NFCA Annual Coaches Convention Recap

Last week, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) hosted their annual convention in Las Vegas. It was four days of education for coaches, presented by coaches. Jess Mendoza gave the keynote to kick things off and the rest of the week rolled from there. For those of your unfamiliar with NFCA it's an organization that's done nothing but grow our softball community and connectivity at all levels of the sport. The event is packed full of presentations, breakout sessions, and opportunities for mentoring. In attendance are youth coaches, collegiate coaches, and private instructors who all come to learn and share information to grow our athletes and the game. One of the highlights was Melissa Lombardi from Oklahoma and Jen Rocha from Florida co-facilitating a pitching presentation to over 1,600 attendees. These two teams were battling for a NCAA title just 6 months ago and that night, they shared the stage and their philosophies for the sole purpose of helping others. Coaches who present at this event are not paid. They receive no incentives, or promises. They do it to give back. They do it to connect. They do it to help other coaches. Over the years it's been common practice for collegiate coaches to collaborate and share with their opponents off the field. These coaches are hired and fired based on their ability to win yet they stand before hundreds and give away their "secrets." What's interesting is I don't find this same interaction and connection amongst club and high school coaches. If only they knew the power in exchanging ideas and practices. The reality is, coaches within a community whether it be a city or a state are not competing against each other. They're competing against the rest of the country. So why not come together and help each other become better coaches? If we become better coaches, we develop better athletes, and better people. When I ask coaches why they started coaching, they often talk about the kids. If it's about the kids, than why not connect as a community to become more effective leaders?

Below is a video recapping Day 2 at the NFCA Convention. For more information on how you can become a member and the resources NFCA provides visit https://nfca.org/