Athlete Construction Level II: Building Bulletproof Softball Athletes and The US High School Softball Show

by Carol Bruggeman Teena Murray

Description

Athlete Construction has created a comprehensive program for serious players and coaches. In this course, coaches Carrol Bruggeman and Teena Murray show you how to maximize performance and durability for on-filed success. If you want to be a softball athlete this program is for you!

FEATURES:
- Intensive 12-week training program (adaptable to 24-weeks)
- 5 detailed workouts per week (3 lifts, 2 speed & conditioning)
- Video clips with audio explanation for all exercises
- Limited equipment needs
- Basic testing plan to monitor progress
- Effective progressions for optimal results
- Bonus manual with detailed training & performance nutrition information

Book this course......

US High School Softball 3 Featuring: Bella Bosquez - Class of 2023 See more athletes in action @ US Sports Net on YouTube

The Coach

Carol Bruggeman Teena Murray

NFCA Executive Director -NCAA Division I Softball Coach (Michigan, Purdue, Louisville)

Teena Murray is the director of sports performance at the University of Louisville. Murray worked extensively with professional, Olympic, and collegiate athletes. She is a master strength coach who also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Louisville and owner of Athlete Construction - a company dedicated to creating training resources for young athletes and coaches.

Carol Bruggeman has surpassed the 700-win milestone as associate head coach at the university of Louisville. In her eight years with the Cardinals, she has helped guide the perennial top 25 team to three Big East Conference championships and eight straight NCAA appearances. Book this course today!

US High School Softball: Defense: Fielding to Throw with Bonnie Tholl and Ainsleigh Albert 2022 Middle Infield/Outfield Softball Skills / Recruiting Video

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Increase your team's defensive prowess with drills, tips, and insights from one of the most respected coaches in the game. A solid defense is a must-have for all successful teams and this session will give you the jump start that you're looking for.

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Wolverine associate head coach Bonnie Tholl is in her 26th season as a member of the Michigan softball coaching staff and her 17th as associate head coach. A long-time fixture in the first-base coaching box, coach Tholl has been a part of all 12 of Michigan's Women's College World Series appearances, beginning in 1995 and most recently in 2016. Coach Tholl primarily works with the Wolverine defense and, off the field, coordinates the program's recruiting efforts. She has recruited 32 of the 38 Wolverine players who have received All America honors. Every four-year player since the 1991 recruiting class has been to the Women's College World Series. Book this course.......

GCU Softball vs Utah Valley (DH) Presented by CoachTube

 

Defense: Fielding to Throw with Bonnie Tholl

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Increase your team's defensive prowess with drills, tips, and insights from one of the most respected coaches in the game. A solid defense is a must-have for all successful teams and this session will give you the jump start that you're looking for. Book this course.....

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Innovate Inspire Coach

Wolverine associate head coach Bonnie Tholl is in her 26th season as a member of the Michigan softball coaching staff and her 17th as associate head coach. A long-time fixture in the first-base coaching box, coach Tholl has been a part of all 12 of Michigan's Women's College World Series appearances, beginning in 1995 and most recently in 2016. Coach Tholl primarily works with the Wolverine defense and, off the field, coordinates the program's recruiting efforts. She has recruited 32 of the 38 Wolverine players who have received All America honors. Every four-year player since the 1991 recruiting class has been to the Women's College World Series. Book this course.....

US High School Softball Featuring: Isabella Farina Class of 2022 Outfielder Softball and Softball Conditioning - Core Training is the Secret to More Power

Softball Conditioning - Core Training is the Secret to More Power

• Author Marc Dagenais

We know that the trunk plays an important role in softball.

More specifically, the trunk and the muscles of the abdominal region are responsible for (1) generating rotational power and (2) stabilizing the trunk which necessary to transfer a maximum amount of power from the lower body muscles to the upper body (the trunk links the two). The power generated by the trunk and the lower body muscles (transmitted to the upper body through a stable trunk) are vital for actions such hitting, pitching, and throwing. (Continued below......)

This episode of the US High School Sports Show is brought to you by:

Tewksbary Hitting

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(Continued......)As you can see, it's very important for a softball player to have a stable, strong, and powerful abdominal region not only to be successful on the field, but also to prevent injuries.

This is why proper abdominal training is so important. However, too many softball players don't train their abdominal region properly. Too often, most of their abdominal training consists of leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups. While these exercises help develop a "six-pack" and good-looking abs, they do very little to increase performance and prevent injuries.

