Ways to improve as a coach?

[VikingSB]

Join NFCA. Invaluable!

As someone planning to join NFCA. What do you find the most valuable about your membership? How do you get the most out of it?

 

[Rick M]

As someone planning to join NFCA. What do you find the most valuable about your membership? How do you get the most out of it?

The practice plans, for sure. You don’t need to follow them to the letter, but they give you a great overview of setting goals and plenty of good drills for focusing on skill development.

Gunner mentioned keeping a binder, I’ve printed out the drills that I think would most benefit the players on my team and made a binder that breaks them down into infield, outfield, conditioning, full team, etc. It’s nice and easy to break that out when a practice feels like it’s running out of steam.


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[Gags]

As someone planning to join NFCA. What do you find the most valuable about your membership? How do you get the most out of it?

I may be confusing it with ABCA - but I think membership comes with liability insurance. I think you mentioned you're a school coach - they also offer access to legal counsel to assist if needed.

For me, it's the drills. I wish they still offered the print publication (it's now digital), as the stories on the long-time coaches help give me a history of the game. They have a travel-ball specific newsletter - I'm assuming they have one focusing on HS as well.

 

[VikingSB]

The practice plans, for sure.

Thanks for the reply. Since the beginning I’ve always jotted down drills I hear from fellow coaches or things I see in other teams pre-game routine. I have Google docs on top of Google docs that layout everything from off-season lifting, conditioning, position specific drills, pitch calling strategies, etc. I really should start printing them out so I always have them at the ready. I look forward to adding to my practice arsenal once I join NFCA.
I already have a “game day” binder sitting on the bench during every game for the players to do a quick refresh on 3B signs, coverages, our pitchers pitches, etc.

 

[VikingSB]

@Gags
I don’t remember seeing liability insurance but I could have misssed it, or it’s a ABCA thing. I was happy when I saw the website said print or digital but there was only a digital option when signing up. I get so much more out of physical copies.

 

[Lemond]

As someone planning to join NFCA. What do you find the most valuable about your membership? How do you get the most out of it?

For me, the drills have been great, but the mentoring opportunities have also been spectacular! I’ve had the opportunity a few times to engage in their mentoring workshops, and have gotten to speak one on one with 2 or 3 hall of fame coaches, and many other longstanding college, HS and TB coaches.

Also, I know it’s a stretch for most people’s time and budget, but the annual conference is a GOLD mine of ALL things fastpitch from coaching forums to field maintenance, equip, gear, etc.

The amount that everyone there was willing to share and teach was nothing short of amazing!

If you can scrape together the time and money, well worth it!! (This year in Kentucky.)