Hey, this is Sandy. And Randy?
And we're here on at Corner. Being an Athi trainer comes with
ups and downs, and we're here to showcase it all.
Join us as we share our world in sports medicine.
Welcome back to another episode of At Corner.
It's here, Baby. Happy National Athletic Training
Month. And what better way than to kick
off National Athletic Training Month with a story episode.
And not only do you get to hear us today, but we are bringing on
a very special guest, someone who I went to school with, Gabby
Loverado, and she not only works softball as an athletic trainer,
but she played softball. And hearing her and her
experiences just really brings it all together and really what
we do as athletic trainers. Yes.
And I feel like this is going to be very fitting for March just
in general, man. And it's peak softball time.
Yeah, I mean, if you're working softball, you're either just
getting started or you've kind of been in it for.
We've been in it for a month, a little over a month.
Yeah. So in this episode we are
talking all things softball, anything from musts in your kit
all the way down to common injuries, not so common
injuries, people getting hit with a softball while working.
We couldn't we couldn't go without talking about that.
If you've had to call. Can't talk about the AT getting
hurt. Yeah, no, Speaking of, if you
had to call 911 for softball, some sports specific stuff and
just general softball, like how to work softball, it's a really
fun episode. So without further ado, let's
hear from Gabby. All right, Gabby, you want to
start us off with your favorite softball memory?
Yeah. So I was kind of torn between a
couple 'cause it kind of depends on how you want to look at it.
So one has to do with an actual patient and one actually has to
do with me, of course. Yeah, exactly.
So the one that has that actually do with the patient,
she was coming back from ACL. She had torn her other one
before, which was a traumatic experience for her in that sense
the first time and so the second time it was still like it was
pretty traumatic for her. She was debating not coming back
to play another year. So there is a lot of mental
aspects with hers and I would say that that was the first one
that I had. I had had one in the soccer
season before, but then that season having that much mental
aspect on top of the game, that's already mental.
It was really tricky to to navigate with her, but able to
get her back. It took a while to get up,
filled up confidence. Luckily, the equipment we have,
I know how to use it from playing softball, so I knew we
had a sliding pad and sliding was one of the things that was
kind of freaking her out because she would be sliding on that
specific knee. So there are days I would go to
the softball field, I'd bring it to campus and we'd go out to the
football field. If it was raining, we would go
inside the gym and we would just practice her sliding.
And I was doing it with her too. I was scared, she was scared,
but we did it together. So it was a lot of fun doing
that with her and see her like slowly growing confidence as
we're approaching season. Now we're like in the beginning
of season. And then I actually have a
snippet of recording of her first at bat and she got hit
balls outfield, got on base. So it's just a super like, super
rewarding, right? Most of the reason why we do
what we do is to see our athletes go through all of that.
But that's like one of the biggest like softball moments I
have in my head for returning an athlete to play because it was
one of my first biggest softball injuries.
And then the memory with me, it was my first year at my current
job and we made it to the conference championship game.
And the girls are kind of like doing a little dance circle.
And early in the year I was telling them that I can I know
how to do the worm, but I only know how to do it backwards.
I can't go forward. Could only go backwards.
And so they're kind of doing it and they're like, Gabby, come
on, come on. I was like, no, like I'm in my
polo, I'm in my pants. I'm like, they're on the dirt.
I'm not going to do in the dirt. But I was like, forget it, I'm
just going to do it. So I go over and I do it and
they just go crazy. They're hyping me up.
And I wasn't the one playing. And my student happened to
record that, so I have that recording as well.
So it was just a lot of fun. We ended up winning and that was
their first tournaments, tournament win.
It's. Obviously because of the worm I
was just. About to say the worm.
Exactly. Squashed it.
Over the end whenever we go, I have to do the worm now.
So that's probably one of my personal like favorites that has
to do with me. It wasn't the best worm I've
ever done. I was really nervous because I'm
like OK, all the girls are looking because like you know,
you go into the handstand and then you go down into the worm.
Like if I don't hold this handstand well and go into the
worm, I'm going to face Flint. It was really nerve wracking.
Didn't happen looks great. I got 3 solid worms in.
I got up, brush myself off and walked away.
So those are probably my two moments working softball for
sure. Hey, it it, it did the job.
Yeah, I mean, it did the job. We won.
It was awesome. It was a really awesome
experience to go through. I heard you were sliding and
you're doing the worm. I just hear that you're on the
floor a lot. That's like sounds like
softball. You know it, it truly is.
I was an outfielder when I played, so diving, sliding, kind
of my jam. But yeah, I like to be very
involved when it comes to it and just kind of be like, hey, you
know what? It's not that I'm old.
They like to say that I'm old, but I'm like, I can still do
some of this stuff. Like I got it.
I'm usually a little nervous going into it, but I, you know,
get it done, prove them wrong. Or they laugh at me and I do it
again and I get it right. OK, tell me more about this
sliding pad. I've never heard of this.
Yeah. So, you know, when I was a kid
growing up learning how to slide the cheapest way, you buy
cardboard boxes and you put it on top of grass, on top of
whatever. And so when you slide, you
slide, the board will slide with you or you'll slide over the top
of the board. Oh, OK.
So the sliding pad is just this like huge like that.
I did not get at measurements. OK, I'm 5 feet tall, so it's
probably it's probably about like 8 feet long.
OK. Give or take.
And so it's it's padding almost like you could think like a
gymnastics room padding like where they tumble on, but it
also has a sheet over it. So it's acts like that
cardboard. So when you slide onto the sheet
this the sheet slides, but you have that padding underneath
you. So you're not getting that big
like impact. So we'll use it a lot for like
learning how to dive or reintroducing diving just
because it's a bit more comfortable than diving over and
over again on the grass. Cause some of the girls get
hesitant to do that or they've had like a bad experience where
they've like scorpions. So they're just a little bit
nervous to, to get back out on the and do it on the grass.
So this at least allows you to slide.
So the impact isn't too bad. So it's a good way to like,
introduce confidence into that skill again.
That is really cool like that you are able to take something
that she was worried about and really make it so sport specific
and like really say like, hey, we can ease you into this And
you know, we have ways to do this so that you can build into
just, you know, just get over it.
Like just do it. You know, it's actually like
building up into it. For sure.
And I think that's probably a leg up that I get playing
softball, having had played softball and kind of knowing
where I work pretty well because I played there too.
So it's like pretty, it's like, oh, I know we have this, like we
could go get that or you know, whatever it might be.
I feel like I'm relatively good at like breaking down skill sets
for most positions really pitching is probably where I
struggle the most, but I I could figure that one out pretty well.
I mean, I watch and work with our pitchers quite often, but
like breaking down throwing mechanics is relatively easy for
me because I know how to do it. And when I played, I also had a
pretty decent, I had shoulder impingement.
It was pretty bad. And so my AT at the time really
helped me like break down my throws because during practice
our coach does, the coach doesn't have time to to do that.
Everyone knows how to throw. And so it's like it's just like
small tweaks, whether like their elbows dropping back here.
Me personally, I was actually whipping behind my head.
So when I was playing catch with people, they're able to see the
ball right here. You're trying to play football.
It's supposed to be, yeah, I don't know what I was doing, but
like when I'm playing catch with them, I'm like, there's no way
I'm that far back. Like because I was doing it for
so long, I didn't even realize. So it's nice being able to like,
so my AT at that time helped me like break that down.
And so there's skills that she used that I now use.
So I'm like, Oh, I did that and it worked really well for me.
So I'm able to kind of like nitpick a little bit more just
having knowing how to do the skill for playing, you know,
through college and now working with them, it's, it makes it a
little bit easier. So I feel like that's kind of a
lake up that I get working with softballs because I played
softball. I mean, totally.
