New Coaching Resource - Sneak Peak

If you're a fastpitch member, you know I'm working on a few new resources. Well, I got a small preview of one of them up and ready for you to check out. The original name of the resource was going to be 5 Steps for Achieving Your Coaching Goals (plus 3 Keys to Coaching Excellence), BUT instead of just creating a short report for you to digest on your own, I decided to go with a new approach and a completely different method of delivery which I think you'll get a LOT more out of.

This new resource is NOTHING like anything we've ever done before here at AllAboutFastpitch.com and I think you're going to love it. It's called Coach of Action and you can get a taste of what it's all about and how it's going to work at www.CoachOfAction.com.

Sue Enquist Videos - I love it!

I've never seen these before, but I LOVE them. If you haven't seen them either or heard Sue Enquist talk about "Prepare for the Game," "Love the Game," and "Honor the Game."

The clips are great. You can view them at
http://sueenquist.com/speaking/prepare.html

Heads Up Baseball - First Impressions

I've been talking about the book Heads Up Baseball that I ordered and have recently received. I just wanted to share some of my first impressions of it with you.

1) The book was bigger than I thought it would be, but it can still fit in my bag or a players softball bag.

2) There are pictures in it! Yay - that's a big plus if you want players to read it...they like the pictures.

3) Then I started reading the little testimonials and the cover and the beginning and already I was Loving It! It covers exactly the type of material I was hoping for.

4) It's not "just a book." One worry I had was that it would be full of great information, but that none of it would be applied. That happens often, we go to a class, we read a book, we get training in something, but we don't apply what we learned so that we can get better. Well, if you've already been through the book, you already know, or if you've already ordered the book, you will soon see that this is not "just a book." It actually helps with some of the application - it helps people who are reading it TAKE ACTION which, in softball AND IN LIFE, is always the first step after being a life long learner. Not only do you have to continue to be open to learn, but you have to take at least a few things from your newfound knowledge and APPLY them so that you can actually make your game or your life better.

I have to say though, I was not expecting my 4th impression at all. I really thought it was "just a book." I'm very impressed with the layout thus far and even though I haven't gotten through the first 20 pages, I already see the value and the wealth of information the book contains.

This book was meant for high school age and up, but I think I'll have my 11 year old read through it too....and I'll have her read it again....and again....and maybe one more time when she's a little older.

Seriously, if you work with players of the high school age group and above, this is a book you want to have. You can get it at Amazon for about 10 bucks.

Joining the Gym to be a Better Coach

Yup, I'm going to The Gym. Well, no, actually The Gym (by Tom Hanson) is coming to me. As you can see, I'm doing a lot of "being a life long learner" at this point. I guess I'm just in that mode right now. I've learned a lot, but I feel like there are great tips out there that can help me hone in on where I can get better and there are ways that I can help my team get better. So in addition to the books I've talked about recently, this is the other resource I really wanted to check out.

The things that really caught my eye with this Gym were...

• "How to Get Players 'On Board' with Developing their Mental Game Skills"
• “How to Teach Pre-Performance Routines so Your Players are More Consistent,”
• "How to Work on the Mental Game During Practice,"
• "How to Give Feedback," and
• "How to Work Effectively With Parents."

Then of course there are the bonuses for joining for a year...

• Pitching Dominator DVD -- Watch me teach the mental mechanics of pitching. Shows exactly, step-by-step what to do on the mound to pitch with a dominating mindset ($67 value) (mailed to you).
• Hitting Dominator DVD -- Watch me teach the mental mechanics of hitting. Shows exactly, step-by-step, what to do at the plate and before you get there, to hit with a dominating mindset ($67 value) (mailed to you).

You see, I KNOW how important the mental game is, but I also know how hard it is to teach. I don't know that anyone really took clear cut steps to "teach" it to me, but being mentally strong and having the right mind set to be successful is something I learned along the way as I played softball and became an adult.

As a coach, I always want more consistency from my players. To me, one thing that separates good players from great players is consistency. They almost ALWAYS get their job done, no matter what the situation. I'm not saying they are always perfect. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, but I'd much rather have someone consistently make those routine plays rather than be hot and cold and sometimes make unbelievable plays, but not consistency make the routine ones.

Then there's working on the mental game in practice....any time I can learn more about how to work on the mental game in practice, I'm in.

So, again, I will let you know how things go in The Gym!

Going to the Post Office

Yay! I'm going to the post office today to pickup my copy of "Heads Up Baseball." I guess the packaging couldn't fit in my mailbox and since I have a long driveway that's locked, the mailman can't exactly come to my door to have me sign for it. So it's off to the post office I go. Again, I've heard a number of great things about this book. I'll definitely let you know what I think of it when I'm going through it and when I'm done with it.