The abdominal region is often referred to as the "core". However, the "core" is more than just the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle). According to many exercise specialists, the core can be defined as the lower trunk musculature. The major muscles of the lower trunk musculature are the rectus abdominis ("six-pack" muscle), the external and internal obliques, the transversus abdominis (deep internal abdominal muscle) and the erector spinae (lower back muscle). abs big Softball Conditioning Core Training is the Secret to More Power

Now, the problem with leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups is that they mostly target one muscle: the rectus abdominis ("six-pack" muscle) and while it may help make you feel good about yourself by developing good-looking abs, this muscle doesn't contribute to the generation of rotational power or the stabilization of the trunk (transmission of power from the lower to the upper body).

In other words, it is a pretty useless muscle in softball. So, if your routine consists mostly of leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups, you are pretty much shooting yourself in the foot!

Most of the influence in abdominal training comes from the bodybuilding field where the only goal is to make the abdominal muscles that you can see (mainly the "six-pack" muscle) bigger, more defined and good-looking. They really don’t care about performance but we do and that's why we need to do things differently.

To train your core properly, you must integrate into your routine exercises that will (a) involved many muscles of the core and (b) force the trunk to stabilize. The key is to target deeper abdominal muscles such as the transversus abdominis, a deep internal abdominal muscle that plays a key role in stabilizing the trunk and transferring power from the lower to the upper body. Any exercise that is not a leg raise or a floor-based crunch or sit-up (or a close variation of it) is likely to accomplish these two goals. Throw away that old-school and ineffective ab exercises and starts using innovative, highly effective core training exercises.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power and be more dominant on the softball field. 

Isabella Tomasura 2021 Softball Recruiting Video

Isabella Tomasura Softball Skills Video.
SS/2B/OF/Util.
 Bats right/left, Throws right.
Travel ball team: Diamond Girlz- Hampson
18U School: Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
player email: itomasura@gmail.com

 

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Project 172: Increasing Run Production

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Hear from the University of Kentucky staff on how they took a weakness from a year ago and turned it into a focal point for improvement with their team. From run production to the mentality surrounding improvement, this message from coaches Kristine Himes and Rachel Lawson is one you can implement with your own program. Book this course........

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Innovate Inspire Coach

Entering her 12th season at Kentucky, Kristine Himes handles many day-to-day dealings with the program and is responsible for the development of the Wildcats' infield. She has made a significant impact on Wildcat batters as well. On the field, UK charted an improved team batting average in six of coach Himes' first seven seasons in Lexington. Additionally, the defense has vastly improved, culminating in a program-record .977 field percentage in 2018.
Entering her 12th season as Kentucky’s head coach in 2019, Rachel Lawson is the winningest head coach in program history. She has guided the Wildcats to their first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance, six Super Regionals in the last eight seasons, and a program-best 50 wins in 2014. In five of the last six seasons, coach Lawson has seen UK earn a national seed, while her Wildcats have reached the postseason the last 10 seasons. Book this course.......

Kaili Aqui 2021 Softball Recruiting Video Presented on US Sports Net By Game Planner Pro!

Kaili Aqui 

Class of 2021 Torrey Pines High School, San Diego, CA

 MI / OF 

Throws: Right Bats: Lefty 

Slapper 

Travel Team: Breakers Labs 16U Black - Vega 

Player Profile: https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...

 

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Accelerate Your Offense

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Where else can you see two of the best short game players-turned-coaches collaborate on the ways to ignite your offensethis season? Don't put this off, you're going to want to hear what they have to say.

Lessons

1 Accelerating Your Offense 53:04

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Innovate Inspire Coach

Caitlin Lowe enters her seventh season on the bench, and first as associate head coach with Arizona. During her time, the Wildcats’ offense has posted one its most proficient six-year runs in school history. Under coach Lowe’s guidance, three of Arizona’s top eight batting single-season batting averages have occurred over the last six seasons. A four-time first-team NFCA All-American enterfielder, coach Lowe’s defensive expertise has made an immeasurable impact with the Wildcat outfielders leading to a .994 field percentage in 2017 and 10 outfield assists in 2019. 
India Chiles:
Owner and operator of Slapper Nation, India Chiles most recently served as a volunteer at her alma mater Tennessee. The 2007 NFCA First-Team All-American and SEC Player of the Year helped the Lady Vols reach Women’s College World Series three times, including a Championship Series appearance in 2007. Regarded as one of the best slappers in the game, Chiles started 176 games at Rocky Top, recording 204 hits and 157 runs.  Book this course.....

Mackenzie Del Rosario | Softball Recruitment Video | Third Base | Class of 2021 Presented on US Sports Net By Game Planner Pro!