And even just hearing you talk about this now like this, for
someone who like hasn't played softball like this, I can go to
like my coaches and ask about some of these things that like
I've never even heard of a sliding pad.
Like maybe we need maybe like if we don't have one, like what is
something that they use? You know, it's, it kind of opens
up that conversation. For sure, especially with those
like those lower extremity injuries, like they might like
if they're sliding and their foot got caught in the dirt when
they're sliding into the bag, like they're probably going to
be like, Oh my gosh, like I'm really scared to do that again
when my spike gets caught again. And so just kind of helping them
get through that barrier because there's typically not that time
during practice that they're going to be able to do that.
And so it's like, all right, during rehab, this is what we're
going to do today. But also just, you know, depends
on time, time and availability that you have in your clinic.
Usually I'll block off like a solid hour and I'll be like, all
right, this is what we're going to do.
And then I usually try to get, if I have any other softball
athletes, I'll say like, hey, can you come at this time so
we're at least all in the same area and try to work with all of
them at the same time. I also have a student so it's a
little helpful too. Yeah.
So I did ask on our Instagram stories to prepare for this
episode if anyone has ever worked softball and we did get
an overwhelming response. 91% of people who responded to our poll
said yes, they have worked softball.
I know so. So we have a pretty good like
experience background I guess. And then I did ask what is a
must in your kit when working softball?
So I'm going to defer to you first before I tell you what
answers we got. So I want to hear what your your
like must haves in your kit are. For sure.
OK, so I think one thing that I didn't have until I started
working at the university. Well, I had it like in my main
kit kind of in my side pouch or nail Clippers and and nail file.
The amount of times I have been asked for.
Hey Gabby, you have nail Clippers like at least at least
once again, I swear, especially the pitchers.
But sometimes, you know, a ball, a girl will get a ball hits her
and it like it goes off of her finger and then she it chips her
finger so she wants to file it down or cut it.
One time I went on to the field because that had kind of
happened and I didn't have nail Clippers in my, in my side
pouch. I'm like shoe.
I'm like, OK, well when you come off, look, I'll do it.
I was with the student. We walk off and the student's
like, oh, I had nail Clippers in my bag.
I look at it and I'm like, dude, I'm like, why didn't you give me
your nail Clippers? He's like, I didn't want to
interrupt you. And I was like, Oh my God.
So since then, I carry nail Clippers with me all the time.
So nail Clippers nail file for sure.
It's funny that that's like the first thing on my list, 'cause
it's so simple. Yeah.
But I would say those are. Really important.
Just yesterday I was telling my student that nail Clippers are
must have. Yes, like just last night, yeah.
Very important, I've definitely learned my lesson there.
But yes, always have nail Clippers on me now.
So obvious the obvious scissors, but you're actually going to be
using scissors more for cutting ribbon and cutting snacks that
are hard to open. So you're not using it for your
typical AT stuff, but you need to make sure you got scissors
easily accessible because they're going to come over.
Hey, Gabby, I can't open this bag.
Can you open it for me? So boom.
So scissors that are easily accessible.
Super glue for sure. I actually used it the other
day. She had it cut like right
underneath her pinky, so very hard to like even try to like
just put steri strips over. And I honestly can't remember if
it was her throwing hand or not, but she's our DH anyway, so
she's just hitting. And so it's just all that
friction on it. And so it's just kind of
complicated to just put a Band-Aid over it or even second
skin over it. So we cleaned it out and then
just I pinched the skin together.
Super glue, super easy. So I have super glue for sure.
I put some funny ones. Tongue depressors because I've
never actually used a tongue depressor to depress the tongue.
But I have used it to eat and my field is off campus so if I
don't have a utensil I am Sol. So tongue depressor, you can
make it into a fork. You can use them as chopsticks,
whatever it is. One time I had yogurt and I
forgot my spoon and I'm like, well, I have tongue depressors.
And the girls were looking at me.
They're like, Gabby, are you eating yogurt with tongue
depressors? I'm like, yeah, look at.
I'm like it's working, you know, I.
You gotta do what you gotta do. Take them into a little V so I
can scoop it. So you gotta make sure you have
tongue depressors, but not just for eating.
On those muddy days when everything's sticking to their
cleats, I tape 2 tongue depressors together.
I tape them in case they don't have anything else, especially
if it's an away game. I usually have it in there a
travel kit as well so they could use that to scrape off any dirt
that clumps up underneath their cleats.
Sometimes they have the little like digger for bases and they
use that or some pisses they have like a an actual thing
where you could like rub your feet on it and it does it.
But we don't have that at my field.
So tongue depressor and the bass scooper it is.
And then I personally use cover roll a lot.
I'm not a big fan of wrapping all the way, like especially
like elbows, right? We get a lot of like abrasions
from sliding, diving, whatever it might be.
And so I don't, I personally don't like to wrap all the way
around the arms, especially if I have time to like make it
easier. So I use cover roll instead,
almost like how football players, they have that like
strip of tape that they put here.
So I essentially kind of do that.
I'll do like a non inherit pad or even a Band-Aid.
I'll put it on and then cover rule there so I don't have to
wrap around their arm. So I'll use that for that.
Or right now I have a girl whose toenail fell off and her toe,
her toe is a little, a little sensitive.
So instead of using a fingertip Band-Aid because it's not
exactly big enough, especially with the second skin underneath
it. So I'll cut, cover, roll until
like a fingertip Band-Aid and then I'll wrap that around.
And then it's less like bulky on her toe too.
And it stays on really well. Nice.
So I love using cover rolls. So for me cover rolls a a big
staple in my kit for for most sports.
To be fair, ibuprofen for all the cramps, time of the month
and what not. So I got to make sure you have
the ibuprofen in there. And then of course seeds and
snacks. Always have to have seeds and
snacks but not for the athletes but for yourself.
I actually buy a whole pound bag of seeds and I keep that in my
kit. I usually go through 2A season
if not 3, but I like to buy different types of seeds too so
it takes me a little while to go through that 1 LB but I will
always have seeds near or around me.
All right, actually that was tied for our #1 answer was
snacks and candy. MVP Nicolette says if the team
doesn't have a snack bag they probably suck lol.
Yes, they my team has a whole bin.
It's like a storage bin and every game a parent comes and
just dumps more stuff and it's just it's crazy and like I
remember snacking when I played, but like not the way they snack
now. They snack so much.
I did on my Instagram the other day last week and I did a
instant, I did a snack chronicles with one of the girls
because just right away before the game started, it's like the
beginning of warmups. She's already in the snack box
and she's already eating. I'm like, dude, the game hasn't
even started yet. So snacks very important.
They usually give me the snacks. I usually don't have to worry
about bringing them. But my student also like she has
her little sling bag and she has snacks in there too.
So she's got to have snacks that that fit your vibe, you know?
Oh absolutely for sure. I mean, it's a fast-paced game,
but it definitely keeps keeps it moving.
Yes, 100%. So the second answer that was
tied with first was non adherent pads and cover roll for turf
burns. Yeah.
Everything else was kind of like, OK, so the second answer
was tongue depressors for getting wet, clay mud out of
cleats. So everything you kind of kind
of said that. Makes me feel good.
Hair ties was actually oh, hair ties was actually also tied for
a second. Super.
Glue, Kelly H says when what immediately comes to mind is
super glue for pitchers because the ball wears their skin away
on their fingers. I also had Shower to Shower,
which is a body powder in case they ever forgot their rosin
bag. Always be ready for the
elements. Bring a pair of waterproof
sweatpants and a waterproof jacket too.
