From the Coach's Mouth

Jay and Ken were delighted to speak with Joni Frei, founder and lead architect of Canada Futures, a program designed to identify and nurture high-level softball talent in Canada while raising the quality of play across the board, about her work with that organization, why this Canadian chose to play at Georgia State College and University (the reasons will surprise and amuse you), how she came to be an assistant coach at Kennesaw State University, and her experiences coaching internationally in Austria and Uganda, among other locations. She also shares why she is so dedicated to mentoring younger coaches, some ways the game has changed, a Disney-quality story about bringing a Ugandan team to play in a major tournament in Canada and more! A huge shoutout to Sarah Pauly for connecting us with Joni. For more information about Canada Futures, go to https://www.canada-futures.com/.

Jay and Ken take a deep into what to do, and what not to do, during tryouts for players, parents and coaches. Among the topics discussed are the importance of projecting confidence by talking to the coaches/evaluators and looking them in the eye, what not to wear (you'd be surprised), what parents should do during tryouts, questions to ask, whether the team emphasizes player development versus just managing the skills they already have, and whether a "National" team designation or a branded franchise is worth it.

Hall of Famer and longtime Central Michigan University head coach Margo Jonker joins Jay and Ken to talk about how she got started in fastpitch softball, some of the great coaches and mentors she had early in her career, what it was like taking over CMU's team in only its second year and building it into a national powerhouse, how she built her own knowledge base talking to coaches and going to clinics, and how she still enjoys going to watch games live. She also shares her thoughts on how the game has changed, aspects where it has improved, things parents and player can do to help or hurt their chances of being recruited, and why many coaches still prefer multi-sport athletes when building a team.

University of Washington pitching coach and USA Men's National Team pitcher Brad Kilpatrick talks to Jay and Ken about growing up as an athlete in Australia, how his performance in on the Australian Men's Juniors team and a chance encounter by his father led to him playing for Team USA, his experience as an undergraduate assistant for Tim Walton at Florida, and how it led to his current coaching position. He also shares his thoughts about the benefits of more practice and fewer games, how many pitches a pitcher needs (and 340% grading system he uses), the importance of developing every pitcher on the staff, what he believes a good strike percentage is for a collegiate pitcher (and how that impacts younger pitchers, and more!

Renowned catching coach Bobby Humphrey, a volunteer assistant at Bridgewater College and conductor of catching clinics across the U.S., joins Jay and Ken to talk about all things catching. He describes his early years as a high school and collegiate baseball catcher, how an injury led him into coaching, how he transitioned from baseball to girls fastpitch softball (and why he would never go back), and how it's changed over the years. He also shares what he believes are the foundational skills every catcher must have, some of the tools and approaches he uses to develop catchers, what he learned about evaluating players as an associate scout for the NY Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, and talks about his two books (one on catching and one on hitting). For those interested in learning about his catching clinics, go to https://sites.google.com/view/bobbyhumphreycatching/home?authuser=1.

This week the podcast takes on a bit more of an international flavor as Michael Bastian, who spent time as a coach with Team USA in the first Olympics era and was head coach of the Chinese National Team heading into the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, joins Jay and Ken to talk about how he got started in coaching and how he rose to coach at the international level. He shares his thoughts about what he learned from that experience and how it can be applied at the youth, high school, and college levels, what teams from China and Japan do so well, stories about legends such as Crystal Bustos, and what Team USA needs to do to recapture the Gold Medal in 2028 in LA.

In this week's episode, Jay and Ken talk pitching mechanics, starting with a deep dive into what exactly is internal rotation - and what it's not - as well as explaining the importance of a brush trigger/brush contact. They debunk the so-called "hybrid" model, then move on to the effect of good posture, proper use of the stride leg, and how the timing has to be just right. The episode also includes a discussion about why parents and coaches should be watching the D1 college softball playoffs (including the Women's College World Series) before setting their expectations for perfection for their own rec, travel, and high school players.

