Our Trophy Case. Mackenzie Bedwell

This is the story of an up-and-commer, who is just now gaining confidence as an "I'm here now" kind of player. A story about a girl overlooked, a natural athlete, who needed to find a home.

Mackenzie “Mac” Bedwell started playing softball from an early age, she was traditionally an athlete so coaches could put her in any position. By 12 years of age she was playing travel ball, and by 14 years she was still being shuffled from position to position for her "ability to play anywhere." While it is a huge compliment, the struggle was internal - where was Mac going to really find a home? And it just didn't feel like she was being given the chance to be a star at any one position. It was Mackenzie that decided that pitching was where she saw herself growing - so she began training with Coach Jordyn at 13 years of age. This is often seen as a "late start" but with someone as athletic and hard working as Mac this was the perfect time to decide that the pitching mound was her home. Mac took two years of lessons before her travel coaches took notice of the amazing pitcher she was becoming outside of their practices. Mackenzie worked at home, before and after practices on her own, she took lessons and attended summer camps until she couldn't be overlooked anymore.

Three years later, Mac is playing on the 18u Delco Diamonds junior olympic team, showing off her amazing pitches, and is even more committed to her training.  Her poise, accuracy, and balanced skill set the tone on the mound.  Her past seasons seemed to be an uphill climb, but she never let herself get down. This has shaped Mac as a pitcher who has stamina and who can dig deep when things heat up. Mac has grown from an all-around athlete to a force to be reconed with on the mound. She is nearing the 60mph range with her fast and curve balls, her batting average doubled from last summer to this fall, and she holds the rotations-per-second (pitch spins) record with her pitching coach at 24rps. That's 24 spins every second her pitch travels to the catcher's mit. Try it - that's nearly impossible to hit.   

So how did Mac grow from an "athlete" to someone college coaches are fighting over? She surrounded herself with people who could help her get better, not just applaud her efforts. Mac took lessons from pro coaches, who knew to look beyond her capabilities, to her future. Coach Kelly Sylvester is one of those coaches- she sees potential yet untapped in Mac as a hitter.  Coach Sylvester has seen the work that Mac has put in to get better in the past years.  She sees how Mac is able to make quick adjustments when her mechanics are starting to break down or when she is working on different drills and isn’t seeing the automatic success.  Coach Sylvester also notices that Mac is very coachable and takes instruction well.  She is very focused and mechanical; she can take what she learned and transform it into muscle memory fairly quickly.  Coach Sylvester catches glimpses of the well-rounded athlete that Mac can become because she sees part of Mac that a highlight video doesn’t show:  the maturity and work ethic.

Mackenzie's story isn't complete...  she wants more from next season. Her coaches want to see her ERA below 2. in high level travel ball tournaments, and batting average above .300; she has committed herself to a vigorous winter training schedule of hitting and pitching lessons, high school and travel ball practices, and it will all prove once again that this uphill climb is surmountable by athletes like Mackenzie who strive to truly be the best!

Here's Mackenzie's Recruit Video: 2017 Recruit Mackenzie Bedwell - YouTube

Our Trophy Case: Mackenzie Bedwell

This is the story of an up-and-commer, who is just now gaining confidence as an "I'm here now" kind of player. A story about a girl overlooked, a natural athlete, who needed to find a home.

Mackenzie “Mac” Bedwell started playing softball from an early age, she was traditionally an athlete so coaches could put her in any position. By 12 years of age she was playing travel ball, and by 14 years she was still being shuffled from position to position for her "ability to play anywhere." While it is a huge compliment, the struggle was internal - where was Mac going to really find a home? And it just didn't feel like she was being given the chance to be a star at any one position. It was Mackenzie that decided that pitching was where she saw herself growing - so she began training with Coach Jordyn at 13 years of age. This is often seen as a "late start" but with someone as athletic and hard working as Mac this was the perfect time to decide that the pitching mound was her home. Mac took two years of lessons before her travel coaches took notice of the amazing pitcher she was becoming outside of their practices. Mackenzie worked at home, before and after practices on her own, she took lessons and attended summer camps until she couldn't be overlooked anymore.

