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“The hard is what makes it great. If it were easy everybody would do it.” This quote by Rockford Peach Coach Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own pretty much sums it up. Whether it is slowpitch softball, fastpitch softball, or baseball, there are basic steps to surviving a tournament, especially a weekend all-nighter tournament. This sport is great and here is how you can be at the top of your game.

1. Stay in shape – Practice with the team and/or with stand alone training aids. You need to be in shape. Chances are that if you are signed up to be in an all-nighter, you have this part covered. Get the cardio working. It’s easier to leg out a homerun when your heart is in top condition. Breathing is good. Also, get in a few extra hits at the batting cage or team pitching machines.*

2. Stay hydrated – Don’t underestimate the power of H2O. Water should be your number one choice. Avoid energy drinks as long as possible; all that sodium can weigh you down in the heat of the day. Yes this is softball, but please limit your alcohol intake.

3. Eat right – Carb it up. Rice, pasta and other wheat based foods are good sources of carbohydrates to energize your body. Protein (meat and peanut butter) will help repair torn muscles. Milk products will keep your bones strong and avoid breaks or fractures. Avoid crash and burn sugars.

4. Stretch and warm Up – Take care of those muscles. They’ll be getting a work out around the clock. Take a slow jog around the field or park before your game. Throw with a partner to get your arm warmed up. Loosen your back with a few practice swings when you are on deck. You may even want to swing with two softball bats or a softball bat weight.

5. Be prepared – Pack a softball emergency kit: Biofreeze, ice packs, ace bandages, ibuprofen, antibacterial spray, hand sanitizer, and a change of clothes. As simple as it sounds, fresh dry socks can make a big difference in how you feel at your next game. Brick dust and dirt can infect sliders’ strawberries very fast. Keep the antibacterial spray and Biofreeze in your bat bag so you can use them immediately if needed.

6. Buddy system – In addition to setting the alarm clock, trade phone numbers with a teammate. You don’t want to be the reason your team had to forfeit a 4 AM game. Try to stay close to the ball park. If you wake up late, you don’t want a speeding ticket or worse, you don’t want to get into an accident trying to beat the coin toss.

7. Take care of your equipment – After each game take inventory of your softball equipment. You don’t want to start a game only to realize that you left your softball glove in the dugout at your last game. Make sure your softball bat can withstand the cold night temperatures. Even in the summer, nights can get pretty cold. Because cold weather can dent thin walled bats, it is recommend to limit use when temps are below 60 degrees. A bat sock or warmer may help with this.

Follow these steps and you will increase your chances to a fun-filled, injury free tournament. It isn’t easy being the best. It takes hard work, preparation, training and responsibility. Being the best is great. Train hard, use the right softball equipment, and enjoy your sport.

* Be aware that using your bat in a cage may nullify your softball bat warranty. Use with leather-covered balls only, not plastic or rubber cage balls.

About Author

Maleaha Evans gives you the tools you need to choose the best softball equipment. Find out what softball training equipment best fits you and your team at Softball Hitters…helping you hit a homerun.

The most common cause of heel pain and heel spurs is a condition called Plantar Fasciitis. This is Latin for inflammation of the Plantar Fascia. The Plantar Fascia is the broad band of fibrous tissue that runs under the foot and that forms your arch. Because of a number of different factors the plantar fascia are being overly stretched and this continuous pulling results in inflammation and pain at the heel bone, at the point where the ligaments insert into the heel bone.

Over-pronation of the feet (fallen arches + rolling inward of the feet and ankles), tight calf muscles, as well as ageing and being overweight are the main causes for the plantar fascia being overly stretched.

There are many ways to treat heel pain, heel spurs and Plantar Fasciitis, including cortisone injections and surgery. However, in most cases Plantar Fasciitis relief can be achieved through self-help by following a number of easy, simple steps, most of which are aimed at reducing the pulling of the plantar fascia:

1. Rest, reduced activity:

When you have Plantar Fasciitis avoid any activity that can further aggravate the problem. This includes walking for long distances, walking up or down stairs, running, sports etc. If you want to keep fit swimming is the safest activity, until your heel pain has been treated properly. Or you can ride a bike or a stationary exercise bike. Basically, try to be as little on your feet as possible, allowing the plantar fascia to heal itself.

