Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast
Everything Fastpitch is a podcast hosted by Coach Tory Acheson and Coach Don McKinlay. Tory and Don are former college coaches that are now full time instructors and travel ball coaches. Since retiring form active collegiate coaching they have committed themselves to providing educational materials to the fastpitch community. This podcast is one of the resources they are providing. Their website has 500+ blog posts and they have a YouTube channel. All of these cover fastpitch softball from coaching and training beginner athletes up through college athletes. It is a great resource for players, parents and coaches. Whether it be training tips, mental aspects, coaching methods, recruiting etc. it is all covered, hence the name Everything Fastpitch.
Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast
Coaching a skill you are weak at / Skipping Practices for Games / Backing Up is not optional
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In episode 406 of Everything Fast Pitch by Fast Pitch Prep, Coach Tory and Coach Don delve into several listener-driven topics and provide insights into effective softball coaching and team management strategies.
The lead-off segment tackles a query from a high school coach looking to improve his pitching coaching skills. The hosts advise taking advantage of online resources, developing a collaborative relationship with players, and maintaining a positive coaching attitude even if expertise isn't fully developed.
In the cleanup segment, they address whether it's acceptable for players to skip team practices to play in other tournaments. Both coaches stress the importance of team practices for skill development and team cohesion, highlighting that skipping practices undermines team performance and individual growth.
The coaching tip of the week focuses on ensuring players consistently back up plays during games. The coaches share strategies for making this a habit, including the importance of drills, practice, and possibly benching players who fail to fulfill their responsibilities on the field.