You ever see those players who just jump to the front of the line no matter what drill? The ones that don’t care if the drill is fun or boring, difficult or easy, well known or unfamiliar, it doesn’t matter, they just want to get in there and do it!

I think most coaches love those kinds of players. Those players, I would say, are motivated and driven.

Then there are the others. The ones who want to claim the privilege of going first because they are older or because they’ve been on the team longer or because they are somehow better than everyone else (i.e. it’s a sprinting game and they are one of the fastest ones on the team).

Now, even that’s not all that terrible if they naturally step into more of a leadership role because they’re older, more experienced, or more skilled.

But the ones that drive me bonkers are the ones that want to claim that role and clamin that privilege of getting the first shot, but only when they feel like it. The rest of the time – if the drill isn’t fun, or if it’s too challenging, or if it’s tiring, or if it’s uncomfortable because they aren’t used to it…any time it’s not convenient for them or when it’s tougher or less exciting, they want to go hide out at the back of the line and let everyone else take on the challenge first.

Lose money…

You want to step up and tell others they need to follow you? Do it all the time, not only when you feel like it or when it’s easy.

This made a lot of sense to me and I was glad to hear that having non-negotiable values in my mind was not unreasonable and actually characteristic of a good coach.

Do you know what your non-negotiables are? Do you know what principles you stand on? Processes change but principles shouldn’t.

• What things are absolutely not allowed on your team?
• What things are absolutely required of members of your team?
• Have you ever thought about these issues?

I’ll give you an example – never, at any time in the team environment, is it acceptable for a team member to swear at other team members, coaches, opponents, umpires, or fans. Period. This is simply not an appropriate choice, ever. There WILL be a consequence for that action. Always. No exceptions.

This is an example of a non-negotiable, a principle that never changes.

So think about it for a second.

What’s non-negotiable for you? What are the principles you stand on and base decisions off of?

Having a concrete idea of these principles and values helps take the guesswork out of some of the decision making that will come your way.  These are especially useful for some of the tough calls you’ll have to make as a coach.  Don’t settle.  Don’t compromise.  Stand strong on what’s gotten you this far.

If you want a smoother running season, it really helps if these principles are clearly communicated from the beginning – with your coaching staff, with your players, and even with your parents if you are coaching youth softball.

Take Action Now

List 3-5 things you consider non-negotiable this year.  Communicate them with your coaching staff and start emphasizing these areas with your team so they know exactly what’s expected.

If you act, think, and talk like a loser, what do you think you’re going to be?

Probably a loser.

Now when I say loser, I’m not referring to teams or players that end up on the losing side of a competition, game, or tournament. I’m talking about people who never reach their full potential because they rather make excuses than work hard. They have a loser mentality and constantly use loser language. They’re typically hard to help and/or coach because, the truth is, they don’t really want help and don’t really want to be coached!  I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried to help someone who didn’t want to help themselves.  It just doesn’t work.

With that said…

It’s tough to be a “winner” when you spend all your time and energy acting, thinking, and talking like a loser.

If you want to experience increased softball success, here are a two things you must do…

Lose the Loser Language
You can’t think or talk like a loser and expect success.  So it’s time to start eliminating your loser language.  These include words and phrases likes the ones below (I can’t, I don’t, But,):

• I can’t do that…
• But I don’t know how to…
• I don’t know if I can…
• That’s too hard…
• Only bigger/faster/stronger players can so that…
• But that’s not how I do it…
• But that feels weird…
• But I never…
• I could do that if…
• I don’t have time…
• I’m too busy…
• It’s not my fault…
• If I had more ______ then I could/would be able to _______ too

Stop Doing What Losers Do
You can’t act like a loser and expect success. It’s time to suck it up and stop:

• Making excuses
• Getting defensive when others offer suggestions
• Looking for other things or people to blame for your failures
• Looking for the easiest way out of having to deal with problems vs finding the best way to work through/solve/overcome that problem
• Waiting for others to tell you what to do or solve your problems for you vs taking responsibility for your own performance
• Focusing on the obstacles, problems, and reasons why you “can’t”
• Allowing circumstances around you dictate your confidence level and how you perform
• Worrying about things you can’t control
• Failing to take control of the things you can control

