Commitment Starts with Parents

I really do feel that commitment to a sport or to anything starts with parents. Granted there can be times when a parent is committed to an extracurricular activity and a child is not. In that situation all it really means is that the parent and child should find another activity for the child to be involved in, something they can really put their full effort into.

But sometimes a child IS very committed and into a sport or activity and that child's parent isn't. Or sometimes you see a child who wants to really get into it, but since their parents always bring them late to practice or games, it's tough for them to embrace the sport as much as they could.

Believe me, I KNOW how challenging it can be to keep up with everything life throws at you AND get your kids to the park on time for practices and games and to be at parent meetings and such. I have 5 kids, life gets hectic. I run late too sometimes. It happens. This season, I've been guilty of not taking my younger girls to practice because I had a game at another field and my oldest daughter had practice at yet another field. I should have found a way.

So, yes, even I need to do a self check every once in a while and make sure if I'm going to ask for a commitment and full effort from my children in their endeavors, then I need to give my full effort and support to them in that endeavor as well. This means taking them to practice even when I don't feel like it. This means getting them to the field at the time the coaches ask, not five, ten, or fifteen minutes later. This means making a phone call to the coach any time we are running late or can't make a game or practice for whatever reason. This means having myself or my husband at the field with the kids whenever possible. It's not always easy, but how can we expect full commitment and the best effort from our children if we can't put forth that same kind of effort as their parents? It starts with us.

Don't Get Caught Like This

I just "talked" with an online sports mom friend. Actually she shared this with my on Twitter. My fellow softball mom went to a high school tournament softball game last night and told me about a situation that happened during the game. After reading what she wrote, even I felt a sense of frustration.

I know this happens on a regular basis because I've seen it myself. You probably have too.

Here's the situation...

Bottom of the 7th...

Score tied...

2 outs...

Bases loaded...

Batter rips one to right field...


...can you guess where I'm going with this?


Batter doesn't hustle down the line and gets thrown out at 1st base!

Ugghhhhhh

Always Hustle Down the Line!

Those hits to right are no where near a guarantee any more. Especially when you hit it solid with today's high performance bats, that ball get there in a hurry. Right fielders and coaches are aware more now than ever that they CAN gun that runner out at 1st. Outfielders train for that now. They aggressively pursue that out ESPECIALLY with 2 outs and runners in scoring position because if they can get that out at first, it wipes out the score of any runner that crosses the plate on that hit.

Always, Always Hustle Down the Line!

Another situation that drives me nuts as a coach AND as a former player....Batter pops up the ball SKY HIGH and trots to first all frustrated. Then the ball is misplayed and drops. Instead of the batter/runner being able to take advantage of that next base, they are scrambling to get to first after the drop. Thankfully I've never been subject to seeing anyone get thrown at at first due to their lack of hustle. Maybe you have.

In those situations, the weak grounder, the ugly pop up, you've already "messed up" in a way by not hitting the ball as solidly as you can. You owe it to yourself AND TO YOUR TEAMMATES to give your best effort to get to that bag. Don't choose to compound the poor hit with a poor run. Get you butt in gear and get down that line as quick as you can and put pressure on that fielder or make the other team PAY if they make a mistake. Never give up on any hit.

Always, Always, Always Hustle Down the Line

I'll tell you about another situation similar to this in another post. When a coach told me about this other situation, it was another one of those "wow" moments.

Did You See This Cheese Roll?

I actually saw this for the first time on the news last night here in Hawaii. They showed footage from this year's Goucester Cheese Rolling event. Of course, I think these people are crazy.

The video below is footage from the 2007 Cheese Roll. As you'll see from the video, running downhill as fast as you can is not for newbies. LOL. There IS a place for it in your training when you become reach "ELITE" athlete status! However, if you're not an elite athlete (and most of us aren't, or at least not yet), then running uphill is much safer and more beneficial to our softball performance.

Check out this video though...



To learn about how to run uphill to improve your explosiveness and speed for softball and when you CAN safely incorporate downhill training into your routine, click here.

Explosive Power for Softball DVD Giveaway

Did you know that Marc Dagenais is GIVING AWAY his Explosive Power for Softball DVD? I didn't know it either until today when I saw the offer up on his website.

This DVD normally sells for $39.95 and he's giving it away free.

