Philosophy
Panther Fastpitch Softball
Program Philosophy
Main Goal:
Get better each day by:
- Helping others improve
- Learn more about the game
- Knowing your strengths
- Work on your weaknesses
- Focus long-term over short-term
- Make excellence a habit
Priorities:
*What kind of a team are we going to be?
- Play Fast
- o Pre-game is crisp and orderly
- o Run on and off the field, no walking on the field
- o Sprint on walks and home runs
- Play Hard
- o Compete-compete-compete
- o Every team will hate to play us
- o Look for, expose, and attack weaknesses
- Play Smart
- o Be coachable
- o Know the situation, when to take risks
- o Make adjustments as a team and as an individual
- Play together
- o Team over self (everyone works toward the same goal)
- o A good team will beat great players
- o A great player will always make others around him better
*Compete in every game
* Solely pursuing winning is dangerous
- Eliminate ugly wins (playing up to our potential no matter the opponents level)
- Learning from a loss (solely pursuing winning will ruin opportunities to learn)
*How will you deserve more respect and more playing time?
- Show up early
- Stay late to work on skills
- Personally help others to get better
- Be coachable
- Hustle everywhere you go
- Keep your mind on the task at hand
- Volunteer to help out
- Encourage you teammates
- Shake hands with and thank the officials
- Be a good student
- Always act in a first class manner
- Come to practice and games prepared
Attitude:
* Realize that your education comes first.
* Maintain good body language at all times
* Respect everyone, fear no one!
* Be slow to speak and quick to listen
Offensive Philosophy
Hitting:
* Main Objectives
- Get on base
- Move ‘em up
- Move ‘em over
- Move ‘em in
* Priorities
- Be aggressive, make the defense pick up the ball
- Hit the first good pitch, you may not get another good one
- Do not fear any pitcher
- On a 3-2 count, swing, swing, swing
- Take a strike when behind in the lst inning
- Runner on 1st-hit behind the runner
- Runner on 2nd-hit behind the runner, drive the ball
- Runner on 3rd-find some green, don’t get cheated
Base Running:
* Main Objectives
- Always look for an extra base
- Force the defense to make a play
- Be aggressive yet smart
- Make the pitcher think about you on the bases
- Anybody can steal bases
* Priorities
- Make up your mind and go all out
- Freeze on a line drive
- Make the defense force you back to the bag on your secondary lead
- Stay alert
Bunting:
* Only bunt strikes (unless the suicide in on)
* Get the ball down first, then run
* Placement is key
* Frustrate the defense (50% of all bunts result in everyone being safe)
Defensive Philosophy
Keys to Successful Defense
* Get outs (it’s a race to 21 outs)
* Play catch
* Throw through your target
* Make the routine play
* Take care of the small stuff
* Get your feet in front of the ball
Infield play:
* Attack the ball, don’t wait back
* Catch the ball away from the body
* Catch the ball slightly on the glove side of the midline
* Catch the bottom of the ball
* Communicate with other infielders
* Know position priorities
* Move feet toward the target to throw
* Be quick, but don’t be in a hurry
* Everyone has a place to move on every play
* An extra throw is not always best
Outfield Play:
* Run to where the ball is going to land, no drifting
* Communicate with other outfielders
* Know position priorities
* Back-up everything
* Play shallow rather than deep
* Hit cut-offs
Catching:
* Be in charge
* Snap the ball back-a good throw every time
* Stand up to throw the ball back
* Know the hitter-know their tendencies/weaknesses
* Know your pitcher-know her strengths and likes/dislikes
* Keep everyone in the game
Pitching:
* Main Objectives
- We want to challenge hitters
- Let the hitters get themselves out
- We want to keep our defense in the game by working quickly
- Each pitch has a purpose-no wasted pitches (each pitch leads to the next)
- Your most important pitch is you next pitch
* Priorities
- Location, location, location (hit your spots)
- Change speeds
- Movement
- Velocity
* Goals
- First pitch strikes
- Work quickly (next pitch 8-10 second after receiving ball from catcher)
- Less than 3 free bases per game (walks, HBP, etc.)
- No missed signs (if you are not sure, step off and meet)
- 2:1 strike-out to walk ratio
- Keep base runners in check (1 pick-off attempt for every 3 runners)
* What you can control:
- Physical and mental preparation for the game
- Preparation for next pitch, next hitter
- Your response to tough situations
- How you bounce back/regroup
* What you cannot control:
- Hits
- Runs
- Errors
- Keys to Pitching Success…
-
- Be a Panther on the prowl. You are the toughest pitcher today.
- The team will take on the personality of the pitcher so have a strong presence.
- Work Fast. Your teammates will love you and your opponents will hate you.
- Challenge-challenge-challenge. Force teams to beat you.
- Attack hitters. Be ferocious in going after hitters.
- Nothing gets in your way. You have a goal for every game/pitch. GO GET IT!
- Be resilient. Nothing breaks you concentration.
Panther Softball Building Blocks for Confidenc
1. Self Evaluation
2. Goals
3. Preparation
4. Persistence
“When you choose to become part of a team, you cease to exist as an individual.” -John Wooden
Confidence is arrogance under control.
I’m prepared.
I’m confident.
I’m so confident that I pass it on to my teammates.
I’m so confident; I take it away from my opponents!
MOST OF All, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENERGY I BRING TO THIS SPACE!