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Member
While I stated that I currently live in Texas. My softball life actually started in the Buckeye state many years ago.......
The email address I list is OSBDEM That is Ohio State Buckeye with my initials. I carry a Buckeye in my pocket for luck and I have never forgotten my roots.
I think its important that if you are going to give advice and opinion you should know a little backgroud information. I posted this recently on another board.
My entry into the world of softball started at the age of 14 in a church league in central Ohio. I have played both fast pitch and slow pitch softball. I also played baseball. In softball I played class ?A? slow pitch softball for many years in Ohio until the wife threatened to divorce me because I was never home on the weekends. I retired from slow pitch about 5 years ago. (Age 45) due to slow reflexes. When you?re a pitcher and new bats are bringing the ball at you, before your reaction time, its time to quit.
My fast pitch experience started at the age of 7 watching a men?s fast pitch league in Marion Ohio, at Garfield park. I used to live in a house that overlooked the park field and set up many a night during the summer watching the players play ball. The park is still there and in use today. It was where I fell in love with this game. Little did I know the impact this would have on me later in life.
In the military I played some fast pitch softball but not as a pitcher. Mostly playing in the outfield and striking out swinging at rise balls and curves and drops and?;.. well you get the picture. It?s a tough sport but most of you know that by now.
I have 2 children one boy and one girl. Both of them are great kids. The boy is 21 the girl is 17 and is a fast pitch pitcher. The boy played baseball. I started as a youth coach with my son from the time he was 5 until he was 13. He then discovered football and later wrestling. I didn?t want any part of football. Not that I don?t enjoy it but its way too much work to coach and be good at it. I coached a football team in the military at the age of 22. It about drove me nuts. I did get involved with the wrestling. So much so that I founded a youth wrestling organization here in Texas call the Lake Cities wrestling club.
My son never participated in the club but I started it because I could see how it changed my son?s life and I wanted other kids to get those same benefits. I ran and coached in the club for 2 years and then turned it over to a good friend when my son graduated from HS. Its now it its 5th year and going strong. Because of softball I have not gotten back coaching wrestling with the club. I miss it a lot.
I have played and coached in many different sports. Not just softball. I have been involved in Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Soccer, Baseball, Slow and Fast pitch softball and last, but not least, my favorite, Basketball.
My daughter started tee ball at the age of 5. I could tell by that time that she had some potential talent for the game and that she was going to be good at it some day. At the age of 9 she was asked to try out for a select program after going through a tryout for a recreational team. The wife and I had no idea what we got into at that time. I volunteered to be an assistant softball coach as well as coaching my son?s baseball team as a head coach. I have been a select softball coach for 8 years either as an assistant or head coach.
At the age of 10 the daughter came to me one day and stated she wanted to be a pitcher. My first reaction was Oh Crap! (Maybe even a little more definitive than that) I knew what this was going to do to my life and hers. I have been sitting on buckets ever since. I recently got a promotion to an old swivel office chair that is a little softer than a bucket. I recommend it to anyone.
We found an excellent pitching coach down here in Dallas and went from there. His name is David Jackson. His roots in softball pitching go back to WW2 in 1945. At the age of 13 he started with a pitching coach who, as I recall pitched in the military. He said his coach started in the 1920?s. David now resides in Illinois. He moved away for family reason?s after 5 years of giving my daughter lessons. Last I talked with him he was retired from giving lessons.
While David was giving my daughter lessons he was at that same time forcing me to learn his teaching method. Told me that if I was there to help the daughter that I needed to understand how to fix her problems when she was pitching. It is the foundation of what I teach to players today, 8 years later.
I continue to look for the best methods and processes to improve players and their pitching. That is why I am a part of this and other forums.
I know this is long and I am sorry but I wanted you to all know where it is I am coming from when I state an opinion or make a suggestion on this board.
Take Care,
Elliott.
The email address I list is OSBDEM That is Ohio State Buckeye with my initials. I carry a Buckeye in my pocket for luck and I have never forgotten my roots.
I think its important that if you are going to give advice and opinion you should know a little backgroud information. I posted this recently on another board.
My entry into the world of softball started at the age of 14 in a church league in central Ohio. I have played both fast pitch and slow pitch softball. I also played baseball. In softball I played class ?A? slow pitch softball for many years in Ohio until the wife threatened to divorce me because I was never home on the weekends. I retired from slow pitch about 5 years ago. (Age 45) due to slow reflexes. When you?re a pitcher and new bats are bringing the ball at you, before your reaction time, its time to quit.
My fast pitch experience started at the age of 7 watching a men?s fast pitch league in Marion Ohio, at Garfield park. I used to live in a house that overlooked the park field and set up many a night during the summer watching the players play ball. The park is still there and in use today. It was where I fell in love with this game. Little did I know the impact this would have on me later in life.
In the military I played some fast pitch softball but not as a pitcher. Mostly playing in the outfield and striking out swinging at rise balls and curves and drops and?;.. well you get the picture. It?s a tough sport but most of you know that by now.
I have 2 children one boy and one girl. Both of them are great kids. The boy is 21 the girl is 17 and is a fast pitch pitcher. The boy played baseball. I started as a youth coach with my son from the time he was 5 until he was 13. He then discovered football and later wrestling. I didn?t want any part of football. Not that I don?t enjoy it but its way too much work to coach and be good at it. I coached a football team in the military at the age of 22. It about drove me nuts. I did get involved with the wrestling. So much so that I founded a youth wrestling organization here in Texas call the Lake Cities wrestling club.
My son never participated in the club but I started it because I could see how it changed my son?s life and I wanted other kids to get those same benefits. I ran and coached in the club for 2 years and then turned it over to a good friend when my son graduated from HS. Its now it its 5th year and going strong. Because of softball I have not gotten back coaching wrestling with the club. I miss it a lot.
I have played and coached in many different sports. Not just softball. I have been involved in Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Soccer, Baseball, Slow and Fast pitch softball and last, but not least, my favorite, Basketball.
My daughter started tee ball at the age of 5. I could tell by that time that she had some potential talent for the game and that she was going to be good at it some day. At the age of 9 she was asked to try out for a select program after going through a tryout for a recreational team. The wife and I had no idea what we got into at that time. I volunteered to be an assistant softball coach as well as coaching my son?s baseball team as a head coach. I have been a select softball coach for 8 years either as an assistant or head coach.
At the age of 10 the daughter came to me one day and stated she wanted to be a pitcher. My first reaction was Oh Crap! (Maybe even a little more definitive than that) I knew what this was going to do to my life and hers. I have been sitting on buckets ever since. I recently got a promotion to an old swivel office chair that is a little softer than a bucket. I recommend it to anyone.
We found an excellent pitching coach down here in Dallas and went from there. His name is David Jackson. His roots in softball pitching go back to WW2 in 1945. At the age of 13 he started with a pitching coach who, as I recall pitched in the military. He said his coach started in the 1920?s. David now resides in Illinois. He moved away for family reason?s after 5 years of giving my daughter lessons. Last I talked with him he was retired from giving lessons.
While David was giving my daughter lessons he was at that same time forcing me to learn his teaching method. Told me that if I was there to help the daughter that I needed to understand how to fix her problems when she was pitching. It is the foundation of what I teach to players today, 8 years later.
I continue to look for the best methods and processes to improve players and their pitching. That is why I am a part of this and other forums.
I know this is long and I am sorry but I wanted you to all know where it is I am coming from when I state an opinion or make a suggestion on this board.
Take Care,
Elliott.
