Fastpitch Prep

Conditioning, Strength Training, Controversies, Celebrations in Youth Sports and An organization does not guarantee success

In episode 436 of Everything Fastpitch, Coach Tory and Coach Don preview a show featuring fall college softball as a great time to watch games and practices in person, and name Columbus, Georgia as City of the Week. Tory apologizes for previously omitting Little League World Series player Carson Meyer while discussing Kenley Erasmus. A listener question sparks concern about gambling on the Little League Baseball World Series and about social media videos showing young kids’ inappropriate football behavior and adults enabling it. The main interview features strength and conditioning coach Mike Kelly, who explains his background and his remote, individualized softball-focused training approach using assessments, technique feedback, and consistent programming to improve performance and reduce injury risk. The coaching tip argues that joining a big-name national travel-ball organization won’t fix team problems without better coaching.

Conditioning, Strength Training, Controversies, Celebrations in Youth Sports and An organization does not guarantee success - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast In episode 436 of Everything Fastpitch, Coach Tory and Coach Don preview a show featuring fall college softball as a great time to watch games and practices in person, and name Columbus, Georgia as City of the Week. Tory apologizes for previously ...

Little League Highlights, Mirror Mindset with Scott Mead, Travel Ball Truths, Equipment Tips, and Coaching Fun in Fastpitch

Coach Tory and Coach Don open with a Did You Know about Kinley Rasmus, a talented girl playing in the boys Little League Baseball World Series, and discuss women’s baseball opportunities versus softball scholarship realities. City of the Week is Durham, North Carolina, noting increased listener response after prior North Carolina coverage. A listener asks if recruiting is possible without high-level travel ball; they say yes but visibility, competition level, and school options may be limited, and travel costs often exceed typical scholarship returns. In an interview, Scott Mead of Mirror Mindset Performance shares police-inspired reset strategies (breathing, physical cue, phrase) and his app/website resources for athletes, parents, and coaches. The coaching tip discusses keeping practices fun through competitive, skill-based games while still emphasizing improvement and satisfaction.

Little League Highlights, Mirror Mindset with Scott Mead, Travel Ball Truths, Equipment Tips, and Coaching Fun in Fastpitch - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory and Coach Don open with a Did You Know about Kinley Rasmus, a talented girl playing in the boys Little League Baseball World Series, and discuss women’s baseball opportunities versus softball scholarship realities. City of the Week is D...

Weather rules school ball vs travel ball / Interview with Little League Softball Champion's Coach / Can't please everybody

Coach Tory and Coach Don preview Episode 434, thank patrons, and highlight the AUSL All-Star Series, encouraging listeners to watch and support pro softball. Player of the Week is Anna-Lynn Clark of the Johnson County (North Carolina) Little League team, praised for dominant World Series pitching and leadership. A listener asks why schools enforce heat/lightning stoppages more than travel ball; they discuss safety technology, school accountability, and lack of uniform travel policies. Guest Ben Cattaruzzi, Johnson County’s Little League Softball World Series championship coach, explains his coaching background, the qualification path, North Carolina’s strong Little League/travel ecosystem, and players’ college aspirations, and endorses Square Cuts. The coaching tip urges coaches not to obsess over pleasing everyone, while delivering on promises and staying true to team values.

Weather rules school ball vs travel ball / Interview with Little League Softball Champion's Coach / Can't please everybody - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory and Coach Don preview Episode 434, thank patrons, and highlight the AUSL All-Star Series, encouraging listeners to watch and support pro softball. Player of the Week is Anna-Lynn Clark of the Johnson County (North Carolina) Little Leagu...

SkillShark Number Crunching, Tournament Talks, and Safety Tidbits

Coach Tory hosts Everything Fastpitch today. He notes the U.S. Women’s National Team won the International Cup over Japan, with the USA Elite team finishing third, highlighting Montana Fouts and the deep Olympic player pool. City of the week is Greenville, North Carolina, site of the Little League Softball World Series; the equipment tip spotlights the ZVT training tool that uses color feedback to encourage seeing the ball. A listener shares a professionally timed 2.57 home-to-first run at an all-state combine. In the main interview, Neil Anderson explains SkillShark, an app and web platform that replaces paper tryout scoring with mobile evaluations, videos, weighted reports, automated team sorting, self-assessments on character traits, prefilled comments, developmental resource tagging, and automatic swing analysis. Tory advises new travel teams to balance challenging and winnable tournaments through self-assessment, tournament-director input, and coach networking, and closes with a safety PSA urging consistent, proper use of protective screens during hitting drills.

