Have a great break!

Warm wishes and cheers to all of the families involved in My Softball Training. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Coach Jordyn and David Bibiloni. We are enjoying the winter snow in Erie, PA and will see you all in 2010! Yipee!!

Winter is for training

I came across this great core exercises, and had to post this for anyone interested in strengthening your core. That should be everyone who wants to play a sport. The core muscles are the most important muscles on your body. Your core actually will help in injury prevention because without a strong core, bad habits begin to form and injuries follow. Check out this drill by Monica Abbott's trainer for a killer workout:

Winter Stretching = Power Pitching Ability

It's time to start stretching and getting our body ready to pitch again. Since we will be really kicking ourselves into high gear in December, it is important to initiate this plan with core strength exercises and stretching. This way our muscles will be loose and flexible, and ready to be worked hard, so we can get better, fast!

One way to strengthen your wrist muscle is using the "Rice Bucket Exercise". Here is a great video I found which shows how we are going to do this. The rice bucket exercise is a great way to strengthen all of the muscles involved in the wrist rotation, so each breaking ball will have a better chance of... breaking!



Vanderbilt University Baseball Exercise- Rice Bucket - Watch more Funny Videos

Winter Workouts

I hope all softball players have had the opportunity to take some time off this month of November. It is important to take time off mentally and physically so we can get back into pitching again with excitement and fresh muscles!

December should really be the first time you are throwing again, and if it's January, you can probably get away with that unless you are planning on pitching varsity for high school. (Just being honest).
I hope you are enjoying this time off, but you may be asking yourself... So what do we start with in December?

The off-season is the best time to break down your pitching mechanics. Watching video's online of pitchers with good mechanics such as Kat Osterman and Jennie Finch will help you get an idea of what we are going for. But everyone has their own style and bone structure/muscle buildup... so everyone will look a little different. Basically - winter is to break down mechanics and see how absolutely HARD we can throw. Building power is our December goal. This is also a great month to begin working on developing new pitches, so you have plenty of time to practice before game-day!

So, enjoy your break... A few tools that you might help "whip you into shape" this winter include:

• RevFire: proof of your speed and power is in this machine; it tracks speed and rotation on the ball to help us see where we need to focus our work on.
• Stopwatch: we will be working speed for time and there is nothing better than a basic stopwatch to tally our progress in number of exercises in a time frame (pitches, pushups, burpees, squats, sprints, etc)
• Power Bands and Tubing: want to use all you've got? How about building that to give even more! These bands and tubes will help with resistance training to build your strength.
• Weighted Balls: whether you are developing a new pitch, or improving your fastball, a weighted ball will help strengthen your wrist to improve your snap.
  

It's That Time Again

The cold weather is creeping in, and soon little white flakes will cover the fields. This is a great month (October and November if you can spare it) to take a REST! I call this "hibernation" time.

My pitchers: you have done a fantastic job this year and we have basically been throwing since December... You need a break; mentally and physically! Now is the time to take advantage of no softball practices. Yes, you may be finishing up a few last games or one last tournament, but when fall ball is over, TAKE A BREAK! You will then be refreshed and excited to come back in 2010 to being working hard towards the spring seasons. I am already getting excited myself!

Wondering what to do without softball? "Hibernation" workouts are daily exercises that you can be doing that don't specifically involve softball, but are still helping you gain core strength.
Every day before or after your shower/bath, hold a plank position for 30 seconds. Every night before crawling into bed, do an additional 30 seconds. YES - even if you just take a shower before bed - 60 seconds a day isn't a lot to ask, is it?

For my older girls: try 20 push-ups instead of planks! P.S."Neck Peckes" don't count; real push-ups do, even if you want to start with modified (knees on the ground) push-ups.

If you have a stress ball, use it to strengthen your wrists while watching t.v. at night.

If you have the time, you can work a little on your pitch speed by doing windmill snaps into your glove. Just make sure you don't miss inside the house EEK!

Enjoy!

Eating For Performance...

Another post that is worth bringing up: eating for performance. While we are not going in depth calorie counting or watching our weight, it is important to consume proteins and other foods which will give you energy to "show your stuff" out on the softball diamond!

Suggested Pre-Exercise Foods
Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and...(sports drink) 1 hour before exercise.

1 hour or less before intense workout/competition

• fruit or vegetable juice such as orange, tomato, or V-8, and/or
• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before intense workout/competition

• fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• bread, bagels
• low-fat yogurt
• sports drink

3 to 4 hours before intense workout/competition

• fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• bread, bagels
• pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with low-fat milk
• low-fat yogurt
• toast/bread with limited peanut butter, lean meat, or low-fat cheese
• 30 oz of a sports drink

Information retrieved from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/EatForExercise.htm.


