DBGS will be hosting Friday night practices at Peterson Park from 7pm to 8:30pm on the following Fridays:
November 22nd December 6th December 13th December 20th Practices are open to all DBGS players, 6U through 14U, that were registered with us and played in the Spring or Fall Season of 2013. Practices will focus on conditioning, fielding, batting, pitching, and catching. Players/siblings that were not ASA registered in 2013 will not be able to participate. Pop Up Communication - From Candrea on Coaching for ASA
I have been asked numerous times recently to discuss our approach to pop ups. Sounds like it should be a very simple approach to catch a simple pop up! Unfortunately, pop ups can be the cause of many sleepless nights when you have either very tentative outfielders or no communication has been successfully taught, practiced, and continued to be practiced throughout the entire season. Yes, we review our communication on a daily bases throughout the season. Communication is important to be successful in our game and also in life. At least my wife lets me know when I am not doing a very good job of communicating during my season. She often says that our marriage is sometimes on hold because of softball season!! On the softball field, the verbiage that we select to use should be meaningful and well thought out. It does not have to be fancy, but it must be used by everyone on the team. The easiest way to break down communication is for everyone to use their own language and cause confusion. A simple example would be "mine, mine, mine", "ball, ball, ball", I got it etc. All of these mean the same thing but used in a stressful moment with lots of crowd noise, could be a result in disaster. I would like to explain to you the communication that we use and whether you agree upon the wording that we use, it only matters that these words mean something to our players and are the only verbiage used in our system. Click here for more... ![]() DBGS now has our own channel on YouTube! We have some videos up already, but we look forward to you submitting your own videos of our girls in action! Visit our page here! Our Head Coach, Mike Malatka, has worked with Lori Oaks at the Dugout in Ontario to put together an intensive softball skills clinic featuring hitting, fielding, base running, and speed/agility. Lori and her partners at the Dugout are trusted experts and this promises to be a great morning of learning for players, parents, and coaches! The cost is $35 per participant. Participants will also receive a $5 voucher for future services at the Dugout. See the flyer below! The event will take place at our own Pantera Park!!! 12/19 - 12/23 Spend your winter vacation brushing up on your skills for the upcoming baseball / softball season. The Winter All-Skills Camp will focus on basic skills of offense and defense. Hitting sessions will teach proper body stance, balance, swing mechanics, and power to generate the most effecient and powerful swing. Fielding sessions will work on fundamental body movement, glove placement, and footwork to become a more effective defensive pressence. A portion of the camp will also be dedicated to agility and conditioning to prepare young athletes for the rigors of the game. Dates: 12/19 - 12/23 Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM For: boys & girls age 14 & under Location: RBI Batting Cages PRICE: $25 per player per day $100 per player for entire camp (5 days) Call 909 598 5922 or email back to reserve your spot! Our Umpire-in-Chief (or "UIC"), Mr. Greg Busch, is in the process of putting together another fantastic array of young folks interested in taking on the huge challenge of umpiring for the ASA in Diamond Bar! More information on the DBGS and ASA Junior Umpire program can be found here. This is a terrific opportunity for players, former players, and other young adults to develop both their character and knowledge of the great game of softball. We are grateful to have Mr. Busch leading this program.
In its continuing effort to offer Diamond Bar girls opportunities to develop their softball skills, the DBGS Board last week voted to extend the pitcher development clinic being offered each Sunday to players designated by team managers by four weeks. The next two Sundays (10/16 and 10/23) will be covered by DBGS. The last two weeks (10/30 and 11/6) are offered at $5 per player (50% covered by DBGS).
These sessions have been offered by DBGS for girls serious about learning the art of softball pitching as part of its ongoing effort to develop the finest players possible. Lessons are conducted by Lori Oaks and are currently held at The Dugout facilities in Ontario. ![]() Taken from Candrea on Coaching, a monthly softball-related newsletter from an Olympic softball coach...On behalf of the Amateur Softball Association, welcome to the August issue of the ACE Coach monthly email from ASA Director of Coaching Education and two-time Olympic Coach Mike Candrea: Candrea on Coaching. As a youth sports coach, you naturally want to prepare your team to win as many games as possible, and as a Responsible Coach, you want to prepare your players to win off the field, too. The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program is proud to bring you this series in which Coach Candrea will provide you with coaching tips and resources that you can use for the betterment of your youth softball team. The short game is, and will always be, a key component of offensive success in fast-pitch softball. Our ability to maximize scoring opportunities by moving runners is crucial to the success of any team. The development of short game skills is the foundation for success in fast-pitch softball. Short game skills are much easier to perfect than the swing itself. By having the proper knowledge of the fundamentals and consistent practice of the skills, anyone in your line up can have productive at-bats and increase your opportunities to score runs. One of the most underrated aspects of executing the short game is the pressure it puts on the defense. By having the ability to put runners in motion and getting the ball on the ground, you increase the chances of defensive mistakes and forcing quick decisions that must be made by the defensive players. Speed kills in our game, even with average speed and forcing the defense to move laterally, you open opportunities to move runners and score. As you get to higher levels of fast-pitch softball, you will find that the game is played on the ground. A groundball has to be fielded properly, thrown with accuracy and caught. A fly ball just has to be caught. The successful execution of the short game will win championships and the inability to execute those skills will increase your chances for defeat. Obtain proper knowledge, practice the execution and be 100% confident that your team can perform in game situations. Everyone can be a good short game player! Bunting: The most often used short game skill is the bunt. The most common bunts are: 1. Sacrifice Bunt 2. Push Bunt 3. Drag Bunt (Sneak Bunt) The sacrifice bunt is named as such because the hitter is sacrificing their at bat to advance a runner already on base. The sacrifice is used to advance a runner into scoring position. Every hitter needs to be able to execute the sacrifice bunt. The two basic techniques used to execute the sacrifice bunt are squaring around both feet and pivoting the back foot only. Which ever method you choose to teach your team, here are some common thoughts to execute the sacrifice properly:
The drag bunt, or some call the "sneaky bunt," is sometimes used in a sacrifice situation but most commonly used to get a base hit. The drag is shown much later than the sacrifice and depends on the element of surprise. From the right side, the drag bunt is executed by dropping the right foot back into a sprinters position as the bat is placed in a bunting position. Having our hands and bat head out in front of our center of gravity is crucial to our contract position. This allows for better vision and increases our ability to keep the bunt fair. Once again, it is not so important the direction of the bunt but the distance from home plate. Far enough from home plate that the catcher cannot field the bunt too quickly. From the left side, the drag bunt becomes the foundation for any slapper that is an offensive threat. Most left hander's will use the same footwork as they would for the slap which are the straight-crossover, the step-back and crossover, and the shuffle. A key factor for quick left handed slappers is their ability to explode out of the box. By running hard through the box, you gain valuable distance & time in getting to first base. The drag can be executed off any of these foot works with effectiveness. Everyone can be a great short game player if they choose to understand the importance of proper execution and the tremendous affect it has on developing a productive offense. Watch for a future article where we will go into more detail on the left-handed slap and how you can utilize speed to become an offensive weapon. |
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