NFCA FASTPITCH DELIVERY SEPTEMBER 2014

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Fastpitch Delivery PAGE 1 SEPTEMBER 2014

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Lori Harrigan-Mack is a contestant on this season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

““My style is a mixed bag. I’m passionate, challenging, high tempo. We’re very intense in what we do. We just grind and do the best we can. I like to be very aggressive. We talk about perfection and not about losing.”

Elliott The Right Man To Manage Marlins’ Success

COACH’S PROFILE PAGE 14MAHATMA GANDHI,INTERNATIONAL PEACE ADVOCATE

SEPTEMBER 2014 VOLUME 19, NO. 9

NATIONAL FASTPITCH COACHES ASSOCIATION

WORDS TO COACH BY...“Strength does not come from physical

capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

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Get To Know Your RepresentativesCapsule biographies of the NFCA Board members and liaisons.

Convention Registration Now Available

INSIDE

Assistant Accolades AwardedNew Honor Recognizes Seven Member Coaches

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is pleased to expand its recognition of member coaches with the recent announcement of its inaugural Assistant Coach of the Year winners.

The awards salute the efforts of coaches from the various NFCA membership categories for their tireless dedication to the sport of softball and to the continued education, growth and development of young women, both on and off the playing field. All seven of this year’s first class of recipients played a pivotal role in their team’s success during the 2013-14 softball season.

The winners were nominated by their NFCA member head coaches and selected by a panel of their peers on the NFCA Awards Committee. The recipients are all active NFCA members.

Two of the honorees have been rewarded for their hard work by

SEE SEVEN PAGE 23

Registration is now available for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s National Convention, our popular annual gathering of the very best in fastpitch softball, which is scheduled for December 3-6 at Bally’s Las Vegas.

We’re hoping you’ll be “all in” to join us for this terrific opportunity

to get better as a coach through the sharing of knowledge of the sport among your peers at all levels of the game. There are a wide variety

of educational and networking opportunities and a chance for

NEWS & NOTES PAGE 5

NEW MEMBERS ................................ PAGE 3DIVISION I HCC MINUTES ................ PAGE 4QUESTION OF THE MONTH ............. PAGE 7SOFTBALL BY SMITTY ................... PAGE 16VIEWPOINTS ...........................PAGES 20-21MARKETING ................................... PAGE 22

NFCA ASSISTANT COACH OF YEAR

SEE CONVENTION PAGE 13

Ferrum College softball coach and senior woman administrator Vickie Van Kleeck has announced that she’ll retire from coaching at the end of 2014-15 academic year to become the NCAA Softball Secretary-Rules Editor. Van Kleeck is in her 24th season as softball coach at Ferrum and her 10th as senior woman administrator.

Van Kleeck has led three Ferrum teams to the NCAA Division III tournament (2002, 2005 and 2012), winning the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament in each of those seasons. She guided the 1994 and 2013 teams to runner-up finishes in the USA South Tournament.

Van Kleeck’s 2004 team set a new school record for season wins with

a 28-15 record. Her 2010 team bettered that mark with a 31-16 campaign, and her 2012 team elipsed that with a 36-14 record.

Van Kleeck has coached 92 All-Conference players, including 10 USA South Players or Rookies of the Year, 33 of her players have earned All-Region honors and 22 have earned All-State recognition.

In the classroom, Ferrum’s players have thrived academically under Van Kleeck over the past 23 years. A total of 130 players have earned Academic All-Conference, 10 have been Academic All-State and three have garned Academic All-District recognition.

The Secretary-Rules Editor is the official rules interpreter for the NCAA Softball Rules Committee. In general, SRE positions are long-time members of their sport community with extensive backgrounds in coaching, officiating and educating. Van Kleeck served on the NCAA Softball Rules Committee from 2007-13 and was the chair for her final two years. Van Kleeck succeeds Dee Abrahamson, who has held the position since 1996.

Van Kleeck earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s degree in counseling, as well as one in athletic administration, from Virginia Tech.

--Courtesy Ferrum College

Van Kleeck Taking On NCAA RoleFerrum Coach Will Follow Abrahamson As Secretary-Rules Editor

Van Kleeck

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Fastpitch DeliveryPAGE 2 SEPTEMBER 2014

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The National Fastpitch Coaches Association is a multi-level coaching organization serving girls’ and women’s fastpitch coaches at all competitive levels of play. The NFCA strives to pro-mote and develop the sport, coaching knowledge and leadership through the services it offers.

Members of the NFCA receive 12 issues of Fastpitch Delivery, an annual calendar, discounts on various products and resource materials and the yearly NFCA Directory of Information.

The NFCA also represents its members in organizations such as the ASA and NCAA and awards programs are offered for coaching wins and high school and collegiate All-American and Scholar-Athlete honors. The NFCA also holds a national convention in December, com-bining business meetings, coaching seminars, exhibits of top equipment and plenty of social/networking opportunities. Members also receive discounts to NFCC courses.

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Chris Ackman, Head Coach, Harrisburg High School (Mo.); Jim Albrecht, Head Coach, Case Batbusters 18U – Albrecht; Bob Alesia, Head Coach, ESP Elite; Mark Amadeo, Internet-Only Membership; Ashley Andrews, Assistant Coach, University of Washington; Bill Bankert, Assistant Coach, Shenandoah University; Tammy Benson, Assistant Coach, Columbia Basin College; Leigh Blohm, Assistant Coach (pitching), McDaniel College; Jeffrey Brice, All-Inclusive Membership; Victoria Brown, Assistant Coach, Ohio Wesleyan University; Karlyn Buker, Assistant Coach (pitching), The College of New Jersey; Matt Burke, Head Coach, Wellsville Diamond Dawgs; Thomas Calibeo, All-Inclusive Membership; Brooks Cherry, Head Coach, Tennessee Mojo Fastpitch; Megan Christopher-Hoch, Assistant Coach, University of Sioux Falls; Megan Ciolli Bartlett, Assistant Coach, Purdue University; Cody Cisco, Head Coach, Team TFS Louisiana; Cassidy Coleman, Assistant Coach, University of San Diego; Kim Danish, Assistant Coach, Newbury College; Greg Davis, Head Coach, Arctic Storm 14U; Carie Dever Boaz, Associate Head Coach, Northwest Mississippi Community College; Kristine Dolunt, Assistant Coach, Ferris State University; Sarah Fern, Assistant Coach, Plattsburgh State University of New York; Molly Fichtner, Assistant Coach, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Jim Flora, Head Coach, Southwest Baptist University; Jenny Fuller, Assistant Coach, University of Texas at Dallas; Mary Futo, All-Inclusive Membership; Freddie Glass, Assistant Coach, Georgia Perimeter College; Trisha Hagensick, Assistant Coach, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Jhavon Hamilton, Assistant Coach, Millikin University; Gary Haning, Head Coach, OC Batbusters; Ron Hatlen, Head Coach, Issaquah High School (Wash.); Kayla Hatting, Assistant Coach, Augustana College (S.D.); Lindsay Henry, Assistant Coach, California Baptist University; Krystal Holley, Head Coach, Bell High School (Fla.); Brian Jackson, Assistant Coach, EPIC Fastpitch; Lee Johnson, Assistant Coach, Batbusters Gulf Coast-Powell; Adam Jones, Head Coach, St. James High School (S.C.); Nan Kimball, Assistant Coach, Deer Park High School (Texas); Justine Kodesh, Assistant Coach, University of Charleston (W. Va.); Brittany Lilly, Assistant Coach, Vernon College; Marti Littlefield, Assistant Coach, Young Harris College; Lois Manin, Head Coach, Ekahi Softball Club; Kimberly Mazzapica, Assistant Coach (pitching), Mercer University; Kacie McCarthy, Student Assistant, New Mexico State University;

Tony Mele, Head Coach, Team Worth NC; Randy Mohr, Head Coach, Lady Orioles Gold; Chrissy Morello, Assistant Coach, Stetson University; Denise Morris, All-Inclusive Membership; Neal Mulford, Head Coach, Atlanta Flames; Grace Muller, Assistant Coach, Cleveland State University; Meghan Mullin, Assistant Coach, St. Edward’s University; Ashton Neale, Assistant Coach, Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa; Amanda Nordberg, Head Coach, Centenary College (La.); Leanne Noren, Assistant Coach (pitching), St. Martin’s University; Sarah Norris, Head Coach, Arcadia University; Kasey O’Connor, Assistant Coach, University of Notre Dame; John Oothoudt, Assistant Coach, Fairmont Cardinals; Kacie Patterson, Assistant Coach, Georgia Perimeter College; Keith Perry, Head Coach, GA Power Blue 99; Alexa Peterson, Assistant Coach, University of Montevallo; Mackenzie Popescue, Assistant Coach (pitching), Arizona State University; Art Powell, Head Coach, Batbusters Gulf Coast; Jennifer Radley, Assistant Coach, Buena Vista University; Mallory Radwitch, Head Coach, Faulkner State Community College; Lisa Rasmussen, Head Coach, Scotts Valley High School (Calif.); Taylor Reichard, Assistant Coach, Emporia State University; Randy Rouse, Head Coach, E.P.I.C. Fastpitch; Daniel Ruda, Assistant Coach, Topeka-Seaman High School (Kan.); Tim Sharpe, Assistant Coach (pitching), SC Jets 14U; Jessica Shimek, Head Coach, Northshore High School (Texas); Rachel Sidney, Assistant Coach, McDaniel College; Shanna Smith, Head Coach, Clarendon College; Doug Soles, Assistant Coach, St. James High School (S.C.); John Speranzi, Assistant Coach, State University College at Oneonta; Maggie Stephenson, Head Coach, Robert E. Lee High School (Texas); Jamie Stewart, Head Coach, Northwest Christian (Wash.); Kelly Sylvester, Assistant Coach, Penn State Berks; Michelle Tait, Assistant Coach (pitching), Armstrong State University; Jordan Taylor, Volunteer Assistant, Boston University; Chelsea Thomas, Assistant Coach, Saint Louis University; Suzannah Toresdahl, Head Coach, Blackburn College; Nicole Trumpler, Head Coach, Archbishop Spalding (Md.); Ashley VandeVeen, Head Coach, Mayville State University; Kathleen Vogler, Assistant Coach, Georgia Perimeter College; Robert Wagner, Assistant Coach, Arizona State University; Bethaney Wells, Assistant Coach, William Peace University; Pete Yakalis, Head Coach, NJ Hotshots Elite; Krystal Zurmely, Assistant Coach, Topeka-Seaman High School (Kan.)

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NEWS & NOTES

ISF World Championship Stokes 2020 Olympics DiscussionWhen Japan defeated the United

States, 4-1, to win the first ISF World Championship held in Europe, it helping rekindle the discussion to get softball and baseball back onto the Olympic program, perhaps in time for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Australia earned the bronze to spread the medal distribution of the championship among the Americas, Asia and Oceania and highlight

softball as one of the world’s most successful and popular sports for women, young girls and families, going beyond traditional geographic regions.

“We are developing the sports of softball and baseball in many areas, such as the Muslim world, in Africa and in Europe where interest, awareness and club numbers and players are continuing to grow on this

historic, sports loving continent, the cradle of modern sport,” said World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari.

Japan, the 2008 Olympic softball champions, finished softball’s pinnacle global event with a perfect tournament record of 10-0, fueling further national speculation, interest and excitement in Japan that the country’s two most popular sports could return to the

Pima Community College is seek-ing teams for a spring 2015 or 2016 round-robin tournament in Tucson, Ariz., a venture supported by Pima Athletics, VisitTucson.org and the city of Tucson.

Organizers will match out-of-state teams with Arizona teams. Tournament dates will be based on what works best for the interested teams, but the event will take place sometime between the final week-

end of February and the third week-end of March.

For more information, contact Pima Community College coach Ar-mando Quiroz at (520) 206-3156 or via email at [email protected].

Pima Community College Seeks Teams For Tucson Tournament

Olympics.The sports selection process is up

for discussion at the IOC Session in Monaco in December, and leadership of the WBSC remains committed to working with organizers to have the sports included.

“Japan, like many other countries around the world, is a baseball and softball nation, and we are doing all we can to maximize the added-value that our bat-and-ball sports would deliver to the Olympic Games,” Fraccari said. “We believe that the deep national history, pride and passion for baseball and softball in Japan would enable these sports to bring great value and enhance the Olympic experience.”

