Youth Softball Coaching Clinic: coaching youth softball tips

Showing posts with label coaching youth softball tips. Show all posts

Friday, August 19, 2011

How to Choose the Best Softball Clinic

How to Choose the Best Softball Clinic
By guest author: Monica Martinez

When looking for the best softball clinic to attend there are a couple of important things to consider. First would be the knowledge of the coaching staff. Then you would need to consider the experience of the coaching staff. Then ask yourself, "How much one on one coaching am I going to get?" "Will I be seen by elite college coaches?" and "Will I be getting my money's worth in such a camp?"

When considering knowledgeable clinicians, one must expect that the clinician has played or coached at the highest levels. These levels would include the PFX (Professional Fast pitch Extreme), the USA National team, and the top college programs. One would also expect the clinician to have good communication skills, a great attitude and a lot of information to provide. Clinicians should be able to humanize and personalize the road to success in softball. The clinician must also be able to access a players skill level and approach it in a way that every player in learning.

Obviously the ideal number of campers per instructor would be one to one, however that is unrealistic. Realistically a good number would be one to ten. A great number would be one to five. In such a group, players can not only get information that matches their specific needs, but are also able to improve their skills with teamwork.

Besides getting top level information, a quality softball clinic should also allow the campers to showcase their abilities to college coaches of varying levels in a fun environment. This will allow campers of all skill levels to show off what they have learned, what they can provide to possible college teams, and quite possibly could gain rewards from their hard work such as recognition by top notch college coaches.

Most people when looking for a softball camp, look for a facility that they feel will be worth their money. These types of camps obviously would include a camp that provides knowledge that can be learned at that specific time and place and also information the players can use then they get back to their team. The clinicians of the camp would also be expected to teach the player in a positive and fun environment so the player can feel like they enjoyed learning. Players should also be expected to hear from the clinicians what softball life is like after high school.

In looking for a knowledgeable and experienced coaching staff remember to find one with a small coach to player ratio, a camp worth your time and money, and quality time to showcase the campers to top notch colleges.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monica_Martinez

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Softball Coaching Tips on Things Your Softball Team Should Always Focus On

Softball Coaching Tips on Things Your Softball Team Should Always Focus On
By Marc Dagenais

It's easy to get distracted when you're a softball coach. You have schedules to deal with, and you also need to train your players on top of that. And it can get even more confusing with the training part. What specific things should your team focus on? How do you measure your team's progress?

Don't get frustrated, though. If you feel like you're losing control over your team, let me show you how you can keep your players well-trained minus the stress. The secret: it's all about focusing on the basics. This softball coaching tip especially applies to coaches handling 16U teams.

What should the basics cover? Let me show you some of the important things your softball team should always focus on:

Hitting and pitching

Obviously, if you want to train your players with the basics, you need to start with hitting and pitching. With hitting, teach them how to hit the ball consistently. This involves teaching them the proper hitting mechanics, plus showing them how to track the ball, from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand to the time they already need to hit the ball.

Also teach your players how to bunt. Your team doesn't always need to aim for a homerun. Bunting is a useful skill if you want to have more runs, for example.

Then there's pitching. For one, you should help your players develop their core muscles, found at the trunk. Developing these muscles help them transfer power from their legs to their upper body, which translates to faster throws.

Running Bases

What most inexperienced softball players don't realize is that you don't just run like heck to another base and call it baserunning. To properly do that, you need to know when to do it, and when you shouldn't. Your players need to consider the overall situation of the team on the field before making a run.

Aside from that, they also need to develop their sliding skills along with this. Proper sliding enables your players to get to the base faster, while minimizing the chances of injury.

Decision making

This skill comes with experience. But building experience doesn't necessarily mean your team always has to play in competitions. You can improve their decision making skills by letting them play specific game situations during practice.

Showing them how to react during particular game situations enables your players to make decisions as soon as they recognize a similar situation in actual games.

Communication

Teaching your players how to make decisions quickly also involves helping them improve communication among their teammates. It may involve the use of signs, but whatever you do, show your players how they can elevate their communication to a level where they no longer need verbal communication just to get their message across.

