Another sports specialization article? I know what you're thinking. Everyone is talking about the issue of specializing at a young age nowadays. However, most of the discussion is focused on specializing in one sport too early. Many experts agree that training for softball all year every year from a very young age can lead to overuse injuries. I have to admit, I'm not an expert on this at all, though I tend to agree with that thought.
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Softball Nutrition can play a role on performance. And since we live in a society that's always looking for shortcuts and instant results, supplements are very attractive (I have to say they are very well marketed…) but are they necessary?
See what I have to say about that.
Post a comment below...
Most softball teams, players, and parents are quite familiar with fundraisers. However, I, personally don't know of many that raise $4,173 in one day, but I recently read about a softball team who did it.
Here's the excerpt about this softball fundraiser from Cary News…
The Middle Creek High School softball team raised $4,173 at a Applebee's Flapjack Fundraiser held Jan. 9 at Applebee's, 1480 North Main St. in Fuquay-Varina. All proceeds will benefit volunteer softball coach George Robb's medical expenses incurred after he was injured in a four-wheeling accident in November.
Is that cool or what?
In the spirit of the upcoming National Girls and Women in Sports Day (that's tomorrow!), I'm just dropping in to share my Top 7 Great Reasons for Girls to Play Softball! I'm sure you can think of even more (and feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below), but here are my top 7:
It Encourages a Healthy Lifestyle
Two of the leading softball websites partner to deliver more top-notch resources to softball fans.
Quebec, Canada - Feb. 1, 2010 - Two of the biggest websites in softball partner up to create the biggest softball network to date.
Leading fastpitch softball resources website SoftballPerfomance.com welcomes AllAboutFastpitch.com to its network, further expanding the reach of the two websites that are already popular in various softball circles.
Meanwhile, All About Fastpitch owner Stacie Mahoe will work as the network’s Softball Manager.
We're still in the off-season. The season is only a few weeks away for some and a few months away for others.
No matter when you season start, you must make sure you're ready.
As you know, the hardest thing to do in softball is to score runs.
That's why you must spend a lot of time working and refining on the various offensive skills during the off-season.
It's the part of the game that takes the most time to improve.
Here's a quick checklist to help you out.
Hitting
- Bat Selection
Coaches do lots of softball conditioning drills to help their athlete perform better. However, kids do play the game first and foremost to have fun. Who said you couldn't mix softball conditioning and fun together?
One of my favorite softball conditioning drills is the British Bulldog Game. It's a favorite for a few reasons…
- It's super fun - ALL kids love it. Most of the time, they don't want to stop playing.
- It's an effective softball conditioning drill - all kids are very active during the game.
- It trains speed, agility, and quickness too - all important qualities for softball.
Softball fielding is a lot about reading the situation and reacting quickly. The faster you can read and react, the more likely you are to get to the ball and make an out.
This quick softball video introduces the proper technique to accelerate from a static position (fielding position) to any direction where the ball might be going.
Did I leave anything out?
We often compare baseball to softball and try to find differences.
Have you ever noticed that a major difference between male baseball payers and female softball players is…
…their ability to dive head first?
While most young boys on a baseball team will fearlessly dive head first, very few young ladies on a travel ball team can do the same.
Can anybody explain this to me?
Are boys less fearful?
Are girls too scared?
Some might pretend it's a "female anatomy
thing" and I won't argue this as I can't
relate.
Power or strength?
For many, these two terms mean the same.
But, there is a difference.
Strength = how much you can lift or how much force you can generate.
Power = explosive strength or how much force you can generate very quickly. Being explosive.
If you need more power quickly - check this resource:
A little (simplified) lesson about physiology.
As you know well, the body is basically divided between fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.
Slow twitch fibers are dominant for slower, endurance-type activities and fast twitch fibers are dominant for fast, explosive activities.