— Courtesy WBSC

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August 12, 2014 Telephone Conference No. 2014-08The meeting was brought to order at

10:01 a.m. CST. Those present were:Lonni Alameda, Atlantic Coast Con-

ference; Michelle Burrell, America East Conference; Tricia Carroll, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Alternate; Heidi Ca-vallo, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; Pat Conlan, Big East Conference, and NFCA Board Rep; Lynn Curylo, Horizon League; Michelle DePolo, Patriot League; Rick Fremin, Southwestern Athletic Con-ference; Linda Garza, Big West Confer-ence, Alternate; Jo Evans, Southeastern Conference; Kyla Holas, American Athlet-ic Conference; Roy Kortmann, Northeast Conference; Amanda Lehotak, Big Ten Conference; Karen Linder, Mid-American Conference; Bridget Orchard, Atlantic 10 Conference; Dan Powers, Western Athletic Conference; Shonda Stanton, Conference USA; Barb Sherwood, Big Sky Conference; Annie Smith, Sun Belt Conference; Lisa Sweeney, Ivy League; Heather Tarr, Pacific-12 Conference; Holly Van Vlymen, The Summit League; Jaime Wohlbach, Colonial Athletic As-sociation; Jane Worthington, Ohio Valley Conference

Dee Abrahamson, NCAA Softball Sec-retary-Rules Editor, Guest; Sharon Cess-na, NCAA Director of Championships, Guest

Natalie Poole, NFCA Division I Repre-sentative; David Batson, NFCA Legisla-tive Consultant; Lacy Lee Baker, NFCA Executive Director

Mandy Burford, Southern Conference; Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cessler, Big 12 Con-ference; Jessica Hanaseth, West Coast Conference; Amy Hayes, Missouri Valley Conference, and representatives from the Atlantic Sun Conference, Big South Con-ference, Mountain West Conference, and Southland Conference, were not on the call.

1. NCAA Division I Softball Commit-tee Summer Meeting. Sharon Cessna, NCAA Director of Championships, was on the call and reported about the NCAA Division I Softball Committee meeting the last week of July.

A. Championship Policies and Pro-cedures. There was concern about the policies and procedures being followed at regional and super regional sites, and it was evident that some hosts aren’t fol-lowing the policies and procedures. The committee and NCAA staff plan to develop materials that will further clarify the expec-tations and to assist hosts in understand-ing the NCAA policies and procedures.

1. The four basic areas that are lacking are:

(a) Need for neutral atmosphere; equal treatment of teams.

(b) Equitable use of facility and available equipment.

(c) Lockerroom access. (d) Distance of hotels from the

venue and quality of the hotels. 2. “It’s of concern to the committee

and me that some of these hosts are not going by the Golden Rule – To treat others as you would like to be treated,” Cessna said. Top seeds must meet facility require-ments and follow hosting guidelines. Dur-ing 2014 preliminary rounds, there was a blatant disregard of the policies at some sites. In some instances, it seemed there was “gamesmanship,” and the committee is asking coaches’ assistance in making the championship a special event, rather than a home game.

B. Hall of Fame Stadium. Ms. Cess-na reported that at the WCWS, people were pleased with the upgrades to the facility. There were some security issues that need to be addressed. “You cannot put a value on the safety and security of the student-athletes and coaches, and we need to make sure that only credentialed personnel have access to them.”

C. Future WCWS Dugout Size. For the WCWS only, the dugout size was increased to 32, to be used for two ad-ditional student-athletes that won’t be in uniform. This does not change the squad size or travel party, it just allows up to two more student-athletes in the dugout.

D. Super Regional Format. Increas-ing the super regional format from two to three days when an “if” game is involved was supported by the committee, and the recommendation will now be forwarded to the Championships Cabinet. There are several steps that need to take place before the recommendation is acted on/finalized. Financially, the estimated cost of this format change is $120,000 for NCAA and $365,000 for ESPN. The committee has asked that the change be effective for the 2015 championship; however, the Division I governance restructuring and budget timelines may delay implementa-tion if approved.

E. Site Reps. The NCAA is increas-ing the training of site reps.

2. NCAA Rules. Dee Abrahamson, NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor, was on the call and reported the following:

A. Bat Testing. Bat-testing results from last season are not yet available, so that information will hopefully be shared at the convention. Some Division I sites had problems on who was responsible for the barrel compression testing data, and they are still tracking down information on some of the 16 Division I teams with miss-ing information.

B. Experimental Rules. Two experi-mental items will be in use this fall:

(1) Balls, and 100 dozen experi-mental balls have been distributed for use; 34 dozen went to Division I. They were distributed across the U.S. to try out in all different climates.

(2) Replacement rule for the DP/Flex, called “Links.” It’s open for anyone to use, and she encouraged coaches to try it out and send feedback. The rules committee was meeting August 12 to fi-nalize info that will be sent out to coaches. Currently, Ms. Abrahamson has a Pow-erPoint on the experimental rule that can be found at: https://sup.arbitersports.com/Groups/104484/Library/files/Links%202014_coach.pdf

She said that if coaches like the Links, then four sentences would replace four pages of explanation on the DP/Flex in the rules book. Ms. Abrahamson en-couraged coaches using the balls and/or the “Links” rule in fall games to let their op-ponents know in advance, as well as the umpires. Info on both experimental items will be collected in October to prepare in-formation for the convention.

C. Fall Play. Ms. Evans asked about what rules could be set aside for fall play if both coaches agreed. Ms. Abrahamson directed her to page 16 in the 2014 and 2015 Softball Rules and Interpretations.

3. NCAA Governance Structure. A. Mr. Batson reported that the Di-

vision I Board of Directors had approved the updated governance plan by a 16-2 vote. Some refinements were made and are listed at the following link: http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/01%20SUM-MARY%20OF%20KEY%20CHANGES.pdf

Board members changed little, only reducing the number of conferences re-quired to sponsor a proposal within the group of five conferences from three to one (what is currently required to sponsor Division I legislation). Any amendment is subject to approval by a five-conference presidential group before consideration by the full voting group. The steering com-mittee, which will continue as a transi-tion committee, indicated it was open to

tweaks over the next year. B. The proposed governance re-

design legislation is subject to a 60-day override period as specified in the current legislative process. For the board to re-consider the change, at least 75 schools must request an override. Generally, re-consideration occurs at the next sched-uled board meeting, set for October 30.

4, HCC Priorities for 2014-15. Since the new governance system will get into place in January 2015, it is anticipated that the moratorium will be lifted for new legisla-tion. Therefore, the HCC plans to survey the membership regarding its priorities for the 2014-15 year. The following was dis-cussed on the call:

A. Expansion from 12 to 14 Grants In Aid. The membership was surveyed about this in the past, and the proposal was overwhelmingly supported. Therefore, the NFCA will forward the recommendation to the NCAA when permissible.

B. Recruiting Calendar. Working group was established last year.

C. Moving the Season Back. Work-ing group was established last year.

D. Certification of Recruiting Events. Working group was established last year.

E. Slow Down Recruiting Process. There was much discussion on this issue, and some felt that a rule should be put into place to preclude coaches from evaluat-ing 8th grade and younger players. It was felt that camps and clinics shouldn’t be regulated if the rule was approved. Anoth-er coach felt that evaluation was not the problem, but communication was.

F. One-Time Transfer Rule. Most felt this needed since players seem to be moving schools more often. It has be-come a much bigger issue as verbal com-mitments take place with younger and younger players. Another on the call felt that some of the schools from the larger conferences were “poaching” players from mid-majors, and that ESPN was glo-rifying the practice.

5. Next Conference Call. The next HCC conference call will be held at 10 a.m. Central time Tuesday, September 9.

6. Adjournment. The meeting was ad-journed at 10:58 a.m. Central time.

MINUTES – HCC

HAS YOUR ADDRESS, COACHING POSITION OR SCHOOL CHANGED? If the answer is yes, your member information needs to be updated. Please call the NFCA at (502) 409-4600 or email Manager of Membership Jamie Hazel at [email protected] to make any necessary changes to your roster spot.

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Softball fans have seen a familiar face on their television screens the last few weeks, as three-time Olympic gold medalist Lori Harrigan-Mack is a contestant on the new season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

“After I retired in 2004, I met my husband, got married, we had a beautiful boy and after that I suffered eight miscarriages,” Harrigan-Mack told People Magazine.

“So after that I think I kind of

went into, obviously, a depression and I just didn’t deal with it at all. With my husband 100 percent behind me, I said ‘The Biggest Loser’

is where I have to change. I have to do this.”

Harrigan-Mack’s blue team won the weight-loss challenge during episode two and she continues to be in the running for the title

NEWS & NOTES

Super Regional Expansion Denied. The NCAA’s Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet denied a proposal from the NCAA Division I Women’s Softball Committee to expand super regionals to a third day if an “if” game is necessary. Cost concerns were cited, and apparently, everything that had cost implications were either denied or tabled. The good news is that the proposal has been included in a transition document for review by the new governance structure.

ESPN Softball Championship Ratings. Sharon Cessna, NCAA Director of Championships, reports that ESPN is very pleased with softball television ratings from the past championship, and that the softball community should be very proud as well.

— During the NCAA Division I championship, there were several viewing options, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App.

— Overall ratings reflected an increase in NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals and a slight decrease in WCWS.

• ESPN and ESPN2 had 96 million households and ESPNU had 74 million households.

• NCAA Regionals ratings were up and reflected a 45 percent average, while NCAA Super Regional ratings were also up and reflected a 32 percent average. The WCWS had an average rating of .62 (highest ever for softball was .89).

• The only NCAA championships with a higher rating were men’s basketball,

women’s basketball, football and the Men’s College World Series.

• There was huge growth in amount of time watched (35 minutes).

• The Watch ESPN App had18 million live minutes, which was up 52 percent.

— A new item for ESPN for next year is “Bases Loaded,” where a viewer can watch all games at the same time (baseball is already doing this).

Combatting Sexual Violence on Campus. The NCAA and White House are partnering in an “It’s On Us” campaign to encourage peers and bystanders to create a campus environment that makes sexual assault unacceptable. The program is designed to bring the campus community – not just potential victims and attackers, but their classmates, peers, professors and friends – into the conversation, giving them a shared sense of responsibility for improving attitudes toward sexual violence. Other campaign partners include the Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12, U.S. Olympic Committee and student body leaders from nearly 200 colleges and universities across the United States. The program’s goal is to fundamentally change the way people think about sexual assault and broaden bystanders’ sense of responsibility to do something to stop it.

Baseball Rules. The NCAA Playing

Rules Oversight Panel approved a rules change in baseball that allows umpires to conference in order to confirm or overturn an original call on whether a fielder caught a ball hit to the outfield. Current NCAA baseball rules allow umpires to conference on certain close plays in order to get calls right. Catches in the outfield now have been added to that list of plays. Panel members, who met via conference call Tuesday, also approved expanding the experimental video replay rule to include “catch” and “no catch” plays. Starting in 2015, conferences will also be able to request through the rules committee to use the experimental video replay rule in regular season games in addition to conference tournament games.

The video replay rule has been in effect at the Men’s College World Series since 2012 and is expected to last another two seasons. The “catch” or “no catch” scenarios will join the following plays that can be reviewed:

• deciding if an apparent home run is fair or foul;

• deciding whether a batted ball left the playing field for a home run or a ground-rule double;

• spectator-interference plays (only on plays involving home run balls); and

• deciding if a batted ball is fair or foul.So far the replay rule has not been used

at the Men’s College World Series.New Division I Governance Structure.

Back in August, the Division I Board of Directors adopted a new structure for how schools and conferences will better meet student-athlete needs in the future. The proposed governance redesign legislation is subject to a 60-day override period as specified in the current legislative process. For the board to reconsider the change, at least 75 schools must request an override. Generally, reconsideration occurs at the next scheduled board meeting, set for Oct. 30.

The new model grants flexibility to schools in the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences to change rules for themselves in a list of specific areas within Division I. The legislative process for these 65 schools, which could begin as early as Oct. 1, includes three student-athlete representatives from each conference who will vote on rule changes within those conferences.

The Council governance process will be streamlined and simplified as well: Rules can be adopted in April only, instead of April and January. Additionally, the process for requesting reconsideration of a rule will be simplified. If a rule change is defeated, that same change can’t be considered again for at least two years.

