While the softball nation gets ready to resume play on the field, players, teams and even organizations have found proactive ways to stay motivated while dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown.
Intensity Softball led by Kevin O’Donnell has been impressively active on a daily basis organizing Zoom meetings with players across the nation, in states ranging from New York and New Jersey in the East to Indiana in the Midwest to Florida in the South.
“We have been keeping the girls ready and sharp,” O’Donnell, who is based in New Jersey, told Extra Inning Softball this week.
“One of our leading principles is having the girls prepared to compete and perform so when these unprecedented times occurred, we sat down as an organization on April 1 to make a plan for how to still follow through,” the coach and event producer continues. “We have a weekly schedule for the girls to follow with a different activity each day that focuses on either the physical or mental aspect of the game.”
Virtual sessions are set up so players and coaches can watch topics that include hitting techniques and training with Major League batting coaches, speed and ability training with a world-class performance expert, yoga and stretching, sports nutrition and position specific skill training with former D1 players and coaches.
On Sunday, former Florida State All-American pitcher Lacey Waldrop was the “Keynote Speaker” for Week 2 and spent well over an hour addressing her thoughts on Mental Toughness. She also answered questions from the 128 girls who watched live (many more will watch the Zoom sessions on replay after they are initially recorded).
Click HERE to watch the Zoom call with Lacey Waldrop (starts at 20:15 mark); use Password: 2W^2n51*
O’Donnell explains he savors the opportunity to connect former Intensity players with the current ones, especially when it comes to addressing the importance of mental training sessions.
“We have former Intensity players who experienced huge success at the D1 and NPF level speak to the girls and share their journey about their successes and overcoming adversity.”
It’s not just about keeping them busy for now, says O’Donnell, who also runs prestigious events under the Diamond 9 banner including the Sun Class showcases for travel softball and Citrus Classic and Blossom tournaments for college softball.
He believes these virtual lessons and educational sessions will better prepare the young athletes for the future, short-team and long-term.
“Intensity prides itself on being an organization that gets the girls ready to compete and perform both on and off the field no matter what curveball is thrown their way,” he states.
“As an organization, both coaches and players, we have risen to the occasion to get our athletes in the best possible shape physically and mentally so when that first pitch is thrown they will still be a force to be reckoned with.”
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What a typical week looks like for the Intensity players who can watch – and rewatch – important virtual sessions:
