Downloadable Bootcamp

I've had some people e-mail me saying that they are interested in the bootcamp, but prefer a downloadable report format rather than an online lesson course format. Instead of having things broken down week by week into smaller chunks and having to login to a member area, they just want all the information in one place and available via instant download.

So, what I'm going to do is put together a Bootcamp Lite version of the information shared in the bootcamp. All the bootcamp basics will be there in one report - sort of like a "home study." Just to let you know, it'll be kind of long, so if you're not into going over long, drawn out e-books on your own, the Fastpitch Insider Online Bootcamp is probably more your style.

Now I'm not quite sure when I'll have this ready. After all, I'll have to transform 8 weeks of content into one report. But if you'd rather have everything all in one place and be able to hear the conversations with the experts too, enter your name and e-mail address below and I'll let you know when it's ready.

Get the Conversations

Yowza! This Thanksgiving holiday has me more busy than expected, but I do finally have that "Conversations Only" package up and ready for you.

http://allaboutfastpitch.com/fpconversations.html

There were some people who didn't want the full bootcamp, but were interested in the fastpitch conversations with the experts . These are the conversations where I got to pick the brain of experts in fastpitch softball and youth sports. I got to ask them the questions that I had buzzing around in my brain after reading a piece they published. So if you aren't interested in the full bootcamp, but do want full access the expert answers to my questions, get it at

http://allaboutfastpitch.com/fpconversations.html

This "Conversations Only" package will only be up for a limited time, so if this is all you want and you don't want the full bootcamp information, get it before you get too wrapped up in the holiday weekend because it won't be up much longer than that.

http://allaboutfastpitch.com/fpconversations.html

Okay, I'm off to do some Thanksgiving preparations. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving Holiday.

Hitting: Getting Past the Intimidation Factor

I'm sure you've seen it before: batters who are completely intimidated by the pitcher they are facing. This audio talks about what happens when batters can't get past that intimidation factor and a tool that can't help you help your hitters.

Weird and Stupid, but Effective

Today I want to share something with you that's both weird and stupid, but highly effective. Sounds crazy right? Actually, it is a bit crazy, but if you need help with mental game issues, with pain, or with other performance problems you just can't seem to get past, listen to this weird and stupid tool that I've come to believe in.

Where are those expert conversations?

I've had a number of questions about where to get those conversations with experts I was doing as well as what exactly is in the Fastpitch Insider Bootcamp (week by week).

So, I'm going to answer those questions for you right here.

Expert Conversations

A while back I mentioned that every now and then I read articles or newsletters and end up having all kinds of questions pop into my head. Then I figured I'd try to actually contact the experts who I had questions for and see if they'd be willing to talk story with me and answer those questions. Of course, I was excited to find out that some of them were more than willing to have a chat with me. I ended up being able to talk with 4 different experts. Now originally, I was just going to put those conversations together to create a mini seminar series and that was it. Then I decided that I could give you more and that's when the Fastpitch Insider 2008 session went from being a "seminar series" to becoming a full blown "bootcamp." In addition to putting the conversations together, I added in a bunch of resources to help you get ready for the 2009 season. With good preparation you can greatly reduce your coaching stress during the season, avoid many obstacles, and increase your chance at success. So that's basically what the bootcamp is all about and although doors will be closing soon, there's still time for you to get in at www.allaboutfastpitch.com/bootcamp.html

HOWEVER, if you're not interested in all that and you just want the conversations, ONLY the experts conversations, and want to forego all the resources to help you reduce your coaching stress while increasing your chance of success for '09, then keep an eye on the blog next week because I will give you a chance to grab the "conversations only" package.

For those that had questions on just what the bootcamp covers over the course of the 8 weeks, read on.

The bootcamp week by week
Here's your "table of contents" so to speak...

Week 1: Pick up your 3 bootcamp bonuses, introduction, and logistics to think about

Week 2: What does it take to be a great coach, an exercise to get you thinking about specific improvements for '09, a good hard look at YOU.

