It’s almost 100 degrees outside. 🔥 It’s humid. Most girls are inside playing a game on their phone, or giggling while they InstaTeleTokVibeChat their friends. 📱 But not these girls. They are BALLPLAYERS. I don’t mean they play softball.I don’t… Read more ›
I have to admit I have some pretty big fears: Heights Snakes Spiders Some of you may be afraid of 1 or more of those things and perhaps you have other fears like Clowns or Potato Chips. Guessing you laughed… Read more ›
Typically, I am a little more creative with the title of my articles. I like to keep you guessing where “I might be going” with my writing. But for you the loyal reader I wanted to leave no doubt what… Read more ›
When you think of birds you probably lump them all into a single category and probably just think of them all flying because after all that’s kind of what birds do. Well what about the Penguin? They are a bird… Read more ›
That’s a GREAT question!!! One that players ask me all of the time. “I like playing this” “Dad wants me to play this” “Coach won’t let me play this but I want to.” Probably all of the same things that… Read more ›
In Princesses Part 1 – I asked you to consider whether or not Princesses should play softball. I offered several character traits that I believe Disney Princesses had that would make them ideal softball players and teammates. I shared why… Read more ›
A few years ago I had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of the toughest ball players in the game and discovered through our conversation that she was most definitely a girlie-girl. When I say girlie-girl I’m not just referring… Read more ›
Have you cast aside the word “good” in favor of words with more pizzazz like “awesome.” Have you set it aside in favor of words that portray more enthusiasm like “phenomenal.” If you were to describe your softball play in… Read more ›
“Oh girls they want to have fun Oh girls just want to have That’s all they really want Some fun When the working day is done Girls – they want to have fun Oh girls just want to have fun,… Read more ›
Two and a half years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to do some instruction at the annual Higher Ground camp for elite softball players. The camp is held each year in Columbus, Georgia in mid June. If you know… Read more ›
I interrupt the regularly scheduled post on Wintality to bring you some important, tragic news that Crystl Bustos has an irreversible mental disorder. I’ve met with several leading psychologists around the world to discuss her case and the term they… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of mentally attacking everything on the field as though it may be the last time you ever play the game. “That player’s wintality is just infectious.” While he hasn’t played for a great… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of mentally forgoing your own desire to feel better for the betterment of the team. “She was devastated internally after striking out, but her wintality kept her from showing it.” I’m going to… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of controlling the only thing of which you really have control. “Her wintality enabled her to respond to a negative situation in a positive way.” Anyone can look good when everything is going… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of admitting your weaknesses and working to correct them. “Her wintality inspired others on the team, and our season totally turned around.” When I began this series I shared that each week I… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of mentally turning an adversity into an advantage. “We all felt sorry for that girl because of X, but her wintality seemed to use it as fuel.” Webster’s defines adversity as “an adverse… Read more ›
[Wintality] – win-tal-i-ty – noun; The act of mentally lifting your teammates up when they are down. “Her wintality just wouldn’t let me give up.” When learning the mental side of this game, one of the easiest ways to explain… Read more ›
I first read the word “WINTALITY” in January 2011 on the Auburn Lady Tigers Facebook page, and I’ve got to say I immediately fell in love with it. There are a million catch phrases out there, many cliché’s but seldom… Read more ›
If a picture is worth a thousand words then a gorgeous photo of a ball field being kissed by the sky is certainly worthy of several posts. Fastpitch.TV was generous enough to allow me to do a series of blog… Read more ›
No I’m not talking about picking your nose. I’m talking about what you do when you are alone that is going to help you win that championship game that isn’t for 6 months from now. You know the one I’m… Read more ›
As the season rapidly approaches you need to be in the best shape of your life. P90X …. that’s old news. Insanity … child’s play. Cross Fit … boring. In this 4 minute video Coach Dalton will help you get… Read more ›
