Product Description
Combining years of experience as coaches and players, Susan Craig and Ken Johnson of the University of New Mexico present the most up-to-date analysis of fastpitch softball fundamentals available today.From a detailed progression of the overhand throw, hitting, fielding, pitching, catching, and baserunning to a a six-week practice plan, conditioning exercises, scouting tips, and player evaluation forms, this is a valuable training handbook for both men and women! ... Read more

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Whether you are a youngster, an adult, or a spectator ofany age, A Basic Guide to Softball will enhance your understanding ofthe history of the sport and its rules and fundamentals. ... Read more

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20 million men and women in this country play softball. It's not always a sport but usually a game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

capturing
The book was amazing. I am not a fan of the sport, but having it be the only novel on the subject, i gave it a shot. Amazing structure, gives a real-life appreciation of the players in this time.

WOW!!!!!!!!
One word......Genius.
I couldn't put it down.
Before I read this book I didn't think I could go on with my life. But after The Softball Game, I have the will to go on.
I will see another day because of the sheer brilliance of the man who we mortals know as simply KINSLER.

Kinsler = Genius
Just kidding about the one star...Mr Kinsler is the greatest teacher alive and he writes like an intellectually superior Darwin...

A Game Where Men Have Lost
The Softball Game is the first novel ever written about a sport 20 million Americans love. If you play, coach or umpire softball , you will love The Softball Game. If you want to know how softball has change in the last 50 years, you will see the industrial leagues of post WWII evolve into a great woman's sport. If you ever lived in [or visited] Wilmington, Delaware; Buffalo, New York; or Virginia Beach [Norfolk], Virginia, you will smile and say, "Yes, I know that place. If you like adult relationships and aggressive confrontations, you will thrive and probably relive your first affair.

If you think men can play better softball then women, you will hate this book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You Can Be A Woman Softball Player
An outstanding book for young females contemplating what careers they might look forward to as they grow up.The story of one female olympian in the gold medal sport of softball. An outstanding epic of the life of aworld-class athlete. ... Read more

Product Description
This report was created for global strategic planners who cannot be content with traditional methods of segmenting world markets. With the advent of a "borderless world", cities become a more important criteria in prioritizing markets, as opposed to regions, continents, or countries. This report covers the top 2000 cities in over 200 countries. It does so by reporting the estimated market size (in terms of latent demand) for each major city of the world. It then ranks these cities and reports them in terms of their size as a percent of the country where they are located, their geographic region (e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America), and the total world market.

In performing various economic analyses for its clients, I have been occasionally asked to investigate the market potential for various products and services across cities. The purpose of the studies is to understand the density of demand within a country and the extent to which a city might be used as a point of distribution within its region. From an economic perspective, however, a city does not represent a population within rigid geographical boundaries. To an economist or strategic planner, a city represents an area of dominant influence over markets in adjacent areas. This influence varies from one industry to another, but also from one period of time to another.

In what follows, I summarize the economic potential for the world's major cities for "metal baseball and softball bats" for the year 2009. The goal of this report is to report my findings on the real economic potential, or what an economist calls the latent demand, represented by a city when defined as an area of dominant influence. The reader needs to realize that latent demand may or may not represent real sales. ... Read more

Product Description
An excellent resource on how hitting fundamentals, strategies, and mental factors should be addressed to maximize a hitter's performance at the plate. Covers the art and science of hitting, hitting fundamentals from bottom to top, common errors, making changes (training the hitter, drills, Q&A), the young hitter, the mind game, angle bunting off the pivot, teaching sprinting, baserunning (drills, Q&A), stealing bases, and sliding. Also covers offensive strategy. Includes nearly 100 clear photographs to make learning and implementing this information fast and easy. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the revised version of the classic best selling one-of-a-kind book on Softball Strategy. This "must have" book contains chapters on defensive coverages, offensve plays, numerous examples for giving signals, methods for charting your opponents on both offense and defense along with a chapter on Charting Using Technology is also included. Contents include the key factors to help you with all of your offensive and defensive Decisions, keys to making out your line-up, defensive coverages for bunts, the running slap, steals, 1st and 3rds and more. Plus 10 different methods for giving signals. You'll learn simple ways to chart both your team and their team's pitchers and hitters and more. All this in a simple and easy-to-understand format. Tons of examples and diagrams - it's the only book of it's kind on the market today!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good information and written in a usefule manner
This book gives a coach all the possible "things to think about". Illustration are very helpful and this book serves as an excellent reference source. Basic for an advanced coach however, it does address virtually every possible strategic situation. ... Read more

