Take part in a unique learning opportunity where you receive in-depth information from top coaches in the game. This unique field and classroom setting features in-person live demonstrations of drills and the ability to have all of your questions answered over a two-day span. You will learn how to elevate your athletes' game by attending any or all of the eight courses offered by the NFCA.
NFCC Courses Offered
COURSE 401: UNLOCK YOUR COACHING POTENTIAL (VIRTUAL)
COURSE 402A: ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF PITCHING
COURSE 402B: ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF HITTING & SHORT-GAME SKILLS
COURSE 403: POSITION PLAY AND INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE SKILLS
COURSE 405: EXPLOSIVE TEAM OFFENSE & STRATEGY
COURSE 406: COACHING DYNAMIC TEAM PRACTICES
COURSE 408: WORLD SERIES COACHING & GAME OBSERVATION
COURSE 410: SEMINAR
Click the buttons below to explore each course
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COURSE 401: UNLOCK YOUR COACHING POTENTIAL (VIRTUAL)
Sept. 16-20, 2024
- Assistant Coach Option: Join our brand new Assistant Coach Section of NFCC 401. Tailored for your unique needs, the assistant coach section will meet you where you are in your professional growth.
- Head Coach Option: If you are a head coach, instructor, or manager we have you covered as well, NFCC 401 will help you be the best coach yet. Click the orange button below to get started
In the current climate of athletics, coaches are dealing with more off-the-field issues than ever. Join us virtually and learn effective coaching strategies to navigate today’s athletic departments, parents, and student-athletes. Can't join live every day? No problem, a recorded version will be available to you via Dropbox each night. You will:
- Discover how your coaching style can have maximum impact on your athletes;
- Improve your effectiveness in dealing with recurring issues like playing time, teamwork, discipline, confidence, slumps and change;
- Learn to better manage team meetings, conflict and negativity;
- Develop effective protocol for pre-game, pitching changes, substitutions, practice, travel, games and team membership;
- Discuss the art of scheduling and game planning;
- Learn strategies for goal setting, listening, communicating and delegating;
- Identify fatal coaching flaws and discuss how to fix them.
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COURSE 402A: ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF PITCHING
WILL BE OFFERED IN 2025
This course will provide two days of in-depth information on the technical aspects of pitching; serving to enhance your ability to analyze and teach selected fundamental individual skills to today’s pitcher:
- Study the mechanics of pitching;
- Examine skills through video and photo analysis;
- Evaluate faults and fixes with pitchers;
- Learn coaching cues and drills to improve your pitcher's fundamental skills working hands on with live batters and pitchers.
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COURSE 402B: ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF HITTING
WILL BE OFFERED IN 2025
This course will enhance your ability to understand, analyze and teach selected fundamental individual skills on the offensive side of the ball. Two days of in-depth information will be delivered by instructors who are some of the best offensive minds in the country:
- Study the mechanics of hitting, bunting and slapping;
- Examine skills through video analysis;
- Evaluate faults and fixes with live batters;
- Learn coaching cues and drills to improve offensive fundamental skills working hands-on with live batters.
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COURSE 403: POSITION PLAY AND INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE SKILLS
Dec. 3-4, 2024 | NFCA Convention (Dallas)
If defense wins championships, then this course will point you in the right direction. The emphasis of this course is placed on how to analyze, teach, and drill all the defensive skills required to play fastpitch softball at a high level. In addition, you will:
- Study the mechanics of throwing, fielding, receiving and footwork that is needed to play the game;
- Examine the techniques that are used for fielding ground balls, fly balls, covering bases, fielding bunts, tagging runners and turning double plays;
- Identifying and break down the skills required to play each defensive position;
- Accumulate a progression of teaching techniques and drills that will improve team and player efficiency;
- Learn how the ball's "speed and direction" and "depth and distance" will determine a players technique, decision and performance.
