We are slowly creeping into the softball off-season months. The time of the year where Softball Champions are made. College teams have entered eight hours of practice a week with only two of those hours being softball related. Fall showcases and tournaments are wrapping up for the year. Winter will soon be covering the northern states forcing athletes to practice and play indoors. As for the younger players, their winter sports will be taking over until softball tryouts and games resume in the spring months.
The softball off-season months can often times be quiet ones depending on which part of the country you live in. Whether you find yourself continuing game play or not, there is always something softball players could be doing to get ready for their next season. See the list below:
Weight Room: Depending on the age of the athlete, the off-season is a great time for softball players to get back into weight room shape. It is recommended that every athlete no matter the age, lifts weights with supervision and follows training plans designed for them, keeping in mind the position that they play on the field. Weight training doesn’t always mean lifting weights, athletes can also benefit from body weight circuits, core building, and band-mobility work.
Conditioning: Conditioning and endurance training is always encouraged in the off-season and will give players a leg up on their competition come spring time. Many athletes stay conditioned in the off-season months by relying on their participation in other sports. For those not involved in basketball, swimming, volleyball, hockey, etc. a good way to stay in conditioning shape is going on treadmill runs to build endurance and by doing wind sprints. If athletes don’t have access to a treadmill, running can still take place at indoor practices before or after. Don’t shy away from conditioning in the off-season just because a coach isn’t always there to incorporate it into practices. Take some responsibility and stay up on it yourself.
Individual Practice: Have you ever heard the saying, “when you’re not working hard, somebody else is?” This saying couldn’t ring truer in the off-season months. Just because your team isn’t practicing or playing as frequently as in the summer and fall months, doesn’t mean you can’t be doing something to improve yourself. Individual practice in the off-season months is what sets the elite athletes apart from the average athletes. What are some ways you could be practicing by yourself? If you’re a hitter, set up a tee and net in your basement or garage (with your parent’s permission of course), and hit buckets of balls. If you’re a pitcher, you could be doing something similar, work on spins into a net and get more reps in. Catchers could suit up in equipment and work on blocking drills and their catching stance.
There is always something softball players can be doing to better themselves and their overall game performance in the off-season months. In a time where games are limited, team practice, individual practice, weight training, and conditioning can sometimes be our only option. It’s up to the athlete to put in the extra work to get ahead. Keep in mind on the days when you don’t want to put in the work, that Champions are made in the off-season.