I always had my electric hand warmers.
I also invested in a click chair because there isn't always a
place for you to sit and with a doubleheader you have to keep
your legs fresh. And don't forget snacks.
Yep, yeah I definitely agree with all of those.
Also fun fact, if you don't have any rubber bands, use pre wrap
and I wrap it around my wrist and then I'll roll it and then
it'll it'll get the job done. It's not perfect, but that's
just an easy way. It's like, oh shoot, I don't
have any rubber bands. I do have rubber bands.
I have both sizes. I have the little tiny ones
because they do their hair all cool and then I have the big
bigger ones because I have thick hair.
So I need somebody that's going to hold my hair up anyways if
case I rubber band breaks. But pre wrap is a good
alternative if you don't have any rubber bands.
You see, that just reminds me of one of my favorite memories of
softball. So our softball team won state
last year, which was obviously like that in itself was just
really awesome. But the the road leading up to
it, that whole week, the, the team decided that they were
going to turn me into a softball player one day at a time.
And so the first day we they glittered my hat.
They like they glitter spray. Oh, glitter spray is a must for
our team. So glitter spray, they glitter
sprayed my hat. It still has glitter on it like
a year later. And then they added a bow and
then they gave me eye black. And then they added the the
glitter on the eye black. Yeah, yeah.
That was a big thing when I played Yugo Ball, not so much
when I transferred, but my first two years, like I have pretty
much all the softball pictures I have.
I would do my eye black kind of like this.
And then just all the time it was glitter, glitter, glitter.
But some umpires actually will tell you you can't do that
because depending on the weather, the reflection of the
light on the glitter could be distracting to the batter.
So it had it would have happened all the time, but there's some
some umpires that will make them take it off.
Oh wow, specifically the pitchers.
So I would say you don't see pitchers with it as often
probably because of that. But definitely the rest of the
the team. My team was really my Jugo team
was really big on on doing that. It's just so much fun.
You can add different colors to it, do almost like a hombre type
of thing. You can mix it up, make it your
own style. Oh yeah, definitely one of my
other favorite top answers that are I guess this.
We got a lot of other top answers.
Let's see sunscreen. Blood Buster eye wash Eyewash is
a big one. Yeah, I I was going to say some
kind of saline. 11 kind of answer that I really liked that
I use too, Mason B says. Firefly recovery, primarily
upper body with pictures and then as needed with whomever I
placed mine laterally superior to the elbow when I was chatting
with him. I actually place it, it's kind
of like a motor stem for people who don't use Firefly or like I
think Gecko is also another brand, but it's just like a
disposable stem that is just like a motor stem.
So it kind of makes their arm or their leg twitch.
But I I place it just inferior to the elbow, kind of like on
that radial nerve. And is it for?
Is it for their elbow or their shoulder?
It's actually for their. I think it's actually for the
lower leg like after like ankle sprains or like for recovery and
stuff. But recently, like I know we
started using it on the on the arm for baseball and then I mean
just transferred to softball as well.
Yeah. So it's cool to hear that
someone else did that too. Yeah.
So Speaking of like recovery is a really big thing, like you
already said, like shoulders, elbows.
What are some common injuries that you see in softball?
So there's like a definitely like a mixture right softball
known for overuse injuries, you definitely get your fair share
of, of those acute injuries. So in my head I was thinking,
OK, so for our, our more chronic injuries, definitely the the
impingement, shoulder impingement, I would say.
Definitely. Yeah, definitely I see more
external impingement more than internal.
That could just be where I'm at now.
But if I had to like to differentiate between the
impingements, I would say probably get more external than
internal. And that typically just our our
team doesn't do a lot of supervised weight training.
So I think it kind of has to do with that as well.
Some of them are told like, hey, you know, do these exercises,
but they might not actually know how to do it, how to properly
engage their core, stuff like that.
And so I think that all kind of snowballs into a lot of these
other issues that they end up having.
Because then when I come, they come in, hey, my shoulders been
hurting and I do an assessment. They have some sort of scapular
dyskinesis. There are biceps, super ties,
they're upper traps, super tight.
There's something that's causing some type of dysfunction
somewhere. So I would say for for chronic
injuries, it's definitely going to be that impingement.
I also, and I don't like I said, I don't know if it's just my
school, but for being a rotational sport, they lack
thoracic mobility. It is like I'm like, Oh my gosh,
like I really, I'm really big on mobility in all aspects with all
my sports. I always like when I'm working
with soccer, I'm always like, OK, like let's work on your hip
mobility. Their hip mobility is always
poor. And I'm just like, you got to be
able to twist and turn. And same with softball, like you
got to got to throw the ball, you got to be able to rotate.
So I would say that definitely like the thoracic mobility like
is something immobility is what I see a lot in my athletes that
I typically have to work on and I have program aid.
I send it to the team in the beginning of the season and they
come to be, hey, Gabby, this like my back in the middle is
bothering me. I'm like, have you been doing
your thoracic mobility? The program that I sent to the
to the group, they're like, I'm like, OK, well work on that for
a little bit and then come back to me usually a couple days
later. Cabbie, I started doing the
thoracic mobility. I feel so much better, like I
could move. I'm like, oh wow, crazy weird.
That works. So I would say those are like my
big two chronic stuff. I get a lot of like quad quad
strains just like from just the sprints, like exploding out.
If I go more acute, I get a lot of heel contusions.
So when they reach for first, typically they're like trying to
beat the throw out and they reach for first base and they
their heel hits the ground and their toes go on top of the
base. It's just like jam.
I usually get at least one a season.
I would say those are a little tripper to deal with.
OK. I was just about to ask, like
are you like taping the heel or like what?
What are you? So I'll take a couple of
different routes with it. I actually had a pitcher, I
think it was two seasons ago. She got it while pitching.
She just kind of like misstepped and her heel drove into the
ground when she was dragging out instead.
So that one was really tricky because she's doing that the
whole game. So I do two things.
I'll try heel cups first, but then if depending on their
cleats, they might feel unstable out of their in their cleat now.
So that can be kind of tricky, but that'll be like like this is
the most padding I can get on it.
And then another thing I'll use is some type of Kinesio tape.
And so how I'll put it on is I'll actually split it in the
middle 1st and then anchor the middle and then like then I'll
stretch and I'll pull. And so it's supposed to create a
little bit of a cushion on the heel by just kind of like
pulling that fat. So kind of like trying to create
a little like fat. I've had pretty good success
with that. I'll do like maybe like two or
three layers of it on the heel. Those are usually my go to's for
that. Nice.
We some of the other top injuries that people submitted
were elbow contusions from getting hit with balls, labrum
scapular dyskinesis, and then some of the not as popular
answers ankle sprains, biceps. I was to say like bicep
tendonitis. I was to say biceps for me with
my when I had softball, that was kind of, I had a lot of that.
Yeah, me too. Oh, go ahead.
I was just going to say I've been getting, that's been like a
common theme actually, just with our specifically our freshmen
this year, a lot of like I set like tendonitis type of stuff.
And I'm just like, what? What were you guys doing for?
We actually have one girl who used to play water polo and now
she plays softball and so throws a bit different, all just a
little bit different. And so her throwing mechanics
are all messed up. I shouldn't say messed up.
They aren't proper for softball. And so it's been it's we're
she's finally getting shoulder pain.
That sounds kind of bad. She's finally getting, I knew it
was going to start to happen, but she's getting shoulder pain
now. And so now we're going to have
to start breaking down her, her throes and whatnot to help her
with her pain because she said she's in starting to be in a
significant amount of pain. Yeah, that's not fun.
