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Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
God bless Artbell. Just like Perfect Circle, I think OILF needs a buyer beware disclaimer in their e-signature
Something like:
My opinions and advice really do originate from left field
Something like:
My opinions and advice really do originate from left field
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,894
- 113
Art, so you will now how to fight for that gym. Basketball is in season. They get the gym first. In my school, we have two gyms. Track and Soccer taken one. Baseball and Softball take the other because it has the cage. Baseball and Softball rotate times after basketball gets out. Sports that are not in season do not get the gym. You are in season.
Sluggers is right also that baseball and softball are two different sports. I was a well known baseball coach in my area. I coached TB softball. My dd's senior year, they didn't have a coach and so, I took that team. Art, I don't know your personality but you look at those girls and realize that they are used to being the laughing stock of the school if they only scored 2 runs last year. What are you going to do about it? Read books, read this site, get stuff from people like me, (Ok that sounds conceited but so what) if you don't stand to be counted you will be pushed around. I took over a girl's basketball program that was pathetic. I promised those girls that they would win. I knocked down wall and made sure my girls were a priority and not bottom dwellers. Good luck.
Sluggers is right also that baseball and softball are two different sports. I was a well known baseball coach in my area. I coached TB softball. My dd's senior year, they didn't have a coach and so, I took that team. Art, I don't know your personality but you look at those girls and realize that they are used to being the laughing stock of the school if they only scored 2 runs last year. What are you going to do about it? Read books, read this site, get stuff from people like me, (Ok that sounds conceited but so what) if you don't stand to be counted you will be pushed around. I took over a girl's basketball program that was pathetic. I promised those girls that they would win. I knocked down wall and made sure my girls were a priority and not bottom dwellers. Good luck.
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Art, I came from from baseball, still involved with it a great deal with two nephews pitching D1/D2. The mentioned dvd's will help but ultimately this forum, which I found late in my softball "doings", will give you all you need to know about this game. Lots of good people on here with good advice and life experiences.
I've told this story a few times, since you're new I'll tell it again. My only child, a daughter, started at 5. My first year of coaching fastpitch I'm watching an older group of girls and thinking "these coach's are idiots, why aren't the runners taking a lead"? I came from a family of BB players, I had never even seen a fastpitch game ( men or women ) in my life.
I've learned twice as much from our wonderful members, than I've ever offered.
I've told this story a few times, since you're new I'll tell it again. My only child, a daughter, started at 5. My first year of coaching fastpitch I'm watching an older group of girls and thinking "these coach's are idiots, why aren't the runners taking a lead"? I came from a family of BB players, I had never even seen a fastpitch game ( men or women ) in my life.
I've learned twice as much from our wonderful members, than I've ever offered.
i Don't intend to get pushed around on the field. The girls will be ready. But a lot of posters just do not realize, the issues we have. We have 1 gym. It 's basketball playoff time, they get the gym. Nothing I say or do will change that. Our field is unfit for games, when we host a game it is it at the local park that we have to rent to use their stadium. Which means almost all of our home games are double headers. I am trying to change a lot of things. But it is just not going to happen overnight. I can only handle the stuff I can control.
Also I am proud to say we had a really good turnout for tryouts, I actually had enough girls to have a JV, that is if we could field a JV team. Everyone is working win or lose I am proud of the effort that the team is showing me. I am also proud of the fact that the basketball team (many players who are also on softball team) are making a long playoff drive.
Also I am proud to say we had a really good turnout for tryouts, I actually had enough girls to have a JV, that is if we could field a JV team. Everyone is working win or lose I am proud of the effort that the team is showing me. I am also proud of the fact that the basketball team (many players who are also on softball team) are making a long playoff drive.
