High-Scoring Softball

Description

Attack is the new order. There is an old saying in sports that 'Attack sells tickets while defence wins games'. In the sport of fastpitch softball, the belief has always been that good pitching will beat good hitting. That may have been the case in yesteryear, but the modern game is much more focused on an attack, due in no small measure to fans clamouring for more action and excitement. Changes occurred in rules, equipment and coaching philosophy to keep pace with the demands. This book takes a closer look at this evolution and the changes that have created high octane attacking play unlike anything previously seen in the game.

Ralph and Karen Weekly are head coaches at the University of Tennessee, where they have led the Lady Vols to a staggering 514 wins since 2002. The duo has celebrated over 1,700 combined career victories and received numerous honors, including being named SEC Co-Coach of the Year twice and the NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2005, 2007, and 2010. They have led Tennessee to four top three national finishes in the annual Women's College World Series, to four NCAA Regional and Super Regional Championships, and have participated in the SEC Tournament nine times, including four championships. The two led Pacific Lutheran University to NAIA national championship titles in 1988 and 1992 and were named National Coaches of the Year during that time. The duo has had 40 All-SEC or All-Freshman selections, 34 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All Region selections, 21 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America selections, and 12 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American selections. Ralph Weekly enters his 11th season at Tennessee with a prestigious new accolade to include on his already impressive resume: The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) recently honored his efforts in a distinguished three-decade career with a 2011 induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame. During his 24-year coaching career, Ralph has been successful at every stop, amassing 1,015 overall collegiate victories and second most championships in both armed forces as well as international softball. Ralph has coached teams including the U.S. Air Force, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and University of Tennessee. He was the hitting coach for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic softball teams, both of which received gold medals. From 1993 to 2000, he coached (as head or assistant coach) in 13 international events, winning the gold medal in each of them. Karen Weekly has experienced success both on the field and off, earning awards as a player and a coach. While at Pacific Lutheran University, she was an All-American softball player, led NAIA hitters with a .440 batting average, and was named Female Athlete of the Year. She was a national title-winning assistant coach at PLU in 1988 and 1992 and served as a championship head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A 15-year collegiate softball head coaching veteran boasting 737 career wins, Karen Weekly is in her 11th season with her husband, Ralph, at the helm of the Lady Volunteer softball program.