Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast
581 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 79 ratingsEverything Fastpitch is a podcast hosted by Coach Tory Acheson and Coach Don McKinlay. Tory and Don are former college coaches that are now full time instructors and travel ball coaches. Since retiring form active collegiate coaching they have committed themselves to providing educational materials to the fastpitch community. This podcast is one of the resources they are providing. Their website has 500+ blog posts and they have a YouTube channel. All of these cover fastpitch softball from coaching and training beginner athletes up through college athletes. It is a great resource for players, parents and coaches. Whether it be training tips, mental aspects, coaching methods, recruiting etc. it is all covered, hence the name Everything Fastpitch.
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Episodes
Great Team Interview / Dominant Team OK? / Things don't always go right
June 15, 2022 20:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MBThis Weeks Lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: My daughter is a pitcher and a shortstop. How can she be ready if going straight from shortstop to pitching? (@10:21) Paige's Power Play (@17:24) Interview with the ROWVA/Williamsfield Varsity Cougar softball team. A smaller school in Illinois. The players decided to do something to raise awareness of mental health and suicide this year. Listen to the interview to hear the things that they are involved in. @21:41) Is having a dominant...
Be consistent with your coaching style in big moments
June 10, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MBYou are going to a big out of town tournament. It's costing the parents and players a lot of money. When you factor in travel, living expenses and missed work the investment is significant. Don't let "we have to get our money's worth" alter your coaching style. Your team will play better if you stay consistent. If you display a lot more pressure, it will carry over to the team. Support the Show.
Be consistent with your coaching style
June 10, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MBYou are going to a big out of town tournament. It's costing the parents and players a lot of money. When you factor in travel, living expenses and missed work the investment is significant. Don't let "we have to get our money's worth" alter your coaching style. Your team will play better if you stay consistent. If you display a lot more pressure, it will carry over to the team. Support the show
How many players needed on travel teams / Tryout Tips / Bunting is important
June 08, 2022 20:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: I keep score for out team. What determines if it is a wild pitch or a passed ball? (@10:24) Paige's Power Play (@17:28) How many pitchers and additional players should a team have? (@21:03) Tips for trying out for a team. (@32:35) If practiced, bunting can be an additional weapon for your team. (@40:49) Support the show
How many players needed on travel teams / Tryout Tips / Bunting is important
June 08, 2022 20:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: I keep score for out team. What determines if it is a wild pitch or a passed ball? (@10:24) Paige's Power Play (@17:28) How many pitchers and additional players should a team have? (@21:03) Tips for trying out for a team. (@32:35) If practiced, bunting can be an additional weapon for your team. (@40:49) Support the Show.
Practice outfield infield communication
June 03, 2022 20:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBIt invariably happens in a critical situation. The ball gets hit into the Bermuda Triangle of the field where infielders and outfielders are racing as hard as they can go to get to the ball. Communication breaks down and the ball doesn't get caught or we have a train wreck and somebody gets hurt. It happens rarely, but we need to practice it often. Support the Show.
College Season Wrap up / Softball community support / No cookie cutter approach to coaching
June 01, 2022 20:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: My daughter plays high level softball and soccer. Her softball coach is putting pressure on her to focus on softball and drop soccer. What do you think? (@12:16) Paige's Power Play: (@19:38) College Season Wrap up (@23:51) Softball community support in times of tragedy (@41:23) No cookie cutter approach to coaching! (@43:47) Support the Show.
Have a plan for a mound visit.
May 27, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.45 MBCoach Tory discusses the need to know what you are going to do when you make a mound visit. Don't just wander out there and figure out what you are going to say when you get there. If things aren't going well don't add to the frustration with your visit. Go out there with a plan to make things better. Every coach should listen to this. Support the Show.
