District 14 has a selection of softball training videos and DVDs available for loan to registered coaches for free! Check them out at the Centralia Parks & Recreation office.
Maximizing Indoor Softball Practice by Patty Gasso.
Guides you through an indoor practice that will help you utilize your space and time to the fullest! Includes many ideas for keeping your team working hard, practicing speed, agility, the fundamentals, defense, hitting, game situations, and more.
Fundamentals of Hitting by Mike Candrea.
Offers a step-by-step breakdown of the correct mechanics of hitting. Covers proper contact points for various pitches and some great teaching cues to develop a sound fundamental swing.
Throwing Mechanics & Drills by Mike Candrea.
Explains the proper throwing technique and mechanics. Demonstrates the proper technique along will drills to increase arm strength, improve accuracy and reduce injury.
Hitting Drills by Mike Candrea.
Takes you through drills to develop proper mechanics, tee drills, soft-toss variations, live and machine drills and many new teaching tools on the market that can help maintain a sound swing.
How to Be a Great Infielder by Linda Wells.
Covers all the aspects beginning with the ready position and building into fielding with forehand, backhand, double plays and footwork around the bag. Includes how to make different throws, bunt and steal coverage and much more.
The Complete Guide to Catching by Linda Wells.
Covers equipment needs, calling pitches, blocking, framing, snap throws, pitch-outs, intentional walks, 1st and 3rd situations, applying tags, backing up bases and communication.
Hitting Mechanics by Sue Enquist.
Presents a detailed overview of the fundamentals and techniques of sound hitting. Covers developing a hitting system that includes core mechanics. From grip to stance, swing, contact point and follow-through, all phases are covered.
Bunting and Sliding by Sue Enquist.
Guide to executing the sacrifice, squeeze and the slap. Includes drills to master a key offensive tool. Uses a variety of tools to learn sliding techniques, including cardboard, grass, water, free falls and the Limbo.
Common Hitting Problems & Solutions by Sue Enquist.
An overview of the factors that can cause a breakdown in a hitter’s swing. Explains why problems occur and how to correct them from poor pitch selection to improper weight shift and stride, barrel dipping, collapsing leg and more.
Outfield Fundamentals & Mechanics by Sue Enquist & Gina Vecchione.
Presents essential traits of outfielders, stance, ready position, lining up the ball, throwing mechanics, relays, communication, common problems encountered by outfielders and more.
Outfield Drills by Sue Enquist & Gina Vecchione.
Covers and demonstrates drills for footwork progressions, catching on the run, blind pivot, shoestring catch, sun ball, relay, crossover, slice, line drive, communication, barehand, balls at the fence and more.
Championship Practice Organization by Mike Candrea.
Coach Candrea shares his recommended list of practice rules and explains the implications and importance of them in effective team building. He also recommends a checklist of drills (all demonstrated) to work on to add variety to your practices.
The Making of a Better Catcher by Deb Hartwig.
Learn the drills needed for a quality workout including blocking, framing, throwing and more.
Baserunning, Stealing and Sliding by Carol Bruggeman.
Coach Bruggeman demonstrates drills for proper running form, how to get out of the batter’s box, lead-offs, turns at the bases, tagging up and sliding. She also explains proper technique for the straight in, pop up, hook and head-first slides and shows drills for each type of slide.
Set Them Up & Sit Them Down by Carie Dever-Boaz & Karen Sanchelli.
Teaches you the strategy for reading the batter in the box, why it’s important to recognize each hitter’s characteristics and how to make every pitch work to your advantage—throw the right pitch at the right time!
Defensive Fundamentals and Drills by Cindy Bristow.
You will learn keys to success for infielders and outfielders, common errors, successful corrections and tons of drills, double-play footwork, balls in the sun, balls against the fence and more.
Speed, Agility and Quickness: Comprehensive Drills & Conditioning, by Tim McClellan, MS.
More than 130 innovative drills/variations for warm-up, speed development, athletic quickness, ball reaction and agility. Uses speed ladder, rope, dot drill pad, line hops and mini hurdles and more. For softball or other sports.
Elite Pitching: Advanced Pitching by Michelle Smith
Fastpitch Hitting & Circuit Drills by Ralph Weekly
ASA-VIP (Volunteer Improvement Program) Series
Fundamentals of Hitting
Principles of Coaching
Beginning Fastpitch Pitching
Advanced Fastpitch Pitching
Fastpitch Strategy, Team Defense & Sliding
Baserunning Basics & Drills
Champions of Character Series, by Bruce Brown.
A series of videos that every athlete, coach and parent of an athlete should see! Bruce, a former teacher, coach and athletic administrator, is currently the director of Proactive Coaching, a national presenter of the “Champions of Character” program and a clinician who speaks nationally to athletes, coaches and parents.
The Role of Parents in Athletics discusses what a parent can do, concerning their children, to allow them to grow and to perform to the best of their ability. Addresses how parents can keep the proper perspective of their child’s involvement in sports from the athletes’ point of view. Explains what the role of all adults should be in the athletic arena and how parents can be an integral part of the positive sports-related memories of their kids. Among the topics covered: shared expectations, roles, and goals, red flags, parental roles during competition that help a child’s performance after the game – recovery time and space, “Just be my Mom/Dad”, and confidence builder or confidence cutter?
Redefining the Term “Athlete” examines the character traits exhibited by athletes and presents suggestions on what coaches can do to enhance their development. Too often, the term “athlete” is directed only toward those individuals who have a demonstrably high level of physical abilities. Being an “athlete” however, involves far more than simply being a person who has specific physical skills. It also involves factors over which coaches have a meaningful degree of control—character traits.
How to Teach Character through Sport has the steps that coaches can take to teach, set, and hold their athletes to higher standards than being victorious in the athletic arena. It provides an application model for coaches that will enable them to consciously, purposely, and consistently teach character on a daily basis during their team’s practices and games. Among the topics covered are: character and sport-related beliefs, why and how coaches should act with regard to developing character, choosing character themes, turning a belief into a behavior, teaching a specific value and more.
Motivating Your Players teaches that coaches are the essential core of motivated athletes and teams. Exceptional coaches motivate their teams with positive energy and love. As a consequence, they are able to get their athletes to do everything they are capable of and to enjoy the experience in the process. This video reviews the seven keys for individual and team motivation and provides coaches with application models they can utilize immediately. It also details why the success or failure of coaches is in direct proportion to their ability to plan, teach, relate, and motivate.