Week 3: Coaching Philosophy - definition, how it will help you as a coach, why you should be addressing it now, the key ingredient and how to get clear on it, and an exercise to help you develop a solid and effective coaching philosophy

Week 4: Vision, definition, how it's different from philosophy, vision basics, what a good vision is like, and exercise to get clear on your vision for your team/program

Week 5: Tryouts! Conversation with Marc Dagenais and how he got a team full of dedicated, hard working players, how to effectively evaluate your players to build the best team possible, plus tips from other coaches, and 2 printable forms you can use for player evaluation

Week 6: The all important parent meeting, what to cover, sample letter and agenda, leadership, time management, and stress relief so you can be the MOST effective coach possible.

Week 7: Coaching the mental game, conversations with both Dr. Patrick Cohn, and Dr. Tom Hanson. Pre-game mistakes you and your players may be making, how to start implementing mental game training in your practices, plus Dr. Hanson's #1 tool for helping athletes and why you should start thinking about coaching the mental game now.

Week 8: Special lesson, recap, and conversation with Bill Hillhouse about pitching, mistakes, how to evaluate instructors, when to teach pitch calling, rules of thumb for attacking batters, how to go after batter's your not familiar with, and more.

In addition, all bootcamp members get free access to the Online College Recruiting Educational System and will be able to access it to be able to help their players through the college recruiting process and also can access the softball training workouts included in that online system.

Gosh, that seems like a lot, and I know how busy you are so I'm not going to ask you to listen to hour long seminars or read super long reports. I know I don't have time for that right now with it being the holiday season and all and I figured you probably don't either. So each week is broken down into bite-sized, easy to manage parts so that even if you just have 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a week, you should be able to get through all the content without falling behind.

So, if you to check out the expert conversations and get ready for the season, there's still time to get into the bootcamp at www.allaboutfastpitch.com/bootcamp.html

If you aren't interested in all the information mentioned above, I'll be in touch next week with a "conversation only" option.

Well, that's about it. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. - Lots of questions have also been coming in about the mental game and earlier this week I gave out a link to a free program Dr. Tom Hanson has for helping players consistently play at their best. Well since then a flood of coaches and parents have been going over to check it out. I know because Tom's been keeping me posted on sign-ups and it's just crazy! Apparently, lots of people really want this information and I thought you might too. If you haven't picked up your free copy of the program yet, CLICK HERE and get the information you need to help your players consistently play their best.

Truth About Stretching Video

I just came across this video which features sports science experts and talks about how to stretch before physical activity. You've heard me mention before that Dynamic Stretching helps to improve softball performance, but I think you'll enjoy this video because it reviews the information on Dynamic Stretching better than I ever could.

If you want a better understanding of why you or your team should be using dynamic stretching (plus see some dynamic warm-ups being done) CLICK HERE to watch the video.

*NOTE: Remember, Softball Performance has a resource specifically tailored to helping you create an effective dynamic stretching warm-up for fastpitch softball.

Fastpitch Softball vs Baseball

Let's take a little break from all the getting ready for the season talk and have a little fun. I was messing around with hub pages and created one for fastpitch softball. On this page I'm running a poll and I'm inviting you to Go Cast Your Vote! I know you already voted earlier this month in our Presidential election, but I promise this will take a lot less of your time. :D

Of course I'm trying to skew this poll by telling all the fastpitch softball people I know about it. AND of course, right above the poll I tell you why you should vote for fastpitch softball instead of baseball. As you can see this is entirely un-scientific and just plain fun.

So take a minute (probably more like 30 seconds) and Cast Your Vote - then feel free to leave me a comment either here or there and let me know why you voted the way you did (if you're so inclined). It's not necessary, but I'm just interested in what you have to say.

Please invite your friends to vote too. The more the merrier (after all Christmas is creeping up on us). Did I ever mention that it's good to take a break every now and then? I'm quite sure I have. This is just me practicing what I preach. ;P Now go vote.