The new model was adopted as a single piece of legislation, and any override request must override the entire model, not specific portions.

NFCA Hits 12,500 FollowersWe’re proud to announce that we

recently reached 12,500 followers for our @NFCAorg Twitter account. Thanks to everyone who helped make

that possible. Next stop, 13,000. We’ll do our best to stay worthy of your support by continuing to provide interesting content on social media.

NCAA DIVISION I NOTES

Harrigan-Mack

Olympic Champ On NBC’s The Biggest Loser’’of “The Biggest Loser” and the accompanying winner’s $250,000 grand prize.

She is a member of an elite group of four women who hold three Olympic gold medals in the sport of softball. At the 2000 Olympics, she became the first individual pitcher to throw an Olympic no-hitter. Harrigan-Mack’s Olympic accolades include a 4-0 record with a 0.00 ERA, 29 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed in 27.2 innings of work.

In addition to her three-Olympic golds, Harrigan won three International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championships (1994, 1998, 2002) and three Pan American Games gold medals (1995, 1999,

2003) during her 12 seasons as a member of the USA Softball Women’s National Team.

A three-time ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch All-American, Harrigan-Mack collected one Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship with the California Commotion in 1999. Inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2011, Harrigan-Mack is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Softball Team.

The 16th season of the NBC hit started with 20 professional and non-professional former athletes who want to change their lives. The show airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

--Courtesy ASA/USA Softball

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Conditioning. Because when players start to become tired in practice and/or in games, their fundamentals quickly suffer. It’s important for

us to develop conditioning so that our hard work in developing proper fundamentals does not go to waste.

Bradley KimbroughSheffield (Ala.) High School

I work on team-building things as much as I do skill work. I believe the team building is what sets the tone for the season.

Karin GadberryNew Mexico Highlands University

First, I want to see the freshman and new players in game situations. I want to see them under stressful situations. I want to see if they make

corrections after a mistake. Second, I want to see the progress of the bench players from the previous season. The starters from varsity are playing high-level travel ball and I know what they can do.

Mitch WilkinsLand O’Lakes (Fla.) High School

With the fall season I am trying to acclimate a large roster to my system and the level of competitiveness/speed of the game at the junior college

level. Ourselves and our opponents are consistently sending players on to the four-year ranks, and I need to identify which of our players can compete immediately, and what adjustments they will need to make prior to the start of the spring semester. I throw a lot at my team early, to see who can process large amounts of information quickly, and then work back to a period of refining skills into and through the offseason months. Ideally, I want to pencil in the top two spots on my depth chart by the last half of the fall season.

Melvin JenkinsVernon College

I am trying to work on a sense of team … identity, chemistry (and) family.

Becky PearlLewis University

Our biggest concern with fall is aging up. We were able to win the 10U ASA Nationals, but now we must adjust to the new pitching distance and

12-inch ball. We play an “A” schedule, so we have to adjust to the speed of the bigger, faster and stronger girls. My concern offensively is we will be going from seeing 50 mph from 35 feet to seeing 50-55 mph from 40 and 43 feet. We will also start to see girls that are spinning the ball much more and that are

more experienced pitchers. We will have to make am adjustment to smarter more mature pitchers. We are looking forward to the challenge.

Brooks CherryTennessee Mojo 03

This fall season we are taking a greater approach to team chemistry. Having only coached during one season of fall ball, I felt that previously

I focused on trying to get skills up to speed for our play date, which I believe contributed in part to a lack of cohesiveness come spring. We are going to have more team-building initiatives as well as off-field hangouts to aid in the process of building team chemistry.

Renee BarrowsKeystone College

The biggest thing we are trying to accomplish this fall is finding our team identity. We want to get an idea of what type of team we are going

to be this year, so we can hit the ground running in the spring. We are also going to focus on building our family. We have a lot of players thousands of miles away from home, and we believe it is important to make all of our girls feel as though they have a second family they can count on.

Brittany WilliamsFinlandia University

We will be focusing on hit and run this fall as well as aggressive base running. Defensive side, making sure the defense knows what every

individual’s job is for every pitch. Be in the right spot before it happens. Leroy SmithsonCentral Valley Quest 10U

The biggest thing we are trying to achieve with our team is chemistry, core body strength and love of the game. We are a junior college, so our time is

short and we feel like we have a very short time to develop chemistry, which is key with all teams. Plus, we need core strength to compete and help these young ladies find their next step in their careers. We feel it is really important to get them back to the days of 10U ball that was lots of learning, but mostly lots of fun. Assisting them in finding the love of the game is key.

Carie Dever BoazNorthwest Mississippi Community College

For my 18U team, my main goal is to create an understanding of the style of play that we implement, continuity and team chemistry.

Bill ConroyBeverly Bandits 18U Gold

What’s the biggest thing you’re trying to accomplish with your team during the fall season and why?

Have a Question or an Answer?

Here is your chance to give input in a very simple manner – we need ideas for questions you would like to see answered in a future edition, so please feel free to share those ideas.

Respond by emailing Dave Hines at [email protected].

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The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) recently chose former professional baseball and softball athlete Laurie Gouthro, as its new Assistant Executive Director for International Softball.

Gouthro will help oversee the WBSC’s management team, helping to oversee and lead the organization and legacy of the softball world championship platforms, including the flagship Women’s Softball World Championship. Gouthro will also be involved in the strategic planning, procedural reform and the administration and operational delivery of International Softball.

During her tenure as director of competition, which began in 2001, she oversaw all world championships,

including the expansion of the frequency of the event — formerly every four years to now every two years — for each of the four softball disciplines and also the

transition to an open qualifying system. Gouthro has also supervised the

anti-doping program, which has had no positive drug results in Olympic history. She was recently named the technical director for softball for Special Olympics International.

Born in Olongopo City, Philippines, Gouthro attended both Florida Community College at Jacksonville and the University of South Florida on athletic scholarships in softball and played both professional baseball

and softball.“Softball has always been an

important part of my life, and I am very grateful for all the opportunities it has given me,” she said. “I am excited about this new position and welcome the new challenges that come with it.”

“I look forward to working with our President, Board and Executive Director to raise the profile of our sport worldwide and to increase participation at all levels of competition through our championship platforms and development programs.”

With softball considered to be one the world’s leading team sports for women, the WBSC is also strongly committed to harnessing the power

and skills of women in positions of sports leadership.

Women currently represent 25 percent of the elected WBSC Executive Board — exceeding the International Olympic Committee’s minimum recommendation of 20 percent — and the WBSC will continue to support all efforts to drive these numbers up further to reflect the gender-balance that defines WBSC’s global activity.

WBSC Executive Vice President Dale McMann said, “The world softball community is grateful to have an individual with Gouthro’s experience. We are proud to be able to promote women and athletes into leadership positions.”

— Courtesy WBSC

WBSC Adds Gouthro As Asst. Exec. DirectorNEWS & NOTES

Gouthro

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MEET YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

The NFCA Board of Directors and liaisons work hard every day to make your member organization the very best it can be. Here’s a little more about the lineup of people that collaborate on the decisions that make us go:

Get To Know The NFCA Board And Liaisons

Baker joined the NFCA in the summer of 1994 as executive director and recently celebrated her 20th year as the primary liaison with the NFCA board of directors.

The Jackson, Miss., native brings more than 30 years of experience in the sports industry to the NFCA. This includes seven years with the NCAA, where she served as assistant and associate director of championships.

At the NCAA, Baker administered all three softball championships. Prior

to that, she worked for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee as project director and editor of Olympic Record, the official daily program

of the 1984 Olympic Games. Baker earned her bachelor’s degree

in education with a major in physical education from Delta State (Miss.) in 1976. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Mississippi in 1977.

Executive Director Lacy Lee Baker

Associate Executive Director Carol Bruggeman

Baker

Bruggeman, a longtime NCAA Division I coach at Michigan, Purdue and Louisville, who has been a part of over 700 victories, joined the NFCA as Associate Executive Director on September 1.

Bruggeman is certainly no stranger to the Association having been an active member for 25 years while unselfishly serving the NFCA in numerous capacities.

Included are a four-year term as president and stints as the past president, fourth vice president and the NCAA Division I Representative on the Board. She has been a featured instructor at numerous National Fastpitch Coaches College courses,

a speaker for more than 125 national softball clinics and professional business o r g a n i z a t i o n s , an accomplished author, television

commentator and co-producer of a line of DVDs on softball-specific athlete development as well as instructional skills DVDs.

A native of Charter Oak, Iowa, Bruggeman received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business from Iowa in 1987 and continued her education at Iowa, earning a master’s in athletic administration and coaching in 1990.

Bruggeman

Liaisons

Board Members

Note: The Fourth Vice President and NAIA Representative positions will be filled during the upcoming membership committee election process.

When Nebraska began its search for a head coach following the 1992 season, the program was in need of an enthusiastic, high-character individual who would return the Husker softball program to its perch among the sport’s elite. NU found that person in Revelle, who returned to her alma mater in 1993 on a mission to build on Nebraska’s illustrious past and re-establish the Huskers as a national power.

The numbers speak for themselves: 843 victories; 19 All-Americans; 18 NCAA tournament appearances; 13 Academic All-Americans; eight top-10 national finishes; eight coach-of-the-year accolades; seven conference titles; four Olympians; three 50-win seasons; and three Women’s College World Series berths.

In 2013, Revelle and her staff put together one of the finest coaching performances in school history. Leading a group that featured seven freshmen among its 16 players — and

only one pitcher with collegiate experience — Revelle helped the Huskers venture from unranked and receiving no votes in the preseason polls to

a No. 8 final mark, the first trip to an NCAA Super Regional in school history and the program’s seventh all-time Women’s College World Series appearance. Nebraska finished 45-16, tying for the fifth-most victories in school history while finishing second in the Big Ten.

Revelle has also emerged as an outstanding leader for the sport of softball as a whole through three stints as the NFCA President (1999-2002, 2005-06, 2013-present), as the NFCA Second Vice President (1995-98) and as both a member (1989-92) and chair of the NFCA All-American Committee (1993-94).

—Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

Revelle

President Rhonda Revelle

For a school widely known for its high-profile coaches, Murphy has built a powerhouse program at Alabama that befits an athletic department known for major success over numerous sports.

An 870-game winner during a 17-year softball coaching career, he reached the top of the mountain by guiding his Crimson Tide to the 2012 Division I National Championship. The national title marked the first for any Southeastern Conference program and only the second all-time for a school East of the Mississippi River (Michigan – 2005). For his efforts he and his staff were named the 2012 NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year.

He’s led Alabama to nine Women’s College World Series berths, five SEC titles and 16 straight NCAA bids.

Crimson Tide players have earned NFCA All-America honors 91 times under Murphy’s watch. He has tutored 86 All-SEC performers and 78 NFCA All-

Region honorees. His teams have been just as successful in the classroom, with 16 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 170 SEC All-Academic selections.

The 2014 team will be remembered as one of the best in Crimson Tide history, as they finished 53-13 (19-5 SEC) as the national runner-up to the University of Florida, making it all the way to the Women’s College World Series championship.

Murphy most recently completed a stint as the NFCA President.

—Courtesy Alabama Athletics

Murphy

Past President Patrick Murphy

Pat Conlan is in her 10th year as Georgetown head coach and her 21st year of collegiate coaching, serving as the program’s first and only head coach. Conlan transformed the club team into a NCAA Division I program in 2006 and will guide the Hoyas into their seventh season of play in the BIG EAST in 2015.

The Hoyas set a program record in 2014 with 26 wins, finishing with a 26-22 overall record and a 12-8 mark in Big East play, earning the No. 3 seed in the Big East Championship.

Prior to her time at Georgetown she served on the staff at North Carolina State where she gained experience in all

phases of a Division I program in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Conlan spent six seasons prior to her tenure at N.C. State at the University of

Connecticut, her alma mater, where she was a member of the 2001 NFCA Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year, after helping direct the team to the Big East title.

Conlan was the head softball coach at Fairfield University for three seasons, and helped the Stags to a runner-up finish in the 1997 MAAC tournament.

