On the glistening softball field, student-athletes come together to showcase their passion for the game. Under the guidance of their experienced coaches, players dedicate themselves to a daily grind, striving for excellence with every practice and game.
Texas High School softball coach,Chelsea Slider pours her heart into mentoring and guiding her student-athletes, not only to succeed on the field, but also to prepare them for lifelong success in whatever path they choose to pursue. She includes additional skill training in her practices, aiming to perfect her athletes’ game.
“I spent a lot of time over the summer reflecting on the focuses I had during the previous season,” Slider said.“This year, we have a group of girls that have played this game for an incredibly long time.”
The right group of athletes makes any coach’s job much easier. It allows them to focus on the important aspects of the game and get things done more efficiently.
“I like to take some time at least one day a week, more if it fits into the schedule, to do specialty work,” Slider said. “Defensively, first baseman’s are able to work on bad throws and balls in the dirt; middle infield working on double plays and bad throws; catchers working on blocking, framing, and throwdowns; third baseman’s working on throwdowns, bunts, bad throws.”
While the infield is very important as teams get older and batters can hit more accurately and harder, the outfielders become one of the most valuable players.
“Outfield works with coach Courtney Cooper, on reads, communication, and balls hit off the fence,” Slider said. “I like to do this as a way for the girls to know what to do when things aren’t perfect, which happens often in our game.”
Defense secures victories, but scoring requires the entire team to hit. To win, players must excel in both defending and offending.
“Offensively I like to incorporate tee drills and other recognition drills into cage work,” Slider said. “I like to mix it up at times depending on our focus for the week. Pre season my focus is just getting cut in.”
Fundamentals matter, and stamina does too. The better stamina players possess, the longer they are able to play at their full potential.
“Another area I placed on the back burner was conditioning,” Slider said. “I tend to get tunnel-vision once we get into season and only want to focus on softball skills in order to be prepared for games.”
Conditioning before the season starts should be a priority, in order to see progress. Players need to be in the best shape prior to game time.
“We had an incredibly good off-season, where we got faster, stronger, and more in shape,” Slider said. “Staying in shape is crucial once we get deep into the season and I noticed last year when things got tough, we drained, mentally and physically.”
The players need to work on personally, but the coaches do as well. Both need to improve for a good overall outcome.
“Something personally that I am working on this season is controlling my stress and emotions during big moments,” Slider said. “Coaching is an emotional profession, especially when the sport has been your passion your entire life, which it has for me.”
Emotions fly everywhere when passion enters the picture, and controlling them gets difficult; however, possessing the ability to remain calm and collective during a heated or emotional situation demonstrates a very good personality trait to have.
“Being able to stay consistent in my emotions is something that all of the girls feed off of, and I need to make sure that it’s all in the positive direction,” Slider said. “I strive everyday to be that positive influence and guidance for my girls.”
