This game at any level needs quality volunteers. Personally, I believe your enthusiasm speaks volumes of your personality and with all do respect like to share with you some things you will need to know.
As you can tell, the regular OFC'ers are struggling with your thread opening remarks that you would be a benefit to our sport. The reason, as already shared, is the point you want to make about your baseball background. Except for the fields being indentical in shape but not size, that's almost the only thing that's relevant. fastpitch is different---------and we've all heard and seen your kind before with horrific results. All of us experienced baseball before softball, either as a player or fan at some time in our lives. After all the years we can say without doubt that your baseball experience won't help much.
You mention coaching girls in other sports. Perhaps you played them as well. That's fine because they do relate the same whether they are boys or girls playing them. The one thing that might help is the experience of actually coaching the girls which is different from coaching boys. If you don't believe me on this statement then even that experience is yet to be learned by you. The desire to organize a "New" travel team is admirable but most will agree the timing is wrong. travel teams normally form and host tryouts in August. most have rosters full by Sept. or Oct.. If you don't have your pitching staff and battery in place and your roster within a player by now the moral thing would be to release the kids to other organizations looking for a player so your own ego doesn't keep the ladies from missing a summer of ball. If you believe you already have a roster of girls that will follow your lead, I suggest you waste no time collecting the fees and getting them signed up for the summer. Getting a full commitment from so many families is its own monster and most of us are sceptical you'll pull it off first try this time of year.
If you've never been a part of a fastpitch travel organization before, I highly recommend you take your daughter to 1 of the clubs still looking and give her a chance to make their squad. Then take a summer to see to it she gets where she needs to be and be an observant parent on the fence----------with your mouth shut and your mind open to learn. If you take your own daughter to numerous clubs this time of year and cannot get selected to the program, then odds are you have no business starting a new team. Starting a team just so your daughter can play and you can feed your inner child will not help anyone.
In the above case; I'd suggest you get involved as a volunteer assistant to your local Rec. program. Help with honing kids' basic skills such as catching, fielding, throwing the ball, then take in some clinics this winter from a qualified program or instructor and learn how to teach your daughter how to hit. Again, just because you played baseball doesn't make you a hitting instructor. There ARE some unique differences in the swing for many reasons. Some of the basic mechanics ARE the same but need to be taught differently to females.
Lastly, if you are totally serious about actually learning how to teach this game the correct way from the best in the business, get you wallet out and join the NFCA (Natoinal Fastpitch Coaches Association) and sign up and and attend the NFCC (National Fastpitch Coaches College) courses offered. That way you'll be taught the game from the best college and Olympic coaches in the world including Candrea, Miller, Gasso, and Edwards.
Please don't be discouraged by what you've read. We want you to be successful in your quest to get involved. Do it for the right reasons. Do it the right way. Take time to learn the game yourself before jumping into a leadership roll just because you can. Wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if you're doing it or teaching it. Showing others how the wrong way, leading others in the wrong manner is still wrong. In the scheme of things the young ladies don't have a very long career being kids and playing this game. Wasting a summer misguiding them will simply put them behind others in the learning curve.