Three years later, Mac is playing on the 18u Delco Diamonds junior olympic team, showing off her amazing pitches, and is even more committed to her training.  Her poise, accuracy, and balanced skill set the tone on the mound.  Her past seasons seemed to be an uphill climb, but she never let herself get down. This has shaped Mac as a pitcher who has stamina and who can dig deep when things heat up. Mac has grown from an all-around athlete to a force to be reconed with on the mound. She is nearing the 60mph range with her fast and curve balls, her batting average doubled from last summer to this fall, and she holds the rotations-per-second (pitch spins) record with her pitching coach at 24rps. That's 24 spins every second her pitch travels to the catcher's mit. Try it - that's nearly impossible to hit.   

So how did Mac grow from an "athlete" to someone college coaches are fighting over? She surrounded herself with people who could help her get better, not just applaud her efforts. Mac took lessons from pro coaches, who knew to look beyond her capabilities, to her future. Coach Kelly Sylvester is one of those coaches- she sees potential yet untapped in Mac as a hitter.  Coach Sylvester has seen the work that Mac has put in to get better in the past years.  She sees how Mac is able to make quick adjustments when her mechanics are starting to break down or when she is working on different drills and isn’t seeing the automatic success.  Coach Sylvester also notices that Mac is very coachable and takes instruction well.  She is very focused and mechanical; she can take what she learned and transform it into muscle memory fairly quickly.  Coach Sylvester catches glimpses of the well-rounded athlete that Mac can become because she sees part of Mac that a highlight video doesn’t show:  the maturity and work ethic.

Mackenzie's story isn't complete...  she wants more from next season. Her coaches want to see her ERA below 2. in high level travel ball tournaments, and batting average above .300; she has committed herself to a vigorous winter training schedule of hitting and pitching lessons, high school and travel ball practices, and it will all prove once again that this uphill climb is surmountable by athletes like Mackenzie who strive to truly be the best!

Here's Mackenzie's Recruit Video: 2017 Recruit Mackenzie Bedwell - YouTube

8 Glasses a day keeps the Fat away

Water is quite possibly the single most important factor in losing weight and keeping it off. Although simple, water may be the answer to losing weight and keeping it off.  Here’s why: 

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. 

The overweight person needs more water than the thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we now know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. 

How Much Water is Enough?

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.  When the water is colder than body temperature, the body actually has to burn calories (energy) to raise the temperature of the water in order to use it.

Morning Workouts for Fat Loss

Working out and not losing the body fat that you want?  Try a morning workout.  Upon waking in the morning, try working out for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Studies show that working out in the morning burns up to 3x more fat as opposed to working out later in the day.

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals.  When you sleep at night your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for vital bodily functions.  When you wake up in the morning your body has depleted your carbohydrate stores and will look to burn fat instead for energy.  

If you decide to take advantage of this morning fat burning session, do not eat breakfast before the workout. If you do, it will just replenish the carbohydrates in your body and will burn those instead of the fat that you want to burn.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout.  Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day, another important factor in fat loss.

If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning.  

I’m not saying that you must only workout in the morning to lose fat, but switch it up.  Take one of your evening workouts and switch it to the morning and watch the fat melt off!!

Our trophy case. Megan Conrad.

​Coach Megan started out like many current athletes today:  she began playing sports at an early age, and by high school, focused solely on one sport to take her to the college level.  She played soccer, softball, and tennis in high school until deciding on soccer as her highlight sport.  Megan went to Wesley College because of their sports medicine program, but also because of their renowned athletic teams.  

