DI Tryouts

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Apr 1, 2017
535
93
Different sport, and 100 years ago, i was a walk-on at Iowa State for the golf team. I remember the coach having open tryouts the first week of school. Want to say 8 or 10 people showed up. I can’t remember if anyone made the team though.

Same sport, different school. A couple of my sons roommates at ASU told him they are trying out for the golf team there. I don’t know if that’s true, but to make ASU’s team that way, you would have to be really good
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
someone to run the bases during fielding drills and practice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn't they be asking for practice players instead? Pinch Runners is very specific.

Lots of girls that run track played softball at some point....
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I’m talking about the complex flow chart both of my kids had in their heads that was way beyond anything they knew before they got to school.

Curious about this. I'm wondering if it's a bunch of stuff those who know the game know already or if some coaches try to over complicate things.

I can't imagine it makes base running easier to make players think more while doing it.
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Different sport, and 100 years ago, i was a walk-on at Iowa State for the golf team. I remember the coach having open tryouts the first week of school. Want to say 8 or 10 people showed up. I can’t remember if anyone made the team though.

Same sport, different school. A couple of my sons roommates at ASU told him they are trying out for the golf team there. I don’t know if that’s true, but to make ASU’s team that way, you would have to be really good
Go Cyclones!
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Curious about this. I'm wondering if it's a bunch of stuff those who know the game know already or if some coaches try to over complicate things.

I can't imagine it makes base running easier to make players think more while doing it.
I think it’s pretty thoroughly drilled in their heads. It looks automatic when the ball gets put into play. TBH, I don’t usually see it when there is a screw up. Dd tells us at dinner, that she got lit up for something etc etc.

I DO notice it with the non-conference teams we play in spring. What I notice is runners missing opportunities to advance.

That happens a lot in hs and tb. Most teams, even good ones leave runs on the bases constantly and most coaches don’t even seem to notice. I think there are so many things to work on that one gets left behind.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Curious about this. I'm wondering if it's a bunch of stuff those who know the game know already or if some coaches try to over complicate things.

I can't imagine it makes base running easier to make players think more while doing it.
There are things that can be taught and there are things you learn from playing and watching. One thing that kills me is when the play is in front of them and they are looking at a base coach to tell them what to do..(eg runner on first ball in left center gap..)
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
That happens a lot in hs and tb. Most teams, even good ones leave runs on the bases constantly and most coaches don’t even seem to notice. I think there are so many things to work on that one gets left behind.

If only I could run the bases for 'em. There are plenty of times I know we could've scored or advanced an extra base because I saw something developing, but the base runner didn't. Not a lot you can do in the moment. I made it a team goal to run the bases better this summer (fewer TOOTBLANs, more extra bases...not necessarily more stolen bases since that's a little too speed/catcher dependent).

At the HS level, we actually have spent practice time on reading balls hit to OFs/taking extra bases. We've even had to work on two-out base running. At the level we play at, all but the very slowest runners will score from second 95% on a hit to the OF with
two outs... if they're off on contact and actually trying to score.

A big one I've been trying to stress to runners is that you don't need to see a wild pitch hit the backstop before you take off running. We play very few catchers who are going to field a ball in the dirt and throw you out if you take off as soon as you see the ball going into the dirt. If you see a ball flying 6 feet over the catcher's head, go immediately!

One thing I've learned that's helpful: Encourage aggressive base running, and then teach them when they should scale back. If the same player is making a ton of outs on the bases, that needs to be addressed, but the occasional out that goes unpunished (still address the mistake at the right time) is necessary or they're always going to be too afraid to run the bases properly.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
If only I could run the bases for 'em. There are plenty of times I know we could've scored or advanced an extra base because I saw something developing, but the base runner didn't. Not a lot you can do in the moment. I made it a team goal to run the bases better this summer (fewer TOOTBLANs, more extra bases...not necessarily more stolen bases since that's a little too speed/catcher dependent).

At the HS level, we actually have spent practice time on reading balls hit to OFs/taking extra bases. We've even had to work on two-out base running. At the level we play at, all but the very slowest runners will score from second 95% on a hit to the OF with
two outs... if they're off on contact and actually trying to score.

A big one I've been trying to stress to runners is that you don't need to see a wild pitch hit the backstop before you take off running. We play very few catchers who are going to field a ball in the dirt and throw you out if you take off as soon as you see the ball going into the dirt. If you see a ball flying 6 feet over the catcher's head, go immediately!

One thing I've learned that's helpful: Encourage aggressive base running, and then teach them when they should scale back. If the same player is making a ton of outs on the bases, that needs to be addressed, but the occasional out that goes unpunished (still address the mistake at the right time) is necessary or they're always going to be too afraid to run the bases properly.
Glad to see you are putting a priority on aggressive base running. I want my runners trying to get 120' (2B's) at a time. No station to station baserunning. At the highest TB and College level you will see balls hit into the OF in front of a lazy player and that speedster is standing on 2B. I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it with my two eyes last summer. Impact Gold player hit a high fly ball that lands in front of the CF. Runner is sliding into 2B. Wow! That's how ya do it.
 

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,477
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top