| SOFTBALL TIPS |
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| SITE STUFF |
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ARCHIVES
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June 26, 2005 |
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July 03, 2005 |
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July 10, 2005 |
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July 17, 2005 |
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July 31, 2005 |
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August 07, 2005 |
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August 14, 2005 |
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August 21, 2005 |
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August 28, 2005 |
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September 11, 2005 |
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October 02, 2005 |
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October 09, 2005 |
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October 23, 2005 |
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October 30, 2005 |
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November 06, 2005 |
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November 13, 2005 |
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December 04, 2005 |
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December 18, 2005 |
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December 25, 2005 |
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January 08, 2006 |
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January 15, 2006 |
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January 29, 2006 |
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February 05, 2006 |
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February 12, 2006 |
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February 19, 2006 |
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February 26, 2006 |
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March 05, 2006 |
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March 12, 2006 |
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March 19, 2006 |
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March 26, 2006 |
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April 02, 2006 |
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April 09, 2006 |
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April 16, 2006 |
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April 23, 2006 |
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April 30, 2006 |
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July 30, 2006 |
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August 13, 2006 |
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September 10, 2006 |
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September 24, 2006 |
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October 01, 2006 |
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October 08, 2006 |
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October 15, 2006 |
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October 22, 2006 |
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November 12, 2006 |
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November 26, 2006 |
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December 31, 2006 |
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January 14, 2007 |
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January 21, 2007 |
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January 28, 2007 |
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February 04, 2007 |
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February 11, 2007 |
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February 18, 2007 |
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February 25, 2007 |
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September 30, 2007 |
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October 07, 2007 |
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October 14, 2007 |
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November 04, 2007 |
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November 18, 2007 |
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November 25, 2007 |
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December 02, 2007 |
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December 09, 2007 |
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December 16, 2007 |
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January 13, 2008 |
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February 17, 2008 |
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February 24, 2008 |
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March 09, 2008 |
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March 30, 2008 |
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April 06, 2008 |
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April 13, 2008 |
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April 20, 2008 |
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April 27, 2008 |
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May 04, 2008 |
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May 11, 2008 |
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May 18, 2008 |
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May 25, 2008 |
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June 01, 2008 |
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June 15, 2008 |
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June 22, 2008 |
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June 29, 2008 |
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July 06, 2008 |
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July 13, 2008 |
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July 20, 2008 |
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August 03, 2008 |
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August 10, 2008 |
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August 17, 2008 |
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August 24, 2008 |
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August 31, 2008 |
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September 07, 2008 |
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September 14, 2008 |
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September 21, 2008 |
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September 28, 2008 |
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October 05, 2008 |
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October 12, 2008 |
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October 19, 2008 |
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October 26, 2008 |
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November 02, 2008 |
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November 09, 2008 |
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November 16, 2008 |
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November 30, 2008 |
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December 07, 2008 |
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December 21, 2008 |
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December 28, 2008 |
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February 15, 2009 |
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February 22, 2009 |
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April 12, 2009 |
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April 19, 2009 |
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April 26, 2009 |
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May 03, 2009 |
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May 10, 2009 |
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May 17, 2009 |
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May 24, 2009 |
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May 31, 2009 |
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June 07, 2009 |
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June 14, 2009 |
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June 21, 2009 |
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July 05, 2009 |
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July 12, 2009 |
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July 19, 2009 |
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August 02, 2009 |
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August 30, 2009 |
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September 06, 2009 |
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September 20, 2009 |
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October 04, 2009 |
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October 11, 2009 |
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October 18, 2009 |
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November 08, 2009 |
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November 15, 2009 |
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November 22, 2009 |
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November 29, 2009 |
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December 27, 2009 |
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January 03, 2010 |
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January 10, 2010 |
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January 17, 2010 |
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January 24, 2010 |
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January 31, 2010 |
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| SOFTBALL LINKS |
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For Love Of The Game
by Dave
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
There's a bunch of girls heading to recruiting combines and showcase tournaments, or otherwise stressing out over their college softball prospects right this very moment. They'll be poked and prodded, measured and remeasured. They'll get great hits, strikeout, look good, look really bad, make great plays and throws, and completely fall apart on routine flys and grounders. Some few will impress coaches from great programs. Some will have lines drawn through their names. And you know what? None of this matters! Why? Because they'll still be just playing softball.
That's right. My message to all the girls with high aspirations on the diamond this week, next, and the one after that is to remember what you are doing. You're just playing softball. I know it is stressful to think that if you botch this pop-up coming at you right now, the coach for whom you really, really want to play might form some very bad opinions about you. I know that you feel you really must get at least one hit against this pitcher. I know you want to get a great jump as you attempt to steal this base. I think we all know all about the stress you are about to go through. But if it is meant to be, it will be.
Instead of staying awake late tonight because that coach you have been e-mailing is going to be watching your game tomorrow against the Shamrocks or whomever, try thinking about what it was like to play this game when you were 8, 10, 12 years old. There was no big deal about who was watching you then. All that mattered was you were going to pitch or catch and get some at bats. You were going to feel the wind whip through your batting helmet as you raced around the bases. You were gonna make some great plays in the field. You were gonna throw out some runners. You were gonna strike out some batters. You were gonna spend time with your friends. You were gonna have fun. That's why you play this game to begin with, to have fun. It is fun. It is great fun.
So as you get into bed tonight, as you climb into the car tomorrow, as you work your way towards the fields, as you stand there waiting for your turn to get up and impress, what I want you to think about is how much fun this game is and how much fun it has been for years. Don't focus on anything mechanical. Don't worry or stress out over anything you have been working on for the past 6 months or 6 years. Don't gfet into any heavy visualization exercises. Instead, think of this as just another game day. Think of this as yet another in a long line of experiences.
The truth is you play better when you are relaxed. You play better when you are having fun. When you get up to bat and you are focused on the fun of hitting the ball, you hit better. When you just love the feel of running around the bases, you run better. When you go all out to catch a line drive simply because going all out and catching a line drive happens to be about the most fun thing in the world, you make great plays. When you just love the way making a great throw feels, you make great throws.
You have been working just about your whole life to be a really great player.
You have fielded tens of thousands of grounders and flys. You have taken more swings of the bat than a human has capacity to count. You've done speed and agility to the point that it takes you months to improve your times on courses by even a hundredth of a second. You have built muscle memory to the point that your brain cannot remember anymore. You've done what you can and there is no more time for study. Now it is time to put a cap on all that work by letting it hang out.
If you weren't good, you wouldn't be going to these events. There are a ton of girls who you have passed by over the years. Still, there are a ton of girls who may be better than you for whatever reason. It doesn't matter. All that matters is you do what you can and do what you want to do, play ball. Prep time is over and now all there is to do is play the game you have been playing since you were allowed to play it. Just play ball. It is only just softball and you do know how to play it.
Bottom line is, this is all about love of the game. If you didn't love it, you wouldn't play it. If you didn't love it, you wouldn't want to continue playing it into college. If you didn't love playing this game, you wouldn't be stressed right now about your college prospects. You would just go and relax because nothing you did would ever matter. Your love of the game is the reason you are stressed but stress has nothing to do with playing the way you know how to play. So go out there, get dirty, dive around a little, drive the ball, run cause its fun to run, throw cause its fun to throw, and just have a blast.Labels: college, relaxation
 
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