If you truly want to increase your softball success, you must first change your mindset!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMCpDd0NB9M

• It’s hot outside - no one needs to say it again. (in other words, stop your whining and do it! lol)
• You can invest your time or you can spend your time.
• Successful people have consistency in performance.
• You can have no great victories in your life, unless you can overcome adversity, because the adversity is what makes it the challenge.
• The greatest opportunity to learn is when you make a mistake.
• …every minute of every day you are selling something. You are either selling positive, or you’re selling negative.
• …when you come out on the field to practice, you know what I want to see? I want to see somebody’s positive energy that is affecting somebody else to do it better.
• …you have to learn how to work, you only get out of something what you put in it, you reap what you sow, you have to work.
• Do you know what your character is? It is the accumulation of your thoughts, your habits and your priorities, on a day to day basis. That’s what makes the choices that you make. It is the accumulation of your thoughts, your habits and your priorities, and the choices that you make, make you who you are.
• You are going through the pain of discipline, or the pain of disappointment.
• That is what we expect you to learn, and be able to do, in this camp, is to have the discipline to sustain and be a relentless competitor, and have pride in your performance of doing everything that you do at this camp the best that you can do it, because that becomes a habit.

There are probably a few things I missed that I really liked, but this is such a great talk that offers so many great tips for those who really want to make some positive changes.  It starts with a MINDSET (not with ability).

If you did, that’s okay. That’s what most people do. While I hope you’re not trying to be like most people (aka ordinary or average), the important thing is not when you start but that you DO get started!

That said, the first day of the year has come and gone. Did you DO anything to move yourself closer to your goals?

I know I did!

Think about it right now. What one thing can you do today that will get you moving in the right direction? It doesn’t have to be something big. Baby steps work!

Choose one thing and commit to getting it done today!

If you feel like sharing, please leave a comment and tell me what your one thing is. I’d love to hear from you.

Here are the Top 5 Softball Goodies that would be in my shopping cart…

	Bow Net Softball Soft Toss Portable Net  I’m starting to see these nets all over the place. Seems like everyone has them and I hear they are very easy to travel with when it comes to flying via plane. Whether it’s for protecting pitchers throwing during practice or hitting into during pre-game warm-up or simply for hitting practice, this net is easy to use, set up, and transport! Buy Now
	The Softball Drill Book Whoa! That’s a lot of drills and ideas for any coach to use in practice. This book covers:  training fundamental skills position-specific skills tactical drills and more!
	Coach’s Guide to Game-Winning Softball Drills Nuff said. Really. Who wouldn’t want a book full of game winning softball drills by Michelle Smith? This book will help you coach your players to:  Master the mechanics of footwork for fielding with hustle Swing for the fences and hit the fastest pitches Catch the ball proactively and throw it quickly and accurately to its target Defend the infield and outfield with speed and confidence Run the bases swiftly and strategically Marc Dagenais actually did a video review of this book. If you want to see it, click on this link to see what Marc and other people think of this book!
	Throw Like a Girl by Jennie Finch Yup, yup! It’s the brand new book out by Jennie Finch. Since I’m doing so much reading this year, this would definitely be one I pick up! Apparently it’s a great book for any parent or young lady that wants to participate in any sport. Throw Like a Girl inspires, motivates, and answers questions about issues specific to today s female athletes including but not limited to: body image femininity vs. sports peer pressure nutrition and the balancing act today s young women construct between school, extra-curricular activities, family, and friends What a great gift this would make. Buy Now
	Padded Bucket Lid/Seat What can I say? I’m 6 months pregnant. Regular buckets are terrible to sit on right now! What’s you’re excuse for wanting one? I know you do. lol Hey, there’s even a blue one available. This bucket: Fits standard 4, 5 or 6 gallon plastic bucket EZ on- EZ off Made in USA Buy Now