For more nutrition information, check out StackMagazine's article: Baseball Nutrition Plan.

Overall, eating the right foods at the right times is crucial. #1 HYDRATE as much as possible. Water is the BEST thing for you, no matter what the commercials say. And #2: eat the right foods before competition, pack peanut butter crackers or trailmix on-the-go.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to call or email me!

Why Train?

For my beloved athletes. I want to refer to a past post of mine that I came across... While researching online I discovered a softball blog that aligns well with our personal training. The article gave research evidence that core strength increases pitching effectiveness. What a thought! Huh. Sounds like something we talk about at every lesson!

• Having a professional trainer is important to provide specific, appropriate workouts.
• Building a strong core can prevent injury.
• Core strength contributes to improved pitching and helps prevent bad mechanics (which develop mostly because of weak core muscles)
• Core strength and balance go hand-in-hand.

So.. I am glad for those who have committed to "training" which means not only learning how to pitch, but also the mental and physical strength training that will make you a better PITCHER!

To see the online blog that I am referring to click here

Training Goals

It's that time again! Time to take a look at your accomplishments and struggles of spring and summer seasons, and to consider new goals for the fall and winter training periods. One opportunity we have within the "My Softball Training" program is use of RevFire technologies. During our "Fall Boost Into Training" we will be tracking speed and spin of your pitches and comparing this data with national guidelines. We will be using RevFire technologies to track our training and to better create workouts and drills for you to reach and exceed your goals this year.

"RevFire spin rate is a measurement in Revolutions Per Second (RPS) of the rate of rotation of a pitched ball. RevFire spin rate measurements are accurate to within 0.25 RPS of the actual spin rate. To create a deceptive breaking ball pitch the pitcher must impart substantial spin on the ball...You can learn more about spin and RevFire at ww.RevFire.com."

High School Pitchers Rotation on the ball:

• Drop: needs between 10-26 RPS (average=17 RPS)
• Curve: needs between 10-30 RPS (average=18 RPS)
• Screw: needs between 10-30 RPS (average=18 RPS)
• Rise: needs between 10-30 RPS (average=19 RPS)

High school pitchers:

• 17-18.9 RPS = Average
• 19.0-21.9 RPS = Good
• 22.0 and up = Excellent

Open workouts for
My Softball Training begin August 17th,
so contact Coach Jordyn to
sign up for your best year yet!

Coach Jordyn is on Fanbase

Jordyn Acklin on Fanbase

In-Between Seasons?

In-Between Seasons Right Now?

Many of you are taking a break right now before fall-ball starts. GOOD! I hope you are giving your arm a rest for a few weeks before our August training begins. During this time you may be wondering what to do. Take some time to train to be a better pitcher, but this doesn't mean you have to pitch! Now is a great time to work on your jump-rope activities, running, and core exercises. Your body needs a little rest from pitching if you want to come into the fall season strong again, so swim, bike ride, roller blade and do other fun activities with your friends for a month!

Mid-August we will begin age and skill appropriate strength training and conditioning along with some pitching. We will focus 4 days a week, for the weeks of August 17-21 and 24-28th. You will learn new training exercises and it will give you a chance to get "back in training". Through September I will be available for one lesson a week to refine your pitching through fall-ball.

Right now we are meeting to create an outline for the upcoming year. This is important for your family and I to be on the same page, so we can all work together in training you to be the best pitcher you can be. So consider the time you would like to work on becoming a better pitcher, and I'll be right here for you, making the same commitment you are to making you better!

Here's to another year together!
-Coach Jordyn Bibiloni-

Back to the USA.

Congratulations to all of my girls who have done such a wonderful job pitching this summer. I am happy to return to see you are doing well. I look forward to meeting with you all before the fall season begins to talk about the upcoming year; about your goals as a family, as a pitcher, and to discuss opportunities that My Softball Training has for you!

- Coach Jordyn Bibiloni -

Have A Great Summer!

To All Of My Athletes:
I hope you have a great summer! I am off to Spain and will return with a new last name, Bibiloni! I can't wait to hear all of your great game re-caps! Please keep me updated via email and send photos too! I love hearing about your experiences!!! Good luck this season and I'll see you in July/August!

Go hard every play.
You don’t want to leave anything behind
and regret it years down the road that you
didn’t give it all when you could have.
--Ashley DeBuhr, pitcher, Univ. of Nebraska


Summer Workout

Athlete of the Week

This week's feature athlete is 9th grader, K.Williams. This pitcher has earned her right to stand on the mound, boasting a fastball, sneaky drop, mighty curveball, and wicked changeup.


