Carolina Fire: Tips for Players
Advantage: Pitcher - Strategy: Short compact swing
In the table below, are national averages for girl’s fast pitch pitchers in the various age groups. While 44-47 miles per hour may not seem like a lot, realize that the 12-Under pitcher throws from 35 feet. What that means is at 44 miles per hour, traveling a distance of 35 feet, it takes the ball only .548 seconds to reach home plate. At 53 mph, from 35 feet, it takes the ball only .450 seconds to arrive. What we are talking about here is that our 11 and 12 year old hitters need the same reaction time that a professional baseball player needs who is facing a 91 mph baseball from 60 feet. Can you say Tom Glavine?
Fast pitch Age Group Distance Typical Speed
(MPH)Top Pitchers
(MPH)Reaction Time
(seconds)Baseball
Equivalent
(MPH)10-Under 35 feet 37-41 43-46 .645 ~ .519 63-79 12-Under 35 feet 44-47 50-53 .542 ~ .450 75-91 14-Under 40 feet 46-49 52-55 .593 ~ .496 72-82 16-Under 40 feet 50-53 54-57 .545 ~ .478 75-86 18-Under 40 feet 53-56 58-61 .515 ~ .447 79-92 College/Pro 43 feet 59-64 65-72 .497 ~ .407 89-101
On average, the batter has a little less than one-half second to get the bat on the ball. That means the batter has about .2 to .25 seconds to analyze the pitch, decide whether or not to swing, and if the decision is to swing, there is another two tenths of a second to decide where to put the bat and to physically get the bat on the ball. This is why many people who are knowledgeable in the game of fast pitch agree that hitting a fast pitch softball is one of the most difficult challenges in all of sports. The challenges for our pre-teens are the same as men who get paid millions of dollars to do the same thing. (I’ll stop with the editorials).
Strategy: The Compact Fast pitch Swing
In fast pitch, batters must take every advantage they possibly can in order to get the bat on the ball. So, how does the fast pitch hitter overcome the advantage that the pitcher has? Simply put: eliminate any wasted time, energy or motion in swinging the bat. The ultimate fast pitch swing is "short, quick and compact". It is also necessary to consider the benefits of the "rotational method" over the "weight-transfer method" (there are proponents of both in fast pitch). There are several aspects of the fast pitch softball swing that can be applied to baseball, but there are many flaws in the old-style baseball swing such as Ken Griffey’s long-looping, round-house, weight-transfer swing. In addition to reaction time, there is also a significant difference in upper-body strength between the 25-year-old male and the 10-18 year old female. That method of swinging takes way too much time for girls playing fast pitch.
The top hitting instructors in fast pitch today are teaching the short, quick, compact, rotational method.
Short – means keeping the hands close to the body, with the wrists remaining cocked until the point of contact, usually out in front of the batter’s front foot
Quick - means using explosive wrist snap at the point of contact. Hitters must learn not to "cast" or "bar out" by snapping their wrists too early in the swing. Many coaches refer to this mechanical flaw as a "sweeping swing". If wrist snap is too early bat speed at point of contact will be reduced. It is also advantageous to keep the swing plane level, to slightly downward, to drive into the ball.
Compact – means the combination of Short and Quick, but with the additional features of minimal stride, (usually the no more than the width of the hitter’s shoe), and a very slight pre-launch trigger, usually just a slight movement of the hands to make a "small reverse C" or "letter J".
Rotational Method – means that the player generates power with the lower body, by driving the back hip through the ball just after point of contact. Hitters are instructed to envision themselves as a pony on a merry-go-round, where they have a pole that goes from the top of their head, down through their body and into the ground in the middle of their stance (it is not as grotesque as it might sound), and that all they are allowed to do is rotate on the axis. This helps correct the flaw known as "lunging" which is heavily associated with the weight-transfer method of hitting.
Weight-transfer Method - proponents suggest that this method is designed to achieve more consistent contact, and that the rotational method can cause the front shoulder to fly open causing loss of power and contact. The debate continues in the world of fast pitch.
The ideal fast pitch swing starts from the ground and works its way up. Starting with the back foot, up the back leg, into the back hip, initiating the pre-launch trigger, into the short, quick, compact and rotational aspects concluding with pronounced follow through that is slightly up. If successful, the fast pitch hitter has reduced the obstacles to putting bat on ball.
Coach Paul's End of the Year Message (Click Here)
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What type of attitude do you display? Are you the player who makes an error on the field, shakes it off and comes into the dug-out saying "Lets go team" or "Lets not get down" and "We can get those runs back ......in other words, you let your attitude die with that error where it should be...... buried at the end of the play.
