- Jul 15, 2016
- 115
- 18
Anyone listen to any softball podcasts? Recommendations? Could be anything from NCAA to coaching travel to mechanics
I’ve found very few softball specific podcasts. NFCA has a lot ("The Dirt", but they don’t seem to be available through ITunes - although you can play them directly from the website - just not as convenient (and willing to admit I may be missing an obvious “subscribe button”) I guess it's its own app? [ETA - will need to look again at In The Circle - seemed to be mostly college news/happenings, so may be a good one for OP - IIRC, it wasn't coaching/mechanics related)
I think there was a thread with suggestions a few months ago (or might have been on BBF [similar forum for baseball]).
My favorites (all through the ITunes app):
ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Assoc.) Calls from the Clubhouse - has some great ones - some are college specific, others applicable to HS or travel, some are easily translatable for youth/rec.
KWB (KW Baseball) - Kevin Wilson & Joe Ferraro. Lots of talk about the mental approach to hitting. JF also started a separate series called “1% Better” (non-sport related, but still good)
Youth Baseball Edge - Rob Tong - a dad who wanted to help himself and others cut through the BS and out-dated instruction. Lots of good episodes ranging from hitting, fielding, vision, mental game, and practice planning. Several episodes took the (IMO) unique approach of interviewing a pro’s parents - Andrew McCutcheon, Ben Zobrist, and Hunter Greene’s fathers. Would love to start a similar podcast for Fastpitch - I could live on Venus and still complain there aren’t enough hours in a day!
Baseball Outside the Box - Pete Caliendo - Been in baseball longer than most of us have been alive - he works a lot with international teams, which lends to new perspectives - he's proof that you're never too old for a "growth mindset".
Whistle and a Clipboard - Some baseball/softball, but the focus is on how to be a great coach - lots of episodes - some real gems for youth coaches
The Baseball Drive - nothing new in the last 12 months - but some great guests and topics (episode 4 - CJ Beatty - "You have to connect before you can correct")
Baseball Dads Show - Paul Reddick - Lots about building the father-son connection through the game of baseball. Some great Yogi Berra stories. Start with Paul's interviews on Youth Baseball Edge - can provide some great insight into the "why we do this" aspect of being a coach.
Baseball Rebellion - a few softball-specific segments in the series. I really enjoyed the early episodes, they had more of a "4 guys and a microphone" / morning talk-show vibe (random topics) - you may find yourself skipping ahead if you're not looking to relate to the 25-40 male demographic. BUT - good guests, and good discussions on recent trends in the game (launch angles in particular).
Cornerstone Coaching Academy - Baseball specific - lots of drill suggestions, a few coaching nuggets - geared to the HS coach, so a good portion of the podcasts cover (overhand) pitching as well - it's in my list, mostly for the occasional catching segments.
Ahead of the Curve - haven't subscribed or listened, but have heard this referenced by others several times.
Youth Baseball Talk - I listen mostly for the Justin Stone clips at the end. The host, Jim Cromer, clearly loves the game, and loves coaching kids. And if he ever reads this, I hope he takes this as constructive criticism - but almost every episode, he just takes too long to get to the point. He's passionate, and he'll devote 20 minutes to a rant about over the top parents, coaches, leagues, you name it - but too often, what could he could say in 5 sentences, he says in 15. Still, there's some good topics - but it's also made me appreciate the succinctness of some of the other podcasts referenced above.
Hope this helps...