21 | Part 1 With Fundamental Fastpitch The Podcast

[00:00:00] Welcome back everybody I'm your co-host Rusty Ham. Lacey and I had the opportunity to

[00:00:05] be on another podcast called Fundamental Fast Pitch and it is a long one so we

[00:00:13] split it up into two parts so here's part one enjoy. Alright everyone today

[00:00:20] we have a very special episode for you guys me and Heather are here with

[00:00:23] Rusty and Lacey Ham from the Catching You podcast and we are gonna talk

[00:00:29] about something that Heather I haven't even dabbled into yet and that's the

[00:00:33] coaching your kid experience and then transitioning over into the college

[00:00:37] world so obviously you guys know who I am and who Heather is but Rusty why don't

[00:00:42] you go ahead and introduce yourself and then we'll take it over to Lacey as well.

[00:00:45] Yeah I'm Rusty Ham I grew up in Southern California about 15 minutes from

[00:00:50] Disneyland there I played basketball in high school I never played I played

[00:00:54] some baseball when I was younger but mostly basketball right out of high

[00:00:59] school I started coaching high school basketball 1988 that's how old I am so I

[00:01:06] coached high school basketball for 30 years and then I got into teaching in

[00:01:10] 1998 so for 23 years I was a physical education teacher and I basically got

[00:01:18] into teaching because I was coaching I didn't necessarily enjoy teaching so

[00:01:23] that's why I resigned a couple years ago and now I'm at home working for

[00:01:26] myself and yeah so I coached softball in high school I coached Lacey's team for

[00:01:32] one she was there for the four years so that's a little bit of background of me.

[00:01:37] Lacey how about you?

[00:01:40] I'm Lacey Ham Rusty is my dad so we grew up in Marietta California down in

[00:01:46] Sok and currently I am a junior at San Jose State I'm a junior pitcher went

[00:01:51] to school at Marietta Mesa did really well at the softball team there I

[00:01:55] also like dabbled in volleyball as well in high school play for MVGSA and then

[00:02:01] went into travel ball at nine years old starting with Team Mizuno which the

[00:02:06] next year transferred over to Orange County Bat Busters and then I was with

[00:02:11] Bat Busters pretty much my whole life couple seasons went with the athletics

[00:02:15] and then I ended as a Bat Buster with my travel career and then I

[00:02:19] transitioned over to San Jose State University and it's my third year

[00:02:23] here almost done with my third year going into my senior year and it's kind

[00:02:26] of crazy.

[00:02:28] You know what I don't know why I didn't make this connection earlier but so I

[00:02:32] went to the University of Tulsa Heather probably gonna screw this up but you

[00:02:35] went to Galveston that was in college him Galveston College okay and I

[00:02:40] actually had a teammate that transferred to San Jose State I think her junior

[00:02:44] year from Tulsa I think she played one maybe two years later I'm still

[00:02:48] friends to this day so keep your good team close.

[00:02:52] I do have to share with you guys just a little fun little tidbit you guys are

[00:02:56] from California we're from Texas but I think you'll hear through this episode

[00:02:59] that the softball like kind of experience in the journey is similar

[00:03:03] but I'm not kidding you when I tell you that Heather had to mill to where

[00:03:07] she's recording right now because she had chickens in the background and

[00:03:10] I am recording for my car so that you don't hear the cows dead serious.

[00:03:15] That's what we've got going on in Texas.

[00:03:18] Let's go ahead and get on into it Lacey I want to hear from you specifically I

[00:03:23] want to hear about your transition into the college softball experience.

[00:03:28] Your dad spoke very highly of you and your career through select ball and

[00:03:33] through high school how has that transition been now that you are in

[00:03:37] college with some of the most elite and experienced athletes that they're

[00:03:40] like the tip top of the top right what has that been like for you.

[00:03:44] Yeah it's the same I'd say with like trauma ball when you play those select teams

[00:03:49] there's girls going to old types of colleges all over the country so you

[00:03:53] get a taste of it in travel ball but it's not very as of course it's

[00:03:58] competitive but once you get to college ball that's like the top of the

[00:04:01] top.

[00:04:02] I've gotten the chance to play Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington,

[00:04:06] Stanford we play Stanford every year so it's really a unique experience.

[00:04:12] What I would say is that it is different in a way where travel ball

[00:04:17] sometimes you're basically only playing on the weekends when in college you

[00:04:22] get one day off throughout the entire week and you have practice every

[00:04:25] single day.