Again, it all boils down to teaching your players the basics, especially if they're inexperienced. They need the basic skills in order to perform much more difficult skills required at the elite level. The basics should be the main thing your softball team should always focus on.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3095484

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Hit2win.com - Free drills, tips, videos & articles

Monday, March 28, 2011

Kids Softball Drills - Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Kids Softball Drills - Fun Drills for Beginning Players
By guest author: Becky Wittenburg

Start with the Basics

These kids softball drills teach the basics -- hitting, running, throwing, and catching -- in fun, simple ways that beginners will understand and enjoy!

Don't Miss

This hitting drill emphasizes making contact with the ball and correct placement of the bat once the batter has hit the ball. You will need a tee, a ball, a bat, gloves for each player, and a hula hoop.

Divide the team into two sides. Fielders will play as usual. Batters take turns hitting from the tee, focusing on making solid contact with the ball. Once they have hit the ball, they must toss their bat into the hula hoop on the ground next to home base before they can run to first. If the player misses the ball or knocks the tee over, it's a strike. After three strikes, the player is out. The player is also out if they don't place their bat in the hula hoop before running to first.

Red Light/Green Light

This kids softball helps beginners get used to running with a glove and ball in their hands. Each player will need a glove with a ball in it. Have the players form a line facing the coach, who is about 60 to 90 feet away.

The drill begins when the coach turns away from the players and yells "green light." The kids run toward him/her as fast as they can, making sure to hold on to their balls. Periodically the coach will yell "red light" and spin around. If the coach sees any of the players moving after he/she has called "red light," those players are out. The first player to get close and tag the coach out wins.

Hit the Coach

This is a fun beginning softball drill to teach throwing accuracy. The kids form a line facing the coach, each one holding a small foam ball or other type of soft ball.

When the coach says to begin, the kids all try to hit him/her with their balls while the coach tries to avoid getting hit. The kids can run to retrieve their balls after they have thrown them, but they must throw from the starting line. Once the coach has been hit three times, the kids get to make him/her do something silly, like a dance or animal noise.

Look Up

This softball drill for kids teaches beginning players to catch fly balls in the outfield. When first learning softball, many kids are afraid of looking up to catch the ball. This drill will ease them into feeling comfortable catching from below.

This drill requires small foam balls and as many tall people (coaches, assistants, or parents) as possible to stand next to the kids and drop the balls over their heads. The kids look up with their hands raised and try to catch the balls. At first they should use both hands and no glove to get used to catching with both hands. Eventually they can move on to using gloves.

And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/
Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for kids softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5181142

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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Softball Drills - Quick Drills to Get Players Fired Up

Softball Drills - Quick Drills to Get Players Fired Up
By Becky Wittenburg

Some traditional softball drills have been around since the beginning of the sport for a good reason: they get the job done. These drills are simple and easy to explain, and they get players in shape and fired up for the game.

Hitting Drills

3-Player Bunt: This softball drill requires two players to pitch and one to bat. The pitchers alternate pitching and the batter bunts back to the one who pitched.
Broomstick Hitting Drill: Hit whiffle balls with a broomstick to work on batting technique. First use the right hand, then the left hand, and then both hands.
Hitting Machine Drill: Fill the hitting machine with three different colored balls. Have the players bunt on certain colors, take certain colors, and hit away on other colors.

Running Drills

Base Running Drill: This drill helps increase endurance and base running technique. Have the whole team run the bases 10 times, but pace it so that they jog the evens and sprint the odds.
Indian Relay Drill: The team runs laps in a single file line, and the player in front holds a ball. When the first player is ready she tossed the ball up in the air and runs to the back of the line. The second girl now leads the line and carries the ball until she is ready to move to the back, at which point she tosses the ball up for the next player.
Base Stealing Drill: Players form a line facing the coach. At the coach's signal, they lead off the imaginary base. If the coach signals to return to the base, all players dive back to the imaginary base. If the coach signals to continue, all players spring to a designated area.