Wiliams has worked hard throughout the past year working on strength training and conditioning and development of her off-speed pitches.

This work paid off Memorial Day weekend as Williams earned 2 MVP awards and pitched a Perfect Game during the ASA Lady Patriots Invitational.

What an accomplishment! Keep up the good work!

Insight for Batters

Follow this link for Texax Longhorn advice and interviews with the pro's on what you should be thinking about as you...

• step into the on-deck circle
• step into the batter's box
• see the pitch
• and more...

Athlete of the Week

This week's athlete of the week is a 12u player who has realized that she has POWER. I have noticed many young pitchers who focus on the mechanics, but are afraid to "get some grit" as we say here at My Softball Training.

This pitcher has found her "grit" and has developed a great amount of speed and control over the winter. She has a fastball, 2-seam fastball and circle change-up and is using all beautifully this year!

Way to go Fire-Bird!

Throwing a Circle Change

How to throw a change-up? One of the easiest change-ups to throw is what's known as a "Circle Change". But how do you really make it work? What are the finer points of making this pitch consistent?

Setting up the change:

1. Pick up the softball so all fingers are on the ball
2. Spread out your thumb and pointer finger so they are following the biggest stretch of seam to create a backwards "C"
   
3. Palm this pitch; really dig in the middle joint on your thumb and pointer finger.
4. As you release this change-up, just release with the palm facing the target, without snap or spin.
   

How to make this pitch really work...... Pointers:

• Watch the video :-)
• As you enter the point of release, squeeze your butt cheeks and quad muscles, at the same time, almost paralyze your fingers as you release the ball.
• If you need to take more speed off the ball, try tucking in your first finger or your middle finger
• A common misconception is to lean far down to throw this pitch - MISCONCEPTION!! MISTAKE!! Stand straight up as you release this pitch, because you want it to come from your hip and float in... so it is even more important to finish "tall" for your Circle Change.
• You should fall backwards with the release of this pitch, rather than forwards (like your fastball).

(9th grader throwing a Circle Change indoors at B2B)

Adding Speed During Your Warmup.. The "Walk-Through"

One important aspect of pitching, at any age, is to continually strive to pitch harder + faster. This is one drill that can be done while warming up during practice and pre-game. This is one example of adding intensity and a little challenge to gain more speed. By training your body to throw further than 40 feet, you are building arm speed and strength. And my #1 reason in pushing this drill is that it forces the athlete to take long strides and really use the legs.

The "Walk-Through"....... How to do this drill?

1. Begin warming up as normal, and when you reach the pitcher's mound, take 3 long strides further, past the mound and turn to your catcher.
2. For a Right handed pitcher, you would start by facing your target and take one step with your right foot towards that target,
3. Followed by one step with your left leg (a nice long stride) while bringing your hands together pointing at the target.
   
4. As you take another step with your right leg, bring your hands down, separated, and lean slightly towards your target.
5. Now initiate your pitch while striding up and forward with your left foot towards your target.
   
6. Repeat, each time starting further away until you cannot throw a strike.
   

Pointers:

• Watch the video :-)
• I always say the motions while performing this drill the first few times "step right, left, down and out" which takes the athlete through the motion.
• Strive to take longer strides and pitch further each time you do this drill
• Do not continue to back up if the ark of the pitch is higher than 4 feet.
• If you are pitching mostly inside, this means you are probably not getting your arm all the way through...So, lift that left leg a little higher during your pitch as you drive forward and speed up the rotation of your hips to get your body aligned for release.
  
• Points of reference: 6th grader = 60 feet, 7th grader = 70 feet.. and continue on. High school pitchers should be able to throw from second base to home.
  

(8th grader doing this drill indoors at B2B)

Athlete of the Week

Summer ball is well under way and another competitor has proved to be well worth Athlete of the Week!
From the mound (yes, I realize this is not a great picture, my fault, the blackberry is nothing compared to the Kodak) to the batter's box, this week's Athlete of the Week is an all-around gladiator!









Father and Daughter prepare for the at -bat...





The set-up before she puts a solid hit in the field.

Spring Game Response

How is your pitching this May? Take one game, and provide an HONEST response. You may have pitched ok, poor, or excellent. No matter what the result, lets take a look at these four questions so we can best prepare you for the upcoming summer season!

1. Did I warm up enough pitches? Were my snaps as explosive as I possible?
2. How did I pitch my first inning? (did it take me a few batters to get into the groove, or did I come out throwing my "A+ Game" to the first batter).
3. What pitch did I struggle the most with? (location? inside? outside? high? low? high-inside? (etc), or pitch? fastball? curveball? (etc)).
4. What pitch did I throw the best?

