Issues & Advice

Just buckle down, get after it and remember every expert was once a beginner. But it’s only the dedicated beginners who become an expert. One of the most intimidating things we can do as human beings is start something new. Especially when that something has been around for a while like, say, fastpitch softball. We […]

To challenge and therefore grow processing and decision-making skills, coaches often need to stretch the athletes. The three most common and easiest to use stressors are: space, time and numbers. I have been writing a good bit about how sporting actions are preceded by a movement or skill choice. In the article “The vision-decision-action cycle […]

“To inspire swimmers and test limits successfully, you have to create a group culture looking for certain goals.” Inspiration and motivation to complete a task in swimming, indeed life, can come from many different sources. It can come from within, a family member, coach, teammates or some other external source. Once swimmers are inspired to […]

If they are not growing in the most competitive environment, it would help for them to see what’s out there. Has the question, “these kids have too much” ever crossed your mind? Or, things are “too easy” for these kids? In this article I will share my thoughts of what I learned in my career […]

After all, no one ever created an innovation by continuing to do the same old thing. I know the headline sounds like an ad for a diet product or a health club, but there really is something to taking advantage of the turn of the calendar to start making improvements in our lives. As humans […]

We know how to elicit high achievements, whether it is through a compliment, a cheer or a pat on the back, from both ourselves and our teammates. At the end of the road, most swimmers aren’t going to be able to make money by competing professionally. After college, we have to shift gears from the […]

Generally there is only one game per weekend, and it’s at the same time every weekend, leaving more free time and the ability to plan family outings on Saturday and Sunday. 1. All the games are videotaped and accessible and shared with the player and parents, and there are detailed game reports that show starters, […]

“In essence, whether the team reaches its full potential is up to the parents, not the coaches.” In today’s world of youth sports, parents are interwoven into the fabric of the teams on which their kids play. This is quite a change from 20 years ago when the kids were dropped off at the rink […]

Practicing in small increments may even have some benefits over longer sessions, especially if the longer sessions are focused on one thing. When someone says “it’s time to practice” what’s the first thing that springs to mind? For most of us involved in fastpitch softball the answer is probably grabbing some equipment, running out to […]