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How to keep your athlete more inspired

Have you ever wondered WHY your athlete may struggle with motivation from time-to-time? People are asking me this question a lot and my first response is always: "Does she have any goals?" 

Oftentimes, the answer I get is "I don't really know."

How would you answer this question?

First off...I need to tell you there should be ABSOLUTELY no shame in not knowing the answer to this yet...most people don't!

And today, I'm going to share with you WHY it's important to know, and how you can start being a huge motivator in your athlete's life when you do!

Studies show, if someone has a goal and are constantly being reminded of where they're headed, they'll be more inspired to put the work into that goal, even on the days where it's hard and they don't want to. HECK when I wasn't inspired to practice on my own in high school, I remember my dad saying: "I thought you wanted to play D1 softball. If you did, you'd practice today."

Call it tough love...

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Where my love of the game of softball truly began

Uncategorized Sep 18, 2020

Who would've thought my coaching career would truly spark in 2017 at an OU Softball camp?! Not me!

This was just after Oklahoma had won consecutive national titles and HUNDREDS of kids from across the country came to be a part of the fame and legacy Patty Gasso and her crew of elite coaches built at OU.

My former assistant coach at Purdue, and now hitting coach at OU under his mom, JT Gasso, knew I had just got done playing professionally and was trying to figure out what was "next" for me now that my playing career was done.

After learning how HE got his start in coaching by working college softball camps in the recent podcast interview we had together, it was pretty clear now why he asked me to come to theirs.

At the camp, I was surrounded by coaches who LOOOOVED and RESPECTED the game more than anything, youth athletes who dream of wearing a college uniform one day and current OU players that had just come off of winning a National Championship ...

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What we can learn from a strikeout

hitting strikeout trust Jul 21, 2020
 
 

If you struggle with how to get over a strikeout, this blog is for you...

Not too long ago, I got to do a live hitting academy with one of my VERY good friends, Chris Vasami and man, oh man did I learn A TON!

I love how much he challenges my thinking, pushes me to try new things and encourages me to take risks!

Here are some of the biggest takeaways I took from Monday:

1- In the batter's box, we need to trust. Trust that the work you've put in all week in practice and most especially on your own is about to pay off for you.

2 - Ask yourself after a poor at-bat "Did the pitcher beat me, or did I beat myself?". A lot of times it's the second...and that is totally IN YOUR CONTROL. Maybe you were thinking too much, or putting your energy into the pitcher. Either way, remember you will succeed when you put your focus on the damage YOU are about to put on the ball!...
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Amanda Lorenz: How to get the MOST out of yourself in the box!

AMANDA LORENZ
FLORIDA GATORS (2016-2019)
USSA PRIDE (2019-PRESENT)

Amanda Lorenz - Softball - Florida Gators

SHE'S KNOWN FOR HER HITTING SKILLS, BUT  SHE'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT
I was HONORED to get to sat down with Amanda Lorenz on an Instagram LIVE recently and THANKFULLY we recorded the whole convo! We talked a little bit about what she's up to right now preparing for her second pro ball season, how she speaks to herself in the box all the way to her POWERFUL message about her "why" and her purpose as a softball player and role model for young athletes.

I met Amanda roughly 2 years ago, but I'll get back to that story later...

Before even meeting her, I had always admired the way she played the game. These are a few things that stuck out to me from watching her from afar:

She had a GREAT relationship with her head coach Tim Walton. She respected him by looking him in the eye when he had something to say to her, and they...
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How athletes can stay fit, active and healthy from home

You probably don't know this about me, but in college I studied Health and Human Sciences with a Concentration in Sports Performance MEANING I worked on the strength and conditioning aspect of sports. 

During my two internships working with Women's Basketball and Volleyball, I really spent most of my time picking brains of the professionals around me. 

...you're probably not surprised, but, I wanted advice from THE BIG DOG.

The Director of Sports Performance at Purdue at the time was Duane Carlisle. He had come from being the Head S&C Coach for the 49ers and worked with multiple NFL teams, so when it comes to big dogs...he was the cream of the crop. 

My naive but curious self would pop into his office a few times a week to check in, ask if he needed help with anything, because I knew he was someone I could learn SO MUCH from. 

We had some GREAT conversations.

I wanted to be the best athlete I could be, so of course, I wanted to learn from the best...