—Courtesy Georgetown Athletics

Conlan

First Vice President Pat Conlan

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Board Members

In her 14th season at Northwestern’s helm, head coach Drohan has built the program into one of the nation’s best, leading the Wildcats to a pair of Big Ten Championships and back-to-back Women’s College World Series semifinal appearances alongside her twin sister and associate head coach, Caryl Drohan.

Drohan’s career record of 452-246-1 gives her a .647 overall winning percentage. In the five-year stretch from 2005-09, NU compiled a combined record of 215-77, reached the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament four times and became the first private school in NCAA history to advance to the WCWS semifinals in consecutive years (2006-07).

A much respected and sought-after clinician, Drohan has delivered lectures to players, coaches and students of the game across the country. Beyond the

softball arena, the business community has shown a strong interest in the leadership tools Drohan has developed within the program, leading to speaking engagements in the management world as well.

Drohan earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Providence in May of 1995. As a member of the Providence softball team, she was a three-time All-Big East selection.

—Courtesy Northwestern Athletics

Drohan

Second Vice President Kate DrohanGleason, a 17-year coaching veteran

with appearances in the Women’s College World Series as both a player and assistant, is in her third season as the head coach at Boston University after leading the Terriers to the 2014 Patriot League title.

This past year, the Terriers went 36-21 and made their second NCAA appearance in three seasons.

Gleason served two stints as an assistant coach with the University of Massachusetts, including the last two as associate head coach, helping lead the team to two Women’s College World Series appearances. She also coached for six years at Michigan State, serving the last five years as associate head coach.

Gleason earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management and communications from the University of Michigan in 1996, where she was a

member of three Big Ten regular season championship teams, two Big Ten Tournament Championship teams and played in two Women’s College World Series.

Holding a master’s degree in sport management from UMass, Gleason has been heavily involved with the NFCA, previously serving as first vice president, second vice president and assistant coach representative.

—Courtesy Boston Univ. Athletics

Gleason

Third Vice President Kathryn Gleason

With 379 career victories stretching over 13 years as a head coach, Poole is in her fourth year in charge of the Memphis program.

Poole became the Tiger softball program’s second head coach in 2012 after spending three seasons leading McNeese State. She guided the Cowgirls to three-straight 30-win seasons, including a school-record 38 wins, Southland Conference tournament championship and NCAA Regional appearance in 2010.

A former standout catcher for McNeese State, Poole compiled a 100-84 overall coaching record during the

three years and went 55-35 in conference play.

Prior to returning to her alma mater, Poole served as the head coach for seven seasons

at Georgia Southern, where she won 212 contests.

The Eagles went 71-53 in the Southern Conference under her tutelage and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2006. She was named the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2002, her first year as a head coach.

—Courtesy Memphis Athletics

Poole

NCAA Division I Representative Natalie Poole

Gray has begun his seventh season as head coach at Missouri Southern State and has had a hand in 390 victories overall across 14 seasons as a head coach.

Prior to taking the reigns at MSSU, Gray spent six years as an assistant and associate head coach under NFCA Hall of Famer Scott Whitlock at Kennesaw State University.

During his time at Kennesaw, the Owls made two trips to the Division II National Championship and, after transitioning to Division I, won the 2007 Atlantic Sun regular season

championship. Gray spent six years as the head coach at Francis Marion and two seasons as the first softball coach at Independence Community College.

He has a bachelor’s degree in education from Pittsburg State and a master’s in kinesiology from Texas Woman’s. This is Gray’s second term on the board, having previously served as the assistant coach’s representative.

—Courtesy MSSU Athletics

Gray

NCAA Division II Representative Bill Gray

Now in her 14th season at Eastern Connecticut State, Pepin has guided her team to 339 victories and five visits to the NCAA tournament over the last seven years.

Her teams have gone 53-27 over the last two seasons, including 28-14 in 2013, when she was also voted as Little East Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time in seven years and for the fifth time since 2006.

Pepin has coached and won more games than any of the previous six coaches in the program’s lengthy history, moving to the top in games coached during the national

tournament opener on May 20, 2011, against Christopher Newport. She became the program’s winningest head coach with her 285th victory in a 6-0

home triumph over Ithaca College in the 2012 NCAA Regional tournament.

Pepin was a three-year starter as an infielder for Eastern from 1988-91, helping the Warriors win four regional titles, reach the championship round of three NCAA tournaments and capture the 1990 national championship.

—Courtesy Eastern Connecticut St.

Pepin

NCAA Division III Representative Diana PepinOver the past 16 seasons, Ramos

has amassed an impressive 719-251-3 overall record. He has led the Lady Chaps to four NJCAA Division I National Tournaments (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2008), nine Western Junior College Athletic Conference championships, 13 NJCAA Region V Tournament Appearances and four NJCAA Region V Championships.

He has also coached six NJCAA All-Americans and multiple NFCA NJCAA All-Americans, including two this past season.

Ramos is a native of Stanton, Texas, and a graduate of Stanton High School.

He competed in cross-country, boys basketball and track and field, and was a three-time UIL Regional qualifier in cross-country.

After his graduation from Stanton, Ramos attended Midland, where he worked as a student trainer for the men’s basketball team. He graduated from Midland and transferred to Wayland Baptist University. He completed his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

—Courtesy Midland Athletics

Ramos

NJCAA Representative Tommy Ramos

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Board Members

Brownell is in her 16th season as Sierra College’s head coach after serving two years as an assistant under CCCFCA Hall of Fame coach Karen Linde.

Her 15-year record at the Wolverine helm is an astounding 602-171-1 with 15 straight playoff appearances and regional championships. Her teams have won three Big 8 titles (2010, 2012 and 2014) and have played in nine Elite Eights, two Final Fours and two state title games during her tenure. Her 2014 squad compiled a 43-5 mark and captured Big 8, regional and state championships.

Since 2000, Brownell has produced 29 NFCA All-Americans and her student-athletes have earned numerous

All-State, All-NorCal, A l l - C o n f e r e n c e and Academic All-Conference honors.

More than 100 Sierra players have earned scholarships

to four-year schools and Brownell’s 2010 squad was named the USA’s top academic community college team.

In 2009, she helped guide the team to a NorCal Championship and a state runner-up finish with 44 wins, the most in Sierra history.

Her experience includes 10 years at the high school level, where she led Del Campo to the playoffs six times. Four of her teams were CAL Champions, and she was Coach of the Year in 1993.

Brownell

Cal JC Representative Darci BrownellGillette joined the Arizona State

coaching staff in 2013 after spending three years on NFCA Hall of Famer Donna Papa’s staff at the University of North Carolina, where she spearheaded recruiting and was the baserunning and bullpen coach. Following the 2014 season, Gillette was named the Sun Devils’ pitching coach.

During Gillette’s three years at UNC, the Tar Heels were ranked in the top 25 while finishing third, first and second in the ACC. In 2013, Gillette aided the team’s impressive classroom achievements, which included three student-athletes named to the All-ACC Academic Team, nine student athletes named to the Dean’s List and 13 earning a GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Gillette served as an assistant at Purdue from 2007-10, during which time the Boilermakers earned their first NCAA Regional berth and first regional win, leading to 2008 NFCA Mideast

Regional Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. The next year, they reached their first NCAA Regional Championship game.

Prior to he stint at Purdue, Gillette was the head coach at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin.

A 2006 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Gillette was the starting catcher for the Badgers for four seasons, where she was a team captain and three-time All-Big Ten selection under head coach Karen Gallagher. In high school, she collected Florida Softball Player of the Year honors.

In 2010, Gillette completed her master’s degree in educational administration from Purdue and was named an NFCC Two Star Master Coach.

—Courtesy Arizona State Athletics

Gillette

Assistant Coach Representative Boo Gillette

The head coach at Deer Park High School in Texas, Austgen is in her first term as the NFCA High School Representative.

He team won state titles in 2012 and 2014, and was a state semifinalist in 2013, among her more than 300 wins.

A four-year softball letterwinner at Texas A&M, Austgen was part of the Aggies’ 1983 national championship team and was named an All-Region shortstop at the conclusion of the season.

From 1996-2003, she served as the head softball coach at San Jacinto College. Over her eight-year career, she built a winning program with a cumulative record of 272-142-7 and

guided her teams to regional titles in 1998 and 1999 and won three conference championships from 1998-2000.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Austgen has been involved in major women’s fastpitch softball teams since 1985, compiling a coaching record of 534-322 with Illinois and Texas.

She received her master’s degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake after earning her bachelor’s in physical education with a minor in psychology from Texas A&M.

Austgen

High School Representative Carrie Austgen

Shelton served as an assistant coach until August of 2007 when he took over the management of the Texas Glory Gold.

Shelton started coaching as an assistant with the Black Sox from 1997-2000.

Prior to that he served as a Commissioner in the U.S. Navy and spent an additional eight years, one month and 14 days in the submarine force. While in the Navy, he earned his master’s in information systems.

After leaving the Navy in 1995,

Shelton worked in the corporate world for Procter and Gamble and Frito Lay, where he served as a member of their marketing departments.

He is a graduate of Clearlake High School in Houston, Texas, where he played football and ran track, finishing in the top 10 percent in his graduating class. He also graduated from Texas A&M University, where he studied nuclear engineering.

Shelton

Travel Ball Representative Kevin Shelton

Recently retired from teaching, Graf served as an associate professor in sport management, recreation management and physical education at Florida State University, where she taught in the school’s sport management program. In addition to her teaching duties, Graf oversaw the Lifetime Activities Program’s 90-95 classes and 45-50 instructors and served as a liaison between the athletic department, intramural program and lifetime activities with regard to facility use.

Graf was the head softball coach at Florida State from 1978-2008, during which she posted a staggering career record of 1,437-478-6. She averaged over 50 wins a season and retired from coaching as the all-time leader in career triumphs.

A 2003 inductee into the NFCA Hall of Fame, Graf was the first collegiate softball coach to earn 1,400 victories. Her numerous achievements with the Seminole softball program include AIAW slowpitch national championships in 1981 and 1982, seven trips to the NCAA Women’s

College World Series after FSU switched to fastpitch following the 1982 season, 21 NCAA regional appearances and 10 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.

Named the ACC Coach of the Year six times, Graf’s coaching produced 25 All-America, 96 All-Region and 74 All-ACC players.

Over her 30 years in coaching, the Seminoles recorded 25 seasons of 40 or more victories, 15 seasons of 50 or more victories and three seasons where the team surpassed the 60-win mark. Graf was named the NFCA South Region Coach of the Year in 1986, and she and her staff earned NFCA Southeast Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

In 2005, Florida State renamed the softball stadium JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex.

Graf is a 1975 graduate of Florida State. In 1992, she completed her doctorate degree in athletic administration at FSU.

Graf

Coach Emeriti Representative Dr. JoAnne Graf

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NFCARECRUITING APP

College prospects can go to the Apple Store to download the free app to enter their profile for college coaches.

PLAYING A ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY

Members of the South Alabama softball team pose for a group photo outside Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile, Ala., after cooking dinner for those there. (Photo by South Alabama athletics)

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FEATURED WRITER

FEATURED DRILLTwo-Line Drill

By Jordan Logan, Assistant Coach, New Mexico Highlands University

The two line drill is put in place sim-ply to make the outfielders communi-cate with each other. Too many times a ball will drop or hit a gap because there is a lack of communication. Communication is key to any working relationship. Games are won and lost because of communication.

To begin, have your outfielders evenly divided into two lines. Place one line in center field and one in right field or left field. The drill is simple, hit

the ball between the two fielders and they MUST communicate on who is going to field the ball. This drill teach-es the fielders not only to listen and learn one another’s voices through communication, but it also teaches them the ground that each fielder can cover. Not every player is the same, and each game the defensive lineup can change. The players need to learn the movements of others and how much ground is covered.

our various member committees and caucuses to meet. We also take the time to salute our members’ accomplishments at the Easton Victory Club luncheon, Hall of Fame dinner and Coaching Staff of the Year brunch, and provide an opportunity

to check out the latest advances in equipment and technology at our manufacturer trade show.

When planning your travel to Las Vegas, keep in mind that there are various NFCA committee meetings scheduled to take place the morning of Wednesday, December 3.

Go to NFCA.org and click on the Convention link at the top of the page or call (502) 409-4600 to sign up today.

CONVENTION REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR VEGASCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

It’s hard to believe I took this trip 35 years ago. Playing softball internationally was not really thought about. One man, Bernie Walsen, from Ramsey, N.J., and born in the Netherlands, changed that for me and changed my life.

