I'm new here, but I've read every word of this technical hitting forum and I can't get enough.
I spent 20 years umpiring fast pitch softball before finding my true passion 15 years into it, and that's teaching kids the game I love. I've been a HS asst varsity coach and travel head coach for the past 18 years. Two years ago I took a bunch of 10 & 11 y/o kids out of our local rec league and started a 12U travel team. But I spent much of the first year teaching them how to throw and catch and slide and bunt. The second year I taught them defense. Now, as we enter 14U play next year as a pure 13 y/o team, I realize that we'll never survive unless they learn to hit.
So, I dived in head first, reading and studying everything I could get my hands on concerning hitting. What a humbling experience to find out exactly what you don't know, but thought you did. I've been working on their videos marked up with the RVP system, and I'm astounded at what I see. I guess 60 frames a second uncovers a lot of flaws.
I told my asst coaches that there's nothing wrong with our team that another 4 runs a game wouldn't cure, so now the hard work begins. We start our winter workouts tomorrow night, and then Sunday mornings, and we go straight through for the next five months. I'll guess we'll see if it works out OK.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of the people who contribute their experience to this site and who allow even long time coaches like me to learn anew. Keep on learning and you get smarter and stay young! I won't be posting much, but I'll be here reading and learning.
Thank you!
I spent 20 years umpiring fast pitch softball before finding my true passion 15 years into it, and that's teaching kids the game I love. I've been a HS asst varsity coach and travel head coach for the past 18 years. Two years ago I took a bunch of 10 & 11 y/o kids out of our local rec league and started a 12U travel team. But I spent much of the first year teaching them how to throw and catch and slide and bunt. The second year I taught them defense. Now, as we enter 14U play next year as a pure 13 y/o team, I realize that we'll never survive unless they learn to hit.
So, I dived in head first, reading and studying everything I could get my hands on concerning hitting. What a humbling experience to find out exactly what you don't know, but thought you did. I've been working on their videos marked up with the RVP system, and I'm astounded at what I see. I guess 60 frames a second uncovers a lot of flaws.
I told my asst coaches that there's nothing wrong with our team that another 4 runs a game wouldn't cure, so now the hard work begins. We start our winter workouts tomorrow night, and then Sunday mornings, and we go straight through for the next five months. I'll guess we'll see if it works out OK.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of the people who contribute their experience to this site and who allow even long time coaches like me to learn anew. Keep on learning and you get smarter and stay young! I won't be posting much, but I'll be here reading and learning.
Thank you!