Click Here to Download the Registration Form

Coach Darrick Brown
*Head Coach Chicago Bandits (National Pro Fastpitch)
*Led Chicago Bandits to 2011 NPF World Series Championship
*Owner/Lead Instructor at Brown’s Fastpitch Academy (Kalamazoo, MI)
*19 years instructing hitting/pitching/catching/fielding
*19 years coaching travel, high school, college, and professional levels
*22 years playing men’s fastpitch softball in Michigan and Indiana
*2011 Member of King and His Court
*One of the top hitting and pitching instructors in the sport today

NPF All-Star Megan Wiggins
*Outfielder Chicago Bandits (National Pro Fastpitch)
*Member of the 2011 NPF World Champions Chicago Bandits
*1st Team All NPF 2011
*4 year starter at University of Georgia
*3 time All SEC 1st Team
*Holds Georgia record with 121 extra base hits (61 2B, 14 3B, 46 HR)
*Career Stats at GA: .370 avg, 61 2B, 14 3B, 46 HR, 75 BB, 203 RBI’s
*One of the top young players in the sport today

Click Here to Download the Registration Form

I never understood why athletes get dismissed from job opportunities because they have “no work experience.”  I didn’t have a “real job” where I filled out tax forms and all that until after I was done playing softball.  Many employers seemed to look down on me because I had no “work experience” even though I had over a decade of experience in athletics.  Each time I got that vibe from an employer, the same thing ran through my mind, “I probably have more of the qualities that make a good employee than some of the candidates on your list that DO have a little part-time work experience under their belt, but have never played sports in their lives.”

Turns out I was right.  My employers often expressed how impressed they were with the kind of employee I was even though I hadn’t been in the workforce long.  I strongly believe the qualities that make me a good employee came from and were solidified by the training in my softball playing years.  Turns out, you really do learn valuable life lessons in sports!

Here are 10 Things Good Softball Players and Good Employees Have in Common

1. They know how to work well with others.
2. They don’t care if something is “not my job” if it has to be done, they find a way to help get it done!
3. They are the kind of person that others WANT to work with.
4. They understand the concept of working toward a common goal.
5. They know how to overcome adversity.  They don’t just give up all hope each time a challenge or obstacle comes up.
6. They take responsibility for their own performance instead of waiting for someone to make them strive for excellence.
7. They are capable of thinking on their feet and handle unexpected issues.  They don’t wait for someone to baby sit them through their every move.
8. They typically arrive early, not just “on time,” and are very rarely, if ever, late.  If they are going to be late, they conscientiously make sure their superior knows what’s going on before they were expected to arrive.
9. They diligently work on their craft and their effort is second to none.
10. They have a positive, can-do attitude!

What do you think?  Agree or disagree?

I think we can probably add even more to this list!  If you have suggestions, please leave a comment with your ideas below. 

Why did it take so long?

• There really wasn’t a bat on the market that we liked and she performed well with
• $300 is a LOT of money and is not something I’ll spend at the drop of a hat, so this was a well thought out purchase
• The last few years we had to pay big dentist bills for the kids so no one got a new bat!

Now she’s playing on a team where everyone has their own bats.  Well, most players have their own bats.  Because my daughter didn’t have her own bat, she always had to borrow someone else’s.  As a parent, I feel like it was a bit of an imposition for her to borrow other player’s personal bats that their parents had spent hundreds of dollars on.  Plus, if the person who owned the bat she usually borrows didn’t show up on a given practice or game day, that meant she had to ask to borrow someone else’s bat which usually didn’t have the same specs as the bat she usually used.

We finally go to the point where:

• we didn’t really want her to have to borrow all the time
• she was finally hitting pretty decently with a particular bat that she liked
• she was taking care of her grades and other responsibilities at home

So we bit the bullet and dropped about $300 on a bat.  Which one did we get?

As the title to this post and the picture above suggests, we picked up a Louisville Slugger TPS Xeno (-8). Most players here swing the -10, but the -8 actually swings pretty light for that weight and since my daughter is not as big as other players, she needs all the help she can get.

