Natalie Boozikee

Catcher, 1st base, NE Gold Vance 16U, Gretna High School 2028

[Ella Vance @ella_vance11]

Heading down to KC this weekend at the @TopGunEvents Discovery Showcase! I can’t wait to get on the field with my team and play some good competition! Come out and watch us!!

@NEGoldVance
@NebraskaGold
#GoldDNA

[Gretna Dragons Softball @GretnaSoftball]

We got to kick off summer with our favorite tradition — youth camp 🥎☀️ So proud of all of our campers who showed up ready to work hard, learn, and have fun! #CLC #BAGT

[Olivia Wenz @Olivia_wenz6]

Thank you @TopGunEvents for hosting an awesome tournament this weekend how in KC! My team and I played hard and went 6-0 over the weekend! Here are a few of my highlights down below! Including a 💣
@NEGoldVance @MidwestPremierS @TGETalent ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jenna Allen @JennaAllen2027]

Had such a fun weekend with my teammates!! We took home first place going 6-0! I had some great plays at short stop and didn’t commit a single error. I batted a .500 on the weekend! We’re back in action in Omaha May 15th-17th! @CoachErin3 @WSCkitties @Coach_Warnock @kimvidlak @MelissaTinez @BrockCuller @MidlandUSB @SDCoyotesSB @coach_heard @SCCBobcats1 @MidwestPremierS @NebraskaGold @NEGoldVance @DrK_Softball @ExtraInningSB @PrepSoftball @SoftbalAmerica

[Morgan Tiedeman @MoTiedeman22]

Had an amazing first weekend in Kansas City winning the whole bracket. Got some nice reps in at second and slapping! Thank you @TopGunEvents for the opportunity to play. @HitwithBrad @MidwestPremierS @NEGoldVance

[Gretna Dragons Softball @GretnaSoftball]

Reminder to sign up for youth camp!!

[Dr K Softball Psychologist @DrK_Softball]

Mental Game Monday: Landslide

Different Monday, different song, paraphrased as: I’ve been ‘fraid of changin’, when you’ve built your life around you (when that you is your ability to hit a low/out fastball 250’).

In a previous post, I wrote about training drift - when small deviations from the training form accumulate over time to the point that what the athlete is doing is not the same as what was trained.

This week’s challenge is what happens when what was successful, is no longer successful, even when the performance is consistent with the training.

With the amount of video available on GameChanger and ESPN, scouting is bit easier than in the age of the dinosaur when coaches had stopwatches, a clipboard, and a bucket of coffee when watching games in person. Even with no additional expenses, coaches can chart pitches and gather data on hitter tendencies, when they swing, when they miss, and what they hit - and for pitchers, this can be incredibly frustrating.

If we have a sample size of 35-50 plate appearances we can see emerging trends in the hitters - likes to swing at first pitch, rarely swings on first pitch, loves (or hates) inside pitching. As the season goes on, some teams will have their book on opposing hitters.

So what then is that hitter supposed to do, when the other team knows how to pitch to you - tell yourself you lost the ability to hit, or use the self talk to remind yourself of a couple of things - if you are not seeing a lot of hittable pitches: ‘if they scouted me this much, even the other team sees my skills’ or ‘I trust my training and when they do give me a good one, I know I’ll connect.’

This can also serve as a reminder about outcomes v process: the outcome-focused athlete will see the goose-egg in the box score, and maybe even start telling themself they are in a slump (insert sad trombone sound). The process-focused athlete knows that as the opposing team is allowed to have good athletes too, and by staying true to themselves and their training, which allows the athlete to take advantage of any time the opposing pitcher misses their spot. And as a reminder, the run scored when the batter gets on first by BB, HBP, or a single counts the same. (Reminder: if the scouting report says ‘intentionally walk this hitter when 1st is open with RISP, make sure *none* of those intentional balls are hittable).

So there might indeed be a need for a change, adding awareness to the possibility that the athlete is being scouted, there may not be as many hittable pitches (the last thing a pitcher wants to do is put a ball over the plate when the hitter is ready for it), and there might not be a need to change, other than some self-talk reminders, when the reason the athlete is not getting as many hits is because the athlete had been getting so many hittable pitches.