[00:04:27] It can get a little exhausting at times and in high school you have those

[00:04:32] days where you can go to school hang out with your friends at lunch.

[00:04:36] Well not so much but when you get to college it's wake up,

[00:04:40] workout, go to class, practice, homework, go to sleep, do it all over again the

[00:04:45] next level.

[00:04:47] You get into sort of routine here in college the fall is a little bit

[00:04:51] more relaxed since it's not season but once you get into the spring it's

[00:04:55] full go.

[00:04:56] I don't even know how it's April already.

[00:04:59] Well I don't know where this is but yeah I'd say

[00:05:03] and I mean you I grew up playing against the girls that play at

[00:05:08] Seattle.

[00:05:09] What would say it's like a dramatic difference?

[00:05:12] You get to see different girls from all over the country now.

[00:05:15] I quit playing when I was in California.

[00:05:17] It's definitely more diverse.

[00:05:19] But yeah it's truly similar I'd say competitive wise.

[00:05:25] So Lysie one of the things looking back to when I played college

[00:05:29] was on the top half of the top three players on that team.

[00:05:33] So I was in the top half of the top three players on that team.

[00:05:37] Now you go into college and realize everybody here was on the top

[00:05:40] half top two three players on their team and now we have to adjust

[00:05:44] and figure out how that new hierarchy plays out.

[00:05:47] So that was a big struggle for me way back then.

[00:05:50] Did you experience any of that?

[00:05:52] I had a lot of experience with that.

[00:05:54] I ended my college or my travel career.

[00:05:58] I was being bored of two pitchers on that team.

[00:06:01] So it I was like pretty much going to bad at playing time

[00:06:05] because you can't just survive off one.

[00:06:08] So I get to college and I'm one of four or five minutes.

[00:06:15] Now it's a different type of thing.

[00:06:17] I'm not sure what I'm doing but I'm just going to

[00:06:21] four or five minutes.

[00:06:23] Now it's a different type of dynamic and environment

[00:06:26] and you get to learn the definition of being on a pitching

[00:06:29] stamp and not just being on a pitcher.

[00:06:32] And as a freshman, I'm playing with a fifth year senior

[00:06:37] and another senior who has another year than you other

[00:06:41] freshman like me.

[00:06:43] But you definitely learned me

[00:06:47] like how to earn time when you're playing time.

[00:06:50] I definitely learned that my sophomore year where I really

[00:06:53] had to work at earning my playing time and earning my

[00:06:57] teammates back and earning my teeth or my coaches

[00:07:01] respect in me and knowing that how I am as a player.

[00:07:05] And I think I definitely made an impact on my

[00:07:09] coaches and my teammates.

[00:07:11] I make help worker and have a work ethic.

[00:07:14] So I think that's in the college is

[00:07:17] publishing and hard worker.

[00:07:19] I will do anything for this team.

[00:07:20] A hard worker.

[00:07:22] I'm putting in the extra work and

[00:07:25] I want to be you want to be like one or two.

[00:07:34] Or maybe one that goes those types of majors, but it takes

[00:07:39] as a freshman, you're not as not put at that level

[00:07:42] immediately like you were in travel ball.

[00:07:44] So you have to work towards them.

[00:07:47] So it's definitely a process as hard as a freshman for sure.

[00:07:52] But I think you get used to the roots of it and

[00:07:56] you need to know your role once you get into college.

[00:08:00] And would you agree that just maybe as a pitcher?

[00:08:04] I've laid out field so I can't really speak to the

[00:08:06] pitcher side, but I would also have to say that

[00:08:08] knowing your role could change.

[00:08:10] You could come you could be recruited as a shortstop

[00:08:12] third baseman pitcher.

[00:08:14] You could baseball is a little bit different, but

[00:08:15] you could be a starter.

[00:08:16] You could come in, change your reliever.

[00:08:18] So also being able to be flexible and just fit

[00:08:21] whatever role your team needs.

[00:08:23] And that may be year to year, right?

[00:08:24] Like it may change from your freshman year or midseason

[00:08:27] or just as that kind of like your season develops.

[00:08:30] You and I are similar, Lacey and Heather, you as well

[00:08:33] in that we all had parent coaches.

[00:08:35] So my dad coached me after we figured out that

[00:08:38] going from baseball to Little League softball was not

[00:08:41] going to work for me.

[00:08:42] My dad started a select team and so that's how he

[00:08:45] got into coaching me.

[00:08:46] He coached me from the time I was 10 to 14.

