|
|
|
|
|
|
            
For
further info
|
Pitching is just one aspect of this year’s “Be the Best You Are’’ softball clinic. Ralph Weekly has put together a staff of experts who have not only enjoyed success on the field, but have built their reputations as teachers. They will explain how they go about that task during the three days of non-stop learning sessions. Smith, now a commentator for ESPN, will show how to develop junk pitches while Abbott teaches how to develop speed, while maintaining control. Weekly and his wife Karen, who have transformed the University of Tennessee into a powerhouse, will show how to quickly identify and correct hitting flaws. Ken Eriksen, a legendary catcher and clinician, will explain catching drills and fundamentals. Scott Whitlock, a legend from Kennesaw State, where he became softball’s winningest coach, is also on hand. He will share the wisdom of his years at a main session Saturday where he tells “”Here is What’s on My Mind,’’ 50 minutes of sheer magic on everything from teaching the game to keeping your team focused. He’ll also be part of Thursday Thunder, the opening session for the clinic. He’ll explain how to start over in mid-season. Jen Croneberger, a sports psychologist, offers a different look at coaching a team. She has worked with top professionals in game preparation. She’ll explain how to build mental toughness and confidence at Thursday Thunder and will have a series of sessions at the Ultimate Rap on Friday. Karen Weekly offers hitting mechanics and drills at Thunder. She will also be part of the three-coach panel that will run the first-ever Players’ Clinic. That will be Saturday where there is room for 150 players who will get hands-on training from Weekly, Eriksen and Rachel Lawson of Kentucky, who will deal with pitchers. Tony Rico, the coach for the USA Junior World National Team teaches the slap game at Thunder and offers a number of topics at the Rap sessions, including how to deal with the delicate balance between high school and travel teams. Beverly Smith of South Carolina offers pitching tips at the Rap sessions and tells how to recognize weaknesses and calling pitches at Thunder. Jen Brundage of Michigan and Bill Edwards of Hofstra add their expertise to Thunder and the Rap. Edwards brings the game back to the playground where fun and learning the game are a part of life. Smith and Abbott have enjoyed tremendous success in international events. Smith attended Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner, New Jersey, where she set school records for wins, strikeouts and no hitters. She was a top pitcher at Oklahoma State University. She has played for the USA Olympic/National Team, Toyota Shokki (Japan Pro League), WPSL Gold, Redding Rebels and NJ Belles. Smith began to play softball at five years old but only began to pitch at the age of 15. Her career for Team USA began in 1990, when her team finished second in the ASA Women’s Majors National Championships but Smith was named to the 1st team All-American. Also in 1990, she was picked as the USOC Softball Sportsperson of the Year, won a bronze medal at the USA Softball National Team Festival, leading the festival with .455 average and fi ve RBI, and she even pitched the third no-hitter in festival history. Abbott set the record for the most strikeouts in a Division I softball season while at Tennessee and became the NCAA Division I Softball all-time leader in career wins, strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched, games started and games pitched. She made her Olympic debut for Team USA, pitching the final inning (in relief of starter Jennie Finch) of a 5-inning no-hit victory by Team USA over Venezuela. She pitched five perfect innings, striking out 8 in her next outing, as Team USA defeated the Netherlands 8-0 to extend its Olympic winning streak to 20 games. Thursday Night Thunder offers eight topics and eight speakers for 50-minute sessions. Ultimate Rap sessions are a series of 24, 25-minute sessions, where eight speakers provide fast-paced information in give-and-take sessions that take out the bull. These sessions have been a yearly success among coaches who always ask for more when the night is done. For further information or for a brochure
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
And Now….. Three highly regarded college coaches will lend
their expertise to the clinic with individual instructions in infield play,
pitching, and catching. |
