Softball
My Softball History
I started softball when I was around 8 or 9. I played for a rec team in South Carolina, which is where I lived at the time. Since then, I have played for 5 or 6 years on different rec teams, including my school team when I was in 7th grade and plan on playing for the same team in 8th grade. I also currently play for Sting. My primary position is first base and my secondary is centerfield. I can also play shortstop, second, left field, and right field.
My Current Team(s)
I currently play for Sting B-14U team. I have a few out-of state tournaments including one coming up in Arizona, and one in July. I also play for my middle school softball team. The season for that team starts March 7th.
Goals
My main goal for softball is just to improve. No Pain, No Gain is something I believe in, so I push myself past my limits to improve. I train hard on days that I don't have pracice as well as when I do. I want to improve mainly on batting, since I am good at fielding already.
Things to Focus On
Skils that are important to softball are batting and defense. The first list focuses on batting and the second focuses on defensive tips. There are also a few first base and outfield tips.
- Focus on your grip on the bat. Line up your second knuckles with eachother. Your grip should be slightly loose, but strong enough to support the bat.
- Back elbow should be up, not as high as in baseball, but still up. About parallel with the ground, maybe a little higher.
- Make good contact with the ball. Hit the ball on the inside, on the laces if possible. Don't hit the ball fully extended. Use your hips and shoulders to follow through and push the ball even farther.
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- Ball before plate. This means that if the ball is between you and the person playing the base next to you, you should run after it, unless called off, in which case you should run to cover your base. The ball is more important than the runner because if it stops between you and right fielder, and you have a slow rightfielder, as many teams tend to, then the runner could get an extra base or two.
- Catch everything. In reality, you won't catch every ball, but you should always make an effort to, because you might surprise yourself. Don't be afraid to step off the base. Don't be afriad to trying to catch the ball. This also applies to outfield.
- Run. The key to playing outfield and being good at it, is being quick. You need to be able to be quick to catch a fly.
One thing to keep in mind is don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of catching or hitting the ball. Don't be afraid of getting hit by the ball. The worst that can happen is a little pain and possibly you break something. Not bad. If you are batting and you get hit, that's a free base.
Image thanks to https://www.facebook.com/NCStingSoftball/
All images and words including team names and schedules can be used for all purposes.