2. Ice (can be combined with heat)

Use an ice pack and apply it onto the sore heel for 5-10 mins at a time, 3 to 4 times per day. The ice will reduce the Plantar Fasciitis inflammation in the heel area. To help reduce any chronic inflammation, you can try alternating between ice and heat. Place an ice pack on the heel for 5 minutes and then switch to a hot pack (or hot water foot bath) for another 5 minutes. Do this for about 20-30 minutes per day and you’ll notice some considerable heel pain relief.

3. Roll a tennis ball (or rolling pin) under the foot

Many people with Plantar Fasciitis experience a sharp heel pain in the morning, when taking the first steps after getting out of bed. This pain comes from the tightening of the plantar fascia that occurs during sleep. Stretching and massaging the plantar fascia before standing up will help reduce heel pain for the rest of your day! Massaging the plantar fascia can be done simply by rolling a tennisball (or rolling pin) under the foot, all the way from the heel to the toes. You may do this sitting down, applying a fair amount of pressure onto the arch, or even standing up as long this causes not too much discomfort. Keep rolling the ball or pin under the foot for about 5 minutes.

4. Towel stretch

Your next Plantar Fasciitis exercise is stretching of the plantar fascia using a bath towel. Put a rolled up towel under the ball of one foot, holding both ends of the towel with your left and right hand. Next, slowly pull the towel towards you, while keeping your knee straight (the other knee may be bent). Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 4 times and change to the other foot, if necessary. (It’s always good to do these exercises on both feet, even if you only experience heel pain in one foot, as this will help prevent the heel problem to come back in your other foot!)

5. Stretch your calf muscles

Tight calf muscles is a major contributing factor to Plantar Fasciitis. Therefore this particular heel pain exercise is very important. Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at about eye level. Put one leg about a step behind your other leg, keeping your back heel flat on the floor. Make sure this leg stays straight at all times. Now bend the knee of the front leg slowly, lowering your body until you feel a stretch in the calf of the back leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 4 times. Do the same for the other leg.

Now you’re ready to face the day! Please make sure you don’t walk barefoot at home in the morning, as this will undo all the hard work and aggravate your plantar fasciitis. Wear shoes or supportive sandals as soon as you have done the heel pain exercises.

You can repeat any of these heel pain exercises during the day, if you wish. For example the tennis ball rolling can be done as you watch TV or read the paper.

There’s one more plantar fasciitis exercise you may want to do which is called the Achilles Tendon stretch. Stand on a step with both feet on the same step and slowly let your heels down over the edge of the step as you relax your calf muscles. Hold this stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, then tighten your calf muscle a little to bring your heel back up to the level of the step. Repeat 4 times.

Please note that stretching exercises should create a pulling feeling, they should never cause pain!

6. Take an anti-inflammatory drug, like Ibuprofen

To ease Plantar Fasciitis and heel pain you can take an anti-inflammatory that contains Ibuprofen, like Nurofen or Advil. This is a short term fix that will help decrease the inflammation of the plantar fascia. You still need to do take all the other measures such as stretching, ice, orthotics etc to achieve long term pain relief from your heel problem. For many people Ibuprofen is pretty heavy on the stomach and therefore these drugs should be taken in moderation.

7. Lose some weight

As we get older we tend to put in a bit of extra weight. The combination of weight gain and ageing means we put a lot of extra tension on our muscles and ligaments in the feet, legs and back. Most people tend to over-pronate because of weight gain. Over-pronation (fallen arches) is the main cause of Plantar Fasciitis and heel pain. Therefore by losing weight you will decrease the tension on the plantar fascia.

8. Wear the right footwear

Supportive footwear is paramount, especially as we get older. Floppy footwear causes ankle instability during walking and contributes to the problem of over-pronation, leading to heel pain and other foot problems. A good supportive shoe should only bend at the sole in the forefoot area and should be firm elsewhere, especially the back section of the shoe (heel counter) should be firm. Many footwear companies advertise shock-absorption and cushioning as the major benefits of their (sports) shoes. Stability is far more important than cushioning!