In this week's episode, Dr. Rob Gilbert, a professor of sports psychology at Montclair State University in New Jersey, joins Jay and Ken to talk about how he got started in the field (at a time when it basically didn't exist), why he started his daily Success Hotline call-in series, which is currently in its 47th year with nearly 13,000 messages, and why he takes saying he offers "food for thought" as an insult. He also shares some insights on why athletes get the "yips" (and what to do about it), what it takes for athletes to move from good to great, his formula for success (A+ST+GOYA=R+/-) and what it means, and some of his favorite stories about high achievers. If you're interest in hearing his 3-4 minute Success Hotline stories each day you can call 973-743-4690. If you'd like to share a story with him or contact Dr. Gilbert for other purposes you can email him at [email protected].

This week Jay and Ken are joined by Dee Abrahamson, the winningest fastpitch softball coach in Northern Illinois University history whose 1988 squad made it all the way to the Women's College World Series - the only NIU team to accomplish that feat. She shares how she became a collegiate fastpitch coach despite never having played the game herself, her coaching philosophy (which later carried over into her administrative career), her work on the NCAA rules committee (including helping write the first rulebook), her duties at the WCWS today, and rules changes that have impacted the modern game among other topics.

We know that the recruiting process can be challenging and confusing for parents and players alike, so Jay and Ken were excited to welcome Ryan Renne and Tiffany Deering to talk about what it takes to get recruited, what coaches look for, and how to go about the process. They also shared some information on their new APS Recruits platform which consolidates and simplifies many of the tasks involved with communicating with college coaches and tracking the results of those communications while helping high school age families build a solid list of appropriate targets. The platform is free to try through the end of the summer 2026 season and can be found at https://www.apsrecruits.com/. If you sign up, use code LAUNCH2026.

Award-winning journalist and content creator Steve Hendershot joins Jay and Ken to talk about his upcoming documentary-style podcast Uningrained, which looks at the way things are and asks if ingrained views might need to change. He talks about Season 1, which asks the question why baseball leagues for girls aren't more widespread. He shares what he learned about how fastpitch softball was encouraging to women in sports more generally while baseball actively discouraged girls from participating, the rise and fall of men's fastpitch softball, why baseball might now be a good alternative and more. He also covers general topics such as the validity (or not) of player rankings. More information on Uningrained can be found at https://www.uningrained.com/.

Legendary pitching coach Rich Balswick joins Jay and Ken to talk about his years as a top men's player and what made him transition from being a hard thrower to a great pitcher. He also takes a deep dive into how to throw a great rise ball (and what's lacking in the way many of today's top pitchers are being taught) as well as sharing his thoughts on the importance of the thumb in various pitches, rushing young pitchers into games instead of giving them time to develop, the use of the curve and rise at every level, and the importance of continuous learning for every coach regardless of age, experience, or accomplishment. For those looking for more wisdom from the Master, check out his Wick's Wednesday posts on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rich.balswick.2025.

This week Jay and Ken are joined by one of the all-time great fastpitch pitchers, the incredible Sarah Pauly. The former D1 and National Pro Fastpitch standout talks about how she came to play for Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, her long playing career in the NPF with the Connecticut Brakettes, Washington Glory, USSSA Pride, and Akron Racers, and what it was like playing in the Japan Pro League. She also shares her thoughts about pitchers being sent into games without adequate warm-up time, the trend of teaching pitchers to leap, why no one is ever a finished product, how she approaches pitching lessons, and the struggles she faced as a young pitcher trying to learn her craft. It's a great conversation with one of the best the game has ever known.

Red River High School and former University of North Dakota pitching coach Don Stopa joins Jay and Ken to talk about his career as a head and assistant coach at the D1, D2, NAIA and Juco levels. He shares what he looks for when recruiting players (beyond the numbers), typical mistakes players and parents make in the recruiting process, common mechanical flaws in pitching mechanics, why he prefers pitchers that can throw north-south, and his thoughts on the transfer portal. He also talks about his D J Stopa Consulting and Training business and how it helps players and parents prepare to play at the next level and find the right fit for them. To learn more about his services go to https://djstopa.com/ or email him at [email protected] or [email protected] .

USA Softball National Hall of Fame umpire Joe Massaro joins Jay and Ken to share how he got started as an umpire and how he worked his way up through the ranks to call women's national fastpitch, women's international play, and National Pro Fastpitch league games as well as college games for more than 40 years. He also shares his insights on the shrinking strike zone, the use of instant replay (he's not a fan), how the current climate is affecting recruitment of umpires to overcome the shortage, and what makes a good umpire. If you've ever wanted a peek behind the scenes of the men and women in blue, this is your chance!