End of College Season / Things that need to be fixed / Coaching your own daughter
May 25, 2022 20:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBThis weeks Lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Can a position player wear a catcher's mitt? (@7:37) Paige's Power Play (@8:48) The end of the college regular season and a lot of good stuff happened this year. Coach Tory gives some highlights. (@12:16) Things that need to be fixed in college softball. (@19:00) Coaching your own daughter on a team. (@37:00) Support the Show.
How to manage marathon days at tournaments
May 20, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.89 MBTournaments can turn into a marathon with many games on the same day. The coaches discuss the need to have a plan well in advance on how to manage the day. Make sure you have a strategy and everyone knows it. You don't want any surprises. Support the Show.
Accountability / Safety Equipment / Coaches need to practice
May 17, 2022 20:00 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: The level and quality of broadcasts of college softball varies a lot. What do we think? (@10:21) Paige's Power Play (@15:47) Accountability. Before we blame the umpire, did we put ourselves in the position of letting the umpire make the final decision. (@19:55) Safety Equipment. Use IT!(@32:24) Coaches need to practice their skills just like the players. (@44:48) Support the Show.
Quality of play is a function of knowledge, practice and talent.
May 13, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.71 MBPatrick Winston, a former professor and computer scientist at MIT, used a formula in one of his talks about things that go into the quality of a performance. Obviously he wasn't talking about softball, but it really applies developing players. The formula was Quality is a function of Knowledge, Practice and Talent with the importance in that order. The coaches break this down and apply it to softball. Support the Show.
Keeping the game fun / Recruiting Questions / Mental approach for hitters
May 11, 2022 20:00 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: My daughter is a pitcher and the coaches forfeited a game because the field was in such bad shape and unsafe. Did he do the right thing? (@12:03) Paige's Power Play (@22:12) Keeping the game fun (@26:55) Recruiting questions (@38:21) Proper mental approach for hitters (@47:17) Support the Show.
Look for what's not there in games to plan your practice
May 06, 2022 18:00 - 11 minutes - 7.88 MBThere is information out there that tells us what we need to work on in practice. When we make mistakes they go on the practice list. Look at that scorebook and identify things that need practice that are not there. Support the Show.
The catching position / Mental Health / Covering Bases
May 04, 2022 20:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Daughter is on a good team. A former college player has been brought in to coach the team. What are our thoughts on a former player coaching a team? (@13:08) Paige's Power Play (@21:21) The catching position. Responding to questions relative about the catching position. Are they being neglected in practice? (@25:05) Mental Health and tragic events in the athletic world. What are some of the issues? (@45:15) Covering bases. Who and ci...
Visual Cues vs Verbal Instruction
April 29, 2022 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MBThe coaches discuss that a visual cue can be a more effective method of communicating something to a player than verbally shouting it out. It is more subtle and is between you and the player and just a quick reminder of something you have been working on. Support the Show.
The Good: Softball is in a great position / Pressure / Compassion and Empathy
April 27, 2022 20:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Pretty strong team. Comments on number of tournaments played vs amount of practice time. (@11:52) Paige's Power Play (@20:34) The Good this week: Softball is in a place where it has never been before. (24:58) Pressure that is on kids playing the game. (@35:46) Compassion and empathy vs competitive edge (@47:56) Support the Show.
Illegal Pitch Disputes / Bat Weight / Base Running Awareness
April 20, 2022 20:00 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Did you see the picture of the umpire that got punched after a game? (@13:20) Paige's Power Play (@20:18) Illegal pitches and the discrepancies in enforcement. (@22:33) Does your bat weigh what it says on the label? (@45:31) Base Running. We need to work on situational awareness. (54:53) Support the Show.
Weather Delay Chaos - Have a plan
April 15, 2022 20:00 - 13 minutes - 9.1 MBWe have all seen the chaos that can occur with weather delays. Everybody has to get to shelter when it starts and then you have to get them all back when play is ready to start again. If you don't already have a plan in place of how this will be handled you are asking for a lot of aggravation. Communication is critical and one person has to be making the decisions of what can and cannot be done. Support the Show.