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Cant say I ever even knew of a team that practiced baseball in the hallways with Tennis balls. I wonder if I tried that how long it would take before I got dragged before the athletic director or worse.I really do appreciate the out of the box thinking though
Seriously.- Nov 4, 2013
- 37
- 0
4 Years ago I took over a high school program that was near death. They had had 5 coaches in the previous 4 years. That's right, 5 coaches in 4 years. Good players who attended the school refused to play for the school because they were embarrassed to put on the uniform. We had 17 girls show up for our first practice and we were supposed to field a varsity and a JV. We ended up with 19 girls that first year. Most of the time we played with 9 on varsity and 10 on JV. We won 2 games at the varsity level and 2 at the JV level. The 2 we won on varsity were against a team from a very small nearby town that is two classes below us. It was about as bad as anyone around here has ever seen. That second season we decided we were going to build a program. We did fundraisers with the girls and earned enough to buy new uniforms, hitting shirts, batting helmets, sweatshirts etc. It sounds simple but having new uniforms helped make the girls take pride in the program. We actively went to middle school games and travel ball tournaments and talked to players and parents we knew would be coming to our school. Sold them on our vision for the program. Made them understand that they could and should be part of turning the program around and not just avoid the program because of what it had been in the past. Mostly we assured everyone that this coaching staff isn't going anywhere. We are going to be here and go through this with you.
On the field we decided we couldn't fix everything at once so we picked two things to focus on. We picked these based on our personnel, so you may pick different things to focus on. We focused on being the best base running team in the state and on making all the easy plays on defense. If we were going to win games we had to make the most of the limited base runners we got and we had to limit the other team to three outs every single inning. We practiced base running every practice. Not just as an after thought which is how base running is usually practiced, but we really practiced it. We wanted to be aggressive without being stupid. We got the girls to buy in to understanding we couldn't win playing station to station. We couldn't wait around to get 4 hits to score a run. We needed to come up with ways to score runs without even getting a hit. That meant having discipline at the plate, taking walks, bunting, stealing bases, taking extra bases when we did get hits, hit and run, bunt and run, anything we could think of. When we practiced base running we practiced our defense against it and we got better.
2nd year we won 10 games. Third year we went backwards again and won only 8 games. Last year we won 17 games and finished 3rd in the state tournament with 7 girls who lived through that first 2 win season four years ago. The tears in the eyes of those girls as they received their 3rd place medals made everything worth it for me. Those 3rd place medals meant more to them than any Olympic gold medal anyone has ever won.
My point is, you have to embrace this challenge. Don't let anyone tell you or the girls that they can't do it. You have to have a plan. If you plan to be around for awhile you need to build a program. If you do it can really be a lot of fun. It was a lot of getting our heads beat in too. Good luck.
On the field we decided we couldn't fix everything at once so we picked two things to focus on. We picked these based on our personnel, so you may pick different things to focus on. We focused on being the best base running team in the state and on making all the easy plays on defense. If we were going to win games we had to make the most of the limited base runners we got and we had to limit the other team to three outs every single inning. We practiced base running every practice. Not just as an after thought which is how base running is usually practiced, but we really practiced it. We wanted to be aggressive without being stupid. We got the girls to buy in to understanding we couldn't win playing station to station. We couldn't wait around to get 4 hits to score a run. We needed to come up with ways to score runs without even getting a hit. That meant having discipline at the plate, taking walks, bunting, stealing bases, taking extra bases when we did get hits, hit and run, bunt and run, anything we could think of. When we practiced base running we practiced our defense against it and we got better.
2nd year we won 10 games. Third year we went backwards again and won only 8 games. Last year we won 17 games and finished 3rd in the state tournament with 7 girls who lived through that first 2 win season four years ago. The tears in the eyes of those girls as they received their 3rd place medals made everything worth it for me. Those 3rd place medals meant more to them than any Olympic gold medal anyone has ever won.
My point is, you have to embrace this challenge. Don't let anyone tell you or the girls that they can't do it. You have to have a plan. If you plan to be around for awhile you need to build a program. If you do it can really be a lot of fun. It was a lot of getting our heads beat in too. Good luck.
