Foundations for Winning Softball Series

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

Building a successful softball program can be a daunting and challenging task. From selecting a coaching staff to dealing with parents, you must have a plan for how to handle the myriad of situations you'll face as the leader.

In this insightful video, Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner offer practical advice and organizational tips for how to build a championship program.

Building a Successful Program

Figuring out where to start in building a successful softball program is a challenge in and of itself. Schneider, Merical, and Drohner begin by explaining a few of their own keys to building championship programs. You will find out how to hire a great coaching staff, identify the leaders on your team, and build a positive environment for your players.

Coaching Organization

Learn how you can get more accomplished as the leader of a program by being organized and having a plan. A plan will help you find a role for each player in your program and help them contribute by being great at something...even if they aren't the most athletically-gifted.

Coaches' Insight

Haven't you always wanted to sit down with a group of successful coaches and ask them 'how they do it?' In this video, the presenting coaches sit down and chat about their programs and the skills that have made them successful. You'll get to hear their insight on how they deal with parents, establish a growth mindset, and develop team traditions.

This video takes you behind the scenes and into the minds of three very successful coaches. They will teach you the keys to their success, and how you can apply them to your team to begin to develop a championship-level program today!

55 minutes. 2019.

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

Creating a positive team culture is one of the most difficult and most important jobs of a youth softball coach. Coaches Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner have a lot of experience in building and sustaining positive team cultures, as evidenced by their numerous accomplishments and championships. In this video, they offer their ideas on team building and goal setting, which are key components of a championship culture.

Team Building Ideas

You will learn how to involve your team to create investment and ownership by letting them participate in decision-making. Developing leadership skills with members of the younger generations is a focus of many top coaches. Coach Schneider explains how you can develop leadership skills with your team by encouraging your players to handle conflict and discipline each other internally.

Goal Setting

Set goals that will help you and your team win more games! Coach Schneider gives examples of some of the goals his teams have come up with in the past and explains how you can adapt goals to fit your team. Additionally, he explains how to allow your players to give input to help get them to buy-in. You'll also learn how to improve cohesion and develop traditions with your team, which will improve every player's experience in your program.

Player's Perspective

Get inside the hearts and minds of youth players with Coach Schneider as he hosts a player chat. This segment will teach you what is important to young athletes and what they want out of a youth softball experience.

In this video, coaches Schneider, Merical, and Drohner show you how to build a culture that every player will want to be a part of. Start building a championship culture within your own youth softball team today!

48 minutes. 2019.

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

If your practices tend to drag and become monotonous, Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner have the solution you need! This video will teach you the planning and training concepts that some of the most creative coaches in the game use to put together an up-tempo, engaging practice. Then, you'll see the drills they use to make practice with your infielders and outfielders more engaging.

Practice Planning and Training Concepts

Organization and pre-planning are vital to practice planning success. Coach Schneider offers his practice planning advice and gives you several concepts that you can incorporate to run an up-tempo practice. You'll learn more about:

• Kinesthetic awareness
• Differential training
• Speed-accuracy trade-off
• Creativity
• Psycho-neuro muscular theory

Infield Drills

Keep your infielders engaged and your workout moving with Schneider, Merical, and Drohner's infield drills. These drills will help your infielders turn difficult plays into routine fielding opportunities. One particular timing drill will prepare your fielders for a fast team by defending against slappers under the pressure of a stopwatch. Fielders must corral and throw the ball before the time runs out, which will make it more game-like and challenging.

Outfield Drills

Keep everyone in the outfield moving with six fast-paced drills. These drills will help reduce the time your outfielders stand around waiting for their turn. Your athletes will improve their drop steps, tracking, communication, and overall athleticism while avoiding boredom and standing around.

All in all, coaches Schneider, Merical, and Drohner share 13 drills that you can immediately plug into your practices to make them more interactive. If you're looking to take your youth practices to the next level, these three championship youth coaches can show you the way!

76 minutes. 2019.

