Not Shown: Mary Buckley

Welcome to LSA Softball

Coach Mark Shirley

 

 

     This team is a partnership between the players, coaches and parents. We all need each other to make this work properly.  If any of the components of the partnership fail, the very foundation of the team will crumble.  Communication, trust, and hard work are the oil that will make this machine run efficiently.  If you have any questions...ask.  If you have concerns...state them.  If you have complaints...voice them.  The coaching staff cannot be expected to guess if the players or parents have any questions/concerns/complaints or comments. This is a Varsity level team. Everyone has an equal opportunity to show their softball skills and abilities. Those that produce will receive more playing time. 'Produce' is a broad term and may be situational.  From time to time the better hitter is exchanged for the better glove or vice-versa, in an attempt to win. As the student athlete grows, the emphasis of any sport shifts from having fun to being competitive, to winning. We are shifting to the winning mode. To do that, we have to play stronger players more. The bar has been raised and it will require more effort, more practice, more dirt and grass stains, stronger desire and smarter play.

 

  

Mission Statement

 

 

     To develop a strong TEAM and strong TEAM PLAYERS through positive attitude and fundamental training coupled with error recognition and correction. We will provide the training necessary to play at a higher level, and ultimately build confidence and positive attitudes which will generate a lifetime of memories.

 

 

Our Purpose

 

     Our purpose is to win games. We will accomplish this by improving the physical, emotional and mental skills of each athlete on the team to the extent that the team is greater than sum of its individual components.

 

 

Our Goal and Methodology

 

     To teach the physical and mental fundamentals required to play top-notch softball. Every team practices the physical fundamentals required to play this game. This team’s practices go well beyond that. There are additional important factors which are frequently left out of programs such as knowledge of the game, competitive play, pride, self-respect, 'the 6-inch playing field', playing the game in the dirt and in the grass and learning to play softball one pitch at a time.

  

 

 

KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME

 

     There are an astronomical amount of different situations in this game which make it an on going mental battle. As such, it teaches many life-skills. Among them; Planning and preparation are critical to performance, Being aggressive does not mean being reckless. Make the best of your situation, Contribute to a TEAM effort, learn how to RELY on your team-mates, This Game is NOT about individuals, It IS about working together as a unit. A big portion of the game, which is too frequently overlooked, is the ownership of mistakes. Unless a error is admitted, it is difficult for the player to get over it, get on with it and correct the error. We teach as a life-skill: Make your errors at 100%, recognize them, take ownership of them and work to correct them. That’s what we should practice in our daily lives as well.

 

 

 

COMPETITIVE PLAY

 

     Learning HOW to be competitive is the key to becoming a powerful team. Everyone wants to win, but if winning was the only objective, then we could quite easily be selective and play only teams we knew we could 'whip-up' on. Instead, what we need is good fundamental, solid play. If that is our focus, then with some good practice habits, and good attitudes, success will fall into place.

 

 

  

PRIDE

 

     Pride in-self and pride in the team, is another life skill which our players can carry forward throughout their life. This skill will play a significant part in school and eventually in each player's social and work place habits.

 

 

 SELF-RESPECT

 

     This a critical tool to carry in the life-skill tool box. This tool helps players adjust everything from class work to morals, and  this will show in respect for others.

 

 

THE 6-INCH PLAYING FIELD

 

     This is the part of the ball field, which located between the player's ears.... the brain. Arguably, about 90-95% of the game takes place in this relatively small area, yet it is the most difficult part of the game to master. This is THE KEY component of the game. The only thing a player can control in this game and much of their personal life, is how they are going to respond to a situation. Everything else has chance involved. Knowing, expecting and recognizing the situation is where the 6-inch playing field comes into play. Mastery of this 6-inch playing field is the single most important fundamental of this game and is often left out completely. Mastering this small area includes, but not limited to, knowing what to do with the ball, admitting mistakes/errors and shaking them off, concentrating not on hits, but Quality At-Bats, visualizing success, focusing and playing this game one pitch at a time.

 

  

DIRT / GRASS STAINS

 

     This game is won and lost in the dirt and in the grass. Winning or losing a game often comes down to a play or two 'in the dirt' or 'in the grass'. Once you reach a certain age group, everyone can catch a ball, throw a ball, and hit the ball right to you. The game-breakers are the tough-to-handle balls...the balls hit or thrown in the dirt that have to be stopped...the hit that cause the outfielder or infielder to get dirty. That additional effort to keep the ball from getting by, These are the type of plays that win games. Those are the plays that make uniforms dirty. We want to see dirty uniforms and smiling faces...satisfied with a job well done!  Those are the type of players we want!