[00:08:49] And then whenever we sat down, we talked about my goals

[00:08:52] and I told him that I would like to play in college.

[00:08:54] He was like, OK, I can't help you.

[00:08:55] We need to go find you somebody that can.

[00:08:57] Heather played for her mom, similar experience.

[00:09:00] What is it like transitioning from your dad's coaching

[00:09:04] style to these new coaching styles in college

[00:09:07] and having to be able to build those relationships

[00:09:10] and just talk a little bit about like that change.

[00:09:13] Yeah, it's when I got to high school,

[00:09:16] he was definitely a little bit more laid back

[00:09:20] because it was more high schools, more on the fun side.

[00:09:24] And you don't want to make it too serious to the point.

[00:09:27] You're basically replicating travel ball environment

[00:09:31] and sometimes travel ball environment can be a little much

[00:09:34] and hard on a young individual.

[00:09:37] So I think him being my high school coach just

[00:09:41] helped me come back to reality sometimes.

[00:09:44] And of course, he'd still get on me about walking

[00:09:46] the first batter of winning or there.

[00:09:50] Yeah. Or just maybe you didn't have left it over the plate.

[00:09:55] Not one batter, I don't know, something like that.

[00:09:58] He'd always give some positive feedback for me

[00:10:01] and just be there for me just always like he'd be in the back

[00:10:04] of the dugout, not really saying anything, but like he'd always be there

[00:10:07] if I needed to talk about something, maybe for the next inning or so.

[00:10:10] And then transitioning into college without him in the dugout,

[00:10:15] I still call him or my Malum after each game

[00:10:19] that I pitched to get their feedback.

[00:10:22] So it's not like he's not there or you always text me after a game

[00:10:25] that I pitched, give me his feet.

[00:10:28] So it's a little similar.

[00:10:30] I definitely had to grow up a little bit

[00:10:32] coming into the college atmosphere where

[00:10:36] he's not going to be there when I get home

[00:10:38] to grant about a friend to give me feedback.

[00:10:41] But I know that if I call him, he'll definitely give me

[00:10:44] some productive criticism or try and find the positive in something.

[00:10:49] So it's definitely important for parents

[00:10:52] to continue to support their

[00:10:55] their child going into college because it can get a little lonely sometimes.

[00:10:59] Sure. And you feel alone.

[00:11:02] I'll teach you but continuing to be positive

[00:11:06] means to forget.

[00:11:06] So while those volunteers is worried.

[00:11:11] Lacey, talk to me a little bit about what it's been like

[00:11:14] playing for someone that's not your dad, right?

[00:11:17] Because you know your dad, you know his coaching style,

[00:11:19] you know what to expect from him, the the constructive criticism.

[00:11:23] But then like you said with the pause, I can tell you first hand,

[00:11:25] that was not the case for me.

[00:11:27] My college experience, it was a wake up call.

[00:11:30] It was and my dad was tough on me.

[00:11:31] He was a tough coach, high expectations.

[00:11:34] Not much of that positive feedback.

[00:11:37] But New would he was talking about always came from a good place

[00:11:39] and like to the state best coach I ever played for.

[00:11:42] But it was very difficult for me going into college,

[00:11:46] like without my dad is my hitting coach and having to be able to adjust

[00:11:51] to maybe like a new hitting approach or something different

[00:11:55] than what I had been fundamentally taught over the years.

[00:11:57] Have you experienced that at all?

[00:12:00] I would say, let's see you over here smiling.

[00:12:03] Yeah, let's go, Lacey.

[00:12:06] What we've talked about it on our podcast a little bit

[00:12:09] about how like hard I am on myself.

[00:12:12] And I think one of the earliest things that I learned as a pitcher

[00:12:15] is that about making adjustments like by myself

[00:12:19] and knowing what to do in that moment, say in a game

[00:12:22] where one pitch isn't working and I need or like my changeup,

[00:12:25] I need my change up to win games.

[00:12:27] So if my changeup isn't working in that moment,

[00:12:30] how am I going to fix it in the next one or two pitches?

[00:12:33] Like I have to do that myself.

[00:12:35] I can't look at the dugout and scream to my coach.

[00:12:38] What am I doing? How do I fix my change up?

[00:12:40] Like it's as a pitcher, like you need to make adjustments pitch by pitch.

[00:12:45] And that's something I learned to do at a very young age

[00:12:48] is to basically coach myself in a game.

[00:12:52] Well, I'm very grateful for that.

[00:12:53] And I think with my dad catching me all the terrain,

[00:13:00] he would ask me like, what do you think you're doing wrong?