Things I like about this softball bat:

• first and foremost, DD loves it (both my 15yo and my 12yo) – it’s important that players are comfortable with the bat they use.
• second, it’s hot out of the wrapper – this bat doesn’t really need a break in period.
• third, it’s loud – makes your hit sound more impressive which can be a good thing if you’re trying to make a good impression for recruiting purposes. It can also leave an “Oh wow, that was a great hit” impression on the pitcher or defense which could *possibly* work in your favor when it comes to the mental game. In other words, the loud sound *might* provide some intimidation factor for you as a hitter.
• fourth, it looks cool – most male coaches say this doesn’t matter, but most players will tell you that it does (refer to first reason listed above).

Things I don’t care for:

• it cost $300 (lol) but most “good” bats do, so it’s not really a major factor when deciding between this bat and other popular softball bats.
• it’s loud – while that does provide some advantages listed above, it also alerts the defense to the hit. When you hear something like that, as a defender, you’re immediately on your toes and jarred into awareness of a solid hit.
• short life span? Now I haven’t measured or tested this at all. It’s just a perception I have from seeing this bat in action on other teams and with other players. While this bat IS hot out of the wrapper, it doesn’t seem to have as long a pop-life as other bats which make require a longer break-in period. In other words, while it comes to life faster, it also seems to die faster.

I often hear parents ask whether or not they should put they daughter on a more competitive and more successful team.  If that’s what your daughter is ready for and wants to do, generally speaking, it’s a great idea. However, one parent in particular mentioned that the coach of a team they were considering had a long reputation of dropping existing players for latest, hottest new recruits.  This parent had seen it happen.  Girls were dropped from this team after a year or two in favor of bringing on other good players that became available.  I was thinking his daughter was probably one of the “new” ones being brought on in favor of an existing player they wanted to or had already dropped.  Obviously he was worried about that same thing happening to his daughter.

Now it’s one thing to move forward as a program by removing players who are not a good fit and bringing on ones that are a better fit.  In that situation, it’s probably best for all parties involved even though it’s a difficult situation to have to go through on both sides.

However it’s another thing when the coach just likes to “trade up” any chance they get as if players are nothing but commodities.  Personally, it’s not a team environment I’m going to voluntarily sign my daughter up to be in (and pay to be a part of on top of that).  I want her to be surrounded by quality players and coaches.  I’m not going to sign her up for a team that happens to have good players because the coach possesses the skills of a smooth talking but sleezy car salesman and has happened to convince a handful of parents to come join his team.  It’s just not something I’d want to be a part of, nor is it a situation I want to voluntarily put my child in.

Remember, this is youth sports we’re talking about. While softball has definitely become more and more competitive and some of it is very, very serious, there are still limits to which I will go in order for my daughter to “get ahead.”  That’s not something I go after “at all costs” and certainly not at the expense of going against my values and not at the expense of my daughter’s experience with the game.  I prefer not to put her in a situations where she may get the idea that I actually approve of that type of “ambition.”

There are other ways – ways that you can stand behind and say you believe in wholeheartedly.  There are other teams – teams that you are not the least bit ashamed to be associated with.

No coach is perfect. Every coach has their weaknesses, but I can accept that a coach does not know everything.  That’s okay, but I’m not going to choose a coach who “can help my daughter get to college” but does things in a way that conflicts completely with my principles with over one who embodies the integrity with which I want my daughter to play this game with but may not have the same connections and/or college recruiting knowledge.

Remember, it’s not coaches job to get your daughter into college anyway.  Your daughter’s coach is just one tool, one of the many resources along her softball and college recruiting journey.  Ultimately your daughter’s college recruiting process is not her coaches responsibility.  It’s hers and yours.  This is her future.  This is her life.  This is your child’s future.  This is your child’s life.

Don’t wait for someone else to “take care of it” for you. Get informed.  Talk to others that DO have the expertise you need.  Ask questions.  Be proactive in the journey and in your quest to learn what you need to learn to make sure things work out well for your child.

In other words, if there is a great coach out there that may be a little weaker than another in one certain area, there are usually ways to work around that.  That one area, in and of itself, is not a good reason to choose or dismiss a coach and their program.

Remember to look at the big picture…..

