Fusion Fastpitch 00 shares the same goals as most travel programs, but has a unique way of attaining them. We have played together for 6 years and are looking forward to our 7th year together. 4 of those years we have played as an independent team. Many years ago we left an organization that didn't meet our needs and expectations. Each year we explore opportunities with other organizations, but will not sacrifice our proven team structure just to join. We have watched our players continue to improve each year and want to stick with what works.
After many years of coaching I have learned a lot of valuable lessons. At the top of the list is the need for total honesty. Tryout season is stressful for EVERYONE ! Teams are trying to improve and parents are trying to find the best fit for their daughter. Inevitably some will feel like they have made a mistake. More often than not the cause is a lack of honest communication. No matter what team you tryout for ask as many questions as you can think of. If the team offers an option to send an email before tryouts do it. Both the team and your family will benefit from this. There is no point in trying out for a team that isn't a good fit for you. There is a huge difference between wanting your daughter and needing your daughter. If you are afraid asking questions may hurt your daughters chances of being offered a spot then that wasn't the team for you to begin with. With our team a players stock rises when we see they have parents that are committed to their daughter and the sport. A player will be limited in her success without it. (Here comes the honesty) The next biggest mistake in choosing a program is ego. When a player is offered a spot on a team that for the most part is playing on a higher level than their ability it makes them feel good. It should, their hard work is being recognized. You still have to make sure it's a good fit though. If you aren't getting the playing time you need then all of those girls on other teams who are playing every inning are catching up and might be competing with you next year for your spot. Your daughter belongs on the team playing at the highest level that she will get maximum playing time on. Make an educated decision based on what is best for developing your daughters skills not what looks better on their spirit wear.
I think egos also get in the way when picking tourneys for the year. Way too often I hear coaches talking about their tough showcase schedule and know that they don't do well and get very few games per weekend. Our girls need playing time against the toughest competition they can compete against, period ! Going out and playing a few games per weekend not only doesn't help the girls improve, but it kills morale among players and parents. We pick tourneys based on the level of competition, cost and families desire to play in them.
As an independent team we decide as a team what our goals are for the year and the best way to obtain them. Last fall we decided that we wanted to take a path that would increase college exposure. With the 2 yrs in 16U ahead of us we decided we would play 3 fall tourneys and practice at least once per week until school ball. After school ball we scheduled 6 tourneys and won an ASA qualifier to play in Delaware as our 7th tourney. In addition we practiced twice per week. The plan was to continue this through fall and winter of 2016 and play a tough schedule in 2017. THIS WAS A MISTAKE.
Our girls have the ability to play at higher levels. Unfortunately what we found is very common at the 16U level. It simply wasn't fun for them to practice and play that much. We went from a team that did very well last year finishing our season at ASA Eastern Nationals in the top third ( losing to 2nd and 4th place teams ) to a team that started strong and finished weak. We hit over .400 as a team in our first tourney ( 5 girls over .500 ). This continued into our second tourney where we played well and won an ASA qualifier. In our third tourney the enthusiasm level fell off and we finished third. Since that tourney our enthusiasm has continued to decrease causing us to reevaluate our path.
This is a very common problem at this age group in ALL sports. Numbers fall way off and very good athletes get burned out. School work loads get tougher as girls prepare for college, they get their drivers license and enjoy some of their new found freedoms and then there is dating. In the end if forced to decide between sports and all of these other things a lot of girls quit sports. We believe we have a path for this year for these players to play at a competitive level and still have a life.
For fall 2016 - summer 2017 we have planned the following schedule.
We will practice a few weeks in fall and play 2 tourneys.
For winter instead of practicing every week we will play an indoor league and possibly a winter tourney or two. These are once a week or every other weekend. Players looking to play in college will use this time to work with hitting, fielding, pitching coaches, etc. This is much more productive than indoor winter practices.
We will practice for 3 to 4 weeks before school ball to knock the rust off before tryouts.