[00:13:03] And I would think to myself, there's a number of things that I could try.

[00:13:06] And then once I find that thing that works, then he's like,

[00:13:09] all right, just focus on that then.

[00:13:11] So he wasn't.

[00:13:14] He definitely let my pitching coach miss work and trusted my pitching coaches.

[00:13:19] Tits, they said in our lessons and bought it over to one

[00:13:22] would work at the backyard or something.

[00:13:24] So he's, oh, remember what coach said about this?

[00:13:28] And then we would bring it over and.

[00:13:32] You aren't like pitching savvy, I would say.

[00:13:36] He would like, he wasn't like a.

[00:13:39] Was he echoing what he heard at pitching lessons?

[00:13:42] Sometimes you have.

[00:13:44] Yeah, but it would just be a reminder of what we talked about in the lesson.

[00:13:47] And I'm like, oh, okay.

[00:13:48] So that's what we worked on.

[00:13:50] And then I would bring it over to when we had practice in the backyard.

[00:13:52] So it's not like he was a fast pitch pitcher and is mechanical and knows all this stuff.

[00:13:58] But like he would definitely trust my pitching coaches and then help me when

[00:14:02] we brought it to practice, like in the backyard or something.

[00:14:05] And that was definitely his coaching style.

[00:14:08] But definitely when I was younger, learning to coach myself in a game and

[00:14:12] know what I'm doing wrong mechanically, it's definitely muscle memory,

[00:14:16] I would say.

[00:14:17] And then now when I get in the game, I can make adjustments very quickly.

[00:14:20] And I know what I'm doing wrong.

[00:14:22] And then I'll just call me down and be like, hard.

[00:14:25] This music.

[00:14:26] Yeah, it's okay.

[00:14:27] So that was that.

[00:14:32] Heather, did you want to chime in anything there on the coaching styles

[00:14:35] and transitioning or rusty?

[00:14:37] No, no, no, no, no.

[00:14:38] I mean, I just think it's really, it's huge.

[00:14:40] It speaks volumes of why you are where you are now being that you're

[00:14:45] able to coach yourself in the game.

[00:14:48] Cause like you say, you can't yell over the sideline, but the dugout,

[00:14:51] what am I doing wrong?

[00:14:52] Obviously you can't do that.

[00:14:53] So the fact that you figure that out at such a young age, man, if you

[00:14:56] can bottle that up, you could sell it and you are set for life because man,

[00:15:00] that is what the, that's what these kids need these days.

[00:15:03] And this is too much of just being force fed and being told exactly

[00:15:07] what they need to change or fix or adjust.

[00:15:10] There's not enough of the coaches that are out there asking those questions

[00:15:13] of how, what do you think and how do you think you need to fix it?

[00:15:16] Cause that's what's going to get the players to where, where you've gotten yourself.

[00:15:20] And there are times when I do need guidance.

[00:15:23] Like sometimes I have no idea what I want to do.

[00:15:27] And there's been games a season where everyone's just throwing up all my

[00:15:31] pig face.

[00:15:31] I have no idea what's laying on.

[00:15:35] And then they're like, Oh, what do you think you should work on?

[00:15:38] Well, like, can you tell me when you need to work on?

[00:15:41] Maybe you'll work on it at my get practice, but.

[00:15:44] Definitely there are moments that kids definitely should.

[00:15:51] Definitely learn how to make adjustments themselves first and then get help.

[00:15:56] One from the coaches, especially pictures because they think.

[00:16:03] If your coach is yelling at you, what you're doing well on every

[00:16:06] we got to figure something out.

[00:16:09] Right?

[00:16:09] You're so absolutely.

[00:16:12] And that's a couple of things from that.

[00:16:13] So that's that teach versus tell mentality as a coach, right?

[00:16:16] Like I can sit here and tell you what to do all day long, but that's not doing

[00:16:20] you any good in the long run.

[00:16:21] The fact that you mentioned that you can make those quick adjustments

[00:16:24] and figure it out on your own.

[00:16:26] Like Heather and I as coaches, we always talk about the players

[00:16:29] and the teams that can make those adjustments.

[00:16:31] The fastest are going to find success.

[00:16:35] The fastest and that's going to be a like you said, a pitch to pitch a game to game.

[00:16:38] So definitely on the right track there.

[00:16:40] What about have you ever run into anything again, just coming from my

[00:16:44] perspective on like your college coaches right now trying to like tweak

[00:16:49] your pitching or change your mechanics or anything that's outside

[00:16:52] the norm of what you were used to going into college and how did you

[00:16:56] respond to that?

