Summer 2018
LFP NEWS
TRYOUTS AND TUNEUPS!!!

Your summer seasons are coming to a close and tryout season for tournament teams is about to begin. Here is your guide to tournament try outs: whether or not tournament ball is for you, should you stay on your team or find a new one, and how to CRUSH your tryouts!


New to tournament teams?
First - if you haven't played on a tournament team and are wondering if it's right for you here are a few things to ask yourself:
  1. Was I the best or one of the best players on my local teams?
  2. Do I want to commit every weekend of my summer to the sport I love?
  3. Is moving up to the next level exciting and I can't wait to practice all off season so I'm the BEST I can be by next year?
If you answered YES to any of the above then it's time to find some tryouts!
Tryouts for tournament teams are as early as late July and throughout August. Most teams will post their tryouts on The Softball Zone.
If it's your first year moving up, we recommend finding a team that isn't terribly far from your home and that participates in mostly local tournaments.

On a team already but wondering if you should change teams?
You had fun this year but maybe the team you are on just didn't seem like the best fit or maybe you are aiming higher and want a team that has a better schedule, or maybe the schedule you had this year was just too much!
Here are some reasons to stay with your current team:
  1. You love the coach and your teammates!
  2. There was little to NO DRAMA!!
  3. You improved alongside your teammates.
  4. The schedule was competitive and challenging.
  5. You know the grass isn't always greener!
Here's some reasons maybe it's time to look for a new team:
  1. Drama...
  2. You were far better than most of your teammates.
  3. The schedule was too easy.
  4. You didn't improve since the beginning of the season.
  5. You're just ready for a change.
  6. It just wasn't fun.

Now that you know whether or not you're gonna go through the tryout process here are some tips on how to crush your tryouts and find the right team!
  1. Approach the tryout as though the team and coach are trying out for you instead of you trying out for them.
  2. Go to as many tryouts as you can!
  3. Pick a few teams you're pretty sure you will make but also go to some tryouts that may seem out of reach - you may not make the team but the experience is invaluable and seeing how the elite organizations work is very eye opening.
  4. Be sure to practice HARD and come in for a tune up before hand to be sure your skills are sharp!
  5. Pay attention to how the coach coaches - is his or her style a good fit for you?
  6. Ask if they have any other players currently on the team that play your main position.
  7. If you are pitcher, and one of the coaches has a daughter who pitches on the team it's just something to consider... most dad-coaches are pretty good but there have been issues.
  8. At the tryout look your best and do your best. A lot of hustle goes a long way!
  9. Be sure to actually talk to the coaches and other team members!

Last couple things about tryouts...
Do not feel pressured to commit to the first team you get an offer from if you still have additional tryouts on your calendar. If that's the right team for you then, by all means, go for it! But if you have another team that you really wanted then let the coach who made the offer know that you have a few more tryouts and give him a date you can give an answer by. If they say the position may be filled before then - it's up to you but a good coach who really wants YOU will be happy to wait.

Not everyone can make the team and that's OK! As a matter of fact we think it's important to tryout for teams you think you won't make! Most teams will only have 3-4 positions open and some tryouts have 20 girls going for one position! Use rejection to motivate and remember EVERYTHING happens for a reason!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

TRYOUT TUNEUPS

Get in before you gotta go! Let your instructor know you would like a TRYOUT TUNEUP and we will get you ready to be your BEST! Below are the instructors for each skill and their pricing! Keep in mind the list price is a non-member price!!! Ask us about our discount options!!!
CLICK ANY OF THE NAMES BELOW TO SCHEDULE NOW!
Hitting
60 or 30 minutes available!

Core Level ($50 per hour)

Core PLUS Level ($60 per hour)

Premium Level ($70 per hour)

Elite Level ($80 per hour)
Pitching

Core Level ($50 per hour)

Core PLUS Level ($60 per hour)

Premium Level ($70 per hour)

