NORTH READING GIRLS SOFTBALL Our Mission

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1 NORTH READING GIRLS SOFTBALL Our Mission North Reading Girls Softball is a non-profit youth sports organization dedicated to providing a safe, positive and fun environment in which our players can learn the fundamentals of softball while also enhancing their self-esteem, self-confidence and self-discipline. We not only strive to teach age-appropriate softball skills, but also important character traits such as a good work ethic, dedication to realizing a goal, selfmotivation, value of teamwork, sportsmanship and, most importantly, respect for themselves and others. NRGS acknowledges and celebrates the continued tradition of our program, but realize our players are children, not professionals. It is a priority that they have fun. We are committed to providing every girl a positive youth softball experience.

2 Softball: Skills & Drills Do s & Don'ts A COACHES GUIDE TO YOUTH SOFTBALL

3 Skills: Fielding Good Base. That means feet should be shoulder width apart, and most of the weight should be on the balls of our feet. Knees should be bent with a slight lean forward at the waste, and our bottoms [rear ends!] should be low to the ground. Upper body should have arms extended out in front of our bodies, with our glove on the ground. We always want to field the ball out in front of our body, this helps us avoid letting the ball slip through the space between our legs. When the ball is hit either to the left nor to the right of us, we need to move our feet and field the ball in front of our body. We only use our back hand when we have too. You always want to shuffle you feet and get to where you can field the ball in the center of your body. When moving to the ball, be careful not to crossover with your feet. You should always shuffle your feet, and keep low to the ground. This will get you to the ball quicker than if you stand up out of the starting position and then run to the ball and then again have to stoop down to field the ball

4 Skills: Fielding Once the ball is in your glove, you want to have your throwing arm hand covering the ball, keeping it from popping out of the glove. Then you want to bring both arms up to your belly button, this gets you in the habit of having soft hands. Soft hands are very important when fielding, the softer the hands the better the fielder. Bringing your hands into your body will help keep your hands soft. After you have your hands near your belly, you want to then pivot into a throwing position and make a good throw to the target.

5 Do s and Don ts: Fielding Do! Stay low Move to the ball Keep your head down, as well as your bottom See the ball into the glove Soft hands cover with second hand to your belly Don t! Lift your head up Field between your legs

6 Skills: Catching Hands Out & Open You have to remember that you are the target, so you want your glove to look as big as possible: Start with both arms extended forward. Then, bend and bring your elbows into your sides, so that your arms form roughly 90-degree angles. To get the right position of your hands, imagine that you are pushing your hands against a wall this is the position they should assume when you re preparing to catch a ball (fingers up). Your hands should be in the middle of your chest at about chest-height. The fingers of your glove should be behind the ball so that your pocket is entirely open. Your throwing hand needs to be poised next to your glove. The reason for this is that you want to catch every ball with two hands. always catch the ball with two hands.

7 Do s and Don ts: Catching Do Hands Should Form a "W Get a good stance be a target Use 2 hands Use pocket of glove Don t Catch the ball underhand unless it s thigh or below Catch away from body (unless absolutely have to)

8 Skill: Fly Balls Get your glove up in-line with the ball with your fingers pointing to the sky. Elbows are bent and relaxed (do not extend arms straight to catch ball). Catch the ball in front of your head off the throwing side of the body. Catch the ball with one hand (glove), covering the ball in your glove with your bare hand. Position glove close to top of head on throwing shoulder.

9 Do s and Don ts: Fly Balls Do Always catch with two hands. The ideal position for catching a fly ball is above the head and slightly in front of the throwing shoulder. The first movement of an outfielder should be a drop step back. Always keep your eyes on the ball. Run on the balls of your feet using good running technique. Don t extend your glove until the last moment. Always call the ball if you can make the catch. Drop shoulder for over head flies Don t Back peddle on over head flies Never be a spectator! Never be caught off guard when the ball takes a bad hop Basket catch

10 Skills: Throwing Grip Place your fingertips across the seams along the top of the C. Your thumb should be gripping the seams on the bottom of the ball directly below your index finger. Remember to hold the ball with your fingertips, not deep in your. Turn Your Body Lower body is positioned perpendicular to your target. To achieve this, the instep of your back foot should be facing your target, and your front foot should be lined up with your back foot. This motion will turn your upper body so that your glove hand points toward your target. Glove Side Your glove side acts as a scope, pointing to the direction of your throw. This is the most common way for softball players to learn how to throw, often referred to as the bow and arrow technique. Your glove hand extends straight out towards your target, acting as a pointer. As you throw, pull your glove into your body by bending your elbow and pulling it into your side, while tucking your glove into your chest.