South Mountain Community College head coach Kelley Montalvo joins Jay and Ken this week to talk about her playing career at Alabama, where she earned multiple awards and recognition as well as being a finalist for the Collegiate Player of the Year, her eight years playing in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League, and how she transitioned into coaching. She talks about being featured in the "Burn the Ships" documentary that demonstrated the herculean efforts of the players and management to keep the NPF alive, the challenges she faced as a 4' 11" player in a sport that values size (and how she overcame them), how "Imposter Syndrome" almost kept her from taking the current job she loves, the importance of players taking days off, and the need for female athletes to support each other rather than knock each other down.

Jay and Ken once again have the opportunity to speak with a fastpitch softball legend. This time it's former men's international and national champion pitcher and pitching coach supreme Doug Gillis. Doug shares stories about how he learned to pitch by studying top international pitchers and imitating their movements, his experience having Mike White as his roommate when he was a teen, and his most memorable international playing experiences. He then talks about the state of pitching today, his thoughts about leaping versus crow hopping, and what pitchers can do to help themselves throw faster, more accurately, and more effectively.

We learned sadly late Saturday night that Bill Hillhouse had passed away after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. We had the privilege of speaking with him in January in what we believe was his last recorded interview, which we are sharing now in his honor. In it he talks about happier times from his career as a top men's fastpitch pitcher and later a pitching coach, his thoughts on the current state of the art in pitching, and his cancer journey. Please keep his wife Sharon and his son Alex in your thoughts and prayers. We feel privileged to have known him and learned from him.

This week Jay and Ken make it a duo to talk about getting the most out of high school softball and what players can do if they didn't make them team they were hoping for. They also discuss some of the bad advice they've been given or they've heard coaches give to players over the years, why it doesn't make sense, and what players can do instead.

Chanin Billings, head coach at Maryville University in St. Louis, chats with Jay and Ken about her career as a four-year starter at the University of Kansas (as well as playing for the Mexican National Team), and her experiences coaching at the D1, D2, and D3 levels. She talks about how she became a turnaround specialist, helping teams that had been struggling find success, how what she teaches for hitting has changed from what she did as a high-level hitter herself, why she loves coaching at the D2 level, how she approaches tough conversations with her athletes, and what she looks for when recruiting players.

Tayler Onion, Ph.D. joins Jay and Ken to talk about her career as a D1 volleyball player, youth softball player, and most importantly her work around opportunities for women in sports. She also shares her thoughts on what constitutes good leadership (regardless of gender), the need for coaches and athletes to learn how to be resilient in tough situations, advice on how parents or other new coaches who are just stepping into the role should approach working with their athletes, her work as a speaker and the proprietor of the Hang Time podcast, and more. For more information or to contact Dr. Onion with specific concerns check out her website at https://www.tayleronion.com/.

Former Chicago Cubs/current New York Mets organization hitting coach Rachel Folden joins Jay and Ken to talk about her career as a top-notch collegiate and professional fastpitch softball player and what it's like to be a pioneer as a female coaching in men's baseball. She also shares her thoughts on what takes hitters (and players in general) from good to great to elite, what many parents of youth players get wrong when it comes to development, the current trend of games, games, games without leaving time for practice, and what coaches at all levels can and should do to help their players grow. In addition, Coach Folden talks about some of the lessons she learned playing with and against legends such as Crystal Bustos and Kelly Kretschman.

Jay and Ken take a deep dive into the ins and outs of getting recruited to play in college with Brian Chidester and Brian May of College Bound Jocks. The Brians talk about what college coaches look for in a recruiting video, the persistence required to build and maintain a connection to college coaches, and the importance of "fishing in the right pond," i.e., understanding the level of play that best suits your skills and focusing your time there. They share some success stories, the importance of attending the right recruitment camps, some of the ways college coaches "test" prospective student athletes to see if they'll be a good fit, and key advice for those who want to make the leap. If you're interested in getting help with this process, you can check out their website at: https://collegeboundjocks.com/

