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The Day I Let a 12U Pitcher Hit—and She Hit a Bomb athlete development confidence leadership parent education Apr 23, 2025

 

This story still gives me chills.

I was running a 12U game with one of my lesson girls on the mound. She was new to pitching and just finding her confidence. But she had crazy energy, a big smile, and always begged to hit.

Her coach came up before the game:

“We’re thinking of just letting her ...

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The Importance of Boundaries During Fastpitch Softball Tournaments as a Parent athlete development parent education softball parents tournament tips Apr 12, 2023

 As a parent of a fastpitch softball player, you play a critical role in shaping your child's attitudes and behaviors both on and off the field. Your young athlete looks up to you as a role model, and it's important to model positive behaviors and attitudes that can help them become successful both ...

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How to Handle Conflict with Other Parents During Fastpitch Softball Tournaments parent education softball parents sportsmanship tournament tips Apr 10, 2023

Fastpitch softball tournaments can be a source of excitement and camaraderie, but they can also sometimes lead to conflict between parents. Whether it's a disagreement over playing time or a clash of personalities, it's important to know how to handle conflict with other parents in a constructive an...

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How Parents Can Communicate Effectively with Their Softball Coach athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 29, 2023

As a parent, it's natural to have concerns about your child's experience on a youth sports team, including their involvement in a softball team. Whether it's related to playing time, team dynamics, coaching style, or any other matter, effective communication with the head coach can help address thes...

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Embracing Imperfection as a Coach athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 25, 2023

No one is perfect, and that includes coaches. It's important to remember that it's okay to make mistakes and be wrong sometimes. What's important is how we handle those mistakes and what we do to learn from them.

Admitting our mistakes and being willing to learn from them is a sign of strength, not...

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Taking Responsibility as a Coach athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 24, 2023

As coaches, we are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of our team. It's easy to blame others when things go wrong, but true leadership means taking ownership of the situation and working to make things better.

This means not blaming players, parents, or umpires for a loss. Instead, i...

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Modeling Good Behavior as a Coach: Lead by Example athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 23, 2023

As coaches, we have a tremendous influence on our players, both on and off the field. That's why it's so important to model good behavior and set a positive example for our players to follow.

Unfortunately, many coaches fall into the trap of yelling, arguing, and even cheating to win. But these beh...

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The Importance of Valuing Relationships over Winning in Coaching athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 22, 2023

As a coach, it can be tempting to focus solely on winning games. However, it's important to remember that the relationships we build with our players are just as, if not more, important. Players will remember how their coach made them feel and the impact they had on their lives long after they forge...

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How Coaches Can Motivate Players Who Aren't Getting Playing Time athlete development confidence leadership parent education Mar 21, 2023

Coaches have the responsibility of motivating and supporting all their players, not just the starters. When players aren't getting as much playing time as they want, it can be demotivating and frustrating for them. As a coach, you can help motivate these players by setting clear goals and expectatio...

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How to Stay Positive and Supportive When Your Child Isn't Getting Playing Time athlete development confidence mental game parent education Mar 20, 2023

As a parent, it can be frustrating and challenging when your child isn't playing as much as you'd like. However, it's important to stay positive and supportive of your child and their coach. You can encourage your child to focus on their effort and improvement, and help them see the bigger picture o...

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