The Fearless Warrior Podcast

022: Cultivating Champions on the Diamond with Amanda Scarborough

• Amanda Schaefer, Amanda Scarborough

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Amanda Scarborough is an ESPN softball analyst and founder of Pitching Angel. She  joins us this week to share her story and insights about what it takes to be a top-tier pitcher. From dealing with intense pressure to finding therapeutic solace in writing, Amanda delves into her personal journey, sharing how she became an inspiration for pitchers everywhere.

In this episode, Amanda talks about the emotional roller-coaster athletes ride during their careers, emphasizing the importance of parental support and the space to voice their struggles. We also celebrate the resilience it takes to bounce back from setbacks, as Amanda recounts how her college team transformed a sophomore slump into back-to-back World Series appearances. 

If you are a parent looking for guidance for your pitcher, check out Amanda's free training session: 15 Things Every Softball Pitcher's Parent Must Know:

https://www.pitching-angel.com/15-things

Episode Highlights:

  • How Amanda dealt with the pressure of pitching
  • How she overcame her doubts about her height
  • How Amanda overcame a sophomore slump to lead her team to the World Series
  • How parents can best support their athletes

Connect with Amanda:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda9scarborough

Instagram @amandascarborough

https://www.pitching-angel.com/

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Fearless Warrior podcast, a place for athletes, coaches and parents who know the value of a strong mindset. I'm your host, coach AB, a mental performance coach on a mission, former softball coach, wife and mom of three. Each episode, we will dive deep into all things mental performance, mindset tools and how to rewire the brain for success. So if your goal is to gain the mental edge and learn the secrets of mental performance, you're in the right place. Let's tune in to today's episode.

Speaker 1:

Amanda Scarborough is an ESPN softball analyst and founder of Pitching Angel. As a two-time All-American pitcher for Texas A&M, she has had quite the career with Big 12 Player of the Year, big 12 Pitcher of the Year, the Texas A&M Hall of Fame. She got to play in two women's college world series and now she gets to announce them on TV. She also gets to call Little League Softball an athlete's unlimited softball and called over 100 games this year on ESPN networks. In her spare time, she has been a pitching coach since 2009 and founded Pitching Angel in 2019. I'd love that. She's been sharing and inspiring all of us with her posts, her resources and her programs, and now I get to share our conversation with you. Let's tune in to today's episode. Amanda, welcome to the Fearless Warrior podcast.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thanks, it's great to be here.

Speaker 1:

I am so excited to have a conversation with you and talk all things mentality and pitching and I know you're ESPN announcing and all the things that you're doing. Can you give us a quick look?

Speaker 2:

What are you up to these days? Yeah, anything. If I sit by somebody on an airplane and they ask me what I do, I say pretty much anything related to softball, which I never would have thought that I'd be in this position when I was playing. But here we are. So I have all kinds of pitching online training through my company called Pitching Angel that I've posted about pitching since I got done playing like back in 2009, 2010. But that everything involved with Pitching Angel and posting online, and then my ESPN schedule, which this past year or in 2023, I called over 100 games between college softball and athletes unlimited, so professional softball and then also little league softball and the little league softball World Series. So those two things definitely keep me really busy.

Speaker 1:

That's an interesting piece of it too, because I think your evolution of when you started writing. Can you take us all the way back to that, amanda, where did that desire to write come from?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so probably the year after I got done playing, so in 2009 and 2010, I started traveling a lot, whether it's for the few ESPN games that I called or to see friends I just found myself on an airplane a lot and so I just started writing, like I would think of something and like I think people would want to hear about this and I would write a blog about it, or this is how I felt and I'm going to write about it because I think other people probably feel the same way too when they're pitching or an experience that they're going through, and I would get questions in my Facebook inbox or in an email when people would find me, and then I would just write about those things because they'd be common questions that I would get all the time.

