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.

When International Coach Micheal Bastian was tapped to train the Chinese national softball team— he welcomed the challenge wholeheartedly, packing up and moving to China from the U.S in his 30’s. But, how did he go from culture shock and not knowing the same language as his players to ranking as #1 pitchers in  China?

Today, on the #robcrewspodcast, Michael sits down to talk about his journey. He shares the story behind it all, from his start in the world of sports to how he became the softball coach he is today. Find out how he balanced patriotism and obligation as an American coaching a Chinese team during the 2008 Olympics. Learn about the impact he is hoping to make as the current CEO of softball Team TFS and why he thinks personal development for life off the field is important in any sport.

“If you just always give away the answers and tell kids what you want them to do, you're not really developing them in their softball skills, baseball skills or life skills.” -Michael Bastian [22:31]  

Key Takeaways:

How coach Micheal Bastian built his career as an international softball coach.

What it’s like coaching in a country where you don't speak the language.

How team TFS has evolved and the plans they have for the future

How Coronavirus may affect summer play and insights into China’s response.

Episode Timeline:

[00:00] Intro

[00:16] Meet Coach Micheal Bastian

[01:11] How he got his start in sports

[02:52] Where he played college baseball and basketball

[03:03] Coaching Team USA and the Chinese National Team

[05:27] Adjusting to coaching in China, discipline and accountability

[08:53] Language barriers and learning to communicate with players

[10:06] His family with former professional softball player, Xin Miao

[10:53] Coaching as a foreign coach in the 2008 Olympics

[14:06] Inventing and developing the Whip Hit

[18:50] Connecting in Colorado and using the Right Eye program

[21:05] The Fastpitch School's focus on personal development

[24:00] The evolution of team TFS and plans for the future

[28:51] Contacting Micheal Bastian

[30:57] Micheal’s experience with china's response to Coronavirus

[32:15] Outro

Resources Mentioned:

teamtfs.net

wechat.com

Connect:

Find | Rob Crews

At Complete.game

On Instagram: @completegame

On Twitter: @completegame

On Facebook: @completegame

Find | Michael Bastian

At teamtfs.net

WeChat : Michael Bastian

On Facebook: @michael.bastian.52

On Twitter: @CoachBastian

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.

Episode #35 features Kerri Foster, Master Teacher and pitching coach from Birmingham, Alabama. Kerri talks to Rob Crews about parental involvement and how her parents shaped her mindset.  in the process. Teaching as a spiritual gift. Creativity in coaching. Establishing trust with students. Why she created online courses. How muscle activation translates into efficient performance. 

Kerri's Website:  www.fosterfastpitch.com

Kerri's IG: @fosterfastpitch

Check out: CG Plus

Performance Coach Jordan Bledsoe and Rob Crews discuss the popular marketing buzzword "ELITE." What does it really mean to be elite and how the elite mindset triggers elite lifestyles and habits. Find out how the best in the game have separated themselves from their counterparts. Jordan Bledsoe is the Director of Sports Performance at Velocity Sports Westchester.

Check out: Velocty Sports Westchester

Check out: CG Plus

Exercise Scientist, Skip Latella, joins Rob Crews to discuss Brain-Body Connection, his work with NY Rangers and NY Knicks and more. Skip is the founder of Latella Sports Technologies and the holder of 3 groundbreaking patents in the Sports Development and Research space.

Check out: CG Plus

Rapid Sports Performance's Andrew Gordon takes us on a deep dive into rotational power, movement efficiency, and how to improve it. Core-control, training the body to move on three planes. Why multi-sports athletes bring more athleticism to the sports of baseball and softball. How technology can drive intent and better training. 

Rapid Sports Performance is the premiere performance training center in the Southeast and located in the Atlanta, Ga area. You can visit Rapid at www.rapidsportsperformance.com

TJ joins Rob Crews to discuss the importance of year-round training and the dynamics surrounding the concept. The conversation poses several questions. Are we setting realistic expectations on today's young athletes? What does in-season training look like? What is the difference between outcome and process goals? TJ also share his top physical and mental attributes of the best athletes he has ever coached.

In part two of our Human Performance Series Rapid Sports Performance Coach, Dillon Wagman, takes us through arm care and the importance of injury prevention.

Are your trainers on the same page as your skills coaches? Does youth sports culture contribute to injuries? Taking a closer look at the amount of throws in college vs travel ball. Off-season vs In-Season training.

HP Series Part One - The Assessment

Are you training with the right people? What are the common injury predictors in an athlete? Olympic lifts? Yes or no?

We set off our Human Performance Series part 1 and 2 featuring Rapid Sports Performance in Woodstock, Georgia. Dillon Wagman takes us the assessment, the importance of it and Rapid's assessment protocol.

(TTS Pt 4) Rob Crews explains why Swinguru is an important part of the Complete Game assessment protocol, with its 3D capability and no wearable sensors.