2021 Mackenzie Del Rosario | Softball Recruitment Video |
Third Base Vanden High School (Fairfield, CA)
- Class of 2021 Current GPA (Sept 2019): 4.30
Travel Ball Team: PS 33 Academy
Primary Position: Third base Bats: Right Throws: Right Home to First: 2.89 seconds
Player contact: mackenziedelrosario2021@gmail.com
Vanden High School Coach Anthony Trujillo - atrujillio@travisusd.org
PS 33 Academy - Travel Ball Coaches Bonita Allen - jballens3@yahoo.com
Wes Archie - warchie24@hotmail.com

 

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3 Softball Drills To Do At Home

• By Brandon Ogle

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All while simply using regular household items to work on their game. It’ll not just get them more focused on the sport, but also at the same time, I’m sure you will see some rapid improvement with their on-field performance. Throughout this article, I’ll walk you through some at-home drills you can teach your players.
Drill #1: Posterboard Strike Zone
This drill you can do with a number of different things, but I’ll suggest using a posterboard. Grab some tape and create a strike zone on the board. Then, tape it about a foot off the ground. Once you have your strike zone built, head upstairs and grab a few pairs of socks rolled up (in other words, your softballs). The last item you’ll need is a camera. Anything will do here, you can even tell them to grab one of their parent’s phones. Set it behind where you’ll be pitching from and set it to record video.
Finally, now that you’re ready to practice, work on the motion of going through the windup and throwing the socks (i.e. softball) into the posterboard. With the video footage, you’ll be able to dissect the motion and overall throwing process. Some valuable insight that most youth players never evaluate.
Drill #2: Arm Strength and Hands Drills
A major part of being an effective softball player is having soft hands and a strong arm. An easy drill for this only requires a net or a wall. For the hands aspect of this category, all you have to do is throw the ball off the wall. This will allow you to practice various ground balls, short hops, and so on. Then, for arm strength, just use the wall as a way to practice throwing. Work on arm motion particularly here.
Don’t have a solid wall to use? No worries, just use a tennis ball and the garage. Trust me, it works just as well.
Drill #3: Take Some Cuts
This final drill might just be the simplest one for your players to practice. For this, they’ll just need a mirror and a bat. The player will get in front of the mirror and simply take full cuts while seeing in-person how their stance looks, as well as the swing. While it might sound like a nominal drill, it’s actually key to developing a consistent swing.
As for how often it would be recommended to do this drill, I’d suggest having them take 15-20 swings at a time on 3 different instances each day.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
In the end, one of your primary jobs as a youth softball coach is to develop the work ethic necessary to grow as a player and a person. Even though you won’t be working first-hand on these drills with your players, you will be the one responsible for growing their love for the game!

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More softball articles

Christiana Nichols 2021 OF Softball Skills / Recruiting Video Presented on US Sports Net By Game Planner Pro!

Christiana Nichols
Taylor Middle-High School Pierson, Florida
Graduation: 2021
GPA: 3.8
Positions: OF
Wagner's Gold - Smith

 

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Softball Strength, Conditioning, Nutrition, and Performance Articles From Bodybuilding.com

• Build Incredible Bat Speed For Baseball and Softball!
  

  No one knows more about improving bat speed than Bob Alejo (former strength and conditioning coach of the Oakland A's and now the Personal Conditioning Coach of NY Yankee's Jason Giambi). Learn how Bob gets his athletes to have a blazing fast swing!
• Hitting Tips and Drills For Softball.
  

  Check out these awesome hitting tips and drills for softball players. Practice drills included!
• Base Running Tips and Drills For Softball.
  

  Check out these awesome baserunning tips and drills for softball players. Practice drills and real lift game situations included!
• Throwing Tips and Drills For Softball.
  

  Check out these awesome throwing tips and drills for softball players. Practice drills and real life game situations included!
• The Best Bicep Workouts Of The Bodybuilding.com Forums
  

  What does everyone want to show off after years of training in a gym? GUNS! Everyone wants huge bulging biceps that peak like you have a softball under your skin. Try these bicep workouts for huge gains!
• BodySpace Member Of The Month: Dana Linn Bailey
  

  We admire anyone who puts in the effort to get on stage and compete, but please give us muscle! Dana splices attitude and amplitude.

NCAA Softball GCU vs Kansas City (Cancelled) on US Sports Net and Save Your Throwing Arm: A Pitcher's Guide to Strength Presented by BBcom

GCU Softball hosts Kanas City on March 20, 2020 at 5:00pm (8pm EST) at GCU Softball Stadium. (Cancelled Please enjoy replays of GCU Softball)

Save Your Throwing Arm: A Pitcher's Guide to Strength

Too many promising talents have seen their careers end on the surgeon's table. Don't be another cautionary tale! Take a proactive approach now to your self-care and training, and watch it pay off for years to come.

