From the moment I was born I was destined to become a softball player. My dad is from the Dominican Republic. In his country baseball is the national sport. People expect Dominicans to play baseball. Therefore, it didn’t come to a surprise when my dad began to influence me to play softball at a young age. My dad played a significant role in developing my interest in softball which allowed me to become skillful in catching and throwing. From the moment I was born I began my journey to becoming skillful at this. Skills I acquired at a young age would later encourage the development of my proficiency in catching and throwing. Throughout this paper I will tell the story of how I progressed to each period on the “Mountain of Motor Development.” This “mountain” is a metaphor of the sequence I followed that helped me build up my skills. There are 6 Periods in the mountain: the Reflexive Period, Preadapted Period, Fundamental …show more content…
After many hours of practice I had mastered catching and throwing, which is needed to be successful in softball. At this point I was able to catch and throw a softball voluntarily and efficiently. Also, I was able to adequately perform various tasks subconsciously. For example, when I played on third base, if the ball came to me I was able to determine where to throw it next without having to put much thought into it. In addition, I could also adapt to various changes. For example, I knew how to adjust my performance when playing on a flat field vs. a hilly field. On a hilly field, I would make sure to examine where the bumps were so that when I ran to catch the ball I wouldn't trip and miss it. As I achieved skillfulness I become more consistent with my catches and throws. When I first started playing softball, on average, I would catch about 60% of the balls thrown at me. When I reached this age I was catching about 95% of the
For this Women of Diversity Group Project, my group chose to write about female pioneers in sport. Within that category I chose female pioneers of softball. During this paper I will discuss the history of the sport and female participation in the sport. I will also give some statistics and make comparisons between females and males involved in softball and baseball.
The researcher has chosen to write this paper on hitting because she has played softball for twelve years and the perfect softball swing has always eluded her. The softball swing is one of the most difficult softball skills to achieve greatness in. There are a number of great hitters all with different batting stances and styles, each one comfortable to them. There are many different tactics and coaching ideas out there to help improve hitting. In fact, there are several videos now on the market to help the softball player perform better. Coaches often teach hitting drills to improve batting techniques and ability. Confidence is an important factor in hitting. If the player lacks confidence then she will not be a good hitter. Softball is not only a physical game but a mental game.
The sport of softball has been played since the 1800’s, when it was first invented by George Hancock. As the game developed through the years, it became evident to not only the players, but the spectators as well, that mathematics was a crucial aspect of the beloved sport. As a softball player for many years, one begins to see the connections between the two very clearly. When investigating the degree of importance math has on the sport of softball, one can see that mathematics plays an important role in every part of the game. Mathematics is used in statistics of the game, reaction time, batting average, and on base statistics. However, what most people, even players, do not realize about mathematics in softball, is that it also applies to something as simple as throwing the ball to its destination.
Of all sports that I have seen I can say with all confidence I never thought softball would be my sport.When I first thought about playing softball I thought I could never do it. Then as I finally agreed to play softball I was completely petrified. I got on the field and the first thing I did was mess up and I messed up bad. I barely could catch a ball here I was standing there watching everyone play like pros. When I got up to bat I hit the ball but the bat vibrated down and swole up my thumb. I was completely embarrassed and immediately was out cause I was too busy freaking out.
Texas Tech has proven that hitting a softball is way harder to hit than a baseball. A softball pitcher is very close to you at the pitcher's mound. If you are in the batter's box it feels like they are right on top of you especially since most softball pitchers can be up to about 6 feet in height. It is scientifically proven that a softball player has less time to react to the ball because of the distance and speed of the pitch. Also, softball pitchers not only throw hard, but they also throw tricky pitches to hit. The pitch that rises upwards is called a rise ball. When this pitch comes in, most coaches will say just let it go instead of risking this pitch. Baseball players throw breaking balls, but unlike in softball they don't suddenly leap up right as you're going to swing at it. Pitchers in softball can also throw a curve ball that curves away from the batter but still in the strike zone. A screw ball moves closer to the batter. Same as a curve ball it is still in the strike zone just right on the edge of it. Softball players throw many more change ups than in baseball. Change ups catch the player off guard causing them to swing and become frustrated with themselves. As you can tell softball pitchers don't mess around using every inch of the plate to pitch the ball and strike the batter
Baseball is a very well known sport and often known as “America’s pastime” and softball is highly similar, but with a few key differences. Many people just assume that the sport of baseball is more difficult than softball, but don’t actually know the specific parts of each of the two. Also, if you’ve never played one or the other sport, you shouldn’t be assuming anything at all in the first place. Although many assume one may be harder than the other, baseball and softball both have particular factors which make them both complex in their own way.