11 Skills: Throwing Throwing Arm Positioning Elbow Up The proper technique is to raise your elbow to shoulder height, so that your forearm is perpendicular to the ground and behind you, forming an L. This will allow your throw to come over your head. Face Your Palm Away from You Remember to always keep your palm facing away from you. It reinforces proper over-the-top throwing and prevents you from merely pushing the ball forward. The Throw - put everything together Step towards your target, pull glove hand into body, pivoting upper body, propel throwing arm toward target. Making sure to snap wrist upon release.

12 Do s and Don ts: Throwing Do s Have proper grip, stance, arm position. Follow through (swim) with your throw. Snap wrist at end of throw Don'ts Palm the ball Face body to your target Drop your elbow Throw from ear or below

13 Skills: Hitting The Upper Body When you step into the box, your shoulders will be squared towards the plate. Your head should be aligned with your belly button and both eyes should be on the pitcher. Holding the Bat Hold the bat up to 2 or 3 inches away from the knob of the bat. If your bat seems too heavy or too long, you can choke up an inch or two along the handle. If you are right-handed, your right hand will be on top of your left hand; if you are left-handed, your hand placement will be the opposite. Follow these steps to ensure you bat is in the proper position to hit: Look at your knuckles. The knuckles you would use to knock on a door should be aligned on the bat. This ensures the strongest position for your wrists to roll over at the end of your swing. With your knuckles lined up Place the bat on your back shoulder. Look at your arms in this position, they should form an A (avoid lifting your elbow above your shoulder). Lift your bat off your shoulder so that your hands are at a comfortable height between your shoulder and ear. Angle the bat up to 45 degrees upwards behind your head.

14 Skills: Hitting The Lower Body There are three actions that make up the motion of the lower body: Step (or toe tap) Heel plant Pivot. Once you step into the box, both of your feet and your hips should be squared to the plate. You should be in a good athletic position with your knees bent and your legs set slightly wider than shoulder-width. The Step (Toe Tap) The toe tap is the first movement of your lower body. It is a small step that brings your front foot to a 45-degree angle towards the pitcher. During the toe tap, you should experience positive movement as your weight shifts forward to the inside of your front foot. The Pivot Rotate your hips forward. Most of your hitting power comes from your hips, so turn them with purpose! As you rotate your hips, your back foot pivots. Think of squashing a bug beneath the ball of your foot

15 Skills: Hitting The Swing The toe tap, which initiates hip rotation. As your hips rotate, your back foot pivots and your front leg locks to create resistance. It is really important that your head stays aligned with your belly button while your hips are rotating. If your head floats forward, your body may lunge forward onto your front leg. If your head floats backwards, your back shoulder will surely drop. As you throw your arms at the pitch, lead with your elbow, not your hands. The reason you lead with your elbow is because you do not want to push your bat forward, which is what happens if you were to lead with your hands. Also make sure your hands are in line with your elbow. Once you fully extend your elbow, throw your hands at the pitcher. Your bottom hand does all the work here. Lead with this hand, using your top hand simply to guide the bat. Your hands should also be inside the path of the ball, and they should continue along the same path as your elbow so that the bat handle stays pointed at the pitcher and the barrel at the catcher.

16 Skills: Hitting Contact With the Pitch Your arms are thrown forward until your hands are in front of your belly button and on the same plane as your front leg. Until this moment, your bottom hand was doing all the work leading your hands through the zone. At this moment the ball should be in front of home plate and you can make contact. When you make contact, you want to imagine keeping your bat on the ball as long as possible through the zone. For immediate feedback on your contact point, look at your palms. Your bottom hand s palm should be facing the ground, and the top hand s palm should be facing up. The Follow-through Immediately after contact, your top hand takes over as you roll your wrists and follow through. Your chest should be angled upward. Your front foot should be opened at a 45-degree angle towards the pitcher back leg should make an L Your shoulders open towards the pitcher. Your eyes should never follow the hit, but remain focused on where you made contact with the ball.