So Robert M says I worked with a pitcher who got forearm
compartment syndrome. They started getting paresthesia
in their hand with off speed pitching, then volume pitching,
and then all pitching treatments are with elbow massage to
thoracic outlet syndrome treatment till finally the team
doc suggested forearm compartment syndrome.
They had the pitcher pitch at their clinic in the hallway
until symptoms presented and then rushed inside for
compartment pressure measurements.
The patient ultimately had a fasciotomy similarly done to
lower extremity compartment syndrome.
She did end up returning to pitch her senior year with some
success, and they actually eventually ended up electing to
get their second rib removed to help with the thoracic syndrome
Thoracic outlet. Wow.
I've never heard of this second I know being removed second rib.
That's yeah, it's like that's a new one.
I don't remember learning that in school.
Right. Wow, first rib wasn't the
problem. We actually did have a couple
people who who said that their pitchers have gotten forearm
compartment syndrome. Oh.
That's weird, right? Wow, that's crazy.
That's so unfortunate. Too, I know.
Gosh. Because usually especially,
well, I guess it depends on the level, but typically in college,
the pitcher just pitches like high school, like they're
typically they'll you know, they'll probably hit two or they
play another position, but for not always I would say they're
they're definitely pitchers that play other positions, but for
the most part they just pitch. So that's that's really
unfortunate. You know, other position
players, you know, they could maybe like, oh, he can't fail
today, but you can hit, you know, there's some stuff where
you're able to do that. So that's that's a bit
unfortunate. You know, that's actually a.
Good point that you bring up. There's no pitch counts for
softball, right? Nope, there is not.
So they can just do all like if they have a double header, they
can pitch both games. Yes.
And I would say most coaches are pretty good that that's not
going to happen. And I should say most coaches
are pretty good that that's not going to happen.
But I was like when I played, we actually one of our starting
pitchers, we took a trip to Texas and she slipped on black
ice and dislocated, broke her ankle.
And so her season was done. She was a senior, one of our
starting pitchers. And so now we're down to just
like maybe like 3 pitchers if even.
And we played at that point, we play double headers every day.
So now they do series, they'll do two games or one game on
Friday, 2 games on Saturdays for conference games.
Any out of state team or teams that are coming in to play us
are typically always going to be double headers.
But this when I played, it was double header every time.
And so we had a pitcher and you know what, she's so bad ass for
this. But like looking at this from an
AT perspective, I'm like, Oh my gosh, she would pitch pretty
much every game. Like I think she's in our record
books for, you know, most amount of pitches thrown like
everything, because she pitched so much.
I think she had a she had some type of a back injury.
She had shoulder stuff going on. But she, you know, she went out
there and she was a bad ass pitcher.
She was good, but like looking at, at it from an AT perspective
now I'm just like, Oh my God, like, I don't know.
I don't know what they did to keep her going.
Like I, I just remember her being in so much pain, but she
was just, she was doing it. She was getting it done.
It's funny how your perspective changes, you know?
Yes, percent. Have you ever been hit with a
softball wall working? While working?
No, but I've been hit with the baseball there.
Or baseball. Not baseball, A basketball.
One time it was really embarrassing.
Yeah, right in the face. I'm pretty sure I was actually
concussed. I was working at Hamburger over
the summer and I looked away for a second and I looked up and it
was coming and it was just too late.
Oh, it hit me. I was like, OK, but I finished
work. So anyways.
But that's not what we're talking about.
We're talking about softball. Have I been hit?
I feel like I'm pretty aware of growing up softball my whole
life, even if I'm like just there to watch and I'm not even
working. I am like almost overly aware.
It's been. Close to territory, right?
Yeah, usually I'm actually trying to catch it rather than
run away from it. But I would say the way we're
set up now where I work is like our dugout's here.
And then we set up a canopy and we have like this space.
It's almost like it's where they keep all their bags.
They don't keep their bags inside the.
Along along first base line. Yes along first base and so now
they used to just be open, but now they actually added a fence
to kind of gate in their stuff. Oh OK, because some of the girls
things actually not often, but like there was one girl she
actually got her phone stolen during practice.
But then I, I wouldn't recommend this.
I didn't know that this was happening, but she tracked it
cuz her friends had it on find my friends and they tracked it.
And so it showed the location of her phone and they went and some
lady had it in her car. They knocked on her window and
it's like, Hey, you have our phone.
She's like, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry and just give it back.
So it was like she told me the story.
I was like, that is so dangerous.
Hey, that was that was probably not the best idea, but she got
her phone back so but anyway, so high.
Risk high. Reason, yeah, right.
That we have it closed off now. And so there's just like the
gate slides like like a door. Or like.
That so we have that opening so we're in that space.
And so because we're pretty covered by the canopy and that's
another reason why I have it there.
We're pretty much like, OK, like there is one.
I was kind of like half in, half out and then I somebody's like,
oh, heads up, I'm like, it's not coming over here, is it?
And then but it hit, it would have hit me if the canopy wasn't
there. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
He was there, so we're good, but that was because I was talking
to one of the athletes and so. Yeah, paying attention at that
time, right, right. But at least at least a.
Softball is a lot easier to track than in baseball.
I 100% agree. I don't know how, I don't know
how these big leaguers, anyone does it at night, especially
like, wow, you see this tiny white ball in the air.
At least the softball is green and it's bigger.
Right. Or yellow.
What? A yellow Green.
Yeah. But I have had fans get hit
because we play a part and so there's every other fields.
So there's one time the visiting team, there's somebody sitting
along the fence, like pretty close.
And so it would have been, it was hard for the ball to get
that trajectory, but it got her right on top of the head.
So I went over there and I checked on her, 'cause she was
like this. So I checked on her.
But obviously because it is a fan, I am treating as like a
late responder. So I just like ask her questions
and whatnot. And I'm just like, OK, I'm like,
well, if any of this stuff comes up, it's probably like get a
ride to urgent care or to the hospital or whatever.
And she seemed to be kind of OK for the rest of the game.
I brought her a bag of ice too, but usually it's it's fans
either on our field or opposing fields getting hit by foul balls
because we say heads up and nobody looks.
Everybody just keeps walking. So, right, So 33%.
Luckily only 33% of the people who responded said yes, they've
been hit with a softball, so that means 67% of them have not.
I don't think I have, no. I would remember that.
Yeah, that would be pretty. Notable have you, Randy?
No, luckily when because I was set up in the dugout and we had
an overhang. So like even if I was on the
edge of the dugout, I put it myself in a position if a ball
would be rocketed by me. All I have to do is just turn
and I'm behind the fence. See Smart.
So I try to put myself in the best position possible.
Right. Do you want to read this one
from Marissa? Yes, Randy.
So Marissa S says I had my Gator parked against the dugout while
I was scraping a kit, a track kid sitting on the back of it
softball had hit a high high foul ball that came over the
fence, bounced perfectly on the cement and because someone
yelled my name I looked straight into the ball.
Dang. I instantly started gushing
blood, stumbled into soft softballs dugout and sat on the
floor as their coaches ran ran around freaking out.
They brought me nose plugs, ice, and an administrator who took
took me to my car. Ended up with a broken nose and
a concussion. Dang that is unlucky.
Just from like someone calling her name.
Yeah, I looked right into it. I missed softball Senior night
and made it back from the dock in time for soccer Senior night
and sat up in the press box. I did drive myself.
Not sure if I should have ha ha. I actually just drove straight
to my team doc's office to get checked out and popped into
urgent care the next day for the workers comp paperwork.
Of course the kid felt awful and word travelled fast so everyone
knew what happened and was freaking out and checking on me
all the time for the next few days.
