Everything Fastpitch - The Podcast

Coach Tory and Coach Don McKinley introduce episode 444 of Everything Fastpitch, recognize the passing of Georgia fastpitch leader Ernie Yarbrough, and name Spokane, Washington as City of the Week. They take a listener question about whether an injured travel player should still attend practices and games, concluding that, health permitting, injured players should remain involved to learn and contribute. In an interview, mental performance coach Ron Schmittling discusses teaching performance psychology skills through routines, evidence-based confidence, handling failure, and involving coaches and parents; he shares resources including his books Winning Starts Within and Into the Storm, his podcast, and website. The coaching tip focuses on creating “blind faith” in coaches’ decisions so players execute team strategies without distraction, with postgame discussion used to build softball IQ.

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Coach Tori and Coach Don preview episode 443,  cover warm-up items including Tori's Milwaukee Brewers reaching their first World Series since 1982 and a documentary about the 1982 team. The City of the Week is Gainesville, Florida, linked to strong softball activity and tournaments. A listener asks about AUSL players forming a union; the hosts discuss potential benefits for players and possible risks to a new league’s growth, hoping it doesn’t lead to labor disruptions. In the main interview, former Louisville All-American pitcher Tori Heyman discusses her playing and coaching background, parents’ body language effects, supportive coaching with high standards, embracing failure, focusing on process over outcome, pitching adjustments one priority at a time, handling embarrassment through confident body language, and what being coachable really means. The coaching tip addresses pros and cons of hand signals, wristbands, and direct communication sign systems.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 442 of Everything Fastpitch,  and open with a “Did You Know” about MLB’s first full ABS season in 2026 resulting in pitches overturned. City of the Week is Knoxville, Tennessee, with discussion of UT softball and hearing “Rocky Top” repeatedly. The equipment tip highlights MegRim Softball’s defensive fielding mask, and a listener question covers replacing a glove’s inner leather/hand stall, noting some companies can fully rebuild gloves and weighing cost versus sentimental value. In the leadoff segment, they connect Navy SEAL training to softball via the idea that under pressure athletes “sink to the level of training,” emphasizing preparation over excuses. Tory then rants that WNBA off-court conflict and complaints overshadow quality basketball and drive away fans and families. The coaching tip stresses a common first hitting adjustment: getting the front foot down earlier for timing and a solid base.

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Episode 441 of Everything Fastpitch discusses NCAA Division I fall recruiting limitations that can affect travel-team scheduling while still emphasizing competition value. City of the Week is El Paso, Texas. A listener question addresses ways to stay involved in softball in college without being a varsity player, including club softball, team manager/bullpen roles, and student assistant coaching or helping youth teams. The main interview features Kyle Epps—author, elite performance coach, former police officer/lawyer, and softball dad—discussing routines, focus, reducing conscious swing thoughts during execution, training hitters to be ready every pitch, building “pictures” through realistic reps, and reframing failure as learning. The coaching tip warns that constant in-game mechanical hitting instruction from coaches can harm hitters; game time should prioritize simple encouragement and postgame review.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 440,  and share updates including Team USA traveling to Japan for the Japan Cup as part of preparation toward the 2028 Olympics and the City of the Week, Mustang, Oklahoma. They answer a listener question about when players truly focus on playing college softball, noting it varies by family but commitment often becomes clearer in the mid-teen years. In an extended interview, Bridgewater College assistant coach and catching instructor Bobby Humphrey discusses the undervalued catching position, warns about misleading social-media instruction, and emphasizes progression, enthusiasm, and prioritizing receiving, then throwing mechanics (transfer time), and blocking mentality; he also addresses pitcher-catcher relationships, pitch calling development, and one-knee catching as athlete-dependent. The coaching tip explains ways to incorporate live pitching into practice without full scrimmages using competitive situations and efficient rotations.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don outline episode 439’s segments. In “Did You Know,” they discuss the U.S. Women’s National Team playing in the World Cup in Oklahoma City and a longer-term evaluation plan toward the 2028 Olympics, citing the deep talent pool and benefits of ongoing team-building. City of the Week is Charleston, South Carolina. A listener asks whether college softball will adopt automated balls and strikes after the NCAA approved ABS for college baseball in 2027; they expect it eventually but note cost/logistics and debate how it could affect strike-zone manipulation. They then critique a social media post contrasting school ball and travel ball, arguing both settings include winning and development, quality varies, and collaboration best serves players. The coaching tip addresses players using cell phones in the dugout, recommending clear rules such as collecting and locking phones during games and coaches modeling the same behavior.