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COURSE 405: EXPLOSIVE TEAM OFFENSE & STRATEGY
Dec. 3-4, 2024 | NFCA Convention (Dallas)
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You have to score to win. As offenses throughout the country are putting more and more big numbers on the board you can come learn the strategies integral to offensive success. Learn how to read your opponent and coordinate the actions of your individual players in order to score and manufacture runs. In addition, you will:
- Examine the pieces of an explosive offensive puzzle (power, running and short game);
- Learn the elements of play-mapping and apply them to numerous tactics and strategies;
- Practice and evaluate your play calling by going head-to-head with classmates and instructors in various game situations;
- Discuss how to put together a batting order and how to use the DP-FLEX rule to your advantage;
- Study offensive strategy factors and principles of strategic thinking;
- Learn how to interpret opponent statistics and apply the information to your game plan;
- Explore your offensive philosophy, personnel management, scouting and the evaluation of offensive performance;
- Accumulate drills for the practice of offensive team skills and strategies.
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COURSE 406: COACHING DYNAMIC TEAM PRACTICES
WILL BE OFFERED IN 2025
Championship teams run championship practices. Learn how to design and implement practices from small group and individual segments to full team sessions that allow skill development in a competitive atmosphere.
- Take an in-depth look at planning, organizing and conducting practices from the ground up;
- Construct a draft of a master practice plan. Discuss sample daily plans.
- Consider differences in pre-season, pre-game and off-season plans;
- Develop practice policies and procedures, logistics and routines;
- Discuss mistakes coaches make when teaching drills and how to prevent them;
- Learn how to boost your players' performance through effective feedback;
- Actively participate in drills designed to improve your personal coaching skills;
- Observe and evaluate practices designed to help players develop game sense, counter offensive-defensive strategies and prepare for games.
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COURSE 408: WORLD SERIES COACHING & GAME OBSERVATION
MAY 28-30, 2025 | OKLAHOMA CITY
Be part of an elite group who has behind-the-scenes access to the Division I Women’s College World Series. In this course, you will use the Women's College World Series to analyze techniques, strategy, coaching styles and pre-game practice.
- Learn from guest coaches including participating team coaches and ESPN staff
- Make field observations;
- Scout teams and develop a game plan;
- Review and analyze game tapes;
- Assess team and individual performances;
- Practice personal game tracking, scoring and charting;
- Watch the series games with classmates and discuss plays.
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COURSE 410: Seminar - The Role of Technology in Hitting
Dec. 7-8, 2024 | NFCA Convention (Dallas)
The impact technology has on a team's offensive production continues to grow at all levels. From individual metrics to the way a coach scouts and prepares for an opponent, technology is in everything we do. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t have to be confusing. Register today to learn more about the ways you can implement and harness technology throughout your program to achieve major gains on the field.
HITTING & PITCHING ENDORSEMENTS
The NFCA recognizes those coaches who have a specific, vested interest in hitting and pitching education and who have committed to their personal and professional growth through NFCA sponsored education. An official NFCA coaching endorsement will be provided to coaches who attend three pitching or hitting specific courses in a four-year period. To view eligibility criteria and see a list of endorsement-eligible courses, please click the button below.
MASTER COACH PROGRAM
After you complete two NFCC courses you will receive a one-star award and be honored as a One-Star Master Coach. The process continues with the completion of every two new courses until you have taken eight unique NFCC courses.
- One-Star Master Coach = 2 courses
- Two-Star Master Coach = 4 courses
- Three-Star Master Coach = 6 courses
- Four-Star Master Coach = 8 courses
At that time, you will receive an award being honored as a FOUR-STAR MASTER COACH. Many coaches repeat courses for different perspectives on the content and some choose to not complete all eight courses, and that is just fine. However, we do want you to know that if you complete all NFCC courses the NFCA believes you deserve special recognition.
Questions? Email joanna@nfca.org
Course 401 | Course 402A | Course 402B | Course 403 | Course 405 | Course 406 | Course 408 | Course 410