The love. I love that everyone was like,
what's going to happen if you get hurt?
It's like, well, yeah, some some of the, I teach ACPR first aid
class at school and some of them take it.
And so I'm like, well, if you, you've taken this class before.
So I know there's actually, there's two who have taken it on
the team. So I know they know what to do
and are also CPR first aid certified so they should know
what to do. So I'm like, I am covered if I
get hurt because y'all are trained in all of this.
So you guys got to be ready. Right, right.
See. Theoretically, they should be
ready. No.
Well, OK, well, this. Theoretically, yes.
Yeah. So this cool one from Kevin is
actually perfect. Then he says a foul ball
narrowly missing my head but whacking my student AT squared
in the chest. No comocio cordis but one hell
of a bruise. Funny part was our softball
coach after he got hit immediately grabbed the AED and
yelled I have the AED. I just looked at her and said
thank you for paying attention to our EAP practice run.
Made me feel like that was a worthwhile afternoon.
We did. Yes, absolutely.
Have you ever had to call 911 for softball?
You know what? Thankfully, nothing softball
specific. So yes, I know, but I'll find
something later. So like I mentioned before, we
play at a local park. And so with the local park comes
a lot of local people, a lot of individuals of all different
kinds of aspects. So I have called 911, but not
for softball. I've called 911 because there's
a car doing Donuts on the field behind us.
Oh, wow. Yeah, yeah, I know.
I don't like they just like. So our field is fenced off, but
all three other fields are not. And so there's like a school
across the street. But this car just came on.
And I turned around and I looked and I was like, is this
happening right now? They just started doing Donuts
and then drove up to the next field and then started doing
Donuts over there. And then I was like, what in the
world? So call 911 for that.
So I'm just like, this is like the middle of the day.
There's a lot of people on this part and I actually did a call
911 for this. Somebody else did.
But this is a kind of intense story.
Nothing like we were, we were safe.
Everything was fine for like us and the team, but we were doing
a split practice that day. So we had players at the cages
and we have players at the field and there is this guy like
there, there's bleachers in the outfield and people sit and
watch like during our practices all the time.
And so there's this guy watching and we're just, I was like, OK,
like, I didn't really think anything of it.
And all of a sudden, like a cop car pulls onto like the, yeah, I
know exactly. The cop car pulls onto the
sidewalk up by like where the restrooms are.
And they get out. They get out quickly and they're
kind of like they're looking for something for someone.
And so I'm kind of like, what is going on?
All the girls, half the team's practicing on the field.
And then there's another cop car that pulls up and then another
one. And I'm just like, I'm like,
should we be here right now? Like, what's going on?
I'm like, kind of like watching. Then the coach that was at the
field with me kind of started to realize, like, hey, what's going
on? Well, eventually these cops
finally go to the guy who is sitting in our outfield
watching, and they put handcuffs on him.
Well, it turns out something. There had been an incident in
the restroom and the weapon of choice was thrown by the
softball field and left there and found by the sniffing dogs.
Wow. Yeah, it was a good time.
We were all safe, everything was fine.
I have no clue at what point it had happened, whether it was
before we had already gotten there or right or what, but that
was pretty crazy. Wow.
Wild. Yeah.
And you just stayed in the area that's.
And we yeah, no, it was like the cops didn't come say like, hey,
like we're looking for somebody, you guys should leave.
It was just the business. The ambulance came, helped the
individual in the restroom. Like I it, it was really weird.
Like they didn't kick us out of the field at all while it was
happy and right on the other side of the fence.
That is pretty crazy. Yeah, just just a bit, but
luckily, yeah, exactly. Luckily, nothing softball
specific. I know there's actually, we
don't cover our stuff in the fall.
We get pretty Imps to do it just because we're busy with all our
other fall sports. But there is games going on at
our park with a bunch of different schools and typically
those are pretty like low key, you know, you'll just hand out a
few ice bags, whatever. But one of the girls on one of
the teams was taking some practice swings and she wasn't
aware of her surroundings and got hit in the mouth and teeth.
Dang, messed up. I, I didn't deal with it.
So I don't know the exact specifics, but yeah, they had to
send her she Yeah. So she got hit by her own
teammate in the mouth with the mat.
Yeah, I'm always worried about that.
Yeah. Yeah.
So always be aware of your surroundings.
Be over aware for sure. Yes, yeah, the, the I did ask
this on our Instagram stories. Only 13% of people said yes,
they have called 911, which is actually lower than I had
expected since like our school, we've called a couple times.
I've never called personally, but we've called a couple times
and I do have a couple stories from people calling in.
Have you ever called 911 for cell phone, Randy?
I have not, no. OK, please.
Our MVP Nicolette says orbital fracture and broken mandible
from a line drive to the third baseman.
It was like a bullet ball that bounced off her glove to her
face directly. I called EMS, did cranial
nerves, monitored symptoms and vitals, took her in the dugout
and avoided team mates and fans until she left.
It wasn't too bloody, but her mouth and teeth were pretty
messed up. She was a good patient, just
concerned for her eye mostly. She was able to come back and
play with a face guard. Nice.
You want to read this one from Stephanie?
What'd you say? Kind of a story from when I
actually played. This is one of my really good
friends. She I know, I think it's a funny
story to me because like I like was outside of it.
She went at the JUCO still and she played second base and they
were doing throw downs with the catcher catchers and they catch
her short hopped her and the ball came up and it took a weird
hop and hit her in her mouth, her top tooth, her top teeth.
And she's like she said she was grabbing her mouth and was kind
of like OK, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.
But mouth was super bloody. So they sent her to the athletic
training room and she actually broke her palate bone.
So I actually have a picture. Yeah.
So the way it hit her, it just like shifted her palate bone.
So I have a picture that I usually show my students when I
play softball, when I wear out at softball.
So I'm like, hey, just you gotta be ready cuz you like something.
You can be doing something super simple and then it's just boom.
But yeah, fractured her palate bone.
She went and got surgery that night and then I remember her
face, she Facetimed me or called me afterwards and she was just
like look and feel good, play good like I'm playing tomorrow.
But I'm like no you're not. There is no way you're playing.
And she was trying to and luckily, no concussion actually.
She was able. To get back into play, but her
first game back or her second game back, she was got hit by a
runner running from first to second for like freaking like
got her hit her good concussion. So I think it was kind of like a
sub concussive blow where like she probably should have got a
concussion from the initial hit, but then just getting hit by
that other girl just concussed and she was out for a little
while. Dang, yeah, I mean, probably
gave. Her just reminded me of that.
Yeah, seriously. You know, that's that's funny
too, Just the unlucky situation. I had one of my pitchers at the
beginning of the season like hyperextender knee and like she
ended up being, I can't remember what the actual injury ended up
being, but like nothing super significant to where it took her
season away. So like we rehabbed her back and
like we probably had a couple games left and she want it was
going to be her senior year. So she wanted to finish out and
literally the first game back that she's pitching took a a
comebacker like right off like the chest or her her thigh.
And I was like, this is so unlucky.
This poor girl. Yeah, she was fine and she did
finish the season, but. OK.
But I was like, man, that's unlucky.
Yeah, just the luck of the draw, you know, it just sometimes it
happens, you know, somebody gets back and then just something
else and something else. It's like, I'm sorry, Like
there's nothing you can do about most of this stuff.
It's just just happens like you. Just have to be ready.
You want to read this one from Stephanie W?
It's literally talking about what you never know when it's
going to happen. Yeah, so Stephanie says my worst
fear when working softball slash baseball is having the pitcher
take a batted ball straight to the face.