​Coach Megan always knew she wanted to combine athletics and science in her career, so she studied sports medicine because it seemed the most logical route.  She has practiced exercise physiology/sports medicine since graduating from Wesley in 2003. She began in a physical therapy clinic and undertook the challenge and rewards of independently training her own clients.  Her coaching career was sparked when she started researching why there were so many more females with ACL injuries.  With the help of mentors, she developed an ACL injury prevention program and started doing ACL prevention camps, speed and agility camps, and sports camps in 2005.  Megan began to notice that she had more influence, respect, and results on these athletes than when she saw them post-injury.  Her coaching philosophy now has to deal more with breaking down movements, finding weaknesses and improper form, and fixing them before it becomes a traumatic or overuse injury.

​Megan is the primary Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Hive Sports.  She is certified through the NCSA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) to train all of their athletes to improve cardio, strength, endurance, and find any weaknesses that may affect their particular sport or position.  Not every organization has a strength and conditioning specialist, and Hive Sports understands how much more these athletes get out of working with one.  We really appreciate all you do for us, Coach Megan!

Learn more or schedule an appointment with Megan:

http://hivesports.com/megan-conrad/

Our Trophy Case. Isabella Kostic.

​Have you ever seen a baby deer stand for the first time?  Their legs are so weak that they struggle to stay standing, yet they continue to get up in hopes of being able to walk.  The continuous work strengthens the baby deer’s legs and they are finally able to walk on their own.  Isabella Kostic began as one of those pitchers that is like a fawn grown into a leaping, strong doe.  Just like a baby deer learning how to walk, Izzy had to learn what it takes to become an effective pitcher on the mound.

​In the beginning of her pitching career, Izzy wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do in order to gain speed and finesse in her pitching.  Once she decided she wanted to fully commit to pitching, she went to Coach Jordyn to get instruction.  Izzycredits Coach J with giving her the confidence boost and extra motivation to keep working towards becoming a threat on the mound.  She knew that she wasn’t going to get to where she is now without that extra help because she wouldn’t have known the direction and instruction to keep moving forward.  Izzyacknowledges that her work ethic has greatly helped her mature into the athlete she is now.  She has lessons and participates in clinics with Coach J while playing in as many games as possible on her recreational and travel teams in order to get as much in-game experience as she can.  

​Izzy has progressed so extraordinarily, and it is no surprise that her progress has helped her land a spot on the 14U Lady Stormers travel team.  Not only that, she is also a starting pitcher, which hints at the awesome transformation she has undergone to get to this point in her athletic career.  She is very excited to see where this path will lead her towards her future goals as a softball pitcher.  Of course making the high school team is one of her goals, but her lifelong dream is to play softball in college.  Currently, Izzy is hoping to be a pitcher for the Penn State Nittany Lions.  Keep working towards your goals, Izzy, and continue to transform into the athlete that you want to be.  Good luck during the summer for both of your teams!

Our Trophy Case. Sarah Deller

Meet Sarah Deller, the girl who is committed to any and all training.  While she didn’t play on a stellar team, she worked really hard at pitching, work outs, and hitting lessons all winter.  Although there may be days when she doesn’t really feel like going to lessons or getting in her work out, her attitude towards hard work is exceptional.  When asked about it, Sarah responded by saying that she tries to work her hardest when needed because she believes that if you don’t work hard, you won’t see any improvement in your skills.  Sarah knows that her hard work has been paying off.  When she is in a game and can feel herself struggling, she just remembers what Coach Jordyn told her about certain mechanics so she can adjust during competition.

Sarah has entered her freshman year at Dallastown High School, and when asked about how her training has prepared her for it, she responded with a sense of excitement and confidence.  Sarah believes that she will definitely fit in and could possibly stand out on the team because her training has helped to get her a level above the athletes who aren’t as committed.  She also feels confident in her pitching that she would be able to lead the team on the mound.  However, Sarah knows she needs to keep working to get better and stronger to play at the level she wants to be at and also be a stand out player.