9. Use a Plantar Fasciitis night splint

A night splint holds the foot at 90 degrees during your sleep. The aim of the splints is to keep your foot and calf muscles stretched during the night. Normally during rest the plantar fascia and calves tend to tighten and shorten. So when you wake up in the morning and take your first steps, the fascia are being pulled all of a sudden, causing the sharp pain in the heel.

The problem with night splints is that they can be quite uncomfortable. This is why they are so-called sock night splints on the market which are more bearable than rigid night splints.

10. Wear orthotics in your shoes

Research has shown that by far the most effective way to treat heel pain, plantar fasciitis and heel spurs is wearing a corrective device inside the shoe. Orthotics are designed to correct the problem of over-pronation, the major cause of plantar fasciitis and heel pain. Orthotics support the arches and control abnormal motion of the feet, thereby greatly reducing the tension in the plantar fascia band. Especially when combined with daily exercises, orthotics will provide relief to the majority of heel pain sufferers.

Orthotics can be obtained from a foot specialist (podiatrist). These are called custom orthotics and they usually quite hard. Nowadays there are softer orthotics on the market, which are made of EVA and which mold themselves to the wearer’s foot shape because of body heat and body weight. These softer orthotics are pre-made and can be very effective in the treatment of Plantar Fasciitis. They are available without a prescription from pharmacies and specialty websites.

Just go few years back and you will see that physical fitness was not a big issue for many golfers, but today the tides of changes have also changed the golf-world and only the sturdy player will survive. Today almost all the professional golfers are not just working with their instructors but they also get help from strength/conditioning coaches and personal trainers to better their physique and physical play, and eventually become successful in getting the ability to blast the little white ball a couple of more yards down the fairway.

Regarding this I visited some of the popular golf-sites and gathered much relevant information which will increase your knowledge about all the possible measures you can adopt to physically prepare yourself for the game of golf.

1. Trunk Flexibility – having this characteristic means the golfer will rotate maximally during his backswing and keep his hips/pelvis still and free from stress during playing backswing shot.

2. Trunk Strength – this characteristic provides power while making multiple shots. Keep in mind that it is absolutely essential to develop enough flexibility prior to building strength

3. Hip Strength – Hip strength enables the golf player in making a comfortable transition from lateral movement to powerful rotation of the hip.

4. Spinal Stability – characteristic of spinal stability provides a consistent set up to the golf player during playing his golf shot. It also minimizes the chances of possible back-injury due to fatigue.

5. Wrist Strength/Endurance – golfer needs this quality to develop and maintain a result-oriented wrist set.

Be patient and consistent in developing on these 5 areas in conjunction to establish your golf skills. I hope you will have a pain free and more powerful golf game.

The game of golf is truly an individual sport. The basics are the same for everyone; however, due to the differences in people’s body types no two people will ever have the same golf swing. Each person will have to adapt their bodies to perform a proper golf swing in their own way. Taking the time to develop your own method of playing golf will greatly improve your enjoyment and success at the game. Practicing the basic fundamentals of the game until they are ingrained in your muscles will lead to confidence on the course, and that confidence will lead to success and enjoyment of the game.

One of the most basic steps that you can put into action and see an immediate improvement to your golf swing is to keep your head still and look straight at the ball. The position of your head should be straight in line with your spine, and your nose should be raised up a bit so that when you start to swing, your left shoulder fits under your chin. Many players tuck their heads into their chests to try and keep their heads still and look straight down at the golf ball. Unfortunately, they cannot perform a proper golf swing while in this position.

If you are one of the many that are having difficulty keeping your head straight and an eye on the ball try the following. The next time you approach the ball, assume the correct stance with your feet and knees in position but keep your head and back straight, bend forward slightly at the waist and look straight at the ball. If you try and take a swing in this position, your left shoulder will most likely hit your chin. While keeping your eyes on the ball, raise your head slowly until your left shoulder does not hit your chin. Make sure that your head does not move from side to side by keeping your eyes fixed on the ball. Slowly go through the backswing and downswing portions of your golf swing. Do not hit the ball and do the follow through. Practice this portion of your golf swing focusing on keeping your head straight and eyes on the ball.