Please write your response in comment to this post

When to throw my pitches?

Many of my pitchers have learned new pitches during winter training. Whether armed with a 2-seam, changeup, or a host of curve/drop/rise/screw balls... only the question is...

Q: When do I throw these pitches?

Answer: When you are ready.

Q: But how do I know if I am ready? Answer: If you already have at least one strikeout in the game, and can get an 0-2 on another batter, now it's time to start experimenting. When it comes to game time, throw only the pitches you have practiced and can throw well during practice.

See Saturday, April 11th's post "Effective Pitching" for a pitching gameplan.


Now go out and start trying the pitches you have worked so hard on developing! You will never know until you try them! So what if you throw a ball? If it doesn't work, try it another inning. If it still doesn't work, stick to those pitches that do work.

Athlete of the Week

My 7th Grade "Flame-Thrower," shown here in last weekend's tournament... we have been working together for 2 years now and she has a powerful fastball, deceptive curve ball and a pretty sick (circle) change up.

Stack Magazine

Online Training: Stack Magazine provides readers with online and print copy information regarding training techniques based on specific sports, as well as interviews with athletes, and motivational sport information. It is a great resource if you are looking for supplemental workouts, and is especially helpful to see what other (college) athletes are doing within their sport of choice!

Check out this week's feed: Softball - Improve Lateral (side-to-side) Movement:
http://magazine.stack.com/Sport/84/Softball.aspx

What is Your Level of Anxiety?

Follow this link to see your level of Anxiety before competition.

Core Training

For my beloved athletes. I was researching today and came across an online softball blog that aligns well with our personal training. The article gave research evidence that core strength increases pitching effectiveness. What a thought! Huh. Sounds like something we talk about at every lesson!

• Having a professional trainer is important to provide specific, appropriate workouts.
• Building a strong core can prevent injury.
• Core strength contributes to improved pitching and helps prevent bad mechanics (which develop mostly because of weak core muscles)
• Core strength and balance go hand-in-hand.

So.. Keep working on building strength by committing to your weekly workouts outside of pitching lessons! Both pitching and strength training go hand-in-hand.

To see the online blog that I am referring to click here

Effective Pitching

Some very important things for advanced pitchers to keep in focus, so you are able to pitch more effectively.

EFFECTIVE: adj to accomplish a purpose

1. Patience: Between.........every.........single.........pitch............ Take time to look around at the bases and your teammates and shout out the # of outs and where the play is.......... then return to the mound to pitch with energy and focus!

2. Keep this in mind: our priority is to change speeds constantly to throw off batters. So... Warm up all your pitches and use them. Fastball. Changeup. Curve Ball. Drop Ball. Using at least one off-speed pitch for each batter is important.

3. Keep this in mind: BALLS AND STRIKES contribute to outs. We have talked about pitching a strike on the corner, then pitching a ball to chase. If you can get batters to fish for bad pitches, the hits will be "dribblers" to the infield or easy popups. These are outs and well-placed pitches. If girls are swinging, don't give them strikes, but balls to chase.

Movement and speed change = effective pitching.
Movement and speed change = effective pitching.
Movement and speed change = effective pitching.
Movement and speed change = effective pitching.

Movement and speed change = OUTS

Now... Go Get Some Outs!

Watching Jenny Finch...

Here I am watching Jenny Finch pitch(click here to see the video)... I'm thinking back on a lesson I just had and how I am always pumping to my pitchers, even my high school athletes, that time is so important between plays. I am attaching a link to youtube for J.Finch. It takes her 2 seconds to actually pitch, and she takes a lengthy 20+ seconds to prepare for the next pitch... She doesn't come right back to the mound and toss the next pitch. She re-focuses after every single pitch and fires it with all she has. Impressive.

I want you to think about this. And implement this. 20 seconds of wait time contributes to a better, stronger, faster pitch. Does every pitch really matter to you? Practice it. Do it.
Make this YOUR routine!

Eating For Performance...

Suggested Pre-Exercise Foods
Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and...(sports drink) 1 hour before exercise.

1 hour or less before competition

• fruit or vegetable juice such as orange, tomato, or V-8, and/or
• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before competition

• fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• bread, bagels
• low-fat yogurt
• sports drink

3 to 4 hours before competition

• fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• bread, bagels
• pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with low-fat milk
• low-fat yogurt
• toast/bread with limited peanut butter, lean meat, or low-fat cheese
• 30 oz of a sports drink

Information retrieved 3.15.09 from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/EatForExercise.htm.

