Chuck D'Arcy has been there and done that. Winning championships has been part of his life since he first picked up a ball. So it was no surprise when he was picked to be the pitching coach for the USA Olympic team. D’Arcy offers a wealth of knowledge to the USA staff as a former national team player and as a coach. He served as an assistant coach for the 2006 USA Softball Women’s National Team that won its first World Cup of Softball and a sixth consecutive World Championship. D’Arcy has also served as an assistant coach with the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team that captured the silver medal at the 2003 ISF Junior Women’s World Championship in Nanjing, China. As a pitcher, D'Arcy competed in the ASA Men's Major Fast Pitch division for almost 30 years spanning four different decades. He participated in 17 ASA National Championships and eight USOC Olympic Festivals. He was selected to play for the USA Men's National Team in the 1983 Pan-Am Games in Caracas, Venezuela and was voted team captain by his teammates. His Hall of Fame numbers include more than 1,000 victories, more than 10,000 strikeouts, more than 60 no-hitters and more than 15 perfect games. He held an earned run average of 0.85 over his 30-year career. For his accomplishments he was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 1997. All that background has helped him develop a philosophy, which he will discuss at a main session. There are reasons why D’Arcy and Olympic head coach Mike Candrea consider screw balls and straight curves as “situational” pitches to selected batters, as opposed to rise, drop, drop curve, fastball and change-up and he’ll explain that at the session. He also offers a unique look at pitching techniques.
   D’Arcy got a chance to use these techniques while working with the best softball pitching staff in the world as the USA went after another gold medal in China.

   Bigger, faster and stronger …. That is the mission of Brandon Marcello, who was the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Softball National team.
   Marcello has been developing strength and conditioning programs for the past decade and currently serves as the speed and conditioning coach for the Baylor University softball team. Since August 2003 he has developed sport-specific speed and conditioning workouts along with a detailed nutritional program for one of the Big 12 Conferences most successful programs. He has also served as the strength and conditioning coach for various programs at LSU prior to arriving at Baylor.
   “Brandon brings great passion as well as a wealth of knowledge to our sport”, said USA Softball head coach Mike Candrea. “His softball specific background will definitely be an asset to the USA program.”
   He joined the USA staff in 2006 and is responsible for the day-to-day strength and agility training for the team. He also serves as the director of Sports Performance at Stanford University. Marcello has written on numerous topics concerning fitness for a variety of journals, textbooks, and periodicals.
   In a main session Marcello, who received his doctorate last year, will go in depth with speed and strength training for the under-18 athlete. Then, as part of the Ultimate Rap, he will offer specific information on a number of ways to improve performance.
   One 25-minute session will center on increasing an athletes speed from home to first base. Dynamic softball warm-up techniques, and weight training with a look at what age an athlete should begin training, will also be part of the Rap sessions.

TIM WALTON
University of Florida

   In just three short years at the helm of the Gator program, Head Coach Tim Walton has shown Florida softball to be a program on the rise. Walton's third season was the best season in the program's 12-year history, as he led the Gators to an NCAArecord 70-win season in which they lost only five games, four by 1-0 scores.
   The 2008 Gators were the first team in school history to reach the NCAAWorld Series where they finished with a 3-2 record, reaching the semifinals. Florida won its first SEC title along the way.
   Just how he got the Gators to that point will be one of his topics at Thursday Night Thunder when he explains team planning and practice organization. Then, at the Ultimate Rap sessions Friday, he’ll be joined by his other coaches for a Florida Staff Clinic where they will provide an inside look at the Gators program. The Staff Clinic will include hitting and pitching drills, pre-game preparation, and even nutritional tips for peak performances.
   In 2007 Florida had its first 50-win season and an NCAA Super Regional appearance. Florida also advanced to the SEC Tournament Championship game for the first time since the inaugural season in 1997. In his first season, Walton led the Gators to a 43-25 (.632) overall record, making him the winningest first-year head coach in program history. The 43 wins was the most by the Gators since 2000 and the .632 winning percentage was the second-best in program history. The Walton-led Gators set a school record for on base percentage.
   Walton, the third head coach in the history of the Gator program, came to Florida from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., where he had been the head coach for three seasons. In 2005, Walton led the Shockers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years as they earned the first at-large bid in school history. Wichita State finished the 2005 season with a school record 46-18 record and broke 30 school records in the process.