- Nov 4, 2013
- 37
- 0
We were not really recruiting. We were just talking to kids and parents we knew were coming to our school the next year or in two years. We never went to kids who were going to other schools and tried to get them to come ours instead. We just wanted to get the girls already slated to come to our school to actually play once they were there.
I thought this was the norm. I have yet to meet a coach outside of college or pro who hasnt spent more on the teams than he has made. I, myself have never made a dime off coaching and probably have easily spent near 5 figures. Dont tell my wife.
Buying gear, uniforms, equipment, paying team fees, running clinics, renting practice facilities, paying umpires, buying dinners for kids, on and on. Goes with the territory I thought.
For some reason, doesnt seem to be the norm for boys sports though. Parents find the money for that usually...
Art go to the thread Model fielders It will show you some things on here if you look at the overall picture you can see how the fielders are rotating. Remember the girls you see on that thread are some of the best you will ever see and look at how close some of those plays are.
This is not baseball. Have your SS cover the bag at second on a steal even with a right handed batter Second baseman backs up the play and the center fielder backs up everyone. The game is so fast that most second baseman don't have time to run to cover the bag, get into postion and turn around to make the play. If you have your second baseman cover then teams are going to bunt you to death cause no one is covering first. Girls are going from base to base in 3 seconds. Played a game once and bunted 9 times in a row. Scored 6 runs. Bunts are big.
Fielders in softball play closer to home plate. SS and second basemen play up near the line, not back near the grass. Third and First play in a lot closer, lots of the time they are 50' or closer when the pitch is thrown.
Get the OF thinking like infielders. They need to backup plays and cover bases. If a girl is stealing second the outfielders DON'T stand there and watch. LF runs to back up 3b in case of an overthrow. Cause you can bet a good baserunner is thinking pop up and run to third. RF has to back up 1b in case of a rundown. Any overthrow that gets through can cost you 2 more bases. It is not baseball where an overthrow to first the runner might get to second. If you overthrow first and RF is not there backing up, that player is going to third.
If your catcher is walking a runner back to third then the 1b has to hustle down to back up home plate. You want your P in the circle. Use the look back rule.
Learn the LOOK BACK RULE!!!!
Facemask are not frowned upon. Get them for the P, 3B, 1B. When you see a fake bunt slap hit and how close the 3b is then you will understand.
Everyone has an opinion on how to handle a bunt. I am looking at your team as how I would coach younger girls. They are still learning basics. You need to make them understand three B's. Ball, Base, Backup. No player stands still. No Player jogs. If you don't like running then go play soccer cause softball is fast. Here is how I teach a basic bunt defense. 1b, 3b, P, all crash home plate. Even the catcher goes after the ball. This takes practice cause they need to call the ball. 2b covers first RF backs up. SS covers second CF backs up. LF covers third hopefully P backs up. You need to get ALL the girls moving. As time goes on then I teach them who peels off (like a bunt down the first base line taken by 1b, 3b turns around and RUNS to cover third) to back up or cover third. But to start I like to get them all moving then add more.
if your catcher doesn't have the strongest arm then teach her to bounce it into second on a steal. The ball gets there faster and you have a dirt infield to help you.
When there is a bunt you have to take the out at first. You are not going to get a lead runner going to second or third. The game is too fast.
Later on then you can teach things like fake throws to first when a runner is on third.
If you bunt with a baserunner on first, that leadrunner should be rounding the second and looking to take third. If you are playing a weeker team and have a really fast girl on first a lot of times she can make it.
Any bobble is a base. If a SS moves 3 steps to her right to get a hard hit ground ball in the 5-6 hole a lot of the time the batter is safe. The game is fast. Get the ball, set you feet, throw, not get the ball, take a step, set your feet, throw.