Bootcamp Bonuses

For those of you interested in the Bootcamp, I just added a couple cool bonuses to the package.

• Bonus #1: Sample Parent Letter: just another way to help you out with that very important Pre-Season Parent Meeting
• Bonus#2: Top 10 Tips for Being a Great Assistant Coach: if you're an assistant, this is perfect for you, if you're a head coach, this is something you can share with your assistants to improve your relationship with your coaches and help your entire staff be more effective.
• Bonus#3: 5 Tips for Coaching Millenials: ever feel that today's athletes just have a completely different mindset than we did when we were their age? Get some tips on how to coach these millenial athletes

Claim your spot in the Fastpitch Insider Bootcamp today. CLICK HERE to join.

Wishing you more success and less stress in 2009!

This is What Happens When You Don't Start Early

Recently a few members in my private coaching group asked me to share a schedule with them. We were discussing the great book Heads Up Baseball. I told them that I has printed out a schedule for players to follow as far as what they should read and what exercises they should do.

When I found the schedule to share with them, I realized that I had bunched all 10 chapters of the book into 4 weeks. Why? Because we didn't start on it until after our season started. In theory it was a great idea to have the players go through this book. Everyone is always asking about tips for the mental game, and this book can really help with that. However, since we didn't start early, we were basically on a race to finish the book and go through it before the season ended. This, of course, was less than ideal. Did the players still get something out of it? Sure. Was it the experience as effective as it could have been? Definitely not.

Now had I taken some time to plan before the season started, I could have made it a much more useful and effective experience for my players. After all, I had known about the book for some time. Visitors and members here at AAF were always telling me about how great the book was for their team. For some reason, I just didn't prepare like I should have. The result, a less effective impact on players, but you can bet I won't be making that same mistake twice. That's why I'm starting to plan for 2009 now. There are so many things to think about and consider and lay out a plan for. Go through the planning process with me in this year's Fastpitch Insider Bootcamp: Plan for More Success and Less Stress in 2009.

2008 Bootcamp Now Open

More Success & Less Stress for 2009

The first Fastpitch Insider Bootcamp 2008 (Reduce Your Coaching Stress) is NOW open for Fastpitch World members only. All Fastpitch World members can join today at 40% off.

How to Claim The Fastpitch World Special

• Login to Fastpitch World
• Click on GROUPS
• Go to the *Members Only* Group to get the special discount link

The special is good for Monday, November 17th ONLY.

After that, the doors to the bootcamp will open up to everyone else at the regular price. Space is not limited, but the timeframe during which you can sign up is. The doors will not be open on an ongoing basis. If you want a spot in this bootcamp, now is the time.

If you're not a Fastpitch World member, it's free to sign up, you can still join today to get the discount. Otherwise, be ready to get in to the bootcamp tomorrow, November 18th. Lay the groundwork for your season now so you can have less stress and more success in 2009.

See you inside!

Are You Sure You Want This Coaching Job?

Coaches face a number of challenges during the season, some of which can be greatly reduced by taking care of business before the season even gets rolling. In this video I talk about how making a few bad choices in the beginning of the season can give you more headaches than you bargained for.

Plus - stay with me until the end of the video and I'll let you in on a special deal.

"Same Old Stuff" and The Movie Phenomenon

Yes it's true...

listen in and tell me what you think...

Free Tool to Help You With Tryouts

If you're a player or parent of a player and are looking for ideas to gain an edge on the competition for the upcoming season, stay tuned this week, because I'll have some ideas for you soon.

If you're a coach, the rest of this message is for you. The report I told you about in this post has been downloaded 307 times. If you haven't yet claimed your free copy of Preseason Paving yet, you can do so at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html.

But today, I have a free tool you can use to help you during tryouts. This was something that a number of coaches shared back when I asked for tryout tips, so I thought you may find it useful too.