JENNY GLADDING
University of Florida

   Jenny Gladding is no stranger to the University of Florida. Atwo-year letter winner in the pitching circle for the Gators, Gladding returned to Gainesville for her second season as an assistant coach. Last season, as Gladding helped teach Florida's infielders, the Gator defense recorded the top fielding percentage in school history (.975), while also recording the most chances (2,205) and double plays (26). Gladding also helps with offensive decisions on the field as the Gator's first base coach. Gladding transferred to UF for the 2003 season after playing her first two years at Arizona. In just two years at Florida, she rewrote the Florida pitching record book, setting career records for opponent batting average, strikeouts per game and strikeouts looking. She finished her career just 35 strikeouts short of the school record. In addition to her stellar performance in the pitching circle, Gladding had a powerful bat and led the Gators with a .318 average in 2003. Gladding earned All-Southeastern Conference Honors in 2003 and 2004 and All-Pac 10 honors in 2002. She earned All-Region honors both her sophomore season at Arizona and her junior season at Florida. Gladding was a member of two College World Series teams at
   Arizona, and helped the Wildcats win the national title in 2001. She will be part of the Gator Staff Clinic at the Ultimate Rap sessions.

   Jennifer Rocha is making a name for herself as one of the top pitching instructors as she completed her third year at Florida. The Gator pitching staff as a whole set program records for lowest ERA (0.92)), lowest opponent batting average (.176), most wins (70), shutouts (30), and fewest runs allowed(94). 2007 was a banner year for the Gators pitching staff as a whole as they set program records for lowest ERA (1.40), lowest opponent batting average (.207), wins (50), shut outs (26), fewest runs allowed (126), and fewest earned runs allowed (100).
   In 2006, Rocha took a veteran junior pitcher and two freshmen and worked them into a confident and experienced staff able to help the Gators to wins against some of the nation's top ranked teams.
   Before that while she coached at Wichita State, the Shockers pitching staff set several school records and posted an earned run average of under 2.00 in her last two seasons. Their 1.46 ERA in 2004 was the lowest in program history. Rocha was an assistant coach at Oregon for a year before going to WSU. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 1999.Rocha is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and played for the Sooners from 1996-1998. During her time as both a player and a coach, Rocha was a part of six consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, three Big XII Conference titles, two Big XII Tournament titles, two WCWS appearances and one national championship. She finished her playing career with a .721 winning percentage (43-17) and posted a 1.46 ERA. She will be part of the Gator Staff Clinic at the Ultimate Rap.

   The wit and wisdom of Scott Whitlock never fails to amaze us. The winningest coach in NCAA softball with two national titles and 13 regional crowns. He has more personal accolades than you can mention as he has built Kennesaw State into a Division 1 program.
   And for his lifetime of hard work, dedication and success, Whitlock was granted the highest honor of his profession. In December of 2004, he received the highest accolade of his career when he was voted into the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. He was inducted in December of 2005 in Orlando, Florida.
   After successful runs at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels, Whitlock has carried his success into Division I. Last season, in the Owls’ third year in college softball’s premier level of competition, he led Kennesaw State to its second Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title with a 36-17 , 14-6 in conference. In three seasons, Whitlock has compiled an 118-54 overall record within D-I, is a two-time A-Sun Coach of the Year and has produced a conference Player of the Year in Keri McKee (2007), a Pitcher of the Year in Brittany Matthews (2007) and has had 12 all-conference performers.
   But it is his innate ability to get the most of players that has made him a force among coaches. He’ll show off some of those traits, first at Thursday Night Thunder when he covers the DEFs of the game – Determination, Effort and Fundamentals. At a center stage session Whitlock explains the unexplainable – how to handle the incontrollable. Then as part of the Ultimate Rap he tells how to motivate the female athlete, which trick plays can work and team building exercises.
   Whitlock began the softball program at Kennesaw State when he coached the slow pitch team in 1989 and 1990. Beginning in 1991, when the Owls played in the NAIA, he initiated the fast pitch program. After moving Kennesaw State to NCAA Division II status in 1995, Whitlock and his Owls won back-to-back national championships and he now stands as the NCAA's winningest coach. In his first 1,000 games, fast pitch and slow pitch included,  Whitlock has compiled an 873-127 record for a .873 winning percentage.
   USA Softball selected Whitlock as one of 16 coaches for the Women's National Team during 2005 season. He worked in 2006 helping select the National team. It wasn’t an uncommon experience for the Owls coach. He also served on the support staff of the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal squad.