Tl;dr - if what you’re doing used to work, and isn’t working like it used to, it might not be working because the other team has changed their approach to you. That warrants a different response from the athlete vs training drift.

[reagan @reaganglassb]

This weekend my team and I went 6-0! I had a blast being back down in KC! This weekend I had a .444 battingAvg with 2 HR and 2 doubles! I pitched 10.1 innings throwing 13 K and a .000 era! Such a great opening weekend and I am looking forward to the next tournament! @NEGoldVance

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

Wrapped up NE Gold Friendlies yesterday playing with NE Gold 17U National in a situational scrimmage . Got a chance to play new teams, compete against the best and opportunity to grow and get better. Lots of good play as we head into the season! #GoldDNA

[reagan @reaganglassb]

I had a fun weekend playing friendlies again! I pitched 10.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and played 2nd & 3rd and I had another home run! Such a fun weekend playing again!! looking forward to tournaments starting soon!! @NEGoldVance @MidwestPremierS

[reagan @reaganglassb]

Super excited to be back on the field with my team today!! In our first game I was able to go 2-2 with two home runs. I am excited to be back on the field again tomorrow!! @NEGoldVance @MidwestPremierS @NebraskaGold

[Gretna Dragons Softball @GretnaSoftball]

Let's try this again with a date change!!

Dragon Youth Softball Camp 2026🥎

May 26th & 27th this summer!

See the flyer below for more information. We can’t wait to see you! #CLC

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

Today we introduce #21 Reagan Glassburner out of Waverly High School. A 2028 graduate that plays multiple positions including pitcher and never gets cheated when she swings the bat!

[Dr K Softball Psychologist @DrK_Softball]

Mental Game Monday

Making Use of the In-Betweens

For those that have been following along, the guidance of: make as many decisions as you can ahead of time is foundational for this week’s Monday.

On game day, the brain’s reserve of decision-juice is limited, and it is best to save that decision-juice for game time. For the travel-ballers, athletes will have their pool play schedules a few days before competition, and bracket play can set up several if/then scenarios. The mindful athlete can pre-decide hydration, nutrition, rest, and recovery plans during those breaks - and during some of those back-to-back-to-back games, plan for pre-during-and post games. (PS - if able, change socks as often as fashion and time allows, but maybe not if sharing the team van).

There is more to the mental game than rest, hydration, nutrition, and clean socks - teammates that trust each other, know each others’ skills, have confidence in their teammates’ abilities to execute the athletic play. Getting to know each, and trust each other, helps a team perform.

So during those in-between-times, between games, or weather delays, or waiting for the game in front of to finish - that can be thoughtful, planned-out, mental-game-enhancing, team building. The challenge will be finding the mix-and-match when some teammates need rest, others hydration, others need warming up/prep time: the mindful athlete knows what they need to be doing during the in-betweens, and works with teammates with similar goals.

I had the good fortune to encounter such a group in the wild at an indoor tournament recently. Some needed rest, others some hydration, a few were keeping active, and a couple were game-planning the upcoming contest. At their request - here is part of a team working on their mindful in-betweens. I’ll leave it to them to tag the athletes in the photo.

[Olivia Wenz @Olivia_wenz6]

The weekend can’t come soon enough! Come check out my team and I play this weekend!⭐️🌟⭐️ @NEGoldVance @mwestsoftball @MidwestPremierS @PrepSoftball

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

#18 Kim Starkovich is next on our countdown. Kim goes to Gretna High School and excels in the circle and with the bat in her hand. Also, a newly crowned State Champion on the Gretna Power Lifting team!

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

Next on our player countdown is #17 Ellie Hampton out of Hershey High School. Another new addition to our team this year that we are excited to have join us!

[Morgan Tiedeman @MoTiedeman22]

Can't wait to play with this group of girls. Graphic for summer schedule!!

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

Here to Celebrate our Athletes who show Strength, Passion and Hard Work for the game of Softball on National Girls and Women in Sports day! #PlayLikeAGirl #GoldDNA

[NE Gold Vance 16U @NEGoldVance]

Today we celebrate #15, Olivia Wenz! Incredible range at First Base with a sweet and smooth lefty swing. New to our team out of Millard West High School and excited to have her. #GoldDNA