SkillShark Number Crunching, Tournament Talks, and Safety Tidbits - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory hosts Everything Fastpitch today. He notes the U.S. Women’s National Team won the International Cup over Japan, with the USA Elite team finishing third, highlighting Montana Fouts and the deep Olympic player pool. City of the week is Gr...

I’m very excited to share this with our listeners. Our discussion really opened my eyes to something I wish I had heard years ago. It’s going to be a game changer for a lot of people. Thank you!!

We spend countless hours teaching athletes how to perform—but how much time do we spend helping them understand the people they’re performing alongside?

Today I had the opportunity to record a podcast conversation about what I’m beginning to think of as the people side of performance: the innate wiring, strengths and weaknesses, lenses, filters, communication, and relationships that athletes and coaches bring with them into every practice, every game, and every pressure-filled moment.

Coaches are the experts in the game.

My lane is helping teams better understand the people playing it—because the same words can be spoken to four athletes and heard four completely different ways.

Learning to speak the language of the person in front of you doesn’t lower the standard. It can help you reach them more effectively as you pursue it.

I’m grateful for the invitation and excited to share this conversation when it releases in a few weeks.

While this conversation started with softball, the people side of performance exists anywhere people are working toward something together:

Dugouts

Courts

Fields

Locker rooms

Classrooms

Boardrooms

Churches

Teams and organizations

Different lenses. Different wiring. Shared purpose. Stronger performance.



I Said This, You Heard That
Kathleen Maloney Edelman

International Cup Updates, Rec Ball Winning Culture, Rule-Bending Scandals, NCAA Eligibility Chaos & Practice vs. Games

Today we highlight the USA Women’s National Team and Elite Team competing in the International Cup in Oklahoma City, noting Japan’s strength, Patty Gasso’s difficult roster choices, and the positive impact of the pro league on U.S. players. The City of the Week is Racine, Wisconsin, with a connection to "A League of Their Own". They address a listener’s concern about 8U rec softball prioritizing winning over teaching and equal participation. In the leadoff segment they discuss recurring scandals of bending or breaking rules in youth sports and the lessons it teaches kids. In the cleanup segment they react to a court injunction granting an extra year of college eligibility to a group of athletes, creating roster and scholarship uncertainty. The coaching tip argues player development primarily comes from practice reps, with games serving as tests rather than the main development tool.

International Cup Updates, Rec Ball Winning Culture, Rule-Bending Scandals, NCAA Eligibility Chaos & Practice vs. Games - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Today we highlight the USA Women’s National Team and Elite Team competing in the International Cup in Oklahoma City, noting Japan’s strength, Patty Gasso’s difficult roster choices, and the positive impact of the pro league on U.S. players. The Ci...

Everything Fastpitch: Little League on TV, AUSL Championship, College Opportunities, and Coaching Strategies for Struggling Teams

Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 428 with segments including a Did You Know?, equipment tip, listener question, and an interview with Alan Vanhook, plus a coaching tip on practicing all game situations. They highlight the Professional Softball League (WPSL) as another strong women’s pro option alongside AUSL, noting six teams (including Atlanta Smoke) and urging support for pro opportunities to grow the sport and benefit future Olympic teams. The equipment tip spotlights Rempro Sports defensive face masks. A listener question asks what parents should understand; they stress honoring commitments and recognizing how hard softball is. In the interview, Alan Vanhook shares his daughter Jordyn's Arizona State journey, transfer portal experience, returning as a walk-on, the importance of being a great teammate, mental health, and earning opportunities that led to degrees and a GA role. The coaching tip emphasizes practicing every situation—especially in limited travel-ball practice time—rather than overfocusing on conditioning or talking instead of doing.

