B ill D ryden

Girl’s Windmill Pitching

Volume 370 July 12, 2012

THOUGHTS OF PARENTS

In the last newsletter I talked about “Thoughts from college coaches”.

In the interim a couple of parents have called with their thoughts, concerns about their daughters and thoseconcerns are legitimate for sure.

For instance I had an one private student slot open up and one of my student’s parents recommended me toanother parent. That parent contacted me and the gist of the conversation was he wanted to do a “few” lessonsand wasn’t sure he could financially swing more that a few. My reply was I would take her with theunderstanding that if a permanent student came in, that student would replace her.It may sound cold but as much as I love teaching pitching and seeing my students succeed, I do run a businessand if it doesn’t work I will not be doing it at all. Some parents come saying that it’s up to the daughter. If shewill work and want to do it, they will pay for it. If they don’t the parents won’t. That makes perfect sense.If you have to beg your daughter to practice, or come to lessons and they would rather go to the mall, hang out,etc, don’t take the lessons. You waste my time and your money. More students is not necessarily better. I wantworkers who have a drive to excel.I had another wanting to stop and take it back up in October. I can’t hold the slot open. If I can get his daughterin later I will try but again it’s a business. I have already filled that slot.

Last week a parent called me seeking advice about whether they should change teams and if so where they maygo. I get a little gun shy about that because there are already coaches who won’t send their pitchers to mebecause they say I will put them on other teams. I can’t put them anywhere and some of them need to be rightwhere they are. If they ask me to help them find another team, I will try to help them. I consider that a part ofmy responsibility as their instructor as much as telling college coaches about them. I may try to get them anopportunity to guest with a team at a big showcase if they desire and are ready. If the team likes them and asksthem to join, that’s between the family and the team. If they are happy where they are, fine. If your organizationis doing what is necessary for the girls, another team can’t take them. This particular parent was very unsure about what to do and asked how he would go about getting on a certainteam. I told him the girl would have to try out, whether with that team or another. I told him of a couple teamsthat may be options. His next question was “what if she doesn’t make it?” “She could be devastated.”This is the world of competitive softball. Not every kid who tries out makes it their first try. I would not eventry to convince a team to take a kid they didn’t want. It would be bad for everyone involved. The only way to

assure a player that she won’t get cut is to not try out. She may never reach her potential, her destiny, but shewon’t get cut. Next, don’t make her go to college where she may get a bad grade or even flunk a class, and don’t let her go to work, where she may get laid off or overlooked for promotion. Do nothing and never have toworry about falling short, although you assure yourself you will also never succeed. It sounds pretty bland tome. Life has ups, downs, successes, failures, happiness, and sadness. You can’t ensure the good parts and youcan’t stop the bad parts. You stay on an even keel and work through the good, bad and everything in between.Parents naturally worry about the children’s well being and try to protect them but sometimes they have tomake their own way. You support them, hug them when it doesn’t work and celebrate with them when it does,but unless you go into daddy ball, she has to make choices and decide if she wants to leave a team, and choosewhere she wants to try out.Here are a few suggestions if you are trying to figure out which team is a good fit.

1. Go watch the team play without them knowing who you are so that would be before tryouts. How is the demeanor of the coaching staff? Do they yell? Do they micro-manage? If 18U, do they have a good recruiter? Does the team appear disciplined, neat, professional? Do player tempers flare at teammates, umpires, coaches?2. Talk to some of the parents and try to ascertain their opinion of the organization, coaches, players.3. If you can do it unobtrusively, talk to some players and see what they think.4. Look at their schedule. First, can you afford the cost of travel? Do they go to superior tournaments that will allow exposure if that’s what you seek? Remember good tournaments attract college coaches and getting on the main complex is imperative!5. Where and how often do they practice? If you have to start out telling the coach you will have difficulty getting to practices, don’t waste the team’s time trying out. Find a more local team where you can commit.6. Know the schedule and the cost of registration before you try out. Again, don’t waste the time of the team and coaches and waste your time. If you know the schedule you have no need to complain later or decide not to do certain tournaments. This isn’t pick and choose. It’s commitment.7. Assuming you have decided to try out, write down a list of questions to ask the coach. Don’t wait until you make the team and then start coming up with them.

Superior travel coaches and recruiters put in an enormous amount of time working for the benefit of theorganization/players. I combine the two because the organization is about the players. The parents have no ideahow much time these coaches and recruiters spend working for the girls. Does it cost more to play for them thanthe average team? Yes! Do they expect the players to do their part which includes lessons, working to keep inshape, showing up for practices, showing up for tournaments, emailing school in which they have interest,doing whatever the coaches and recruiters say is necessary? Yes!