Elite Level ($80 per hour)
Fielding
Elite Level ($80 per hour) Bob Hoiles
Core Level ($50 per hour) Riley Zana
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
So we've all been there... we've hit a plateau and no matter how many swings you take or pitches you throw you don't seem to be getting any better. Sure you're already pretty good but you're noticing some teammates are getting better and faster and stronger. The difference? It's what they are doing in ADDITION to practices and in between the games. Conditioning - is one the single biggest differences between elite athletes and average athletes. Elite athletes improve their body, not just their skill. Want to go faster? You have to teach your body to go faster. Want to have more power? You need to get stronger. Want to dominate in the 7th inning in Championship game? You need endurance. If I could give all of our athletes one tip to help them improve that would be the MOST important for all athletes 10 and up who want to be the BEST it would be to condition your body.
Yep! I said it, in order to be GREAT you have to do the dreaded... you have to work out. Your body has to get in shape. No I didn't say you have to be skinny!!! You have to be the best you can be.
Now, lest you think this is a shameless plug for our new business, Method Sports and Fitness, please know that there are lots of great options out there and any would help you improve more than doing nothing! We developed Method to add to the resources that are out there! That being said... I would like to mention a few reasons we think Method is the best option! :)
  1. Every work out is personalized! Each athlete that walks in the door is doing their own specific workout. Too often athletes are placed in classes with others who have different goals, play different sports, are different ages and the workouts are generalized. Not at Method. At Method you get an eval and your workouts will be designed specifically for your abilities, deficiencies, and goals!
  2. We're less expensive than most, you never have to commit to a contract, and we offer more!
  3. It's crazy convenient! You can come in for your workout by signing up for ANY open time slot on the app ANY day, as many times a week as you want! 6 athletes can sign up every 20 minutes!!!!
  4. No more crowded classes!!! At Method we have a 6:1 athlete to coach ratio so you're constantly getting the personal attention and encouragement you need! Our coaches are there to be sure you are doing your personal workout to the best of your ability, ensure your safety and push you to reach your goals!
  5. We measure your improvement! We use a bunch of fancy tech to keep track of your workouts, ensure you're pushing yourself with heart rate monitors, and systems that test your results. Also it's interactive so you are more engaged! You can see exactly how many reps, miles, or the amount of weight used last week and push yourself to do just a little more. If you can see where you started and how far you have come you are more likely to continue improving!
Picture Perfect LFP Athletes
Check out some of our LFP athletes in action! We're so proud of you!
Notable: A Letter from Amie
Happy summer everyone! I want to thank everyone who shared their awesome photos with us! So great to see you all SHINE!

A few announcements and changes this month! The first is to congratulate Kenzie Conrad! She is being promoted to ELITE INSTRUCTOR status Sept 1st, 2018!!! Since graduating with her Masters in Exercise Physiology Kenzie has decided to teach full time at Leffew Fastpitch and to help develop additional programs and curriculum! Kenzie is a student of the game and an expert on pitching. She is inspiring and driven and is most deserving of this promotion! Please note that her rate will be increasing to Elite level on September 1st - $80 per hour for non-members and $65 per hour for members. We apologize for any inconvenience but if you've worked with Kenzie, I'm sure you love her as much as we do and know she is worth it!

We are very blessed to have Kenzie as part of our team and couldn't be more proud to welcome her as an ELITE Instructor! By the way, we still have a Premium Pitching price point - Zoe Beetler is a Premium Level pitching instructor! Zoe learned from Dave Leffew and she does an exceptional job! Zoe is available on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays! Zoe would LOVE to work with you!

I want to wish Core Instructor Tina Clark good luck as she is heading off to college to play for Division I St. Francis in PA. We are so excited for her but sad that she won't be able to give lessons while she is in school! If you are currently a student of Tina's for hitting or pitching we have a few options for you at the CORE level! For pitching you can book Sydney Campbell or Riley Zana. For hitting you want to book with Riley Zana! We also have Laney Jones who is just $10 more at the Core+ Level who does both hitting and pitching!

We are also wishing Nicole Best good luck as she is off to train for her career in Chicago! If you were working with Nicole we are recommending you see Zoe Beetler for pitching or you can move up to the Elite Level with either Kenzie, Dave, Amie, or Tess!
To close out this newsletter I wanted to welcome all the new athletes that have joined us this year! More than 200 new athletes have walked through the LFP doors to help make their Best Better! I also wanted to give a shout out to all of our new Members this year!!!! And to all of our long time clients I want to say a sincere THANK YOU for spreading the word about the great things we do at LFP and for all of your hard work and dedication to your athletes!

As always I am so grateful for each and everyone of you!

Amie OBrien
President
Leffew Fastpitch
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