My students. The heart my students have for this game. The willingness of my students to do whatever it takes to become champions on and off the field. Take Lauren and Kady for example, the two young ladies in this… Read more ›
In the spirit of Valentines Day I couldn’t help but try and tie in softball to the most romantic day of the year. Not easy to do but fortunately for me reality TV made it easy for me. I don’t… Read more ›
What is the difference between a good team, a great team and a championship team? Great question, but rather than write it all out for you I’ve created a video for this particular post Update: April, 2024 In the many… Read more ›
cat·a·lyst /ˈkætlɪst/ [kat-l-ist] noun 1. Chemistry . a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. 2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected. 3. a person or thing… Read more ›
2013 is almost upon us and with it comes a new season of softball. For many it involves being one of the new players on existing team, and for others it involves having new players join your team. One of… Read more ›
Are you a Purple Cow? No? Well do you at least have any purple spots? Seems rather silly, but the fact is that the world needs more purple cows. But we are programmed from a young age to just fit… Read more ›
If you are anything like me you hate making mistakes. Only thing I hate worse is immediately reading something new that would have helped me avoid the mistake. I’m going to share my most recent mistake … which involves running… Read more ›
When you sit on the outside of the fence watching them play, have you ever wondered what goes through players heads? I do. All the time. I wonder if they really love the game. Is their mom/dad forcing them to… Read more ›
Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” That means that you were crafted by God. Many times the circumstances we find ourselves in, or… Read more ›
Players who slap from the left side of the box are cute. May even be nice kids. But I wouldn’t trust them if I were you. Why? Because if racing with them isn’t tough enough already, they get a lead.… Read more ›
As it’s very name suggests Thanksgiving is always a time for giving thanks. As I sit alone at my keyboard with the sun rising in Georgia I count it a blessing that I’ve been able to spend the entire week… Read more ›
For many of the softball players I work with, and likely many around the country and the world this fall marks a serious time of transition. They started the year on teams that they had been on for a year… Read more ›
If it were a movie the sun would be rising over a dew covered luscious field of green grass. One by one the camera would move from face to face. As it panned out you would begin getting the bigger… Read more ›
An exciting element of being me and helping girls learn how to raise the bar on what they expect of themselves, seeing them set really high goals, and then watching them hit those goals. In regards to this, I have… Read more ›
There is an interesting phenomenon in life, that perhaps I’m the only person who has ever noticed it. It seems to me that when people practice something, they get better at it, and they start making it look easy and… Read more ›
The more I hear the word “fair” used in conjunction with the word “not” on a softball field, the more I’m beginning to see it as a 4 letter word. One that should be avoided at all costs, and stricken… Read more ›
It’s not the trendiest new dance club in New York City. Nor will you find it as you walk the Las Vegas strip. But “Club 10” is every bit as exclusive. In fact you can’t pay for admission you have… Read more ›
If you’ve read any of my former posts you probably realize by now that my writing is meant to encourage athletes, coaches and parents alike. I try to string together words that perhaps you have read before, in a way… Read more ›
As I’m sure you have figured out by now if you know me, I love quotes. I just absolutely love quotes. Whether they are about chasing dreams, building confidence, working hard anything that I can use to inspire me. So I… Read more ›
I figured with Valentine’s Day fast approaching it would be a great time to ask a rather poignant question … “Are you a Diamond?” We as coaches are like jewelers. Jewelers don’t make diamonds, they find them. They can polish… Read more ›
This is the time of the year when many people feel the need to write down their “New Year’s Resolutions.” This tradition of becoming introspective and looking forward to a “better life” dates all the way back to 153 BC… Read more ›
One of the hardest things in this game is knowing as a coach where the line is between a player being hurt and a player being injured. The longer I’m around this game, and the more amazing young ladies I… Read more ›
I love teaching girls how to sacrifice bunt. I mean I LOVE it. Partly because of the importance in the game, but more importantly because sacrifice is such an important part of life. Which is why it absolutely breaks my… Read more ›
