Core Training

The Importance of Fall Softball

Most club teams will be gearing up for fall practice, tournaments, and showcases in the upcoming weeks. It’s important that players and coaches who are new to club ball, understand the importance of the fall season and treat it as a preview for what is to come for the following summer.

In the past, the fall season has been overlooked by many. This is quite common in association ball, where teams are evenly divided to develop the overall program. As players get older and move out of community travel ball and into club ball, the fall season becomes an important season.

The fall season is a highly competitive season at the club ball level. Teams and players are just coming off a full summer season and will be at the peak of their performance levels. Pitchers will be throwing harder in the fall months than they were at the beginning of the summer. This is because their arm is more conditioned from throwing in practices, games, and tournaments all summer long. Hitters will be locked in and ready to compete, and defenders who have seen action on dirt all summer will be ready to make the plays.

Once players are put on their respective club ball teams, organization and team meetings will follow. This is usually where every team in the program will get together with parents and coaches and go over guidelines and expectations. Individual teams will likely have their own meetings following the conclusion of the entire program one.

Once the logistics are covered, it will be time for teams to break off into practices. Depending on which club you choose, some programs offer specialized training that all program players can participate in. It is not uncommon for club programs to carry a paid pitching, hitting and fielding instructor, on top of team coaches and board members.

Most club teams will participate in several days of practice a week and tournament or showcases on weekends. These tournaments and showcases may be out of state, which will give first-time club players a chance to experience the travel and the out of state atmosphere. Many of these fall tournaments and showcases will have college coaches present. It’s great to expose new players to the recruiting atmosphere in the fall months because it will take the pressure off of them in the upcoming summer months when they know what to expect.

Fall ball is an excellent opportunity for coaches of teams to use players at multiple positions. When a coach asks you what position you play, try not to specialize. You may have a favorite position in mind, but it’s best to lead with, “wherever you need me to play, coach,” as your answer. Coaches appreciate and will use a versatile player more than someone who answers, “shortstop.” You never know when you will be called on to play and learn a new position. It’s best to have an open mind and a coachable attitude at all times. Any position beats the bench.

Coaches will view fall ball as a preview for the upcoming summer season. They will play players at multiple positions to get a feel for the defense and mix up the batting order. At showcases, coaches will typically bat everyone, to give equal opportunity to be seen. That’s the point of attending a showcase, to get your players in front of the college coaches and to be seen. There will be a lot of moving parts on offense and defense, so it’s important that players learn, study, and practice at multiple positions on the field.

Once fall ball concludes, coaches and players will have a better idea of what to work on in the offseason months. Champions are made in the offseason in softball. The teams who come together in the winter months a few days a week and complete workouts and reps on their own are going to be ahead of the game come summer season. It’s important that players, coaches, and teams as a whole, take the fall and winter offseason serious. It’s a preview for what is to come when the summer season rolls around, and it is often a gut check for everyone too.

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