How To Improve Your Softball Game with Strength Training
In late November, I received a phone call from Arielle’s Dad telling me that she had been chosen to play for the USA U-16 Girls Softball team in Amsterdam. This was a great honor and he wanted to be sure his daughter was in top shape for the event. His concern to me was mostly that she did not have enough upper body strength to improve upon her batting and he felt if she could work on that before she went she would have the strength to hit better.*
Arielle began training with me the beginning of December and we only had 5 weeks to get her in shape before she went to Amsterdam. When I met with Arielle she told me that she wanted to be stronger to bat better but she also felt like she was not a fast base runner. My challenge was to help her get stronger and faster in this short time period without getting injured.
Arielle did strength training with me 2-3 times per week and was consistent. In her training sessions we not only worked on upper body strength but incorporated core, lower body and interval training all to enhance not only her hitting but her base running.
I was impressed by how quickly a girl of 16 was able to increase her strength and agility. She worked hard in sessions, did a little home work that I gave her running sprints to increase her speed and by the end of December was ready to go to the batting cages and work on her hitting.
When Arielle got back from Amsterdam I received an email telling me the following:
“I just wanted you to know that I had so much fun in Amsterdam and I played really well! I definitely got a lot faster and stronger after training with you. During my last softball season in High School, I was in a hitting slump and didn’t feel like I was fast enough on base running. I ended up hitting 333 and had an on base average of 450. So I guess it’s fair to say I pretty much dominated . Before I went on my trip to Amsterdam you told me I would be in better shape than any of the girls on my team and I didn’t believe this because I was playing with some of the best softball players in the U.S.A. but when I got there I definitely felt like this was true. Thank you so much for helping me train and I hope to see you soon.”
It’s amazing to me what the human body is capable of with a little work and determination (and youth being on your side is also a great plus!) Congratulations Arielle and I hope you keep working on your fitness for a lifetime of good health too!
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