The Truth About Cancer Featuring: 4 Ways to Keep Your Lymphatic System Healthy and The Solution to Cancer, Treat the Cause And Not Just the Effect

Having a healthy lymphatic system is critical for your overall health and ability to fight cancer. However, many do not know of the lymphatic system. What's even more troublesome is that only a small percentage of doctors ever discuss lymph health with their patients.

Your lymphatic system provides a variety of immune functions that fight off infections, viruses, injury, and even cancer. Unlike blood circulation, the lymphatic system lacks a biological "pump," which means it relies on the body's movement of the musculoskeletal system to circulate. In other words, get your body moving! Keep watching the lymphatic system animation video to learn about these 4 easy ways to keep your lymphatic system healthy and properly functioning: Move your body! Particularly legs, arms, and/or torso. Diaphragmatic breathing benefits for the lymphatic system Rebounding for better lymphatic health Dry skin brushing a.k.a effleurage

The Solution to Cancer, Treat the Cause And Not Just the Effect

By: Alan Wighton

There is a solution to cancer and it doesn’t involve removing any cancer growths because the body can do that naturally and without any side effects. To remove cancer all you need is knowledge. The solution is to deal with the reasons why the cancer first grew instead of just treating the effect which is the growth. This system uses the powerful self-healing ability of the human body which everybody possesses. Surviving cancer is all about gaining knowledge and learning how the body itself can fight the disease. It should make absolute sense to everybody that the body can cure itself as it does with many aliments we suffer from, if it is given the right support. The human body is an amazing item because it has a built in self-healing system and all you have to do is to correct the factors that first caused the cancer to appear. Why aren’t we informed about this way of treating cancer? Treatments today are in place because they are all very good at making money. The reason why so many people are dying of the problem is because cancer is a deficiency disease and there is not a drug or a treatment to resolve that problem. It appears because of our modern way of living with our artificial food, the chemicals we use and our sedentary lifestyle. One hundred years ago cancer was a rare disease whereas today in developed countries it is affecting every third person over their lifetime. Ask yourself what has happened over these one hundred years and the answer is our food has changed; we no longer get the exercise that the human body needs, and the chemicals we now unwittingly use. Those are the main causative factors that will bring on a diagnosis of cancer. Many people believe that cancer develops without a reason but that is not true. All cancers are caused by the way we now live but because of our ignorance and the fact that we don’t have cancer prevention; we are kept totally unaware about the many products we use that are known to cause the problem. Removing just the growth with the three mainstream treatments doesn’t solve the problem. Cancer will only develop when our immune system has been weakened which has allowed normal body cells to grow without control and become cancerous. The growth itself is just a symptom so the only way to solve the problem is to remove the cause of the symptom. When you do that the body will self-heal using the body’s natural ability to repair itself. It is well known that cancer is a total body disease where the growth itself is merely a sign that something is wrong. Numerous studies have shown that a tumour that could not be cured 40 years ago still cannot be cured today with conventional treatments. The reasons why natural cancer treatments work so well is because they correct the root cause of the problem throughout the entire body. Once the causes are identified, reversing cancer is a simple matter. If we were told the truth about cancer we could then make important decisions with our treatment options. Patients deserve to know the truth and to be able to make choices based upon genuine information. Sadly that is not the case today. Alan Wighton is an experienced natural therapist specializing in nutrition.

NCAA Basketball NIRSA Men's Regional Basketball Championship Live and Choose Your Implement: Strongman Training For Sports

NIRSA Men's Regional Basketball Championship at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ.

Choose Your Implement: Strongman Training For Sports from Bodybuilding.com

Michael S. Palmieri, CSCS

It's easy to get caught up in sport-specific training, but sometimes athletes can benefit from a little time training under the rubric of another sport. Meet strongman, your key to increased power, endurance, and muscular control!

A competitive season has distinct beginnings and ends. You know where you're going and if you've gotten there. Strength, on the other hand, isn't a destination; it's an ongoing and ever-changing struggle. This is true no matter your goals, from trying to increase the amount you can lift, to using strength to build speed or athletic prowess. Because those goals are so open-ended, it's easy to fall into a rut after training for an extended period.

When this happens, it's easy to just start shopping around for a newer or "better" program. Countless programs await you online and in magazines. Most of the time, they're basically a more complicated, more time-consuming version of what you're doing already. If your goal is to take your competitive ability to the next level, they're not going to get you there. In this case you need a wholly different style of training, one that reinforces the foundational concepts of strength training, but still blows up the conventional program.