[00:16:58] Yeah.

[00:16:59] So I went into my freshman year pretty much.

[00:17:02] Pitching the same as I did in travel.

[00:17:04] My pitch approach, my freshman year in self-wrainer.

[00:17:08] Did have a lot to say about mechanics wise.

[00:17:13] And I feel it did throw me off a little bit.

[00:17:19] But my sophomore year, I did settle in a little bit, but I've changed

[00:17:24] my windup a few times.

[00:17:27] Excuse me.

[00:17:29] And but it's all about comfort.

[00:17:31] What are you comfortable with?

[00:17:32] And if my pitching coach said, are you look uncomfortable?

[00:17:35] Is that comfortable for me?

[00:17:36] Well, well, I'm just going to split this.

[00:17:40] It's all about what your cluster will went.

[00:17:42] I've seen some girls really slow of hitting.

[00:17:45] We're trying to swing a lot.

[00:17:48] Hit this.

[00:17:51] Sorry.

[00:17:52] They're okay.

[00:17:53] I'm sorry.

[00:17:54] I'm sorry.

[00:17:55] I'm sorry.

[00:17:57] They're okay.

[00:18:00] Oh, geez.

[00:18:01] We can edit that out.

[00:18:05] But yeah, I've definitely had some moments where I'm like, this is a lot of change for me.

[00:18:11] And well, it's definitely helped me learn the proper mechanics for pitching.

[00:18:17] I have gone back to my coach at home and while this is what teaching me what

[00:18:22] is going on, I just stayed with this.

[00:18:26] But it's that you got to be open-minded in college for sure.

[00:18:29] Because now you're only a coaching staff and not home with your pitching coach.

[00:18:34] You know the coach that you've had all your whole life.

[00:18:37] You're going in with new coaches that have different opinions, different experience,

[00:18:43] and you have to be open-minded, you have to be coachable or else you're not going to succeed.

[00:18:51] I'd say.

[00:18:52] Or try and get to play.

[00:18:54] Easy.

[00:18:55] No, I'm sorry.

[00:18:57] Say you're super stubborn.

[00:18:59] You want to stick to this one thing about pitching or hitting and it's not really working in the game.

[00:19:05] It might affect playing time.

[00:19:08] It might affect like when you go in or your trust that your coach has in you.

[00:19:13] And so if you're willing to be open-minded and keep cute things and keep working on

[00:19:19] it outside of practice, then the success rate that or like the relationship you have with your coach is going to improve.

[00:19:30] And if it's not working for you, that's when you have to communicate with your coach.

[00:19:34] This is not working for me and I need to try something else.

[00:19:37] Can I go back to the way it was?

[00:19:39] Or it's all about communication.

[00:19:43] If something's not working and you're not communicating with your coach

[00:19:47] and you're just sticking with the same thing that is not working, doesn't count as planning,

[00:19:52] then it might have some impact on you negatively and the relationship possibly.

[00:19:58] We want to have some good communication with your coach and be open-minded to whatever they have to play.

[00:20:06] So that communication, like you said, super important and being able to tell your coach,

[00:20:10] now this doesn't feel right.

[00:20:11] It's not working.

[00:20:12] Was that something that has come easy to you or something that you've had really struggled

[00:20:16] to master being able to do that?

[00:20:18] I know speaking for my daughter, she's 13.

[00:20:21] She has no problem telling me when she's not comfortable doing what coach says.

[00:20:25] Obviously.

[00:20:26] For you.

[00:20:27] But she does struggle with having those conversations with her coach.

[00:20:30] Even though me knowing her, she's completely capable.

[00:20:33] She just doesn't feel comfortable yet.

[00:20:35] I'd say it's all about the kind of relationship you have with your coach.

[00:20:39] My freshman sophomore year pitchy coach I was super comfortable with.

[00:20:43] She was super open to whatever I had to say.

[00:20:45] I do have a new pitching coach now.

[00:20:47] She's always open to what I want to say as well.

[00:20:51] And they know the type of person I am.

[00:20:53] They know I do pitching lessons on the side and they know that I sometimes overthink

[00:21:01] and I think a lot of what I have to do and there's a million thoughts running through my mind

[00:21:05] when I'm in a bullpen or like even in the game, I try and quiet it down.

[00:21:10] But they know the type of player I am.

[00:21:12] And they know I have the experience and knowledge of my body and what works for me.