Or......
You make a bad play and make sure everyone knows that you are mad......mad at yourself because you did not live up to self-expectations of being perfect.....and when you come into the dug-out you pout and don't talk to anyone. But what does this do to help the team or you? Many players are quick to forgive a teammate's mistake and pat them on the back, but we fail to forgive ourselves and move on with the rest of the game. Sometimes a college or travel ball scout is in the stands and knows what you can do when things are going well, but they really take notice of how you react to a bad situation. Are you upbeat or do you bring yourself and everyone around you down, down, down. Softball is a game that does not stop or end because you are having a bad game, but rather it continues with the next pitch. Please take a look at yourself and decide if you are helping your team or if you are burying yourself and you teammates with self-pity and negative emotions? Keep your attitude from controlling you. Turn a negative situation into a positive one. Everyone will notice!
Be A Team Player !
Carolina Fire 10 and Under
Carolina Fire 12 and Under
Carolina Fire 14 and Under
Carolina Fire 16 and Under
Monday, August 1
Carolina Fire 18 and Under
Rights and Responsibilities
So, you have decided you want to play sports. Or maybe you are already on a team.
In this day and age it seems like everyone is talking about children's rights.
When you participate in youth sports you have certain rights also. This is not a new idea.
In a book, "Guidelines for Children's Sports", edited by Rainer Martens and
Vern Seefeldt and published by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation, and Dance in 1979, there is a list of 10 rights called the Bill of Rights
for Young Athletes. We are not going to reproduce that list here but instead want
to highlight the points they made.
What are your RIGHTS?
To have fun
To learn skills
To be coached as a child, not as an adult
To get to play your fair share
With these rights you have responsibilities that you must accept.
Among these RESPONSIBILITIES are:
To try your best at all times
To give your coaches the respect and attention they deserve
To be present and on time for all team activities
To respect the rights of your teammates
You must fulfill your responsibilities if you expect people to respect your rights.
DUTIES of the ON DECK BATTER:
1. Time the pitcher.
2. Know if the pitcher is "on or off". Is she struggling or in a groove?
Did she walk the last batter? If so, make her throw strikes! Know the situation.
Do you need to take some pitches to allow a runner to move into scoring position?
Watch the signs of your coach to the hitter ahead of you. Know what is happening!
3. Find the pitcher's release point.
4. When a baserunner is scoring, make sure the bat has been moved away from the plate for the runners safety.
Sometimes umpires forget. Be careful to not get an interference call.
5. Coach the runner. Help the scoring runner choose the proper "slide zone".
Tell the scoring runner if she must slide. If there is no throw, tell her "UP, UP, UP".
Keys to Staying Focused
The ability to concentrate is critical to successful performance in all sports, especially in softball. During each game, you have to turn your concentration on and off several times. When it is time to go to the plate, you have to turn on the concentration.
Total concentration is the ability to immerse yourself in a task without becoming distracted or pulled off task. Great players talk about concentration as being "in a bubble," or "in a cocoon" during which nothing can penetrate their focus. Concentration involves several elements. These include (1) knowing what cues to focus on; (2) staying focused on those relevant cues; (3) keeping a narrow and external focus; (4) the ability to shift attention when needed; (5) the ability to refocus when distracted; and (6) controlling your thought process. In this article, I discuss specific methods for sticking to the process and improving your focus.
(1) Stay Present Focused: To play your best, you must keep your mind in the present moment on the requirements of the task. This is easier said than done. It is easy to think about the last strike out you had or think ahead about the results of striking out. Know the task-specific cues you should focus on and be aware when you are not on task. Stop and refocus your mind on the task or on what you should think about to execute well.
(2) Only One At-Bat at a Time: To help you stay focused on execution, think about only the one pitch at a time. Separate each pitch from the rest and don’t think about the consequences of getting a hit. You don't want to be thinking about the last inning when you are at the plate in the middle of the game.
(3) Don’t Think Results: If you want to tighten up and make a controlled swing, then think about what you don’t want to do. Thinking about results, only creates tension and indecision. If you want to get good results, focus on execution. In an earlier article, I discussed how your at-bat routine should help you focus on specific cues to follow as you prepare for each at-bat. If you don't have a routine, the mind is free to wander aimlessly as you prepare for each pitch.
