Rosemont will host the 2012 National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series, Aug. 23 through 26, at Rosemont Stadium, home of the Bandits, officials announced today.
Dubbed the “World Series” of women’s softball, the NPF Championship Series is the league’s hallmark event and will feature the nation’s top four professional teams. … Continue Reading
CAPE TOWN — The United States thumped Botswana 17-0 in three innings Monday at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa. Nyree White (Eugene, Ore.) threw a perfect game, striking out three, to help the team remain undefeated after five pool play games.
“The team put up a ton of runs today so it was pretty easy for me just going out there throwing strikes,” White said. “I wanted to use my defense, roll up ground balls, which is the same approach that I usually have. I wanted to make sure that we got back in the dugout so we could keep scoring some more runs.” … Continue Reading
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – With the momentum of five two-out hits in the fourth inning, the United States overcame a slow start to beat South Africa 8-0 in five innings Sunday. The win over the well-supported home country at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa, improves Team USA’s record to 4-0 in pool play with three games remaining.
The Red, White and Blue had only one hit each in the first, second and third innings. In the top of the fourth with two-outs, designated player Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.) singled up the middle to start the American rally. Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.) followed with a centerfield triple, the first of six extra base hits for the team, and put the first run on the board. … Continue Reading
CAPE TOWN – In their first contest of the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa, the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team defeated Canada 11-4 in five innings Thursday. The bottom of the fifth started with a Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) single up the middle and ended on a similar note, a walk-off Salvarola single up the middle that scored Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.). … Continue Reading
12/7/2011
CAPE TOWN — The local organizing committee for the IX International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championship (19-Under) in Cape Town, South Africa, announced that five of the 2011 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team’s pool play games will be webcast live through the official tournament website … Continue Reading
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Ithaca head coach Deb Pallozzi and Tennessee co-head coach Ralph Weekly became members of one of the most elite groups in all of softball on Friday night at the 2011 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas, the NFCA Hall of Fame.
During Pallozzi’s tenure, Ithaca has made 19 NCAA regional appearances, won 10 consecutive Empire 8 regular-season titles, seven tournament crowns and the 2002 NCAA Division III National Softball Championship. While at the helm of the Bombers, Pallozzi has coached some of the best players in school history including 14 NSCA and Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America selections. … Continue Reading
Louisville, KY (November 28, 2011) – Louisville Slugger® TPS® is making some serious noise in fastpitch softball. It started with the “mean sounding” XENO bat, as players affectionately describe the loud and unique noise when a XENO crushes the ball. Now it’s with the major announcement that the sport’s winningest coach has joined the Louisville Slugger family. … Continue Reading
NDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After 32 years as a print publication, the National High School Sports Record Book has officially moved online and can be accessed on the National Federation of State High School Associations … Continue Reading
Last week I started a new set of blog posts called 10 questions. On this new blog I am sending 10 questions to great softball players, and coaches. Then I am posting the questions with their answers.
This week two time Olympian Michele Smith answers our 10 questions. … Continue Reading
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – What we think directly affects how we feel, which directly affects what we do. Said another way: attitude determines our altitude, and it comes from how we think, whether we realize this or not. Wait…does this mean that athletes who are confident and having fun play better than those who are frustrated and timid? Absolutely! So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? I don’t know. But which comes first: successful outcomes or a positive, confident, fun attitude? For many, success does, but for the greatest athletes in the world, the ideal attitude for performance comes first. … Continue Reading
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Oregon Tech has claimed the top spot in the 2012 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Owls, who defeated California Baptist 1-0 on May 25 to capture the 2011 National Championship, received 17 of 20 first-place votes and earned 555 points. Oregon Tech, who went 42-13 during the 2011 season, jumps up 17 spots from last season’s final poll. … Continue Reading
The other day I asked to do an online interview for some of my podcasting endeavors. When I agreed to the interview I was sent a list of 10 questions. After sending in the answers I realized that this was a great way to get interviews, and that I needed to start using this method. … Continue Reading
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Four-time Olympic medalist in swimming, Title IX advocate and current senior director of Advocacy for the Women’s Sports Foundation Nancy Hogshead-Makar will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2011 NFCA Convention at Bally’s in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, the Association announced on Tuesday. … Continue Reading
Dear NPF Supporters and Fans,
As the Commissioner of National Pro Fastpitch, I wanted to take some time to re-cap the year of 2011 and especially to say “thank you” to each one of you for your visible efforts in supporting the professional level of fastpitch softball. 2011 was a year of firsts in special events, and another year of exciting talent and action when it came to the competition. … Continue Reading
“What?! How can it possibly be 10pm? The sun is still beaming through the apartment window. It looks like late afternoon out there. This is bizarre!” I said after my first night of experiencing Sweden’s long summer days. … Continue Reading