There are a lot of questions and considerations that go through parents’ minds. By doing some homework youcan address a lot of them, but whether she makes the team or not is on her, not you.

Photos

Team USA’s Chelsea Thom as. Note stride foot

position and ball hand. W e will address it in the

“Tips” section

University of M aryland Softball bus m eets flying turkey.

Bus win...for the m ost part anyway.

Dallas Escobedo at foot touch. Note

ball hand

Shelby Sm ith (left) and Annah Brittingham

(right) with M orris County Belles Gold at Team

New Jersey Sum m er Classic College Showcase

TipsHere are a few comments that coaches make to the team after “one of those games” and what the interpretationis :

We lost. We have to bury that game and move on to the next.(Bury the whole team! They stink like decomp!)It’s just a game!(It’s a game you guys apparently have no clue how to play!)We had some bad breaks and things didn’t go our way.(Breaks like the ump making you take a seat after 3 strikes, and demanding you catch the ball in the air to get apop out.)Don’t worry about it. We’ll work on those throws during practice.(Just like we do practice after practice after practice after practice....Grrrrrr)So she no hit us! It happens!(It happens when you think the bat is a walking stick !)Girls! You have to think during the game!(And I don’t mean about the mall, boyfriends, make-up, movies, and glitter! Thoughts about the game situationare as abstract to you as brain surgery!)Does anybody know what went wrong in the game?(Do any of you realize we just played a game? Do any of you realize the game was over in 3 innings? Do any ofyou realize you are driving me crazy and it’s a short trip?)Shortstop, that was a nice scoop you made on the ball. Next time let’s make sure where we are going with theplay.(Runners at 1 and 2 , 2 out and you throw the ball home. YOU THROW THE BALL HOME!! Is there room inst nd

your head for one logical thought?

Thankfully most coaches don’t speak their minds or at least not exactly what they think.

Serious Tips

Hey! Did anyone other than I look at the photo section? I asked you to note the foot touch in relationship to the ball hand.Your velocity will depend partly on where the relationship between the two points are when you pitch.Understand first there is a point in the sequence of the arm position termed circle peak or that point when theball hand reaches its apex. Then as the stride foot touches the ball hand reaches a point slightly past the circlepeak. On a clock face looking at a right-hand pitcher from 3 base, circle peak is 12:00 o’clock and foot touchrd

should have the ball hand somewhere between 11:30 and 10:00 with 9:00 reaching directly back to 2 base.nd

The 9:00 position is termed 3/4 circle. If your ball hand gets beyond the 10:00 point and closer to the 9:00position, you will lose the advantage of having your legs and body aid in bringing the arm downward andforward with power. You will end of dragging the arm through from 3/4 circle after the legs have fired. Makesure you sequence the pitch correctly to take advantage of your larger muscles to help provide velocity.

Girl’s Windmill Pitching

Check out my website, http://girlswindmillpitching.com. You can find my newsletters, some links, photos, andsome of my students’ video clips. Just click on the title in blue above or paste the URL into your browser.

Girl’s Windmill Pitching Private Lessons

I am currently giving one on one 30-minute private pitching instructions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdayin the Georgetown, DE area and Fridays at the Lower Shore Family YMCA. I am now offering private lessonsin the Harrington, DE area. If you are interested in lessons at either of the venues, let me know.Contact me at billdryden1@girlswindmillpitching.com

Recruiter MOM This link will answer some valuable questions for the parents and student/athletes hoping to become prospects.I highly advise you to visit the site that has been set up and researched by Jan Greenhawk by clicking on thetitle above or by pastinghttp://recruitermom.org/index.html in your browser. Check this link. I’ve gotten good feedback.

Andy Givens’ Hitting InstructionAndy Givens is the former Delaware Technical and Community College Assistant Baseball Coach, and formerHead Softball Coach. He is currently the Head Softball Coach of the Delaware Diamonds 18U Black team andgives private hitting instruction at his place between Georgetown and Laurel, DE. If you are looking for asuperb, patient instructor to help give you an edge, contact Andy at (302) 228-7960 or email himat:ragivens@comcast.net

My daughter, Ashley is a Mary Kaye Director in Qualification. If anyone is interested in becoming arepresentative to earn extra income or if you wish to purchase products or host a party contact Ashley throughher website at: http://www.marykay.com/asomers6/default.aspx , click on the logo above or call her at (302)228-3829.

Roster Opportunities

With our recent seniors signing college scholarships we are currently looking to fill several roster spots.

