Noel Gomez asked:

What is a good fun name for a hussle play or great effort for the day?

Rick’s answer:

we call it the heart award. anytime a player does more than is expected, they are playing with "heart".

Lisa Escobar asked:

My daughter is a catcher and has tendinidious what cream or anything do you suggest she cn wrap around her arm

Rick’s answer:

I have had to deal with this since a kid and now as a coach. My tendinitis was caused by bad mechanics. Throwing behind the ear as a catcher is notorious for this. I have tries wraps, creams, devices, etc... I did find a solution. Instead of the "... Continue reading »

Aaron Johnson asked:

If an umpire threw one of your kids out for saying "crap," what would you do?

Rick’s answer:

I find it difficult to think a BLUE would toss someone for saying crap under their breath. If it were my daughter, I would definitely have a talk with her to find her side, and also consult with the league to get the umps side. There should be a repo... Continue reading »

Al Ciolek asked:

Coaches, I want your opinion!

Rick’s answer:

Every child must be engaged during the entire practice. When we hit, we have multiple stations. Live hitting, bunting, tee drills, soft toss, etc... I try not to have more than 2 girls waiting at any time. When it comes to defense, "crossfire" is a ... Continue reading »

Dawn Muldoon asked:

My DD has played for 5 years. Last year her dad coached her and now she has lost all her enthusiasm to play. How do I help her get it back?

Rick’s answer:

As "Coach Dad", I can vouch for the fact that we expect more from our children. This is neither right or wrong. When our child doesn't play to their potential, we take the long way home to discuss the game. I have learned that I need to treat my dau... Continue reading »

Revolution 8 asked:

How do I calm my happy feet in the box?

Rick’s answer:

My daughter has this same problem. She is afraid of getting hit by the pitcher. I must remeind her that everytime she steps into the box, she needs to focus on her feet. Once we started seeing pitchers with control, she didn't move her feet quite as... Continue reading »

Melanie Trup asked:

how many lefty pitchers have you come across in softball? Are they as much of a rarity as I think they are?

Rick’s answer:

In 7 seasons of softball, I have come across only 1 lefty. Because it is a different look, other teams have difficulties. This is provided that they can throw strikes with a little speed.

Marc Sirkin asked:

How many pitches should my U12 pitchers be throwing daily to prep for a touranment on 7/1? Is one day on, one off safer vs every day?

Rick’s answer:

If you are serious about pitching, you should find out how many pitches you can throw consistently without having fatigue set in. Once you have a number in mind, replicate this number for 3-5 days while working on consistency. Once you fell comforta... Continue reading »

Monte G. Mc Kee asked:

What would you do with a allstar coach tah constantly puts her players down and never praises them?

Rick’s answer:

As an all star coach, putting the girls down is non-productive. We need to be task specific with our comments, but also need to stroke the egos of the girls we coach. If they do not feel confident in the way they think or play, nothing good will happ... Continue reading »

Coach Criswell asked:

I asked this before and it got off track. Are you other coaches seeing an influx of kids coming into 10U-12U rec ball with little experience

Rick’s answer:

I see this alot in softball. They join the league to hang out with their friends. As a coach it is our responsibility to give them basic skills and hopefully they will "play up" to the rest of the team. Expectations by the coach will help them accom... Continue reading »