In this video a variety of softball and training experts go into great detail explaining and illustrating plyometrics exercises and medicine ball drills for developing greater explosiveness, speed and power for softball.

The DVD also features

• The best plyometrics exercises to increase explosiveness
• Innovative jump and medicine ball drills that you can do anywhere with minimal equipment
  How many sets and reps you should do
• How long your should rest between each set

Of course, this offer isn't going to last forever....
so check it out at Softball Performance. Scroll down and look for the Softball Performance Achievers Club" link. That'll take you over to this free DVD offer.

Coaches and parents, this is a great way to get ideas for helping your players get faster and stronger. And the really cool thing is that it won't cost you anything, so why not take advantage of it? Get your Free DVD.

7 Free Ways to Increase Your Coaching Knowledge

Great coaches know there is always more to learn about the game. Most are actively seeking new knowledge on a regular basis. If you want to step up your coaching game a bit, there are certainly a multitude of options. But if you're just starting out or simply on a tight budget and don't want to spend a lot of money on books, DVDs, coaches clinics, seminars, or other paid resources just yet, I have good news for you. There are a number of free resources with quality information available for you to learn from. Not only will you gain useful information from these resources, but they'll also help guide you when you are ready to invest some money in a paid coaching resource. Here are 7 free ways to increase your coaching knowledge.

Borrow Books from the Library
Typically, there are a number of great coaching books out there. But if you're like me, you probably can't afford to buy every one you want. This is where your local library can help. You will probably be able to find at least a handful of good coaching books there. As long as you return the books on time, you can read each and every book they have to offer for free. Of course, if you come across one that you particularly like, you can always make the choice to purchase it for future reference. But only after you've gotten a free use of a number of books and are able to choose the one(s) you like best.

Visit Free Informational Websites
If you do an internet search for your sport or coaching tips for you sport, you will probably be able to find some website out there with free tips. For example if you are a softball coach you can search for "softball," fastpitch softball," "softball coaching tips," or "free softball tips." I'm sure you can think of more, but those are just a few ideas of what you could enter into a search engine to find free information about your sport. The cool thing about learning from websites is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Plus, it's easy to share with a friend or colleague.

Read Free Articles and Free Newsletters
Most free information websites have these next two items: free articles and free newsletters. Often times there will be a page with links to free articles you can read. Most of these sites also have free newsletters where you can have tips sent to you via e-mail on a regular basis. Usually all you need to provide is a first name and e-mail address and you're set to get free tips delivered right to your inbox.

Fastpitch related examples:
Softball Peformance
Get Softball Confidence
and of course...this site!

Download Free e-books/Short Reports
Some websites out there also offer free short reports or e-books. These resources are usually provided by instant download in a pdf file. Even websites that offer paid products usually have some sort of free short report or e-book that you can take a look at. I like e-books and reports because you can print them out and take them with you to read when it's convenient for you. You can also highlight, circle, or otherwise mark the important parts of the report. Another cool thing about free reports or e-books is that, often times, you arealso allowed to pass the report on to others. The publisher of the report will tell you in the first couple of pages whether or not it's okay to reproduce or redistribute the report. If it's okay, you can make copies for your coaching staff or your players if it's something you'd like to pass along to them.

Participate in Free Forums
Another great place to learn is at online forums. There are paid ones out there, but there are often many free ones as well. Some are better than others, but usually there are one or two with a lot of activity and input from experts in the sport as well. A forum or message board is a great place to ask your coaching questions and have them answered by a variety of people. They are also great for browsing just see what hot tips or products other members are talking about or see what questions other coaches, parents, or players have about the game. Typically you'll have to register at a forum before you can ask or answer questions there. For the free ones, all they usually require is that you provide a username and password and maybe your e-mail address.

Network with Other Coaches
Networking can be done over the computer or in person. Basically, just talk with other coaches. When you attend tournaments, clinics, or coaches meetings, take the time to talk with other coaches who are there. Everyone know something you don't, so you never know what you can learn by simply introducing yourself and talking with others in your sport. Networking can also be done via e-mail or in forums as mentioned above. This may not be something you're completely comfortable with at first if you're not the outgoing type, but just think of the opportunities you may miss out on simply because you're more "comfortable" staying to yourself. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone just a bit and make contacts wherever possible. You just never know what someone else may be able to offer you one day down the road if not sooner.

