Things that make you proud as a coach
Tonight was one of those nights where I couldn’t have been prouder of the team I’m helping coach.
You see, I had invited a couple of my 12U students to come out and help our 14U team prepare for nationals by being baserunners for us. The 12Us have finished their season and were itching for a bit of softball action so it seemed like a mutually beneficial opportunity. The only question was how the older girls would react to a couple of younger players coming in.
That’s what made me so proud. From the moment I introduced them, our girls were extremely welcoming and went out of their way to make them feel good. A couple of times they gave the 12Us some cheers. Our girls also went out of their way to help the 12U players learn some baserunning tricks that will help them in the future.
Toward the end, we worked on rundowns. The 12U girls not only were runners but were given the opportunity to participate as fielders. They had a blast, and again our girls explained to them what they could do in order to execute them better.
It was really an awesome display. Later in the evening I received texts from the mothers of both girls thanking me for the opportunity for their daughters. They too were most impressed with the class and friendliness our girls showed. It made the night of the 12U — and their participation definitely helped us work on our defense. Everyone won.
To see the way our girls treated these 12U girls was a great moment. No matter what happens at nationals, I feel like a winner because I’m associated with so many great, classy players.
Illegal pitches at the World Cup
I haven’t had much chance to watch the World Cup of Softball on TV this weekend, but I know some folks who have. It’s been interesting to see and hear the discussion about illegal pitches, though. And to see a bit of it myself.
It started Thursday night when I received a text message from my friend Rich, who commented about Monica Abbott. He said she was stepping off the pitching rubber with her drive foot before pitching. That’s something I’ve certainly seen before, and that she has been called for. But apparently the umpires were told not to bother her about it. Then later today I got an email from another coach commenting on the same phenomenon.
Today I was watching Team USA versus the USA Futures and saw something else interesting. Jordan Taylor was pitching, and after a big windup, she was literally hopping all over the place. I saw her her hop up off the pitching rubber before she started moving forward, and hop again as she delivered the ball. Again, not a single call against her.
This is interesting, because earlier in the year an article on AnnArbor.com talked about how she had been called for illegal pitches during a collegiate tournament and had to relearn how to pitch. Guess it was only temporary.
I don’t know. It seems like the people who make the rules need to decide what’s allowable and what’s not, and stick to it. It’s hard to get young pitchers to focus on following the pitching rules when they see pitchers at a showcase tournament like this obviously not doing it.
I don’t really care which way they go, but they need to decide one way or the other. As I’ve said before, either change the pitching rules if you don’t want to enforce them, or start enforcing them — even on the game’s stars. Make that ESPECIALLY on the game’s stars. It really does matter.
Creating remarkable performances
Saw an excellent article the other day in Jeff Janssen’s Championship Coach’s Network newsletter and thought I’d pass it along. You can read it here.
The article is actually a book review written by Greg A. Shelley and Colleen Sager about the book The Encore Effect by Mark Sanborn. The book covers how to create remarkable performances. 
In the review, they highlight three areas Sanborn says are essential to becoming the type of performer who really stands out. Those elements are Commitment, Professionalism and Skills. Commitment and skills are pretty much self-explanatory. But professionalism takes a little explanation.
According to Sanborn, it’s being “other-minded,” i.e. putting the team and your teammates ahead of yourself. This is an area many young athletes struggle with. They are far more focused on their own personal performance than the performance of the team. Yet that mentality often holds them back from being, as the Army says, all they can be. Until they can move beyond themselves they may perform well. But they won’t be considered extraordinary, or a premier player.
This is a topic I’ve written about before as well. No matter how well you play, you’re not really an elite player until you can raise the level of play around you.
The end of the article includes an awesome quote from the late John Wooden, the former head basketball coach at UCLA. The quote is this: “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
I love that concept. So many players are content to be good, or even very good, that they never make the effort to become great – or remarkable. That’s a shame, because it means they’ve wasted their potential. It’s like another favorite quote says — “Good is the enemy of great.”