Fielding Drills

Rapid Fire Drill: For this softball drill, a coach or player quickly bats to various positions on the field, and the fielders throw to designated areas. This drill has a lot going on at once, but it is good practice for focusing on fieldwork.
3-Second Drill: This drill helps infielders quickly locate the ball and throw it where it needs to go. One player stands behind the fielder and gently tosses a ball at her feet. The baseman locates the ball and has three seconds to get it in a teammate's glove across the infield.
3-Player Pivot Relays: Divide the team up into groups of three and have them form lines spread out across the outfield. Race to see who can complete the following drills, using the catch, pivot, throw method:

· Throw down the line and back, 1-2-3-2-1

· Throw down the line three times and back

· Make them think using the 1-3-2-3-1-2-3-1 pattern

And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/

Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

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Monday, August 30, 2010

Infield Drills: Ground Balls, Back Hands: Softball

Infield Drills: Ground Balls, Back Hands: Softball
Posted on Youtube by almarksports

Great Hands Fastpitch Softball Training Glove www.greathandsglove.com

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Friday, August 27, 2010

Fastpitch Softball Quick Tip # 337

Fastpitch Softball Quick Tip: The Stride in Hitting
Posted on YouTube by mavenvideo

www.mavenvideo.com

This quick video shows the common incorrect strides taken when hitting. It also goes into the way to fix it. This section is featured in its entirety on, The Secrets & Fundamentals For Hitting The Rise VHS.

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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Softball catcher stance

Fastpitch Softball catcher stance
Posted on YouTube by jebadoa

The proper set-up for a softball catcher. Former UofA player and coach Jody Pruitt explains the proper setup and stance for a catcher. From "Catching to Your Abilities" on www.GapToGapSoftball.com

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Softball Pitching Drills - The One-Knee Drill

Fastpitch Softball Pitching Drills - The One-Knee Drill
Posted on YouTube by softballperformance

http://www.softballperformance.com/ - Lauren Bay, star pitcher and Olympian demonstrates an excellent drill to increase your pitching speed and technique.

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Monday, August 9, 2010

Youth Softball - Things You Should Know

Youth Fastpitch Softball - Things You Should Know as a Parent
By Guest Author Blaine F Johnston

People who love softball often take their family to play this sport, including their children. This activity can enhance their skills, especially if the parents want the children to be professional players. However, there are several things that parents should know before starting to do efforts to make the children like softball superstars.

For you who do not have any idea about this sport, you can try to understand that softball is sport game played by nine players in a team. The game needs two teams that alternate between offense and defense. The team who makes more runs than the opponent team will be the winner. In addition, it can be played for both girls and boys, so it eliminates your worries that your kids will be rejected.

This game requires several skills that include strength, teamwork and craftsmanship, eye-hand coordination, and also some position-specific skills like running, pitching, and fielding. That is why the minimum age to play this game is 4 or 5 for tee ball and 7 or 8 for player-pitch teams. A kid needs to be patient and attentive enough to deal with the slower pace of baseball. In addition, the kid should be team-oriented, as the game requires team coordination to win.

If you put your kids to a softball course, you will find that they spend a lot of time lingering in the outfield. Physical activities are not done too often, but the play will become more athletic and aggressive depending on their growth. You should provide the suitable equipment that fit their body well. You can go to stores and ask the shopkeepers or even go there with your kids to know which ones that fit them perfectly. Things you must buy are uniform, gloves, cleats, batting gloves, and batting helmets. The price may vary, but the equipment for beginning players is mostly cheap.

Then, you need to consider the potential injuries that possibly happen during the game. That is why you should know the tricks to prevent injuries, such as using softer balls to reduce injury factors. This kind of ball is often used by younger places as it is well known for the ability to reduce the risk and severity of head injuries. Then, you can also reduce the risk of ankle sprains and other injuries by giving your kids breakaway bases, or also called safety-release bases.