Preparing yourself for the recruitment process is serious business. As you begin you need to realistically look at the numbers you are going to be dealing with. I’m not sharing the numbers so that you freak out and give up.… Read more ›
As you begin the recruiting process you do have something in common with each and every coach your write to. You both want to ensure that it is a win-win situation. They need to know you are right for the… Read more ›
Once you have created a profile the next step in the recruiting process is to put that profile into college coaches hands. Many girls often ask “How many schools should I write to?” I wish there was a numerical answer,… Read more ›
You are dreaming of playing softball in college, but where do you begin? The very first step you need to do is create a Player Profile. A “Player Profile” is nothing more than a short biography of you as a… Read more ›
One of the neat people who will be aboard the Softball Cruise Clinic is Gary Leland, the founder of Fastpitch TV. Fastpitch.tv is a neat site which has over 100 episodes available online that offer some of the best advice,… Read more ›
I’ve had several people send me updates this week and tell me about the team wide batting slumps that had occurred in games. That’s a common thing I’ve heard throughout the years and finally challenged one of my players today… Read more ›
I had a blast yesterday with several of my Cross Training students conducting a Home Run Derby. I start them in the outfield and everytime they hit a home run they back up 10 feet. I love seeing the look… Read more ›
That’s what I’m recognizing more and more as I study the best players in the world. There is just something different about their eyes. No they don’t have the ability to see better than 20/20 or anything like that. In… Read more ›
I began the week as always … rooting for The University of Arizona. By the final game of the championship series I found myself … rooting for both teams. Not because my loyalty had waivered, but becasue I found an… Read more ›
We had instructors from Canada, California, South Carolina and Georgia and players from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. The one common factor among all: FUN. In fact it should be illegal, but glad it isn’t, to have as much fun as… Read more ›
How can the Softball Cruise Clinic possibly get better? By video taping it for the world to see of course. That’s right I just got the news that Gary Leland of Softball.TV will be joining us for the cruise and… Read more ›
Have you ever watched the first few games in a t-ball players career? They are so cute when they hit the ball and then panic and run the wrong way when everyone starts yelling “RUN!!!” If you are a coach… Read more ›
When students first begin learning to multiply we provide them with a Multiplication Chart. We teach them how to go through the rows and columns and memorize the values of 2 times 3, 2 times 4 etc. The expectation is… Read more ›
If you love softball. Love learning. Love Cruising. Love eating. Love meeting players from around the world. Then your ship has come in. Or rather it will be coming in February 21, 2011 and I sure hope all of you… Read more ›
For years I’ve used the term “Practice doesn’t make perfect … Perfect practice makes perfect.” A very close friend of mine, David Newman, handed me an interesting article yesterday that captures the heart of what I’ve been trying to say… Read more ›
The Buford Wicked that is. Although they had played a rough tournament yesterday most of the players made it out for a custom team clinic and every player gave me 100% of their attention and 100% effort. While I’ve worked… Read more ›
For those of you that don’t live in/around the state of Georgia. King of the Mountain is a tournament that is held every year in about 12 different locations just to ensure that I have to drive hundreds of miles… Read more ›
Is something that I heard repetitively tonight during my lessons and there are really only 2 answers: 1. Practice – Practice – Practice the right things and let those things become muscle memory. Everyone can look good hitting off of… Read more ›
Last night I had the pleasure, if you can call it that, of celebrating the career of our companies CIO who is leaving after 24 years. There were a lot of comical memories as you can imagine, as well as… Read more ›
I received an email from a friend of mine today that was sent to his team letting them know that practice was cancelled because the field had been setup for t-ball and hadn’t been changed. It had the portable fences,… Read more ›
If you know me at all you know that I LOVE teaching girls the game of fastpitch softball. So it may shock you that teaching softball wasn’t the thing that I loved most about the recent softball clinic cruise. The… Read more ›
