Book Private Softball Lessons with Coach Brad

I played a lot of high level tennis and baseball in my youth. I've been through the ups and downs of being a beginner, getting really good, and then being a bench warmer at the next level, and then getting better to become a starter. I went to high level baseball camps at a Division 1 college and learned the fine points of the hitting and throwing technique. Eventually I would play High school Baseball before becoming a professional musician/music for 20+ years

I returned to the game as an assistant coach on my daughter's softball team. There I helped the most inexperienced players get to a point where they could play without fear and have fun. I then started doing private lessons in Burbank, CA to help beginner to intermediate players and teach them to enjoy the game and all of it's nuances, both social and physical. I teach the value of making mistakes in the lesson setting, free from embarrassment factors that can arise at team practices or games.

By teaching each student to find his or her flow on each aspect of the game. There is a flow to a good throw and a good swing. Once you find it, you have to adopt exercises to keep it and improve it. Organizing your practice organizes your mind. The philosophy works for life as well as sports.

It depends on the age and level. For young beginners who are intimidated by catching a hard ball, we start with fun drills like baseball juggling and throwing a ball into a net for "target" practice. I then move on to throwing and catching with tennis balls, rubber balls, and then hard balls. I make sure to keep it safe and fun. For hitting we start with a tee and I eventually pitch to them at the speed they can handle. I also make sure to educate them on basic rules of the game if they don't understand them.

For more advanced students I start with a more "baseball camp" graded throwing sequence to make sure their motion is solid and then we move on to game simulated drills depending on what the player needs.

With hitting, we always start with tee drills to iron our flaws in the swing. Eventually I pitch some form of live batting practice appropriate to the student's needs.

I have special drills for every level and position that come into play as I get to know the student.

I have a special set of drills for pitchers and catchers and van adapt to the needs of the student. Simulated game situations are key for the older students.

I teach my lessons at Whitnall Highway Park North in Burbank, which is a unique casual park space with very few visitors.

I have a wagon full of bats, balls, bases and hitting aids that we can mix and match to create a fulfilling lesson!

The best coach I ever had was actually a tennis coach in New Orleans named Jay Hurst. I was a ranked player but was having problems getting to the next level and became very frustrated. I met Jay at a tennis camp and responded to his positive and more soft spoken approach to improving problem areas. He taught me how to have fun with the game and learn to love improving my weak areas with new drills. Joe Brockhoff was also a major influence with his use of video to analyze batting and throwing at his Baseball camps.

I am a NFHS Certified Interscholastic Coach, Accredited Interscholastic Coach, NFHS Middle School Coach, and NFHS Coach Level 3 with an emphasis on softball.

I'm not a yeller. I'm a very patient teacher who emphasizes finding the correct flow for each student. One size does not fit all. My goal is to instill a sense of self improvement in young players so that they compare their progress to their previous selves and not other players. We can adjust the intensity as they improve and level up.

I'm especially good at adapting to a student's needs. They can tell me what problems they had at practice and we'll design a drill to deal with it. Maybe they want to learn to play a new position-- I can adjust and design the drills in that direction.