Practice Perfect Softball

The road to a championship season begins long before the first pitch of the opening game. It begins before a player even steps onto the field.

In Practice Perfect Softball, the game’s premier coaches share their approaches, experiences, and philosophies of every aspect of practice. This authoritative guide goes beyond the stretches and drills, straight to the heart of winning—effort and attitude. From structuring sessions to evaluating practice performance, you’ll find proven and practical recommendations from the all-star lineup of contributors:

• Julie Lenhart

• Rachel Hanson

• Beverly Smith

• Rachel Lawson

• Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren

• Dot Richardson

• Ken Eriksen

• Connie Clark

• Celeste Knierim

• Bill Gray and Melissa Chmielewski

• Lonni Alameda

• Jo Evans

• Jen McIntyre

• Donna Papa

• JoAnne Graf (editor)

Inside, you’ll identify and establish practice ethics; assess team strengths; and develop players’ skills in the field, on the mound, and at the plate. Developed by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Practice Perfect Softball is your guide to developing champions on and off the field.

Established in 1983, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. The organization’s 5,500 members include coaches, umpires, clubs, businesses, and fans of fastpitch softball.

Education, events, and awards are the pillars of the organization, highlighted by the annual national convention, regional coaches’ clinics, in-person seminars, All-America teams, Leadoff Classics, and summer student-athlete camps. Members are also recognized for contributions on and off the field, while student-athletes are honored for their academics.

In addition, education remains the organization’s top priority. Featuring a grassroots Coaching Tools package compiled of practice plans, drills, and evaluation forms, the NFCA also disseminates podcasts, forums, a digital education library, virtual coaches’ clinics, webinars, a mentoring program, publications, a drills database, legal counsel, and accurate and credible information surrounding the sport.

The national office is located in the Crescent Hill community of Louisville, Kentucky. This home base of 10 employees, 19 board members, and seasonal interns moved to the Bluegrass State in 2012.