[00:21:20] If something doesn't feel right or I know I have the like the trust in my coach

[00:21:27] and the capability, like you said to open up about this isn't working for me.

[00:21:32] What should I do?

[00:21:33] Or what I think I should do?

[00:21:35] What is your opinion?

[00:21:37] And I think some girls are definitely scared to talk to their coaches because it could be a sign of, I'd say,

[00:21:43] or like you're trying your, you want to defy your coach and out of might be labeled like disrespectful.

[00:21:50] But if you come off in a very like positive and like open-minded way,

[00:21:55] they're not going to be offended that you don't feel comfortable.

[00:21:58] I think a lot of coaches want their kids to be comfortable and their players to be,

[00:22:02] to do whatever they need to be successful.

[00:22:05] So when I think she, she definitely needs to step up and open up about her feelings.

[00:22:14] And you know, depending on the coach's reaction, then there can be a different route on how to go.

[00:22:21] And if there's a negative reaction, then definitely there might be some more communication between

[00:22:27] maybe the coach, all you need to get the part.

[00:22:32] But yeah, most coaches are open to be able to think like step is to make you more comfortable.

[00:22:39] What do you want for me as a coach in order for you to be more comfortable?

[00:22:44] Communication is definitely key.

[00:22:47] I think she needs to work.

[00:22:48] I mean that she has that courage obviously to speak up about,

[00:22:52] I don't know that being uncomfortable with you or Jessica,

[00:22:56] but with the coach, it's definitely a stepping stone in the right direction for once she gets older.

[00:23:01] She's getting what's coached down the line.

[00:23:04] Okay, so you're just totally validating what Des and I have been telling her for the past several years.

[00:23:10] So that's, we have started listening to this.

[00:23:13] Yes.

[00:23:14] And then we can tell her if you all listen to us, listen to Lacey, like she's been there, she gets it.

[00:23:19] And I did, I wanted to circle back Lacey.

[00:23:22] And this is a big one because that, like you mentioned about maybe being scared to develop to your coaches,

[00:23:28] being seen as disrespectful.

[00:23:29] That was me through and through, like I was telling your dad and Heather offline,

[00:23:33] I'm a very like black and white person rules follower and especially in that environment where like whatever coach says goes,

[00:23:41] it was very difficult for me in my college career to find my voice and to have those conversations just about how I was feeling or what I thought wasn't working.

[00:23:51] And so it took me until my senior year to have the confidence to go and tell my coach, hey, this is not comfortable.

[00:23:59] I don't feel confident as a girl.

[00:24:01] If you don't feel good, you're not going to play good.

[00:24:03] You're not going to play to your best.

[00:24:05] So just circling back to that, I think that's crucial to be able to voice when you're uncomfortable or when you're not confident and to have those constructive conversations.

[00:24:14] And like you said, I think if you can frame it like very first words out of your mouth, hey coach, like this is not me being disrespectful.

[00:24:21] I just, I need your help in this and this.

[00:24:23] I think it's all about your tone and your delivery when you have to have those tough conversations.

[00:24:27] But it's super important at any age.

[00:24:30] Obviously Heather's daughter's 13, she's still figuring it out.

[00:24:33] And I was like 22 when it happened to me.

[00:24:36] It's definitely a practice trait, but I want to actually jump over and switch gears a little bit with you and talk a little bit more about that.

[00:24:44] We talk about being comfortable and being confident.

[00:24:46] I want to talk about the mental side of the game.

[00:24:48] So again, I was, I was a lefty hitter, lefty slapper outfielder.

[00:24:52] Can't really relate from the pitching aspect, but I can tell you like what it's like to have to work through a slump or have to work through the next pitch after an error and things like that.

[00:25:02] Can you tell me a little bit about your approach and as a pitcher when it comes to the mental side of the game and how you're able to make those quick adjustments mentally when something doesn't go your way?

[00:25:14] Yeah, so it varies from player to player.

[00:25:17] So for me, I thrive off being like angry or like I throw up of competition.

[00:25:26] So if you make me angry, that's probably going to make me pitch even better.

[00:25:32] So if dad would you agree?

[00:25:35] That's just my approach to the game.

[00:25:37] And I'd say it.

[00:25:40] Find what rives you to be like to be at your height of competitiveness.

[00:25:48] I'd say what holds you to go into a game and have a balance of adrenaline and so there's there's definitely too much adrenaline where you're stressing yourself out.

[00:26:02] There's definitely too much calmness where there's not enough fuel for you to keep going and no motivation.

