Facts from a California Coach

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Well then Howard you must be the keeper of the secrets........lol

 

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Having been there I can tell you it's no secret. They out practice most everyone else.

 

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Well then Howard you must be the keeper of the secrets........lol

Mark it is no secret and we explain it at clinics. It is up to the individual as to if they want to apply what we teach.

Les and his coaches help at the clinics and did OK this year.

Kavin and his coaches help at the clinics and did OK this year.

Buckeye Heat 16, Ted and Carol help at the clinics and did OK this year.

Boulders Dad and Hitter23 have helped at clinics in the past and do pretty well also.

When Crystl is ask the question how often did you practice as a team her response is once a week. All day on Sunday and the parents would get together and make sandwich's or buy pizzas.

The coaches would go over new drills or intro new techniques. They would check on your progress as to what YOU had done to improve yourself during the week at the next practice.

At every clinic she ask how many of you practiced on your own knowing we were coming this week....7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Most say 1 to 2 times on their own.

Some use California weather as an excuse as to why they are better.

Come to a clinic and ask the big girl yourself. As I have said before if Ted Williams was still alive would you go to see him? She is alive and well and can answer your questions as to California questions how she hits and throw and fields.

We have done clinics in California and you may be surprised to see how they actually do things. Some mandate who they go to for hitting and pitching. Some parents put out a lot of money to play on the high caliber teams and expect to win.

Howard

 

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At a clinic Carol Bruggeman talked about how impressed she was with Ohio softball, at first I kind of blew it off as a she was speaking at a clinic in Ohio but then she talked about ASA/USA 14u nationals and mentioned Ohio teams by name....she ended that with a "yes we do watch 14u players" lol.

Regarding Cali teams you cant overlook -Total Numbers and Climate. Sure some of those states are dealing with extreme summer heat and times they can play are restricted, in Ohio you basically cant play outside for 4 months, another 2 months you deal with real hit or miss weather.

Perhaps the question isnt how can we become more like California or AZ teams, but how can we make Ohio teams better? Over the past 10 years Ohio fastpitch has evolved and will continue to, provided we continue to get dedicated coaches like many that post on OFC. Neccissity is the mother of all invention.

 

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Howard - relax. It was meant to be a joke.

So it seems that everyone that does your thing is successful - awesome. Keep it up. We all need experts like you to help. You do realize that there are other people and coaches that have some success training kids, right?

 

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Warm up the popper ! :lmao:

 

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At a clinic Carol Bruggeman talked about how impressed she was with Ohio softball, at first I kind of blew it off as a she was speaking at a clinic in Ohio but then she talked about ASA/USA 14u nationals and mentioned Ohio teams by name....she ended that with a "yes we do watch 14u players" lol.

Regarding Cali teams you cant overlook -Total Numbers and Climate. Sure some of those states are dealing with extreme summer heat and times they can play are restricted, in Ohio you basically cant play outside for 4 months, another 2 months you deal with real hit or miss weather.

Perhaps the question isnt how can we become more like California or AZ teams, but how can we make Ohio teams better? Over the past 10 years Ohio fastpitch has evolved and will continue to, provided we continue to get dedicated coaches like many that post on OFC. Neccissity is the mother of all invention.

You are so right. Instead of worrying about the things that hold teams back - take a look at how to exel with what you have. Being from Ohio and and now seeing how the S.E. does things it is apparent that the way to gain the rep is to win at the National level. Until that happens we will continue to hear....nice teams, but.....

Florida has realized this and you will notice that there are 3 regional teams (SE Fla, West Fla, North Fla) that play with the big girls every year. Others will pop up every now and again. All the top players gravitate to those teams. The cost is high, but so are the expectations. Training, as has been discussed at nausium here, is done on their own basically. In Ohio it will take egoless coaches to build 16u and 18u teams that are coached by former NCAA players and former college coaches. These coaches will have the recruiting inroads that other coaches do not have for the most part. Trust me - former players and college coaches are so networked it isn't funny. When they call TD's around the country for entry into top showcases they are heard. When they call top 30 NCAA schools to put on a 4 team invitational at the college for recruiting they are heard. And more importantly when they hold tryouts the best of the best show up.

So the first thing I would do is find those explayers/coaches to run the teams, Pay them as if they are giving the team lessons, get a good administrator to do the forward thinking and go play the best in the country.

 

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Warm up the popper ! :lmao:

Too funny - not worth it.

