out and the game tracker opens.
When I’m done and click the X to close the game, it goes right back to the game listings rather than that team’s home page. I can now check out a dozen games quickly. Brilliant!
If you’re a coach like me who wants to keep track of his/her students, a program director who wants to keep an eye on all of your organization’s teams, or even a grandparent whose children took the phrase “Be fruitful and multiply” to its logical conclusion, you’re going to love this great new way they’ve organized the info.
OnForm Video Analysis Tool
I’ve talked in the past about what a great tool OnForm is. OnForm makes it easy to capture, analyze, organize, and share videos and analysis to help coaches communicate with players so the players can get better.
I use it on a daily basis with my own students. But every now and then I receive a video from a parent looking for a little help or a coach looking for a second set of eyes on a player.
Often those videos are shot with the phone’s native video app. But OnForm makes it easy to import those videos into the app so I can provide slow motion or even stop motion analysis, complete with all the drawing and other tools it offers.
I can even do side-by-side comparisons to show what the player looks like compared to a more high-level player.
It’s just a great all-around tool whether you’re working with one player or 100 (although once you get past one it does get considerably more expensive).
Now, if they will just add the ability to superimpose a clock face over the video and give you the ability measure degrees of an arc from wherever you start to wherever you want to stop so you can check the angle (such as from the ground to where a pitcher’s humerus is at the time the front foot lands) I’d be a totally happy camper.
A Softball Bag with Wheels
This may seem like an odd thing to care about but in my opinion a bag with wheels that can store and transport up to four dozen softballs is one of the greatest inventions ever. Anyone who does outdoor practices in particular, like I do in the summer, should feel the same.
Consider you’re working with a hitter who did a good job of hitting the ball where it was pitched, which means the balls are sprayed all over the outfield.
If you have to carry the ball bag out to pick them all up, and you’re working for 2, 3, 4, or more hours, it gets awfully heavy and tiresome. But if your bag has wheels you can just roll it around with you like luggage to pick them up.
Or even wheel the bag toward second base, toss all the balls in near it, and then pick them up and put them in. Much more efficient.
Then there are the team coaches who need to (or need their players to if they’re smart) lug a ball bag from the furthest reaches of the parking lot to the part of the complex the parking lot is farthest from. Sure, you can toss a regular ball bag in a wagon, but if you don’t need a wagon full of stuff a bucket with wheels is a whole lot easier to manage.
The only problem with those buckets is they can be really tough to find. I’ve bought essentially the same bucket multiple times under five or six different brand names.
It’s like a company thinks, “What a great idea,” slaps their name on a standing design, sells a bunch, then decides to get out of the business. At which point you the consumer has to wait until another company thinks it’s a brilliant idea so you can buy a replacement when you ultimately forget to put the handle down only to see one of your power hitters smash a line drive into it and dent the handle so it won’t slide up and down again.
Once they’re off-market you have to keep searching for them until they finally pop up again. At least the last time that happened to me, when I finally found the latest company to offer this apparent loser of an inventory item I bought two.
So I’m covered for at least a while.
If you can find them, buy one. You won’t regret it.
I Still Own A Working Diamond Kinetics Ball
Right now, if you want to check out the spin direction, spin rate, spin efficiency, and other parameters on a pitch you pretty much have two options: You can either spend multiple thousands of dollars to purchase a Rapsodo set-up or find somewhere or someone that has one and is willing to rent it out for a couple of hours.
But there used to be another alternative. Diamond Kinetics (DK) used to sell a DK softball for $99 that would do everything Rapsodo did, right on your phone or tablet. It took seconds to set up (basically you’d open the app, spin the ball, and if the ball was charged you were ready to go) and didn’t require any special lighting or WiFi conditions.
Sounds like a dream, right? DK stopped selling those balls a couple of years ago.
I’m not sure why, although I’ve heard a few rumors. But I sure wish they’d come out with a new version and start selling them again.
In the meantime, I’m glad my old one still works – even though the ball itself is getting a bit slick from all the times it’s been thrown. Still, it beats dropping a down payment on a car on a system that doesn’t work any better than a $99 ball.
The Ability to Shop on the Internet
Say what you will about the Internet and all its issues, especially relative to social media. When it’s time to purchase special items (like some of those above) or even everyday items such as bats, balls, gloves, workout equipment and more, there’s nothing like the ability to open your computer, tablet, or phone, do a quick search, and make the purchase without ever having to leave your home.
I come from the era where we actually had to get off the couch, drive somewhere, and then be stuck with whatever inventory the store you went to decided to stock. In most cases it was fairly cheap, mass appeal items rather than quality gear.
Today, though, I can not only search for the good stuff – high-quality gear that will perform well and will last – but I can also search for where I can buy it for the cheapest price. After all, price does still matter.
For you digital natives who never had to rely solely on brick-and-mortar stores, be grateful you live in the times you do. It beats traveling all the way to a sporting goods store only to find they don’t have what you want – or if they do have it it’s so bad you’re afraid it will break on the way to the cash register in the front of the store.