Product Description
The Lightning Shrikes is a cinematic novel about an American Indian softball team in a national coed professional league sponsored by a rich and powerful Nike-like company.The team is led by an ex-major leaguer with a gift for making the most of any business opportunity and a great eye for talent -- along with a weakness for home cooking -- stocked with the best Native athletes from around the country, most with no experience on the diamond, The Shrikes work hard to destroy misconceptions about Native Americans, to instill pride in their people(s), to promote greater communication between Native tribes and nations, and to build the skills and teamwork needed to win the inaugural national championship.
Devon Mihesuah makes her characters real, unlike the Hollywood or New Age Indian caricatures that are usually foisted upon the public.The Lightning Shrikes are far from perfect: they're good and bad, strong and weak, determined and vacillating, but in the end, like the fierce shrike -- the diminutive butcher bird of the Western plains that impales its often much larger prey, they prevail against the odds.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

If it wasn't for the inaccuracies in the softball, I'd have rated it 5.
The story was excellent, bring out the various viewpoints of Native Americans today on problems from mascots and powwows to land grabs and poverty on the reservations.One of the best portions of the book was when the players on the team, all Native Americans, "corrected" the mascot's outfit.The characters were believeable.While reading the book, I could say, "I know someone like that" on almost every character, even the broken-down rodeo rider.The climate of Oklahoma was described well also, from the stifling humidity of eastern Oklahoma to the tornadoes of the central area.
Unfortunately, the softball games themselves had so many inaccuracies it took away from the story.There are no "2nd base" coaches, and getting hit by a pitch in fast-pitch entitles you to 1st base.
Even so, I enjoyed the read and the discussion of issues in the Native community.

The Lightning Shrikes
This easy to read page turner was one of the most enjoyable books I have read recently. Mihesuah is an excellent writer and every character is brought to life in a memorable way.With each Shrike game I was sitting on the edge of my seat hoping for a win. In addition to a wonderful storyline, The Lightning Shrikes is an excellent example of American Indian fiction. The book provides insights into current problems facing Indians today in an easy manner. Non-Indian readers will find these issues easy to swallow and might even learn something new. As an Indian reader, I was even challenged in the way I perceive other Indians. Thanks Devon for a fun and exciting read. I can't wait for the Shrikes second season!

The Lightning Shrikes
Mihesuah, as usual, hits it out of the park, so to speak, with The Lightning Shrikes. This novel is remarkable in that it manages to be both a page turner, and a highly effective investigation of a plethora of issues germaine to Indian country. Mihesuah, a Choctaw academician, proves herself to have quite a gift for fiction, in addition to her formidable talents as a scholar. She manages to present many complicated topics and misperceptions in such a way that someone either misinformed or underinformed would finish this book significantly enlightened, without feeling beat up. Aside from political value, the characters are realistic and endearing, and the story engrossing - it's one of those books where you actually want a sequel!

"The Lightning Shrikes" Hits a Literary Home Run!
Devon Mihesuah's "The Lightening Shrikes" breaks Native American stereotypes and allows the reader to have fun doing it.In a world where Native American literary fiction that is actually written by Native American authors too often tells only the tale of a reluctant Native American hero or heroine struggling in a seemingly un-winnable battle against impossible odds, Mihesuah hits a home run with a story that incorporates modern American Indian protagonists who are finally allowed to achieve and enjoy their success.After reading this highly enjoyable story of a cohesive team of players from a diverse set of tribal cultures coming together in a powerful and effective show of solidarity and sportsmanship, it causes one to wonder why someone didn't write a story like this sooner. All of that, and the "Indian mascots" issue is dealt with in a way that causes it to finally turn out (at least for the Lightning Shrikes) the way that it should, for a change. Mihesuah entertains, informs and raises consciousness about Native American issues all at the same time-a powerful triple play that will keep you turning the pages and wanting more.I highly recommend "The Lightning Shrikes" for anyone who is looking for a good read.It could also be a great way for the newcomer to Native American issues to find out nearly everything you might have wanted to know about Native American stereotypes and why Indian mascots are offensive, but were afraid to ask, but have fun while doing it.I am looking forward to more fiction by Devon Mihesuah. ... Read more