As you can see there are a number of ways to increase your coaching knowledge or knowledge of the game for free. Successful coaches are life long learners. There's no reason you can't learn something new today with all the ideas listed in this article. When you're ready to take the next step and make an investment in yourself as a coach, these free resources will be a great starting point to find the paid coaching resources that are the best fit and value for you.

Don't forget to apply what you learn! The Coach of Action Academy is dedicated to help you USE the coaching knowledge you acquire.

Coach of Action Academy Coming Soon

So the Coach of Action Academy is almost ready! This is a 12 week program which is delivered straight to your e-mail inbox in bite sized pieces that you can easily digest and learn from. Learn how to increase your coaching knowledge AND put it into action. Plus you'll be walked through 5 steps to reaching your coaching goals.

For a sneak peek at what the Coach of Action Academy is all about, visit www.CoachOfAction.com. Once you're there you can sign up for the pre-launch special which entitles you to go through the program at 50% off the regular price once it's ready to go. Also, SPACE IS LIMITED for this program so you'll want to know exactly when it opens up. Only 150 coaches will be allowed in at any one time, so you won't want to miss out!

Again, the link is www.CoachOfAction.com.

Marc is a "Softball Authority"

I just found out that Marc Dagenais from Softball Performance has just been featured on National Forum on Girls Fastpitch Softball. Whew - is that a mouthful!

It's a pretty cool website with some great softball pictures and if you've ever wondered just who Marc Dagenais is and why I recommend his stuff, check out the little write up National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball did on him. His "rap sheet" is even longer and more impressive than mine. ;)

National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball also has a cute little "tweet" feature in the left margin that I think you'll have fun with, so click here to check them out.

Oh, one more thing before I go. You know summer is right around the corner! School's out or almost out and I know my kids are looking forward to it. Anyway, if you wanted to be fit for summer you don't have a heck of a lot of time, but Marc now has a new program available that can get you fit in just 3 weeks! Crazy right? Three weeks to get fit, hit harder, and throw with more power. According to Marc, he can help you get ready by the end of June. Don't believe me? See for yourself at Softball Performance.

New Articles on Catching

It's been a while since I added articles to the Articles Page, but there are now two new catching articles up there for you to read.

Both are written by Dave Weaver founder of The New England Catching Camp LLC. Coach Weaver teaches at numerous facilities throughout New England and conducts group clinics, team workshops, coaches clinics, as well as private sessions with catchers of all ages.

The first article is called Never Teach Your Catchers to Frame a Pitch.

The second article is Blocking is the Easy Part.

Both articles are absolutely free for you to read and learn from. Check out the articles and let me know what you think of them by leaving me a comment below. (Click on the "What do you think? link)

A Reason to Stay Fast

So the other night at dinner my husband tells our girls that if the end up being faster then me then they'll be FAST. So of course my middle two want to race me now (they are pictured in this post). They are 6 and 8 years old. I told them that they can race me once they can beat their oldest sister because I can still beat her.

So my 6-year-old asks me if she can race me when she gets older.

My husband replies, "Well that wouldn't really be fair because then you'll be 17 and Mom will be 40-something."

Yikes!

But I know of some pretty fit 40 year olds so now I'm determined to still be able to beat my kids even when my 6-year-old is 17.

Hmmm, maybe I better take another look at that free speed report I was telling you guys about.

Upcoming Hawaii Softball Clinics

If you're in Hawaii (or need a reason to come to Hawaii) there are a couple of camps/clinics that are coming up later this year. The first is the University of Hawaii Summer Camp. There are two, one for ages 8-12 and the other for ages 13-18. More information and the registration form is available at http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu/camps.html.

The other clinic is the pitching clinic I'm putting on with Bill Hillhouse of HouseofPitching.com. He was here a few years ago and many people wanted to have him come again. We couldn't swing it last year, but he will be here again in September. The clinic sessions will be on Sept. 20 & 21. The small group sessions will run on the following Saturday, Sept. 27th. I don't have the eact time and location yet, but other important information is already up at www.allaboutfastpitch.com/Bill2008.html. When times, locations, and registration forms are available, they will be up at that link.