Learn the rocker step for your base runners. They need to be aggressive on the bases. They need to get off the base as soon as the ball leaves the pitchers hand if not sooner. Any passed ball by the catcher means run.
Try to get a hold of a TB teams and see if you can come sit in on some practices and ask the coaches. If you get a chance go watch some 12u and 14u games in your area. Some teams are in places that they start playing scrimages in March.
You need to get the most out of practices. When the girls are warming up have them throw a few popups and ground balls to each other. Have them long toss then move in and do quickhands drills. Don't just stand there and play catch. Get the most out of practice.
This is not baseball. Have your SS cover the bag at second on a steal even with a right handed batter Second baseman backs up the play and the center fielder backs up everyone. The game is so fast that most second baseman don't have time to run to cover the bag, get into postion and turn around to make the play. If you have your second baseman cover then teams are going to bunt you to death cause no one is covering first. Girls are going from base to base in 3 seconds. Played a game once and bunted 9 times in a row. Scored 6 runs. Bunts are big.
Fielders in softball play closer to home plate. SS and second basemen play up near the line, not back near the grass. Third and First play in a lot closer, lots of the time they are 50' or closer when the pitch is thrown.
Get the OF thinking like infielders. They need to backup plays and cover bases. If a girl is stealing second the outfielders DON'T stand there and watch. LF runs to back up 3b in case of an overthrow. Cause you can bet a good baserunner is thinking pop up and run to third. RF has to back up 1b in case of a rundown. Any overthrow that gets through can cost you 2 more bases. It is not baseball where an overthrow to first the runner might get to second. If you overthrow first and RF is not there backing up, that player is going to third.
If your catcher is walking a runner back to third then the 1b has to hustle down to back up home plate. You want your P in the circle. Use the look back rule.
Learn the LOOK BACK RULE!!!!
Facemask are not frowned upon. Get them for the P, 3B, 1B. When you see a fake bunt slap hit and how close the 3b is then you will understand.
Everyone has an opinion on how to handle a bunt. I am looking at your team as how I would coach younger girls. They are still learning basics. You need to make them understand three B's. Ball, Base, Backup. No player stands still. No Player jogs. If you don't like running then go play soccer cause softball is fast. Here is how I teach a basic bunt defense. 1b, 3b, P, all crash home plate. Even the catcher goes after the ball. This takes practice cause they need to call the ball. 2b covers first RF backs up. SS covers second CF backs up. LF covers third hopefully P backs up. You need to get ALL the girls moving. As time goes on then I teach them who peels off (like a bunt down the first base line taken by 1b, 3b turns around and RUNS to cover third) to back up or cover third. But to start I like to get them all moving then add more.
if your catcher doesn't have the strongest arm then teach her to bounce it into second on a steal. The ball gets there faster and you have a dirt infield to help you.
When there is a bunt you have to take the out at first. You are not going to get a lead runner going to second or third. The game is too fast.
Later on then you can teach things like fake throws to first when a runner is on third.
If you bunt with a baserunner on first, that leadrunner should be rounding the second and looking to take third. If you are playing a weeker team and have a really fast girl on first a lot of times she can make it.
Any bobble is a base. If a SS moves 3 steps to her right to get a hard hit ground ball in the 5-6 hole a lot of the time the batter is safe. The game is fast. Get the ball, set you feet, throw, not get the ball, take a step, set your feet, throw.
Learn the rocker step for your base runners. They need to be aggressive on the bases. They need to get off the base as soon as the ball leaves the pitchers hand if not sooner. Any passed ball by the catcher means run.
Try to get a hold of a TB teams and see if you can come sit in on some practices and ask the coaches. If you get a chance go watch some 12u and 14u games in your area. Some teams are in places that they start playing scrimages in March.
You need to get the most out of practices. When the girls are warming up have them throw a few popups and ground balls to each other. Have them long toss then move in and do quickhands drills. Don't just stand there and play catch. Get the most out of practice.
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