Description Table of Contents Author The road to a championship season begins long before the first pitch of the opening game. It begins before a player even steps onto the field. In Practice Perfect Softball, the game’s premier coaches share their approaches, experiences, and philosophies of every aspect of practice. This authoritative guide goes beyond the stretches and drills, straight to the heart of winning—effort and attitude. From structuring sessions to evaluating practice performance, you’ll find proven and practical recommendations from the all-star lineup of contributors: • Julie Lenhart • Rachel Hanson • Beverly Smith • Rachel Lawson • Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren • Dot Richardson • Ken Eriksen • Connie Clark • Celeste Knierim • Bill Gray and Melissa Chmielewski • Lonni Alameda • Jo Evans • Jen McIntyre • Donna Papa • JoAnne Graf (editor) Inside, you’ll identify and establish practice ethics; assess team strengths; and develop players’ skills in the field, on the mound, and at the plate. Developed by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Practice Perfect Softball is your guide to developing champions on and off the field. Chapter 1. Establishing a Strong Work Ethic: Julie Lenhart Chapter 2. Planning Productive Practices: Rachel Hanson Chapter 3. Incorporating Technology and Practice Tools: Beverly Smith Chapter 4. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses: Rachel Lawson Chapter 5. Developing a Competitive Environment: Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren Chapter 6. Motivating Players in Practices: Dot Richardson Chapter 7. Organizing Effective Batting Practices: Ken Eriksen Chapter 8. Organizing Effective Fielding Practices: Celeste Knierim Chapter 9. Developing the Pitcher and Catcher: Connie Clark Chapter 10. Perfecting Position Play: Bill Gray and Melissa Chmielewski Chapter 11. Offensive Situational Practices: Lonni Alameda Chapter 12. Defensive Situational Practices: Jo Evans Chapter 13. Evaluating Practices: Donna Papa Chapter 14. Practicing Indoors: Jen McIntyre The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. The idea for a softball coaching association first developed from discussions at the National Collegiate Women's Softball Championships in the early 1980s. Although mostly collegiate coaches constituted the organization's membership in the early days, today's collegiate coaches are joined by high school and club coaches and umpires as well as other fans of fastpitch softball. Besides services offered to the membership, the NFCA works with USA Today to produce polls for NCAA Division I and high school softball. NCAA Division II and Division III polls are also produced. In addition, the NFCA conducts collegiate tournament competitions and recruiting camps around the country.