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – You can get whatever you want in life if you have enough MOTIVATION and COURAGE! Every coach in America wants athletes who are “intrinsically” motivated. … Continue Reading
One of my fellow coaches and I were talking the other day about a player on his team who was having a confidence crisis. The young lady, who has been playing since she was 8 years old, was always considered the best in her age group as she came up through the 10u, 12u and 14u ranks. She has always been one of the biggest, strongest athletes in her age division. … Continue Reading
Unguarded, the ESPN documentary about former NBA player Chris Herren and his struggle with addiction, received tons of positive reviews this week. A powerful story of redemption and hope that with help, we can overcome the addictions that seek to destroy us. … Continue Reading
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – I love watching highly competitive athletes compete, in part because I often see outstanding performances. Unfortunately, I also often see impressively awful performances. I see so many youngsters pressing to try to make things happen that it seems like an epidemic. The first message I want to get to them is this: HAVE FUN! … Continue Reading
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Courtesy of ASA/USA Softball – With a Pan American Games roster full of 17 rookies, the USA Softball Women’s National team recorded the program’s eighth Pan American Games gold medal with an 11-1 run-rule victory over Canada. In four innings, the U.S. put up 11 hits and completed the tournament with a perfect 9-0 record. As a team, they hit an impressive .428 throughout the week outscoring opponents 78-8. The pitching staff held opponents to a .145 batted average and recorded five shutout victories. … Continue Reading
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State softball team will get to face some of the best players in the world on Wednesday when the Vikings host the National Pro Fastpitch All-Star team at Erv Lind Stadium.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for youth 17 and under. Group rates of $5 are also available. For more information, call 503-725-3307. … Continue Reading
Nashville, TN – National Pro Fastpitch is preparing for the second half of the 2011 NPF Back to School Tour by looking ahead at some exciting venues and first-time visits. The second half of the Tour will kick off in a big way with Team NPF matched up against the 2009 NCAA Champion, Washington Huskies on Saturday October 22 at 3:00 pm. The game will take place at the home of the Seattle Mariners, Safeco Field, and will be followed by a softball skills clinic at 5:00 pm for players of all ages. … Continue Reading
“Overland Park, KS – Former Olympian, Christie Ambrosi has announced the establishment of her new organization called National Coaches Clinics. The goal of the clinics is to provide coaches, players and parents with a unique way to learn how to develop championship skills while instilling love and passion for the game in athletes. … Continue Reading
A very special weekend is planned for January 13th and 14th 2012 at the Plant City Softball Stadium Complex. The weekend will consist of exhibition games and special events including the FCA All-stars and the Wounded Warriors team. The FCA team will consist of a roster of professional players including Jennie Finch University of Arizona, two time Olympian – Dot Richardson-UCLA, National Champion, … Continue Reading
I grew up before Gatorade and cell phones. A self professed “gym rat,” I rode my bike to summer workouts in high school and went running in the snow (in my boots, no less) to stay in shape during my Christmas break in college. As an athlete, my mindset reflected the times in which I grew up. The same holds true today. … Continue Reading
Much of Sweden is made up of large-framed people. There are, however, some who do not quite fit the typical Scandinavian mold. Sally is a young Swedish girl. In her blog, my American teammate likens Sally’s body type to a “Chinese gymnast in the 2008 Olympics, very slight, slender and adorable!” … Continue Reading
Self-Control is a Must for Optimal Performance
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – Self-control is a big deal for any performer. It means that emotions are kept in check, which is essential for maintaining discipline. “When you lose control of your emotions and your discipline breaks down,” … Continue Reading
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Soils Technology company Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association are now accepting entries for the 2011 Field of the Year Awards. Partnering for the fourth-year running, the award honors outstanding field surfacing, excellence in grounds maintenance, as well as qualities unique to each field. … Continue Reading
The other day I had a conversation with a friend of mine who also coaches. He was sharing a conversation he had with one of his athletes after a tough practice. The interesting part of this talk was that the coach spent most of the time asking questions instead of telling the athlete anything about her performance. He wanted HER to understand what happened in the practice that day instead of just giving her his “take” on how things went. … Continue Reading
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Division III Northwestern (Minn.) tallied a 3.694 team grade point average (GPA) during the 2010-2011 academic year to lead all colleges in the 2011 NFCA Top 10 All-Academic team rankings. This marks the first time in program history that the Eagles have led either the Division III or all-college rankings. … Continue Reading
I had an interesting string of chats with two very qualified coaches today that I’d like to share with you and get your thoughts on…
It started with this quote:
The ones who want to achieve & win championships motivate themselves. -Mike Ditka … Continue Reading
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Texas A&M junior catcher Meagan May has been added to the 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team roster and will compete at October’s Pan American Games, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. May (Spring, Texas) replaces Florida junior catcher Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.), who withdrew from the team in August for personal reasons. … Continue Reading
The power of patience. What is it and what does it mean to parents and coaches? The Fall season is what it is all about.
