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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College Coaches Recruit from Camps

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College Coaches Recruit from Camps

Here are some interesting things I learned that will help you:
1. Many college coaches are recruiting most of their players from camps, not tournaments.
2. A lot of college coaches recruit families, not players.  They need cooperative parents and are attracted to players who come from well developed travel programs because they, and their parents, have been groomed on how to conduct themselves.
3. The biggest problem college coaches see with pitchers, and other players for that matter, is that they have no idea how to deal with failure and are not tough....

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What The Best Teams Do: Everyone Has A Purpose

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What The Best Teams Do: Everyone Has A Purpose

In college you'll rarely see a player sitting on the bench doing nothing during a game. When I played at Ithaca College, every player on the team was always cheering, clapping, or doing something in a supportive role when on the bench. Your positive attitude can anchor the “spirit of sport” in your team.

Last week our mental game lesson was about Charlie Morton, a 37-year old pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays who started the last game of the 2019 World Series. At the time his ERA is .57 and only made his first all-star game two years before that. If Morton would have won that night, he would have tied a record by posting eight consecutive winning postseason starts.

When asked about this wonderful run, he said,

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15 Savvy Ways to Watch the NCAA Playoffs

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15 Savvy Ways to Watch the NCAA Playoffs

The road to the Women’s College World Series is one of the most exciting events to watch on TV. Regionals start today, May 17th, showcasing the best athletes in the country as they execute incredible plays and engage in jaw-dropping, extra-inning games. This year, don't just sit passively. Actively analyze the games and apply what you observe to your own development. Visual learning can improve your skills simply by observing. It's an excellent way to relax while getting better at the same time. Girls with older sisters who pitch often have an advantage from watching their siblings play.

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When You Lose Confidence In A Game

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When You Lose Confidence In A Game

Most players have started their season already. Games will be testing your and your team’s abilities. They are an accumulation of all the work you’ve put in all winter. While the offseason was a time when you’ve learned new things, like improving your pitch repertoire or making big changes to your fundamentals, the in-season is all about performance.

Even though you’ll be learning a lot during the season, if you want to play and if you want to win, you’ll have to give the coach a reason to let you pitch. Giving chances in order to let the pitcher learn or see if she can handle pressure might be few and far between.

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What's Holding Back Your Movement Pitches?

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What's Holding Back Your Movement Pitches?

Making the ball move is one thing, but making it move with late break is a whole separate animal. “Late break” means that your pitch travels straight and then changes direction very close to the hitter. About ten feet is about the standard for excellence.

You need to be able to know the truth. Was that lake break? Or was it gradually moving to one side? You don’t want to wait to find out in a game. If you haven’t seen too many pitches that actually break before, you might be judging incorrectly. You need feedback.

If your breaking balls gradually move from one side to the other, rather than late break, it is because one of the following problems:

1. Not enough rotation on your ball
2. Incorrect axis - the ball is not rotating on the correct plane
3. Incorrect body position/release point - your arm trajectory is going the opposite way of the intended ball movement.

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Learn Movement Pitches Before You are 12 Years Old

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Learn Movement Pitches Before You are 12 Years Old

As the season is underway pitchers everywhere stand on the mound hoping to throw a strike. There is a special group of pitchers that aren’t just hoping to throw strikes. Those are the ones you’ll be watching on TV. Right now top teams are battling for the NCAA World Series title. Those pitchers aren’t just hoping to throw strikes with a really quick fastball. They are fooling the batter by moving the ball almost every pitch.

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Tips to Make You Seem Smart

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Tips to Make You Seem Smart

Last week I shared with you the new things I learned at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s annual convention in Atlantic City. I don’t want you to forget all the good information on pitching from years past so here are more great jewels to help pitchers dominate on the mound this season.

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This Stat Makes Game Days Way Better

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This Stat Makes Game Days Way Better

I remember I loved checking my game stats when I pitched for Ithaca College. The sports information department would put up the box score with more information than ESPN does for the MLB! As soon as I got back to my dorm room after a game I'd hop on the computer and look up my ERA. My goal was to stay under 1.0. Being able to see the eb and flow every day really motivated me. The best softball pitchers at the time were under 1.0 ERA and I knew that if I could do that I'd be a great pitcher.

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What's the Best Follow-Through?

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What's the Best Follow-Through?

To moms and dads who obsess over YouTube pitching videos: I’ve been there to. You love the “forearm fire,” Bill Hillhouse, and Amanda Scarborough’s Power Drive.

Bill Hillhouse promotes a cross-bodied follow through to the opposite-side shoulder. Below I will clarify what he means when he talks about this and why I teach something else. The follow through others teach is a straight-arm one with the hand pointing to the target at the end. I call this the “hand-shake” follow-through. I teach most players to point their elbows, not hands, to the target, referred to as “hello elbow.” I’ll discuss each follow throughs and what they mean to your pitcher.

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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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Part 2: This Week's Top Lessons About Pitching

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Part 2: This Week's Top Lessons About Pitching

MIke Candrea, University of Arizona Head Coach

I certainly share this sentiment from coach Candrea. He said,“The word ‘coach’ is a very powerful word and I don’t take it lightly. I’m honored and blessed when a young person calls me ‘coach’.” He also said that he speaks to a lot of high school coaches who, in conversation, point out that they are “just” high school coaches or “just” travel ball coaches. “No!” he says. We are all equally valuable in what we provide young athletes.

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This Week's Top Lessons About Pitching

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This Week's Top Lessons About Pitching

Here are the top 8 lessons we’ve found the most helpful so far. We think they will help you, too!

Coach Carol Hutchins, Michigan Head Coach
She spoke about her conversation with another top-level NCAA coach. She said (and this is before she ever one her National Championship), “ ‘So you mean to tell me if you never win the National Championship you will never feel successful?’ He said firmly, ‘No, absolutely not.’ ‘And I thought, wow, I hope my success isn’t based on that or that would be awful. It’s about the relationships we have.’ ”

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Do I Need A Recruiting Video?

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Do I Need A Recruiting Video?

If you are in 8th or 9th grade and participated in a travel tournament where you supplied your email address, you might have gotten a call from a college reciting company. The NCSA, or Next College Student Athlete, is one the many companies that can help you get “seen” by a college coach. They are armed with an excellent sales force full of ex-successful college athletes, some of which you might have even been coached by or got lessons from (not me, I’m just sayin).

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