Last time we had just one day of clinic sessions and that was not enough, so that is why we're doing clinic sessions on the 20th and the 21st. On top of that we want to be able to keep the groups of pitchers down to just 10-12 per session, so we needed to be able to offer more sessions. Last time we had about 15 per session and that was just way too much. So even though we are offering two days worth of sessions, space IS LIMITED and will fill up very quickly. So keep the dates open and be ready to register once the forms come out. I'll post it here on the blog when that's ready and I will also send out notification via the mailing list if you are on it.

Obstruction Calls Are Frustrating

Most of the time when I see an obstruction call on a tag play, I don't agree with it. I saw two obstruction calls over the weekend that I didn't really care for. I suppose they were "right" by the rule book, but they just don't seem "right."

The first one was on a short stop. She was coming over to cover 2nd base on a steal. She never did stop moving. She was running from her short stop position, then had to jump because the ball was thrown high from the catcher. After she caught the ball she landed and tried to apply a tag to the runner who actually got her hand in to the base before the tag was applied. The short stop got called for obstruction. I mean, really, she jumped where she had to jump to catch the high throw from the catcher and is she really supposed to have that much control over where and how she lands? As if she decided on the way down to put herself in the perfect spot to block the runner. It's not like she was sitting in the base path blocking the bag prior to the jump, so the call couldn't have been made because of that. The only thing I can think of is that she came down from her jump in the base path, but by then she has the ball and is trying to apply a tag. Anyway - I didn't really care for that call. In that case, the runner was actually safe even without the obstruction call, but I just didn't think it should have been called at all.

Then, the other play I saw was at the plate. A fly ball was hit to centerfield and the baserunner at 3rd tagged up. So obviously, the ball was on it's way to the runner as soon as the catch was made. Seeing as how the runner couldn't leave 3rd until the ball was caught, the ball was definitely on it's way to the catcher by the time the runner was half way home. The throw was right on line and the catcher didn't have to move to catch it (well attempt to catch it, she ended up missing the ball because the ball and the runner got there at the same time). So it's not as if she's occupying the spot she was in just to block the plate even though the ball was somewhere else. The ball was in flight heading right AT her. She was exactly where she needed to be to catch that ball and yet she was called for obstruction. Again, the runner would have been safe even without the call, but again, I didn't care much for the call.

The other obstruction call I saw recently was the short stop going over to cover a steal to 3rd. Again the short stop was on the run the entire time, basically raced the runner to 3rd, caught the ball on the run then applied the tag and she gets called for obstruction. Her momentum from running over from her position actually carried her almost over and beyond the bag itself. So I really don't see how she "blocked" any part of it when she was on the move the entire time and ended up beyond the "front" of the bag by the time she stopped. Ironically, this was the same player (the SS) who was told the inning before that she had been in the wrong as a baserunner by staying in the base path and going directly into a bag because she didn't give the defender the lane to make another play. So as a baserunner she had been told she had to give up the base path to a defender and as a defender she was told she had to give up the base path to the runner. But that's getting a little off topic.

Back to the obstruction calls.....Seriously, the defense is there to DEFEND their bases. Why should they have to just give the runner an open lane to the bag? Why should they make it easy for the runner to get to the bag quickly? Why should they have to put themselves in a position where they need to reach to make a tag? If they ARE in the basepath, that means there's a whole outside or inside that's open. If they have a big enough frame to take up a path wider than that with their legs, then most times there's a good space right under them. OR you learn the art of going straight for ONE of those legs so that you don't get completely blocked and can still reach the base. All I know is that when I was playing it was my job as a runner going into the base to get to that base wherever the opening was and I loved the challenge. I didn't see the problem with that. If the defender made it tough, heck, then they did a good job DEFENDING their bag. If I was so dead blocked, then I probably deserved to be out because the ball really did BEAT me there. If I'm getting there before the ball or at the same time as the ball I really should be able to find a way to the bag before the tag is applied. That's why we learned to slide way outside or way inside and reach in to touch the base. That's why when my runners are trying to steal second, I tell them to slide stay "outside" (on the outfield side of the base path). You don't just slide right into the defender who's trying to get you out and make it easy for them. But now days it seems like that's what you should do because they'd probably get called for obstruction and you'd be safe.