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

If you're getting frustrated because your team doesn't score many runs, this video featuring Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner has exactly what you need to reverse that trend. You will learn hitting mechanics and drills that will improve the swing of your hitters and generate more solid contact. Then, once your players have gotten on base, you'll see how to increase run production by learning how and when to be aggressive on the base paths.

Mechanics

Start by learning the key mechanics for the swing and the drills to perfect them. Coach Schneider touches on the stance, load and separation, and attacking the front heel and why these mechanics will help your players become better hitters. 10 drills are included that will help build your athletes' fundamental, mechanical base.

Drills

Need more hitting drills? Look no further! From how to set-up team batting practice to breaking down the swing, coaches Schneider, Merical, and Drohner offer drill after drill to build your batters' offensive skills.

In one particular tennis racket drill, learn how to use transfer learning to better teach the softball swing. The batter uses the racket to hit a ball just like they would hit a backhand in tennis or racquetball. This transfers to the softball swing as it helps the hitter stay inside the ball and attack with the back hip.

Baserunning

Aggressive baserunning will help your team score more runs. You'll learn how to take several types of leads and attack the next base. The coaches offer seven different drills for baserunning that will have your players applying pressure on the opposing defense and dominating the base paths.

This video includes 41 drills in total that you can implement with your program right away. Build your players' swings and score more runs with aggressive baserunning to turn your team into an offensive force!

105 minutes. 2019.

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

Train your defenses to make athletic, web-gem plays look routine with instruction from Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner. These coaches will show you productive everyday defensive drills, as well as a throwing routine to warm-up and increase your players' athleticism. You will also learn how to improve the hand-eye coordination of your players.

Everyday Drills

Get your athletes the reps they need in a short amount of time with everyday drill work. Once you've identified fundamental skills that need to be practiced every day, you can help your players perfect the necessities for sound defense. By doing a few reps of key drills every day over the course of a week, your players will run through a large amount of reps without having to dedicate a large chunk of their time.

Throwing

Learning how to throw correctly at a young age will set a player up for future success. Not only does Coach Drohner offer a six-step throwing progression warm-up, Coach Schneider also shows a kinesthetic throwing program to improve athleticism and help your players learn to throw from different positions and arm slots.

Defensive Hand-Eye Coordination Drills

Hand-eye coordination is a skill that benefits players on offense and on defense. The drills in this section are fun and challenging, and can include skills like juggling. In one particular drill, players must juggle while moving their feet and counting backward. By adding more demands, coaches can increase the level of difficulty and force the athletes to focus.

In all, coaches Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Droner share 30 drills to get your defense warmed up and ready to make acrobatic, web gem plays. If you're looking to improve your defenders' foundations and athleticism, this video will show you how to create fielders that can make any play look routine!

69 minutes. 2019.

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

Help your pitchers take the mound with confidence using the same skills and drills taught by championship coaches Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner! These coaches will show you a pitching progression and drills, as well as a catching progression and drills to equip your battery with the skills they need for success.

Pitching Concepts

Teach your pitchers the art of their craft - not just the skills involved in throwing a pitch - to help them reach their potential on the mound.

It is said that hitting is all about timing, while pitching is all about upsetting timing. You will learn about effective velocity and changing speeds, as well as how understanding these ideas can help your pitchers dominate batters.

Pitching Progression and Drills

Coach Schneider introduces a 12-step pitching progression to help pitchers master the fundamentals and warm up their arms properly. You'll also get four challenge drills that will put pressure on the pitcher and simulate the feelings and emotions they may encounter during a game.

In the Fast Five drill, the pitcher must do a tiring pitching-conditioning drill for five pitches, then execute whatever pitch the coach calls out. Having to execute under pressure and while fatigued will help players execute during a game.

Catching

A good catcher can turn a good pitcher into a great pitcher. Take your catchers to the next level with 12 drills to improve their throwing, blocking, and framing abilities.

This video includes 29 drills in total that you can add to your coaching toolkit. Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner show how to build your battery to dominate opposing youth batters.

61 minutes. 2019.