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A Late Bloomer’s Guide to Hard Work: Lessons from the Mound
A Late Bloomer’s Guide to Hard Work: Lessons from the Mound

As a pitching instructor now, I’m constantly trying to help young players discover that link much earlier than I did. Parents often ask how to get their daughters to practice on their own without nagging, and I smile because I remember being that kid who needed to be pushed. I didn’t become self-initiated until college. Growing up, I practiced only when I was told to, and even then, not with much purpose

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Pitching: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Pitching: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

*As published in Fastpitch Magazine February 2020

I stood on the mound my sophomore year in college as the opposing team cheered in the dugout.  The hitter looked confident strutting up to the batter's box. She took extra time to knock the dirt off of her cleats before she put the bat up to her shoulder. Then she settled in and stared me in the eye. I stood up taller, followed my pre-pitch routine, and delivered my blazing fast curve ball right towards the - “BALL ONE!” Okay, no problem.  I beared down, focused on my catcher’s mitt and fired again.  “BALL TWO!” Although two balls in a row were not ideal, it is nothing that any good pitcher can not handle.  When the next two pitches buzzed in as “BALL THREE!” and “BALL FOUR!” the cheers from the opposing dugout resounded even louder. As the good Brian Cain says, “So what, next pitch,” that saying formulated then in my brain.

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Top Reasons People Succeed Without the Win
Top Reasons People Succeed Without the Win

In our lives, there are very few things that can fit everyone’s definition of fun.

Some people LOVE amusement parks while others loathe the thought of steep drops and fast coasters. Some people love risky adventures like sky diving, bungee jumping, parasailing, and zip lining while others think these activities are horrifying. Some people think an evening snuggled in front of the TV with a bag of popcorn is the perfect Friday night while others would call that kind of weekend boring.

Are “things” just fun or not fun? Or is personal perspective the denominator? I would argue that a person’s mindset determines fun more than any other predictor. So how does this apply to practicing pitching and performing during pressure filled games? I believe: Everything.

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Putting in the work on those runs in! 🥎💪 Consistency at the plate = confidence on the field. . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool #softballpitchingschool #runins
Samanta is on a mission to beat her speed record! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
Working on the ‘scoot drill’. This drill helps with driving off the mound straight, and not opening too soon! Give it a try! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
Audrey + Sasha battling it out for their teams!
In honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow..we asked the girls to tell us what they are grateful for. Take a moment to appreciate the things in life, tell us in the comments what you’re grateful for! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
End of class game and we put on the pressure 😎. This is the Game of 5 - start with 5. If you got the spot, you go down one. If you miss, you go up one. If you get to 10 you lose = have to do 10 push ups If you get to 0 you win = No push ups. . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
💥Pitching drill: The snow pump drill is a game-changer for staying straight and resisting the urge to open too soon. Try it out! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
6 oclocks! (Psst..not the time, it’s a drill) It’s the last part of our arm circle breakdown. Notice how when she pitches she doesn’t take a step? This is so you can focus on your arm circle and follow through.
Even an injury can’t stop Jolene from improving her game! 💪 She showed up to class and focused on fine-tuning her leg mechanics. Progress doesn’t stop.. it just adapts. . . #practicepro #chicagosoftball #softballpitching #softballpitchingschool
Parent Pitch! It’s always fun to be able to include parents in our classes. . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
Putting in the work on those runs in! 🥎💪 Consistency at the plate = confidence on the field. . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool #softballpitchingschool #runins
Samanta is on a mission to beat her speed record! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
Working on the ‘scoot drill’. This drill helps with driving off the mound straight, and not opening too soon! Give it a try! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
Audrey + Sasha battling it out for their teams!
In honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow..we asked the girls to tell us what they are grateful for. Take a moment to appreciate the things in life, tell us in the comments what you’re grateful for! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
End of class game and we put on the pressure 😎. This is the Game of 5 - start with 5. If you got the spot, you go down one. If you miss, you go up one. If you get to 10 you lose = have to do 10 push ups If you get to 0 you win = No push ups. . .
💥Pitching drill: The snow pump drill is a game-changer for staying straight and resisting the urge to open too soon. Try it out! . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool
6 oclocks! (Psst..not the time, it’s a drill) It’s the last part of our arm circle breakdown. Notice how when she pitches she doesn’t take a step? This is so you can focus on your arm circle and follow through.
Even an injury can’t stop Jolene from improving her game! 💪 She showed up to class and focused on fine-tuning her leg mechanics. Progress doesn’t stop.. it just adapts. . . #practicepro #chicagosoftball #softballpitching #softballpitchi
Parent Pitch! It’s always fun to be able to include parents in our classes. . . #practicepro #softballpitching #pitchingschool