Actually, I put together a little video to share this tryout tool with you so you can get a good idea of how it works. Not only that, I included a link so you can get this tool for yourself for free (no strings attached). Check out this free video and get this free tryout tool at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/matrix.html

If you're looking for a way to make things easier during tryouts, this may help. It's simple, easy to use, and fully customizable to suit your needs. Learn more at

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/matrix.html

Now is the time to start preparing for next year!

If you're the type that likes to be organized (or wish that you were more organized) this tool is right up your alley.

Once you have a chance to watch the video - if you'll be using a tool like this at your next tryout, I'd like to hear from you - leave me a comment below and let me know.

AAF Live - Friday - Right Here on the Blog

Hey - I just had to give you a quick heads up. I know it's last minute again, but I'm going to be running an AAF Live session right here on the blog on Friday, November 14th at 7pm Eastern, 2pm Hawaii Time.

In this live session, we'll discuss:

• The freebies that have come out recently (3 Tips for Reducing Parent Conflict, PreSeason Paving, and the Free Tryout Tool)
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for reducing parent conflict
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for making tryouts easier
• AAF Live participant tips or ideas for getting ready for the upcoming season
• The experts I've been talking with and what our conversations have been about
  
• Plus you'll be able to ask me questions about the bootcamp that I'll be opening up soon (Fastpitch Insider 2008: Reduce Your Coaching Stress Bootcamp)

So join us right here on Friday, November 14th for 1 hour as we discuss, in real time, the topics mentioned above.



Hey - if you're enjoying (or enjoyed) this event, please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought about this AAF Live! session. I'd love to hear from you.

How You Can Gain An Edge Starting Now

If you're like me, your season probably starts some time next year. BUT, that doesn't mean you can't begin gaining an edge over the competition now.

If you want to get ready to have the best season possible, check out
www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html

I have a free report up there for coaches.

Don't be the one floundering because you weren't ready for the season. Get this free report to help make sure your ready to hit the ground running when your season rolls around.

www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html

P.S. - I may have another tool for you tomorrow. I'm working on it right now and if all works out well, I'll have it for you here. For now, head over to
www.allaboutfastpitch.com/ready.html and claim your free report.

Pre-Season Thoughts, Tryout Tips Wanted

Have you ever had that season? You know the one where you're just so overwhelmed that coaching is more stress than fun? I'm getting ready to go to our first player sign-up for the 2009 this afternoon. This, of course, has me thinking about, planning, and getting ready for the upcoming season. Of course, I have the holidays and a number of family birthdays to get through before the "real" on-the-field season starts. But I just started thinking of all the things I could prepare for prior to being given the okay to hit the field. I believe that preparation plays a big part in your level of success. The more I have taken care of prior to the season starting, the less I'll have to deal with in-season.

While it's true that you can still be successful even without thorough preparation, I don't think that's the "ideal" scenario. You have enough to deal with during the season without having to deal with a bunch of odds and end issues that could have been taken care of prior to the season even starting. You'll probably never think of everything, but if you begin preparing early and start laying out the groundwork for your season, you're season will go more smoothly than if you don't. After all, you'll be able to readily address the unexpected issues and challenges that pop up during the season because you're not busy still trying to take care of things that could have been done before the season started. All that is taken care of, so now you have the means by which to deal with the new "fires" that come up.

If your season begins in the spring like mine, now is a great time to begin thinking about 2009. I know it's a busy time of year with the holidays coming up and all (I really love this time of year), but if you don't have time now, I'm pretty sure you won't have time once the season rolls around. You know how hectic your schedule gets during the first few months of the year. I understand that your "softball brain" may not be firing on all cylinders right now if you're not in season, BUT I've been doing a lot of brainstorming and thinking about '09...AND I'm willing to my preparation plans with you! Keep your eyes on your e-mail for my new "Pre-Season Paving" Report. I'm hoping to have it ready for you by November. 12th. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, if you have any tryout tips you'd like to share, post them here. Anyone who submits tryout tips will get a free copy of Build the Best Team: A Coach's Look at Getting the Most Out of Tryouts.