In the last few months we have worked with a lot of coaches (
they can identify themselves if they choose too) and the same theme applies. The basics of throwing were not understood, balance was poor to non existent, basic hitting mechanics were poor including soft toss methods and how to catch a ball. In some cases we even worked on sliding techniques!
You are giving reasons why the California team have an advantage so to speak over the Ohio teams. If you are a coach in Ohio it is your own fault! Learn basic throwing, fielding and hitting techniques...I was in California for 6 weeks and their practices are even more organized than what I see around Ohio for the most part.
While at Beaver Creek back in June, the 23 and under teams were playing and I counted 22 of our former students all playing at the same tournament. Hitter23 can tell you it brought a tear to my eyes watching these girls playing at the next level. Some of theses girls have been my students since they were 12 years old. We discussed the other girls throwing techniques and hitting techniques as you could visually see the difference in our kids verses the others. Then we started talking about the schools they played for. There is a lot of variation in techniques being taught at the college levels and I will give only two examples. Michigan bought RVP in 2004 and then won WCWS in 2005 I think, Ohio State bought it in 2005 and made it to the play offs for the first time in 2009! Same information different coaching techniques???????
Wright State changed their offensive program in 2007 and made it to the play offs in 2008 and then bought RVP I think. He then took a job in the SEC for Arkansas. Look at the Big Ten softball programs? Are there any male coaches? Then start looking in the PAC10, SEC etc. Now look at their staffs and who they surround them self with? Hutch and Enquist are as good as it gets! It is not a male verses female issue, it is talent and technique and staff in my opinion and recruiting plays a big role and then how good a manager you are as coach to put it all together and win.
Bottom line the kids in California in my opinion have access to better coaches and better techniques are being taught.
When Howard Kobata was here I was in the back of the room and noticed both girls he was working with had flip flops on and I told a coach if they did not have gym shoes to at least take off the flip flops. It was difficult to watch as the kids he was working with had poor throwing techniques and he was trying to give them advanced fielding mechanics and they had no balance! At dinner that evening and in a follow up email Howard K and I discussed that and he said it is very difficult to teach advanced skills when they do not even have basic throwing skills! In a follow up email Howard K said he tried something different at his next three clinics, he taught them what it felt like to be balanced and how to do it and the clinics went much better.
It took less than 10 minutes at the Hawks Clinic to teach 65 coaches how to get balanced and why they are stronger with the head down verses up and that has no bearing on the weather, population etc....that is technique, see it, feel it and fix it!
At your next practice...without saying a word watch your kids throw. Look to see how many players release the back leg and bend forward as they throw? How many break the ball out of their glove, ball hand down and elbow up? How many take the ball out of the glove and go straight back and go behind their head and the elbow is down? How many finish their throw across their body? How many throw with the elbow and hand going straight down? Are any of the players using their glove arm to help bring the ball side shoulder around? How many are throwing the ball into the ground? How many are throwing it over the heads or across their body? If they are 10 or 11 teach them....if the are older ask why they have never been taught to throw properly?
What does California have to do with how or what you teach in Ohio?
Just my opinion
Howard