The only obstruction calls I ever see that I totally agree with are the ones where the defenders interfere with a runner's progress or running path and they don't even have a ball or have a ball coming to them. For example, when a batter hits a ball to the gap outfield and is rounding first (ball still in the outfield) and the first baseman is in the way. Or maybe a runner is running around the bases and an infielder going out to set up for a cut gets in the way and disrupts their running path, then yes, by all means make and obstruction call. But I think most of those bang-bang tag plays really should be left alone. Even if they're not so bang-bang because if you're really there that much ahead of the ball, you should be able to find a way to the base. If the ball is that far ahead of you, the defender shouldn't have to move off to the side to give you a lane and then try to apply a tag.

Congratulations to Kamehameha!

Congratulations to the Kamehameha-Kapalama Varsity Softball team for winning this years DI Hawaii High School State Championship! I would post a link to the news story, but the game just ended so it's not up yet. But Kamehameha defeated Mililani 3-0 in tonight's State Championship game. Kamehameha allowed no runs throughout the tournament which reminds me of a phrase I like to tell a defense, "They (meaning the other team) can't win if they don't score."

Anyway - congratulations again to this year's State Champions. A link to the story and pictures will be posted at http://hhsaa.org/sports/softball.

Also - congratulations to Pac-Five for winning the DII championship tonight as well. It's an ILH sweep of the State Championship titles this year - wow!

Hawaii High School Championship Game

Right now I'm watching the Hawaii High School State Championship game in which my alma mater is currently up 2-0 in the bottom of the 6th inning. BUT, Miliani, from the OIA, has runners on 1st and 2nd with just 1 out and the meat of their line-up up. If you're watching the game via www.oc16.tv, let me know what you think of the game. Or if you're in Hawaii watching the game on TV, leave a comment on what you thought/think of the game.

Alright - now the bases are loaded with just 1 out and Mililani's biggest hitter up to bat. We'll see what happens.

Is That Too Much Pitching?

Wow I just read an article about a high school softball league who's state tournament is only 2 days long. Not only that, it's double elimination with 16 teams! So a team can play as many as 6 games in two days (up to 4 on the second day). Now, I've done this before (play 4 games in one day) and I have to admit that, by that last game, you do feel tired. And I'm not even a pitcher. I can only imagine what a pitcher feels like after having to pitch multiple games in a row. Now, in college, it's not so bad, most teams are equipped to have some kind of back up so that one pitcher does not have to pitch all the games. But in high school, it's different.

This article also talks about the mechanics of pitching and the stress or lack thereof on the shoulder. That's fine, but what about the rest of the body? The shoulder isn't the only part involved in pitching.

I'm just a bit surprised at the format of the tournament they talk about in the article because our state tournament here in Hawaii is only 12 teams, single elimination and it runs over the course of 4 days (and does include teams from outer islands who travel away from school to come and play). Now I'm not saying the girls are not capable of it. I'm sure lots of the girls LOVE playing that many games in a short period of time. I would have, but that doesn't mean it's the best way to do things.

In high school, the team I was on entered lots of pre-season tournaments where we played a number of games in a short period of time, but pre-season is very different from post-season. In pre-season, you're usually carrying extra players (those trying to make the team), you're doing lots of subsitutions (to give everyone a chance to see what they can do), and the "Big W" isn't all that important. In post season, it's a completely different story.

I just can't imagine why a state would run a 16 team double elimination state tournament in just two days. There's probably a logistical issue I'm not considering? But I would hope that, for the sake of the girls, they'd come up with a better way to run the tournament. What do you think? Read the article here, then leave me a comment below with your thoughts.

NCAA DI Regionals Continue Today

There were a few regional games played yesterday with the most "interesting" one being the Jacksonville State vs Florida State. It may not sound all that interesting, but it became the big story when Jacksonville chalked up their first NCAA DI Regional win in the opening game of the NCAA Softball Championships Tuscaloosa Regional. NCAA Sports has the story.

The majority of the Regionals begin today and all the match-ups are also available at NCAA Sports.

Hawaii will face Mississippi State today with Robinson as the starting pitcher.

But in other post-season softball, Robinson's sister just came out on the short end of a 2 hour and 45 minute game last night in Hawaii's High School State Tournament. Moanalua lost 1-0 to #2 seed Kamehameha in a 10 inning game at Rainbow Wahine Stadium last night. Read the full story here. Don't forget, tonight's State semi-final games will be broadcast live in Hawaii on OC16 and live via streaming video on the internet at http://www.oc16.tv/. The semi-final games begin at 5pm Hawaii Standard time which is 8pm on the West Coast.