(4) Cue Yourself to Concentrate: Sometimes it’s hard to refocus when the last at-bat was 30 minutes ago. Lock in your concentration once it is your turn to at the plate. To help you click in, try using a physical trigger to focus your mind, such as tightening the Velcro on your glove before start. At this point you want to turn your attention to preparation and execution for the first pitch, and if anything else enters your mind, let it pass through your mind.
(5) Relax Your Focus While You Wait: Not to many people can focus continuously three hours. It is important to be ready to play when you are up, but you don't want to grind and overanalyze the entire game. After each at-bat, relax your focus and save your concentration for the next time at-bat. This will help you be “fresher” for the end of the round.
(6) Rehearse While You Wait: If you have trouble focusing your mind after a long delay, rehearse your at-bat before your up to play. For example, while on deck, imagine that you are at the plate taking pitches. You should be timing your swing with the pitcher and “seeing” yourself make solid contact. When it's your turn, you will be prepared to click in the focus because your have already rehearsed your routine.
The Mind of a Champion
by Dr. Alan Goldberg, Sports Psychologist
Good athletes are a dime a dozen" the coach said to me, "what I really want on my squad is an athlete with a good head on his/her shoulders!"
If you are serious as an athlete and have some important dreams that you're going after then you probably know how important it is to work on the physical part of your game. There's no substitute for hard work and consistent practice. You can't become a champion without having a strong foundation in the "basics." You need to learn the skills, understand strategy and build your body up both strength and endurance wise. You have to pay your physical dues to get to your goals. But don't be like most athletes! This is where most stop their training.
Hard work by itself is not enough to become a champion. You also have to be smart about your training and make sure that you train yourself completely. Most athletes train themselves partially, just physically. To train yourself completely and to become as good as you possibly can you have to seriously begin to work on the mental part of your game.
What's the mental side in sports? Ever choke before? Have you gotten psyched out or intimidated enough so that you performed poorly? How many times have you lost to someone that had no business beating you? Does poor confidence get you to quit before you have a chance to finish?
All of us have had situations like these happen to us in sports which highlighted the importance of the mental part of the game. Becoming a champion means that you have to understand what mental skills are involved in developing mental toughness, and then learn them. What are these so-called mental skills? The ability to handle pressure - to stay calm and composed at crunch time. The ability to concentrate on what's important and block out everything else. Having "reboundability" or being able to quickly let go of bad breaks, losses and other failures. The ability to avoid psych-outs and intimidation. The visualization skills necessary to help you best prepare for an upcoming performance. Knowing how to believe in YOU and to develop self-confidence. The ability to handle negativity and self-doubts and to think like a winner. How to motivate yourself and to set and reach challenging goals.
The good news is that anyone can learn to develop mental toughness. Even if the sound of the grass growing tends to distract you, you can still learn to develop the concentration skills of a winner! Mental toughness training will help you improve and take your game to the next level. However, one word of caution!
Sport psychology is not magic a magic pill. You can't expect these mental toughness strategies to really work for you if you've only practiced them once or twice.
All skills in sports need to be practiced over and over again before they will hold up under the pressure of big competition. Be patient with yourself and allow enough time for practice. The biggest mistake made in mental toughness training is the failure to practice sufficiently.
Where to begin? If you want to train the mind of a champion we must first begin with your mind. What kind of thoughts do you regularly have bopping around in your head before, during and after you perform? Your thoughts (what I call your "inner coach") significantly effect how well you perform. If your inner coach is negative, i.e. "what if I choke"..."last time you blew it"..."you're not as good as them" then your play will be negatively effected. Negative self-talk kills your confidence, tightens your muscles and distracts your concentration from the task at hand. Positive self-talk or "inner coaching" does the opposite. It keeps you calm. Loose and feeling good about yourself.
So if you're serious about beginning to develop the mind of a champion here's some homework for you. Review 2-3 really good performances from your past. Think back to where you were, who you were performing with/against. Specifically try to recall what you were thinking and saying to yourself before and during the performance. What thoughts did you have when/if you messed up? If an opponent beat you for a score, what did you think and for how long? When you made a great play what did you think? Write all these "inner coachings" down for each one of the performances that you picked out.
Next do the same for 2-3 really bad performances where you played much worse that your capabilities. Include all the self-talk for mistakes, setbacks and bad calls that may have happened during this performance. If you blew an easy shot on goal, double faulted or struck out, what kinds of thoughts came just before this happened? You want to try to discover how you "coached" yourself throughout this game/match.