 

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Good advise flayrays ! AND I noticed you said "go play the best in the country" ................... not county. :lmao:

 

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Good advise flayrays ! AND I noticed you said "go play the best in the country" ................... not county. :lmao:

Now that is F U N N Y

 

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This is a great topic. I am a firm believer that we have the talent in Ohio to match any team #1 to #1 in any postition. The difference is when you look at it is the depth. Ohio could field 1 maybe 2 extremely talented quality teams that could compete and win on any stage. California can field 10 teams that carry 15-18 number one type players. so when push comes to shove they are just deeper. This is simply because of population, and the importance that population places on this game. here is another KEY factor that presented to me when I was talking to Lisa Fernandez about recruiting. It is not that they feel Cali players are better than our best. They SEE them more and because of the depth of quality teams they are consistantly playing at a higher level week in and week out so the preparation is better. Secondly, when they do look at kids from the mid west it very commonly heard by these coaches that the west coast is too far away. so they really don't waste their efforts on someone who can play at that level but will not go that far. The flip side of that point is that it is equally as far for kid from Cali to play at OSU, Mich, or any other school on this side of country and yet those programs are littered with them. That leads one to think that there is a clear mind set difference and a lot of schools actually consider that a strength as opposed to someone who can't leave the nest so to speak. Whether that thinking is right or wrong who knows but it is a consideration. Another point that gets mentioned is the economy. West coast teams as a whole are in no better economic shape than an east coast team. those west coast teams when it comes to travel make it work as evidenced by the number of teams that come this way just to qualify for nationals or to come to a camp. I know that in Ohio teams don't travel for the experience or exposure many times based on the financial burden of a trip. An example would be a team that has a birth to both PGF and ASA. ASA might be a 15 hour drive as opposed to PGF being in California. That team is more likely to take the cheaper route as opposed to what "might" be the better route for exposure. If PGF were to be in Rhode Island and ASA in OKC you would still see the top teams travel to the tournament with the best opportunity to consistantly play the best competition and they find a way to make it work economically. So if PGF was the better tourney in RI the top Cali teams would be there regardless of more expense. It is just a different geographic mind set. But it bears a lot of consideration, because, the east coast and midwest teams at all levels DI DII DII and even NAIA have west coast players on their rosters and when you look at the same levels os schools on the west coast you will find very little to none east coast or mid west kids on their rosters. BUt back to the original topic YES OHio can field that calibur of team but no more than two at the most.

 

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Howard - relax. It was meant to be a joke.

So it seems that everyone that does your thing is successful - awesome. Keep it up. We all need experts like you to help. You do realize that there are other people and coaches that have some success training kids, right?

Did not take it the wrong way and all is well.

What I was trying to point out is the coaches we have worked with appear to be doing well and are doing the basics. The basics seem too be missing from a lot of programs in my opinion and the players are not working on their skills enough to make the improvements on their own.

I think anyone who works at their craft will get better no matter what style they choose to use....the mere fact they are working is a plus. Many Coaches demand, as well as parents that their kids practice. Some may not be as efficient as others and that shows at game time in my opinion.

Just look at the kids throwing and you can tell who the players are and that should be a basic skill.

We just did a clinic at Kokomo last week and throwing was an issue. We did a clinic at Springfield Missouri and the kids that were there last year had it and you could see it in their swings. Sometimes it makes you wonder why at 13 to 14 years old they still have not mastered how to throw a ball without their elbow and shoulder hurting them.

Thanks Howard

 

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This is a great topic. I am a firm believer that we have the talent in Ohio to match any team #1 to #1 in any postition. The difference is when you look at it is the depth. Ohio could field 1 maybe 2 extremely talented quality teams that could compete and win on any stage. California can field 10 teams that carry 15-18 number one type players. so when push comes to shove they are just deeper. This is simply because of population, and the importance that population places on this game. here is another KEY factor that presented to me when I was talking to Lisa Fernandez about recruiting. It is not that they feel Cali players are better than our best. They SEE them more and because of the depth of quality teams they are consistantly playing at a higher level week in and week out so the preparation is better. Secondly, when they do look at kids from the mid west it very commonly heard by these coaches that the west coast is too far away. so they really don't waste their efforts on someone who can play at that level but will not go that far. The flip side of that point is that it is equally as far for kid from Cali to play at OSU, Mich, or any other school on this side of country and yet those programs are littered with them. That leads one to think that there is a clear mind set difference and a lot of schools actually consider that a strength as opposed to someone who can't leave the nest so to speak. Whether that thinking is right or wrong who knows but it is a consideration. Another point that gets mentioned is the economy. West coast teams as a whole are in no better economic shape than an east coast team. those west coast teams when it comes to travel make it work as evidenced by the number of teams that come this way just to qualify for nationals or to come to a camp. I know that in Ohio teams don't travel for the experience or exposure many times based on the financial burden of a trip. An example would be a team that has a birth to both PGF and ASA. ASA might be a 15 hour drive as opposed to PGF being in California. That team is more likely to take the cheaper route as opposed to what "might" be the better route for exposure. If PGF were to be in Rhode Island and ASA in OKC you would still see the top teams travel to the tournament with the best opportunity to consistantly play the best competition and they find a way to make it work economically. So if PGF was the better tourney in RI the top Cali teams would be there regardless of more expense. It is just a different geographic mind set. But it bears a lot of consideration, because, the east coast and midwest teams at all levels DI DII DII and even NAIA have west coast players on their rosters and when you look at the same levels os schools on the west coast you will find very little to none east coast or mid west kids on their rosters. BUt back to the original topic YES OHio can field that calibur of team but no more than two at the most.