He took his team, the Ramsey JAIS, ages 17 to 25, to compete against various club teams throughout the Netherlands. It was a trip of a lifetime. We arrived in The Hague, Holland, on the day of my 19th birthday. It was also the 27th birthday for Marion Van Duersen, a member of one of the host families. Her two brothers, Paul and Arno, hosted three other girls and myself. They were awesome hosts for such young, crazy girls. The team was split up, with host families entertaining two players each, except for us.

We gave a clinic to the young girls in the area before the games. At the time, Holland was still in the beginning phases of their softball programs. It was a gratifying experience to see them grasp our teachings.

We wound up going undefeated during the trip. After the games we

would shower and change in their clubhouse and have dinner and chat with the opposing team. It was

Making Another Lifetime Of MemoriesBy ROBIN PAYNE

Championship Softball Academy

Longtime Coach Hoping Netherlands Trip For New Jersey Team Reaps Rewards

SEE TWICE PAGE 17

great to understand their softball culture and how they do things in their country. We also toured other locations in Europe, experiencing Brussels, Belgium; and Paris and Reims in France.

The friendships I made playing on

this team with Walsen have lasted a lifetime. Last summer, one of the original JAIS players, Carol Daniele, welcomed Marion to her home. We all met at a restaurant and rekindled

Carol Daniele, left, Marion Van Duersen, center, and Robin Payne back together in the Netherlands after 35 years. Photo provided.

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It’s not often that a someone can go from having no previous softball coaching experience to averaging 30 wins a season. But that’s exactly what Virginia Wesleyan head coach Brandon Elliott has done over the past seven-plus seasons.

Elliott, a former baseball player and assistant coach for the Marlins, shifted over to softball when that team’s coach was removed with two weeks left in the 2007 season.

“I was teaching Special Education at an elementary school and I was a volunteer (baseball) coach for four years,” Elliott explained. “The athletic director said, ‘Would you finish this off? We need a man of character.’”

SO AT AGE 24, and only slightly older than some of his players, Elliott guided Virginia Wesleyan through the last eight games of an 11-26 season. After the season, he was asked if he’d be interested in staying on as the coach. He was, and things have taken off from there.

“It was an opportunity to be a head coach and I fell in love with the game,” Elliott said.

Over the past seven full seasons, Elliott’s Marlins have won 75 percent of their games, going 229-76 and making three of the program’s five NCAA appearances.

Last year, Virginia Wesleyan went 39-7 and won 17 of its last 19 games, including the first 16 of that final stretch. The Marlins won 14 straight to open the season and claimed the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) regular season and tournament titles, suffering their only losses late to nearby rival power Christopher Newport in the NCAA regionals. The performance earned Elliott his third ODAC Coach of the Year award in the past four seasons.

All this is even more remarkable when you consider he’s dealt with more than his share of non-softball issues, from his mother’s death to his wife Laura’s severe kidney ailment and transplant to the health issues related to her need to deliver their son, Cooper, 13 weeks early in 2012. But Elliott isn’t looking for

The Right Man To Manage Marlins’ Success

Brandon Elliott has built a perennial contender at Virginia Wesleyan. Photo provided by Virginia Wesleyan Athletics.

Former Baseball Player Elliott Has Brought Passion To Virginia Wesleyan Softball ProgramBy DAVE HINES

Editor

COACH’S PROFILE

IN THE PRESS BOX WITH BRANDON ELLIOTT1) How has the game changed in the time you’ve

been coaching?“It’s so much faster (than when I started), because it’s

on TV and much more popular.”2) What are some problems coaches now face that

are different from when you started coaching?“Accountability is more difficult with social media. Face-

to-face interaction is a must. It’s tougher.”3) If you knew then what you know now, how would

your coaching have been different?

“I try to compare my coaching career to my college playing career. If I’m fortunate to coach for 20 years, the first five years will have been like my freshman year. I look back and say ‘How did anyone play for you?’ I’d do less yelling and more listening. I’d do a better job leading by permission, rather than by position. I’d let my very talented coaching staff do more. I was trying (early on) to do everything all of the time.”

4) Is there a secret to success in coaching?

“(Laughing) Keep the players that don’t like you away from the ones that are undecided. Being authentic. I have struggles and issues, too. I want them to see Coach Elliott, but also Brandon. The more they know me, the easier it is (on the days that I’m hard on them).

5) What would your ideal season be like?“For not only my family, but my student-athletes to be

healthy and perform to the best of their ability (for a whole season). Everyone wants to win championships, but you want to be able to enjoy the journey.”

SEE ELLIOTT PAGE 15

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2013 NFCA NATIONAL CONVENTION CLINIC DVD ORDER FORM If you couldn’t attend the convention or you just want to review a session that you attended in San Antonio, you can purchase a DVD of many of the topics. DVDs are $20 for members/$25 for non-members (plus shipping and handling). Each features the speaker as shot in his/her presentation at the convention. All recordings are approximately 45 minutes in length.

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DVD’S NOW AVAILABLE!

DVD NAME & SPEAKER

“DEFENSE: PLAYING CATCH AT A HIGH LEVEL”Marla Townsend, Head Coach, University of Alabama, Birmingham

“MAXIMIZING SUCCESS WITH EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION”Kirk Walker, Assistant Coach, UCLASue Rankin, Senior Research Associate, Rankin & Associates

“THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COACHES & HITTERS”Tim Walton, Head Coach, University of Florida

“DEFINING CULTURE -- DEFINING LEADERS IN AN AGE OF ENTITLEMENT”Aaron Weintraub, Mental Training Expert

“DRILLS, DRILLS, DRILLS”Diane Miller, Assistant Coach, University of Nebraska; Cheryl Milligan, Head Coach, Tufts University; Kevin Shelton, Head Coach, Texas Glory

“REALLY? THAT’S A RULE?”Dee Abrahamson, NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor

“CHOOSING YOUR OPTIMUM TEAM DEFENSE”Bill Edwards, Head Coach, Hofstra and Staff

“TRAINING TODAY’S PITCHERS”Lance Glasoe, Assistant Coach, University of Washington

“BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL SOFTBALL BUSINESS”Sara Hayes, Founder & Owner, Powerline Consulting

“TEACH, INSPIRE & CONNECT TO YOUR PLAYERS THROUGH BOOKS & ARTICLES”Yvette Healy, Head Coach, University of Wisconsin

“TRADITION, HARD WORK & SUCCESS: DEVELOPING A WINNING PROGRAM FOR THE LONG TERM”Carol Hutchins, Head Coach, University of Michigan

“SECRET LIFE OF A STAFF”Amanda Lehotak, Head Coach, Penn State University

“THE YIPS: WHEN MIND MATTERS”Eileen Canney Linnehan, Assistant Coach, University of Illinois, Chicago

“AGGRESSIVE BASERUNNING: YOUR KEY TO SCORING MORE”Eric Oakley, Head Coach, University of North Dakota

“TAKING OVER A NEW PROGRAM: A NEW ‘STATE’ OF MIND”Shawn Rychcik, Head Coach, North Carolina State University

sympathy, just understanding and some much-needed good fortune.

Elliott mentioned Christopher Newport coach Keith Parr, a close friend, as one of his softball influences, along with Jacksonville University coach Jen Steele, Margie Knight of NCAA runner-up Salisbury and Lynchburg’s Dawn Simmons.

“(STEELE) IS detailed and she just knows everybody,” Elliott said. “She always challenges me to be a better

coach. Margie’s program was the first team I played and they beat us up. I told the team in five years I want to emulate them.”

Elliott said he and Simmons didn’t get off on the right foot, mainly because he thought he had all the answers.

“I knew baseball and was hard-headed,” he explained. “We butted heads. She challenged me and I got angry because she was right. We’ve built a great relationship since.”

New Virginia Wesleyan baseball coach Chris Francis, who was a Marlins assistant Elliott’s senior year and then a fellow coach for four seasons, and his Ocean Lakes High coach Gary Spedden also helped shape his coaching style.

“(Francis) taught me passion and it was something I wanted to emulate,” Elliott said. “(Spedden) was huge in getting players to buy in.”

“My style is a mixed bag,” he said. “I’m passionate, challenging, high tempo. We’re very intense in what we do. We just grind and do the best we can.

“I LIKE TO BE very aggressive. We talk about perfection and not about losing.”

He said he wants others to see his squad as one that hustles and competes hard on the field, but is also known for being good people off the field.

“I think you can do that and still have

that competitive fire,” he said.As intense as he is on the field, Elliott

is the first one to poke fun at himself, a friend or a colleague off of it. He is the last person to look for attention for himself and the first person to seek recognition for others’ achievements.

His coaching style has also evolved as he got more active in the NFCA. Most recently, Elliott chaired the NFCA’s Division III Top 25 Poll committee.

“My first few years I was a member, I would just send my check in,” Elliott said, “but then I had a great time at the (2010) convention in San Diego and I learned we compete and battle, but we are all on the same page as members.

“It’s a great family to be a part of.”

ELLIOTT RIGHT MAN TO LEAD MARLINS’ PROGRAMCONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

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Whether or not to sacrifice with a runner on first base is an individual decision for every coach. Much depends on the inning, the score, who’s batting, whether the batter is proficient, how many outs and so on. Coaching isn’t easy, but decisions must be made.

In the early stages of a game, most feel that every effort should be made to get on the board quickly. Good thinking, but how to do it is another matter. We can (hopefully) advance a base runner in the first couple of innings with a bunt and strive for a hit to bring her home. This often pays off and, if it does, a clear advantage follows. The opponent does not like to be behind in a game.

AGAIN, HOW to get on the board is a matter of great discussion. Many high school and amateur teams prefer not to bunt a runner along, hoping batters that follow will do the job and bring the runner home. Experienced coaches will, for the most part, bunt a runner along when there are no outs.

But do we ever bunt with one out? There are those that do, but it is not considered usually to be a good idea, for now you will probably have two outs. The exception might be where there is a close game and a dominant pitcher in the circle with runs hard to come by, hoping to get the runner home with a hit.

So what do we do with a runner on second base and no outs. Depending on the situation, most coaches will bunt the runner along — it being much easier to score from third than from second. There are several ways to score from third base. One coach says there are over 20, but Smitty

can’t count that high. Suffice it to say there are many.

Once again, there are coaches that will not bunt in this situation, relying on their hitters to do the job. If the pitcher is weak, this might be good strategy, but if not and the score is close, then it might be wise to bunt .

RAILBIRDS AND “knowledgable” parents and fans, will, of course have their opinions. If there is a bunt attempt and it goes wrong, there often is quiet (sometimes loud) grumbling. If it is successful, little is said, except by those in favor of the bunt in the first place.

How about the squeeze play from third base using a bunt? This is a kettle of different fishes. Much depends on the ability of the pitcher, especially if she can throw a riser. Then there is the speed of the runner to consider, along with how alert the defense is and where they are playing.

If the corners are way up, then it might be wise to try to drive a hard ground ball through the infield. If not, the options are many. A fake bunt might draw the corners in and make it easier to get a grounder past them.

Is your batter a talented bunter? If not, the decision is easy unless the coach is a real gambler. Has the batter not been hitting well of late? If so, a bunt might be in order.

There are two types of squeeze bunts, the outright suicide and the safety squeeze. The safety is not wise with a heads-up team facing the batter, as any bunt will probably not be successful. Again, the position of the corners is of major concern.

The suicide bunt will be very

successful with a quick runner and a well-placed bunt. The situation is very tense once the ball is on the ground, even though the defense is alert to the possibility of a bunt.

IF THERE IS a play at the plate, whether successful or not, the first base coach might want to automatically send the batter running to second. For even if there is an out at the plate, the catcher will have a difficult time getting to her feet to throw to second. If this is successful, you will have a runner in scoring position.

Batters should always be aware of the position of the third and first base defenders. The situation where they are not alert or are back toward the base might be good time for a drag bunt, especially if the batter is a good bunter and/or is having an otherwise tough day at the plate. A successful bunt can often bring a batter out of a prolonged slump.

THE HIT-AND-RUN with a runner on first is another offensive strategy. It can be quite successful in baseball, but because of the distances in softball — both pitching and the bases — it does not offer as much of an opportunity. Coaches might do well to watch the shortstop. If she tends to pull early expecting a steal, an opportunity might be present for this strategy.

