Normally posts in Life in the Fastpitch Lane revolve around a central theme. Today, though, I thought we’d try something a little different.

There are plenty of topics that don’t rate a post by themselves but are still important to the overall experience. I know this because I see many of these topics asked over and over on different softball forums and Facebook groups.

So I figured why not gather them together in a sort of grab bag of ideas? Hopefully you’ll find one or more valuable, and that you’ll have a little fun along the way.

Ok, let’s get to it.

How to clean white uniforms

I have to tell you I loves me a white uniform. It’s a classic, elegant look that just screams “Champions.” When I was coaching teams I always preferred my players to wear the all-white uniform for bracket play.

But I also know why softball parents, especially moms, hate them: they’re hard to clean. Particularly the pants.

If you get dirt on gray, or black, or green, or pretty much any colored pants, really all you have to do is get rid of most of it. On white pants, though, it’s all or nothing, because any little bit of leftover dirt (or other substances) that are left just make them look bad.

Ordinary laundry detergents don’t really work. But there is something that does.

Fels-Naptha is your best friend. It may not be available at your local grocery store but you can find it all over in hardware stores and home centers such as Ace and Home Depot. Pick up a supply and you’ll make your life a whole lot easier.

Get your daughter a good metal bat

Yes, it’s true that your best bang for the buck (literally as well as figuratively) comes from a composite bat. An Easton Ghost or equivalent can turn even your 98 pound weakling of a daughter into a potential power hitter (if she can just get the bat on the ball).

The problem with those bats is they’re only good down to about 60 degrees. After that, the manufacturers will tell you not to use them because they are likely to break much more easily.

So what do you do if you live in an area (or are traveling to an area) where spring and fall gametime temperatures are likely to be closer to 40 than 80 degrees?

You can roll the dice and take your chances, but don’t complain if a manufacturer refuses to honor the warranty. A better alternative is to invest in a quality metal bat.

They’re still around. Bats such as the Anderson Rockettech will give you plenty of pop in cold weather without the risk of seeing it crack in half the first time your daughter makes solid contact on a 50 degree day. And if she really likes it, those bats perform just fine in warmer weather too.

At one time, back in the early 2000s, Rockettechs were THE bats to own – before composite bat technology became what it is today.

As a bonus, metal bats tend to hold up better when hitting pitching machine balls as well. I wouldn’t necessarily use one at a commercial cage, where the balls are more focused on lasting longer instead of the effect on bats. But for the rest, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by having a good metal bat in the ol’ bag.

Pack extra hair ties – and sunglasses

Yes, your daughter should be responsible and think ahead to ensure she has them in her bag. No, she won’t always do it. Or maybe she did, but it broke.

No matter, these are little things that can make a big difference during a game.

Take a hair tie for example. If your daughter needs one and doesn’t have one, it’s likely to be a huge distraction to her.

Her hair will blow with every breeze, and if there is any truth to Murphy’s Law it will blow in her eyes right as she’s trying to catch a fly ball or field a ground ball with runners in scoring position. My kingdom for a hair tie!

For the sunglasses, perhaps it was cloudy before the game so your daughter didn’t think she’d need her sunglasses and didn’t pack them. But then the sun broke through and suddenly she’s squinting directly into it.

Having an extra pair of sunglasses in your softball “go bag” will be a lifesaver. And may save you a few hours in the ER if she loses a ball in the sun.

BONUS TIP: Keep some duct tape handy too. As any good Southerner will tell you, duct tape can fix anything.

Keep a charged power block with you

This is especially true for parents with multiple daughters playing at different fields.

You’re going to want to check on your other kids’ games via GameChanger or a similar app. It’s only natural.

What you may not realize is these apps keep running in the background by design, so while you may have closed them they’re still sucking up battery power. If you have a long day at a tournament you may find yourself running out of power before the day is done.

Grabbing a high-quality power block will give you enough spare juice to keep going no matter how long the day goes on. Even enough to power your phone’s GPS to get you to the out-of-the-way restaurant the other parents chose for a team bonding meal at the end of the day.

Spend a little more to get a comfy chair

The same parents who will spend several hundred dollars to buy their daughter a bat, then several hundred more on another one in case the first one breaks, are often the ones who decide to save money by purchasing a cheap chair for themselves. Don’t do it.

A good quality chair that provides adequate space and good support, plus a strong cupholder or two, is worth every penny.

You’re probably going to spend more time at a field than at home on softball weekends. Be sure you have comfy chair to do it in.

For skills training, hire a coach

I’m not just saying that because I am one. It really does make a difference.

Not necessarily on the basis of knowledge either. You may have a lot of personal expertise and be fully capable of training your daughter yourself

But the parent/daughter dynamic is a tricky one. I have seen it in action often.

For example, you might tell your daughter to do things the same way that I tell her. When she hears you say it, though, she hears her father or mother criticizing her and shuts down.

When I tell her, she’s all about whatever I said – because I’m her coach, not her parent. And if she isn’t interested in it, you can just walk away from the lessons. Not so if she’s going home with you.

I have trained and continue to train the daughters of people who work with other people’s kid on hitting, pitching, catching, etc. They find it a relief to just sit on the bucket instead of having every session turn into a battle of wills.

Besides, there’s always the practice sessions between lessons where they can interject. But they can say “remember what Coach Ken said” to soften the blow.

The bag is full

Hopefully I covered some topics that you’re interested in or always wondered about. If you have other experience-based knowledge to share, or want to suggest a future topic to cover in another grab bag article, leave it below in the comments.

Grab bag photo by Angela Roma on Pexels.