Quality Educational Materials on the Internet
Sure, there’s a lot of crap on the Internet regarding how to develop softball skills. Especially on social media where the goal seems to be more focused on getting clicks than teaching something worthwhile.
But there’s a lot of good out there as well. Hopefully you consider this blog one of them. But there are others as well.
For training pitchers, you can’t beat Rick Pauly’s High Performance Pitching certification program. Rick is an extremely knowledgeable pitching coach and a great presenter who makes it easy to understand what high-level pitchers do and how to teach it.
Sure, you can try to piece the same information together from multiple sources or YouTube/TikTok/Instagram videos. But Rick has put it all together in one place with proven techniques and strategies that will get you or your daughter or your players where you want to go faster.
The DiscussFastpitch Forum is another great resource where you’ll get ideas and opinions from all around the sport. It’s an open forum so you have to be a little careful about who and what you listen to, but if you invest some time on there you’ll figure out pretty quickly who knows their stuff and who doesn’t.
As a starter, I would recommend checking out the “sticky” threads that are pinned to the top of the pages you’re interested in. Their information has been vetted and proven itself over time.
There are plenty of other examples out there for all aspects of the game too. As long as you take a little time to learn what you should be looking for first you’ll find the info you need to become a better coach for your team or your own daughter.
Many Thanks
So there you have it, my list for 2024. If you’re in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, that’s a bummer.
It’s the ultimate holiday, because all you do is eat and watch sports. Unless, of course, you’re hosting, in which case all you do is spend the week before cleaning the home top to bottom and preparing food so all your guest can sit around eating themselves into a food coma and watching sports.
Luckily I’m in the former category this year.
But even if Thanksgiving isn’t a thing nationally, you can still be grateful you live in such an awesome time for the great sport of softball.
Happy Turkey Day everyone!
Cornucopia photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
The Dark Side of College Softball
Like many of you I’m sure, my Facebook feed has recently been filled with photos from Signing Day ceremonies across the country. Congratulations to all those who have officially achieved their dream of becoming a member of a college softball team.
Yet as the classic W.W. Jacobs tale “The Monkey’s Paw” illustrates, getting your wish isn’t necessarily all sunshine and puppy dogs. It can come with a variety of unforeseen consequences that can turn a positive into a negative so it’s important that players and their families enter into this next phase of their careers with their eyes wide open.
Probably the biggest risk factor new college players must understand is that college softball at all levels is a business. Sure, you can probably still find some places where it’s still considered more of an extracurricular activity.
But for the most part being a head softball coach at a college isn’t a sideline or an avocation; it’s someone’s job,. And keeping that job depends on the team performing well, which means the head coach in particular probably isn’t going to have a lot of time for you if you’re not able to help him/her put Ws on the scoreboard.
I recently heard about a highly touted local player who went to play at a Power 5 (P5) conference team – one of those you’ll often see on TV at the Womens College World Series (WCWS). A couple of years ago there was tremendous excitement when she received her offer and signed the paperwork; the future looked rosy indeed.
Fast forward a couple of years and she’s been told she’s no longer on the team and her scholarship has been taken away. Not for doing anything bad or against the rules as I understand it. As far as I know (and I honestly don’t know her personally) she’s a fine, upstanding student athlete and a true team player.
Instead, she was basically shown the door because the coaching staff didn’t feel she was good enough to compete for a starting role and decided to give her spot to someone they thought might do better. If that girl doesn’t, in a couple of years she’ll probably suffer the same fate. That’s just business.
But that’s not the only bad thing that can happen. There have been plenty of stories about college softball coaches who are physically, emotionally, and/or verbally abusive to their players.
I’m not talking about coaches who lose their tempers after a tough loss or throw a clipboard now and then or make their teams run foul poles after sleepwalking through a game they should have won. That can happen even with caring coaches.
No, I’m talking about those who still subscribe to the idea that they need to intimidate and abuse and belittle their players on a constant basis to get them to perform. Then, if anyone complains the coach calls them weak (among other names) and tries to get the rest of the team to ostracize them and drive them out so they don’t have to be accountable for their abuses.
In a time when suicide rates among young females continue to rise according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that sort of approach can have far-reaching affects on young lives. And their families.
Not all of the negatives are so dire, though. One thing that is an eye-opener to many players entering college is how little the coaching staff may actually know about the technical aspects of the game.
It’s easy to assume that someone coaching at a high level has worked hard to gain expertise in skills such as hitting, pitching, throwing, fielding, general human movement, etc., and are constantly looking for new information that can give their players an edge. Yet as many have discovered to their chagrin, that is not always the case.
There appears to be plenty of coaches who figure they learned everything they needed to learn years ago and thus don’t need to keep up with new developments. Old dogs, new tricks, and all.
But that thinking isn’t limited to the old guard. Even young coaches fresh off their playing days can fall prey to it.
They assume that because they were successful they should teach the current crop of players what they were taught, without ever looking to see if that is what they actually did. They repeat the same old cues and use their position of power to force compliance onto the players under their control.
And what happens if that coaching makes the current players worse? Do they look into it and think maybe they should reconsider what they were saying?
