Looking at national stats, there is an undeniable difference between California based softball teams and the rest of the country. Could it be as simple as their ability to play outdoors year round? or Is there something in that Pacific Ocean water? 

Mike Stith, OC Batbusters 18U head coach and founder of the Sports Training Complex in Anaheim, CA sits down with the #robcrewspodcast to break it down. Catch his insights on Californian softball culture and what’s behind their consistent production of world-class athletes. 

Offering some golden advice on vetting parents and players alike, Mike shares some simple strategies for spotting drive in young players. Hear how he went from coaching a recreational team for his daughters to helping develop the Batbusters into a 122-team-strong national organization. Also, get his take on tech implementation and what the future holds for the sport.

“What people don't understand is, my players see the best pitching in America every time they step to the plate. Every time... We're looking at people who are championship-caliber players at all times, so you have to raise your bar.” 

-Mike Stith [11:37] 

Key Takeaways:

How Mike Stith’s got his start in softball coaching.

What sets California based softball teams apart.

How he is implementing technology in his coaching

Episode Timeline:

[00:00] Intro

[00:34] CGPlus

[01:28] Meet Coach Mike Stith

[02:21] How he went from recreational coach to 18U

[04:15] Joining the OC Batbusters team

[07:29] Expanding and learning to adapt

[09:49] Why California is the mecca for softball Competitive coaches

[13:34] His take on the showcase model and junior recruiting

[18:07] Breaking down the game and routines

[24:49] The vetting process and recognizing drive in players

[29:51] Technology and the evolution of fastpitch softball

[35:02] What's up next for Mike Stith

[37:13] Game Ready Series about softball culture

[39:47] New York team progress

[41:34] Outro

“It's the self-awareness and the demand that they put on themselves that makes this unique. And it's the culture that's been created over 35-40 years of the bat busters when these people walk in, they know what's expected of them.” 

-Mike Stith [23:59] 

Resources Mentioned:

CG Plus Platform

Game Ready Youtube Series

Connect:

Find | Rob Crews

At Complete.game

On Instagram: @completegame

On Twitter: @completegame

On Facebook: @completegame

Find | Mike Stith

At sportstrainingcomplex.com

batbusters.org

On instagram: @coachmikestith

On Twitter: @ocbatbusters

Subscribe:

On Apple Podcasts

On Google Podcasts

On Spotify

On Stitcher

On iHeart Radio

Credit: IggyBeats, DT Productions, and Ali the Greatest for background music.