Dan Blewett

Arm injuries in baseball and softball have been on the rise in recent years, and it's proving difficult to pin down any single culprit. Of course, the repetitive, violent motion of throwing a baseball as hard as you can will always bring a risk of injury. But it doesn't have to be inevitable.
I have a unique perspective on the issue as a current baseball pitcher who's been through UCL reconstruction (aka "Tommy John" surgery) not once, but twice. I'm still pitching—pain-free—after my second operation. I also own Warbird Training Academy, a facility where we train a tremendous amount of baseball and softball players. Injury prevention is our first priority, and you'd better believe it takes some strategic programming to keep everyone healthy.
No matter if you’re an aspiring pitcher, or a coach responsible for one, it’s essential to focus on strength and health along with performance. Here’s what you need to know about caring for the elbow and shoulder, as well as safe training and throwing guidelines to help beat the odds.

Elbow: Strengthen but Don't Slaughter Your Forearm

The ulnar collateral ligament, or UCL, is a passive structure which can't be strengthened directly with exercise. The force produced in a pitch would tear the UCL instantly without the support of the muscles in the forearm that help reduce elbow stress. Thus, good preventive maintenance includes strengthening the hands and forearms.
Though strong forearms are essential, it's a good idea to use conservative loads with exercises like the deadlift and farmer carries. Increasing a weak athlete's deadlift to, say, 315 pounds can definitely increase performance on the field. But deadlifting 600 pounds is probably not going to yield much additional benefit for a pitcher, while exposing the elbow to tremendous distraction forces. The risk vs. reward isn't there.
Although I'm not aware of research showing negative effects of heavy holds, I tend to err on the side of caution and advise other baseball players to do the same. My short recommendation is to lift heavy enough to be strong, but not to the point where the risk of injury and joint stress becomes significant.

Forearm Strengthening Exercises

Power Rack Wrist Rollers: Wrist rollers are a great way to build strength and endurance in the forearm flexors and extensors. I prefer propping a long pipe on a power rack so that the shoulders aren't the limiting factor. A "power rack wrist roller" can be cheaply made at home with just a pipe, flat webbing, and a drill. Simply drill the pipe, thread in the webbing, and attach a weight.

Farmer Carries: For heavy holds, I advise athletes to use no more than 150 percent of bodyweight, in total. For a 200 pound athlete, this means no more than maybe 315 pounds on a trap bar or no more than 150 pound dumbbells per hand.
Forearm Six-Way: This circuit covers the six main movements of the wrist: wrist flexion, extension, pronation, supination, ulnar deviation, and radial deviation. This provides great balance to the forearms and is foundational in rehabbing from a UCL or flexor injury. This can be performed with a flat band or with dumbbells.

Shoulder: Take an All-around Approach

The throwing shoulder needs a combination of strength, endurance, mobility, and stability. Train for these different aspects by using a good mix of exercises from each category. Here are some of my favorites.

For Strength

No Money: The "no money" is simple and very effective for scapula retraction, depression, and external rotation strength. It gives great posture benefits, and is easy to perform for athletes of all ages. Perform 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps, 2-3 days per week.

Shoulder Mobility and Stability

Moving Blackburn: Moving blackburns provide high time under tension, strengthen the scapulae in numerous directions of movement, and help teach scapular awareness. It's important to focus on squeezing the muscles and directing your shoulder blades into the proper position. It's not enough just to lift your arms into position. Perform 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps, 2-3 days per week.

Chain YTL: The point of using the chains is to force the arm to stabilize as the chains slosh around. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps. Swing the chains up fast and hold them steady at the top.

Training Strategies to Reduce Injury Risk

Throw more, with less effort. Almost all medical professionals and biomechanical experts blame game-speed, intense-effort throwing for the increased risk of arm injury. Ligaments and tendons have a finite amount of stretch, and throwing at maximum effort brings them near their breaking point on each throw. When arms fatigue from high pitch counts and overuse, reports of pain increase accordingly.[1]
Throwing is crucial to developing arm strength and mastering different pitches, but this can be achieved without max-effort throwing. Throw more in practice sessions and fewer innings in games. Experiment with long toss, bullpen sessions, and flat-ground sessions.

Don't go low-carb. Glycogen, the form of sugar that is stored in the muscles for immediate energy, is an athlete's best friend. Arm fatigued? Your glycogen is depleted. Arm feels great? Your glycogen has had time to replenish.
Low-carb diets can leave an athlete with chronically low levels of glycogen, which will result in decreased velocity and stamina. A healthy diet that includes ample carbohydrate content is crucial for high athletic performance. Though your favorite bodybuilder or fitness model may go low-carb, or cycle their carbs, athletes have to take a different road. It's not all about six-pack abs; it's about performance first.
I can tell you that from my many years in baseball, my velocity and stamina on the mound are most consistent when my diet is consistent and my calories are high. Everyone's required calorie intake will vary, but carbohydrates should be present in all meals and plentiful during and after a game. Make sure your glycogen stores have ample nutrition to replenish and recover.
Throw changeups instead of curveballs until sophomore year. To be successful, nearly all pitchers will need a changeup in collegiate and pro baseball. The only population of pitchers who don't throw a changeup are late-inning relievers who throw much harder than the norm. Most pitchers will never fit this mold, so it's ideal to practice the changeup at a time when curveballs are more risky: when kids are growing like weeds.
Though biomechanically, curveballs are not more stressful than fastballs, one study indicates that there is a greater prevalence of arm pain in young pitchers who throw curveballs.[2] If you don't throw a changeup, check out my video tutorial below.