[00:26:08] So you need to find that nice little balance between the two.

[00:26:12] I thrive off like rivalries or like when my teammates are hyping me up or other teams talking crap to me like that makes that fuels me or we just came out of a really bad loss.

[00:26:26] What am I going to do for my team moving forward?

[00:26:29] What am I going to do as sure to help my team out get back in the dieout so they can hit.

[00:26:34] So mental sign, there's definitely times where I have lost confidence and I do not have I did not have confidence in myself.

[00:26:42] And it all starts with the player.

[00:26:45] And once if you lose confidence in yourself, I'd say reach out to those around you like your teammates or your coach and I am definitely a person.

[00:26:55] I'm definitely a person of reassurance.

[00:26:57] So if I get reassurance from my coaches like we have not lost faith in you like you got this or my teammates saying, you know, you're a great pitcher.

[00:27:07] You have had amazing moments just channeled back and we believe in you so believe in yourself.

[00:27:13] So once once I get that type of reassurance from everyone around me, then I can I slowly start to build that backup self.

[00:27:22] And run over the player.

[00:27:24] I and I've had moments where I'd have to reach out to my childhood coaches for my travel that I had in like 18s or 16s, you know, like mind me of the player.

[00:27:38] I and I sometimes I lose that something college can be really short on the mental for sure because of how much softball you're playing.

[00:27:49] And you know, our teammates 24 seven with girls it's a lot harder because there's so much emotion stress going on.

[00:27:58] So sometimes you just have to spend on yourself back to you.

[00:28:03] Who am I as a player?

[00:28:05] Why am I playing?

[00:28:06] Why do I love like why do I love competition and really use that to drive yourself to keep going and go into being super competitive and find that balance.

[00:28:18] That's what fuels me.

[00:28:20] So just really finding what what drives you to be competitive.

[00:28:25] What like why are you playing the sport?

[00:28:27] A lot of what we say in college or like my coach always says, what's your why so got to find your why and well, obviously if you're at the college level, you're there for a reason like you're kept getting like why did you do that?

[00:28:45] Is it because you love competition?

[00:28:48] Is it because you love softball?

[00:28:52] Do I keep going?

[00:28:53] Yep.

[00:28:54] Okay.

[00:28:55] Is it because your or your mom or your dad played sports and you wanted to continue their legacy?

[00:29:02] There's all these different whys that people have.

[00:29:05] And just finding that using that going into your season, your practice, whatever you're doing is very important for your mental.

[00:29:16] So it sounds like you've taken you've really tied together like the short term like in game mental side of the game to the bigger big picture of like your mental health and life.

[00:29:27] There's a softball can totally impact your mental health and life and it sounds like you've really tied the two together.

[00:29:33] But where's that line between I love softball is what I do and softball is my identity.

[00:29:42] Yeah, I've struggled that along for a long time because it's definitely apparent now since I am ending my junior year and going into my last year of playing softball ever.

[00:29:55] I definitely have thought about it a lot and it's hard because you grow up for the first 17 or not 17, maybe like 10 years of playing competitive travel softball for 10 years of your childhood.

[00:30:11] And that's going through all the stages like you're all at six years old.

[00:30:17] You're going through middle school and then you go through high school.

[00:30:20] And that's a lot of stages in life that you're just playing softball.

[00:30:23] And then and then you transition into college ball that that was your goal year and those entire 10 years was to go play college play in the World Series if you're going to those types of schools like that was the goal all along in those 10 years.

[00:30:44] And then you reach that goal and you're playing college and going through making all these memories and playing all these top teams, going to the tournament, being a part of big.

[00:30:56] I'm playing the best of the best teams at San Jose State.

[00:31:01] And that was my dream all along was to just play those big teams or be a part of a really a program like that.

[00:31:07] And now it's my realization.

[00:31:09] It's coming to an end soon.

[00:31:11] What am I going to do without it?

[00:31:13] And there have been times where say a bullpen in the morning didn't go so well for me and I have no idea what I just wasn't pitching well or this pitch wasn't working and I put an hour and nothing.

[00:31:29] I feel like nothing came about it.

[00:31:31] The rest of my day is like negative about that bull in the morning.

[00:31:39] Now I'm out at school and now I'm thinking about it when I'm at home and when I go to bed at night.

[00:31:45] So I'd say I definitely try to find things outside of softball that I love to do other than softball.

[00:31:53] So I love going to the beach.

[00:31:55] I love hanging out with my friends.

[00:31:57] I cleaned a bunch this morning like my clean my room like it's little things doing chores.