Overall, eating the right foods at the right times is crucial. While training my freshman year in college, I was training more than eating, and eating the wrong things when I had the chance. As you prepare for a game, double-header, or weekend tournament, it is time to start thinking what you are fueling your body with. I learned the hard way, by passing out after practice and ending up in the hospital. Now this is an extreme, but learn from my mistake and make sure to #1 HYDRATE as much as possible. Water is the BEST thing for you, no matter what the commercials say. And #2: eat the right foods before competition, pack peanut butter crackers or trailmix on-the-go. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to call or email me!

We've trained all year, make sure you prepare Game Day for your best performance!

Coach Jordyn

As the season gets under way...

As the warm weather begins to taunt us that softball season is here, or fast approaching, depending on what level you are playing, I wanted to remind my pitchers that I have practice workouts available to help you better prepare for your upcoming season. Practice outlines are a great coaching tool though Coach Jordyn cannot be present, you can still work on specific skills that are designed specially for you, helping you accomplish speed, direction, spin, etc. Call or email Coach Jordyn today to set up practice workouts specific to your needs; $40/wkout.

Happy Pitching!

Coach Jordyn

As the season gets under way...

As this season gets under-way, I wanted to remind those of you who are playing on multiple teams, and would like more of a breakdown of your mechanics, you can submit photos from you pitching that I will gladly analyze. Many athletes incorporate new habits while pitching with the stress of competition, and as they try to gain control throughout a long, strenuous game. Photo analysis is $10 and can be a very helpful coaching tool. I would be happy to talk with you about the analysis at your next lesson as well!


Happy Pitching!!
I'll see you Saturdays at L-S and weekdays @ B2B.

Coach Jordyn

Video Summary

Here you will see a video summary of "My Softball Training" programs.


Thanks to all the parents and players who have come out to participate in this program. You should be proud of your hard work, your efforts will pay off soon as spring season is just around the corner!

My Softball Family: Evite

This Sunday we will be utilizing the B2B Baseball and Softball Academy in Manheim.
For more information, please view this e-vite and RSVP as soon as possible.

MY E-VITE

Thanks!!

Coach Jordyn

I read this in a blog this week:

• Some of the biggest reasons people fail are because:
• They take action without planning
• They plan and never take action
• Their "Why" is not clear
• They lack focus
• They are afraid to fail
• They try to do it alone

This leads me into what we are about to really sit down and talk about... Our goals for the season. So far you (my pitchers) have done an incredible job! This season everyone has stepped it up greatly, and its time for me to make a decision. I am ready to take you to the next level, I'm relying on your commitment to yourself, and hope you desire to move forward with me.

Think about where you'd like to be...
Are you willing to sacrifice to get there?

Together, we can fight your fears, the odds, and those questioning you!
I'm committed, are you ready to take the next step, because I'm right here waiting for you?

Together we can.

Coaching from the USA Olympics...

Check out this video: Pitching According to Coach Mike Condrea (US Olympic Softball Coach)

Do you throw similar pitches to this Olympic pitcher?

Is your grip and spin similar?


Watch and enjoy!
Coach Jordyn

RevFire

Well, after attending a great clinic in NJ, I was able to confirm the drills, skills and philosophy we are working on as pitcher-coach are aligned with college, university and Olympic athletes and coaches. One focus for this season is going to be your wrist snap. By increasing your wrist strength and flexibility, you are going to get more spin. More spin means more speed, accuracy and movement (drop/curve/rise/screw ball), 3 primary goals for any pitcher and coach.


As you work this season, I am here to make a difference, to make you the BEST you can possibly be. That is going to take a commitment from you, and coaching from me. I've invested in your future with the RevFire. It is a device that allows me to measure your rotation on the ball, hence your wrist snap. This is going to help you be the BEST you can be this season, and better you for next season, and the next, and the next...

Check it out at www.RevFire.com


This device will tell me exactly how much wrist snap you are getting, how much spin you have on the ball... so you'd better start working on wrist snaps now, because you are going to be surprised by what you cannot hide from the RevFire!







Are you willing to take the challenge?
Get out your mit, standing, 40 wrist snaps EVERY DAY into your glove.
Do It!


Coach Jordyn

Getting Back Into It

Well its time to think "softball" again... and though you may have practices a few days here and there, its NOW time to really get thinking about this season.


In doing so we need to think about a few things
1. What shape are you in right now?
(do you still have your endurance? power? muscle memory?)
2. What are some goals for this season?
(what 2 specific things do you want to accomplish?)
3. Are you ready to start preseason?
(Where do you want to be? Will you sacrifice to get there?)

Think about these things, because I'm going to be asking you about them Saturday!
See You Soon!

Coach Jordyn
Lets Get This Season Started! Yah!