This week Jay and Ken share some of their favorite coaching tools for hitting and pitching, as well as some of the must-haves for every coach's personal coaching bag. It's a rapid-fire discussion that covers plenty of ground. For those interested, here are links to a few of them: OnForm: https://onform.com/ Pocket Radar: https://www.pocketradar.com/PitchLogic Softball: https://pitchlogic.com/softballInsider Bat: https://www.insiderbat.com/BamBooBat: https://bamboobat.com/Hack Attack Pitching Machine: https://sportsattack.com/hack-2/4D Motion: https://4dmotionsports.com/PantherTec KAT: https://panthertec.net/SpinForm Softball: https://spinformsoftball.com/Spin Right Spinner: https://bit.ly/4apOc3bPitchSqueak: [email protected] (mention From the Coach's Mouth for a 10% discount)

Legendary men's fastpitch pitcher and private instructor Bill Hillhouse joins Jay and Ken for a discussion about his approach to teaching pitching, how the men's game has changed (and the lack of support it receives from USA Softball), why he doesn't take credit for or even talk much about the many high-level women's pitchers he's coached, and some of his experiences playing around the world. Bill also talks openly about his cancer journey, his good days and bad days, and how teaching lessons, even on a limited basis, brings him a sense of normalcy. For those who would like to help Bill out with the day-to-day expenses he mentions, you can contribute to his GoFundMe by following this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bill-hillhouse-through-his-cancer-battle

Western Illinois University head coach Alisa Goler joins Jay and Ken to talk about her days playing at the University of Georgia, where she still holds many hitting records, her time as a player in the National Pro Fastpitch league, how she got started coaching, and what it was like to coach the Blaze in the inaugural season of the AUSL. She shares how her coaching has changed over the years, the effect coaching professional athletes had on her college coaching career, times when she struggled and how she managed it, and why she thinks some great, highly qualified coaches are often overlooked for bigger jobs.

With the softball season beginning to ramp up again, it's important to take steps to prevent injuries, especially those to joints such as knees and shoulders, as much as we can. This week Jay and Ken speak with Dr. Chelsea Martin, PT, DPT, SCS, a doctoral student and researcher at the University of North Carolina, about her contributions to research projects at the Injury Prevention Research Center and the National Catastrophic Center for Sport Injury Surveillance as well as her work with the Wake Forest Pitching Lab. She talks to Jay and Ken about her career as a 3-time North Carolina state champion pitcher and pitcher at the University of Louisville, what got her interested in becoming a physical therapist, and her work in the area of injury prevention for adolescent and collegiate overhead athletes (including softball players). For more information on this important topic or to contact Dr. Martin, check out these links: International Olympic Committee Findings for Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensus we worked on:​Lower extremity injury prevention: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/22/1575​Lower extremity modifiable risk factors: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/21/1499​Upper extremity prevention and modifiable risk factors: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/22/1587​The overall process and takeaways from the FAIR initiative: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/22/1529#ref-8Exercise References​Training and evaluation recommendations softball specific- has some basic exercise recs and evaluation when we were discussing exercises. From one of my good colleagues Kenzie Friesen, Table 2 has other pitch specific exercise ideas and is an extension of articles 1/3 that cover more basic exercise principle ideas (she would be another great researcher to host). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/19417381251323610Contact Info​Twitter handle- @ChelseaMartinPT and email- [email protected]​Wake Forest Pitching Lab- https://www.wakeforestpitchinglab.com/ contact Dr. Kristen Nicholson for future opportunities coming soon to the lab  (coming soon!) and to learn more about the ongoing study https://acsm.org/foundation/funding/recipients/.

Jay and Ken welcome Roman Foore, assistant coach for Bethel University in Minnesota, to the From the Coach's Mouth studio to talk about his career as a men's fastpitch player, assistant coach for the USA Softball Men's National Team, and both assistant and head coach for teams in the National Pro Fastpitch League. Roman shares his thoughts on why he feels he's a better assistant than head coach, what it's like coaching with his wife Penny, the differences between coaching men's and women's teams, his approach to recruiting and developing athletes at the collegiate level and more.

Pitching coach extraordinaire Rick Pauly helps Jay and Ken kick off the new year right with a return visit to the podcast. Rick covers a wide variety of topics, from his recent presentation at the NFCA 2025 convention to the need to move to a "pitching staff" approach v. riding one arm all the way to some of his favorite tools for teaching to some of the new things he has learned and incorporated in the last year to some updates on his High Performance Pitching certification program. It's always a good time when Rick stops by for a visit.