   As a coach for a traveling team Joe Botti has known all the success stories and has discovered all the pitfalls. During his sessions at the Ultimate Rap he will provide insights on how to get funding for a youth traveling team, how a youth team coach can market athletes to colleges and universities and how to deal with problem parents and fans.
   Botti has coached the Beach Girls (N.J.) Gold tournament team for 25 years. He has dedicated his life to the advancement of young women athletes, by advancing their education through athletic development while gaining a reputation as one of the nations finest coaches.
   He graduated from St. John’s University and received his Master Degree from Brooklyn College. He is now a teacher in the New York City School System. He has been the head softball coach at Hofstra University. St. Peters (Jersey City) and Ocean County College, Toms River (N.J.).
   A relentless recruiter, Joe has a great eye for natural talent and the expertise to develop athletes to perform at the highest levels. In the last 10 years the Beach Girl Gold squad has been on the national stage. Seven times they have reached the Nationals and more than 100 girls have received athletic scholarships.

   Cat Osterman is arguably the most popular fast pitch softball player in the world. From her dominant stint as the ace of the University of Texas pitching staff to her phenomenal run on the U.S. National team, Osterman has secured her place among the legends of the sport.
   She entered the sports spotlight in 2001. While in high school she was selected as the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year and the USA Softball National Team invited her to join the club.
   Cat attended the University of Texas, leading her team to three Women’s College World Series appearances - 2003, 2005 and 2006. She received the 2005 and 2006 ESPY Award as the Top Collegiate Female Athlete, and has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year four times. She red-shirted with the Longhorns in 2004 to participate in the Athens Olympic Games, where she received a Gold Medal.
   Cat was part of this year’s Olympic team where her unique pitching style left opponents in awe. As a main speaker at the “Be the Best You Are’’ clinic, Cat will talk about preparing for competition mentally and physically. She offered some insights on her thought process.
   “You have to have experience first. That includes failure. You're not going to have success right away. Alot of kids don't understand that. Once we were playing a team from California in travel ball. And I had pitched really well, but we lost 1-0. I walked up to my Dad after the game crying. And he said, "What's wrong? You pitched really well." And I said, "Yeah, but I need another pitch.”
   “Even though I had failed, I found something I could take away from that. So when we got back I started working on that other pitch. Using failure to find things to work on really puts you on the path to success.’’
   Osterman held the NCAA Division 1 career strikeout record with 2,265 strikeouts during her four year career when she left Texas. Cat is still the NCAA all-time leader for strike outs per 7 innings, 14.34. She also currently holds the Big 12 record with 25 Pitcher of the Week awards and the Big 12 record with four Pitcher of the Year awards. Osterman pitched a total of 20 NCAAcareer no-hitters and 10 NCAA perfect games

   Entering her 17th season as Nebraska's head coach in 2009, Rhonda Revelle has directed the Huskers to one of the most successful stretches in program history. Last season, Revelle became just the 48th coach in the history of NCAA Division I softball to post 600 career victories. The winningest coach in program history, Revelle became the first female coach of any sport in Nebraska history to record both 500 career victories and 500 victories at Nebraska. Her current career record stands at 600 wins.
   In her coaching duties, Revelle has led Nebraska to at least 35 wins in 10 of the past 11 years. Under her guidance, the Huskers were one of only nine teams nationally to advance to every NCAA Tournament from 1995 to 2007. Revelle has guided NU to six Big 12 titles, including a sweep of the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles in 2004. She also led the Huskers to the 2000 Big 12 Tournament title, the 2001 Big 12 Conference regular-season title and a spot in the 1998 and 2002 NCAAWomen’s College World Series. In finishing runner-up in the 2008 Big 12 Championship, Revelle guided her team to the championship game for the league-high seventh time in the 13-year history of the tournament.
   At Thursday Night Thunder she will explain the role of the catcher as the field general and how to teach your catcher to accept that role. During the Ultimate Rap sessions she will offer ideas on developing mental toughness in pitchers as well as teaching pitchers to field their positions.