17 Do s and Don ts: Hitting Do Have proper balanced stance Align knuckles Toe-tap Squish bug, throw hips A frame arms Level swing Lead with elbow hands following behind Follow through STAY BALANCED!! Don t Over stride Dip shoulder Lead with hands Extend arms during swing Transfer weight Come up on back toe Pull head out

18 Skills: Sliding Sliding Start sprinting to the base. When you are about three or four strides away from the base, start getting low. Start bending your knees deeper with each stride, leaning back, and shifting your weight to your left side. With most of your weight shifted to the left side of your body, bend your left knee and tuck your left ankle beneath your right knee. Once your legs are on the dirt, lean your torso even further back to avoid sitting up. The momentum from your sprint should propel you right into the base where you will stop. Your right leg should touch the base first.

19 Skills: Bunting In the Batter s Box Starting in your regular batting stance, pivot both feet so your toes, chest, and hips are now facing the pitcher. Hot Tip: Do Not Stab at the Ball A lot of bunters have a bad habit of moving their hands out to meet the ball. This can be referred to as "stabbing" at the pitch. The pitch should come meet the bat, not the other way around! A good way to check your stance is to think about how you would position your feet if you were going to sprint towards the pitcher. This is precisely how your feet should look in the box Show the Bunt Square around for the bunt immediately. Hold the Bat Properly Your bottom hand should be one to two inches away from the knob of the bat. Your top hand should be about two inches from the bottom of the barrel. Your top hand controls the bat Your bottom hand controls the angle of the bat. By making the slightest movement of your bottom hand, you will be able to angle your bat in order to place the bunt wherever you choose. When you are learning to bunt, hold the bat by pinching it, rather than grabbing it with your entire hand. Pinching the bat will expose less of your hand to a potentially painful pitch.

20 Skills: Bunting Bend Your Elbows Bend your elbows so that your arms form the letter L and keep them in close to your body. Never extend your arms out fully while bunting Angle the Bat Your bat should be at approximately a 45-degree angle, which means it should be positioned diagonally from the pitcher s perspective. Do Not Move Your Arms Never move your arms up to reach a ball. Any pitch for which you need to reach upward is going to be out of the strike zone. Let it go! The pitch will be called a ball, and you can try to bunt the next one. If you need to move the bat downward to reach a lower pitch, don t just reach down with your arms. The only movement should come from your legs, as you bend your knees in order to bunt a pitch at the bottom of the strike zone.

21 Skills: Base Running Mental Preparation The most crucial thing you need to know at all times is the number of outs in the inning because you become a different runner depending on the situation. With two outs, you go as hard as you can on every hit. If there are less than two outs, you ll often want to be cautious (though still aggressive) while traveling to the next base.

22 Skills: Base Running Running to First Base The first few steps out of the batter s box are crucial. They need to be explosive! Run Through the Bag The most fundamental thing that you should do every time is to run through first base. Never stop or slow down before you touch the base. No Leaping A common and misguided technique runners often use is leaping to first base in hopes of beating out the throw. It takes more time to leap through the air than it does to continue running through the bag. The Break-down After passing the bag, do rapid stutter-steps in order to stop your feet. You should typically be able to stop within three stutter-steps after first base. Break down while turning your shoulders and body to the right so you are facing foul territory. By turning your back to the infield, you ll be able to see overthrown balls and better judge whether you can aggressively take second base.

23 Skills: Base Running Leading Off The first few steps of your lead-off should be hard and quick to give the illusion that you are going to steal. Foot Placement for Leadoffs The first option is to place your front foot on top of the bag. Your toe should be on the dirt while the ball of your foot is on the base, so you can push off the bag for momentum. The second option is to place your lead foot on the outside of the bag, completely on the dirt. Line your toe up with the front of the bag. Timing for Leadoffs Softball rules dictate that you cannot leave a base until the pitcher releases the ball. You want to time your motion so you leave the base at the same time the pitcher releases the ball. The Rocking Motion You can ensure good timing by perfecting your rocking motion, which works as your timing mechanism and prepares you to lead-off or steal the next base. The rocking gives your body momentum off the bag. When the pitcher throws her arm backward, rock your body backward. Then when the pitcher swings the arm forward to pitch the ball, you rock forward and start leaving the bag. You want to time it so that you rock forward and subsequently push off the bag at the exact moment the pitcher releases the ball.

