Texas Bombers Exposure WeekendOct 18, 2015 by Sarah Hoffman
Texas Bombers Exposure Blog: Day 2
Texas Bombers Exposure Blog: Day 2
What struck me most about Saturday at the Texas Bombers Exposure event is just how much thought the Bomber organization put into this event to make it a suc
What struck me most about Saturday at the Texas Bombers Exposure event is just how much thought the Bomber organization put into this event to make it a successful showcase weekend. This exposure weekend is the result of college recruiting coaches giving the Bombers direct feedback on what their ideal recruiting event would look like, and the Bombers took notes.
Perhaps that is why the Scrapyard Softball Complex was crawling the top college programs like the University of Oregon, Florida State University, the University of Texas, and the University of Missouri to name a few. These coaches know they are going to see what they need to see at this event, and that keeps them coming back year after year.
Watch the last day of the Texas Bombers Exposure Weekend LIVE on FloSoftball!
Texas Storm catcher/outfielder Jessica Vlasek takes a cut during the Storm's game against the Texas Glory
Every part of Saturday was designed to give exposure to uncommitted players and showcase their skills in different settings, starting with the position-specific combines. During the combine events, coaches were able to get objective measurables on the players they were watching. Pitchers lined up five at a time and threw their four best spin pitches while coaches lined the fence with radar guns, getting instant feedback on each pitch. Defensive players were timed on the 5-10-5 drill so coaches could measure players’ agility and gauge their quickness. Outfielders had their fielding and arm strength evaluated while batters took batting practice two at a time for maximum exposure to the coaches watching.
Catchers got a special treat having their combine run by Jen Schroeder, the leading voice in the softball community on teaching catching. Having been a standout catcher at UCLA when they reigned supreme in the Pac-12, Schroeder’s legacy is quickly becoming her ability to develop young catchers because she knows what it takes to be a catcher at the highest level. What makes her standout as a teacher of the position is more than her technical knowledge; it’s the attitude and leadership skills she stresses to these catchers that makes her the master coach.
Action shots from yesterday's combine events at the Texas Bomber Exposure Weekend (clockwise) hitting, pitching, catching, and fielding
Like any good showcase event, the Texas Bombers Exposure also had plenty of pool play games, giving coaches the opportunity to watch the players they had seen during the combines in a live game situation. And the games did not disappoint. With programs like the Texas Bombers, Texas Glory, Aces Express, Texas Blaze, and the Firecrackers all represented at the event, competition was fierce and skill level was high. Plenty of college coaches had their eyes on multiple games given the setup of the Scrapyard.
Uncommitted Texas Bomber outfielder Peyton Jackson slides into home during Saturday's pool play games at the Texas Bomber Exposure Weekend
For coaches at the event, the highlight of Saturday was the coaches social following the 16U and 18U games in afternoon. Besides knowing how to put together the ultimate recruiting weekend, the Bomber organization knows how to throw a party. They prepared steak and potatoes for the social dinner and gave coaches the option of tapping into a keg and throwing back a cold one after the long day.
Besides the amazing food and camaraderie, the nearly two-hour social saw three great softball minds share bits of their knowledge with the coaches. The University of Texas’ Connie Clark kicked off the social, sharing tips she’s learned over her 20 year career with the Longhorns. She reflected on things she knows now that she wish she would’ve known when she began at Texas and spent quite some time telling coaches how important it is to create a culture within their teams. She shared how the Longhorn’s D.I.R.T motto — Discipline, Integrity, Respect, Teamwork guides the culture of Texas Softball and emphasized the importance of work-life balance.
Entering her twentieth season at the University of Texas, Connie Clark shared several lessons she's learned during her career with coaches at the social
Iowa offensive coach Jake Schumann followed Clark and shared practical hitting tips with the coaches as well as his overall hitting philosophy. Favoring a fast-paced pressure offense focused on gap-to-gap hitting instead of swinging for the fences, Schumann gave coaches one-line cues to help coach their players, like “Look in, adjust out. Look high, adjust low. Look fast, adjust slow.”
Having already done a clinic and combine with the catchers for the event, Jen Schroeder closed out the night talking with coaches about what role she believes the catcher plays on the team and how a majority of coaches don’t spend enough time teaching and developing their catchers. Schroeder favors a defensive-minded catcher with strong technical skills behind the plate. She also stressed the importance of coaches giving their catchers the opportunity to develop leadership skills by teaching them how to communicate and giving them the opportunity to call pitches. Her passion for the position was obvious as she got down on the concrete during her talk to demo for the audience important positions and drills while sharing with the coaches the three basic criteria she looks for in all great catchers: a solid squat, leadership and communication skills, and a strong arm.
