10/25/2026
🥎 EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY SOFTBALL… BUT WHO WANTS TO PUT IN THE WORK?
Something I’ve noticed more and more, even at the travel ball level, is that kids love playing softball, but many aren’t willing to put in the work it takes to get better.
And somewhere along the way, we’ve started treating travel softball like recreational ball. Show up to team practice, play tournaments on the weekends, and that’s it.
But here’s the reality: Team practice alone isn’t enough to reach your potential.
I tell my players all the time:
“If you can HIT, I HAVE to find a place for you in the lineup!”
And I believe that applies to just about any team, unless you’re fortunate enough to have an entire roster full of hitters.
One of the biggest things I challenge my players to do is hit outside of team practice.
And one of the most common responses I get is:
“Coach, I don’t have time.”
So I start asking questions.
Me: “What time do you get home from school?”
Player: “Around 4:00.”
Me: “What time do you go to bed?”
Player: “Around 9:00.”
That’s FIVE hours.
Me: “What are you doing during those five hours?”
Usually, the answer is homework, dinner, and taking a bath.
Okay, let’s say homework takes TWO hours, and dinner and bathing take another hour.
That still leaves TWO hours.
And I’m not asking you to spend those two hours practicing.
I’m asking for 15–25 MINUTES.
That’s enough time to hit 50 balls off a tee.
Let’s do the math:
🥎 50 swings a day
🥎 5 days a week
🥎 250 swings a week
🥎 13,000 swings a year!
That’s 13,000 opportunities to improve your swing, develop consistency, build confidence, and become a better hitter.
And that’s just from a few minutes of work each day!
Now imagine the difference between the player who puts in those repetitions and the player who only swings a bat at team practice.
The truth is, for many kids, it’s not that they don’t have time. It’s that their free time is being spent on phones, video games, TV, and other entertainment.
It’s not always a time problem. Sometimes it’s a priority problem.
And parents, this next part is important.
I constantly hear parents say:
“I don’t force my kid to practice. If they want to get better, they’ll do it on their own.”
I understand that thinking, but I don’t completely agree with it.
Kids don’t always understand what it takes to accomplish something they want.
Ask a young kid what they want for breakfast, and they might tell you a bowl of ice cream.
Does that mean we let them eat ice cream every morning?
Of course not!
As parents, we guide them. We teach them discipline, responsibility, and how to make decisions that benefit them in the long run.
Why should sports be any different?
When my kids were younger, I challenged them to practice. I encouraged them, pushed them, and helped them understand that getting better required work outside of games and team practices.
Was it always their idea? No.
Did they always want to? Absolutely not.
But as they got older, something changed.
I slowly stopped having to remind them.
They started practicing on their own. They started asking ME to come work with them.
What started as discipline eventually became self-motivation.
And that’s what I believe we’re supposed to be teaching.
I’m not saying kids should spend every waking moment practicing softball. They need time to be kids, enjoy other activities, and rest.
I’m also not saying every child has to dream of playing college softball.
But I am saying that if you want to compete at a higher level, you have to be willing to prepare at a higher level.
You can’t expect to show up on tournament weekends, compete against girls who are putting in extra work all week, and expect the same results.
Talent might get you noticed, but consistent work is what develops that talent.
As coaches, our job is to develop players, not just manage them during games.
As parents, our job is to help our kids develop the discipline to pursue the things they say they want.
And as players, you eventually have to decide how much you’re willing to invest in your own development.
You don’t have to be the most talented player on the field. But you can make the decision to become one of the hardest-working.
🥎 Everybody wants the playing time. Everybody wants the big hit. Everybody wants to win.
But are you willing to put in the work when nobody is watching?
That’s where development happens.
Play Fast. Play Focused.