Interview with Anderson Bat Co. / Good, Bad and the Ugly / Body Language
April 13, 2022 20:00 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: People are always asking for a drill to fix a problem. Is it really that simple that a drill can fix a problem?(@11:38) Paige's Power Play (@15:24) Interview with Tristan Hildebrandt of Anderson Bat Company (@19:39) Good, Bad and the Ugly. This week it is ugly. (@38:52) Body Language. (@46:40) Support the Show.
New Teams, New Players, Inexperienced Coaches - Take nothing for granted
April 08, 2022 20:00 - 13 minutes - 9.42 MBWhen coaching a team of new inexperienced players, take absolutely nothing for granted. There isn't anything obvious in this situation. You have to break down everything to it most basic level. You have to teach all of the fundamentals of the game and assume nothing. Support the Show.
Define Money's Worth / Dance Dance / Every fast player doesn't need to be a slapper
April 06, 2022 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBThis Weeks Lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Should our strategy of calling pitches feature our pitcher or the defense? (@10:43) Paige's Power Play (@16:35) Getting your money's worth. Have peoples attitude changed about what do they expect for getting their money's worth out of a team. (@19:23) Dance Dance? Players can learn a TikTok dance, but have trouble learning how to cover a bunt. What do we need to change? (@33:30) Every fast player does not need to be a slapper. (@42:4...
Winning or Losing, stay the course.
April 01, 2022 20:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBThings are usually not as bad as you think they are or as good as you think you are. Season is starting up and whether you are winning or losing don't over react in either direction. Stay the course, don't over emphasize the results and keep working on the fundamentals. Support the Show.
Recap of College Softball / Music in Games / Pitchers needing to pitch to live hitters
March 30, 2022 20:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: What do we think about using the safety base in college games? (@10:28) A recap of college softball at this point in the season. Teams are starting conference play and a look at where things stand. (@19:15) Using music in games and practices. Good or Bad? (@39:29) Pitchers need to pitch to live hitters in practice. (@50:51) Support the Show.
Know the Rules!
March 25, 2022 20:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBThe coaches discuss the importance of knowing the rules. It give you the knowledge to maximize your game management and improve your status with the players. Support the Show.
Pitchers and a tight strike zone / Coach Players from where they are / Dealing with over confidence
March 23, 2022 20:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Old school baseball guy wants to know if retaliation goes on in softball? (@13:22) Paige's Power Play (@18:08) Some think the strike zone is being squeezed this year. Pitchers have to adapt and change their approach. (@21:41) Bobby Simpson has a quote "You must coach players from where they are, not from you wish they were or they or others think they are." The coaches agree and discuss how to accomplish this. (@38:16) Dealing with ...
What do we mean by soft hands and teaching it
March 18, 2022 20:00 - 14 minutes - 9.92 MBPlayers must have soft hands when fielding ground balls. What do we mean by soft hands? The coaches discuss what to look for, the reasons and how to teach it. Support the Show.
Playing in Bad Weather / Bad behavior by a player / Athlete Mental Health
March 16, 2022 20:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment: Listener Question: We attended our first college games. Saw many adults acting foolish. Are super fans normal? (@10:28) Paige's Power Play (@15:11) Playing in Bad Weather. Should we or not? (@18:42) Coach's response to bad behavior by a player (@30:05) Athlete Mental Health. We need to pay attention (@41:32) Support the Show.
Umpire Shortage / Gold Bracket vs Silver Bracket / Staying the Course Helping a Player
March 09, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: What do we think of the shift and other specialty defenses? (@12:24) Paige's Power Play (@23:58) We have a real problem with the lack of umpires. We keep adding more games but we are losing umpires and it is effecting the quality of games. (@26:08) Is it better to win your pool so you get in the gold bracket even if you only play 1 game in bracket play or to finish lower in your pool and play more games in the silver bracket?(@39:50) ...
