Softball Dreams + Advantages
Psych & Such | 22 May 2021
I love the end of May and beginning of June because the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament that feds into the College World Series is in full swing. As I write this I'm watching Kayla Kowalik (Catcher for the University of Kentucky... and Dermot Kennedy lover) continue to make her case for why she should have been named the Top Collegiate Player of the Year (and not just a top 10 finalist).
As a child, I begged my mom to play softball. She emphatically said no. Her rationale: "Jessica, you and your sister already play enough sports, plus...softball is boring." She's wrong. Softball is exhilarating! Example: Compared to baseball, softball has only 7 innings, the field is more condensed, and the length between the pitching circle and home plate is shortened. This means games are fast paced, heavily determined by strategy, and can turn on a dime. Don't believe me? See Florida versus Missouri on Friday, May 14 of this year. EPIC. Just epic.
To this day, I'm still convinced I could have been successful in the sport. Now, I'm small. At 63 inches, I'm not tall. Nor am I stout. Or powerful. Therefore, on defense I would have likely played 2nd base. On offense, I would have likely been trained as a slap hitter.
This year, the NCAA instituted a new rule in softball that significantly impacted slappers. The rule reads as follows:
"Batters are now prohibited from having any part of their foot touch the ground outside the batter's box when bat-ball contact is made."
Throughout the season and into the tournament, I've seen a significant number of slap hitters fall victim to this new rule. I find this fascinating. From what I can conceive, slappers are getting caught for two reasons:
1. They are failing to execute the fundamentals of slap hitting properly.
2. They are attempting to push the limits in order to gain the most significant advantage they can.
Reason 1 is likely a result of laziness or a lapse of concentration. My intrigue is more so with reason 2. Slappers caught by the new rule change in 2021 are (presumably) seeking every ounce of advantage in order to get on base. However, they already have the advantage! Slappers are able to dictate ball placement with higher accuracy than typical swing-away hitters. In addition, because slappers are already moving as they make contact with the ball, they are more likely to beat out the throw to first base over traditional hitters who maintain a stationary stance through their swing.
So, what then can we learn from slappers adjusting to the new batting rule in softball?
Where are you trying to cut corners and gain an advantage that might cause more harm than good?
- The effort and strategy directed at finding loopholes would be better spent staying the course, trusting your preparation, working diligently, and reaping the rewards of precise execution of the game plan.
When the pressure is on and you are "up to bat," what strengths and skills do you already possess that you can (and should) confidently rely on?
- Doubt, fear, and insecurity can cause us to want to jump the gun, but those negative emotions and false narratives don't have to infiltrate our actions. When you are called upon to perform at a high level, act out of the breadth and depth of your knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities, not emotions, ineffective self-talk, and stress.
When can you get back to the basics? How might practicing the fundamentals keep you from committing simple and preventable mistakes, while increasing your focus and precision?
- We are never too skilled or too experienced to neglect meaningful and purposeful practice that ranges from the complex to the simple. Nuanced to the basics. Mastery and learning are ongoing, not destinations.
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