Also, with a slow runner on first, it might present another situation to advance the runner.

Stealing is another option available. Well-schooled catchers make this strategy dangerous, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Smitty likes the steal in the early stages of the game

to set the tone, letting the defense know that the team is aggressive, as well as putting some trepidation onto the defense when a “rabbit” gets on base.

Another thought is to use the steal after a failed sacrifice attempt. Getting the runner to second base is paramount. Again, much depends on the ability of the hitter, the speed of the runner and the positioning of the player covering second base.

STEALING OF THIRD base is difficult at higher levels of softball because shortstops are very much aware of the possibility. They sometimes cheat toward third, but always break for the base after a pitch, very much on the alert for the steal. A double steal is a great option, especially if there has been a failed attempt at a sacrifice bunt. It’s sometimes good to fake a bunt to draw the shortstop out of position.

There are great offensive options. Thinking coaches will use all of them.

Dick Smith is the former head coach at the University of St. Francis and previously coached at Valparaiso University.

Want to argue, cuss or discuss? Email Smitty at [email protected].

SOFTBALL BY SMITTY

Good Coaches Use A Variety Of StrategiesBy DICK SMITH

Teach all your batters to bunt, even the so-called big hitters. A failed bunt attempt is very disheartening. It can ruin a coach’s day, destroying potential scoring chances. Players should get just as many high fives from a successful bunt as from a home run or a game-winning hit. Try it. You’ll like it.

SMITTY’S TIP

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I’ve spent many a day beating myself up for doing it wrong. And “it” refers to just about anything.

I played the “I am not doing it right” game, or worried that I would make a fool of myself if anyone saw that I wasn’t as good at something as they were. I was in college before I started to break out of that, and even then it was still an issue.

I told myself that I couldn’t long before I even tried. And the vicious cycle began.

I couldn’t let go of it, and, by the time I realized it was happening, I was out of control.

I HAVE ALWAYS said that perfectionism has been my best and more often than not my worst quality. It has made me take pride in my work, but more importantly, it has held me back. And that, in the sports psychology world, is no good.

When I took the time to study confidence a few years ago, I found the correlation between perfectionism and confidence to be stronger than I even knew at the time.

I understood quickly that the lack of confidence I struggled with as a

kid was incredibly evident and often misunderstood. And as I started to grow and stretch my comfort zone, in those moments I began to understand why it was so.

I was a perfectionist, and anything less than perfect was never OK. Not in sports, not in school, not in social situations.

I was in my 30s the first time I played pool. For most of my life I would stand against the wall and watch. I would shake off anyone who asked if I would like to play. I just answered with a simple, “No thanks, I’ll watch.”

AND YET, the truth is I just never knew if I was any good. I never used to play pool as a kid and grew up just never knowing. Others would pick it up by just messing around shooting balls into the pockets and I just watched.

Perfectionism lends itself to the word “can’t” and to the self-doubt that surrounds our abilities to do things. And quite frankly, it doesn’t really matter.

We hold ourselves back because we are afraid of making mistakes. We don’t want to mess up in front of others. We don’t want to fail. We spend so much of our time and energy worrying about what it will

look like or worrying about what other people think, that we forget that each of us is human and has varying abilities to do things. And that’s just a fact.

THE PROBLEM often comes from our need to attach emotion to everything we do. We either do it well or we don’t. We judge. We assume. And we compare. And the truth is that while we are so busy worrying about what everyone else is thinking about us, we are our own worst enemies.

We are the ones we actually have to worry about. We judge ourselves more than anyone else combined ever will. And we beat ourselves up for not doing it perfectly.

Perfectionism is so often a brick that holds us down. We suffocate and we don’t even know we are doing it. We so often blame others for “making us” feel judged or compared, yet we do it more to ourselves than to others.

So when we finally stop, and create an awareness around what we are doing and accept that we will never be perfect, there is an exhale that makes us feel a sense of calm and peace.

While we may strive to be perfect, we can do ourselves many favors

the moment we accept that we never will be. And that acceptance allows us to let go of the need to be perfect, and to judge ourselves for our shortcomings.

I am a recovering perfectionist. It will always be a work in progress.

And for the awareness and ability to figure that out? I am so very grateful.

THE MENTAL GAME

Jen Croneberger is a mental game coach who speaks at clinics, team workshops and corpo-rate seminars. She has been interviewed on ABC news (Philadelphia affiliate) on many occasions about the mental game, consulted by MTV’s MADE as a fear coach and was the 2009 Female Business Leader of the Year for Chester County, Pa. She works with many organizations and sports teams from pro-fessionals to youth and is formerly the head softball coach at Ursinus College. Her blogs and more information on her programs can be found on www.thefivewords.com.

Confessions Of A Recovering PerfectionistBy JEN CRONEBERGER

President, JLynne Consulting Group

the memories of that trip. It was from that get-together

that one former player, Karen Strittmatter, decided it was time to take a team back to The Hague. She and a few others have daughters who are winding down their softball careers or have graduated and no longer are playing competitively. So Strittmatter, Daniele, Sue Benjamin and myself became the coaches of a 23-and-under softball team, Team

New Jersey. This was a different team than the

original team 35 years ago. Some of the girls knew each other, but hadn’t really played together that long ... so, team bonding on the fly.

When we landed, the host families were at the airport ready to pick up their people. Each family hosted two players per family, with one group hosting four. To my delight, my host Arno Van Duersen, was there to meet and greet his two players and to welcome me.

Some things change and some things stay the same. We hugged

and spoke for a few minutes because we had to get to our destinations. Marion Van Duersen was our guide throughout the trip. She organized the games with Strittmatter and served as a tour guide throughout the Netherlands.

We played five games during the trip and won four out of five. After the games the girls were able to go to the clubhouse and meet the players like we did back in the day. Again, a sight to see and feel good about.

Ironically, the one loss came to a team out of Belgium. As we were playing the game, players from our

team said that two of the girls playing for Belgium — Kris Lesovsky and Camille Gaito — played collegiately in the U.S. I asked where, and they said UC San Diego.

I laughed so hard it hurt. The UCSD head coach, Patti Gerckens played on the Ramsey JAIS and played for me when I was an assistant coach at UNC Chapel Hill! I consider her one of my “lifer” friends. Small world!

I called Gerckens when I got back, and she couldn’t believe it either. She thought we were only playing teams from the Netherlands. Strittmatter

TWICE IN A LIFETIME TRIP FOR LONGTIME COACHCONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

SEE TWICE PAGE 19

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One day last year, about midway through our season, Coach (Ophir) Sadeh and I showed up to the field and, within minutes, became irritated with a series of “small” things, which we didn’t feel to be small at all.

Perhaps it was a player pushing limits on the unwritten “15 minute” rule regarding arrival to practice or an untucked shirt or the very expensive and newly-issued jackets littered with lip gloss, ChapStick, pen and other assorted stains, sloppily strewn about in a dirty dugout that lacked order.

THE CONVERSATION that followed was a necessary one, and perhaps one that should’ve occurred sooner than it did. We all have things that annoy us, and they differ in category and intensity depending on the relationships and expectations we have with and for others. I think we would all agree that establishing rules, guidelines, protocols and procedures are a staple of any team, program or organization. Typically, it is one of the first things we address with our teams.

The longer I do this, the less I assume that my athletes understand – truly understand – the definition of words I consider to be important. One of the things I appreciate the most about my childhood was that no fact, definition or answer was ever handed to me. I was told to use resources to “look it up” and try to “figure it out.”

I grew up with encyclopedias and dictionaries, because the internet was not what it is today, and Google was not yet a verb. The way we deliver information to our student-athletes has evolved as a result of technology and we’ve embraced these generational nuances and challenged ourselves to be creative in conveying information, as opposed to simply scoffing at their perceived inability to problem solve, pay attention and critically think. We also have to teach them to do these things, as opposed to assuming they

are capable. With that being said, I looked

up the following words and filed the definitions as a resource when discussing team standards: Rules, guidelines, protocol, codes, procedures, suggestions and unwritten rules. You may agree that typically your rules are both explicit and unwritten, established by both a staff and often players.

IN PREPARING to write on this topic, I surveyed my players and asked a series of simple questions about rules, including what they felt the purpose of them to be, why they are important, why they do or do not follow them and if they value input when establishing team rules.

As you can imagine, “Why don’t you follow rules?” was answered rather creatively, seemingly because of a lack of anonymity as well as my relationship to them. I compiled some of the words and phrases that best illustrated the purpose and importance, including order, standards, guidelines, on the same page, foundation, expectations, focus, organization, ultimate goal, understanding, structure, respect, boundaries, values, on track, in line, represent, reflect what is important, unified, unit, identity, culture, collective responsibility, accountable, avoiding chaos, equal, equitable, right and wrong, and safety.

PEOPLE FOLLOW rules for a variety of reasons. As I’ve said in previous articles, humans are largely motivated by incentive. My players indicated that they follow rules because it’s the right thing to do, because of how they were raised, so that their team can function in a positive and progressive manner or because they believe doing so will help them to achieve greatness. Some noted they follow rules out of respect for those who created them, to earn respect from teammates and coaches and because they trust that they are in place to benefit them and help them to succeed. The words trust and respect were referenced repeatedly.

When players don’t follow rules, we as coaches sometimes tend to draw conclusions. While sometimes accurate, they often aren’t.

Failure to follow a rule may not mean they don’t respect you. It may not mean they don’t want to succeed or that they don’t care about their teammates. In our case, failure to abide by rules, both written and unwritten, has been the result of many factors. However, one overwhelming theme prevailed — sacrifice (or a lack thereof).

A few years ago, we heard Dr. Tim Elmore speak on Generation Y and their accompanying characteristics. I believe it is OK to recognize that “kids are different” without an associated connotation or an inability to relate. Life is constant evolution, and the sooner we recognize and understand our differences, the sooner we can figure out the most effective ways of delivering our messages.

ONE THING I remember about that talk was the cafeteria/buffet attitude. Why choose this or that when I can have this and that? The next was an expression a friend of mine uses: Jack of all trades, master of none.

While we as a staff believe sacrifice is a positive word and believe it can lead to great things unachievable without it, some players feel it to be a negative. They don’t want to miss out.

How often do we stop to think about whether or not our rule is reasonable? Is there a possibility it’s just a stupid rule? I’m sure we’ve all broken stupid rules. Or maybe we’ve followed stupid rules out of respect for the people who created them. But we cannot expect everyone to act similarly.

How about enforcement? Does it make sense to create a rule you cannot enforce? Whose responsibility is it to enforce? If enforcement is an issue, do you have to alter your behavior to make sure you are enforcing rules? Having input seems to be something players value.

While that input is not given unconditionally, those who earn it

understand why they have it. The sense of ownership they have over rules they help to create pays dividends, as they often seek to preserve them and enforce them a bit more than had they not been a part of the process. In addition, many players seem more concerned with remaining in good standing with their teammates than with their coaches.

SOME OF the questions I ask myself when establishing rules and guidelines are: What do I individually value? What do we collectively value as a staff? What do our players value? What do they say they value?

Are the rules we have created reasonable, enforceable, and in line

By BREE NASTIHead Coach, Adelphi University

Bree Nasti is in her third season as the head softball coach at Adelphi University.

Adelphi won 27 games this 2014 and went 25-5 in Northeast-10 Conference play in her first season, winning the Southwest Division regular-season title and the program’s first Northeast-10 Conference Tournament crown to garner a berth in the NCAA Division II East Regional. In recognition of their efforts, Nasti and her staff were named the NFCA Division II East Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Prior to Adelphi, she coached at fellow metropolitan New York Divi-sion I schools Stony Brook, St. John’s and Hofstra.

Nasti has a master’s degree in kinesiology from Fresno State and has conducted research in the field of sports psychology, specifically coach-ing science and elite team sport coaching. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University at Buffalo, where she is the softball leader in nearly every offensive category and was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time All-Region and All-Mid-America Conference honoree.

The Wisest Coaches Are The Why CoachesPSYCHOLOGY

SEE THE WISEST PAGE 23

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Great athletes do not play up or down to the situation, they play up to the game of softball. They assume nothing and recognize the importance of consistently giving their best effort.

This best-effort-now philosophy eliminates many potential hazards to their attitude and performance. They do not give their opponent too much or too little credit. If they have a great reputation, leaders know that if they play their best it is likely that the opponent will flinch.