I haven’t read the book yet, but it is going on my future reading list. If you want to find out what it takes to be remarkable, I suggest you pick it up too.
What happens when old men demonstrate slidebys
Just had to share this photo. One week ago today I was explaining to our 14U Glory team about not sliding or running into a tag, especially at home. Instead, I said, if the ball beats you there use a slideby. 
Knowing, however, that many people learn better by seeing than hearing, I positioned a catcher at home with the ball, strolled up the third base line, and then took a run at the plate. (I was wearing shorts at the time, incidentally.) As I approached the catcher I got out wide, beyond her reach, executed the slideby and touched the plate with one finger. Safe!
When I stood up to review what I’d just done, one of the girls pointed out that I was bleeding. I didn’t think much of it, but we took a break while I cleaned it off.
Turned out to be worse than I thought at first. In fact, the photo you see here is after a week of “healing.” It’s made for a great war story though, and it definitely demonstrated that I won’t ask my players to do anything I wouldn’t do.
Still, you’d think I’d know better. Old men, especially fat ones, and sliding are not a good combination. I have to think that the added weight didn’t do me much good as I tried to “glide” across the infield dirt.
In any case, while it looks bad I am fine. I’ve been wearing two 3″ x 4″ gauze pads over the area for the last week, changing them each morning before I head to work. It’s not as bad as it was, but I have a feeling I’ll be showing this particular scrape in some form for a few more weeks. Oh well, all for a good cause.
Game to make batting practice more interesting
Batting practice can get boring sometimes. Ok, a lot of the time, especially when you’re working on a specific skill. But the other day I came up with an idea to make it a bit more interesting.
I was working with a hitter on generating a sacrifice fly with a runner on third. The idea was she had to hit an outfield fly ball no matter where the ball was pitched. We did it for a while, then we got serious.
Every time she hit a fly ball as required, she received a plus one. Every time she produced a popup or a weak ground ball, she received a minus one. A line drive or hard grounder was a “push” — neither plus nor minus. I could’ve made them minuses, but since they’d probably accomplish the goal of scoring the runner I decided to make them neutral.
You can set the game to any number you want. I selected five to keep things moving, and so the game was on. The object was to get to plus five before the hitter reached minus five.
Another variation would be to name two teams, such as the hitter’s first name v. her last name. The first name gets the pluses and the last name gets the minuses.
It’s fun, and it definitely puts some pressure on to perform. Next time you’re working on a specific hitting skill, give this game a try.
Live by the change, die by the change
Tonight in our game we had the opportunity to test something I wrote a few weeks back. In that post I talked about running on the changeup if you recognize it.
We were facing a pitcher with an excellent change. She maintained arm speed and the pitch was very deceptive. After seeing another pitcher who wasn’t nearly as strong, that change was pretty devastating. At first.
The problem was she knew how great it was too. She was absolutely in love with the pitch, and liked to throw it often. One of our hitters, a girl named Erin, led the way. First time up she struck out on two of the changes and one speed pitch. Next time up to bat, knowing it was coming, she just waited for it and then took a hack at it.
From there it was a slug fest. The pitcher kept throwing the change, and we just sat on it and pounded it. When our runners got on base they knew to look for it too and it was off to the races.
So the lesson here is not just for hitters but pitchers as well. There is such a thing as going to the well too often. It’s called a “change” for a reason. It should offer a change to keep hitters from getting too comfortable. But it doesn’t become much of a change if it’s happening all the time. Then it’s a “normal.”
Perhaps tonight’s pitcher’s plan was to work on her change. It was, after all, just a scrimmage game (or “friendly” as it’s called in some circles). If so, she certainly did. If not, however, she needs a new strategy. Doing anything too much makes you too predictable, and that can be deadly.
The only good donut is the edible kind
The other day, one of our players showed up with a new addition to her bag — one of those round “donuts” that you slip onto your bat. She was all happy about it until she saw the look of horror on my face. I told her those things don’t help you in the on-deck circle. They actually hurt you.
