I was one of the coaches in attendance at the clinic John led Saturday afternoon. As a first year coach (and father of one of my players) one of my biggest concerns has been how to teach hitting, throwing, and pitching to girls that have never played before. I coach 8 & under slow pitch, so about half of my girls have never played before. I played baseball (rather poorly) for several years as a kid and had better success playing amateur softball as an adult, but since I've always been a fan of baseball and an armchair student of the game, I couldn't remember how I learned the basics.

John's breakdown of hitting was EXACTLY what I needed. Armed with that I headed for our Sunday afternoon practice and by the end of an hour, there was a tremendous difference in how often they were making contact, how well they were hitting the ball, and how much smoother and controlled their swings were. I feel like John gave me the tools to get started AND an understanding of the swing so that I can watch the girls and make adjustments as they progress

The throwing and pitching breakdowns were equally valuable (I can't remember the instructor's name, but she had some great tips and drills). Both of the team's pitchers moved up to 10U fast pitch this year, so I don't have any experienced pitchers but with the drills we were given, I have 3 or 4 girls who look like they will be able to take the mound. As for throwing, at our first practices, it seemed like all of the girls only wanted to throw underhanded, but after the wrist snap drill, all of them are trying (with quite a bit of success) to throw the ball overhand.

Ben: you have a great team here. Their knowledge, experience of, and passion for the game are quite obvious. Thanks to all of you! We may not have the best team this season, but now my will learn the game and have a fun season