Baseball has always been America’s natural past time. Many fans love watching baseball but do not realize how hard it is to prepare for a season. Most fans think the players just show up on the first day. I think this belief is completely false. I feel that preparing for a baseball season requires much preparation. The preparation I use includes working on my swing, working out, and studying other people’s ideas on hitting. These steps are necessary for me to have a successful season. These steps have proven to be a valuable aid in helping me to prepare for the season. I believe these steps are the basic steps to becoming a great baseball player.
One of the first skills a future softball player learns is how to properly hold a bat. Though they are young and cannot follow much direction, this is the time when their skills first begin. The type of hit that results is dependent on the angle and amount of force the player uses. The softball will pop up high, and sometimes far, when the bat swings in an upward motion. Swinging the bat very straight, along with using a great deal of force, creates what is known as a “line drive” hit. Learning how to swing the bat is only a portion of the skills a player learns at a young age. Having the proper stance is a necessary tool in having an appropriate amount of power for the softball player to hit the ball. Even though it is the player’s arms that hold the bat, it is the player’s legs that allow her to push the ball far. Another important factor is the batter’s grip. The batter must understand how hard to hold onto her bat as she swings, especially when considering the different possibilities of the pitches that can come. If her grip is too strong and her wrist too locked, it will be very difficult for the batter to swing the bat at a hard, swift angle. The bat will be uncomfortable in her hands, and will cause the batter to almost chop at the ball, as if she were holding an ax. Because of this, the player will not have any strength in her swing and, in turn, she will not have any strength in her hit. The
Early Saturday mornings start with waking up and getting ready, eating my banana while downing a glass of cold water. Since the age of seven that’s been my Saturday. My Saturdays are like clockwork for me, they never changed. The arrivals at the field were always the same, warm ups started, and shortly after we hit the field awaiting the first pitch to be thrown. We all had red clay in our veins, like we were born to play softball.
Imagine you’re standing on the pitcher's mound ready to throw the next pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning. Your team is up by one run and the bases are loaded. You have two strikes on this next batter with two outs already. All you need is to pitch one more strike and you’re on to state. Finally, you pitch the ball, you see it go perfectly into the catcher’s glove and you hear the umpire yell, “STRIKE THREE, BATTER’S OUT!” The crowd erupts in excitement and your team comes to surround you and celebrate. Pitching can have its perks, however, it can be one of the most complex things to do in the game of softball. Today, I will be teaching you about the grip of the ball, the arm motion, and your leg motion.
Baseball develops hand eye coordination, as you swing the bat, you predict where the ball is going to be and you work from there. If hit you should feel a little jolt. That jolt is your brain telling you what to do next, after you hit the ball you have to run and watch your coach to know what to do next. This can help you with writing and becoming a surgeon because you have more control over your hand.
The current debate in this article is that “throwing like a girl” is not a valid argument as to why someone is not as athletically inclined as others. The article “Throw like a girl? No, he or she just hasn't been taught,” makes a good point in discussing why “throwing like a girl” is a common reaction when skilled people watch those who are not so skilled throw a baseball, football, etc. However, “throwing like a girl” is not something that is the throwers fault. To support this, Leah Robinson, associate professor at the U-M School of Kinesiology, developed a research group that began a movement to increase physical activity and motor skill competence among children. CHAMP, Children's Health Activity Motor Program, is what researchers used
That’s all there is to it, right? No not right at all. Next came elementary/middle school league. Where pitchers actually pitched the ball, not a machine. I had to be patient and keep a close eye on the ball and the pitcher. Some pitchers are slow, some are super fast so you would have to keep a close eye on when the perfect time is to start setting your motion and swing up. This one took awhile to get used to. The, what seemed to be the nerve racking motion of the ball being circled around by the arm of the pitcher, was starting to become more relaxed and easy going. My eyes were following the ball and I was making great contact with it.
One of the earliest memories I have of my father is when he would take me to the park and we would play baseball. My father was eager to teach me everything he knew about the game, and I was eager to learn. He took it easy on me at first, allowing me to overcome my fear of being hit by the ball. Each time we went back to the park he would throw the ball a little harder. It was not long before I could catch almost anything he threw at me. My father also used his knowledge of the game to teach me to hit a baseball. Eventually, I was skilled enough to play any position on a baseball team.
In my final season of baseball, the coaches had hired a sports psychologist to help with the mental aspect of the game. The psychologist had us work on imagery and envisioning success, and naturally I doubted that it would help. About half way through the season I finally attempted this imagery practice before I pitched. I held a baseball and closed my eyes. While holding the correct grip for each of my pitches, I envisioned myself successfully throwing all of my pitches to every location of the plate. When finally stepped on the rubber, I found that I had a lot more confidence in commanding each of my pitches because I had already seen them. I felt that this had a significant impact on my performance, so I continued this practice for the remainder of my career. This was an example of personal mastery for me, because it helped me envision what I needed to do in order to achieve my