While you may think they’re making your bat faster, they’re actually making it slower. At least that’s what I remembered some experts saying. Generally speaking, heavier things are helpful for building strength, but they have to be balanced by something lighter than normal for speed; swinging a heavier bat trains you to swing slower.
Afterwards, though, I thought I’d best check on my facts to be sure that was still the thinking. You never know — things change in the game all the time. So I did an Internet search, but the results were inconclusive. Then I went out to the good oldDiscuss Fastpitch Forum and there it was. Down in a thread on batting cages was an embedded YouTube video from FSN Sport Science that studied the effect of using a donut (or any heavy weight for that matter) on swinging a bat.
For those who don’t have time to view the full video right away, I’m happy to report that I was correct. Those donuts are bad for your swing. In the video segment they not only show that it makes you swing a little slower rather than faster, it actually activates your slow-twitch muscles.
The full video is worth a look. You’ll have to scroll down a bit to see it. I tried to find it on YouTube directly but it doesn’t appear to be posted anymore — or else I don’t know how to search there.
Either way, if you have one in your bag take it out. Use it for a doorstop or a paperweight if you must, but not to prepare to swing on-deck. It’s not doing what you think it is.
What’s in your coach’s bag?
Most coaches have a bag or two they use to carry various items. Typically, one bag has items such as lineup cards, a clipboard, maybe an eraseable board to post the lineup, a scorebook, pens and pencils and assorted other items. The other bag might carry a glove, an extra ball or two, a stopwatch and maybe a bat.
But after nearly 15 years of coaching, I’ve found there are a host of other items that can come in handy. Throw them in your bag and, like a Boy Scout, you should be prepared for just about anything.
- Dandelion puller — This tool comes in handy if you’re using the breakaway bases with the thin post. A little dirt gets in there after a slide and the base won’t sit right. If there’s no ground crew around, the dandelion puller will help you.
- Resin bag — On a hot, humid day it can be tough for pitchers to get a good grip on the ball. A resin bag can help keep the pitching hand dry. Some pitchers like them whether it’s hot or not because it helps them get a little extra spin on the ball.
- Towel — Into ever life a little rain must fall. Every coach should have a towel handy to dry off the ball when it gets wet. Sure beats using your shirt.
- Duct tape — You folks from the South know what I’m talking about. Duct tape can fix just about anything. Have a shoe falling apart? Duct tape it. Lineup board blowing around on a windy day? Duct tape it. Water bottle leaking? Duct tape it. Is there anything it can’t do?
- Glove repair kit — In a perfect world, all your players would take great care of their equipment and inspect it regularly. Doesn’t happen. You can’t do much about a dented bat, but if a player comes to you with a broken glove what are you going to do? Loan her a glove she’s not familiar with? Not good. But if you have a lace pulling kit you can make a quick repair and get her back on her way. Be sure to have some spare lacing just in case it isn’t just out but broken.
- Glove cream — Ok, so she decides to get a new glove and it’s not broken in. You can help get her on her way with a little glove cream. Just remember to do it after the game or practice, not before.
- Tape measure — I have been on fields that just didn’t quite look right. But unless you can prove the pitching rubber is set too far or too close, or the bases are the wrong distance, you can’t get it corrected. A 100′ tape measure doesn’t take up much room, but it can be a life saver. It’s also good for measuring pitching distances during warn-ups, too.
- Spare batting gloves — Let’s face it — kids lose things. If one of your hitters loses a batting glove you can come to the rescue with a loaner.
- Sunscreen — You need it yourself, but also make sure your players are wearing it. If they don’t have any you can loan them yours.
- Insect repellent — Shouldn’t need it during the day, but if you’re playing at dusk, or on a field with lights, you’ll be glad you have it.
- Fold-up jacket or poncho — When the rain starts you’ll want to be protected. After all, you’re not 14 anymore.
Those are many of the things in my bag. What’s in yours? Did I miss anything? If so, add them to the comments below.
Interesting experience at a tournament
So, this weekend we were at a tournament and had an interesting experience. Thought I’d share and see if this was just localized or whether others are experiencing it as well.