• What is most important to you in your daughter’s softball experience and journey?
• What is most important to her?
• What principles, characteristics, or qualities are non-negotiable when it comes to the environment you want your daughter experiencing this game in?
• What areas can you “give” a little on?
• What weaknesses in potential programs can you work around?

Knowing the answers to these questions helps a great deal when choosing a team for your daughter.  Oh, and if you have the chance, talk to parents who already have daughters on the team.  Talk to parent of players who used to be with the team but aren’t any more.  What do they like most?  What don’t they like about the program?  What is the biggest thing, if any, they wish they could change about the program or team?  If they are no longer there, why did they leave?

Hope that helps!

Coach Darrick and Megan will go over both offense and defense. Plus a 1-hour pitching session will also be available to pitchers after the regular session both on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to learning from the best in Pro Fastpitch!

Hope to see you there!

If you want to receive e-mail notification with the latest news and details about the clinic, please sign up HERE.

I’m also blessed with the opportunity to bring some of these great softball people here to Hawaii. While living in Hawaii is awesome, it’s also quite expensive for us to travel to the mainland US to attend camps, clinics, or coaching conventions. Any time we can bring someone here to share great resources with more people and with coaches, players or parents who many never get the opportunity to travel and learn, it’s a great thing!

There may not be huge rewards now, but the simple act and experience of being a part of something that helps others is awesome in and of itself. Other opportunities or rewards that come in the future as an indirect or direct result, are just gravy.

I remember back when my oldest daughter was 8, I wanted to make camps and clinics here in Hawaii a more regular event. I wanted to bring clinicians, coaches, and instructors to Hawaii at least on an annual basis so that we could all learn and better the game here. It’s interesting to see how, while I haven’t really consciously gone after it, we’re slowly but surely getting to that point. I hadn’t even realized until now that it has been 7 years since that original thought. It doesn’t even seem that long. I believe the journey will continue and these efforts will eventually grow into something bigger. I’m not exactly sure how, I’m not exactly sure when, but I’m perfectly fine taking it slow and letting the people of Hawaii pull it along rather that push it at them before they’re ready.

I’ve seen too many people go to the mainland for an event, see what’s going on up there and go, “They do this in the mainland, let’s do it here” or “it works in the mainland, let’s do it here.” While it’s a good concept how you carry it out has to fit Hawaii, not the mainland. We’ll get there one day. We’re always a bit behind. Always on Hawaiian time, but that’s okay. The tortoise wins the race!

It’s always amazing when we find instructors and coaches who are in it for the love of the game. They make it work. They make it possible. Making a trip to Hawaii doesn’t work for everyone. I don’t work with and bring down everyone who contacts me with interest in coming here. It takes a special kind of person to ultimately make it work for the good of the softball community here first and anything or anyone else, second.

It’s fun that I’m getting to meet more and more of those people.

Today I go to the airport to pick my daughter up from her first showcase event. She traveled to the Triple Crown City of Lights event at Majestic Park in Nevada. No I didn’t go with her. There were many reasons for that decision and I think it worked out well.

On the first day of games I was happen to hear that…

• she got on base a lot
• she brought in two runs in a bases loaded situation
• she walked a few times
• she didn’t miss any balls on defense
• she was doing a good job managing the money she had for the trip

Overall it sounded like that first day at the tournament went well for her. She did a decent job offensively, didn’t have many opportunities defensively, but did okay there as well from what I could tell and she got to meet Elliott Finkelstein (major event director of Triple Crown Sports).

After talking to her on day one I told my husband that the next day would be a bigger test. Turns out I was right. Day two was tougher for her. They only had two games, but she got to bat 8 times and never got on base. Ouch.

After texting back and forth with her for a while, I found out that most of her hits were ground outs, some pretty well hit. Not a terrible way to get out and it certainly beats pop ups when your in the #2 slot trying to move runners.  Typically runners can advance when you put the ball on the ground and she did move runners a few times.  So her offensive performance was not as awful as it could have been.  I remember Michelle Smith saying, if you’re going to get out (and in our game you get out more than you don’t) you may as well make it a productive out.  It sounds like her outs were at least productive ones some of the time so it wasn’t all bad.  Statistically it definitely wasn’t pretty, but there is more to this game than your batting average.

