Thread: Welcome to DiscussFastpitch.com

Generally, the factors for an area producing lots of great players are (1) population (the more kids means that there will be more great players), (2) an opportunity to play softball year round and (3) the availability of good coaches.

So, the best place to play softball is Southern California. Phoenix is good, but Southern California is ground zero for fastpitch. The California teams are really something. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Virginia are also producing great players. Chicago also produces some good players. (Softball was invented in Chicago, and during the golden period of men's fastpitch, there were some great teams out of Aurora, Illinois. There is a lot of knowledge and tradition there.)

Is it crucial for your DD to play in those areas? No, not really. There are great players from all over. As long as she get good coaching and plays for a team that plays the best from the US, she can do well.

At 12 YOA, it is much too young to be thinking that she will become the next Jenny Finch. I would wait a while before rearranging your life to accommodate your DD's softball career.

Just to point out what should be obvious: Your DD's ultimate success in life will almost certainly be based on her education, not her softball skills. There is no pot of gold at the end of the softball rainbow.

Good point. At the end of four or five years it's all about the education.

My daughter has only been playing for one season,she plays first base and is very good at it and i am not saying that just bcause she is my kid. She has made the all star team,My question is how long dose it take a coach to usally see her talent at first base...i'm worried she will get bored in the out field and not want to play? any advice i would love!

[QUOTE=mnmsr4ever;9644]My daughter has only been playing for one season,she plays first base and is very good at it and i am not saying that just bcause she is my kid. She has made the all star team,My question is how long dose it take a coach to usally see her talent at first base...i'm worried she will get bored in the out field and not want to play? any advice i would love![/QUOTE


How old is your daughter ?

hola, im new here, this place looks good so far

Thank you for the nice compliment Sluggers. There were some great teams from Aurora. The Sealmasters, Aurora Home Savings to mention a few. I was fortunate to be a bat boy for the great Aurora Sealmaster team. My Dad played 2nd base and was inducted to the Men's FastPitch Hall of Fame along with Harvey Sterkel and other great players from that team. My Dad is Bob Barron Sr. I was honored to be able to see him play and to still hear him talk about that great era of Fastpitch softball that not a lot of people knew about.
With my Dad's help in developing me as a ball player, I was good enough to play for the Aurora Home Savings, All Steel, Silver bullets and Decatur Pride Softball teams. From my Dad's teachings and my playing experience, I've been able to run a successful part-time business instructing private hitting lessons for Boy's Baseball and Girl's Softball. Aurora at one time was a hot bed for Men's Fastpitch softball. What a great place to grow up and experience something that special.

Bobby B.

Hi Mark. We are a big fan of you and your training information. I coached for several years in little league minors, majors and big league and always had great success training "my girls". I coached my daughters 12U little league, 12U Competive and her first year 14U comp team this past year. Together her and I have made her a fabulous player and now at the new season she was appoached and selected for an 18U A team. I always trained my girls to be aggressive and have a killer sportsman attitude. I got a video / CD from you called Make things happen with Coach Sean Cotter of UMass. Great great great video of information. I do have a few questions from the video. I feel kind of dumb for asking, because I believed myself to be pretty knowledgable of the game. But, I am humble enough to shut up, ask and learn. In the video, Coach Sean talks about taking advantage of open bases when the other team is not paying attention or in position. ***He specifically mentions, with a runner on third base he has her ready to steal home at any time. He said, runner on third and batter pop flys a ball in foul territory, catcher rips off her mask and attempts the catch. With no success, the catcher returns to her position, picks up her mask, takes off her glove to use two hands to put her mask back on. The second the catcher takes off her glove with mask in hand, the third base runner takes off and steals home because the catcher is not ready for a return throw. Is that scenario possible? Can the runner steal a base at any time, or at what point can a base runner take off? If that CAN happen, can a runner on first base steal second base at anytime if the pitcher has not addressed the rubber? Because if she has addressed the rubber or started taking the signs, then the runner would be out for leaving early correct? Another question. *** Runner on first, batter hits to the infield and a setup for a double play. Now, I've learned this as a kid, and taught it myself, if you throw the ball to first base first, it gives the lead runner the option to return back to first base if the throw beats the runner to the bag. Now, from the video, I felt as if Coach Sean was saying that the batter can stop just shy of first base and it no longer makes a "force" at second until she touches first or a play attempt is made toward first. If the batter does not touch first base and no throw has been made to first yet, can the other runner technically return to first as stated in the above failed double play? It didn't sound right, and not how I've ever known it to be, but I have to ask because I'm not the high level coaches you guys are. Thanks.