In this re-release from season 1 on the podcast, we learn from Tokyo 2020 Olympian, Delaney Spaulding, about her inspirational journey from tearing her ACL just months before the original Olympic games in 2020 and how, because of the Coronavirus, she was able to get a surgery, go through 8 months of physical therapy and get back to competing with her team in the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. If you’re battling an injury or know someone who has, this the perfect story of never giving up on your dr...
Aug 07, 2024•43 min•Ep. 194
When you become obsessed with becoming the best version of you as an athlete, you may be surprised with what you can achieve. Here’s a clip from my speech at the Fearless Warrior Retreat in Omaha, Nebraska about how to choose the right goal for you, make sure you focus on the process and also why having good role models to look up to can help you stay inspired and driven in your pursuit of it! Learn more about the Fearless Warrior Program - https://www.fearlesswarriorprogram.com/ Follow and shar...
Jul 31, 2024•24 min•Ep. 193
Every great athlete does some type of mental skills training and this episode will help your athlete find her inner edge and believe in herself more than she ever has before. You’ll learn from Mental Performance Coach, Lindsey Nadler, what separates the good from the great, how parents can help their daughter own her mistakes and move on from failure quickly and also teaches athletes a few ways you can build your identity not just as a softball player but as a confident woman who is resilient an...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 192
Our athletes don’t need us to solve all their problems, they need us to help them figure things out on their own and regulate emotions so they can grow up to be strong, confident, independent and curious athletes who run into their fears instead of hide from them. This episode shares what you can start doing to help her stay calm under stress better and build up her own self confidence. Articles Mentioned: https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/development https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/...
Jul 17, 2024•29 min•Ep. 191
University of Michigan grad and 2023 National Champion at Oklahoma, Alex Storako, joins us today to talk about how some of her biggest failures prepared her to thrive on the biggest stage. She also answers some questions from some of our Virtual Hitting Academy members like: What her presence and self-talk looks like for her on the mound, why it’s important to have a great pitcher-catcher relationship, her experience playing for two HOF coaches, how she’s gotten through many mental blocks on the...
Jul 10, 2024•38 min•Ep. 190
Sometimes we can make hitting a little more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode, I’m sharing three tips on how to train to hit the high pitch (and other locations) with more ease from a tee warm up that I swear by, a productive mindset approach and a front toss drill to help you build discipline at the plate. Watch the 9 spot tee tee warm up (45 swings) on YouTube - https://youtu.be/H9t01wsvShc?si=IQjzlEpDkf0ih-VI Get $10 off VHA with code PODCAST10 - https://www.ashleybtraining.com...
Jul 03, 2024•29 min•Ep. 189
Hear from a former Florida Gator and 2020 Olympian, Aubree Munro Watson, why softball will NOT be played this round in Paris, her unique (COVID) Olympic experience in Tokyo 2020 and why she doesn’t agree with the decision for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic softball games to be played in Oklahoma City. Her take is unlike any you will see, and I’m so grateful to have her on talking about it! Follow Aubree on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aubree1munro/?hl=en and Twitter - https://x.com/Aubree...
Jun 26, 2024•44 min•Ep. 188
Your thoughts in the box can either HELP you or HURT you, and here are 10 ways you can shift your mindset and training to give you the best chances as possible to be successful in the box and beyond! Previous episodes mentioned: Ep. 67 - 10 hitting challenges to amp up your hitting - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dc50d78b-e2d9-40ce-9f90-cf9d2129f2b1 Ep. 127 - Erin Coffel: How she went from Midwest standout to All-American at Kentucky - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dbebe068-2a3a-4088...
Jun 19, 2024•28 min•Ep. 187
This 2024 WCWS was incredible, so incredible that I broke down some of the key moments and players that we can be inspired by and learn from to help us stand out and play to our potential this summer! Previous episodes mentioned: Ep. 141 - Kaitlyn McNally: Maximize performance through nutrition - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c749c6e5-6eb5-4efe-8dd9-e9bc7fef0e97 Ep. 22 - How What You Eat Affects Your Performance with Non-Diet Dietitian - Katie Hake - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/eb4...
Jun 12, 2024•26 min•Ep. 186
Women's College World Series (WCWS) LEGEND, Odicci Alexander, brings her fun personality to the podcast today sharing her epic journey of learning how to pitch on YouTube, practicing on her own by throwing into a water well, getting recruited to college by almost chance, and how she’s taken her incredible work ethic with her to the biggest stage in college softball and then into the professional game. Follow Odicci on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/double_seas/ Check out the ABT Summer Co...