No more than 2 at the most??? I don't know about the rest of you, but I would never put a limit on what Ohio softball can do. Over the years, I heard that Ohio could not win at the USA/ASA Nationals...... I think that the last couple of years is starting to show that Ohio can compete and will continue along this path. I don't think that the Lasers, Stingrays and other programs are satisfied at the level that they are at now... if so, please speak up and tell us that your teams are not going to get any better. As an opposing program director, I don't want to hear them say that. I want them to continue to get better. If we never catch up, so be it... but until I hang up my cleats, we will continue to strive to catch up and then some.

 

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Just my two cents. College coaches and teaching hitting has not caught up to the west coast yet in Ohio. We have a long way to go, if you attend any college hitting camp in Ohio. So the issue becomes who do you learn from? There are many internet sites on hitting and softball. Learn from the best. I just watched a college coach at the Queen of Diamonds showing a drill to a player that clearly was asking her to squish the bug. This was a D1 coach! Here is a coach you can learn from John Tschida, Google him and get his DVD's. His team hit 377 last year, which is better than any Ohio College team BA that I can find.

 

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Clearly what Howard and Crystl teach is helping Ohio players take a big step forward in how competitive they are. It's been working for my DD who has been to several of his camps and several lessons with Crystl. It takes time for players and coaches to buy into it, master it and pass it down. Static 97 & 98 have but it's not a magic potion. It has to be practiced and they do. Too many travel players or teams have a rec mentality about practice. Not saying it's a bad thing but the adults shouldn't expect kids that don't practice a ton to be competing with the ones that do in Ohio or elsewhere.

 

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Thanks for the props... but please, y'all are going overboard. You can teach anything you want and bring in all the pro's you want to... bottom line... if the parents don't learn this "stuff" and the kids don't work it... and I mean big time... it's just not going to happen. We've had players that just don't "get it" and that's fine. We cater to them as best we can because the cliche of you are only as strong as your weakest link is oh so true. Now, our 98 team is not exceptional in any special way. I'm feeling overwhelmed with something may not truly exist day in and day out. Our "potion" (IMO) is we've had at least 8 girls for 4 years in a row and that is the biggest advantage we have IMO. We don't have to constantly step aaaalll the way to the beginning and get to constantly drive forward. Such a wonderful thing. Basics are reiterated and lessons never end, they've all accepted that. We are close knit and that is such a blessing. I've professed that our parents have to rank amongst some of the best and makes my hair stand up. Our second potion is listening to the people smarter than us and trying our best to apply a consistent and proven system and crossing our fingers we communicate it in terms they can understand an apply. One can surely argue it's not for everyone but what Crystl and Howard does is really cool for Ohio and those they come in contact with. Another huge benefit beyond the Busto's camp and their unbelievable support is our coaching staff is unchanged as well for the most part. Lost my buddy Tom a couple years ago but other than that we've stayed the same and then added Krista V to the staff. This ability to stick together is really our team's biggest accomplishment for we choose to commit to growth, be family oriented, and in the end shoot for attaining what the 10+ year org's have had, success in the game of fastpitch and you can put your own "definition to the word success" and judge for one's self only.

Note, we have been whooped on by many teams in the past and I'm sure lumps are a plenty in the future. Makes us all stronger.

Keeping hard working parents and players is really the hardest thing to find and many talk about it. I admire other coaches like Matt with Classics 98 and several others for they do a lot of good things as well and it shows on the field. I also chat with Doug L and several other coaches in the area about how to improve and I truly believe our lil "98" click of coaches is working in our age group. We all help each other alot an for some odd reason even give up info that ultimately will hurt us. Cool thing to be a part of. I thank those coaches (and y'all know who you are) for what we have and I'm sure it will be to our advantage once we leave OH come August.