Take days off. Baseball is a sport of tradition, and tradition says to throw every day. Though throwing is crucial for long-term success, I recommend two days completely off each week. I'm entering my twentieth year as a baseball player, and my pitching skills have never disappeared overnight. Rather, the shoulder and forearm muscles recover faster with true rest, which will help ensure a pitcher is fresh for games.
Focus harder on mechanics. If your throwing mechanics aren't as good as they need to be, focused practice is the only way to clean them up. Pause, set yourself, and focus on the perfect version of yourself before throwing.

My Experience as a Hurt Pitcher

I'm privileged to still be playing, and as I write I'm completing my first season back from my second Tommy John surgery. I've thrown 60-plus innings in relief, have pitched well, and my arm feels as good as it has since I was 16. I'm throwing harder than at any point in my life, which is abnormal considering my injuries. I attribute this to a few things I've learned over the years:
Less is more. When I have days off, I don't throw at all. Nothing whatsoever. Recovery is key to staying healthy. This season, as a reliever, I've taken one day off per week and have felt good. In the offseason, I make sure to take a solid 6-8 weeks off from throwing to let my body heal. Then, I slowly ramp up my throwing volume to prepare for spring training.
Meter your throwing. Relievers like me throw in pregame nearly every day. We work on our pitches at a low-speed and try to "feel" all of them. I listen to my arm and meter the amount I throw. If I feel great and haven't pitched in a game, I'll stretch it out and throw more before the game. If I've pitched recently and don't feel overly fresh, I'll throw a little less. It sounds simple, but many guys throw too much when fatigued and it can accumulate, leading to injury and poor performance.
Routine is crucial. Young pitchers can learn a lot from pitchers who have been hurt. Once injured, you learn to be more regimented and consistent in routine. You throw exactly as much as you need to be prepared for the game. You work harder on your whole body to be well-conditioned, strong, and flexible. You learn to focus harder so you get more out of each throw. The goal is to give your body exactly what it needs; nothing more, nothing less. Cheetahs only sprint when there is something to kill. Injured pitchers are the same way.
Mechanics matter. Even as a pitcher who throws hard and has found success at a high level, my mechanics aren't perfect. And when they're off, my body feels it. My arm feels the best when my mechanics are well-timed and efficient. It always helps me to get input from coaches and other pitchers on my mechanics if my arm is hurting. There's often a mechanical tweak that provides relief.
Employing a good plan to strengthen the elbow and shoulder, and ensure that the throwing arm isn't overworked will provide the best chance for a baseball player to stay healthy for a decades-long career. As an added benefit, good preventative care provides a performance boost as well, so those same exercises and strategies that keep the arm healthy will push the player's development to new heights.
You've got nothing to lose by taking care of yourself, but everything to gain.

References

1. Fortenbaugh, D., Fleisig, G. S., & Andrews, J. R. (2009). Baseball pitching biomechanics in relation to injury risk and performance. Sports Health, 1(4), 314-320.
2. Yang, J., Mann, B. J., Guettler, J. H., Dugas, J. R., Irrgang, J. J., Fleisig, G. S., & Albright, J. P. (2014). Risk-prone pitching activities and injuries in youth baseball: findings from a national sample. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(6), 1456-1463.

About the Author

Dan Blewett

Dan Blewett is a professional baseball player and the owner of Warbird Training Academy in Illinois.

View all articles by this author

NCAA Softball: Bearcat Challenge Day 2 Live On US Sports Net Presented By BBcom (Lander, Virginia-Wise, Walsh, Emmanuel) and Base Running Tips & Drills For Softball.

Doug Spears Field
 | Jeff May Complex | Greenwood, SC
Schedule (Times are subject to change)
11:00 am - Virginia Wise vs Emmanuel
1:00 pm - Walsh vs Emmanuel
3:00 pm - Virginia Wise vs Lander
5:00 pm - Walsh vs Lander

Base Running Tips and Drills For Softball. From Bodybuilding.com

eteamz

Check out these awesome baserunning tips and drills for softball players. Practice drills and real lift game situations included!