Professional Softball Leagues, Transfer Portal Experiences with Alan Vanhook, and Key Coaching Strategies - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 428 with segments including a Did You Know?, equipment tip, listener question, and an interview with Alan Vanhook, plus a coaching tip on practicing all game situations. They highlight the Professional Soft...

Fastpitch Uncovered: NCAA Rule Impacts with Greg Dees, Legacy Rainout Drama, and Pitcher-Only Concerns

In episode 430 of Everything Fastpitch, Coach Tory and Coach Don discuss the AUSL heading into playoffs (with Chicago and Utah battling for the top seed) and the league’s growth, and name Sacramento, California as City of the Week. They address a listener rant about the rain-impacted Legacy Tournament in Atlanta, noting the challenges of massive “super tournaments,” field conditions, and umpire shortages, and debating refunds and contingency plans. In the main interview, recruiting expert Greg Dees of Empowered Analytical Sports Recruiting explains the NCAA Division I “five-for-five” eligibility rule starting with the 2027 class, its limited exceptions, transitional impact on 2026s, tighter roster spots causing decommitments, and advice to broaden target schools and consider D2/D3 or transfer pathways, including graduate-degree benefits. The coaching tip argues against making 12U athletes “pitcher only,” emphasizing development, injury realities, and two-way skills.

Greg Dees Recruiting Questions

Fastpitch Uncovered: NCAA Rule Impacts with Greg Dees, Legacy Rainout Drama, and Pitcher-Only Concerns - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast In episode 430 of Everything Fastpitch, Coach Tory and Coach Don discuss the AUSL heading into playoffs (with Chicago and Utah battling for the top seed) and the league’s growth, and name Sacramento, California as City of the Week. They  addr...

NIL being denied, an interview with a parent balancing an elite athlete's desires and schooling and a tip for coaches to backup what they advertise in tryouts.

Coach Tory and Coach Don welcome you to Episode 429 of Everything Fastpitch. They share a Did You Know? noting over $9 million in NIL deals have been denied, seeking listener clarification. A listener asks how to keep defenders engaged behind a dominant strikeout pitcher; the hosts suggest emphasizing communication, positioning, backup responsibilities, and practicing game-speed defensive reps. In an interview, Gosia Betancourt describes her son Joshua’s transition from intense elite gymnastics to elite diving, the family’s emotional adjustment, and the importance of listening to children; she also discusses managing perfectionism, injuries, coach communication, and using online schooling for academic rigor and flexibility. The coaching tip urges travel-ball coaches to align tryout advertising with realistic commitments, especially claims about player development versus heavy tournament schedules.

NIL being denied, an interview with a parent balancing an elite athlete's desires and schooling and a tip for coaches to backup what they advertise in tryouts. - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory and Coach Don welcome you to Episode 429 of Everything Fastpitch. They share a Did You Know? noting over $9 million in NIL deals have been denied, seeking listener clarification. A listener asks how to keep defenders engaged behind a do...

Professional Softball Leagues, Transfer Portal Experiences with Alan Vanhook, and Key Coaching Strategies

Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 428 with segments including a Did You Know?, equipment tip, listener question, and an interview with Alan Vanhook, plus a coaching tip on practicing all game situations. They highlight the Professional Softball League (WPSL) as another strong women’s pro option alongside AUSL, noting six teams (including Atlanta Smoke) and urging support for pro opportunities to grow the sport and benefit future Olympic teams. The equipment tip spotlights Rempro Sports defensive face masks. A listener question asks what parents should understand; they stress honoring commitments and recognizing how hard softball is. In the interview, Alan Vanhook shares his daughter Jordyn's Arizona State journey, transfer portal experience, returning as a walk-on, the importance of being a great teammate, mental health, and earning opportunities that led to degrees and a GA role. The coaching tip emphasizes practicing every situation—especially in limited travel-ball practice time—rather than overfocusing on conditioning or talking instead of doing.

Professional Softball Leagues, Transfer Portal Experiences with Alan Vanhook, and Key Coaching Strategies - Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 428 with segments including a Did You Know?, equipment tip, listener question, and an interview with Alan Vanhook, plus a coaching tip on practicing all game situations. They highlight the Professional Soft...