I'm talking about strongman training, or dinosaur training, implement, functional, and few other names, none of which really captures just what a boon it can be to just about any athlete. I'm talking track stars, bodybuilders, volleyball players, golfers, soccer players, firefighters, football linemen—everyone.

No matter your fitness destination, spending a little time with strongman training can help you get there. It'll refresh a stale strength regimen. If or when you go back to your old program, you'll be stronger, leaner, and tougher than ever. Just try it!

It's All About the Movement ///

Because strongman training uses such unique implements, it's easy to focus your attention on the things rather than the movements. But make no mistake: the movements make this style of training so special. You simply can't pull a truck or flip a tractor tire with singular muscle groups. You have to dig deep, learn where your power comes from, how to access it, and how to implement it efficiently and effectively.

Think of a sprinter in the starting blocks, leaning forward 45 degrees. This is the same position an American football lineman will take at the line of scrimmage before engaging his opponent. Not coincidentally, this is the same position a strongman athlete takes when flipping a tire. In each case, this position enables the immediate employment of explosive force—if you know where that force comes from. If you don't, you'll lose the race, the tire will stay on the ground, and you'll get bullrushed by the beast on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

Where is that power generated? It comes from your largest muscle groups, the hips and legs, by employing what is known as the triple extension movement. The triple extension movement is used by athletes to open up the hip, knee and ankle joints almost simultaneously in order to maximize the output of power from the lower body. Think of an Olympic clean or a volleyball spike—those are two classic triple extension movements. The triple extension is also foundational to strongman training.

The benefits don't end there. Back squats and snatches are two examples of multi-joint exercises that are known to transfer well to athletics. But, strongman techniques can offer the same type of benefits, such as better motor unit and muscle recruitment, forging of neurological pathways. Strongman movements have a built-in endurance component, so you burn fat and condition as you train. And when it comes to working as many muscles as possible in the shortest amount of time, they can't be beat.

Introducing Your Implements ///

Below are examples of a strongman implements, as well as explanations of how they can benefit any pro athlete or weekend warrior. If you're only familiar with them from TV or YouTube, they may seem a bit intimidating, but don't let their appearances get to you. As former World's Strongest Man Anthony Clark once told me, "We all start with an empty bar." Strongman training is easily scalable, and I've included what I feel are the most effective cues.

IMPLEMENT 1 // TIRE FLIP
Muscles Used: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, shoulders, chest, trunk
Benefits: Power positioning, explosiveness, full-body pushing and pulling strength

Set a distance, a time, or number of flips. You'll generate the power needed to get this beast moving from the hips and legs. Do not use your biceps! As you start the motion from the ground, bring one knee up explosively to the tire in order to keep the momentum going. Get underneath the tire and push hard, almost like you're doing a standing bench press.

IMPLEMENT 2 // CLEAN AND PRESS
Muscles Used: Shoulders, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, trunk
Benefits: Upper body strength, trunk stability, "dip and drive" coordination of
the lower body

This isn't your normal everyday clean and press. In implement training, we use oddly-shaped items like partially filled kegs or sandbags. This is similar to an overhead press, except you now have the added difficulty of sand or water sloshing around inside the implement while trying to lift it. It adds a whole different dimension!

IMPLEMENT 3 // HUG CARRY
Muscles Used: Chest, shoulders, back, forearms, trunk
Benefits: Muscular endurance, trunk stability, grip strength

Once again, you're going to use irregular items like kegs and sandbags. As with the tire flip, select a legitimate time or distance for the carry. Make sure you have a solid grip on the implement and keep it close to you. Do not use your biceps to hold the object in place—they're not up to the task.

IMPLEMENT 4 // WEIGHTED PULL/DRAGMuscles Used: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, back, shoulders,
forearms, trunk
Benefits: Lower body force development, grip, trunk strength

That's a lot of different muscles you're using! But just like in the previous movements, it's imperative that you remember to generate power out of your hips and legs, not your lower back or biceps. As long as you do that, this is a simple and easily adaptable movement. You can do it wearing a harness and walking forward with the weight, or sitting with your feet propped up against something and pulling arm over arm.