   Bill Edwards has completed 19 seasons as Hofstra University Head Softball Coach, and he has been the architect of a program that has grown to national prominence. He has led Hofstra to the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament in the 2004, 2005 and 2008 seasons, and has helped the Pride capture a remarkable 11 straight conference tournament titles from 1998-2008, which is an NCAA Division I record for softball. His career record stands at 695-330-3 in 19 seasons, ranking him in the top 25 in NCAA history in career winning percentage.
   Most recently, Edwards guided Hofstra to a school record 45 wins in 2008, including two at the NCAA Regionals in Hempstead, N.Y. as it advanced to the regional finals for the third time. The Pride finished with a 45-13 record, while winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and postseason championships, earning Edwards the CAA Coach of the Year award.
   While the last six seasons have been especially noteworthy on a national level, the Hofstra Softball program had also displayed consistent excellence over his 19-year career. Edwards and company has garnered 11 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span, including the last six in a row. In each of the last 17 seasons under Edwards, the Pride has won either a regular season or a postseason conference title, including 11 straight tournament championships, breaking the previous record of nine straight conference titles set by Massachusetts from 1995-2003. He will be part of Thursday Night Thunder with a session on throwing and receiving the ball. At the Ultimate Rap he will center on rundowns, cutoffs, and teaching catchers how to block home plate.
   Edwards came to Hofstra from Commack High School where he coached softball for nine years, compiling a 118-61 record and reached the Suffolk County Class A playoffs in seven of those nine years.
   Since 1986 Edwards has also served as head softball coach for the P.S.I. Couriers, an Amateur Softball Association (ASA) summer team. His 1987 team captured the Mid-Atlantic region championship and finished fifth in the national tournament, which marked the first time a Long Island team had competed in the national tournament.

   While some experts will tell you that good pitching wins championships or good offense wins titles, Golden Eagle head coach Tory Acheson is proof that behind every great team, there’s a great coach.
   Acheson has surpassed Bobby Holloway as the Tech’s winningest coach, compiling a 322-184 record at Tennessee Tech in eight seasons at the helm. In 2006, he led the Golden Eagles to a program best 50-15 record, a regular season Ohio Valley Conference title, an OVC tournament title, and the team’s second straight NCAA tournament appearance. For his efforts, Tory was crowned OVC Coach of the Year - the second such accolade bestowed upon the veteran coach in four seasons.
   Acheson led the Golden Eagles back from the brink in 2005 to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season before shocking Jacksonville State twice on their home field in the OVC Tournament. From there, Tech made its second appearance in the NCAA Regionals in three seasons, proving that Golden Eagle softball, despite many key losses, is still a force to be reckoned with.
   Under his tutelage, the Golden Eagles have won three regular-season OVC crowns, four tournament championships, participated in an NCAA play-in game in 2001, and three times played in the NCAA Regionals (Texas 2003, Georgia 2005, Knoxville 2006).
   Outfield play will be his topic at Thursday Night Thunder while situational hitting , hitting to the opposite field and the forgotten art of bunting will be his topics at the Ultimate Rap.

Lisa Navas had the honor of building the first women’s fast pitch softball team at NC State, and the program has shown consistent improvement and success in its brief history under her leadership. In just four years Navas has built the NC State softball program from the ground up, taken it to the NCAA Tournament twice and collected both ACC regular-season and tournament titles. With those achievements in mind, it’s not difficult to see why she is such a highly regarded coach. A 16-year veteran of the coaching ranks with 500 victories, Navas brings a plethora of softball knowledge to the plate. Prior to her appointment with the Wolfpack, Navas spent two years at neighboring North Carolina, where in 2001 she helped the team to a 38-19 record, the school’s first and only ACC championship and NCAA regional appearance. In 2002, the Tar Heels finished second in the conference while compiling an overall record of 34-30, after setting the school’s home run record. Navas spent nine years as head coach at Barry University, a program that she guided to an overall record of 335-134-1. The roots of Navas’ passion for the sport stem from her playing days at Oklahoma City University. As a shortstop for the perennially ranked Lady Chiefs, Navas guided the school to a second-place finish at the NAIA National Tournament in 1986. She’ll provide skills and drills for playing the infield at Thursday Night Thunder . Defending all aspects of the short game is just one of her topics at the Ultimate Rap session on Friday.