THEIR CONFIDENCE may get that athlete with the great reputation off her game. In an unspoken way, leaders send the message that they will give nothing away today. If they lose, it will be because the opponent earned the victory.

They also know that their opponents’ performance is out of their control, so they do their best and accept whatever happens. This is all they can do. And regardless of the opponent’s performance today, outcomes will be more fun when they give their best effort.

On the other end of the spectrum, leaders will not take positive outcomes against an underdog opponent for granted, nor will they be satisfied with a big early lead.

They are confident, but not cocky. Part of respecting the game

includes respecting not the opponent per se, but at least respecting the possibility that if the opponent happens to have a good day today, victory will not come easily.

More to the controllable point, they realize that doing their best can never come easily. If they assume an easy victory, their hype level is likely to be too low. This lack of intensity certainly might open the door for an upset.

ON THE SMALLER scale of a single play, respectful athletes will never view any task as too easy or routine to deserve their full attention and focus. When respect is absent, it often leads to careless mistakes.

Indeed, they are careless. Not enough care was taken to make the play. Leaders make both ordinary and extraordinary plays appear easy. They execute not with cockiness, but with confidence and respect. They know their job is to get themselves ready to perform physically and mentally, to commit to the plan of attack and to focus and finish each play. Leaders do not skip steps in doing their job.

Sir James Matthew Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, calls life “a long lesson in humility.” Softball is like life. When athletes perform well, they can become overconfident.

If they are not open to criticism, someone else will learn faster. If they are not respectful of others, they’ll forfeit chances at the teamwork it takes to approach potential. Even in individual sports, athletes are more powerful with the support of others.

CONSISTENCY IS the goal. If athletes are not intense in their approach because they start believing the game is easy, they cease to give their best effort each step of the journey.

If they lose their sense of urgency because they deny the possibility that this opponent or game is capable of beating them today, they often pay a hefty price. Why take that chance and build poor habits in the process?

Does the importance of humility defy the importance of confidence or interfere with aggressiveness? No. Leaders are confident, aggressive, and humble. They respect that both softball and giving a best-effort performance are always difficult.

Performing consistently requires balance. Leaders fall over less frequently than others because they maintain a hunger to learn and an eagerness to work. Their preparation is superior.

Outcomes have ups and downs because people, by definition, are imperfect. However, with a disciplined, humble approach, leaders perform well even when they

are not at their best, and their peak performances occur more frequently and last longer. Their humility breeds their consistency!

By AARON WEINTRAUBMental Training Expert

Aaron Weintraub holds a B.A. from Emory University (1993) and a M.Ed. from the Uni-versity of Virginia (2000). He served as an as-sistant baseball coach for 13 years at Emory, UVa, Presbyterian College, Brevard College, and Cedar Valley College. Four of those pro-grams achieved school records for wins while he was there.

I n 2 0 0 6 , We i n t ra u b s t a r te d w w w.CoachTraub.com, a consulting business whose mission is to over-deliver value on goods and services designed to help you win the mental side of the game. He has worked with teams and individuals in all sports around his hometown of Dallas and around the country.

His company also runs events such as softball camps and coaching clinics and sell books, videos, Elite Athlete Audios, and motivational cues. Leadership Training for Softball, the book from which this article was excerpted, is now available.

Leaders Assume Nothing In Their ApproachTRAINING YOUR MIND

and I actually drove 12 hours straight to Salem, Va., and the NCAA Division II nationals, watched one game and drove back to New Jersey, in 2011, the year Gerckens and UCSD won the national championship.

By day nine, I was completely exhausted. We were up and out by 8:30 a.m. and back to our host families by midnight. Some days we

were sightseeing all day with a game that night, or just sightseeing and traveling.

We took the players to Antwerp, Belgium; Schavenhagen, Netherlands; Paris, France; and to Amsterdam. It was great to be 21 years old and doing this. Just turning 50 and physically feeling 90 years old? Not so much. I will say even the 21 year olds were exhausted.

The last two days were spent going to the ISF World Championship in Haarlem, Netherlands. We actually

went to the opening ceremonies in our Team New Jersey sweatshirts. It was about 60 degrees in August. I sat with Marion Van Duersen throughout the ceremony and for the opening game: Team USA versus the Netherlands.

It was a good game for two innings and then the bottom fell out. Team USA won 10-0 in four innings. Not pretty. Van Duersen was a good sport and I kept my sarcasm in check. The next day, the Netherlands Softball Federation honored her

along with her teammates as the first Netherlands national team.

She told me she coached six out of the nine starters on the current national team. It was awesome to be walking with her during the games and people coming up and hugging her. I felt like I was in the movie, “A League of Their Own.” We met Team USA and took pictures with them. I think they were happy to see the enthusiastic girls from New Jersey


SEE TWICE PAGE 21

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“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” — Henry Kissinger

The beginning of yet another school year brings new responsibilities, changes in the daily routine and, yes, classes.

When it comes to the classroom, some athletes will excel academically and others will struggle. Meeting the wide variety of needs across such a vast spectrum is challenging.

Whether at the travel ball, high school or collegiate level, a coach cannot act as a full-time tutor for each player. How, then, can coaches have the most effective impact on a team’s focus in school?

BEGIN BY encouraging them to make the most of their academic opportunities, just as they are (hopefully) working to make the most of their athletic opportunities. Discuss the importance of school, and back words with action.

Both on and off the field, success ultimately depends on discipline and doing things we do not necessarily feel like doing.

When the available options include study for three hours, watch a favorite TV program, spend time on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine or watch TV while on social media, which do our players feel like doing?

I would venture to say when it comes to “feeling like it,” studying loses every time.

Part of our job as coaches is to push our teams past the present moment and their current disposition. We can teach them by physically pushing them past their perceived limits.

Then, we can help them realize they have more ability in mind and body than they currently utilize. Most players have yet to experience the adult responsibilities of real life. They

do not understand because they have not been there yet.

One day, many of our players will look back and truly grasp ideas we are currently trying to teach them. They will “get it.”

In my older and wiser days, I have certainly experienced those “ah-ha” moments.

I was prepared to face challenges and overcome obstacles that would defeat others, not because I had an overabundance of life experience, but because I was fortunate to play under wise coaches who, years prior, exposed me to vital concepts I could not fully comprehend at the time.

WE MAY NEVER see or hear details concerning the future moments of enlightenment our girls experience. Rest assured, however, if we do our jobs as coaches, those moments can and will take place.

We must be adamant about the importance of school. One day, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, they will be grateful that we pushed them to be their best, both in the classroom and in their sport.

First of all, buy in to the truth that internal motivation and self-discipline are direct results of absolute clarity. When players clearly understand reality, their perspectives change.

Make it clear that as female athletes, we do not have multi-million dollar pro contracts available in any sport, so our academics are essential.

Make it clear that finding the right

balance among school, sports and life is critical for success — both now and later.

REMEMBER, you have been where your team has not, so these truths are clearer to you than to them. Therefore, you are probably more passionate and motivated than your athletes concerning their grades and academic success — at least you should be.

Be diligent in sharing your clarity concerning the importance of academics, but also find ways to communicate creatively. If they hear the same sermon from you every day or every week, they will tune you out completely.

Seek to engage them in fresh ways by trying these tips:

• Ask questions concerning grades randomly. Require mandatory progress reports. Hold them to a realistic high standard academically.

• Provide enough time for them to complete necessary studying and schoolwork. This means set a practice time, push them hard and then let them go on time.

• Consider implementing a fun reward at the end of each semester for athletes with a certain GPA, or set a team academic goal and celebrate as a group if they attain the goal.

• Find creative ways to help them stay motivated and focused, but do not resort to bribing. Make it clear that satisfactory grades are expected.

• Good, old fashioned conditioning

for each unsatisfactory grade is usually rather effective. When implementing this tip, make sure to also provide plenty of praise and positive feedback for those who are earning high grades.

• Create a reward system for grade improvement and consistently recognize positive progress.

Be willing to take your team from where they are now to where they have not been — both athletically and academically.

By CHARITY BUTLERFounder, Exceed Sports

Charity Butler is respected nationally & in-ternationally as a pro athlete, writer, speaker, collegiate coach, hitting instructor and Certi-fied Intrinsic Life Coach®.

As a Pro Speaker for Sports World, Inc, Butler travels the country speaking to more than 40,000 people annually. As a recognized ex-pert in confidence training, she also presents at various conferences, colleges & universities.

Butler is the founder of Exceed Sports, LLC (www.Exceed-Sports.com) and of the I HEART FASTPITCH Campaign (www.iheartfastpitch.com). Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @CharityButler

Coaching The Student In Student-AthleteVIEWPOINTS

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE TODAY!Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level is a valuable resource for anyone beginning a college search. If you want to make sure you’re on track academically and athletically, this book provides you with a detailed road map. High school and junior college athletes will learn everything from how to meet academic and recruiting guidelines to how and when to contact college coaches, what to put in a skills video and where to find financial aid. It’s a must-buy for softball players, parents and anyone who works with college-bound student-athletes. To order your own copy and check out our skills DVDs and other softball items, visit our online store at NFCA.org

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As many of you know, August was a big month in the sport of softball. The international softball community converged on Haarlem in the Netherlands for a nearly two-week event to determine the best softball team in the world.

Anyone there would probably claim the story of the tournament was how the games were played amidst nearly eight inches of rain, and how the field crews performed great feats to have the fields playable.

Haarlem marked my second World Championships, and the one thing I have found so interesting about international softball is how a game that has the same rules internationally can have so many variations in how it is played around the world and how each is successful. I would like to share some things I have learned from the best teams in the world that I feel have benefited me as a coach.

You must own what you do well. I have to admit I have been guilty as a coach of only focusing on what my team needs to work on while neglecting what we do well, thinking we must eliminate weaknesses at all costs. While there is some merit to this line of thinking, I have found you end up with a “jack of all trades and a master of none” with this approach. This concept is displayed internationally in much

greater distinction. To be successful on that stage you must be a master of something. Whatever you do, own it, master it, practice it and be the best in the world at it.

Bat control is paramount. How many times have you wanted to call a hit and run, bunt, slap or any other number of offensive means to move a runner, only to find the hitter at the plate cannot execute the skill needed? At the highest levels of softball the game comes down to offensive execution and usually hinges on one or two pitches in a game. So why can our players not consistently execute?

A safe bet is they do not control the bat in their hands. It is great to hit big towering home runs by swinging out of your shoes, but I wonder how many more solid hits our teams would have, how many more runners would be moved, how many fewer strikeouts and how many more home runs would come if our hitters had as much control over their bat as a concert violinist has over their instrument.

The teams who are the best at this can be seen playing pepper, hitting fungos to each other and shortening swings to make sure of solid and appropriate contact. All things that help them become a master of their skill.

Green lights with two outs. The teams who performed the best at the World Championships, of course, ran

bases well and had speed, but there was one area they excelled: Two-out base running. This is a concept that is overlooked far too much in our game.

Most teams run bases with the same mindset regardless of the outs. And other than the cardinal rule of never making your first or last out at home or third, coaches mostly focus on tagging and turns. But with two outs a world of possibilities come to light, because you are breaking on contact.

I saw teams literally steal runs and bases based on the philosophy that two outs mean green lights at every intersection. This was especially true at the intersection of third to home.

I cannot count how many times I have seen a runner pull up rounding third with two outs, only to find that the runner was safe at first on a close play or a dropped ball and, had they been green-lighted around third, they would have scored easily.

When games come down to one run, we as coaches must keep the green lights on with two outs.

The hands are key to success. Many times our hands, which hold the bat, catch the ball, throw the ball, pitch the ball — essentially play the game — are completely overlooked. We coach hips, feet, legs, head — everything but what actually holds and hits the ball. Games are won in the transitions, executions and

pitches. To control the game we must

control our hands. The teams which performed the best had the best hands on defense and offense, a small thing which cannot be overlooked in order to achieve success.

I encourage anyone to watch international softball. The lessons you can learn and areas of the game that can come to light are amazing. You can learn something from everyone, so start watching those around you to see what amazing discoveries you can make.

Megan Brown is an assistant coach at the University of Akron and the pitching coach for the Great Britain National team.