There are several conditions you may find after certain periods of play. If your kids throw too many pitches, they can experience an overuse injury. In a response to this, you can make sure that the kids get plenty of rest for their arms. The coach may even ask you to do this. Further, you can get some tips to prevent the injuries by contacting the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

You can buy a baseball softball pitching machine to enhance your kids' skill of hitting. However, there are also other types of softball pitching machines available on markets that you can choose base on the kids' needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blaine_F_Johnston

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

7 Tips for Successfully Coaching Youth Softball

Article by Guest Author: Marc Dagenais

When coaching a youth softball team, the first thing you'll realize that it's difficult. In fact, a youth softball team is a lot more difficult to handle than teams with older and more experienced players.

There are a number of reasons for this. First is that young players don't have enough knowledge and experience yet on how softball works. So you practically have to start from scratch when working with them. Another is that they're kids, and you know that kids are a little bit more difficult to handle than adults. And finally, you also have to deal with their parents. Putting parents into the mix makes things a lot more challenging.

Yes, it's a challenge to handle a youth softball team, but it's something you can do with the right attitude and skills. Successfully coach your youth softball team with these 7 tips I have for you.

1. Learn as much as you can. Coaching isn't just about teaching your players how to do things correctly. It's also your job to learn as much as you can about the game, about handling your players and dealing with them.

You can learn these through books, seminars and other reference materials that will help broaden your understanding of the game and the psychology of handling a team. Invest on these materials because you'll be needing them if you want to coach your team well.

2. Start with the basics. When you're teaching new concepts to your players, keep things as simple as possible. I mentioned earlier that young players don't have the prior knowledge yet of how softball works, so don't expect them to understand softball jargon and other complex concepts the first day they step on the practice field.

What you should do instead is begin with general concepts about the game. From hitting to throwing the ball, keep your instructions clear and simple. They'll understand you a lot easier that way.

3. Keep things fun. Kids love playing games. And what's more, they learn things much easier when they're having fun. So instead of putting them through grueling drills and practices, design fun drills that they will enjoy instead.

When they're having fun doing the drills, they won't perceive these drills as work, making them more open to learning new concepts. And an open mind is what you need from your players because they'll be able to absorb more instructions from you with that.

4. Start them early on safety and sportsmanship. The kids that you're handling are looking for role models, just like any kid would. That said, you're in the position of setting for them good examples on how to become a good softball player beyond merely learning the skills.

So constantly remind them how to play safely on the field. Show them how each safety gear works, teach them to eat right and drink water or sports drinks regularly.

And teach them sportsmanship as well. Show them that losing isn't the end of the world. Show them how to accept defeat graciously. These things that you teach them will come a long way, even after their softball career's over.

1.Understand how kids develop. It could be tempting to boot out a player from your team if he/she plays poorly. Things like this happen in real life in regular youth softball teams, but try to avoid it happening in your team as much as you can.

Remember that you're dealing with kids, and some kids don't develop their skills as quickly as the others. So give them the chance to learn more from the game, and decide only when they have matured enough.

1.Be patient. These kids barely know anything about how softball works. And so, teaching them concepts they don't seem to understand can be frustrating at times. But that's a part of the challenge.

Be patient with them even if it's frustrating. Hang in there because the longer you stay with them, the more they learn from you. And you'll be surprised at the end of the season how much they've grown in terms of playing the game and their understanding of it.

7. Keep parents on your good side. Parents of your players will come in tons of varieties. Most are generally friendly, although others can be a pain to deal with.

What you should do instead is try making friends with them. Build relationships with these parents. Listen to them if they have suggestions on how you can get more wins for your team, but also remind them who runs the show. Otherwise, other parents might try to take too much control of the team, which can be detrimental to your team's overall success.

We're of course just at the tip of the iceberg here. It takes a lot more to successfully coach a youth softball team. It takes experience, the knowledge, and the willingness to learn from your peers and your players to get you there.

But the ones I've listed above provides you with the basic tools that will guide you throughout your coaching career. It's tough, but don't forget to enjoy the ride and keep on learning.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:

About Marc Dagenais:

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, be mentally tougher, and more dominant on the field. He also helps coaches win more games and get more out of their team.

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