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A softball coach is a very special person! As a coach we teach, manage, encourage, motivate and inspire athletes to reach their potential both on and off the field. At NDSA we value the role coaches play in helping players improve their skills and have fun.
If you are a first season coach or a seasoned veteran, softball is an ever evolving game and we all have lots to learn about our game, our athletes and ourselves. The information and resources below come from a variety of on-line sources, I hope you find something interesting and perhaps something new you can include in your next training session or game...you never know, you may discover a new strategy that will give your team a competitive advantage during the NDSA Final Series. * Please note, NDSA nor any individuals accept responsibility for the content of websites or online resources linked in on this webpage ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Softball NSW Resources The following two documents come from the Softball NSW website, a must read for coaches and players. Softball NSW Play Book: http://www.softball.net.au/_uploads/res/4956_6887.pdf Hitting by Barry Blanchard: http://admin.softball.org.au/_uploads/res/4956_62368.pdf ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Softball Australia Resources The following presentations can be found on the Softball Australia website, provided by Cindy Bristow from the International Friendship Series, Sydney, 3-10 July 2009
Skills & drills Teaching General FUNdamentals of Softball is a resource guide that focuses on the correct mechanics andexecution of the fundamental Softball skills. This includes catching a thrown ball, executing an overhand throw, fielding ground balls and fly balls, basic pitching, catching, hitting and base running technique. This resource concentrates on assisting coaches to correctly develop fundamentals Softball skills in beginner level players. Softball Drills and Modified Games is a comprehensive resource guide with Softball drills grouped into sections related to offense and defense. The guide covers a small selection of many drills that are used in the game of Softball – as coaches are only limited by their own imagination. The modified games are designed to compliment the skills needed toplay Softball effectively and add fun and variety to any training session. The modified games can be adjusted to suit all age groups. Baserunning FUNdamentals is a guideline that focuses on the art of base running is, and will continue to be, an integral and important part of Softball as it is often taken for granted that a player understand the mechanics of base running. Arguably, the single-most important factor in being an excellent base runner is the ability to think while running the bases, often while at full speed. It is this single ingredient, coupled with other intangibles and learned base running skills, that will inevitably determine the base running abilities of any player. Hitting FUNdamentals is a resource guide on to how the hitter must be positively, purposefully, mentally, aggressively programmed to achieve success – often referred to as Aggressive/Assertive Mental Hitting. This guide focuses on how to achieve this approach with tips including:
Outfield FUNdamentals is a guide on successfully playing the outfield which requires not only hard work on the physical tools and fundamentals, but total concentration and communication. During the course of a standard game, outfielders will be involved in 4-5 plays, therefore they have to remain alert and assume that each ball hit is coming to them. Players must not let inactivity interfere with concentration. In addition, outfielders need to communicate on all plays to make it easy on the other players. Outfielders need to know such things as how close they are to the fence, if the runners are tagging and where the relay throw is going and need to regularly communicate with infielders. Catching FUNdamentals is a guide related to catching as it is one of the most important defensive positions and players should be taught to wear the correct equipment and use the proper techniques from the beginning. The focus of this section is on the identification and development of correct techniques for catchers. Pitching FUNdamentals is a resource guide on pitching as it is a very important part of Softball and the aim of this section is to instruct on how to teach the basic mechanics of how to pitch the ball hard with a smooth, efficient delivery motion. Once this is mastered, the pitcher can advance to learn the various skills required to play the game at competitive levels. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YouTube Videos YouTube contains thousands of excellent softball tips, drills, pointers and lesions. I recommend you visit www.youtube.com and use the "Search" box to look for interesting videos. Tip: Each video will have "Promoted Videos" and "Suggestion", so look on the right hand side for similar videos. Suggested Search Terms to get you started:
Useful Websites The following websites contain useful coaching information, resources and links. Softball NSW http://www.softball.net.au/ Softball NSW Umpires http://nswumpires.softball.org.au/ Softball Australia http://www.softball.org.au/ International Softball Federation http://www.internationalsoftball.com/ Softball Excellence http://www.softballexcellence.com/ Softball Performance http://www.softballperformance.com/ Online Hitting Academy http://www.hittingacademy.com/index.html |
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