I was working D2 softball and during a game on a Saturday,
that's important. My pitcher took a batted ball
straight to the face, immediately triaged, and her
parents took her to the hospital.
She had a zygomatic fracture, hematoma in her eye and was
concussed. She joked about her zombie eye
and the return to play was slow. The next Wednesday it happened
again. At least this time my picture
got her glove partially up so she just had an abrasion every
game after that for about a month I was like is this going
to happen to all my pictures? Especially the ones who don't
wear that face mask. Yeah.
The face mask. Yeah, yeah.
And that is a newer thing. When I played, that was not,
that was not a thing when I played.
I feel like I'm almost aging myself by saying that because a
lot of pictures like I think we have at least 3-4, four of our
pitchers wear it. I think there's one one that
that doesn't. So majority of them do,
especially now I would say like I watch a lot of D1 softball
that's kind of like maybe like 5050 on that front.
But at this at the level I work at, I would definitely say that
most pitchers are wearing one now.
Yeah, I feel. Like it has become more common.
I think we're 5050 nice. Erica A says an athlete dove in
head first at home plate and head went straight into the
catcher's body. She had C spine pain with a
combination of tingling in the arms and going straight down her
back. I stabilized and had a coach
call. Kept her calm until they could
transport her. Everything ended up being OK.
The ER cleared her and stated that the symptoms were from the
nerves being compressed. She recovered quickly and was
back to playing fairly quickly. Coach stressed no diving head
first in a home after that. Typically that is, I would say a
golden roll. I yell at my girls when they do
that, but there's like, I'm trying to like not be in the
player mindset when I see this, but I feel like I am like, there
are some moments where it's like you probably can because you
want to sneak that hand in. But most of the time, like, that
is very, very slim. Like you're going to have
typically a better chance of trying to do like a slide by
going around and reaching your hand in or whatever.
Yeah, that's. That's tricky.
I've had my third baseman dive into the fence before.
Yeah. We she she ended up getting a
concussion from it and she has had many before, so just easier
for her to get them in general. But she was going after a ball.
I definitely think the catcher should have caught it from where
she go into the fence. She really wanted to catch it.
And you know, I honestly can't even remember if she actually
caught it or not. I was just.
About to ask did she make the? Play I I can't remember and I
wish I did, but Dovin's defense face first just boom squished in
there. She was like overall fine, like
rolled out C spine. All that wasn't an issue.
And the next day they had the next time they had a game
somebody had put like her picture on the fence right there
and put RIP. So she she she laughed about it
was funny. I was like, I know that could be
a little maybe triggering, but she, she was fine.
She thought it was funny. She took a picture by it and she
was in. Luckily we're actually kind of
on a break of games after that next game for like a week.
And so it actually was a good timing of it.
If there was any good time for it to happen, that was the best
time for it to happen. So I've had something similar
ish but luckily no no one diving into catchers yet.
Yeah, collisions. Collisions are scary.
We just had a collision in the outfield.
I've never had a collision, a big collision at home.
Yeah, at least in softball. But I did have one of these
stories remind me. One of my athletes took like a
ball that bounced and it hit her cheek and she just the stitches
like hit her cheek just right in the right way that it just left
cute little stitches like right on her on her cheek.
And honestly, like we were we were telling her like that.
Actually, I seriously like it kind of looked good.
We're like, wow, like that's such a softball thing.
Like it. It was right in the in the
perfect place. That's fun.
Yeah, that's cute. OK, this is kind of like our
last topic. What are some common sports
specific or functional needs of softball players?
We did get a a bunch of different answers actually.
I'll, I'll probably just start with these and then if you want
to pitch in on these. Chrissy G says catchers need to
be treated like pitchers in terms of load management.
I think that gets forgotten about.
It really does, They do. Throw a lot.
I would 100% agree with that. I had a catcher who she had, she
had shoulder pain, but we didn't have we had like one other
catcher and they they were rotating.
And it's like having I'm lucky that my coaches are very
understanding and just like whatever I say, like they don't
fight it, whatever. Very like laid back.
I would say compared to most coaches.
And so to be load management isn't too hard with with my
current team, but there definitely have been coaches in
the past where it's like, OK, how do I say they can do this
and this, but not this? Because then some coaches get
kind of weird. It's like, well, how can you do
that? But you can't do this.
It's like right? Because I said so.
Because. Just because.
Right batters need to be able to run zero to 100% running
out-of-the-box and in the outfield.
Yeah, I would definitely, I would say that I think there's
definitely right. When you get to a certain point
of season, it's kind of just like, all right, like this is
one of our big hitters. They have a hot strain.
They can't run 100. But we, you know, we need them
in the line up like they're just doing DH.
Like, you know, it's the nice part is with softball, you'll be
able to sub somebody, sub them out and give them a runner.
And then that person could still go back in and play a defensive
position, if that, if that. But they still have to get to.
First, yes, yeah, for sure they. Still have to get to pick some
up. Yes, yes, yeah.
No, they can't just come running in after after the.
Ball. Front, yes.
But if you but if you hit nukes, you can take your time.
Exactly right. And so usually the bigger
hitters there usually are DHS, though, you know, if they have
some type of issue, they'll go in and they hit, it's like, hey,
just get it to the grass and jog diverse and then we're going to
get a runner for you. So there are ways to get around
it outfield. I would definitely say that you
can't. You don't have any leeway.
The field we play out, we haven't joined Norm.
We have one of the biggest fields in our conference.
So not being able to Sprint full is too debilitating to the team
and obviously to the athlete. Like, OK, softball perspective,
debilitating to the team, A-Team perspective debilitating to the
athlete. Because now they're going to
feel like they're trying to Sprint after this ball that's so
far away by the fence. They're not going to be able to
get to it. They're not going to have power
behind their throat by the time it gets to the fence if that run
is fast because our field's so big, they're they're on their
way home already. So definitely outfield.
You have to be able to be explosive.
If you have any type of like that, an injury or you don't
have that, it makes it a lot harder, sure.
Mason B just kind of like down the line says pitchers need
scapular control, catchers need dorsiflexion, infielders need
good arm control and not to shrug when they throw,
outfielders need strong core to transfer power from legs to get
the ball in, and everyone needs to know how to hit a cut.
Big emphasis on everyone needs to know how to hit a cut.
I agree with that one. It's it's hard for me in my
position, especially playing softball for so long.
I'm I'm sitting on the side, but usually most games, like I like,
I'm like, I'm in any game, but I'm working, I'm like in it.
I worked at lacrosse game last night and like, I don't know too
much about lacrosse, but I'm like, I'm in, I'm excited.
It was like back and forth game. I'm like kind of like I'm
cheering, but I'm like, I can't be like, yeah, you know,
softball because I'm kind of, I'm kind of hitting in the
corner. I'm like I'm yelling, I'm
popping, I'm doing the cheering with them.
Like but yes, hitting cuts 100% absolutely.
As an outfielder myself, your Dang cuts like middle infielders
know your outfielders arms might come on like This is why we
practice together for for. Those for those of that are
listening that don't know what that means.
Like throw to a cut? Like throw a cut.
Can you explain that? Yeah.
So typically the ball's going to be hit to the outfield
somewhere. And so one of the middle
infielders typically, so it's going to be either the second
baseman or the shortstop will go halfway between wherever that
throw is going. So like I mentioned, my R field
is very large. So if all, if a ball on R field
goes all the way to the fence and that we had a runner on,
let's say first, and they're moving our outfielder, let's say
it's right field, right field, look at the ball.
They'll throw it to the second baseman who will come in not too
close to them because we want to do as little amount of throws as
possible. So the outfielder, right fielder
will throw it to the second baseman.