24 Skills: Base Running Stealing Bases Time the pitch as if your were taking a lead Head down (do not watch ball once you have left the base ) run for next base Slide into next base Rounding the Bases You want to approach first base as if you are following a question mark drawn in the dirt. Sprint down the baseline until there are about three stride lengths between you and the base. When you make your turn, it should be tight enough so you tag only the inner corner of the base with one foot (never run on top of the bag). Ideally, try to tag the base while in stride to avoid stutter-stepping or slowing down. Your turn should generally consist of only three strides. After rounding the base, your body should be turned facing the next base. Do not make your turn so wide that you stray far outside the baseline. Making a tight turn will put you on the fastest track to the next base.

25 Skills: Base Running Tagging Up If there are less than two outs and the ball is hit into the air, turn your body to watch how the ball is played. Start to retreat back towards your base if it looks like the ball is going to be caught. If the ball is hit deep enough for you to advance, you need to get back to the base and ready yourself to sprint to the next bag by the time the ball is caught. The second the ball hits the fielder s glove, go! Just remember not to leave before the fielder catches the ball, or you ll be called out.

26 Game Rules and Play

27 Game Rules and Play Out on Defense: Strike out: After three strikes, the batter is out. However, a batter cannot strike out on a foul ball. If she hits a foul ball with two strikes, the count remains the same. Tag out: When the ball is in play, any defensive player may tag a base runner when she is off the base to record an out. Catch: If the batter hits a pitched ball in play, and any member of the defense catches it in the air, then the batter is out. A runner on base may attempt to advance to the next base once a catch has been made by tagging up. However, the runner does so at the risk of being tagged out. Force out: If the batter hits a pitched ball in play that is not caught in the air, the defense may field the ball and touch first base or throw it to the first baseman before the batter reaches the base to record the out. If there are runners on first base, first and second base, or all three bases, the runners must advance if a batted ball touches the ground (they are forced ). Therefore, the defense can tag a base in front of a runner for a force-out.

28 Game Rules and Play Offensive Base on balls: If the pitcher throws four pitches out of the strike zone (as determined by the home plate umpire) before the batter hits the ball fair or strikes out, then the batter is awarded first base. Hit by pitch: If a pitched ball strikes the batter on any part of batter s body, the batter is awarded first base (unless an umpire determines that the batter intentionally moved in order to get hit). Catcher s interference: If the batter s bat makes contact with the catcher while she attempts to swing at a pitch, the batter is awarded first base. Defensive error: If the batter is able to safely reach base as the result of a defensive player s mistake, then the play is called an error. An error has effectively the same result as a hit, but officially it is a different type of play. Dropped third strike: If a batter swings and misses at a pitched ball for the third strike, but the catcher drops the ball or it bounces away, the batter may attempt to run to first base. If the batter reaches first base before the catcher can tag her or make a force-out, then the batter is safe. Fielder s choice: If the batter hits a pitched ball into play, and the defense chooses to tag or force-out another base runner instead of the batter (thereby allowing the batter to reach base safely), then it is considered a fielder s choice. This is a less desirable way to reach base, because an out is recorded in the process. The strike zone: Is an area that reaches from the batter s knees to chest, and spans the width of home plate.

29 Game Rules and Play Infield Fly Is a fair fly ball (not a line drive or bunt) that, in the judgment of the umpire, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ordinary effort and when there are runners on first and second or first, second, and third and less than two outs. Here are some things to remember about the infield fly rule: It must be called by the umpire It only applies when there are less than two outs It only applies when there are runners on first and second bases, or runners on first, second and third bases When the umpire calls it, the batter is automatically out The ball is not dead An infield fly is treated as a regular fly ball; base runners are not forced to run, but they must tag up, before advancing with the risk of being thrown out.