For summer we will play 7 tourneys including nationals with at least one weekend off per month. They will be quality tourneys chosen to minimize expense and maximize quality playing time. These will not be all showcase tourneys, but level of play will be good. Most likely at least 3 of the tourneys will offer college exposure.
For those girls who have a desire to play college ball this path will work for you. Way too often parents believe their daughters get "discovered" at showcase tourneys. Obviously every little bit helps, but a very small percentage of girls get offers based on their play at these tourneys. Most scouts are there to see specific girls that are already on their radar. The chances of them watching your daughters game when she has the game of her life and totally wows them is a low percentage. Most girls get on schools radar by sending videos and bios to schools they are interested in and going to their camps. We are more than willing to help you make the right contacts, but in the end you are going to have to do a lot of the work no matter what team you play for. Once on a schools radar you have to impress them. That's why it is so important to play the maximum number of games each week to make sure you are ready when they do see you.
We realize that with travel sports comes large expenses. We do everything possible to limit our fees. Last year I spoke with many organizations about their costs. Most of them played and practiced less than us and we were still the cheapest I found. We divide total expenses of tourneys and indoor league by number of players and that is our cost. In addition players have to buy 2 uniforms. Practice facilities and cages are paid for by 2 fundraisers and a few donations.
We have a few needs for this year and will offer private tryouts. This takes a lot of time for us, but creates an environment where your daughter doesn't feel like she is competing with others trying out and allows us to give her our full attention. Any positions offered will be spelled out in detail. Unlike most teams we do not continue to look to better our roster through the season. We choose our players and will work hard to make them the best player they can be. Last year we rostered 10 girls and will never roster more than 11. Playing time is our goal. Our guarantee is a committed effort to provide your daughter with valuable coaching, as much practice as she needs and playing opportunities at the highest level we can compete at. In return we expect 100% effort in practices and games. We can teach skills....... you either have the desire or you don't. The Fusion family truly is a unique opportunity and a great learning environment for the right players.
We practice in Hilliard.
Fusion Fastpitch 00
Coach Mike
614-208-7113
mcastle34@columbus.rr.com
After many years of coaching I have learned a lot of valuable lessons. At the top of the list is the need for total honesty. Tryout season is stressful for EVERYONE ! Teams are trying to improve and parents are trying to find the best fit for their daughter. Inevitably some will feel like they have made a mistake. More often than not the cause is a lack of honest communication. No matter what team you tryout for ask as many questions as you can think of. If the team offers an option to send an email before tryouts do it. Both the team and your family will benefit from this. There is no point in trying out for a team that isn't a good fit for you. There is a huge difference between wanting your daughter and needing your daughter. If you are afraid asking questions may hurt your daughters chances of being offered a spot then that wasn't the team for you to begin with. With our team a players stock rises when we see they have parents that are committed to their daughter and the sport. A player will be limited in her success without it. (Here comes the honesty) The next biggest mistake in choosing a program is ego. When a player is offered a spot on a team that for the most part is playing on a higher level than their ability it makes them feel good. It should, their hard work is being recognized. You still have to make sure it's a good fit though. If you aren't getting the playing time you need then all of those girls on other teams who are playing every inning are catching up and might be competing with you next year for your spot. Your daughter belongs on the team playing at the highest level that she will get maximum playing time on. Make an educated decision based on what is best for developing your daughters skills not what looks better on their spirit wear.
I think egos also get in the way when picking tourneys for the year. Way too often I hear coaches talking about their tough showcase schedule and know that they don't do well and get very few games per weekend. Our girls need playing time against the toughest competition they can compete against, period ! Going out and playing a few games per weekend not only doesn't help the girls improve, but it kills morale among players and parents. We pick tourneys based on the level of competition, cost and families desire to play in them.
