Softball: Steps to Success - 3rd Edition

Improve your play at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field by mastering the essentials of the game. Softball: Steps to Success offers a comprehensive, progressive approach that combines in-depth instruction, crisp illustrations, and 127 drills. Any player can become fundamentally sound and be ready to take the field.

You'll find detailed instruction on every individual skill necessary for success in the game: catching, throwing, fielding, pitching, hitting, and baserunning. This updated edition also includes these features:

-Responsibilities of each position on the field and every batter in the lineup

-Offensive and defensive tactics for specific game situations

-Emphasis on the short game, covering five types of bunts and the running slap hit

-An expanded section on pitching that includes seven types of pitches for modified-pitch, slow-pitch, and fastpitch games

-Skill-development drills with assessment scoring systems to gauge progress along the way

Hits, runs, putouts, and double plays are at your fingertips. With Softball: Steps to Success, part of the popular Steps to Success Series that has sold more than 1.5 million copies, your performance on the diamond will shine.

Diane L. Potter, EdD, is professor emerita at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Potter has more than 40 years of experience in physical education teacher preparation, and she has coached the Springfield College softball team for 21 years. In addition, she played Class A fastpitch for 15 years in the Amateur Softball Association (ASA).

Dr. Potter has been an international clinician in softball, conducting clinics in Aruba, Italy, and the Netherlands. She took Springfield College teams to the Netherlands in 1971, 1975, and 1982, competing against the Dutch national team and various sport club teams in addition to conducting clinics for the Dutch youth programs. In 1982, she was awarded the Silver Medallion by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond (the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association); she is the only woman so honored.

Dr. Potter is an outstanding leader in women's sport. She has served as a member of the AIAW Ethics and Eligibility Committee and was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1989, she was inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame. The Springfield College softball field has been named in her honor.

Lynn V. Johnson, EdD, is an associate professor in the health and human performance department at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Over the past 30 years she has taught K-12 physical education in Vermont and has been a physical education teacher educator at three institutions: Springfield College, the University of Vermont, and Plymouth State University. Johnson coached high school softball in Proctor, Vermont, served as the assistant softball coach at Springfield College for three years, and was the head coach at Springfield College from 1985 to 1989. In addition, she was the assistant softball coach at the University of Vermont from 1991 to 2006. Johnson played softball at Springfield College from 1974 to 1977, playing in the College World Series in 1977. She continues to play slow-pitch softball on a tournament team that has competed together for more than 20 years.

Dr. Johnson is committed to the profession of physical education and sport. She is actively involved at the professional level, having served as the president of the Vermont Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and as vice president for the Eastern District Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (EDA). Johnson was awarded the Outstanding Professional Award from the EDA in 2004 and the Higher Education Physical Education Teacher of the Year from VAHPERD in 2002.

"Softball: Steps to Success is an exceptional resource for teaching the fundamental skills of softball, whether in a physical education class setting or in a more competitive environment. The authors provide a comprehensive breakdown of each skill and tactic, drills for improving execution, and final challenges to augment development. It's a must-have resource for the softball enthusiast!"

BJ Ferguson
Head Softball Coach, University of Delaware
Associate Professor