Kavin's team is insane on how hard they practice. Hard to find a staff like his (Noel, Shannon, and Kavin). The players do some really cool stuff and neeeeever give up because the work ethic is sooo engrained in them. Hard to find their complete package. Hope they stay healthy for 2012 should be fun to watch for them along with some of the other top 14u's in Ohio. I believe OHIO can attain more National titles in the future... let's hope OHIO can whoop up on some Southern and Western teams again this summer!!!! :cap:

 

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No more than 2 at the most??? I don't know about the rest of you, but I would never put a limit on what Ohio softball can do. Over the years, I heard that Ohio could not win at the USA/ASA Nationals...... I think that the last couple of years is starting to show that Ohio can compete and will continue along this path. I don't think that the Lasers, Stingrays and other programs are satisfied at the level that they are at now... if so, please speak up and tell us that your teams are not going to get any better. As an opposing program director, I don't want to hear them say that. I want them to continue to get better. If we never catch up, so be it... but until I hang up my cleats, we will continue to strive to catch up and then some.

Let me first appologize on not being clear. We can most definately compete with the ASA/USA A mainstream. I was talking about the top 10 Elite organizations in the country. Mostly at the Gold level and PGF. And was actually speaking more about depth of each team. The Laser Gold winning ASA/USA was HUGE!!! And that team hits as well as any team in country. Winning that tournament regardless of who wasn't there is a very difficult thing to do. However, and I think at 14u that gold team could have played with anyone. You still did not have the SoCAl Athletics, The Firecrackers, The Batbusters, Scorcer, JINX, and so on in attendance. at the 10u 12u 14u age groups there is much more parity but these organizations year in and year out produce GOLD and PGF championship caliber programs and put their players into top tier DI schools. THe fact that I said TWO teams is because to field a team of that caliber you have to be able to roster 15-18 players that are all top DI caliber players as well as have three to four top level DI pitchers on EACH team. Ohio simply does not have the numbers to field that many teams of that caliber from top to bottom. In the PGF 18u Final the FIRECRACKERS and SOCAL ATHLETICS both threw four and three pitchers respectively and every one of them was verballed to a PAC 10 or SEC school. The number 1 for the FC's plays with ERIN GABRIEL on the US Jr. NATIONAL TEAM and will both be going to TENNESSEE. The point I am making is that WE can compete, but it is not as simple as puting OHIO"S best all on a couple of teams and playing.

 

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Let me first appologize on not being clear. We can most definately compete with the ASA/USA A mainstream. I was talking about the top 10 Elite organizations in the country. Mostly at the Gold level and PGF. And was actually speaking more about depth of each team. The Laser Gold winning ASA/USA was HUGE!!! And that team hits as well as any team in country. Winning that tournament regardless of who wasn't there is a very difficult thing to do. However, and I think at 14u that gold team could have played with anyone. You still did not have the SoCAl Athletics, The Firecrackers, The Batbusters, Scorcer, JINX, and so on in attendance. at the 10u 12u 14u age groups there is much more parity but these organizations year in and year out produce GOLD and PGF championship caliber programs and put their players into top tier DI schools. THe fact that I said TWO teams is because to field a team of that caliber you have to be able to roster 15-18 players that are all top DI caliber players as well as have three to four top level DI pitchers on EACH team. Ohio simply does not have the numbers to field that many teams of that caliber from top to bottom. In the PGF 18u Final the FIRECRACKERS and SOCAL ATHLETICS both threw four and three pitchers respectively and every one of them was verballed to a PAC 10 or SEC school. The number 1 for the FC's plays with ERIN GABRIEL on the US Jr. NATIONAL TEAM and will both be going to TENNESSEE. The point I am making is that WE can compete, but it is not as simple as puting OHIO"S best all on a couple of teams and playing.

Well stated

 

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Well stated

I agree... well stated!!!!

 

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I am a little new to the fastpitch scene, but i don't think talent is an issue at all. I come from a small town in a small ( population ) county and have witnessed major talent in my backyard. I'm talking the same small town that the lasers red 98 (chill now) has been based out of, Lasers purple, and a younger group of very talented girls some of whom have recently joined the lasers. I'm only pointing out the lasers because they are recogized for pulling top talent, however that may be. My point being if we can produce so much real talent from an area (population) of our size, its hard for me to believe that statewide ohio cant produce the talent to compete at any level desired. Now with that being said, I firmly believe that that answer comes down to dedication, training, a vision greater than that of what many see ohio travel ball as, and the ability to field teams with top level talent across the roster having parents and coaches with the same vision and goals. The last part which in my opinion ****s, is financial. There has to be a way for girls of unmeasurable talent to be able to attain help to play top level even if their family cant completely cover the cost. We have the talent, all we need is dedication, vision, and in some cases finances. The talent is here and we will see more and more results to come, I firmly believe that.