Jen Schroeder working with catchers during the combine. Her passion for the position showed true as she was talking with coaches at last night's social
Check back in tomorrow for my thoughts on Sunday's action. You won't want to miss the highlights of the special "4 the Heroes" salute the Bombers have planned for Sunday morning!
Perhaps that is why the Scrapyard Softball Complex was crawling the top college programs like the University of Oregon, Florida State University, the University of Texas, and the University of Missouri to name a few. These coaches know they are going to see what they need to see at this event, and that keeps them coming back year after year.
Watch the last day of the Texas Bombers Exposure Weekend LIVE on FloSoftball!
Texas Storm catcher/outfielder Jessica Vlasek takes a cut during the Storm's game against the Texas Glory
Every part of Saturday was designed to give exposure to uncommitted players and showcase their skills in different settings, starting with the position-specific combines. During the combine events, coaches were able to get objective measurables on the players they were watching. Pitchers lined up five at a time and threw their four best spin pitches while coaches lined the fence with radar guns, getting instant feedback on each pitch. Defensive players were timed on the 5-10-5 drill so coaches could measure players’ agility and gauge their quickness. Outfielders had their fielding and arm strength evaluated while batters took batting practice two at a time for maximum exposure to the coaches watching.
Catchers got a special treat having their combine run by Jen Schroeder, the leading voice in the softball community on teaching catching. Having been a standout catcher at UCLA when they reigned supreme in the Pac-12, Schroeder’s legacy is quickly becoming her ability to develop young catchers because she knows what it takes to be a catcher at the highest level. What makes her standout as a teacher of the position is more than her technical knowledge; it’s the attitude and leadership skills she stresses to these catchers that makes her the master coach.
Action shots from yesterday's combine events at the Texas Bomber Exposure Weekend (clockwise) hitting, pitching, catching, and fielding
Like any good showcase event, the Texas Bombers Exposure also had plenty of pool play games, giving coaches the opportunity to watch the players they had seen during the combines in a live game situation. And the games did not disappoint. With programs like the Texas Bombers, Texas Glory, Aces Express, Texas Blaze, and the Firecrackers all represented at the event, competition was fierce and skill level was high. Plenty of college coaches had their eyes on multiple games given the setup of the Scrapyard.
Uncommitted Texas Bomber outfielder Peyton Jackson slides into home during Saturday's pool play games at the Texas Bomber Exposure Weekend
For coaches at the event, the highlight of Saturday was the coaches social following the 16U and 18U games in afternoon. Besides knowing how to put together the ultimate recruiting weekend, the Bomber organization knows how to throw a party. They prepared steak and potatoes for the social dinner and gave coaches the option of tapping into a keg and throwing back a cold one after the long day.
Besides the amazing food and camaraderie, the nearly two-hour social saw three great softball minds share bits of their knowledge with the coaches. The University of Texas’ Connie Clark kicked off the social, sharing tips she’s learned over her 20 year career with the Longhorns. She reflected on things she knows now that she wish she would’ve known when she began at Texas and spent quite some time telling coaches how important it is to create a culture within their teams. She shared how the Longhorn’s D.I.R.T motto — Discipline, Integrity, Respect, Teamwork guides the culture of Texas Softball and emphasized the importance of work-life balance.
Entering her twentieth season at the University of Texas, Connie Clark shared several lessons she's learned during her career with coaches at the social
Iowa offensive coach Jake Schumann followed Clark and shared practical hitting tips with the coaches as well as his overall hitting philosophy. Favoring a fast-paced pressure offense focused on gap-to-gap hitting instead of swinging for the fences, Schumann gave coaches one-line cues to help coach their players, like “Look in, adjust out. Look high, adjust low. Look fast, adjust slow.”
Having already done a clinic and combine with the catchers for the event, Jen Schroeder closed out the night talking with coaches about what role she believes the catcher plays on the team and how a majority of coaches don’t spend enough time teaching and developing their catchers. Schroeder favors a defensive-minded catcher with strong technical skills behind the plate. She also stressed the importance of coaches giving their catchers the opportunity to develop leadership skills by teaching them how to communicate and giving them the opportunity to call pitches. Her passion for the position was obvious as she got down on the concrete during her talk to demo for the audience important positions and drills while sharing with the coaches the three basic criteria she looks for in all great catchers: a solid squat, leadership and communication skills, and a strong arm.
Jen Schroeder working with catchers during the combine. Her passion for the position showed true as she was talking with coaches at last night's social
Check back in tomorrow for my thoughts on Sunday's action. You won't want to miss the highlights of the special "4 the Heroes" salute the Bombers have planned for Sunday morning!