Improving Your Game

By Ronnie McBride

For suggestion or comments rdmac@texoma.com

The best case is to organize a team and stay together and practice to become the best and, to be successful in league and tournament play.

The worst case senerio is to have someone on your team that is being detrimental and whining about anything that goes the other way. The old saying "practice makes perfect" is very true. The more you practice, the better you will become.

If you should suffer a hard defeat, just remember that you put foward a good effort, then regroup and try to work on the areas that need improving. You will turn it around. Last August the "Operation Redblock" softball tournament was held in Omaha.

Seventeen teams from all over the railroad competed against each other. Texas was well represented by placing three teams with Texas' players in the top five. Obviously, the Texas and Arkansas players are tuned-up a little more than the rest. I believe that it's because we have a longer season due to being in the Southern Region.

Going into the off-season you should try to cut down on food and do some kind of exercise to be ready to go into the 1998 season in shape. There will be three railroad softball tournaments that will be held in '98. The Denison tournament, (open homeruns) The Little Rock Arkansas tournament, (open homeruns) and the Operation Redblock tournament in Omaha (open homeruns).

Remember a lot of teams don't have home-run hitters but, base hits win softball games. Softball is basic, it's a game of base-hitting!. A team that knows it doesn't have power can still defeat anyone, if they practice base hitting-the ball. Also the best players invest in the best equipment.

Technology has really changed the game. Bats have more pop due to thinner walls thus creating a trampoline effect when the ball is hit!. Some bats cost as much as 300.00 dollars. Some illegal titanium bats are as much as 600.00 dollars. Bats are gadged on the B.P.F. (Bat Performance Factor.) Right now that factor is 120 BPF. Any bat over this amount is illegal to use almost everywhere because of safety factors.

Ask any pitcher, they will tell you. Gloves are now available up to 14" helping outfielders' handle the ball easier. There is so much that one could talk about on the great game of softball.

I personally would like to thank all the teams that attended the KATY tournament in Denison. it's just going to get bigger and better!

Good luck and Congradulations to all the players from the Dallas/Ft.Worth area that competed this year.

See ya next year!

Ronnie McBride is Safety Coordinator for Wichita Service Unit

9-97