She earned her doctorate in kinesiology from Auburn University and was a three-time All-America pitcher at Florida Southern College, earning Hall of Fame induction for both her alma mater and the Sunshine State Conference.

Brown played in National Pro Fastpitch from 2007-09 and in Europe from 2010-13. She previ-ously coached at the University of Connecticut under longtime coach Karen Mullins.

International Games Offer Many LessonsVIEWPOINTS

By MEGAN BROWNAsst. Coach, Univ. of Akron

cheering them on and hamming it up for the pictures.

Throughout the trip I witnessed friendships forming within our team, both on and off the field. For a team that played only five games together before this trip, they played awesome.

Power, running slappers with power, defense and intelligence. How did we get so lucky? Not to mention, we had one pitcher during the trip. Everyone was scuffed up because the infield was like gravel. I had a flashback to my days playing on my dead end street.

I rekindled friendships with our hosts. One of them was Paul Van Duersen. I almost didn’t see him, because he had a heart attack two weeks prior. I cried when I saw him

and told his 19-year-old daughter to take care of him because he was special. She agreed.

I saw the progress of the Netherlands softball program. They played well in the World Championship and should be proud.

I was glad to be able to share this trip with two of my “lifer” friends. I joke sometimes, not believing we’ve been friends since the mid 70s. We started this friendship

almost 40 years ago driving to Ramsey for JAIS practice. Walsen called us the Westwood Express (the town we carpooled from). We later welcomed Gerckens to the back seat.

Our intent was to have this team experience what we did 35 years ago. I saw the beginnings of life-long friendships forming and look forward to seeing them years from now take their daughters for the same experience.


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By JAMI LOBPRIESMarketing Strategist

How do we grow professional softball? This question continues to come up in conversation.

For four years, I spent my summers traveling around the country, and world, playing the sport I love professionally. What an opportunity, right?

I considered myself blessed to have the opportunity to continue my career, especially because I was never an All-American nor was I even drafted. Instead, I was signed by chance by a team (Philadelphia Force) that no longer exists, because three of my former Texas A&M teammates had played on this team.

Then, in my rookie season, at 23 years old and a year removed from my last live game, I had the best year of my life against literally the world’s best players. This development of my game as well as the quality of players (and people) in the league, solidified my passion for the sustainability of a professional softball league.

THIS SUMMER I went back to National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), two years removed from my retirement from the sport. Call it a comeback? No, no not as a player. Those days are behind me, due to six knee surgeries and the interference with my PhD and career obligations. Instead, I spent this summer with the USSSA Pride as a marketing consultant, putting my research and passion in action.

In late May, as I was working on my dissertation of female athlete branding, I got a text from Cat Osterman. She told me to expect a call from USSSA CEO and Pride owner/general manager Don DeDonatis.

Well, two weeks later I got that call from DeDonatis, someone I continue to respect in the world of youth sports and particularly fastpitch. I defended my dissertation on June 6, coached in a 12U tournament in Wichita Falls June 7-8, and boarded a plane for Orlando on June 9. Story of my life!

For four years, I not only played in the NPF, I also observed and conversed with fellow players. I like to call it action research. As players, we continuously had conversations about the future of the NPF and discussed how can we grow the sport and league.

Then, for three years I studied and researched everything from behavioral statistics to consumer behavior to management theory. This summer it was time to put these conversations, observations and research into action.

So how do we grow the NPF? Good question. I don’t have an exact answer, but I’ll share some things I learned firsthand from my experiences behind the scenes of the 2014 NPF Champion USSSA Pride.

FIRST OF ALL, the product in professional softball is great. There is no scarcity of talent in the NPF and it’s talent ranges from Olympians to NCAA All-Americans and national champions to amazing talent from small-market schools you might not know about.

Take this season for example. If NPF players were nominated for ESPYs, which needs to happen, then softball legend Cat Osterman and her perfect 16-0 record would be a finalist for Female Athlete of Year. And two players you probably aren’t familiar with could easily be up for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Nerissa Myers from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Jess Garcia from the University of New Mexico.

SO WE HAVE the product but Marketing 101 tells us, “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” The product is there, but what about everything else around it?

Yes, I know the NPF needs television and corporate sponsorships. That’s a given. But in the product life cycle of the NPF, I would argue we’re still in the introduction stage, which means the size of our market is small and the need for research, development and marketing is very high.

My marketing objective for the summer was to increase our social media following and show value in the need for strategic, focused marketing. Through strategy and consistency on three social media platforms — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — we increased our following by over 14,000 likes on Facebook, 3,000 followers on Twitter, and almost 4,000 followers on Instagram. In three months.

WHY IS that important? In the business of sport, teams and organizations must engage with their fans. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to do this is through social media. Further, it shows instantaneously that we have a following and interest in our product. We need corporate sponsors, and one of the first places they’ll go to check out your following is social media. Do you have eyeballs that they can get their brand in front of?

Another beauty of social media is the lack of control. Once we put quality content out there, it can literally spread like a wildfire in front of diverse audiences. This allows the NPF brand the opportunity to be in front of new audiences.

Beyond utilizing and investing in social media, here’s some other things I believe are important for the growth of professional softball:

Connect to mainstream audiences. We have softball fans but we need the general audience. It’s important to connect more mainstream audiences in order to grow attendance, television viewing and overall brand awareness and equity. Our most viewed post was a picture of Osterman and (Little League World Series star) Mo’ne Davis, where we capitalized on a pop culture trend and captive sports and non-sport audience. It reached over 115,000 views on Facebook!

Content has to be quality. If we want our content viewed and shared, it must look professional. That means high-resolution pictures, visually-appealing flyers, and well-written press

releases. My new life goal is to master Photoshop.

Consistency. Social media and website posts, in-game and post-game updates, player watches, appearance updates, fan engagement posts — all of it needs to be done in a consistent manner so fans know what to expect and when to expect it. Maintaining a consistent presence online is essential in business.

Consistency also means remaining relevant in the offseason. With a three-month season, that leaves a lot of off time that our product isn’t in the eyes of fans. Whether it’s in the local communities of teams, an online presence or clinics and appearances, it’s important our players, teams and league remain relevant year round.

Create emotional value through community engagement. We aren’t on TV all the time, which means it is essential to have an active role in the community. Fans will mount an autographed ball, but they’ll return to games, buy merchandise and develop loyalty if they have some sort of

Jami Lobpries is a sports management PhD student at Texas A&M, researching sports mar-keting and women’s sports. She played colle-giately at Texas A&M, where she participated in two Women’s College World Series, and profes-sionally in National Pro Fastpitch from 2009-12.

Lobpries uses her playing experiences and research to discuss marketing strategies to help grow women’s sports. Follow her on Twitter at @JamiLo2 and keep up with her blog at www.womenssportblog.com

Tips For Growing National Pro FastpitchMARKETING

SEE TIPS PAGE 23

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becoming head coaches themselves in the time between the nomination period and the award announcement.

NCAA Division IJen McIntyre, Boston UniversityMcIntyre, recently hired as the

head coach at the University of Connecticut, coordinated recruiting, compliance, academics and strength and conditioning, plus coached the outfielders and offense, as the Terriers’ associate head coach this past year under Kathryn Gleason. Beyond her coaching, McIntyre’s energy and positive attitude helped guide Boston University to 36 wins and school records in four offensive categories. The Terriers captured the Patriot League title in their first season in the conference and advanced to the NCAA Regionals at the University of Arizona.

NCAA Division IIKayla Lucas, Georgia CollegeLucas serves as the recruiting

coordinator, strength, pitching and outfield coach, and also helps with the Bobcats’ hitters. The pitching staff’s ERA dropped a full run under her tutelage and the team’s batting average improved 19 points from the

previous season. One of the squad’s outfielders earned first team NFCA All-America status and she ran the entire softball program during the first six weeks of the school year with head coach Jamie Grodecki out on maternity leave.

NCAA Division IIIBeth Bonuso, Wis.-Whitewater

Bonuso just finished her 13th season assisting head coach Brenda Volk, primarily with the outfielders, but also spending countless hours on the team’s mental preparation. She produces creative and entertaining PowerPoint presentations for the team each week and Volk credits that mental preparation as a primary factor in the squad’s never-say-die attitude en route to a third-place finish at the NCAA championship this past spring. Every player listed Bonuso’s mental game work as one of the positive things they took away from a very successful season.

NAIA Craig Fletcher, William CareyFletcher has done anything

and everything that head coach Wendy Hogue has needed over the past eight years. From field maintenance to batting practice to supervising weight room workouts, Fletcher has regularly arrived early and stayed late. Hogue said he has always set the

bar high and demanded nothing but the best from his players —13 of which have earned All-America status during his tenure — while at the same time being a positive role model for the team and his family.

NJCAA Division IKarina Cannon, Odessa CollegeCannon’s responsibilities on head

coach Joel Prickett’s staff include pitchers, catchers, outfielders, international recruiting, camp administrator, pitch calling and opponent scouting. She has coached one first team and two second team NJCAA All-America pitchers, an All-Region catcher, a pair of NFCA first team All-Region players (one pitcher and catcher), an NFCA second team All-America catcher and a NFCA third team All-America pitcher.

NJCAA Division IICarie Dever Boaz, Northwest

Mississippi Community CollegeDever Boaz helped the Rangers

set single-season school records in eight offensive categories in her first season assisting head coach Mike Rowan. She has over 20 years of experience as a coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and is a well-known clinician and author, with five instructional videos to her credit.

High SchoolDawn Dziedzic, Monsignor

Donovan (N.J.) CatholicDziedzic has assisted head coach

Debbie Schwartz with all facets of a school’s softball program for the past 24 years, the first 23 together at Toms River East. On game day, she calls pitches and tracks opposing batters to maximize the team’s attack. She showed loyalty to Schwartz by declining to succeed her as head coach at Toms River — despite Schwartz’s recommendation — and instead moved with Schwartz to Monsignor Donovan.

With our pitchers we are determining each one’s strengths and weaknesses. Then the mission is to determine whether it is more advantageous to spend

time building the strengths to an even higher level or building the weaknesses up to an acceptable level or some combination of the two.

Rick PaulyUniversity of Georgia

Have the team buy in. I am new to the program, as I was hired late this summer. The program has underachieved the last couple years, so

we need to make some simple, but difficult, changes. I need these players to believe in themselves, my ability to lead them and the fact that we are competing for the same championship as everyone else in the country. They understand that we have a long road ahead of us, but, as of this fall, we are tied for the best record in the country. Through hard work and dedication, we have a chance. All I have to do now is make them believe and buy in to what we are doing.

Don StopaUniversity of Minnesota Crookston

with our philosophies? Will they make us better? How are we delivering our message? Are we delivering our message?

Lastly, when things don’t go the way I feel they should, for the most

part I try to replace my irritation with curiosity.

When I can’t replace it, I couple it. My emotional reaction may be irritation, but to avoid future or magnified irritation, I would like to understand why this happened.

Dr. Wade Gilbert, someone I reference frequently, likes to say, “Wise coaches are why coaches.”

I couldn’t agree more.

THE WISEST COACHES ARE THE WHY COACHESCONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

QUESTION OF THE MONTH — SEPTEMBER 2014

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

emotional connection. When rookies Courtney Ceo,

Madison Shipman and Cassie Tysarczyk threw pre-game bunts and front toss for a 14U team, those girls took and shared pictures, spread positive word-of-mouth, came to games, and probably bought Pride shirts. Emotional value leads to purchases and long-term brand equity.

Continue developing the product. It’s vital that the softball world rallies together to grow our professional softball league. Think about the sport. Encourage our young players to strive for college scholarships and chances to

play professionally and represent our country. It has to be a unified, focused effort. Look at women’s soccer and basketball.

How do we grow our professional softball league? We need the entire softball community to keep developing the product, while at the same time we have to keep selling the sizzle. Yes, television, corporate sponsors and an affiliation with Major League Baseball will be huge. But these are some other takeaways I think are important in the short-term growth period.

My role in the NPF has changed, but my passion for growing it hasn’t. I’m doing it for the sport, for all the past and present players, and for the passion I have for watching a great product perform on the stage it deserves.

Who’s with me?

TIPS FOR GROWING THE PROFESSIONAL GAMECONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

SEVEN SCORE INAUGURAL ASSISTANT COACH AWARDSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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NFCA FASTPITCH DELIVERY SEPTEMBER 2014