NFHS 2008 rule changes

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Do you think it possible that coaches might have also some experience playing with spikes and realize they can no longer be lax in teaching players how to both slide and how to play their bases correctly?

Possible, but not necessarily so. There is no guarantee the coach is even going to have any softball experience as it isn't required in some areas. Some of these girls are not even aware there are softball shoes with metal plates and spikes on the sole.

So long as softball "cleats" were these little plastic knobs, there was little point in spending practice time on the techniques, right?

Have you seen some of the techniques at the HS level? Have you seen some of the college kids slide?

A couple of years ago, an Olympian (Leah O'Brien-Amico maybe) did one of these tip clips on sliding during the NCAA's or Olympic broadcasts.

Her advice was when sliding, lead with your feet and legs into the base. When she demonstrated, it looked as if she basically just threw her feet toward the base and laid down. I was astounded that someone who had made it that far in the game of softball did not know how to slide. I was even more surprised that some idiot had her offering tips to young players.

I don't want to see it, but I'm confident there will be issues involving injuries caused by young ladies wearing equipment with which they are not familiar.

But, Tom, you don't have to believe me. After all, you didn't believe us last year about the bats.