Practice Base Running Drills 3-2-1
Place three balls equal distance apart about three fourths of the way from third to home. Have a runner (team 1) and have a fielder on third base and one one second base (team 2).
When you say "go", the runner must reach second base before the fielder fields and throws the balls to the fielder at second base. All throws must be accurate. If the fielders get all balls to second base before the runner gets there, the fielders get 1 point. If the runner gets there first, they get 1 point. Lots of fun!!

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Base
The runner is on the base in her ready position (ready for her lead off). Another player or coach is a short distance from her, in the basepath from first to second base. The coach holds a tennis ball at eye height. As the ball is dropped on a piece of flat wood, the runner leaves the base and attempts to catch the ball before it bounces off the wood a second time. The distance for this drill is determined by the skill level of the runners, but start out close so she can easily catch the ball and slowly move back to challenge her.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Baserunning Situation
I've been ending practices with this drill for many years. It works with either baseball or softball.
Split the team in half and form two lines at home plate, one staggered ahead and inside the other. The coach stands at the pitcher's circle with two bats. When he (she) hits the bats together, the lead runners in both lines take off. One runs straight through first base as if she is beating out a groundball, the other makes a turn and continues into second. You now have runners at first and second and two lines of runners still at home. At the next crack of the bat, the drill continues in the same manner but the runner on second now rounds third and scores while the runner on first takes third. Now every base should be occupied. It continues again, with the runner on third tagging up and scoring. Two runners will now score each time the bats are hit together. They will then return to the end of the opposite line and the bases will always remain loaded.
The coach can guage when the team has had enough and end the drill when the last player on line crosses home.
The drill allows for every baserunning situation, allows the coach to check running mechanics and proper turns and helps build stamina with short bursts. It's much more helpful than having the players continually circle the bases. You will find that the runner scoring from second will often chase the runner tagging from third home, making for a good game-type situation.

Submitted By: Hank Gola

Belt
Resistance Drills Equipment required: A belt and a short length of rope (about 10-12 feet long).
Put the belt around the waist of a runner and tie the rope to the back of the belt. Have another player grasp the rope and stand behind the runner with the rope taut. Have the runner lean forward while the other player holds the rope to keep her from falling. The proper running position is at about a 5-10 degree angle off vertical with her feet pointing forward, the back foot about 6 inches behind and 6 inches to the right (or left) of the lead foot. With the help of the rope holder, have the runner get into her running position and when she is, say "GO".
The runner runs about 10 yards with the rope holder applying resistance. You do not want too much resistance, just enough to keep the runner in the proper running position. Do this 2 times then have the runner "free" sprint over the same distance while the rope holder is putting on the belt. Then switch positions.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Out Of The Box
Out of the Box Drill: This drill is similar to the base drill, but this time the runner is a batter. The dropper is lined up a short distance from home plate in the basepath to first base.
Have the batter take a normal swing with a "bat" (use a fake bat, or top of a batting tee). As the "bat" enters the impact or contact zone, drop the tennis ball and have the batter run out of the batter's box and catch the ball before it bounces on the wood a second time. Once again, start out at a short distance and increase the distance to challenge the batters.
NOTE: Make sure batter's weight is balanced and not leaning forward or backward or she will take unnecessary steps to regain her balance before running for the ball. Also, watch the right arm and elbow (right-handed batters). The proper movement is to drive the elbow back and outside the hip to initiate the running sequence. Finally, watch the "bat" to make sure she does not "whip" the bat back to the right side and then run. The "bat" should be dropped by the left hand after the right hand has released it.
This drill teaches two things. The first is to get out of the batter's box quickly and with the least amount of steps and wasted movement. The second thing it teaches is to hit the ball and run. Not to HIT THE BALL, ADMIRE YOUR HIT AND THEN SAUNTER TO FIRST BASE.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Running Skills
Done everyday as part of warm up:

• Flexibility
• High knees- quick feet
• Long Strides
• Form run

Submitted By: Toby

Thunder Ball
Have a fielder on first base and one on third base (team 1). Place a ball on a tee or soft toss it to a hitter (team 2). The hitter hits the ball and runs to as many bases as she can reach before both fielders have touched the ball. For each base she reaches before the fielders touch the ball, her team gets 1 point. They all like this one!
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Game Situations Base Running
First And Third
Split up your team into two teams and have the catcher on each team make up signs for her players. One of the teams will play defense in the field, while the other team runs the bases. The team running the bases will begin with a runner on both first and third, with the object being to score a run.
This becomes a game of competition, with the team scoring the most points winning. The runner on first has only three pitches in which she must attempt to steal second base. A successful steal of second base will be worth one point, and a run scored will be worth three points. If the girl scores at second base and the other is out at home then they get one point and have one out. However, if the runner scores at home and the girl is out at second, the out does not count because the girl scored.
Defensively, the object is to stop the runner from scoring while also attempting not to give the runner second base on an easy steal. The catcher calls the play before the pitcher pitches the ball. Usually we play one or two innings and the losing team has to run sprints.
This drill really helps during the games and the girls feel more comfortable about the steal when there is a runner on third base. Additionally, the catcher feels more comfortable throwing the ball down with a runner on third base