Practice this exercise in your backyard for about 25 times in a row and then take a break and relax a bit, then start again. Make minor corrections to your head and body position as needed to keep your eyes straight on the ball and your left shoulder from hitting your chin. This exercise will “train” your body, and your muscles will “remember” the correct position you need to be in to perform the movement correctly. Think about any sports athlete, they train and train to place their bodies in the correct stance and position to properly execute the movements necessary to be successful in their particular sport. You are doing the same thing by “training” your body to keep your head straight and position itself so that you can successfully execute a proper golf swing.

Another basic step that can work greatly towards improving your golf swing is to relax. I know it is easier said then done, especially when you are getting ready to put all your power into drive with an audience of either your co-workers, or better still your friends who will not let you forget it if you mess up. However, relaxing your muscles will help you to maintain the proper balance that is important to a great golf swing. Regardless of the golf clubs you use, your balance is the primary foundation of your golf swing, and the way to achieve good balance is to practice. A good way to practice improving your balance is to assume the address position with your club, relax your body and try holding it there for about 30 seconds. Does it feel like you have more weight on one foot or the other? Is one part of your body more tense then another?

Keeping your head straight and maintaining good balance are just two basic parts of a great golf swing. The exercises given above are just two ways that you can start training now to improve your golf swing. You can work on either one separately, or combine them together into one exercise. Improving your golf swing begins and ends with you. Training the muscles of your body to properly perform specific movements takes time and practice. The effort spent improving your golf swing will pay off on the course. Through exercise and practice, you will be able to slip into the proper address position and perform an effortless, powerful golf swing and feel just as if you were sliding your hand into a warm soft glove.

Ever wondered how difficult it may seem to coach youth soccer team? Truly speaking, it’s not difficult when you have some valuable tips, correct outlook, and the talent to handle kids. It’s best to initiate with the basics. This is the stage where they their interest in the game will develop and they’ll start to think and act professionally. What’s more, once the players know the basics of soccer, they will be more comfortable and confident about the nature of the sport. On the road to teach youth soccer, to do nothing is the first step. Observe the kids very closely while just letting them be. Try not to arrange things too much or coach loads. Thus, the kids will only have loads to enjoy the game which is imperative. Kids should be given regular feedbacks to enable them to work upon themselves. But make sure these feedbacks are given after and not through the session. Always keep in mind that it is important to interact with the kids in the language that they know. Parents are the ones who take much curiosity in kid’s development. Hence, it’s best to involve them at an early stage. It is beneficial in ensuring that the kids will stay interested in the sport even while at home. Take care of the fact that their doubts are heard and addressed properly.

Bring into play all possible modes of communication. For example: personal meetings, email, and telephone are adequate and efficient methods of communication. But be cautious of the fact that kids are not instructed by you or their parents on the field. Besides, make it a point not to give negative feedback to any young player in the presence of everyone. To coach youth soccer, exchanging words with other coaches in the field is indispensable. It provides an opportunity for the trainers to interact effectively as all of them have a lot of exclusive and important experiences to share. Set up and arrange the drills in advance. So it basically requires you to do all preparations well ahead of time. Sometimes coaches take an easy approach thinking they are dealing with kids. It’s not right. Professionalism and courtesy is as much relevant in youth soccer as it is in professional soccer. Train your kids in the basics of the game in a fun way by involving them in exciting drills. Like, it is great if you organize small trips to nearby locations for picnics.

Give them ample time with each other to share their thoughts and opinions. It helps them gel with each other and promotes unity among them. While teaching soccer, talk to kids about the need and importance of discipline in soccer. From the beginning itself, make the players understand the value of best practices in soccer. In conclusion, help the kids understand and learn the game while at the same time enjoying it. Implement these tips in coaching your players and the results will be amazing. You will find a variety of such tips to coach youth soccer by subscribing to our youth soccer coaching community. What you’ll get here is wealth of resources to coach youth soccer along with a cooperative and string coaching community.

About Author
Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in Coach youth soccer. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy. To download your free Coaching Youth Soccer guide visit: http://www.soccerdrillstips.com.

In soccer practice games, scoring goals is one thing that adds to the excitement of the young players while playing. For this reason, you must look for opportunities to score goals and integrate for them. There are numerous options that can be exercised to create opportunities from them. For instance: shooting drills, small sided games, and full-field scrimmages.

