Rutgers University pitching coach Nick French joins Jay and Ken to talk about how he got started as a pitching coach by coaching his high school classmates when he was 14, the importance of data and analytics in developing pitchers, what it was like coaching the USA Softball Men's 23U team in international play, and some of his takeaways after coaching nearly 20 years at the collegiate level. He also weighs in on what he looks for most when attending recruiting events.

Jay and Ken talk about the similarities and differences between coaching youth players v college players, including expectations. They then touch on the use of plyo balls (good and bad), and the challenges of coaching as well as being a multi-sport athlete. They finish with a general discussion about the need to trust the process rather than expecting instant results and how performance improvement doesn't always have a "hockey stick" curve.

Jay and Ken talk to Jon Gwizdala, former pitcher with USA Softball's Men's team, former head coach at Jackson College, and current assistant coach at Davenport University, about his playing days, his coaching journey and philosophy, and what he looks for when recruiting players.

This week Jay and Ken dig deep in the value and strategies for the changeup, what pitchers need to do to maximize its effectiveness, some things to avoid when developing the pitch, and how to determine if a pitcher's changeup is where it should be. They also talk about September 1 and what it does - and doesn't - mean to players looking to play in college. It finishes with some suggestions of how high school, travel, and private coaches can help their players make the transition to college life and get their careers off to a good start.

Virginia Tech standout pitcher and AUSL star Emma Lemley joins Jay and Ken to talk about her early career as a four-sport athlete, her journey to and time at Virginia Tech, how she worked with Josh Johnson, and what she learned from her first season in the women's professional league. Emma also gets specific on pitching, talking about the importance of the changeup at the highest levels, how she maintains confidence when the going gets tough, and some of the mental strategies she uses to prepare for games. As a bonus, Emma shares her thoughts about bugs and what her favorite bug is.

Join Jay and Ken as they speak with former D1 player and former Johnsburg (IL) High School head coach Katie McKay Phillips about her recruiting journey, her record-setting playing days at Charleston Southern University, and her transition to coaching travel and high school softball. Katie also talks about the challenges of balancing coaching, holding a full-time non-softball job, and supporting her son as he navigates the world of high-level youth wrestling and her coaching philosophy. She then talks about her participation in the Highland Games and her hidden talents.

Jay and Ken offer advice to parents, especially parents of younger travel ball players, on keeping games and tournaments in perspective, and thoughts to coaches on keeping the game fun for their players. They also talk about the trial of the orange safety base in college, the loss of scholarships and even entire college programs, the effect of NLI money on college athletics, and more.

In this episode Jay and Ken talk about the importance of rest/taking time off after the season for both physical and mental rejuvenation. They also talk about the importance of setting goals for coaches as well as for players, and get into some of their favorite pitching drills among other topics. It's a great way to put a wrap on the 2025 season and start preparing for 2026.

Helen Pena joins Jay and Ken to talk about her journey from D1 pitcher to Head Coach at Ball State University and how this Californian ended up in the Midwest. She describes the qualities she looks for in players (and prospective student athletes), her program's Six Pillars of Success, how she established a strong culture at Ball State, and the value of bringing in assistant coaches with differing viewpoints and strengths that compliment those of the head coach.

Lots of things can happen through a long season to shake a player's (or a coach's) confidence. And once you're in that hole it's hard to dig your way back out. But with the season now either over or almost over it's a good time to look at improving the mental game, and mental toughness specifically. In this re-release, mental toughness coach (and two-time Olympic coach) Shawnee Harle talks about what to do when you're in the middle of the storm, and more importantly how to prepare for the next storm to avoid falling into that trap again. This episode is also a good taste of what she'll be offering in her upcoming free webinar for coaches on August 17th.