Submitted By: Jessica Hunt

Leap Frog
We use this game to start the practice almost every night. It is fun and gets the blood moving.
Have your players lay on the ground in a circle with their heads toward the middle of the circle. Designate a player to start the action. When she starts, she gets up and runs over every player in the circle until she gets to an open spot (vacated by the first player she has run over)and then she lays down on the ground (usually falls down). After the starter has run over the FIRST player on the ground, SHE gets up and runs over every player until she finds an open spot (vacated by the FIRST player SHE has run over) and then lays down.
When played right, you will have 3 or 4 girls running over players and falling down at all times. The players love this game and it is a good warmup exercise.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Pickle
Place two bases 40-60 ft. apart. Only three people are needed. One at each base and one to be the runner. I recommend using tennis balls to avoid getting hurt.
The fielder with the ball should begin at the bag opposite the runner. Starting with his foot on the bag, the runner gets a 3-to-5 second lead toward the base in front of them. After they touch the first base and get a start back to the other base, the fielder they just ran from throws the ball to the other fielder to try and tag the runner out. If the ball gets past the fielder or they drop it, the runner can turn around after touching that base and run back to the other.
The runner would just go back and forth as many times they can until they get into a pickle. If the fielder catches the ball, they can run the runner back to the base like a real pickle situation in a game. The runner cannot get credit for this base because they didn't touch the other base, yet.
The goal of this game is to touch the bases as many times as you can without being tagged out. The runner must keep track of how many times they touch the base before a fielder tags them out. When that runner gets out, they rotate positions so that the fielders can be the runner. After everyone has ran, they compare their scores (bases touched).

Submitted By: Kate

Pickoff
This is a good drill for all aspects of stealing. Put players at each of the infield positions. Have the rest of the team put on helmets and line up at first base. The baserunners will each run the bases in this pattern: lead off, steal. Only one runner on the bases at time. The first runner gets ready on first. The pitcher pitches the ball and the runner takes a lead. The catcher attempts a pick-off at first and the runner tries to get back in time. On the next pitch the runner attempts to steal second and the catcher tries to throw her out. The runner proceeds with a big lead at second, stealing third and big lead off at third. The final pitch for that runner is a deliberate passed ball/wild pitch which gives the catcher and pitcher a chance to practice this play.
To encourage the runners to take big leads and to teach them what they can get away with we will place little pieces of candy in the dirt as a challenge. If they can grab the candy and get back safely, they can keep the candy. After they have done this drill a couple of times, allow the runners to do a "delayed steal" on their lead-offs. If the catcher throws to first, the runners can attempt to go to second. This way the catchers learn to recognize the delayed steal and run the baserunner back.
The drill gives the catcher a lot of practice throwing to the bases, allows the infielders to practice positioning themselves for and putting on the tag, and allows the baserunners a chance to practice leading-off and sliding before practice officially started while the coaches were taking care of some paperwork. The coaches decided to just sit a watch them coach themselves.

Submitted By: Gary Anderson

Scrambled Eggs
I got this one from Minnesota FastPitch. It is a great drill for sliding!!
Have 1/4th the players line up behind first base, 1/4th the players line up behind second base, 1/4 the players line up behind third base, and 1/4th the players line up at home. You will need to have a dozen or so eggs (not hardboiled). Give 2 eggs (one for each hand) to the first player in line at home. She has to run to first base and slide, with her hands up so as not to break the eggs. The first player in line at first base gets the eggs from the runner and runs to second base and slides. This continues until all the players have run and slid.
You will be amazed how few (if any) eggs are broken. We have never broken one!!

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Sprinting
This drill is for conditioning and control.
Player set-up
A catcher stands between first and second base with a discard bucket. The rest of the team stands between third base and home with gloves.
Ball set-up
Place three balls on the first baseline, spacing them a few feet apart. Do the same on the second baseline. Place 5 balls in the center of the field, vertically between catcher and player.
Drill
This drill should be run one player at a time. The player sprints to any ball on the field, and throws it to the catcher. (If the throw is not good, the ball is replaced by another player for a second try.) They then sprint back to where they started, and go after another ball. This goes on until all of the balls are in the bucket. This drill should be tiring, and should be run at a sprint. Time the players if they need motivation. The other players on the team should be cheering on the runner.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

