8 Ways You Can Build Pitching Staff Unity

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8 Ways You Can Build Pitching Staff Unity

A quality pitching staff is a key component of building a successful team. Some coaches make the mistake of ranking their pitchers individually—#1 pitcher, #2 pitcher, #3 pitcher. This can lead pitchers to think of themselves as “second best” or “third best,” without identifying their specific (and important) role on the team. Assigning a role to each pitcher helps them feel valued and excited to contribute. While ranking can sometimes be motivating, without clear explanations of why a player is in a certain position and how she can improve, it can lead to resentment and jealousy among teammates—and their parents. Defining roles provides that clarity.


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What if I Don't Get to Play?

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What if I Don't Get to Play?

You invest a significant amount of time and effort into becoming a pitcher—attending lessons, practicing consistently, and pushing through physical demands. It can be especially challenging when that work doesn’t translate into playing time. If you haven’t experienced this, consider yourself fortunate.

So how can you respond to this situation in a way that benefits you?

1. Use it as motivation to improve.

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How to Communicate Clearly With Your Daughter

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How to Communicate Clearly With Your Daughter

When it comes to coaching your daughter on pitching mechanics, I highly recommend it. Sometimes. As an observer of the parent-daughter relationships for a number of years, I’ve been trying to develop my philosophy on this, then somehow communicate it with a tactful touch. While debate rages about over-bearing parents or how much is too much, I still find pitching kind of an anomaly. Pitchers need their mom’s and dad’s more than every other position. Quite possibly, every other position in most sports. Is this just culture or is it absolutely necessary? I’ll leave that for another blog.

But for now, here are some helpful tips to support your daughter's success while making developing as a pitcher a great experience for you both:

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Do You Have A Clueless Coach?

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Do You Have A Clueless Coach?

I wanted to title this blog “Am I a Clueless Coach?”… but figured that might tank the click-through rate.

That said, I try my best to minimize my cluelessness when I head off to the ultimate coaches' clinic most every year: the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) Convention. It’s where DI, DII, DIII, and NAIA coaches from across the country gather—basically, all the ones you see on TV—sharing what they know and what they’re still learning.

But this email isn’t just about me. It’s about you—especially those of you coaching your daughter’s team or considering stepping into that role. I want to share why you should seriously consider attending a coaches clinic, too.

After attending my first conference, I left twice as confident in my coaching and ten times more eager to learn. Whether you're a volunteer house league coach or leading a competitive travel team, you’ll find clinics more energizing—and more practical—than any YouTube rabbit hole you’ve fallen into at midnight.

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3 Must-Haves to Make It at the Highest Level

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3 Must-Haves to Make It at the Highest Level

After running our first successful college evaluation event with Coach Erica Hanrahan, I wanted to share with you some thoughts I had on playing at a high level before you get to college. 80% of current Practice Pro pitchers are eight grade an under. I believe there are three attributes an athlete must posses to reach A or B level travel play, or regional-level high school play.

I would never discourage anyone from learning to pitch because they probably weren’t going to pitch in the Olympics, but I do believe there are certain attributes and life circumstances a player must posses to play in college.

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Don't Make These 5 Common Pitching Mistakes

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Don't Make These 5 Common Pitching Mistakes

Let’s face it, pitching strikes isn’t easy. It often takes five to ten years for a player to develop the skills and strength needed to throw a ball over 60 mph with precision and movement. By avoiding the following mistakes, a pitcher can fast-track her journey to mastery.

DON’T...

Slow down your arm to pitch strikes.

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What Should I Tell My Daughter During Games?

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What Should I Tell My Daughter During Games?

I see the pain in parents’ eyes. Their daughter is finally getting her chance to pitch and she’s throwing ball after ball, nowhere near strike zone. They wonder how this can be...in practice yesterday she pitched great! In last week’s game she seemed to be more accurate. There must be something wrong with her mechanics, they think.

What can parents say to help a pitcher throw more strikes during a game, especially when they know she is capable of it?

Firstly, sometimes parents get the last part of this concept wrong. Here is a blog I wrote to help you & her decipher objectively what she is capable of at any given moment. Once this is sorted out, most of the stress goes away for everyone. Improper expectations is the largest source, in my opinion, of disappointment, anger, and failure during performances.

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Build a Pitching Staff - Not a Hierarchy

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Build a Pitching Staff - Not a Hierarchy

If you are coaching a team with more than one pitcher (hint, hint that's you) you're going to need to develop your group as a staff, not just as individuals waiting their turn. When you create depth you'll get the most out of each pitcher, teach teamwork, and be able to overcome the day when your number one pitcher and sole hope is struggling. I said when, not if.

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Why We Forget: How Our Mechanics Slip Away

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Why We Forget: How Our Mechanics Slip Away

I was working with my personal trainer, Mondale, on posterior chain strength. He explained the short circuit of exercises I was going to do, then told me to go ahead and start. I did the first one, then completely forgot the other two exercises and looked at him with an “uh-oh emoji, help” face. Was I not listening? Was it too much information for my brain that only got 5 hours of sleep?

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Lessons from College Coaches

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Lessons from College Coaches

Overuse injuries make up 50% of all injuries in middle and high school. Three-sport athletes suffer less injuries than one-sport athletes. Plus, Dr. Middleton answered the common question, “Is the underhand pitching motion more natural that overhand, and as a result do less injuries occur?”

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