Use anything from a sled to a semi-truck. You can just even stack some 45-pound plates, run a rope through the middle, and drag away.

IMPLEMENT 5 // FARMER'S WALK
Muscles Used: Shoulders, arms, trunk, legs
Benefits: Grip strength, muscular endurance, trunk stability, gait coordination

Like the weighted pull, this can be easily adapted to work with different objects. Just set a fixed distance, grab something stupidly heavy in each hand, and go. Keep your chest up and back straight. Take quick, small steps in order to maintain your balance—you'll quickly discover you don't have a choice about this. Make sure the distance is legitimate; 3 or 4 feet doesn't cut it. For added difficultly, include a turnaround point and head back to your starting point. You can include a time element here once you get your land legs.

IMPLEMENT 6 // LOG PRESS
Muscles Used: Shoulders, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, trunk
Benefits: Upper body strength, trunk stability, "dip and drive" coordination of
the lower body

This and the tire flip are the only movements here where you are bound to a specific implement. But if you've been wondering what to do with that branch that fell into your yard during a windstorm, meet your next weekend project. As for the lift: do it in three parts. First, lap the log by squatting down and lifting it into your lap; then, keep the log high on your chest, and stand up like you're doing a front squat, swinging your elbows under the log. Steady yourself, take a deep breath, and drive the log up with your legs, finishing by locking out your arms.

If You Had To Pick ONLY 1 - Which Of The 6 Strongman Implements Would You Choose? Tell Us Why In The Page Comments.

Tire Flip
Clean and Press
Hug Carry
Weighted Pull/Drag
Farmer's Walk
Log Press

Strongman Programming ///

Unless you're preparing for a strongman meet, I don't suggest doing all six of these on the same day. Pick three, and alternate them with your normal workout once per week.

Getting these events set up, doing them, and trying to recover tends to make for a long training session. For this reason, I like to dedicate a training day for these implements alone instead of trying to work them in with other gym lifts. If you can't set aside a dedicated strongman day, try these methods:

• Work with heavy implements on a medium exercise day. In other words, don't try max effort farmer walks right after setting a PR in the squat. Do 3-4 sets for each implement at about 85 percent of 1RM with at least 5 minutes rest in between each set, or until someone calls 911.
• Perform dynamic implements on a heavy exercise day. In this case, go ahead and do those heavy squats, and then do implements at around 75 percent of 1RM for speed. Do 3-4 sets for each implement with about 2 minutes rest between each set ... Of course, that 911-call is still an option, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael S. Palmieri, CSCS

Michael is the Director of Performance and Research at The Institute of Sport Science & Athletic Conditioning in Las Vegas.

View All Articles By This Author

NCAA Women's Basketball: NIRSA Women's Regional Basketball Championship and Signature Moment with Myree Bowden

NIRSA Women's Regional Basketball Championship at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ.

Signature Moment with Myree Bowden From Bodybuilding.com

The slam dunk is part physicality, part science, and part improv. Here's what goes through Team Bodybuilding.com athlete Myree Bowden's mind when it's time to defy gravity and kiss the sky.

Myree Bowden

If you ever notice in my dunk videos, before I go out, I give a little hop. Once I start that hop, it's almost as if I'm zoned in. My body just comes together in order to perform the jump.

I feel like dunking has become a part of me to the point where if everything's going right, if I get into my mode, the performance is going to be up to par. That's the best thing about repetition; you don't have to think about it. If you do this, then it's a part of you. I've done this so many times to the point where I don't have to think about it. It's improv.

I have a thing where I like to bounce the ball and go and get it. When doing this, you don't know where the ball is going to bounce. Left or right, behind you, in front of you—you make it up as you go.

I definitely have an idea of what I want to do. I love the windmill. If I'm higher, I can kind of extend and overexaggerate it. It's such a great feeling. It's almost equivalent to maxing out on the bench. You get this feeling where not many people are doing this, and to be able to perform it, you're putting your stamp on it.

I haven't even grasped the concept of being too old yet. I just love doing it. But dunking really has played a major role in life. It is not really something people take that seriously. That's the one thing about life: whatever means something to you, you just have to do it. You have to do it. It's yours.

Want to know more about Myree? Check out his podcast episode and his favorite workout for improving your vertical jump.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Myree Bowden

Bodybuilding.com's authors include many of the top coaches, nutritionists, and physique athletes in the world today.

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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