Once you've finished this compare your inner coaching for both kinds of performances. Can you see any differences between the two? Usually good and bad performances have very different self-talk associated with them. Becoming aware of the negative self-talk that you feed yourself will be the very first step you need to take in order to develop mental toughness. Remember! Awareness is the foundation of change. If you think you're a mental midget right now, you can't start building up those "mind muscles" without first getting to know what's going on "upstairs" today.
One other strategy that you can try to help you develop this awareness is to begin to keep a "practice & performance journal." In it you record all your thoughts and self-talk related to practice and competition. What did you think about before practice? Once practice started? When the going got rough? When you messed up or the coach got on you? Keeping this kind of journal for a few weeks will help you speed up the process of awareness and ultimately help you build a strong foundation of mental toughness.
Ingredients of a Positive At-Bat Routine:
(1) Regroup and Get Control: Outside of the box, release the last pitch, it’s over, let it go.
Take a slow, deep breath as you prepare to step into the batter’s box.
When you step into the box, this says your mind is clear and you are focused on the next pitch.
(2) Have a Plan: Get signal from coach. Make sure you have a plan and commit to it before your step in such as “see the ball and react.” Do not proceed unless you are committed to a plan.
(3) See Your Plan: Rehearse your plan. You have a few options here. See it, “feel” it, hear the ball contacting the bat, or use a combination of all! Positive image here is necessary to feel confident and commit to plan.
(4) Focus on the Ball: Narrow your focus on the release point of pitcher as you settle into the box. Here, you are setting the stage to see it and react.
(5) React, Just do it: React to the ball freely. What’s important is to be free, natural, and loose. Don’t “guide” the swing-trust your mechanics. You may choose a cue word or phrase to help you “let it go,” such as “hit it hard.”
If your mind wanders for any reason (including negative results) stop and refocus. For example, if your mind wanders to the last pitch or worry about not getting a hit, stop, step out of the box, and restart your routine.
Focusing on the Process Leads to Good Outcomes
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How to have Fun Playing Sports
by Dr. Richard Stratton
When we talk to children like yourself who are participating in youth sport,
they tell us that what they want most in sports is to have fun, to learn new skills
and get better at the skills they already have, to develop physical fitness,
and to compete against other children. Your coaches try to do their best to help
you achieve these goals. But you have to help too! What can YOU do? Here are some ideas:
Always try as hard as you can, both in practice and in competition.
Remember that practicing your skills is the most important thing you can do to make yourself a better athlete.
Everyone makes mistakes when they play sports, even the very best athletes like
the professionals. Don't get upset at yourself or others when mistakes happen.
Just try harder the next time. No one is perfect.
Help your teammates to get better too. Encourage them, don't criticize them.
Pay attention when your coaches are teaching you skills or strategies.
Ask questions if you don't understand what they said.
Your parents may not know very much about the sport you are playing. Talk to them about your sport.
Explain how the sport is played. Tell them what you do in practices to learn your sport.
Is winning real important to you? Think about this little saying: To win the game is great,
To play the game is greater, To love the game is greatest.
Now get out there and have FUN!
Trash Talking: It is NOT Part of the Game!
by Dr. Richard Stratton
It used to be that participating in sports involved performing your skills and executing the plays you had learned. Now it seems that showing off and showing up the opposition has become a big part of sports. High fives, belly bumps, and end zone dances are only a few examples. It has reached the point that football has had to enforce excessive celebration penalties. Other sports have talked about or have included baiting the opponent penalties. It is hard to say why all of this behavior has started and why it has become so widespread. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with being happy about your accomplishments on the field, on the court, in the pool, or wherever. It does become a problem when your celebration is designed to make someone else feel bad rather than to make you feel good. Trash talking, in the vast majority of the cases, is done solely to make another athlete feel bad or make them mad. Some coaches teach trash talking and many athletes try to use trash talking to try to get the target of the trash talking to lose their concentration. The problem is that the player doing the trash talking also is not concentrating on their game. One CYS reader indicated that he had seen a quote supposedly made by Coach Bobby Knight in which Coach Knight said he would rather have his player concentrating on his play instead of thinking up a wise aleck remark to make. When you resort to trash talking to try to defeat someone else you are admitting that you can't beat them using skills and play execution. You, in essence, are admitting that you are not as good an athlete as they are. Think about that when someone tries to use trash talking against you. Remember that they are telling you that you are better than they are. Instead of getting mad and trying to retaliate with trash talking or worse, like fighting, just prove that they are right. Play better than they do. Cursing at your opponents, making negative comments about the color of their skin, their ethnic origin, or anything similar is totally inappropriate anytime, including sports.