And depending how far the second baseman is out, they'll either
throw it all the way home or they'll hit another cut, which
will typically be the first baseman, and then they'll go
home. So it depends on where the
ball's going. And then that whole time the
catcher is yelling where to throw it.
So there's a lot of different moving components, but that's
what a cut is just supposed to prevent somebody from trying to
Chuck a ball. You don't want what we call
rainbows where it goes, because that run is going to get that
much further. So we just want to throw it
straight. Typically don't want a short hop
player. So that's when the ball just
goes right in front of them, kind of have to scoop it because
it just makes it a little harder to throw.
But typically our first baseman's and our third
baseman's are pretty good at stopping those.
Yeah, I was going to say too. And if you have multiple runners
going, that cut off gives you options if you got to.
Change it. Yes.
Yes, that is also a big part of that.
Andy, you want to read our last one?
Yes. So Jackie S says for pitchers,
forearm strength and upper extremity mobility, VMO and
glute strength to maintain ACL slash knee health during push
and plant of pitch catchers, Explosive triple extension,
lower extremity mobility, core strength and spinal mobility,
Upper extremity strength and proprioception for pitch framing
and throwing inies and outies fast feet.
Hip and lumbar mobility, core strength, leg strength, all for
change of direction and safety with tracking balls to catch,
slash, make a play strong rotator cuff, glove hand
strength and dexterity. And specifically for the innies
balance. They are often asked to do
things off one leg or off balance to make quick plays.
Yep, actually had a girl dislocate her Patella or first
baseman reaching for a ball. Yeah, it was quite a moment
because she's a funny person and so sometimes she'll like just
like start laughing, whatever. Her cry sounded like a laugh
initially, but then she started screaming.
And I, I had actually strained my hamstring like a couple days
before cuz like, oh, I'm gonna go shag during batting practice
and decided to Sprint after a ball.
That wasn't the best idea, but I grabbed my student and I was
like, go. And then I'm like, I tried to
walk as fast as I could to get over there, but the athlete had
reduced it on her own. But it was right before the
conference tournament, literally the practice before the
conference tournament. So that was rough, but yeah, so
that that balance and being able to maintain that still currently
working on that athlete's hip strength and what not to help
stabilize. We've had a patellar dislocation
from batting. Yep, I've had a shoulder
subluxation. Funny enough it was, but yeah,
it was her front arm. So as so she's swinging as she's
coming through and sublux, but luckily is her glove arm and not
her throwing. So it made it a little easier
for me to get her back. But it was always really nerve
wracking. She was our shortstop and so all
she has to do is she's trying to jump up and grab a a line drive
over her head and it takes her. So we had to work on a lot of
stabilizing and strengthening, but she really didn't miss too
many games. But if it was her throwing arm,
it would have been a totally different story.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I've had one shoulder
dislocation from softball and it was from diving before I forget
pitchers, I can't believe we didn't talk about this, but
pitchers, they're they're what is it called?
They're drag foot. They get a lot of like their
like their shoe. You can see it on their shoe.
They have to put some extra support on that.
Yeah, it's like a pitcher's pitcher's glue.
There's I'm blinking on the name right now, but yeah, they'll
typically it's like this black thick glue that they'll put on
there because it'll start the just the cleat will wear.
And so they usually put it on right away before they even
start like breaking in the shoe. But there's times where it's
like it'll because of depend on where they drag their foot, like
some drag their whole like medial aspect of their foot on
the ground. And so right at the, at the base
of the first, they'll start to like, they'll start to wear more
there. And then you start to see it
kind of start going through. And so then you have to figure
out how to pad it because you can't like re dip it after
you've done it already. So it's like almost like a like
one and done. So once that gets messed up,
then it's like, well, so you have to make sure you get it
exactly where. I honestly don't know where.
And that's where I'm like my pictures information I don't
really have as I don't know even where they do that.
If they have to order them like that, they send them somewhere
to get that done. I actually don't know.
That's a good, Yeah, that's a good point.
The first time my one of my pictures brought me their shoes,
I was like, I was like, wait, hold, what is this?
I was like, why is there a hole in your shoe right there?
What? Yeah, I've had to put like
doughnuts inside, that's true. Just to like try and help that.
But that's also hard. And then you have to stick your
hand in there. Yeah, all up in there.
Yeah, I put a, I'll put a glove on every single time, especially
soccer on my soccer. And I'm like like room your
cleats and they're like still a little moist.
I'm like, that's disgusting. I'll be quiet.
Should it be moist still? Yes.
Oh, and you also brought up the chanting.
I don't also don't know how we got this far in the episode
without bringing up any chanting.
Well, you see, that's what I was going to say as we talk about
favorite memories, I don't because I only had them for one
like one full season and then half of the season.
So my biggest memory will always be the chanting and how it would
get stuck in my head. He's.
Still, Randy will walk around the house singing.
We love freebase, that's his favorite 1 of freebase is.
Yeah, that's one of my favorite ones too.
And then like they'll do a lot of the similar cheers.
But like with different beats and whatnot.
Our the team I work with right now, we do a lot of cheering,
but I've also been on teams where like we don't do a lot of
cheering. My Jugo team we did, we were
annoying, like nauseously annoying, just like when we had
like a new pitcher would be coming in for the other team, me
and my friend would be like new pitcher and then we would just
like with an accent. Oh, we got a new pitcher and
then just like we would just keep going and it's just like,
Oh my gosh. But you know, it's like it's a
mental game. It's like it's like, OK, can we
get in your head? We're going to get in your head.
So it's like, you know, a lot of the cheers, you know, like
they'll they go two in a row 2 two in a row 2 like how many
balls and three in a row 3 three and like they'll keep going.
And it's just like, you know, it's it's to get in to get in
the other teams head. And you know, like that was one
of my favorite things about about softball too, is doing
those cheers. And you know, other sports will
come and watch it. They're like, why are they doing
all these cheers? It sounds like so like, but it's
like it's just like it's fun. It keeps everyone engaged.
You know, we have a quite a large team right now.
We have about 30 girls, 3031. So yeah, but we're graduating 13
seniors. So, you know, we're losing a lot
too. And so it's hard to keep that
that many girls engaged, athletes engaged during the
game. So that's one way they they try
to do that also. I think it's fun, but sometimes
they'll start saying some cheers.
I'm just like you guys, like, no, no, no, no, no, we're not.
We're not bringing the other team.
Like we're not talking about the other team.
Like, you know, say, like you could say what's explicitly like
going on, but it's like, you know, we won't like don't we
don't use names. We don't nothing like that.
Like there's a sportsman sportsmanship aspect that does
come with it. But yeah, if you, if you know
the cheers, I'll they will eat it up.
They'll be like, yeah, come on, Randy, let's go.
Come on, do the true with us. Whatever.
You know, Like they they love when you get involved like that.
It's it's. Like, Oh yeah, we our team had
every time the other other coach would like go talk to the UMP,
they would do the Jeopardy Doo Doo Doo.
Yeah. That's fun.
That or a mound visit or something like.
That Yep, Yep. Yeah, yeah, there's, there's so
many, there's. There are.
Yeah, but it it's fun sometimes they just like manage to like
make stuff up, like, oh, we made this one up over the weekend.
It's like what? And they come home like, oh,
wait, that's actually sounds pretty good.
It's like they'll use a nickname or they'll use a song and
they'll make that into a cheer and or throw somebody's name in
it. It sounds pretty good.
So another thing now is, and you see it a lot in professional
baseball too, more I would say within these last few years is
Sally's like just celebrations like hitting a double or a
triple. So our team's starting to do
that a lot even on singles. Like if it's a good hit, they'll
like you know, to the outfield, but it's just a single.