Free Performance Program For You

Mr. Tom Hanson of www.GetSoftballConfidence.com has put together a free program for you called:

"How to Overcome Failure and Play as Well in Games as You Do in Practice"

Wouldn't that be great? Do you find yourself (or your players) performing great in practice when there's no pressure, but not quite so great in game situations when the play or hit really counts? Find out how you can take your success from practice field into game situations. After all, it doesn't do a whole lot of good if you can hit the ball out of the park in practice, but can't even tough it in the game. It doesn't matter much if you can throw every change-up just right in practice, but don't have any command over it in the game. And it can be very frustrating to field zillions of grounders in practice just fine (and follow it up with a great throw too), but miss the simple ground ball your team needed you to stop in the game.

This free program can help. It includes 5 Lessons which take you step-by-step through the fundamentals of the mental game. Get it now at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

The other day I received an e-mail from a coach who asked for help because his team would often fall apart once errors were made in the game. That made me think of the title of this program "How to Overcome Failure..." Again, this program is designed to lead you through the fundamentals of the mental game which is what needs work if your team is unable to overcome mistakes.

There's no cost, no risk, nothing to lose, just knowledge and simple, helpful tools you can use to improve your softball performance.

Instantly download your free copy of this program at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

After you've had a chance to go through this program, please let me know what you think my clicking on the "What do you think" link below an leaving me a comment.

Hawaii Gains Unlikely Berth to NCAA Tournament

Wow! I was hoping it would happen, but everyone was saying that the University of Hawaii softball team's only chance at post season was to win the WAC tournament. When they came up short in Friday night's game against Nevada, I thought their season was done.

However, if anyone had told me that Nanci Coolen, Coach Coolen's wife, believed they were going to make it, I would have immediately believed it too. I remember Nanci from when I was a freshman in college. I always did like her. She's played this game and she's been involved with softball for a long, long time. She's a former player, a woman, and a mother....so, of course, I trust her intuition. ;)

Anyway - Hawaii is in, but it won't be an easy road. They have just 1 true starting pitcher left and they're in a regional with some TOUGH competition. But I'm still going to have fun following their journey in the post season.

Read the story of their post season berth in Hawaii's Local Newspaper.

For more information on the 64 team DI field, visit the NCAA website.

Join Us in a Fastpitch Discussion

Yep, there's a new fastpitch forum up where you can go and get fastpitch softball questions answered, answer questions of others, or simply take part in the discussion going on.

Now, this is not a place to post your team announcements, this is not a place to advertise your softball product either. This is a place to do exactly what the site name suggests, Discuss Fastpitch.

This forum is not my forum, but I'm already registered there and look forward to seeing you there too. There is no cost to join. Registration is free - I'm already registered there, so go check it out and get your fastpitch questions answered for free at DiscussFastpitch.com. Hope to see you there.

Hawaii Softball Live Online Tonight

Hawaii High School games will be available for you to watch live via streaming video at http://www.oc16.tv/ - If you've never seen Hawaii High School softball...go check it out if. You'll see what I mean when I say that Hawaii High School softball is different from a lot of "high school" softball in most parts of the mainland US. Check it out tonight at http://www.oc16.tv/ - first game is at 5pm Hawaii Time (8pm West Coast).

These games are OIA semi-final games and the first game of the night features the #1 team in the West (Miliani) and the #2 team in the East (Kailua) who managed to take advantage of the opportunities they got yesterday and put the points they needed on the board to beat us 2-1. Congratulations to both teams for making it to this semi-final game.

The second game of the evening is the other semi-final which has the #1 team in the East (Moanalua) facing the #2 team in the West (Campbell). Congratulations to these two teams as well for making it to this semi-final game.

Both games should be pretty good, but my prediction is that the West team in each match up will come out ahead. But with sports, you never know, so we'll see what happens.

If you're in Hawaii and have OC16 - the games will be broadcast live on local tv. The first game begins at 5pm Hawaii Standard Time (8pm on the west coast).

After the broadcast at http://www.oc16.tv/, post a comment here and let me know what you think of the games.