Jay and Ken wrap up 2025 with a look back on some of their favorite episodes and guests, as well as an overview of their impressions of the first year of the From the Coach's Mouth podcast as a whole. As always, they do divert into a couple of pet topics too. The guys will be back in the new year with more great guests and insights into the game of fastpitch softball and how to coach it overall. Until then, happy whatever you celebrate and stay safe out there!

High-level cricket coach Prashant Patel stopped by the From the Coach's Mouth studio to talk with Jay and Ken about his career as a cricket (and for a brief time soccer) player in the UK and the US, how he got his start in coaching the sport, the steps required to become a youth sports coach in the UK (it's a lot more difficult than the US), and how the UK approaches player development in all sports. He then discusses ActionTypes, the original motor preferences/motor signatures system, and how it takes brain functions, personality traits, and more into account when developing a player profile so coaches can help their players improve performance while remaining healthier. (For more information see https:.//motorpreferencescoaches.com.)

Jay and Ken take a look at many of the ways the game of fastpitch softball has changed, what has been behind those changes, and whether they think it's for better or worse. Among the topics they cover are the proliferation of practice/training facilities, technology, pitching rules, turf fields, and more. It's a fun look back - and forward.

The always fun Linda Lensch of Greased Lightning Fastpitch stops by the podcast to talk about how she got involved playing fastpitch softball with (and against) many of the legends of the game, how she got started in coaching, how she got into competitive rowing at the international level, some of the amazing players she coached, and why she still loves growing the next generation of players.

Join Ken and Jay as they speak with 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year and Women's College World Series champion Lauren Haeger about her career as a pitcher/first baseman at Florida and later in the National Pro Fastpitch League. She also shares some thoughts about pitching mechanics and the importance of a great changeup.

This week Jay and Ken speak with Lake Forest College Head Coach Joe Kinsella about how this former football player came to become the coach of one of the most successful Division 3 women's softball teams. He talks about how he got started in coaching, what he looks for in recruits, how he builds a winning culture, and what he feels his greatest accomplishment has been to date among other topics. He also shares a bit of his coaching tree and what makes Lake Forest College itself so attractive to student athletes looking for a high-level professional career post-softball.

This week Jay and Ken offer up their top 10 things coaches shouldn't do while coaching. Some are general, some are position-specific, but all are good advice drawn from their own mistakes or those they've seen others make. Jay also offers a bonus plea to coaches about their attire when coaching. It's a fun and informative conversation so check it out.

Jay and Ken were honored this week to be able to speak with former longtime SIU Carbondale head coach and current John A. Logan Community College volunteer assistant coach Kerri Blaylock. A member of four halls of fame, including the SIUC and NFCA Halls of Fame, Coach Blaylock shared how a chance phone call got her started on the career she loves, her approach to developing a culture, the importance of building a real rather than transactional relationship with your players, some of the things that give her the greatest satisfaction, and some of the people who had the greatest impact on her as a player and coach.

Talk about a catch! National Fastpitch Coaches Association CEO and Hall of Famer Carol Bruggeman joins Jay and Ken to talk about how growing up in a small town in Iowa gave her the foundation to achieve big dreams and big jobs. She talks about her time as a player and her coaching journey, including serving as an assistant coach to the legendary Carol Hutchins at Michigan, starting the Purdue University softball program from scratch, and her years at Louisville. She also shares what attracted her to working at the NFCA, how the organization has grown and influenced fastpitch softball at all levels, and what she's looking forward to at the upcoming Convention in Las Vegas in December.

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.

We are back with a brand new episode! In this one, Jay and Ken talk all things tryouts. They offer their thoughts on questions players and parents should ask, what to look for in a team, how to determine the right level to play (including why sometimes for younger players taking a step down to increase their playing time might be the best option), how choosing the right program at the older levels can help players achieve their dreams of playing in college and much more.

Jay and Ken are both on vacation this week (although not together if you were wondering) so we're going back into the archives to Episode 2 and their conversation with Coach Sheets (Jeremy Sheetinger), head baseball coach at Georgia Gwinnett College. If you need a little energy boost here at the end of a long season give this episode a listen! You can also hear how far the From the Coach's Mouth podcast has come since its early days.