Product Description
Softball: Steps to Success is excellent as either a course text or a self-instruction guide. Either way, this unique progression of skills will help players get started quickly, make steady progress, and proceed at their own pace. In this book, 25 steps (chapters) explain why each concept or skill is important, identify keys to correct technique, help players correct common errors, explain how to practise each skill in realistic ways, list specific performance goals for each drill, and provide checklists for evaluating proper technique. Teachers and coaches need both the participant's guide and the companion teacher's guide to teach effectively. Teaching Softball: Steps to Success follows the same skill progressions as the participant's book and features management and safety guidelines, rating charts for identifying players' skill levels, 104 drills to fit various skill levels, teaching cues to maximize learning, suggestions for identifying and correcting errors, and a complete test hank of written questions. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the history and current teams, leagues, and championships of softball and provides instruction on how to play the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Buy this book if you have never coached before
This is an outstanding book for adults who know the game but who have never coached before.Moreover, "Coaching Kids to Play Baseball & Softball," is an excellent text for adults who have the time to coach a local community youth team but do not have a strong knowledge of baseball and softball.

Authors Kurt Aschermann and Gerard O'Shea break the teaching process into a simple step-by-step approach.The language is straightforward and not filled with trite baseball cliches.The book does cover common baseball and softball "buzz words" but does so in a succinct and clear fashion.All in all,I was truly impressed with Chapter Two, "Planning a Meaningful Practice," where the authors describe in great detail how to build self-esteem, avoid injuries, build teamwork and teach the game properly.

Other important chapters include throwing & catching, hitting, pitching, catching, playing the infield, playing the outfield, managing and coaching a game and a very valuable section that reviews reminders for your gameday/practice clipboard.This is a fun book.It starts with the basics and advances to more comprehensive levels of the game.Still and all, a strong feature of this book is the importance of sportsmanship and how every player and coach who puts on a uniform is an ambassador of the community.Recommended.

Bert Ruiz ... Read more

Product Description
A Slow-Pitch Summer is a candid, endearing, and often humorous memoir of a physician returning to his first softball season in forty years. Dr. Speroff takes the reader along his journey as he rekindles his lifelong love affair with the game .From choosing the perfect glove, to finding the "sweet" spot on the bat, to the camaradarie among his teammates on the 60-plus "Lime Popsicles, " this story celebrates a personal triumph over the aging process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Senior softball reigns!
Dr. Speroff's journal of his first summer of slow-pitch senior softball is outstanding.I am personally in the midst of my "rookie" season as a younger senior in Florida.His descriptions of his teammates, the game, the equipment, & the "atmosphere" all ring true to what I am experiencing.The camaraderie is special, the good-natured ribbing is the same, & so is the "humbleizing" of missed catches, weak hits & the ever-looming risk of injury.
The color photos of players certainly enhance the story."I feel like a kid again" is the universal attitude here also.
Believe me, the game is much harder than it looks.So, for men in their 60's & 70's, the challenge is with every pitch, every hit, every grounder, every fly ball, to say nothing of running the bases speedily & safely.Who cares if no one is in the stands?The bonding with teammates is so uplifting & inspiring & the privilege of participating in senior sports is so energizing that we play senior softball almost year-round in Florida.My fantasy bumper sticker:"When you grow up, you too can play senior softball!" ... Read more

Product Description
“Softball for Girls & Women” is a complete guide for players and coaches to throwing, catching, fielding, pitching, defense, batting, base running, offense, training & conditioning, injuries, equipment, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It was okay......
I got this book at my school library (the only softball book available) and I thought it was pretty well written- but just not enough. It goes through detailed descriptions of drills that are all really good but afterawhile the book just loses flavor. Look elsewhere.

A good book for a new coach.
This is a good book if you want the basics.It has everything in it: conditioning in preseason, defensive and offensive drills, and sports medicine.The drills are very basic but important.After using some ofthe defensive strategies in this book, other coaches have asked me for thisbook. This book is great for youth softball.However, when yourplayers are more advanced they will need more than what this book has. ... Read more

Product Description
Techniques of the game of softball accompanied by a brief history. ... Read more