It also sounds like she did do pretty well on defense that day as well. So while she was quite upset that she had played two games and still had a relatively clean uniform, and while not getting on base all day is not all that great, it didn’t sound like her entire performance was awful.  I reminded her that on some days your contribution to your team will be different than others.  You won’t always be the one getting hits, getting on base, and scoring runs.  It’s great if you do, but if that’s not you that day, make sure you contribute in some other way to help your team and it sounds like she did that, so that’s a good thing.  Sometimes it’s “better” if you don’t do as great as you’d like but your team does well and is successful rather than you doing great but being the only one and your team has a bad day.  Of course, ideally, you and your team have a great day, but that doesn’t always happen.  What we’re trying to avoid is both you and your team having an awful day.  Then that’s just a bad day at the field and does NOT leave a good taste in your mouth at all.

I also reminded her that part of the reason she went to this event was to learn. Now she has an idea of what it’s like to travel and play. It’s not always easy to go on a trip, stay focused, and play well in an environment that’s very different from what you’re used to at home. It’s one thing to have A great day, but almost anyone can have one great day. Good players will find a way to do it again, and again, and again…..not just once. Now she has an idea of how challenging that is. Now she has an idea of what it is she needs to work on and how hard she needs to work to be ready for the next opportunity she has to travel and play.

I reminded her that when she comes back home and practices, it’s not only for “this” weekend’s games and it’s not only for the school season coming up. She has from now until summer to prepare for her next travel opportunity. Each day she practices, each day she trains should be moving her closer to being ready to perform when that day comes as well as prepare her for more immediate competition.

Another reason she went on this trip was to have an opportunity to talk with college coaches. This is something she’ll hopefully be doing even more and more of very soon. Yesterday, she had an opportunity to speak to some of them and “practice” communicating with coaches on her own, without myself or my husband speaking for her. Hopefully that was another good learning experience for her as well.

Now that she’s coming home it’s back to school, catching up on homework, doing chores at home, and training for the future.  Looking forward to talking to her more about the trip when I pick her up this afternoon.

1. keep her grades up (must be all A’s and B’s, preferably more A’s than B’s – this is my requirement)
2. research colleges
3. figure out how to find the coaches/schools that will be there
4. how to get the contact information for those coaches
5. contact college coaches that will be there BEFORE the trip is made
6. fundraising!
7. etc, etc, etc

The first thing she said when looking into the schools that were attending, “Wow this is so much work!”

Me: “That’s why I’m not doing it for you.” lol

The good thing is, she has an idea of a few areas she is interested in studying, so she has that to look for when she researches a particular school.  Does this school even have areas of study I’m actually interested in?  Right now, she doesn’t know much more than:

• she wants to go out of state to go to college (we’ll see if that’s still the case in a few years)
• she has a couple majors she’s interested in (let’s see if that’s still the same in a few years too)
• she wants to play softball
• she knows that we do not have an unlimited college fund set up for her, so she will need to do lots of leg work to make college possible (get good grades, work hard on the field, look for and go after various scholarship opportunities – not just athletic, contact coaches, etc, etc, etc).

Eventually we hope to add knowing what type of campus/classroom setting she’s looking for, what kind of area she wants to be in, what kind of overall college/softball experience she really wants, etc, etc, etc.

I’m sure this will be one far from boring journey.  Wish us luck!

I know it’s kinda cheating to see the movie instead of reading the book.  I also know that movies are rarely as good as the book they’re about, but I rest assured, even if I watch the movie, I still plan to read the book eventually.

If I do actually make it to the screening, I’ll definitely let you know what I think.

Have you read the book? If so, how did you like it? Let me know.

Click Here to Watch the Moneyball Trailer

PLUS, I just picked up 4 Brand New DeMarini Bustos Bats courtesy of SportStan to be included in prizes for the clinic raffle (nice and shiny and still in the wrapper!).

If you are just finding out about this clinic and want to attend, please print out this registration form and bring it with you to the clinic!  Hope to see you there.

Bats up for raffle (click to enlarge)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RskGVeKjxpo

So sad. C’mon people! Grow up.