We have a fantastic opportunity for a catcher and shortstop who want to step on the field and “showcase” their talents.

We will be playing a predominately college showcase schedule for 2012 which will include some of the best opportunities

for our players to be seen. These tournaments will include Pennsbury (the only Delaware Team accepted), Sellersville

Belles, Jersey Outlaws, Delaware Invitational, Virginia Rowdies, South Carolina Bandits and New England’s Finest.

If you are a player who desires a college showcase schedule and the opportunity to “showcase” your skills then we are

interested in talking to you.

We will also look at other position players if you are interested in this type of schedule.

For more information please contact:

Jerry Kirby jkirby1964@yahoo.com cell 302-236-2274

Bob Tomlinson bobtomlinson@verizon.net cell 302-236-5063

Maryland Stars 14U Need One

Maryland STARS 14U are looking for one more player to add to their team. The team is looking for an infielderor outfielder or infielder/outfielder to fill the last roster opening on the team. For more information, pleasecontact Glen Warholic @ 443-745-3177 or glen.warholic@gmail.com

Glen’s organization continually produces superior “A” level teams and holds skills clinics yearly to help theplayers.

News and Tournament Results

NEW ASA POLICY ON SELECTING USA SOFTBALL JUNIOR WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

(reprinted from spysoftball.com)

“ASA Director of National Teams Ronnie Isham informed Spy on Wednesday that ASA/USA Softball will selectplayers for the 2013 ISF Junior World Championship from the ASA Program .

Only those age eligible players who compete on ASA Registered teams and participate in ASA ChampionshipPlay and/or at the upcoming ASA Gold Nationals will be evaluated and eligible. In effect, the ASA GoldNationals and ASA Championship Play will be the selection camp for the USA Softball Jr. Women’s NationalTeam which will compete in Brampton, Ontario Canada in July, 2013.

Players whose teams compete in other Softball Associations will only be eligible if they have competed at theASA Gold Nationals or in ASA Championship Play.

Reminded that there are very good players whose teams compete at ASA 18U and 16U, Isham said exceptionsare possible for outstanding players from the other two ASA Divisions.

Spy noted that a sizeable number of top teams, including former Gold champions – the Firecrackers,Batbusters, So Cal Athletics, Team North Florida – no longer compete in ASA Gold but will play this year atPremiere, Thus, some of the nation’s best players will not be eligible for the 2013 ISF Junior WorldChampionship team. Isham said no exceptions will be made for players whose teams only compete in otherSoftball Associations.’

I received this email from Jan Greenhawk relating the results from the Colorado Sparkler:

Just a wrap up from Colorado.

The Texas Sudden Impact won the Tournament.

These are the results of some of the teams we played:

California Breeze- 3rd

Wasco Diamonds- 5th

LV Rage- 13th

Hotshots- 25th

We finished 49th out of over 120 teams.

Jan

jan and Jim Greenhawk

Coaches

Maryland Magic/Wagner's 14 U

"We don't need easy, we just need possible."

Taylor Black and the Delaware Diamonds 18U Gray played in the Mid-Summer Showcase in Virginia Beach.They started Thursday by defeating VA Lady Aces 6-5. Taylor played 2 and was 0 for 2. In game two theynd

defeated the Diamond Chix 2-1. Taylor was 1 for 2 with a single and played short and 2 . Friday morning theynd

took on Orion Hunter and notched another win 4-3. Taylor played short and 2 and had a single and walk. Theynd

lost to Back River Surge Gold 4-2. Taylor played shortstop and was 1 for 2 with a single and an RBI. They lsotto Richmond Rampage 7-6. Taylor was 1 for 2. Then they defeated the Breakers Blue Tay had an walk and asingle in 3 at bats. Next they took on and won over the Diamond Chix. Again she was 1 for 2. They lost the the Connecticut Eliminators and Taylor was 0 for 2. Altogether not a bad weekend for the team and Taylor she alsospent time at short, second, and outfield, showing nice versatility.

Both Morris County Belles teams were in Binghamton, NY for the 12 Annual Stop DWI College Showcaseth

which Lou Bishop and his TC Tremors organization produce. An early report stated there were between 30 and40 college coaches at the hitting phase of the Exposure Camp that precedes the tournament.