Of course, you could always get it for yourself at Amazon and read it with me. ;)

Learning to be a Better Leader

I'm all excited because I believe in being a life-long learner and right now I'm actively exercising that belief. My book came in the mail yesterday, the one I mentioned on another post. It's Tom Hanson's "Who Will Do What By When" - I started reading it last night before I went to sleep and I'm already just about half way through!

If you didn't read the other post and don't have any idea what this book is about, it was created to help you get powerful results for business and in life. Learn about leadership as you read the story about a guy who was an all-star salesman, but was promoted to a management position. His job was in jeopardy because his team's sales had been dropping ever since he became the manager. So you follow along with him as he learns how to be a better leader and help his team achieve everything they are capable of.

I can't go back to reading it just yet, other responsibilities need to be taken care of first, but you can bet, first chance I get today, my nose will be back in the book. I have a feeling I'll have to re-read it (or at least review the main ideas) to really get everything out of it and have some of the main points STICK so that I can APPLY them.

Bill Hillhouse in Hawaii 2008

Yep, we're doing it again. Bill Hillhouse is coming to Hawaii in September. I know a LOT of people here in Hawaii were asking about whether or not he was going to come down again last year, but we just couldn't swing it for 2007 but we ARE doing it for 2008.

We're looking at September 20-21 for the clinic sessions (2 - 2 1/2 hours) and the following Saturday (27th) for small group sessions. Just like last time, in order to attend a small group session, you MUST attend a clinic session first.

I'm not quite sure on location yet, but we're looking at the CORP again and possibly another field in town. Ideally we'll be able to do CORP one day and the town field another day to make it easier for pitchers from different parts of the island to attend a session.

Most likely will run something similar to what we did two years ago. Clinic sessions will be offered by age group. One session will be for ages 10-12, another will be for 13-15, and the last for ages 16+. We'll run those 3 sessions on Saturday (20th) and if you can't make the Saturday date, we'll run them again on Sunday (21st).

Clinic sessions will be limited to 10-12 girls EACH. This is part of why we are running it for two days because 10-12 spots per age group will fill up FAST. So one session of 10-12 girls will be available on Saturday and another will be available on Sunday. Last time we had 14-16 per session and that was too much. This year, we're only allowing 10-12 per session so that your pitcher will get more attention during the clinic and get more out of it. Also remember, all pitchers MUST bring their own catcher.

As we get closer and closer to the clinic I will provide additional information (finalized location and pricing). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the clinic. All clinic sessions will be FREE for ANY coaches or parents that want to attend. Bill's demonstrations during his clinics are very cool, so please come by if you have the chance. There is no charge to anyone who wants to come to see the demonstration and instruction. Only the pitchers that actually go out onto the field and go through drills and get instruction from Bill pay the clinic fee.

Cost to the pitchers will probably be about $40 to attend a 2-hour clinic session in the appropriate age group on the 20th OR 21st. Small group sessions (27th) are one hour long and Bill will work with just your group (up to 4 pitchers) for that full hour. These sessions will probably be about $140. Small group sessions will be VERY limited as we will only run them on one day, so once we finalize location and start taking applications, please don't wait too long.

Learn more about Bill Hillhouse at www.houseofpitching.com.

Follow Me at Twitter

Keeping up with tips and updates at AAF just got easier. I don't know if you've heard of twitter, but it's pretty cool. I can post short little bits of information, tips, or updates and YOU check them out very easily OR have them sent to you on your own free twitter account OR have them e-mailed to you OR have them automatically sent to your cell phone. So even if you don't have internet access on your phone, you can still find out when I post little tips, news, or updates via Twitter.

One thing I like is that the messages are limited to 140 characters so they have to be short and sweet. Not ongoing trilogy-like pages of information.

I just started, so I only posted twice so far, but you can see what I'm talking about at twitter.com/staciemahoe. Remember, if you do get an account, it doesn't only have to be for AAF purposes....get your friends and family on there and you can easily keep in touch and send messages to them via twitter. You can do ONE message and all your friends can see it and get notification of your new message via phone or IM if they have their account set to do so.

To get AAF updates on your phone or IM via twitter...

1. Go to Twitter.com and sign up for your own free account
2. to go twitter.com/staciemahoe and click on the "Follow" link below my picture
3. go back "Home" and click on the "Take Twitter with You" link to get notifications via cell phone or IM

I would love to see you there and be able to interact with you via twitter. Go now. It'll be fun.

Finally Getting Heads Up Baseball

Yes! I finally did it. I finally ordered my very own copy of Heads Up Baseball. It's the book that many, many AAF Members swear by and give their team as required reading. It's the book that I have people write to me about. These people often attribute at least a part their team's success to their players having read this book. So, since my taxes are done and I have a little extra spending money, I'm finally getting the book for myself. None of the local bookstores had it and I couldn't find it in the library, so I had to order it online. But, it's on it's way to me as I type, so I can't wait to get it.