Sometimes, perhaps. But more often than not, if a player’s performance or metrics go down, they simply move on to the next player who is performing at the required level. Sad to say, but many a career has been stunted or dashed completely all because of a lack of understanding about A) the core concepts of a particular skill, and B) how an individual’s DNA, body type, conditioning approach, mental approach and more can affect how their body moves in space.
Look, I’m not saying playing college softball has to be a bad experience. To the contrary, I know many, many former players who cherish those years – even some who experienced some level of the issues discussed above.
But it’s important to go into it with complete awareness of the risks that accompany the rewards so you’re more ready to face those challenges.
Like anything else, college softball has its upsides and downsides. If you go into it knowing what the pitfalls can be (rather than viewing it all through the proverbial rose-colored glasses) you’ll stand a much better chance of creating a positive experience – and choosing a program that best matches your personality and playing ability so you spend your four years of eligibility on the field instead of watching from the bench. Or the stands.
Book Recommendation: “Crunch Time”
We’ve all seen it or experienced it: the player or coach who is great in practice (aka a cage warrior) and seems like he/she should be a star, only to struggle when they get into a game. It’s frustrating to watch, especially because the breakdowns often seem to happen at the worst possible time, yet helping them break free of that mindset can be extremely challenging.
Fortunately I recently read a book that addresses this very issue. It’s called, “Crunch Time – How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most” by Rick Peterson and Judd Hoekstra.
If you’re not familiar with them, Rick Peterson is currently Developer of Pitching Development for the Baltimore Orioles, was the pitching coach for the Oakland A’s during the “Moneyball” era, and is considered one of the top pitching coaches in all of Major League Baseball.
Hoekstra is a bestselling author of books on leadership as well as a vice president at The Ken Blanchard Companies, a consulting firm that specializes in training business leaders at organizations of all sizes. Pretty good pedigrees for both authors.
While the book’s lessons apply to a general audience rather than specifically to baseball or softball, it definitely speaks to the challenges players and coaches face when challenged to perform under extreme pressure. The nice thing is it’s a pretty quick read too; I finished it cover-to-cover while on a 4.5 hour flight coming home from vacation.
The central theme of the book is that when you are facing a difficult situation you need to reframe it in order to manage the stress and allow yourself to perform the way you know you can. In other words, instead of seeing that difficult situation (such as an at bat where the game is on the line) as a threat, view it as an opportunity.
So in that example, the immediate threat is losing the game if the player doesn’t perform well, i.e., get a hit. But the underlying threats are that coaches and teammates will be mad at the player, the player might get benched, teammates won’t want to associate with the player, one or more parents might be angry with the player, the player will be embarrassed, etc.
The result is the player gets so caught up in potential consequences (especially if he/she has faced this situation before and failed) that he/she freezes up and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s difficult to perform at a high level when you’re paralyzed with fear.
After explaining the need for reframing the authors then get into several techniques to accomplish this task in subsequent chapters, including:
- Reframing from trying harder to trying easier
- Reframing from tension to laughter
- Reframing from anxiety to taking control
- Reframing from doubt to confidence
- Reframing from failure to learning moment
- Reframing from prepared to overprepared
Each chapter not only talks about the techniques but offers anecdotes from the authors’ experience of how they were applied. For example, Peterson talks about making mound visits during MLB games where he used humor to help a pitcher put what was happening into perspective, allowing him to get past an initial walk and single in order to strike out the heart of the opposing lineup and get out of the inning.
One of the nice things is that unlike many “mental game” books, applying the lessons in “Crunch Time” doesn’t require going through a plethora of exercises in order to master the techniques. It’s more of a philosophical approach presented in a simple form that makes it easy to grasp the lessons so you can begin applying them right away.
While I’ve been talking about how coaches can use the lessons in “Crunch Time” to help players, they can also use it to help themselves become better coaches at critical points of the game.
In that way it reminds me of a story legendary football coach Bill Walsh told in his book “The Score Takes Care of Itself.” Walsh was one of the first if not the first to develop the laminated play calling sheets all football coaches now have with them throughout the game, and was lauded as an innovator for doing it.
Yet in his telling, the reason he did it wasn’t because of some stroke of genius. It was the result of him having trouble making quick decisions under pressure. By creating the play calling sheets when he was calm and reasoned, i.e., before the game, he could just look at what he figured out already and just follow it, relieving the pressure of those in-game, critical decisions.
The lessons of “Crunch Time” can help in the same way. Take the international tie breaker, probably one of the most high-pressure situations in softball coaching because often any minor miscue or poor decision can lead to the loss of the game and possible elimination from a tournament or conference championship.
Rather than viewing a loss as a threat, by reframing it as an opportunity (we’ve prepared well for this situation so we have an advantage over our opponents who are clearly nervous about it) coaches can make strategic decisions with confidence, knowing their teams will execute, and can convey that sense of confidence to the team to keep them from being rattled and making those types of mistakes.
As I said earlier it’s a pretty quick read but there’s a lot of great thinking contained within the content. If you’re looking for techniques to help your players perform better, and/or ways to help grow your own coaching abilities, I recommend you pick up or download “Crunch Time.”
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 