The tournament started on a Friday night. I got there early to watch a couple of teams I knew play and it started right away. The pitcher threw the ball, and immediately the base umpire called “Illegal pitch.” Couldn’t say I disagreed with the call — I saw it too. But as the game progressed, it started looking a little ridiculous. There were multiple calls on things that weren’t so obvious. But I figured maybe it was just that game, or that umpire.
Then we got to our game. Our starting pitcher was called for an illegal pitch, and I was confused. I know this girl and she doesn’t leap. Apparently, though, she brought her hands together twice. I didn’t see it, but the call was made by the base ump, who was a young female. Our pitcher was also called for an illegal pitch because she adjusted her face mask and didn’t wipe her hand on her pants. The umpire thought she went to her mouth, so an illegal pitch was called and the baserunners advanced.
Later we put in another pitcher, and SHE was called for using a resin bag without wiping her hand afterward. It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen. It became so aggravating I finally yelled “C’mon Blue, let ’em play.”
Apparently we weren’t the only ones who experienced it, though. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m guessing a few coaches tracked down the tournament director or the umpire in chief and complained about the incessant calls. The reason I think so is that from Saturday on, I didn’t hear a single illegal pitch called — and I certainly saw a few. There were definitely some leaps and crow hops, and I have little doubt some of the other ticky-tacky stuff was still going on too. I also never saw the young female umpire from Friday night the rest of the tournament.
You all know that I am all in favor of enforcing the pitching rules. But there is a point where it gets to be ridiculous. I had the feeling that the base umpires I saw were so busy watching the pitchers that they wouldn’t have caught a runner leaving early if it happened right in front of them. At some point it also gets in the way of the game itself.
The rules are there to make the game fair — so one team doesn’t gain an unfair advantage. A pitcher licking her fingers or using a resin bag to get a better grip on the ball on a humid day and on a dusty field isn’t gaining an advantage in my opinion. A pitcher adjusting her face mask isn’t either.
At some point, especially in a youth tournament, a little discretion has to be used. If you’re going to call everything to the letter, let teams know that ahead of time so they can make an informed decision. But don’t be surprised if you don’t get a lot of sign-ups, because if you look hard enough you can find something illegal in just about every pitcher. Fortunately in this case someone figured it out and the rest of the tournament was fine. As far as I know, none of the coaches had a problem with illegal pitches not being called either. For those who want emphatic rule enforcement, be careful what you wish for. It’s not as much fun as you might think.
Are the new, hotter bats killing the short game?
I don’t know about you, but it sure seems to me like the short game — traditionally one of the key strategies as well as one of the things that separates fastpitch softball from baseball — is going the way of wood bats. Certainly the most recent Women’s College World Series is evidence of that. Those games used to be 2-1 or even 1-0 10-inning affairs, not 15-9 blowouts. But you can even see it at the local level on ballfields all over country.
While more hitting instruction and moving the pitching rubber back have certainly contributed to more of a focus on power, I think there’s more to it than that. I can’t help but wonder if the newest, hottest bats don’t have something to do with it too. Not just the fact that a 5’2″, 95 lb. girl with a weak swing can drive a ball to a 200′ fence these days. But that the bats themselves are making it more difficult to be successful bunting. 
Consider how much the ball jumps off the bat on a regular swing. If you hit the sweet spot it flies. Now consider that many girls without good training also try to bunt the ball off the sweet spot (instead of the end of the bat as they should). What do you think happens when a hard pitch hits the sweet spot on a bunt? It goes too far, making the ball easier to field and the short game less successful.
You still can bunt with these new, hotter bats. But it takes more work. You have to pull back and “catch” the ball with the bat (instead of pushing out at it). And you have to use the end of the bat, which is a deader part of the bat and thus won’t hit the ball as far.
This is not a new technique. It’s been a standard part of bunting for at least as long as I’ve been coaching, and I’m sure for many years before that. But with the new bat technology it has become a lot more critical.
A good short game is still important to long-term success. Make the adjustment and you’ll have some great weapons at your disposal.
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 