Event Primer: 2020 NFCA Convention Runs Wednesday Thru Friday & Goes Virtual with Speakers, Exhibitors & More

We’re into the second week of December and that means the 2020 NFCA Convention is upon us!

After successful conventions in Atlanta City (2019), Chicago (2018), Las Vegas (2017), New Orleans (2016) and Atlanta (2015) the previous five years, the prestigious gathering of fastpitch softball coaches and administrators at all levels was supposed to be in Dallas, Texas this year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to go “virtual.”

Currently led by Executive Director Carol Bruggeman, the Conventions date back to 1984 when the first event was held in Omaha, Nebraska. Today, the NFCA Convention is considered the top event of its kind in the sport and features the elite coaches and players in the game providing instruction, education and insights ranging from high school and travel ball up through the college ranks.

We have speakers from coast to coast! Get ready to learn and grow during the Virtual Convention Dec. 9-11. You have 2⃣ days left to sign up!

REGISTER: https://t.co/5LvkX9Giul pic.twitter.com/7EbPJVtFFm

— NFCA (@NFCAorg) December 7, 2020

Future conventions have been scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• Dec. 9-11, 2020 – Virtual
• Dec. 8-11, 2021 – Las Vegas, Nev.
• Dec. 7-10, 2022 – San Antonio, Texas
• Dec. 6-9, 2023 – Louisville, Ky.
• Dec. 4-7, 2024 – Dallas, Texas

Below is a primer of key components of this year’s event which begins early Wednesday (Dec. 9) and finishes late Friday evening (Dec. 11)…

*****

What is It? An NFCA Virtual Convention Overview

Whether you are a first-year coach wondering about pitching and practice planning, or a seasoned veteran who needs new drills and an updated hitting philosophy, the NFCA Convention is the “must attend” annual gathering of NFCA members and exhibitors who serve the softball community.

While COVID-19 has placed restrictions on gathering in-person this year, the NFCA has shifted the planning for this event and adapted it for a virtual platform. This virtual platform will allow viewers to enhance their coaching portfolio from the work or home space, making it accessible to more coaches by eliminating the costs of travel and accommodations.

How to Register to View Virtually

Registration, presented by Traveling Teams, for the NFCA Virtual Convention is $229 for members and $329 for non-members. Attendees will have access to the on-demand content for 30 days following the Convention.

This means you do not have to choose between competing sessions, all the content is available for the following month and, additionally, members can select a $20 upgrade ($249 total) for lifetime access to on-demand content.

COVID-19 Impacted Discount:

Adapting to this year’s Coronavius pandemic, the NFCA writes: “Have you experienced a furlough or layoff during the pandemic? If so, we want to help. The NFCA is committed to supporting its members through this pandemic. We understand that the impact of COVID-19 is widespread and far-reaching. Please contact our membership team at [email protected] or (502) 409-4600 for special discounted Virtual Convention pricing for those members who have been furloughed or experienced a layoff.”

Hall of Fame Induction News

Although the 2020 NFCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been postponed for Donna Fields (St. Mary’s University), Kris Herman (Williams College) and Heinz Mueller (Phoenix College) until the 2021 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas, the 2021 Class will be announced live during the Virtual Convention’s Hall of Fame panel on Dec. 11 (5 p.m. ET start).

The Class of 2020 and 2021 will be celebrated together but inducted as separate classes on Dec. 10, 2021.

Key Links

Click HERE to go to the Convention’s home page
Click HERE to access the “Link Tree”
Click HERE to see the list of Speakers “A-to-Z” (from Monica Abbott to Marissa Young)
Click HERE to see Exhibitor info

NFCA Virtual Convention Schedule

Wednesday, December 4

• 7:00 AM-9:00 PM — Convention Registration & Merchandise
• 8:00 AM-Noon — NFCC 401: From Surviving to Thriving: Unlock Your Coaching Potential | Avalon 30
• 8:00 AM-Noon — NFCC 403: Position Play & Individual Defensive Skills | Avalon 28
• 1:00-4:00 PM — Pre-Con: Pitch Perfect: Set ‘Em Up & Sit ‘Em Down! Tips & Strategies for Developing Individual Pitches | Avalon 30
• 1:00-4:00 PM — Pre-Con: Assistant Coach University: Building Trust, Managing Conflict and Investing in Your Growth | Avalon 28
• 3:00-4:30 PM — Division I HCC | Avalon 1-3
• 3:00-3:45 PM — Rookie Orientation Presented by Triple Crown Sports (First-Time Attendees) | Avalon 8-13
• 5:00-6:15 PM — “First Pitch” Opening Welcome & Keynote feat. Justin Patton | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 6:30-8:30 PM — NFCA Opening Reception | Avalon 1-7, 28, 30
• 7:30 PM-8:30 PM — Division II HCC | Avalon 14
• 7:30 PM-8:30 PM — Division III HCC | Avalon 15
• 7:30-8:30 PM — Conference Meetings
• 8:30-9:30 PM — Committee Meetings
• 9:00-10:00 PM — Diversity in Coaching Gathering | Avalon 14