Fall is that great time of year when softball teams begin their long journey to the end of the summer. It’s a time to get a new team together, see how players do as they move up a level, or let players try new skills, new positions in the field, etc. Too many times during this time of year,adults worry about the wrong thing; winning. Or they worry about batting averages. They worry so much that they don’t notice the little things that mean so much. … Continue Reading
It’ll be Hard to Focus Without a Healthy Perspective!
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – Tennis Champion Jim Courier said it succinctly: “It is very, very dangerous to have your self-worth riding on your results as an athlete.” Unfortunately, today’s athletes usually hold the distorted belief that they are a good person after a good performance and a bad one after they stink it up. Rationally, … Continue Reading
While in Sweden, I had the opportunity to visit different schools to teach the game of softball. The last school we were scheduled to visit before students were released for the summer is located twenty minutes outside of Skövde.
All the Swedish players had other responsibilities during the day. Nicole, my American teammate, and I were scheduled to teach the classes. … Continue Reading
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – Courage is the strength of will to do what is difficult. When courage and motivation are combined, mountains will be overcome one step at a time, and then look like molehills in the distance behind you. Without courage, even a molehill is insurmountable. With courage, an ingrown toenail is irrelevant during a performance. Without courage, the injured athlete loses intensity, focus, and balance. Without courage, adversity is bad and represents the end of the road. With courage, adversity is actually sought out because mistakes are viewed as critical components for growth and happiness. With the courage to admit mistakes, weaknesses become strengths. … Continue Reading
In the midst of my hometown’s relentless heat, it is hard to imagine a place where the temperature is between 10 and 20 degrees in the summer!
Welcome to Sweden, where degrees are measured using the Celsius scale. Ten to 20 degrees Celsius is approximately 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it comes to cool weather, I will admit to being a bit of a wimp. In fact, quite often during Skövde summers, temperatures loom in the 40’s F. It usually feels colder than the actual thermometer reading, too. The wind is biting.
I most definitely prepared for cool outdoor practices. My workout apparel included tights, wind pants, long socks, Under Armour gear, a sweatshirt and occasionally a beanie. … Continue Reading
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – After a plane crash, the cause is aggressively sought, and the black box is the key to finding answers.
An athlete wants to achieve something outstanding. He is capable of producing this outcome, but it’s not happening for him at this time. He is motivated to work hard, but he continues to make the same mistakes because he doesn’t realize specifically what he’s doing wrong. Without awareness, no adjustment is possible… he has no sense that he needs to fix the problem, because he doesn’t realize exactly what the problem is. His biggest problem, therefore, is the lack of a persistent search for the black box. … Continue Reading
What is the ultimate goal on the softball field? We all want to be safe at home, right? One particular week, though, making it safely home took on a whole new meaning for me.
The other American players and I decided to go exploring. One morning, we hopped on our bikes and headed toward The Hill. The Hill is more like a small mountain to this Southern girl! … Continue Reading
Strive for Excellence Now
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – Great athletes make excellent performances appear easy, but they obviously are not. How can we prepare for excellence in performance? For me, thinking about this question starts with three quotes:
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the present is a gift.
Strive for perfection, but never expect it.
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The coaching staff of Cypress led by head coach Brad Pickler and assisted by Dennis Blas, Amanda Fernandez, Mike Hicks, Frank Mendoza and Mandy Rockwell have been named as the 2011 NFCA Cal JC National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced Tuesday.
The Chargers captured their second state title in as many years this season to increase their overall total to seven Cal JC crowns under Pickler. The back-to-back championships marks the first time that Cypress has accomplished that feat since the 1998-1999 seasons. … Continue Reading
I spent some time this week with the 16U A Duluth Wildcats. This great group of young ladies recently earned their birth to the ASA Nationals by performing well in the ASA Hall of Fame tournament. This is a team of girls who have poured their hearts into this great game for the vast majority of their lives and they were so excited to have finally earned this chance to compete at this prestigious event. Unfortunately for them the jubilance was short lived as mysteriously many of their friends got an advanced copy of the ASA “script” that will be handed out at the tournament which dictates which teams will win and which teams will lose and apparently were more than happy to share it with them. … Continue Reading
OKLAHOMA CITY — When the World Cup of Softball VI opens July 21 in Oklahoma City, Olympic Champions and International Softball Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championship medalists will be among the athletes on the field at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America Hall of Fame Stadium. The ASA announced today that athletes slated to compete July 21-25 include Japan’s Yukiko Ueno, the Gold Medal winning pitcher in the 2008 Olympic Games, and Australia’s Stacey Porter, an Olympic Silver and Bronze Medalist who has represented her country since 2002.
… Continue Reading
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