Throwing hard does not always equal throwing well
March 04, 2022 21:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSometimes we have a player that can throw the ball very hard and we don't evaluate how well they are throwing. Accuracy is very important during the game and just because the player is throwing hard doesn't mean it is easy to handle on the other end. Work with those players so they can learn how to throw the ball correctly. Support the Show.
Clearwater Tournament Interview / Importance of Little Things / Where is a coach most valuable on game day
March 02, 2022 21:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: What value to we place on skills videos for recruiting? (@10:21) Paige's Power Play (@17:23) Interview with a dad and daughter that attended the Clearwater Invitational. (@20:59) Importance of the little things and there are no little things. (@34:54) Where is a coach most valuable on game day? Rethink what role you should play to get the most out of your team. (@45:29) Support the Show.
Setting your tolerance level for aggressiveness
February 25, 2022 21:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBCoaches have to teach and communicate their tolerance level for aggressive play. Aggressiveness can be almost zero with a play it safe mentality or all out on every opportunity. The players have to be taught your philosophy and most important you have to be uniform in your reaction to what happens in a game. Wherever your line of aggressive is you can't condemn a player that doesn't cross that line in either direction. Parents and fans have to know what the team philosophy is also so they d...
How to manage bullying / Early impressions of college softball / Reaction time for hitters
February 23, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: What are some metrics that I can track for our team? (10:47) Paige's Power Play (@19:39) A listener asks for some advice for bullying on a team, isolating some players, etc. (@23:32) Early impressions of the college season. Coach Tory talks about some of the things he noticed in the first big weekend of the season. (@39:05) Training hitters for fast pitchers. Hitting is reaction time and there are some drills that we can do to help t...
Don't create "THAT" coach's kid!
February 18, 2022 21:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBIn this episode we warn coaches about creating an environment that is detrimental to the team and your own daughter. We are not talking about "daddy ball". If it wasn't for moms and dads coaching we wouldn't have softball. What we are discussing is your child becoming a de facto coach because of your actions. Points included are having team discussions in the presence of your daughter. Using her as a messenger to the team. Using her to manage the drills, etc. We have all seen it where the c...
Senoritis / Pre-season rankings and awards / Hitting struggles is not always mechanical
February 16, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: I am a new coach and I believe I have a player that is not being honest about why she is missing practice. Any advice? (@12:43) Paige's Power Play (@18:06) Senoritis: it is a real thing. Just because you have signed it is not the time to coast.Signing is not the end goal it is just the first step to playing softball in college. You are not giving yourself the best shot at succeeding in college and you are not being fair to your teammat...
Planning accordingly when creating a team.
February 11, 2022 21:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MBWhen you are forming a new team or making major changes to an existing team, be realistic in your plans. You do not know how long it will take for them to jell into a team and reach their potential. And sometimes that doesn't match your expectations when you were putting the team together. Make plans to introduce your team to competition and then move up the food chain. Support the Show.
The best team does not always equal the best position player in a position.
February 04, 2022 21:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBCoaches have to take the players they have and build the best team. That doesn't always equate to players playing their best individual position. For example, the best shortstop may make the team better by playing center field and someone else playing shortstop. And some players think that they can only play one position and if they don't play that position they want to move on. The object of defense is not to make great plays at one position and have major issues at other positions. The obj...
Division 1 Top 25 / USSSA Pitching Rules Changes / How to Increase Arm Strength
February 02, 2022 21:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Is there a Softball Hall of Fame? (@10:51) Paige's Power Play (@15:25) Division 1 Top 25 Recap (@20:28) USSSA has changed the rules for pitchers. (@38:34) How to increase arm strength. (@48:00) Support the Show.
Merge new players into your team with a plan
January 28, 2022 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.19 MBThis week the coaches discuss merging new players into a team. You can't just let it happen and hope things work out. There are always questions when a new player joins a team. When you post that you are looking for players, the questions begin. There is apprehension on each side. So, coaches face it head on and have a plan to seamlessly mold a team with old and new players. Support the Show.
