Here are the latest articles from the Softball site at BellaOnline.com.

-- Agility Training in Softball - Intro --

Agility training is very much overlooked by Softball coaches (including yours truly!), yet in a sport dominated by quick, explosive movement, agility is a must-have. Here is the introductory article for the "Agility in Softball" series.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67747.asp


-- Power & Distance II with Mark Eldridge DVD --

4 Stars. "Power & Distance II with Mark Eldridge" is a good resource for teaching details of the batting stance and how to relax within the batter's box. It also goes into the specifics of a linear swing which isn't what I teach, but for those coaches who do there's good info on that as well.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67297.asp


-- Differences between ASA and USSSA Rules --

Here is a handy-dandy guide to the major differences between ASA and USSSA rules for girls Fast Pitch softball. Some are more subtle than others, but if a coach has a team that will be playing in games under both rule sets, then he should be aware of the differences.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67483.asp


-- Time Management in Softball Games --

Decisions made at the end of a timed Softball game can be the most important of the day, and may have more bearing on whether a team wins or loses than lineup decisions or who will pitch for the day. This article explores some of the different ways time can be managed in a Softball game.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67427.asp


-- Pitching to Contact in Softball – Extreme --

We wrap up the PtC series by looking at a special game situation which requires Pitching to Contact no matter what kind of pitcher. The pitch calling in this situation is unique, and deserves its own article.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67421.asp

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In a bit of personal news, I'm transitioning up to coaching Travel Ball. I am now the business manager for the San Diego Blaze as well as the 12U coach. Our first tryouts are next weekend, and I am so totally stoked that I can barely contain myself!!

I'll be sure to share my experiences, observations, and insights while coaching and managing in the rough-and-tumble SoCal Travel Ball arena.

I'll post forum Team Journal threads for my new team, or you can follow us www.sdblaze.com. If you're in the SoCal area, catch us playing sometime and if you're a player interested in a tryout, I'll be looking for ya!

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http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=422

Please visit Softball.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Softball.


I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Don McKay, Softball Editor
http://Softball.bellaonline.com

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