They'll do their little Sally on 1st, but they have ones when
they get second, when they get the 3rd and then home runs.
They do a little like they when I played, we used to do a
tunnel, which is easy for me. I'm 5 three.
So just run it underneath everybody and everybody hit the
helmet. But now they usually just like,
gather around the plate and like jump up and they'll do a chair
or they'll just yell and stuff, yell and.
Screen, I don't know what it's called, but after they would get
someone out they would like the infield would like throw to each
other like. Yeah, so they usually throw
around the horn. OK, that's what it's called.
Or if, if there's nobody on base, if there's somebody on
base, they cannot do that. It has to be nobody on base.
So it'll be like first, cuz first base will be the last one
to touch the live ball. And so then they'll throw to
3rd, 2nd short or they'll go first to short to 2nd to 3rd,
3rd basement gives it to the pitcher, whatever.
One other thing that like I, you know, I played in college, but I
don't have a lot of action photos.
Larry, our photographer for the school, he would take photos,
but he would always get photos of me being silly.
It was never me making a diving play or hitting the ball.
It was always me because we would do like when you get one
out, we would do something in the outfield.
So it's like I would go like this with somebody 2 outs, I
would shoot a bow and arrow to my first baseman and the first
baseman would catch it and she would go to to my third baseman.
I would shoot like little guns with like 2 and she would like
like that. So like those are always fun
kind of between outs and whatnot.
That's a big thing that so like if you watch watch a game,
usually outfielders are have their own thing and then
outfield to like a couple of infielders.
I would do to that badass pitcher I was talking about, I
would do the horns. I'm like, Nah, I'm going to do
the horns, but you have to do it too.
And so I feel like this and I would kick my leg like a bull.
And so she would occasionally she would do it back.
She wouldn't do it all the time. So I'm all the way in the
outfield, you know, nobody's looking at me, but she's in the
middle of the field. So there was like maybe one time
I thought her to do it back, but yeah, there's a photo of me
doing that. So no action photos other than
me just having fun which is good too.
That's action that is. Do you have any like last wrap
up like advice or just generic like anything softball?
Yeah, I would say, you know kind of everything we're talking
about, right, understanding the game.
And I think that goes with any sport you work, just kind of
understanding the game, understanding movements.
And then I'm just really big on on functional rehab.
And so being able to, I'm big on rehab in general.
I would say that's kind of like my cup of tea, but being able to
bring what they're doing into the ATR in some type of way.
And the easiest way to do that is by understanding the game and
the movements that are involved in the movements that are
important not just for the game, but like they're their position
specifically, right? I'm going to do things a little
bit differently with a pitcher than I am going to be an
outfielder, even an outfielder to an infielder.
It's going to look a little different.
So understanding the game a bit more, you got to have some
banter, right? These girls will come at you
with this and that and this and that.
And you got to be able to be quick boom, boom, boom.
Because if not, they'll eat you alive in a in a funny way.
So you got to have good dancer for sure.
You got to be able to have like fun with them because you know,
a lot of these girls are, you know, they're watching for seven
innings. And so it's just kind of like,
you know, having like appropriate conversation with
them. Like during the game.
I think my setup is pretty special that I have because I'm
right next to the the dugout. And so they'll come over and
like sit with me and we'll talk about the game kind of almost
like an extra coach in a way. And so we'll kind of breakdown
like, OK, you know, I recorded your swing.
Let's look at it. It's like, OK, this is what
you're doing and we'll talk about that.
What not if it if that's something they come to me for.
But it is a lot of answer like just in between games and I got
it. You got to have that for
baseball, softball, I would say in general, that's just kind of
like the vibe and someone is always hungry, whether it's you
or the athletes. So just make sure you got those
snacks on deck, get them handy. We're lucky to have some
athletes who are from Hawaii, so we have an uncle who comes to
all the games and he brings span mesubi to every double header.
And then on weekends he'll make some fried rice in the outfield
and so we get some fried rice after.
So I would say our team really doesn't have any worries about
going hungry, but somebody is always hungry.
Yes. But I would say those are like
my big like pieces of advice. I love that.
I mean, honestly, that is you're really someone who athletes can
go to. I-1 of the must haves in my kit
is now a stress ball that I keep because one of my pitchers used
to come out and just like she would just need to be away from
the team and just she would sit on the treatment table and just
like I'd hand her the stress ball and she'd sit with me and
then she'd go back in and she'd do her thing.
Yep. You know, sometimes they just
need that space and it's just knowing that you're a safe space
and knowing their boundaries too, right?
It's like if I know, like I know that our A pitcher and our B
pitcher, their personalities are different.
They'll both come over and sit next to me like, well, when
they're actively like pitching in a game, but how I talk to
them is going to be different because I know like she just
wants to sit over here just to kind of like have her space.
But she this other one's going to come over because she just
wants to like chitchat about whatever.
So I'm like I said, kind of in all, all sports, like kind of
getting to know your athletes and their little, little things
that kind of help get them going or like, hey, you know, if they
get talked to you like this, they kind of shut down if they
start over thinking. Like I said, I think I kind of
have a link up with understanding softball a bit
more and that mindset and whatnot.
I think that kind of helps me a bit.
But yeah, just kind of knowing how each athlete's going to
respond to different things to be able to help them with that.
Awesome. I think it's a great way to wrap
it up, yeah. Yeah.
Thanks, Gabby. Yeah, thank you, Gabby.
That was dope. Yeah, of course.
That was awesome. You know, I got hurt from
softball once. I forgot one time I got dirt in
my eye. Oh yeah, what's up?
You do have a lot of eye injuries.
I got a lot of eye injuries. I got softball dirt under my
contact and it gave me a corneal abrasion.
Right, I forgot about that. And actually embedded the dirt
into my eye and made a little crater.
Yes, we actually if you go down into the depths of our Instagram
post, we did post about it. Yes, we did a case study on my
eye it. Had the whole fluorescent.
The dye. Dye.
That was cool. Yeah, so you can go check that
out if you want to, if you want to stock our Instagram and go
all the way down. But it's really cool 'cause our
we went to the physician who we went to actually allowed us to
video record the whole procedure.
And yeah, so we, we post that whole thing.
So. So if you ever have someone with
an eye injury from softball dirt you, you might know the process.
Another cool thing about the the episode too is we even though we
didn't like directly talk about it, is just how fun the ladies
do make softball. Like it's such a fun
environment. They do such a great job of
keeping it fun that that was actually reminding me how like
one of my softball players got ejected from a game.
Now this person, nicest human being probably wouldn't hurt a
family, always has a smile, talks very nice as human being.
And she was just running to 2nd on a play and the the Fender,
the infielder went up to tag her but got in her way.
So she kept just running. And then just like not even like
bulldozer like more like just kind of nudged her and she fell
like the most innocent play. But our runner got ejected
because she ran into her. It was like, she didn't even try
to put, like, she had her arms up like this.
I don't know if she was so funny, Like she was actually in
tears because she was, yes, the nicest human being ejected.
And it's just like, yeah, that was kind of dumb.
Like how do you eject her for that?
So I hope this story episode got you guys excited to work
softball this season. If you guys are new, we do more
than just story episodes. We also have education episodes
where Randy reads a bunch of research articles and we bring
you CE us. Thank you so much to clinically
pressed and athletic training chat.
Who are partners who help with those?
CE us. And then we also have interview
episodes where we bring people on and we talk about spotlight
topics. So if you're interested in
those, make sure to check out our show notes, any podcast
directory you can listen to. And I think that's all I have.
Thank you for helping us showcase athletic training
behind the tape. Bye.