Foundations for Winning Softball: Developing a Championship Culture

with Randy Schneider,
former Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach (coached to best record in school history);
also coached at Iowa State University (Assistant Coach), University of Wisconsin (Associate Head Coach - 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions), Valparaiso University (Head Coach; all-time wins leader, 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year)

with Tom Drohner,
Stevens Point Area Senior High;
NFCA WI Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011); Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association - Hall of Fame (2018); 8x WI State Champions (2001- 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2016); won 19 consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Championships, 18 Regional Championships and 14 Sectional Championships; coached 50+ first team All-State players, coached 2 Gatorade Players of the Year; National Fastpitch Coaches Association WI; Owns an overall record of 495-67 (through 2018)

with Todd Merical,
Johnston High School (IA) Head Coach;
3x State Champions, 2x State Championship Runner-ups; Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame (2017); 800+ wins; 3x State Coach of the Year (IGCA)

Creating a positive team culture is one of the most difficult and most important jobs of a youth softball coach. Coaches Randy Schneider, Todd Merical, and Tom Drohner have a lot of experience in building and sustaining positive team cultures, as evidenced by their numerous accomplishments and championships. In this video, they offer their ideas on team building and goal setting, which are key components of a championship culture.

Team Building Ideas

You will learn how to involve your team to create investment and ownership by letting them participate in decision-making. Developing leadership skills with members of the younger generations is a focus of many top coaches. Coach Schneider explains how you can develop leadership skills with your team by encouraging your players to handle conflict and discipline each other internally.

Goal Setting

Set goals that will help you and your team win more games! Coach Schneider gives examples of some of the goals his teams have come up with in the past and explains how you can adapt goals to fit your team. Additionally, he explains how to allow your players to give input to help get them to buy-in. You'll also learn how to improve cohesion and develop traditions with your team, which will improve every player's experience in your program.

Player's Perspective

Get inside the hearts and minds of youth players with Coach Schneider as he hosts a player chat. This segment will teach you what is important to young athletes and what they want out of a youth softball experience.

In this video, coaches Schneider, Merical, and Drohner show you how to build a culture that every player will want to be a part of. Start building a championship culture within your own youth softball team today!

48 minutes. 2019.