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How well you know yourself will determine your success

 
 

You have to really KNOW yourself before you go out and become the athlete you're meant to become.

 
Which means you have to know the things that you're GREAT at and the things you're NOT SO GREAT at. 

I've said this before, but I'm not-so-great with numbers. 

I know, for a fact, that I did not learn much about finances, spreadsheets, P&L's in high school or college, therefore, I'm way behind the curve when it comes to being an expert at this (but thankfully I know WAY MORE than when I started!).

Because I KNOW I'm not very good at all the numbers, I made sure I:
1 - Found people in my close "bubble" that know more about it than me
2 - Invested in a digital course to help me in this area (you gotta pay to play sometimes!)
3 - Told my close friends and family (and apparently you, too!) that I'm working on this, so they can hold me accountable
4 - Made it a 2020 goal to be an expert in...
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My parents' belief in me is what allowed my dreams to happen

love parents softball Mar 06, 2020

Man, am I lucky.

Sometimes I sit and reflect on WHY I am the human being that I am...like WHY do I always set terrifying goals for myself that add insane amounts of nerves and butterflies to my tummy in the process?!

WHO MADE ME LIKE THIS?!

I'll tell you right now, it was my "Day Ones"...my parents.

They've always told me to reach for the stars.
And for that, I'm a go-getter.

They've always told me to walk before I run.
And for that, I'm a planner.

They've always told me to surround myself with people that are better than me.
And for that, I'm always elevating myself.

They've always told me to be humble.
And for that, it's always been hard for me to talk about myself.

They've always told me to work hard for the things I want most.
And for that, I WILL ALWAYS REACH FOR MORE!

I would never have reached the heights that I did in this game, and I most certainly wouldn't have had the confidence to start my very own training business without the guidance my parents gave me my entire life....

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Tee work. Why I love it, and why I think you should, too.

hitting softball tee tee work Mar 02, 2020

Tee work. Some people hate it, and I absolutely love it.

When a pitch is thrown in one of the nine hitting zones, an elite hitter’s body knows how to get there.

How the heck does it just know?!

Because the hitter repeatedly put their body in that position THOUSANDS of times before. Because they’ve taken thousands and thousands of reps, they have created a subconscious swing, so that when their brain decides to swing at a specific pitch, their body already knows what to do. 

Think about yourself walking, or even breathing. You don’t have to think about doing it, it just happens. That’s a type of muscle memory. Your muscles remember what they need to do because they have done that specific movement over, and over, and over. Your legs know which muscles have to move when your brain decides to walk.

We want our bodies to know what to do when we want to swing at a high and inside pitch, for example. The more times I put my body in that position to...

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Why having a "role model mindset" will change the game for you

Not many people know who mine is, but here it goes.

Whether you’d like to admit it or not, everyone has someone that they look up to. I think the term “role model” is seriously underrated. People say it’s cliché to have one, but I think they are too proud to admit it!

Everyone needs at least one human to learn HOW good people in this world should look and act in certain circumstances, especially the tough ones.

She will probably never know this, but Caitlin Lowe (4x All-American outfielder at Arizona Softball and USA Softball Olympic Medalist) was mine. Some of my favorite memories were hanging with my dad at night and watching her play on TV (and not tell mom that I stayed up super late!). I can’t remember what age I fell in love watching her play, but all I know is I grew up idolizing her.

She would rope hard slaps to the fences, lay down the most beautiful bunts and steal every...

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“You’re not like everyone else, and we’re not here to fit a mold.”

I had a moment where I didn't live out my motto...

I did it last week, and I'm definitely not proud of it. I travel a lot. I've chosen a lifestyle where I spend a crazy amount of days traveling to camps, clinics, meetings, or heading across the country to watch my sis play college softball, and who knows what else I decide to hop on a plane to go and do...but on this particular travel day, I met a flight attendant who I let take a little too much of my energy...and I did something I regret.

Because I spend so much time flying, you would probably assume by now, I’d know the “rules” of flying.

  • “Make sure your seat belt is fastened, your seat is in the upright position and your tray table is down.”
  • “All laptops and large devices need to be packed away and stowed before takeoff.”

And my favorite…

  • “Make sure all cellular devices are in “airplane mode” once the cabin door closes." ---ding, ding, ding!...
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