Guest post by Kelly Foster, founder and head coach of Kelly Foster Pitching
The sport of softball is constantly evolving and through the use of Onform, I love being at the forefront of this evolution. The game I played 25-30 years ago in premise is the same, but there are so many things that have changed, making it one of the most exciting sports not only in the United States, but throughout the world.
Historically, the technology in this game used to revolve around radar guns and box scores. If you really wanted video, we as coaches could make that happen, but it was not only difficult to shoot, but also difficult to evaluate effectively for athletes. Enter the smartphone! These changed our game and coaching. We could now record our athletes during competition and start to give better feedback. Now, athletes could not only feel what they needed to adjust, but also see it. From there, products started to evolve for the general public that would calculate pitching metrics like spin rates and ball axis. Camera systems were put into college softball ballparks. College programs now have access to technology in which players and coaches can watch every pitch, play and swing of a recorded and cataloged game. It’s truly amazing how quickly the sport has changed as a direct result of technology.
So how do athletes, pitchers, hitters and coaches stay ahead of this technology? How can we make sure we are performing at our best as humans, and still have an edge against technology? We record ourselves playing, we break down our mechanics, we analyze our delivery, evaluate our swing, and watch all of these for tendencies. We have to train using athleticism and feel. The visual knowledge the camera provides enables athletes and coaches to evaluate small movements to gain large improvements. Enter Onform! The next large step in the evolution of visual technology to help today’s coaches and athletes. Not only is Onform easy to use, but it is budget friendly for private coaches that don’t have the resources of a college program.
Top Five Reasons Why Onform Has Been a Game-Changer for me as a Private Pitching Instructor
1. Consistent Feedback and Accountability
Onform helps me give consistent feedback through video analysis. This consistent feedback from me to the athlete and from the athlete back to me creates a quick path to accountability. In the Onform library, all files are time and date stamped. My athletes can search their own history on a particular skill over the course of days, weeks and months. This historical search not only leads to skill gains, practice accountability but also player confidence. As a coach I love using it to hold my athletes accountable for the changes they need to compete better.
2. Easy Access for Athletes
Athletes love the accessibility of having the Onform app on their phones. They have the ability to add videos to their cloud that they would like for me to watch and evaluate. My pitchers often add live footage from games, bullpen sessions or practices at home. I love that I can review these files at any time to help my athletes make real time adjustments. The athletes also love the ability to watch and re-watch videos that I have done voice overs on while they are practicing at home or on the road.
Image 1 below shows Bria Foster with the Colorado Batbusters 16u National Smith. This is Bria’s folder in which you can see she has inserted her own bullpen sessions into her folder, along with practice footage.
3. Effective Remote Coaching
It makes working with a remote athlete simple whether they are stuck at home due to weather, or across the nation competing with their team. I can not only give personal feedback but also interactive feedback. I have coached several athletes from other states, and this app makes it even easier to help them see what I see. It’s such a simple platform to coach through and to be the athlete on the receiving end.
Image 2 below shows Karlie Cooledge with Colorado State University. In this Onform video, my athlete is away from my facility, so I am coaching her remotely. I quickly evaluated the video and sent feedback back to Karlie to adjust for her next bullpen session.
4. Motivating Young Players
Young players love technology, and buy into the process of getting better when it is used. I have a lot of beginner pitchers in the 8-14 year old age range. They love technology because that is their language. Having an app they can use at home is a huge practice motivator. They love being able to share with me their own videos. I also get a notification every time someone adds a video or watches one (additional accountability). I know which of my athletes are working at home, and referencing their prior lessons and mechanics to see if they are improving. I love getting notified of recent activity by my players.
Image 3 is an example of my own Onform home screen. I can see where athletes have had recent activity such as watching their own videos or adding to their folders.
5. Empowering Parents
Parents love the access to knowledge provided in the app. When I coach the younger ages in pitching, most of these athletes rely on parental involvement for the first few years. Whether it is to catch for them, being another set of eyes when they practice, or even just moral support. When the parent can pull up a video of what we went through in a prior lesson to help them with their athletes at home or a game its really valuable. Now the athlete is hearing the same terminology, they are staying on track with what we are working on, and the parents can see easier what they are trying to accomplish. The parental feedback from them has been nothing but positive.
Image 4 shows Delaney Mitchel with the 12u Colorado Impact Gold. This example shows the comparison from her private pitching lesson to game side by side. Her parents can confirm that what she is working on is happening in both places.
Kelly Foster has had the privilege and joy of working with local and national pitchers for over 21 years doing private pitching instruction. Kelly’s alumni have played internationally, professionally, in the Women’s College World Series, and in the NAIA national championships.
Kelly has owned and operated Kelly Foster Pitching since 2003. She has run private camps and clinics across the U.S. as well as worked for several large Colleges and Universities at their camps and clinics. She has been a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association since 2003. She has also consulted with numerous travel ball organizations throughout her tenured career.
Her playing career in college started at Hofstra University in New York in 1999. She then moved her career to the University of Louisville in 2001-2003.
Kelly resides in Eaton, Colorado with her husband Matt of 19 years, and her two children. Bria (15) plays softball and pitches for the Colorado Batbusters and for Eaton High School. Easton (12) plays football and basketball for the Reds. He plays baseball for the Fort Collins Force.