I'm also getting Tom Hanson's new book, Who Will Do What By When, which is a great book for anyone trying to lead a team, whether on the field or in an office. I'm actually getting a few extra copies of this one so that the other coaches I work with can read it too.

If Tom Hanson sounds familiar, he is the co-author of Heads Up Baseball and he is also the guy that runs the Confidence website. He helps players and coaches get up to par with training for the mental aspect of the game. You can check out his website and sign up for his free newsletter at www.GetSoftballConfidence.com. He's got some other cool freebies there as well (look for the "Free Stuff" link), like the 5-day course I just finished "5 Steps to Unstoppable Confidence." Go check it out.

The College Information I Promised

If you're waiting for the college recruiting information, it's right here in this e-mail.

Again, this is something I truly feel every high school softball player and their parent and their coach NEEDS...unless, of course, the player does NOT want anything to do with softball at the college level. But if you took time to sign up to get these e-mails, chances are the players in your life want to go as far as they can OR you would like to help the players you know get as far as they can with this game and with their education. That said, I'll cut to the chase. Get the college recruiting information you need from one of the best in the business, Dynamite Sports...

Get a FREE Preview - No Credit Card Information Required

Note: this login information will only be good for a LIMITED TIME, check it out as soon as possible!

Simply go to: http://www.thecoachescircle.com/school/112 and use the username and password provided on the page.

Forget the Preview, I need/want this ASAP!
Small schools, Travel Clubs, or Individual Teams save over 30% off the regular price for a full year of unlimited access to the ENTIRE system.

Word Doc Order Form: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSOrder.doc

PDF file Order Form: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSOrder.pdf

What's this all about? View the Dynamite Sports Flyer
Word Doc Flyer: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSFlyer.doc
PDF Flyer: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSFlyer.pdf

Again, if you or the players you know have any inkling that they'd like to continue to play softball at the collegiate level, this is a MUST SEE program. I will, personally, be using this same program to help me give all of my kids the best chance at playing athletics in college if they decide that's what they want to do. So in a year or two I will be starting with my oldest daughter (she's in 6th grade now). Don't wait until Junior or Senior year to begin preparing! If you're working with Freshman or even current 8th graders who will be Freshman next year, you're actually in the best position to make the most of what Dynamite Sports has to offer and help the players be the most prepared to get to that next level. If you are in that range of Junior/Senior year, there is still some very important information provided by this program. For example, if you're wondering how to get your name out there to the schools you want to attend, this program tells you exactly how to do that. If you're trying to figure out where to start as far as who to contact, this program tells you how to come up with a list of schools that would be a good fit for you so that your more focused in your efforts to connect with, not just any school, but the right school for you.

The three biggest mistakes I see people make in this college recruiting process is

1) Starting too late

2) Not being proactive enough....thinking that showcase tournaments and travel ball are all you need to do

3) Choosing the WRONG school

Learn how to avoid these 3 big mistakes and give the softball players you know the best chance at getting to a college that is a good fit for them. There's no sense in going through all the stress that comes along with the college recruiting process only to have the player leave the school after a year or two OR spend 4-5 years in a place they can't stand.

Order forms are available here:

Word Doc Order Form: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSOrder.doc

PDF file Order Form: http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/DSOrder.pdf

At the very least, go take a look at the preview at http://www.thecoachescircle.com/school/112 - it won't cost you anything but a few moments of your time.

But won't my counselors do the college stuff for me?
To some extent, yes. I was fortunate enough to go to a high school where there were 3 counselors per class. Each one had less than 175 students to keep track of and work with. My counselor was the one who made sure I was registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse which was just starting up. She gave me the form to fill out and send in. Our counselors did a lot to help us get ready for college, including walking us through the application for the University of Hawaii. Line by line, they told us what to write in. But as good as they were, I was not given even HALF the information about the college recruiting process that I got from Dynamite Sports in that one 2-hour seminar.

I don't know how it is in other parts of the country, but the public high schools in Hawaii have ONE College and Career Counselor for the whole student body. The high school I coach at has 600+ students in some classes. So that's over 2000 students for one counselor to track. Don't leave everything up to the counselors when there's so much you can take control of yourself.

Check out the free preview today.

Have a great week!

Fastpitch Vision Training Drills

It's been a while since I mentioned Fastpitch Vision Training, but if you haven't had a chance to check out that website yet, there is a lot of free information on vision training there.

With that said, I just wanted to let you know that in addition to some of the sample drills there, you can find more drills at Be A Better Hitter. Maybe some of those free drills will help your players improve their batting.

There's also an interesting article on the importance of visual training for pitchers. Of course, this article is written for baseball, but I think most of it also applies to fastpitch softball as well. You can read the article here.

I'm also working on getting some new articles up at www.FastpitchVisionTraining.com. I'll let you know when that's completed.