[00:32:05] I don't know what's rare because she never did it at home.

[00:32:07] This is like you need to come to my house, girl.

[00:32:11] Not true.

[00:32:13] But just finding things outside of softball that you enjoy.

[00:32:18] It could be painting or drawing, writing, reading.

[00:32:23] I don't know but if there's always a line where softball it can become a huge part of your life and a huge part of your brain that can't let go.

[00:32:35] But this is only 21 going to stop playing at 22 years old.

[00:32:42] And that's just the first chapter of my life that's probably coming to that's going to come to a close.

[00:32:48] But there's so many other chapters after that in milestones after that I can look forward to.

[00:32:55] So when I was younger, I'm looking forward to playing college softball.

[00:32:59] I'm going to break all these records.

[00:33:02] I'm going to do all this stuff and but it's like self reflecting and saying this chapter is coming to a close.

[00:33:09] Got to look forward to the next chapter.

[00:33:12] It doesn't really define softball has taught me a lot of about just life in general.

[00:33:18] And I feel like people take that from sports all the time.

[00:33:22] And like moving on into life, you take those characteristics into so many other parts of your life.

[00:33:30] So and there are going to be times where I can be around softball too.

[00:33:35] So I can go to my local rec ball team and watch these little girls play softball.

[00:33:40] It's not like I'm going to be away from softball my whole life is I can find ways to incorporate it into my life without being so disconnected from it.

[00:33:49] It's just being able to find the things that you love outside of softball that can really signify.

[00:33:57] It's not who I am altogether.

[00:33:59] It's something I do for a majority of the day and then I go and do this or six out of seven days.

[00:34:09] I do all I practice all this stuff and then just outside of that I have some friends on other teams and there are some friends that don't even play sports.

[00:34:18] There's so many other aspects to life other than softball and it does consume you sometimes.

[00:34:25] And I really struggled the first few years of college and not letting it consume me because I felt like there's so many people I was letting down or I was letting myself down or letting my younger self down.

[00:34:38] But realizing that this is where I like need to be and this is where I am here for a reason and then completing this chapter of my life and moving on to the next one is just that's life.

[00:34:50] And that's how it is. So just finding things you love outside is really.

[00:34:56] Yeah, no, that's a great idea to be thinking about some of those things now because like you said you're going to have a ton of free time and how you choose to fill that free time can really impact on how that transition goes.

[00:35:07] So start a list now of other things you want to try or things you might be interested in with photography, hiking, who knows whatever it is.

[00:35:14] Just start a list and try some of these new things because you are about to have a ton of time on your hands.

[00:35:20] And I took when I graduated or when I left finished playing softball in college, I took a break completely from softball and it was something I would always think about.

[00:35:29] In fact, I had these recurring dreams about playing softball but I was never actually like able to play softball.

[00:35:35] So I would be in a softball game.

[00:35:36] I'd be like, okay, it's my turn up to bat.

[00:35:38] It's a big moment.

[00:35:39] Face is loaded and I go stand on the batter's box.

[00:35:41] I don't have a bat.

[00:35:42] So it'd be weird stuff like that, but I would have these dreams like all the time.

[00:35:45] So certainly it was still in me and it's a part of me.

[00:35:49] So I took a long break until I had a kid and my daughter started playing when she was four or five years old.

[00:35:54] Now if you find that you really want to get back into softball before maybe you have kids and want to start coaching them,

[00:35:59] I would strongly urge you to go volunteer at your local rec league at the little kids because they will teach you all about a new appreciation for the game

[00:36:08] and they will humble you.

[00:36:09] And it will be a very, it'll be an experience.

[00:36:12] It'll be fun, but it'll be an experience.

[00:36:14] Those little ones are something special.

[00:36:18] Rusty, let's get you into the conversation here a little bit.

[00:36:20] That's a good transition for us.

[00:36:22] I'm at that stage right now where I've got the little one.

[00:36:24] I have a six year old daughter.

[00:36:26] I wouldn't recommend volunteering racing until your limits and your patience threshold.

[00:36:31] Make sure that's high enough to be around those little ones for an extended period of time.

[00:36:35] But Rusty, let's jump over into your kind of hindsight looking back into that age group and first starting off with Lacey

[00:36:43] and just the transition for you as a coach and a parent over there.

[00:36:48] Thank you for listening everybody.

[00:36:51] To part one, we will have part two coming up next week.

[00:36:56] And we will catch you on the other side.

[00:36:58] Take care.