As an independent team we decide as a team what our goals are for the year and the best way to obtain them. Last fall we decided that we wanted to take a path that would increase college exposure. With the 2 yrs in 16U ahead of us we decided we would play 3 fall tourneys and practice at least once per week until school ball. After school ball we scheduled 6 tourneys and won an ASA qualifier to play in Delaware as our 7th tourney. In addition we practiced twice per week. The plan was to continue this through fall and winter of 2016 and play a tough schedule in 2017. THIS WAS A MISTAKE.
Our girls have the ability to play at higher levels. Unfortunately what we found is very common at the 16U level. It simply wasn't fun for them to practice and play that much. We went from a team that did very well last year finishing our season at ASA Eastern Nationals in the top third ( losing to 2nd and 4th place teams ) to a team that started strong and finished weak. We hit over .400 as a team in our first tourney ( 5 girls over .500 ). This continued into our second tourney where we played well and won an ASA qualifier. In our third tourney the enthusiasm level fell off and we finished third. Since that tourney our enthusiasm has continued to decrease causing us to reevaluate our path.
This is a very common problem at this age group in ALL sports. Numbers fall way off and very good athletes get burned out. School work loads get tougher as girls prepare for college, they get their drivers license and enjoy some of their new found freedoms and then there is dating. In the end if forced to decide between sports and all of these other things a lot of girls quit sports. We believe we have a path for this year for these players to play at a competitive level and still have a life.
For fall 2016 - summer 2017 we have planned the following schedule.
We will practice a few weeks in fall and play 2 tourneys.
For winter instead of practicing every week we will play an indoor league and possibly a winter tourney or two. These are once a week or every other weekend. Players looking to play in college will use this time to work with hitting, fielding, pitching coaches, etc. This is much more productive than indoor winter practices.
We will practice for 3 to 4 weeks before school ball to knock the rust off before tryouts.
For summer we will play 7 tourneys including nationals with at least one weekend off per month. They will be quality tourneys chosen to minimize expense and maximize quality playing time. These will not be all showcase tourneys, but level of play will be good. Most likely at least 3 of the tourneys will offer college exposure.
For those girls who have a desire to play college ball this path will work for you. Way too often parents believe their daughters get "discovered" at showcase tourneys. Obviously every little bit helps, but a very small percentage of girls get offers based on their play at these tourneys. Most scouts are there to see specific girls that are already on their radar. The chances of them watching your daughters game when she has the game of her life and totally wows them is a low percentage. Most girls get on schools radar by sending videos and bios to schools they are interested in and going to their camps. We are more than willing to help you make the right contacts, but in the end you are going to have to do a lot of the work no matter what team you play for. Once on a schools radar you have to impress them. That's why it is so important to play the maximum number of games each week to make sure you are ready when they do see you.
We realize that with travel sports comes large expenses. We do everything possible to limit our fees. Last year I spoke with many organizations about their costs. Most of them played and practiced less than us and we were still the cheapest I found. We divide total expenses of tourneys and indoor league by number of players and that is our cost. In addition players have to buy 2 uniforms. Practice facilities and cages are paid for by 2 fundraisers and a few donations.
We have a few needs for this year and will offer private tryouts. This takes a lot of time for us, but creates an environment where your daughter doesn't feel like she is competing with others trying out and allows us to give her our full attention. Any positions offered will be spelled out in detail. Unlike most teams we do not continue to look to better our roster through the season. We choose our players and will work hard to make them the best player they can be. Last year we rostered 10 girls and will never roster more than 11. Playing time is our goal. Our guarantee is a committed effort to provide your daughter with valuable coaching, as much practice as she needs and playing opportunities at the highest level we can compete at. In return we expect 100% effort in practices and games. We can teach skills....... you either have the desire or you don't. The Fusion family truly is a unique opportunity and a great learning environment for the right players.
We practice in Hilliard.
Fusion Fastpitch 00
Coach Mike
614-208-7113
mcastle34@columbus.rr.com
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