Forecast of upcoming college season with Justin McLeod / Using assistant coaches
January 26, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: New to coaching and putting together a team. How much value should I place with effort and attitude over talent? (@12:36) Paige's Power Play (@17:04) Part 1 of interview with Justin McLeod of Extra Innings Softball and Justin's World of Softball. Interview is an interesting discussion of the upcoming college season. (@22:11) Part 2 of interview with Justin McLeod (@46:38) Using assistant coaches. Get the assistant coaches up to spe...
Scrimmages can be beneficial
January 21, 2022 21:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIn this week's episode the coaches discuss how using intra-squad scrimmages and scrimmages with other teams to make your team better prepared to play real games. Don't schedule practice games with other teams without a plan. Just playing another team is not a scrimmage. Support the Show.
Impact of not playing HS ball / Vision Training / Building player's confidence
January 19, 2022 21:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question; My 10 year old daughter hits the ball consistently, but with no power. What can I do? (@10:44) Does not playing high school ball impact recruitability? (@13:58) Incorporate some vision training in your schedule. (@20:06) Building player's confidence. (@25:01) Support the Show.
Getting Back to Practices with Realistic Expectations
January 14, 2022 21:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBCoaches and players are excited about getting back to practice and getting ready for the new spring season. Everyone needs to understand on how much work is reasonable and we are not doing more harm than good. We have to have a progression plan for getting the players ready. Support the Show.
Catching Instruction and Practice / State of College Athletics / Connecting training to game like situations
January 12, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: Should I get my glove steamed? (@14:56) Paige's Power Play (@22:51) Catchers need instruction and practice. During normal team practices, catchers don't get really dedicated practice especially at game speed. Most catchers need outside training. (@25:28) College Softball is just around the corner. Hopefully COVID will not have an impact on softball. The coaches discuss the state of college athletics and the impact of the changes that ...
Training to recognize what is possible
January 07, 2022 21:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBSometimes coaches get frustrated when players attempt a play that is impossible. For instance, a throw to home from the outfield when the runner is 20 feet from home plate. Understanding what is possible is a skill that has to be taught just like fielding, throwing, etc. In the case above, the outfielders have to learn to judge the distance they have to throw the ball against the speed of the runner. They will learn quicker by practicing than by failures in a game. Support the Show.
Catchers back up first base / More games are lost than won / What is a ball player / I hate "my bad"
January 05, 2022 21:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBThis weeks lineup: Catchers, back up first base (@2:26) More games are lost than won. (@16:36) What is a "ball player" (@30:24) I hate "my bad" (@47:26) Support the Show.
Explaining What You Want isn't the Same Thing as Coaching
December 31, 2021 21:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBIn this week's edition of the show Coach Tory and Coach Don talk strategies for becoming a more effective coach, which doesn't always mean explaining what you want from your players. Support the Show.
Catcher's Mask - On or Off / Strike out is just an out / Yoda Logic / Create Versatility
December 29, 2021 21:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBThis Weeks Lineup: Catcher's mask - On or Off (@2:10) Strike out is just an out.(@8:45) Yoda Logic - You must unlearn what you have learned. (@20:56) Create Versatility (@33:05) Support the Show.
Coaches should always have a repair/emergency kit available
December 24, 2021 15:00 - 13 minutes - 9.17 MBCoaches have to be prepared for many different situations that come up over the course of their careers. They need to have a repair/emergency kit to handle these situations. In this episode we talk about some of the items that can save the day. Support the Show.
Quality at bat / Drama of starting a new team / Age of players dictates our practice plans
December 22, 2021 21:00 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBThis weeks lineup: Warmup Segment Listener Question: My daughter has been hit by several pitches this season. Now she is scared to get in the batter's box. What do I do? (@9:22) Paige's Power Play (@14:16) What is a quality at bat? Keeping track of your success by using batting average is a trap that doesn't really reflect how a player is contributing to the team. Putting pressure on a player because of batting average can be very detrimental. (@16:43) Putting together a brand new team ...