From the article…

Three people were arrested after police said they fought over an Iowa Games championship softball game Sunday night.

According to Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson, the department’s spokesman, officers were called to North River Valley Park around 6:40 p.m.

Todd Sebolt, 40, Angela Sales, 32, and Stephany Summers, 19, all of Centerville, were charged with disorderly conduct, a simple misdemeanor.

Sebolt coached one of the teams in the tournament, the 12-and-under Centerville Hotshots, according to the Iowa Games website.

Click here to read the full story

1. Stop Trying to Please Everyone – I actually have an entire blog post about that here.
2. Choose Your Battles – There’s no way you can possibly cover everything there is to know about this game in one season, so don’t try. Choose your battles wisely so you can win the war. You don’t want your team to be “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Help them master essential skills then go on from there.
3. Prioritize – As a continuation from the tip above, prioritize the issues you know your team needs to work on and attack that list. I heard Cindy Bristow talk about coming up with a list of things you want your team to be able to do by the start of the season. Then making another list for where you want them to be by mid-season, and finally by the end of the season. You can also decide what’s most important for you to work on this week and plan your practices around that. Then do the same for the following week and the following week and so on.
4. Assess – The lists we talked about in the tip above, be ready and willing to relentlessly assess and reassess those lists! Make adjustments when and where necessary.
5. Maximize – Do not try to do all and be all to your team. Utilize and maximize the resources you have (especially your assistants!). You don’t have to figure everything out by yourself. Utilize the strengths you do have to the fullest, get help with everything else from others who are strong in those areas. There are lots of ways to do that! Network with others in person or online. Use google. Read books.  Talk with your assistants, they will probably have some great feedback and ideas, but you may not know if you never ask.
6. Track Progress – Celebrate victories along the way. Track your progress and your teams progress. Did you make less errors than last week? Did you get more hits than last week? Did you score more runs than last week? Did you have less missed signals than last week? Paying attention to some of these small indicators can be great motivation. It’s like taking before, during, and after pictures when you’re working out and trying to lose weight. There are times when you feel like nothing is happening, like no progress is being made because you see no evidence of it, but when you take a look at those snapshots and compare them to the previous set, you realize that progress IS being made and that helps motivate you (and your team) to keep on pushing!
7. Stay in Control - You’re players are not the only one that need a strong mental game. You do too. As much as your players need to remain composed in the face of adversity, you need to do the same. Flipping out makes things tougher on everyone!
8. Make Notes - Either keep a note pad handy or if you have a smart phone that you can keep notes on, use that. When you have ideas or have things you want to remember, jot it down! Don’t try to keep it all in your head. You’ll waste a lot of brain power trying to make sure nothing is forgotten and you’ll use up a lot of energy worrying about whether or not you got it all. Write down the important things. This will help clear your mind to address issues in a efficient manner and help make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
9. Remember Than You’re Human – Remember that even the best, most respected coaches make mistakes and get criticized. So you’re definitely not a failure just because it happens to you.  Not making every right choice or criticism from parents or fans comes with the territory. Never base your worth as a coach on the fact that you mess up from time to time or that others second guess you.
10. Mentor – Find a mentor.  Whether it’s a person you know or just great sources of information you can draw on to help you grow as a coach, find something you can turn to for answers.  It may be a person.  It may be another softball coach.  It may be a coach from another sport.  It may be a website.  I may be coaching books written by great coaches.  It may be a discussion board.  Find something you can turn to when you have questions or doubts to help lift ease of the burden.

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Now I have a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old who definitely have their favorite pairs of pants. I’m curious to see how these will stack up.  I know my oldest does NOT like pants that come anywhere near her belly button.  I know these say hip hugging, but I’m not sure their low enough judging by the pictures I’ve seen on their site.

I also notice that these pants don’t have zippers so that you don’t need to worry about them when diving head first.  I do think that’s a plus in that sense, but I also know many teens LIKE the button/zip down pants.  So I really am curious to see if these pants are sometimes my girls, and others, would like.

I asked them to send me a sample so I could do a review of it.  We’ll see what they say.