As the showcase got under way, I received a text from Chris Parsons, father of Amanda Parsons of the MorrisCounty Belles 18U Elite team and I quote: “OMG! Coaches everywhere here!” Nick Frungillo had a list of 38coaches who watched the Belles play.The Belles Gold played one game Friday and Kaitlyn Baron picked up the win over the Pittsburgh Power andTaylor Pechin got the save. Gianna Kinhofer had a triple. On Saturday they took the field against theWashington Senators and dropped a 4-2 decision. On Sunday they spotted the opposition 5 runs beforeCassandra Squeri who was borrowed from the Belles Elite 18U team stopped the bleeding, as the rising seniorallowed no runs. The Belles closed the score to 5-3 but lost this final game. Taylor Pechin banged an RBIdouble off of the 225' fence.

The Belles Elite lost both games by scores of 11-4 and 7-5. Amanda Parsons was 1 for 3 in the first game and 1for 1 with a walk and 2 RBI’s in the second game. According to Nick Frungillo Parsons continues to impresscollege coaches and at least one who watched last week at TNT and this week and will be at the nexttournament to watch her again. On Saturday in game one against the NJ Avalanche, Amanda’s first at batresulted in a double to center. She also scored. The Belles brought her to the Gold team to play 3 games whereshe responded very well including a diving catch in centerfield which ended with her head colliding with theground. It was determined after careful examination that the ground was not seriously injured. As far asAmanda (affectionately called DUH by me), it wasn’t like a foot, leg, arm, etc. It was the hardest part of her.Duh had a great weekend again, going 5 for 13, with 2 doubles, a walk, 3 singles, 4 RBI’s, and 1 stolen base.She played left, center and first base with no errors. Nick Frungillo reported that several schools are seriouslyinterested in Amanda. .

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The Maryland Stars 18U (Speierman) dropped their first game of the Premier Girls Fastpitch Qualifier inNewtown, PA to the Jersey Outlaws by a 6-2 score. Brad Speierman said that the team only allowed two earnedruns. Errors did the rest. They moved to the loser’s bracket and were eliminated.

I received this email from Cherie White, mom of Erica White from Polytech High.:“Good Morning, BillI just wanted to let you know Erica pitched the entire game yesterday in 102 degree weather (terribly hot) anddid an excellent job. They won 6 to 0. They are in Sunday's Delaware State News pictures and article. Thanksfor all your help. Also, I understand she almost took your ear off with her backwards release of ascrewball.....she feels really bad about that. Hope you are okay. They play tonight against Smyrnabut Erica won't pitch because she has to have a days rest since she pitched the entire game yesterday. Stay Cool and have a great day!Cherie White”That game was against Camden-Wyoming. They defeated Smyrna-Clayton Sunday 6-5.

I don’t have a lot of details but I do know that Team USA went 6 and 0 in the Canadian Open Competition totake them to the Monday night championship against Japan but that would bring a 9-6 defeat in extra innings.The darling of Pasadena Maryland, Lauren Gibson certainly did her part to try to win in the game, going 3 for 4with a 3-run homer and 3 Rbi’s and scored a run. For the tournament she batted a whopping .500, going 7 for 14.

I have a couple of good reports this week. My grandson, Brad, has completely healed from the spinal stressfractures and is cleared to return to normal activity including baseball.

Peyton Elzey returned to lessons Wednesday after a lengthy stint of no pitching due to an unusual rib cageinjury. I need all of my blonde students to bring order to my world. (Yeah, right!)

Shelby Smith had a new Xray of her broken glove hand. They removed the plaster cast and installed a metalbrace. There is still bruising, swelling of the pinky, and the break is still visible. She is inactive for 3 moreweeks. She can begin to move her fingers and can remove the brace to shower. The doctor will re-evaluate theinjury August 2 which means no nationals for her.nd

It is unbelievable (to me) that the summer tournament season is almost complete. It has really rushed by andtryouts are already being posted. I see the Morris County Belles Gold have only 3 more tournaments. I will be atthe Tom Doyle Memorial Tournament in Edison, NJ with them. That will be the final tournament for long timepitching student Annah Brittingham, who will be preparing to report to Liberty University’s Head Coach, PaulWetmore.Andy Given’s Delaware Diamonds 18U Black have a tournament this weekend in Glen Burnie and then theUSSSA World Series in Salisbury, MD and at that point pitching student Sam Muir will get ready to report toHead Coach Wayne Price at Delaware Tech.

Lauren Gibson belts 3-run hom er against Japan in 9-6 C andian

Open loss

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Pitching student Katie O’Neal will continue her career at Salisbury University while student Kristy Marsh willuse her talents at North Carolina Wesleyan.I will miss these young ladies, some of which who have been with me since they were 9 years old. It is great tosee them achieve their goals but also means I have some slots opening up for new private students.

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