The Running
My daughter calls this game, "The Running Game". It is also as old as the hills, but we use it almost every night in practice.
Have half of the team line up at second base and half the team line up at home. On the signal, one player from each team runs the bases until she reaches the base she started out at. When she gets there, she tags the next runner in line and she runs the bases. This is done until all the runners have run. Whoever reaches their base first wins. The other team has to pick up the bases.
This is usually the last thing we do at the end of practice.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Thunder This game has been played ever since the start of softball time. It is played with 2 teams. One team is at bat with a tee or soft-toss, the other team has one fielder on third base and one on first base. The batter hits the ball off the tee or from a soft-toss as hard as she can and runs as many bases as she can until BOTH fielders have touched the ball.
Keep score by counting bases reached before the ball is touched. After all batters have batted, switch sides.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Trees
We play at a location that has 1 field and quite a bit of open space. The open space had may trees spread out. Some were 15-20 feet apart while there were 2 trees that were 60-70 feet apart. The trees I picked were in a circle but they could be in any order. Get enough trees to make even teams. Get a stopwatch and time how long it will take to go 2-3 times around. On the second go-round players position themselves to locations where the throws they would make in a game. You would be surprised on the improvement in time.

Submitted By: Dennis

Vertical Leap 2
Vertical Leap Drills: Equipment required: 2 lengths of rope (about 15-20 feet long).
1. Static Jump: Have two players hold the rope LOOSELY in their hands at a height of the jumper's knees. From a stationary position facing the rope, have the jumper, jump over the rope using her hands and legs to propel her over it. If she does hit the rope, instruct the holders to drop it. Next raise the rope to half way through the thigh. Then to the top of the thigh. Do this twice.
2. One Step Jump: Have the holders hold the rope at knee height and have the jumper take a step and jump over the rope with both feet (jump rope style). Raise the rope to halfway through the thigh and to the top of the thigh.
3. Two Rope Jump: Have two sets of players hold two ropes. The first one is at the jumper's knees. The second rope is at mid thigh. Have the jumper stand in between the ropes and stretch out her arms. This is the distance between the two ropes. The jumper faces the first rope and takes a step and jumps over the first rope and immediately upon landing, she jumps over the second rope without taking a step. Do this twice. This drill improves vertical leap which is directly related to speed and quickness.
4. Lines on The Field: Equipment Required: Strips of cloth, small pieces of wood or chalk to make marks on the field (outfield). Have an area of about 60 feet to run in. Make lines (like hash marks) on the field indicating where players' feet should be hitting as they leave the base or batter's box. The first 10 feet should be short, but get longer as they build up speed. Place a marker at about the halfway point and tell the players that when they reach the marker to focus on pumping their arms faster. This drill will teach the proper way of defeating inertia by taking short steps at first and then pumping their arms to reach optimum speed.
NOTE: Watch for the proper arm position of 90-degree bend in the elbows. The hands go from chest to pocket. KEEP THE HANDS OUTSIDE THE EYES. Also, there is a direct correlation between the speed of the arms and the speed of the feet. As an instructional demonstration, have the players try to run slowly while pumping their arms as fast as they can. It doesn't work! The runner runs about 10 yards with the rope holder applying resistance. You do not want too much resistance, just enough to keep the runner in the proper running position. Do this 2 times then have the runner "free" sprint over the same distance while the rope holder is putting on the belt. Then switch positions.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee

Submitted By: Coach Mike

Balls Of The Feet
I get a lot of e-mail asking how to improve speed to first base.
First of all, you must realize that the game of softball is played entirely on the balls of your feet, regardless of what position you play. There are only 2 times when your heels should hit the ground.

1. In between pitches when you are relaxing
2. In the dugout in between innings.

To generate more speed you must realize the dynamics of running. If you are running with your heels hitting the ground first, you are actually pulling the ground toward you. This is not generating any speed. When you run on the balls of your feet and leaning forward, you push the ground away from you and this generates power and speed.
One of the best drills I have ever seen to improve strength in your stride (running stride) is to do static jumps. This is done by stretching a length of rope between two chairs or people (hold the rope very loosely). Hold the rope about waist high and from a standing start, on the balls of your feet, jump over the rope. You may have to start out lower, but get to the point where you can jump over a rope at waist high, then add a second rope a couple of feet away from the first. Jump the first rope and when you hit the ground, immediately jump over the second. This will improve your speed the first day you do it. Every day after that, you will see more and more speed.
The first few steps toward first base should be short, choppy steps and you must be still in a bit of a crouch and leaning forward. After about 10 feet, begin to straighten up just a bit and lean forward. When you reach almost halfway to first base, begin to pump your arms as fast as you can. This will make your legs move faster, and don't stop until you go past first base.
The key to faster times out of the box and to first base is to run on the balls of your feet. Do the drill and I am certain your will be a faster runner.

Submitted By: Coach Mike

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