During small sided games and full field scrimmages, keep varying the processes to promote more goal scoring. You can include such games that can be played without a goalie, or restrict their moves inside the warning lines. Widening the goalpost being used or adding more goals is one more possibility for increasing goal scoring.

In soccer training, when players develop their shooting technique and tactical knowledge, goal creation also increases. Just like with passing skills, it’s better to introduce shooting techniques at an early stage but put more emphasis on them in the later stages of development.

Carrying out soccer drills is one of the means to equip the players with requisite shooting skills. Shooting drills develop and improve the shooting skills that players require to successfully score goals. So it becomes your duty as a coach to help your players grow as experts in shooting techniques.

Throughout the soccer exercises, train your players to perfectly strike the ball while shooting it. Players are free to shoot at close range from the inside of the foot. In using the inside of the feet, you bring more precision into the shots. When the situation is such that more strength is needed to hit the ball, ask the players to strike the ball using the instep of the foot, with toes pointed downwards and ankle locked.

How you position the non-kicking foot impacts the height of the shot. So players should be taught to position the non kicking foot a little ahead of the ball to keep the shot low. Remove all distractions for example moving balls, moving shooters, or defenders to help the players focus only on striking the ball.

Kick start the drill progression in soccer practice games with the help of stationary ball and a striker. As the shooting techniques progress, add to the challenge by putting the shooter in action before he/she hits the ball. This modification will deviate from the accuracy of the striking efforts at first, because the player’s visualization must serve a double purpose.

One, it helps the shooting player to get some space in the direction of the ball and two, it helps them manage their foot right where the ball is.

As players grow in confidence, increase the difficulty by putting both the shooter and the ball in a moving state. When they make progress in shooting, make them receive the balls at different speeds.

Here you go! By introducing many opportunities for scoring goals in soccer practice games, you can make the players benefit a lot out of their sessions. For even more tips and tricks on youth soccer, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community.

About Author
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of Soccer coaching drills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun in less than 29 days!

Have you ever imagined the kind of advantages soccer practice games give the players? In addition to hundreds of opportunities to touch the ball, the players have adequate room to try out other maneuvers.

The system of a 4v4 small-sided game in soccer training is usually small and it is useful for the coach and the players as well. The coach is in a position to observe all players on one side since they are only 4 in count. There is a lot of time available to the players for the purpose of playing with the game. Besides, it lets the players practice the method of distribution, collecting the ball, looking up and taking decisions fast.

It’s the responsibility of the coach to push the kids to utilize the above procedure by remaining present on the ground. At first it may be a little difficult for the kids to get used to it. For example, they may still adopt the kick and run style. This is normal. Nevertheless, you’ll be required to train them on various methods that can be used in the process of distribution.

If necessary, in the beginning, a diagram can be used to teach the kids the process. Next a demonstration of the same is also required. With the passage of time, the players will start liking it and adapt to it. And when they do start using the process, they will use the space more judiciously when in possession of the ball.

This has the effect of organizing the team’s game in a better way. This also ultimately leads to the players being able to work on their skills as well as control the rate at which the game progresses. You must keep in mind that this process of distribution is for people who have already made some progress in their learning.

The kids new to soccer should not attempt this in soccer practice games. Their soccer drills should enable them solely to play soccer and not bother about rules and regulations. Their only attention should be on playing and not working on the technique.

When you teach the players the process of distribution, it is vital that they know how to maintain balance with the ball. The player who has the ball must keep looking up and also take a decision on where to pass the ball.

The coach must teach the players to create space around the player with the ball so that he has ample room to move the ball around. A 4v4 game is the best way to teach such tactics.

Another thing that the coach must undertake to teach the kids is about positions such as forward, defender, right flank, left flank. The players should know and understand these positions and the coach must call these positions by name during the training.

You must exercise patience with the kids when they are learning these exercises. The kids may be slow in learning these things. So move forward and use these soccer practice games to help the kids inculcate new skills. For more of such tips on a 4v4 game, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that has numerous resources on soccer coaching.

About Author
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of Soccer coaching drills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun in less than 29 days!