Jun 05, 2024•53 min•Ep. 185
Leadership expert, JP Nerbun, is back for part 2 talking about his traumatic experience from a verbally abusive head coach and how he was able to heal from that negative experience. Later, we talk about similarities between programs with great culture and leadership, how coaches can get their players to buy in to high standards, and how to build a team that can successfully hold themselves accountable. Check out his book “The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Cu...
May 29, 2024•34 min•Ep. 184
Bestselling author, podcaster and leadership expert, JP Nerbun, joins us to talk about how coaches can build a better partnership and connection with parents. He believes the key to successful teams and culture is clarity, communication and vulnerability, and this conversation dives into all those elements and more around establishing healthy boundaries and standards from coach, player to parent. Check out his book “The Sports Parent Solution: Proven Strategies for transforming parents from obst...
May 22, 2024•33 min•Ep. 183
I’m excited to share with you the behind the scenes of an “Ask Ashley” session we did recently with my Virtual Hitting Academy members! I get to answer questions they had from: “How do I make sure I’m physically and mentally prepared for games?”, “How did you deal with not being able to hang out with friends a lot because of softball?”, “How can I work on the high pitch so I can get better at it?” and more! I love these and I think you will too! Join the When the Cleats Come Off Community on Fac...
May 15, 2024•30 min•Ep. 182
D1 Softball journalist, Justin McLeod, is BACK sharing some of his 2024 postseason softball predictions along with who his “dark horses” are, what teams are trending upwards at the right time, his take on the transfer portal, and why he believes this might be the year softball breaks out some new household names. Follow Justin’s work at D1 Softball - https://d1softball.com/ Follow Justin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/justfactsmaam Learn more about the Virtual Hitting Academy - https://www.ash...
May 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 181
A huge hitting MENTOR of mine and former Notre Dame Softball Hitting Coach, Lizzy Ristano, is on the show this week talking about the importance of consistently practicing swing fundamentals, timing and tempo, the power of visualization and creating and owning your own style as a hitter. Get ready to boost your hitting IQ and learn what you should be including in your next hitting practice (coaches AND players, alike)! Reach out to Lizzy and see the full podcast shownotes here - https://www.ashl...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 180
I can’t believe I’ve been a Mom for an entire YEAR! Here are 12 lessons I’ve learned through raising Barrett these past 12 months that I’m definitely going to need to remind myself of in the future. Enjoy! Join the When the Cleats Come Off Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/whenthecleatscomeoff Leave a review of When the Cleats Come Off on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-the-cleats-come-off/id1525612274 Follow and share with me your favorite parts...
Apr 24, 2024•41 min•Ep. 179
This episode with current catcher and leading power hitter for the University of Michigan’s Keke Tholl dives into all things catching from developing strong relationships with her pitchers, drills that help her with her transfer, throwing and more along with building her game IQ day by day. Then we dive into hitting, what drills she loves to feel her best at the plate (physically and mentally) and lastly, we dive into her leadership role as Michigan’s SAAC Vice President and how she was recently...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 178
How do you know you chose the right university to represent? My experience traveling across the country to watch Purdue Men’s Basketball compete for a National Championship this week solidified that I played at the right school (for me). You deserve to find the right school FOR YOU. Leave a review of When the Cleats Come Off on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-the-cleats-come-off/id1525612274 Past episodes of WTCCO like this one: Ep. 70 - Ben-Marvin Egel: A few things ...
Apr 10, 2024•14 min•Ep. 177
One of the most humble and gifted athletes of our time is joining us on the podcast today talking a bit about her experience playing at Oklahoma and the mindset that helped her shine her brightest in post-season, what it was like being part of the Championship culture at OU and playing for Hall of Fame Coach Patty Gasso, the overwhelming challenges she’s faced in her career, and some recruiting advice to help you find the right school for you! Follow Nicole on Instagram - https://www.instagram.c...
Apr 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 176
Today I’m sharing a list of do’s and don’ts that will make your experience watching softball better as a parent, and it will especially help your athlete’s experience on the field so she can perform her best and really gain confidence while doing so! Join the When the Cleats Come Off Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/whenthecleatscomeoff Leave a review of When the Cleats Come Off on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-the-cleats-come-off/id1525612274...