Thursday, December 5

• 6:15-7:15 AM — Boardwalk Boot Camp | Wildwood Terrace
• 6:15-7:15 AM — Shore Stretch Yoga | Avalon 19 / Pool
• 7:00 AM-8:00 PM — Convention Registration & Merchandise
• 7:00-8:30 AM — Schutt Sports Breakfast | Waterfront Buffet
• 8:30-11:30 AM — NCAA Division I Caucus | Avalon 20-27, 29
• 8:30-11:30 AM — NCAA Division II Caucus presented by Chattanooga, TN | Avalon 5-7, 28
• 8:30-11:30 AM — NCAA Division III Caucus | Avalon 1-4, 30
• 8:30-11:30 AM — NAIA Caucus | Avalon 14-16
• 8:30-11:30 AM — NJCAA Caucus | Avalon 17-19
• 8:30-11:30 AM — High School/Travel Ball Caucus + Triple Play Classroom Series presented by Wilson | Avalon 9-13
• 8:30-11:30 AM — International Caucus | Avalon 8
• 11:00 AM-6:30 PM — Exhibit Hall & Digital Silent Auction Open | Wildwood Ballroom
• Noon-12:50 p.m. — “Blast Softball for Dummies” – Vanessa Soto-Laughlin & Francesca Enea | Blast Motion | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• 1:00-1:50 PM — “How To Build Technology into Your Practice Plan” – Jordan Clark (Ohio State) | HitTrax | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• 1:30-2:50 PM — Drills, Drills, Drills | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 2:00-2:50 PM — “Exit Velocity – Using Video & Radar Data to Train the Most Important Metric” (Perry Husband, MLB & Collegiate Consultant) – Pocket Radar, Inc. | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• 3:00-3:50 PM — “An Exclusive Look Inside the Bruin Bubble: Coaching Staff Dynamics” – UCLA Staff | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 4:00-4:50 PM— “Accelerate Your Offense” – India Chiles (Tennessee) & Caitlin Lowe (Arizona) | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 4:00-4:50 PM — “Developing Pitchers with the PitchTracker® ’Smart’ Softball” – Nyree White (Brickwall Softball) & DK Staff | Diamond Kinetics | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• 5:00-6:30 PM — Scrap Yard Sports Happy Hour & Exhibit Hall Giveaways | Exhibit Hall
• 5:00-6:00 PM — Equality Coaches Alliance: LGBTQ Diversity & Inclusion Gathering | Avalon 3-4
• 7:00-9:00 PM — Mentoring Workshop | Avalon 10-13, 28, 30
• 9:00-10:30 PM — NFCA Extra Innings Fireside Chats (Hitting) | Avalon 10-13, 28, 30
• 9:00-10:30 PM — NFCA Extra Innings Fireside Chats (Pitching) | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 9:00 PM-Midnight — Diamond Sports/PGF Pool Party

Friday, December 6

• 6:15-7:15 AM — Boardwalk Boot Camp | Wildwood Terrace
• 6:15-7:15 AM — Shore Stretch Yoga | Avalon 19
• 7:00 AM-1:00 PM — Convention Registration & Merchandise
• 7:00-8:00 AM — FCA Breakfast | Avalon Terrace
• 7:00-9:00 AM — NFCA Continental Breakfast | Pre-function Wildwood
• 7:30 AM-2:00 PM — Exhibit Hall Open
• 8:00-8:45 AM — Cal JC Caucus | Avalon 1
• 8:00-9:50 AM — High School Caucus | Avalon 8-10
• 8:00-9:50 AM — Travel Ball Caucus | Avalon 11-13
• 9:00-9:50 AM — “Efficiency in Technology” – Director of Operations presentation | Avalon 2-7, 28, 30
• 9:00-9:50 AM — “From Weapons to Tools: A Modern Approach to Student-Athlete Surveys” – Jessica Allister (Stanford) & Dr. Matthew Davidson (Excellence with Integrity Institute) | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 10:00-10:50 AM — “Why do Hitters & Pitchers Really Miss: Vision Training or Visual Psychology?” – Tony Abbatine (U.S. Women’s National Team performance consultant) | Avalon 2-7, 28, 30
• 10:00-10:50 AM — “It’s Not About the Bat Flip: Coaching Today’s Athlete” – Kenny Gajewski (Oklahoma State) | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 10:00-10:50 AM — “Introducing the new Jugs BP3 Softball Machine. The Future Is Now.” – Dave Candello & Kayla Anderson | Jugs Sports | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• 11:00-11:50 AM — “Olympic Spotlight: Player Development from A to Z” – Ken Eriksen (U.S. Women’s National Team Coach | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 11:00 AM-1:00 PM — Coach Emeriti Luncheon & Meeting | Avalon Pre-Function 1
• 11:00-11:50 AM — “Developing hitters with SwingTracker® and Swing Fingerprint™” | Diamond Kinetics | Wildwood Ballroom (Exhibit Hall)
• Noon-1:00 PM — Cal JC Caucus Continuation | Avalon 1
• Noon-12:50 p.m. — Visit the Exhibit Hall: HitTrax Presents: Home Run Derby with the Pros & Sports Attack Raffle
• 1:30-3:00 PM — Softball Summit presented by USA Softball | Avalon 14-27, 29
• 3:00-3:50 PM — “Own the Dirt: Infield Defense” – Kainoa Correa | Avalon 2-7, 28, 30
• 3:00-5:00 PM — Grassroots Summit presented by Wilson (HS/TB/Youth Programming) | Avalon 8-13
• 4:00-4:50 PM — “Learn From the Legends: Hall of Fame / Coach Emeriti Panel” | Avalon 2-7, 28, 30
• 6:30-7:00 PM — NFCA Hall of Fame Reception: Avalon Foyer
• 7:00-10:00 PM — NFCA Hall of Fame Banquet (Formal Attire) | Avalon 14-27, 29