Sarah is the girl that any coach would want:  dedicated and committed to all aspects of the game.  She doesn’t complain about the hard work that she has to put in to improve her own game so she can help her team succeed.  Keep up the hard work, Sarah, and good luck this spring!

Our Trophy Case. Marissa Treibley.

“Hard work pays off” is the mantra for most athletes who want to excel at their sport.  Whether it requires extra practices or workouts to reach the goal, successful athletes know what it takes to get ahead.  But what happens when you are already a successful athlete at a young age?

Marissa Treibley is currently at this stage in her career; she’s a young stud who pretty much gets all of her team outs via the strikeout.  Marissa is the pitcher for two different teams this past year and the records for each team accentuate the work that she puts into her pitching.  Her 12U rec team went 14-0 this past season and they were the champions of this division.  Her travel team also did very well this past season, winning two tournaments and coming in second and third in the other two.  She helped lead her team to three championship games and pitched in all three.  On May 3rd, Marissa Triebley did something many other pitchers dream of:  she pitched a PERFECT game!  She didn’t only work on her pitching, but her hitting as well.  It paid off this past season when she was the cleanup hitter.  She had several homeruns, multiple extra base hits, and numerous RBIs to help her team offensively.   

Marissa isn’t just a softball player.  She also plays volleyball in the fall while juggling school and softball workouts.  Being a multi-sport athlete helps Marissa learn the importance of time-management while she is running between volleyball and softball practices.  Keep working hard, Marissa, in everything that you do.  Good luck in volleyball this fall and softball in the spring!  Remember, hard work pays off!

Our Trophy Case. Carrie Fix.

With the end of summer, many students are heading off to college and moving into a new chapter of their lives.  One of these students is Carrie Fix.  She isn’t just a student; she is a hard-working student-athlete.  

Carrie is hoping to take her
achievements in high school and build upon her goals while playing softball at Messiah.  As a four year varsity starter at York Catholic High, Carrie knows the kind of hard work it takes to play at higher levels.  She was the starting pitcher her junior and senior years, recording 120 strikeouts and only giving up nine walks in the 63 innings she pitched as a senior.  Her hard work didn’t only show on the mound; she helped her team on offense with a .737 batting average and 25 RBIs.  Her great work ethic was recognized with three different honors during her high school career:  Carrie was named Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year for YAIAA Division IV, selected to the 2013 PSCA Class AA All-State second team, and received a 2014 Distinguished Achievement Award.

Carrie’s ability to work hard was first recognized by her travel coaches.  She started playing with the PA Ball Hawks 10 years ago and was one of the team leaders every year because she was always so willing to work to be at her best.  This was proven with a .500 batting average and a 94% fielding percentage for the 2013 season.

Carrie will be a fresh welcome to the Falcons and hopefully a positive influence on the rest of the team to work at their games until they are at their best.  Good luck this season, Carrie!  Keep working towards your goals! 

Creating a practice plan

It may seem "common sense" but it really is essential to have a written practice plan prepared before practice starts. No coach manages time well enough to "roll with an idea". But what should this plan look like? Consider these keys

**everyone is more comfortable with routine, so some aspects of your practice should be routine like the same daily warmups, or adding a competitive element at the end. 

**consider attention spans to be between 15-20min for the average athlete. So plan different drills or breaks with this in mind.  

**consider a written equipment list for each listed drill you plan on doing so you can create efficient transitions. Players are happy to setup stations but they often lose focus if you're not prepare with what you need 

Concepts to include in your best practices:

1) dynamic warmup (daily routine)

2) skill warmup (throwing/dribbling/running)

3) skill drill for fundamentals (routines that are incorporated weekly)

4) game-like drill or game-directed practice 

5) secondary skill (routines that are incorporated weekly)

6) conditioning / competitive element 

These quick tips are provided by Pro Coach and parent, Jordyn Bibiloni. For more tips, drills, and videos follow @HivesportsCoach on twitter and Instagram