Recent Commits- Beware

[Fredegar]

Many schools have Fall conditioning tests, where players must run certain distances, or perform activities (stairs, suicides, etc.) in a specified time. And the team keeps doing them until everyone passes. Or some kids don't get cleared to play until they pass.

So the conditioned athletes are far better off. Because weight-lifting varies so much from player to player, schools typically don't base Fall Conditioning tests on how much weight you lift. Once each player sets a personal baseline for their weights, coaches will then set expectations.

Advice for incoming freshmen: Definitely do your best with the summer workout packets, including weight-lifting and cardio/conditioning. But focus on cardio/conditioning as that will be far more beneficial in those first Fall workouts.

[DonnieS]

DD1 signed with a top 20 D1 softball school couple of years back - coaches at that school are known as tough conditioning people, (duh, thats why they are up there), made it to the championship of the WCWS the year before she got there. DD1 goes over the workout plan that Coach sent her for the summer - I told her I would go through it - and highlight the key items and make her a list, being the nice kind daddy that I am. We were warned about being prepared for the gassers - these are 50 meter sprints out and back - so 100 meters - in between each - she has to do each 100 meters in or better than 19 seconds and then after each sprint a rest of I thinik 60 seconds though I dont remember for sure. After 10 sprints, she gets a 4 minute rest. So I go out to the park and mark off - with her help -but not her attention a 58 meter sprint. So day 1, she is out there - runs the 58 meters out - 58 meters back - and I am yelling her time, because I told her the chart said 16 seconds. Needlless to say after 6-7 she is dying - after the 8th , she started throwing up. I was having a blast - neighbors were driving by, she was leaning against the back stop - the starting point of the 58 meters - barfing. I think it took about 5 days before she could run over 10 sprints - and after 2-3 weeks before she could run the 20. This kid is in pretty good shape, she was a 3 sport high school athlete (track (300 meter hurdles), vball and softball. So she was no slouch when this started. I told no one of my lies. She leaves for school - calls me the first day of practice - "Dad, I kicked butt at practice, I led the gassers, even among the seniors." I said "sweetheart, I am so proud of you." I waited until after the playoffs were over and she had been awarded All-Big 12 second team before I told her (some 9 months later) . I still dont think she likes me anymore.

[rdelawder12]

Dropped softball not school.

So they are done with softball completely, are they going to transfer, if not, what about their scholarships?

Scholarships? I know every kid gets a full ride (lol), but really not all kids get athletic money, as it's more common in todays market that the top schools generally average less than 50% offered, while most will offer 75% max. However we all know kids do get 97-100%, but those are more rare than most people will admit too!!! Only repeating what I've heard, but knowing a couple and dd playing with a couple, it's hard to get 97-100% and have seen below 50% for a couple of kids that I thought were at least 75% athletes and seen 0% for some that I thought were worth at least 50%.

[Make_It_Happen]

My DD is in her first year at a small D2 school. She has always conditioned as a part of travel ball and even high school ball, but it isn't something she likes to do or would even do at all if she had the choice.

Still, she worked her *** off last summer on the coaches conditioning program. When she got to school in August the coach worked them even harder. The team just finished their fall ball schedule and have started off season conditioning again. She texted me this morning and said she was so sore she is walking down stairs backwards for fear she'll fall down them if her legs give way.

But every time I ask her how it is going at college, she says she absolutely loves it! I'm not sure how that is possible, but I guess the key is that she knew what she was getting into when she signed last November so now it is all about executing on that committment. Before she signed, we made a point of asking her to reconsider not only her decision about the school and program, but also the decision to play softball in college. So when she signed, she was signing up for everything.

[Fredegar]

Again, as I mentioned above, your incoming freshman DDs should focus in conditioning vs. weights, if they have to make that choice. First impressions in Fall are made out on the field doing conditioning drills, not in the weight room.

[dodgerblue]

I would have to disagree. My DD school is the other way around. Weights is a huge part and actually the conditioning is tough but managable. Weights on the other hand no way I could've prepared her for what she is doing this fall. I just tell her to never give up and keep working through it. She now hates softball.

[Blind Squirrel]

Again, as I mentioned above, your incoming freshman DDs should focus in conditioning vs. weights, if they have to make that choice. First impressions in Fall are made out on the field doing conditioning drills, not in the weight room.

Yeah I have to disagree too. Last Fall there was a kid who tried over and over to pass the conditioning test. Finally passed long after everyone else. She started every game. What impresses a coach more: A 250 foot home run or being able to run sprints? Coaches seem to like an extra 20 feet or so on fly balls or line drives that go over an outfielder's head or ground balls that aren't fielded. A slapper that can hit balls over the fence. Pound for pound the strongest kid on my kid's team is the smallest. Strength sometimes makes a difference. I have yet to see my kid swing anything near her hardest in a game. I feel fairly certain that strength has played a significant role in whatever my kid has accomplished with the bat. Freshman want to compete with her with no prior weight training? OK. Am I concerned if Freshmen can out run my kid. Not in the least. She can make it to third base without stopping if she needs to.

Samson Squirrel (aka Pencil Neck Nerd)