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Everything Fastpitch episode 438 segments include SEC softball schedule news, city/equipment tips, and a listener question, then features an interview with Dr. Brianna Halford (The Throwing Doctor), a doctor of physical therapy and certified athletic trainer who began after her own softball back fracture. The hosts discuss the SEC’s 2027 schedule and note the absence of a Texas-Oklahoma regular series, speculate about a special event, and highlight Nashville, Tennessee (Vanderbilt lacks a softball team). They answer a coach’s question on bullpen frequency by emphasizing individualized workloads, communication, and coaches knowing pitchers’ terminology and needs. Halford stresses early mechanics instruction, using lower half, avoiding overuse, consistent arm-care routines (3–4x/week), and gradual return from injury. The coaching tip argues against changing swings or “75% swings” with two strikes without dedicated practice, advocating a consistent swing approach.

Dr. Brianna Halford contact info:
Website: https://www.thethrowingdoctor.com/start
Instagram: @thethrowingdoctor
ThrowSafe Arm Reset™: https://www.thethrowingdoctor.com/armreset
ThrowSafe Throwing Analysis™: https://www.thethrowingdoctor.com/workwithme 
ThrowSafe Arm Care Protocol™: https://throwingbri.gumroad.com/l/armcare

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Episode 437 of Everything Fastpitch previews warm-up segments and promotes Patreon support, then features a memorial conversation with Scott Whitlock honoring longtime coach Jess Dannelly, a pioneer who helped establish fastpitch softball in the Southeast and influenced the sport’s growth; Whitlock shares Danley’s impact, character, and personal stories, and condolences are offered to his family. The City of the Week is Green Bay, Wisconsin, with notes on local softball and memories of visits. The equipment tip highlights the Slide MVP sliding mat. A listener question addresses scheduling conflicts for an 18U travel team, with advice to use larger rosters and set dates early. The main interview with educator Lindsay Peaster explains the “I Said This, You Heard That?” temperament framework (red, yellow, blue, green) to improve coach-player and team communication without lowering standards. The coaching tip stresses regularly practicing sliding to prevent injuries and gain competitive advantages.

Lindsay Peaster Contact Info:
Symphonia Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/1JNoUJgMwJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Symphonia Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/share/1JNoUJgMwJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
[email protected]

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In episode 436 of Everything Fastpitch, Coach Tory and Coach Don preview a show featuring fall college softball as a great time to watch games and practices in person, and name Columbus, Georgia as City of the Week. Tory apologizes for previously omitting Little League World Series player Carson Meyer while discussing Kenley Erasmus. A listener question sparks concern about gambling on the Little League Baseball World Series and about social media videos showing young kids’ inappropriate football behavior and adults enabling it. The main interview features strength and conditioning coach Mike Kelly, who explains his background and his remote, individualized softball-focused training approach using assessments, technique feedback, and consistent programming to improve performance and reduce injury risk. The coaching tip argues that joining a big-name national travel-ball organization won’t fix team problems without better coaching.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don open with a Did You Know about Kinley Rasmus, a talented girl playing in the boys Little League Baseball World Series, and discuss women’s baseball opportunities versus softball scholarship realities. City of the Week is Durham, North Carolina, noting increased listener response after prior North Carolina coverage. A listener asks if recruiting is possible without high-level travel ball; they say yes but visibility, competition level, and school options may be limited, and travel costs often exceed typical scholarship returns. In an interview, Scott Mead of Mirror Mindset Performance shares police-inspired reset strategies (breathing, physical cue, phrase) and his app/website resources for athletes, parents, and coaches. The coaching tip discusses keeping practices fun through competitive, skill-based games while still emphasizing improvement and satisfaction.

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