Opening Weekend

Well, it wasn't officially opening weekend for ASA but it was our first 2 games of the season. It was a long, hot day for all of us and we came out with much needed wins in both games.

We have been talking to the girls about two goal in each game....

1. Score 5 runs every inning.

2. Get 3 outs every inning when in the field. (If we get 3 outs then the other team has not scored 5 runs)

Our hitting really came through in both games on Saturday while our fielding has a little to be worked on. This was expected in the first couple of games back in action and I believe the fact we had two games in late afternoon hurt us a little bit as I could tell we had some tired girls out there especially in the second game. If we can continue to get hits, score runs, and improve on defense we will continue to get better and have an opportunity to beat any team in our league.

In the coming weeks I will begin to send home some personalized practice cards for each girl. This will include 1-2 drills that your daughter can work on at home that week to improve in specific areas of development for her. This will help each of the girls develop in crucial areas specific to them outside of practice and games.

Let the Season Begin

Well folks, the season is upon us and our first game is coming up soon. With all of the rain we had last night our game is being moved to Friday night 3/23 at 6:00 pm.

As we move into this season, which is a very important season for us, our team will continue to take form. I have mentioned previously, we are getting to a place where we must groom players at a limited number of positions.
We have and will continue to see games decided by one out either way. Maybe we get the out we need and hold the other team to maintain our lead or we don't get the out that leads to more runs and a loss.
On-field position placement will be determined by effort, skill level, and awareness on the field. I want to make it very clear that the importance of our outfield positions are just as critical to our success as our infield positions. We have players who are skilled in fielding ground that will likely spend a fair amount of time at infield positions. We have girls who are quicker runners who might be more suited for covering a lot of space in outfield positions. A lot of time and consideration go into putting together game line-ups to maximize our available roster.
All of this is just meant to say to please encourage your daughters to play their position with the best effort no matter if it is infield or outfield. In the fall when we are in kids pitch it is going to be important that we have well established positions.

ASA Softball

Allen Sports Association is trying to grow the softball program. If you know anyone who has a daughter 1st grade through Freshman that might have interest in playing softball please refer the to either myself if they have questions or register at www.allensports.org/softball.

Practice Notes from 1/8/12

Great practice last Sunday. We spent the majority of our time focusing on fielding assignments and situational infielding. Basically this just means that we spent time going through scenarios.....i.e.) Runner on first base....ball is hit to me.....what will I do with the ball. What will I do if the ball doesn't come to me.

These are concept that we started talking about last season but we really need to continue to grow this season as the competition continues to get better.

One resource I have found is an application for your mobile device that is called "iPlayBook" that you can see at http://www.iplaybook.net/. This allows you to set up fielding situations and talk through them at home. Otherwise, you can use a dry erase board or a good ole piece of paper and pencil.

How to Catch a Softball

While it seems to be a basic and elementary thing, catching a softball properly can prove to be a difficult concept to learn for young players. This article linked has some good information about what we will be focusing on over the coming weeks and month.

http://softball.isport.com/softball-guides/how-to-catch-a-softball

Happy Holidays Owlz

Wishing the best for you and your families.

Fielding and Hitting-Notes from Today's Practice

Today at practice we spent some time focusing on the fundamentals of throwing the softball such as hand placement on the ball and wrist snap. On the link below you can view a video from YouTube that talks about some of the drills we did today. These are some drills that your daughters can do at home in with a tennis ball in the house, garage, or outside of the house. Main focus is the wrist snap as this is where we are going to gain accuracy and power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcN3azy8GDY

As for hitting, we will be developing our swing using the same technique as the US Olympic team and several major college programs as well as the local high school teams. I have attached a link below for a video with some good information on hitting technique. You can also seach on YouTube for Sue Enquist or Mike Candrea hitting videos. Hitting off of a tee is a really good method for developing these skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrKifl0IFeA