Course
401: The Art of Championship Coaching
Overview:
Softball is more than X's and O's. Learn how to mold your team into the championship team you always wanted. This course will help you develop and apply the skills of coaching through case study and discussion:
- Discover how your coaching style can have maximum impact on your athletes;
- Gain a better understanding of your players -- why they act the way they do and how to predict their responses;
- Improve your effectiveness in dealing with recurring issues like playing time, teamwork, discipline, confidence, slumps and change;
- Learn specific tips for coaching hitters and pitchers;
- Learn to better manage team meetings, conflict and negativity;
- Develop effective protocol for pre-game, pitching changes, substitutions, practice, travel, games and team membership;
- Discuss the art of scheduling and game planning;
- Learn strategies for goal setting, listening, communicating and delegating;
- Identify fatal coaching flaws and discuss how to fix them.
Instructors:
Columbus, OH - Susan Craig; Gayle Blevins; Rhonda Revelle
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
Course 403: Position Play and Individual Defensive Skills
Overview:
This course emphasizes how to analyze and teach the skills required to play each of the nine softball positions. In addition, you will:
- Study the mechanics of throwing, tossing and fielding;
- Examine techniques used to cover bases, back up, check runners, retrieve balls and cut-off throws;
- Identifying and break down the skills required to play each defensive position;
- Analyze and correct typical errors in performance;
- Review and discuss situational game charts;
- Accumulate drills for the practice of position play skills.
Instructors:
San Diego, CA -
Bill Edwards; Stacey Nuveman; Margie Wright
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
Course
404: Solid Team Defense & Strategy
Overview: Learn how to put your individual players together to build a defensive team. In addition, you will:
- Study various defensive sets and discuss how to select the appropriate set for various game situations;
- Identify and understand skills required to execute pickoffs and rundowns;
- Learn how to handle special situations (wild pitch-passed balls, dropped third strikes, intentional walks);
- Respond to steals, extra-base hits, bunts and slaps;
- Increase your understanding of angles, principles of jurisdiction; communication systems and primary-secondary back-up charts;
- Learn to interpret statistics and position your players with a purpose in mind;
- Use the DP-FLEX rule to your advantage;
- Discuss pitch calling, pitching strategy and defensive game plans;
- Accumulate drills for the practice of defensive team skills and strategies.
Instructors:
San Diego, CA -
Gayle Blevins; Eugene Lenti; Heather Tarr
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
Course 405:
Explosive Team Offense & Strategy
Overview:
Learn how to read your opponent and coordinate the actions of your individual players in order to score and manufacture runs. In addition, you will:
- Examine the pieces of an explosive offensive puzzle (power, running and short game);
- Learn the elements of play-mapping and apply them to numerous tactics and strategies;
- Practice and evaluate your play calling by going head-to-head with classmates and instructors in various game situations;
- Discuss how to put together a batting order and how to use the DP-FLEX rule to your advantage;
- Study offensive strategy factors and principles of strategic thinking;
- Learn how to interpret opponent statistics and apply the information to your game plan;
- Break down the four basic elements of a game plan;
- You have to score to win: 33 Tips for Runners, 15 Tips for Coaches, 23 Tips for Batters;
- Explore your offensive philosophy, personnel management, scouting and the evaulation of offensive performance;
- Accumulate drills for the practice of offensive team skills and strategies.
Instructors:
San Diego, CA -
Mike Candrea; Sharon Drysdale; Tim Walton
Instructors:
Oklahoma City, OK -
Sharon Drysdale; Bill Edwards; Phil McSpadden
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
Course 406: Coaching Dynamic Team Practices
Overview:
This course examines the factors that must be considered when teaching softball skills and taking those skills to the next level. The class starts in the classroom and moves to the field-indoor facility for demonstration and evaluation of different types of practices and drills. In addition you will:
- Take an indepth-look at planning, organizing and conducting practices from the ground up;
- Construct a draft of a master practice plan. Discuss sample daily plans. Consider differences in pre-season, pre-game and off-season plans;
- Develop practice policies and procedures, logistics and routines;
- Discuss eight mistakes coaches make when teaching drills and how to prevent them;
- Learn how to boost your players performance through effective feedback;
- Actively participate in drills designed to improve your personal coaching skills;
- Evaluate sample hitting, pitching and position play practices. Also, observe and evaluate practices designed to help players develop game sense, counter offensive-defensive strategies and prepare for games.
Instructors:
San Diego, CA -
Carol Bruggeman; Carol Hutchins; Deb Pallozzi
San Diego, CA - Sharon Drysdale; Bill Edwards; Carol Bruggeman.
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
Course 407:
Winning Strategies for Game-Day Coaching
Overview:
This course focuses on the game-day experience. You will develop and apply the skills of coaching through observation, analysis of game clips and real-time strategy decisions:
- Analyze selected game match ups. Develop prospective game plans and discuss them in a group setting.;
- Identify opponent's basic game plans;
- Scout from within a game and assess the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent;
- Make real-time strategy decisions based on what you see in game clips;
- Evaluate team and individual performance;
- Discuss how to handle "teachable moments," during a game;
- Address difficult coaching situations and brainstorm how to handle them;
- Recognize rules issues and answer questions relative to their resolution; respond to hypothetical rules cases;
- Also addresses such topics as: personnel decisions, game hitting, bench management, game plan adjustments, pitch calling, giving signs, base coaching, developing a "Blue Book" on umpires and conducting meetings (pre-game, post-game).
Instructors:
Rosemount, MN -
Carie Deaver-Boaz; Jay Miller; John Tschida
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $250
NFCA Member: $225
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
*Prerequisite of at least two years coaching
experience.
Course 408: Pro League and World Series Game and Coaching Observation
Overview:
In this course, you will observe games at the Pro League and at the Women's College World Series and analyze techniques, strategy, coaching styles and pre-game practice. In addition, you will:
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Make field observations;
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Scout teams and develop a game plan;
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Review and analyze game tapes;
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Assess team and invidual performances;
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Practice personal game tracking, scoring and charting;
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Watch the series games with class instructor and discuss plays;
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Address questions to a panel of NCAA guest coaches.
Instructors:
Sulphur, LA -
Chuck D'Arcy; John Tschida; Scott Whitlock
Oklahoma City, OK - Dianne Baker; Chuck D'Arcy; John Tschida
Course Costs:
NFCA Non-Member: $300
NFCA Member: $275
Early Registration Discount: $25
(if registered 14 days in advance)
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