The third game I got to experience yesterday was against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, against the Kentucky Wildcats. I walked over to the field expecting to root for the home town team as usual, but I found myself really… Read more ›
Game 2 for me at yesterday’s Georgia Tech Buzz Classic was between the Georgia State Panthers and the Bowling Green Falcons. I went to college not far from Bowling Green, which is up north in Ohio so I was excited… Read more ›
Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching the Mercer Bears as they played a game against the Rhode Island Rams. The game ended 1-0 with a dramatic game winning hit in the bottom of the 7’th by Holly Oglesbee. Before… Read more ›
You would think that as long as I’ve been doing instruction I would have seen it all by now. But the truth is each time I do a camp or a clinic like the recent Softball Cruise Clinic I am… Read more ›
I just returned from the first Softball Cruise Clinic and was asked by one of the parents to share information about one of the sessions that I did. It is something that I learned from one of my mentors, Bobby… Read more ›
The first ever Softball Cruise Clinic was a whopping success. Monica Abbott proved to be as amazing an individual as you would imagine. Besides the instruction in the sessions which was awesome she was also very honest about her own… Read more ›
Seriously the best thing that you can do to help improve your hitting in softball is take out some of the old items from your house. But don’t take them to the trash can, take them to an area where… Read more ›
No I’m not sick. No nobody hit me in the head during lessons. The reason that I enjoyed it was that I got to see the look on Brittany Osmon’s face when she found her wedding dress. Brittany was an… Read more ›
That almost looks like a physics formula or something. What in the world does it have to do with softball? It has a lot to do with softball, because it is the formula for FORCE. It says that Force =… Read more ›
The first thing I go through will all of my players is a mental exercise where I get them to realize that they alone are responsible for their effort and their attitude. That no matter what goes on around them,… Read more ›
I wasn’t really sure myself until this weekend. Samantha Banister (formerly of The University of Arizona, 2 time Women’s College World Series Champion, and professional softball player with the Akron Racers) came to town for my cross training softball camp.… Read more ›
Not sure if there are words enough to explain the emotional high that I get from working at camps like the one I was at this weekend. What a thrill to work with players that just internally “want it” and… Read more ›
What I love about my friend Bobby Simpson from Higher Ground Softball is that he challenges EVERYTHING that has to do with the the game of fastpitch softball. Nothing is safe. At dinner last night a group of us were… Read more ›
Today was really cold but at least it was windy too. Re-read that first sentance a few times if you need to. Just an optimistic way of looking at the situation. Ok the truth it was miserably cold and brutally… Read more ›
I don’t know about you but this week has been absolutely exhausting. I’ve had a training class for work that ran for 10 hours per day, and then I did 2-3 hours of lessons per night following that. So after… Read more ›
Just received an email from the parent of two girls that I love working with. The email was so exciting, that I just had to post it immediately. If your brain is already overloaded right now you might want to… Read more ›
I was just reminiscing tonight about the classic romantic comedy “Pretty Woman.” The movie begins and ends with the exact same line “Welcome to hollywood. Everybody has a dream. What’s your dream?” The same could be said about fastpitch softball. Every… Read more ›
As a child I loved hearing those words. Because I loved to race. What I also loved was trying to find short cuts whenever possible, I wanted an advantage to help me win. But I always hated when other people cheated and… Read more ›
I often watch games and hear parents/coaches/players seem to have the game of fastpitch softball confused with other sports like Soccer and Hockey and seem to encourage players, or reinforce behaviors that are best suited for the position of “goalie.”… Read more ›
“…. we stole on you, while you weren’t looking we were cooking and we stole on you.” Is a very common cheer I hear at softball parks around the country. Usually recited with glee just after a wild pitch or… Read more ›
Had a great time today with the Buford Wild 14U softball team. Two of the best performance trainers in the business, Barry Lovelace and Marc Dagenais came to visit and filim a great new product called Softball Team Training. The basic concept is a core training… Read more ›