Mar 27, 2024•35 min•Ep. 175
2x All-American and NOW home run record holder from the University of Kentucky, Erin Coffel is BACK sharing with my Virtual Hitting Academy Members how she didn’t let being from a cold state limit her capacity to work hard and dream BIG, what she feel has separated her MOST from her competition, how she’s come close to burnout but what she did to ultimately avoid it, how her Dad has supported her throughout her career, how she trained to handle pressure well and more! Follow Erin on Instagram - ...
Mar 20, 2024•29 min•Ep. 174
Adversity hits every single one of us but the difference between the average players and the ELITE ones are the ones who see adversity as a catapult to their next success. Today you’ll hear 3 big adversities I’ve faced in my career that I was able to learn and become better from, so you can learn a bit of what TO do and NOT TO DO when failure/adversity comes your way. Check out my $7 Goal-Smasher 14-Day Confidence Course - https://www.ashleybtraining.com/offers/GTbUzZdm/checkout Follow and share...
Mar 13, 2024•40 min•Ep. 173
One of the best college softball analysts in the game, Amanda Scarborough, is BACK on the podcast this week sharing a bit of her behind the scenes life behind the mic, why she thinks pitchers are struggling a bit more early on this year, her take on the new rules we’ve seen implemented this season (like a pitch clock and allowing pitchers to be airborne), a breakdown of how YOU can find and watch games, and some of her predictions for the rest of the D1 season. Amanda’s post on how to find/watch...
Mar 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 172
Tryouts can be a stressful and scary time, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s an episode to get your mind right before an important moment in your career and help you play a little more free but still FOCUSED! You’ve got this! Check out the Always Grind 365 SA Planner - https://alwaysgrind365.com/discount/ASHLEYB Follow and share with me your favorite parts on social! Website - https://www.ashleybtraining.com/ YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmey7_LOSN8tSia6gcWqtIzTTyTDpOodr Instagra...
Feb 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 171
Travel softball has gotten a “bad rap” lately, but today’s guest, Kevin Hinde - Coach of 18U Team NC, is doing it RIGHT. From helping 30+ players in the Team NC organization get recruited to developing top-notch practices, players, team culture (and coaching staff!), Kevin is the perfect guest to crush the stigma of travel ball and show us how to do it right – even at the pressures of the highest level. Follow Kevin and Team NC 18U - https://www.teamncfastpitch.com/page/show/3310157-18u-hinde-al...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 170
Great things are to come for Marshall Softball as their brand new leader, Morgan Zerkle takes the reins on her first season as Head Coach for The Herd! This fun conversation consists of not only her excitement for the season but also how she came from a mid-major University and still made her dreams of playing professional softball a reality along with how one coach believing in her has allowed her to thrive in her playing and coaching career. Follow Marshall Softball: https://herdzone.com/sport...
Feb 14, 2024•32 min•Ep. 169
I’ve said it before and it’s worth saying again – we NEED to get our athletes watching the college game to not only learn how the game is played and executed at a high level, but to also inspire them to think and play BIGGER than they ever thought imaginable! Here is a list of 5 important reasons why we all need to tap into college softball this Spring, and also WHERE you can tune in! Nearly 3,200 games on ESPN platforms article - https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/01/espn-hits-hom...
Feb 07, 2024•31 min•Ep. 168
Most of the time umpires are misunderstood and it’s time to give them a voice! This week on the pod, we have professional and collegiate umpire, Victor Canales, sharing a bit of his experience behind the plate (the good, bad and sometimes ugly), the preparation that goes into this profession, insight of the struggle umpires endure and what the commonalities are between the best umpires in the game. Parents and coaches are a BIG reason why some of the best umpires quit the profession which is why...
Jan 31, 2024•25 min•Ep. 167
This one element can transform not only how your athlete performs under pressure but also how she carries herself in LIFE! I’m so glad I had parents and coaches teaching me this important skill early on so I could truly live out my potential on and off the field! Learn more about the Virtual Hitting Academy Monthly Membership - https://www.ashleybtraining.com/virtual-hitting-academy-2-0 Follow and share with me your favorite parts on social! Website - https://www.ashleybtraining.com/ YouTube - h...
Jan 24, 2024•33 min•Ep. 166
Success looks different for everyone, but when it comes to work-ethic, leadership and straight up “guts” when a lot is on the line – the best teams do things similarly. Learn from 2023’s Division 3 National Championship Head Coach, Donnie Danklefsen, what it took from himself, his staff and most importantly his PLAYERS to hoist up the trophy this past season and how he was able to transform this program into something GREAT. Follow Trine Softball - https://www.trinethunder.com/sports/sball/index...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 165