Speaker 2:

I'm like, wow, I guess this is something that a lot of people want to hear about, and so it was therapeutic for me, honestly, to put all my thoughts on paper and I still love writing to this day Like I just love getting lost in words and sharing experiences and, even more importantly, putting words down on paper that I know will help other people get through a hard time, a challenge, feeling isolated you know whatever it is Like, if my words can help someone feel like there's hope or feel like they're not alone, then that's what motivated me back then to write those blogs and put out a ton of information online in the written word.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and I've loved following your journey and your stories. For those of you guys that may not know, we'll share her socials at the end, but definitely a huge advocate for the game Talk about. You know your love for pitching and your love for sharing and impacting. The story of being 5'5", I know, is something that you share. A lot about having that thought that anything is possible for you and don't let outside influence change how you view yourself. Can you take us back to little Amanda, your evolution and that kind of story that you've taken on to help inspire others?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, oh my gosh, there's so much to it. So when I was little I mean the first like travel team that I played on I was the youngest one and for sure the smallest one and I wanted to pitch because I liked it. I was the one that, like, had gotten volunteered on my you know, first team where you needed a pitcher to be the pitcher. But there was a mom on this first travel team that told my parents like she's never going to make it, and my mom and her still friends to this day now, being 37 years old. And that was like when I was nine, I think, or 10, they still laugh about it and I actually played with her at A&M. I needed to play in travel ball with her and like 18U and 16U with her daughter. So I it's just funny how that happens but I was always a little bit smaller and besides that, that moment of being, you know my mom being told that I wasn't going to make it, I just kind of stayed in my own lane Like I never, I never really thought that I was smaller. I didn't compare myself or I just didn't look to other girls really to their size, and I don't know how that ended up working out because I never really considered myself a smaller pitcher until I was done playing, and I made this slow motion video through the softball power drive that has millions of views on it on YouTube. It's a slow motion video. You can see my mechanics and we made that video and, like I knew I was five foot five but other people pointed out to me when I got done playing, more than I realized it myself, god bless.

Speaker 2:

I didn't realize that this was something that people noticed about me, but it was something that I took on, that I was a smaller pitcher, being 5'5, and could throw 69, 70 miles an hour, and I was really lucky that I had amazing pitching coaches, probably from like 6, 7th, 8th and 9th grade.

Speaker 2:

That was the most transformative period for me and my pitching coach, coach Jill, taught me efficient, biomechanically sound mechanics that, like back in 2000 and 1999, like this was not being talked about because it just really wasn't but she taught me these mechanics that helped me get the most out of my body and so, god, I'm just so thankful for them and her and the coaches that I had growing up, because now I get to teach those mechanics to other girls to help keep them more healthy, to help get them get the most out of their bodies. And now, amanda, all these small pitchers look up to me and I never would have thought like when I was their age, or in high school or even in college, like I just didn't consider myself small. But now that is something that young girls and their parents look up to me for as an inspiration for smaller pitchers, and like I just didn't think that it would become this. But I really think that YouTube video kind of changed everything.

Speaker 1:

That's an awesome video too. And how cool is it that you get to coach now with girls all across the country virtually. Which has changed for us? Right 2000s, online training was not a thing, right Like? I remember calling softballcom and calling to put in your credit card. Like website, like online ordering for physical gear wasn't even really a thing. So now to think that we're training online is really cool. Can you kind of talk about? Talk about that of like, what does the day in the life look like? You know, you just trained or just filmed some more, more videos inside your program with Pitching Angel and you've got a lot of exciting things. Can you kind of talk about, like, why are you so passionate about that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we talked about me blogging, like right after I got done playing and I got my Facebook page back in like 2010. And this is like for a Facebook like page where you post and share content and put up videos like 2010,. Like that really wasn't happening. Like YouTube was like very early, there was no Instagram, no TikTok, no Snapchat. So, like not only was I blogging, but I started just to make teaching type videos and, like 2010, 2011, 2012, to be able to just put out content like hey, I thought of this drill, hey, I thought about this, about how important it is for a picture to have presence while she's in the circle and body language. And being a little like I just started to make a lot of content to put out because people really liked it. So my motivation was like I saw people tuning in and watching these videos and the views on them going up and the comments being like hey, this really helped to me and it just motivated me to continue to put out more.

Speaker 2:

Before I had online courses, before I even traveled around and did clinics with the package deal. Like I just loved putting out information for people that I knew was helping them. Like it was addicting to me and it still is now, because I still can't believe that like I'm the person that can help people. Like I just don't think of myself like that, but it like just makes me feel good to know that stuff that I put out really genuinely can help a picture or parents and our journey.

Speaker 2:

And ultimately, amanda, ultimately, like I just want pictures to pitch as long as possible, like when I think about my mission, like I don't want pictures to quit and to give up, because there were many times that I wanted to give up, because pitching is incredibly hard for a lot of different mental and physical reasons, but I want a picture to continue pitching for as long as she possibly possibly can, because pitching and everything that you learn from it changed my life and I know that it can change other people's lives. And so, like when you really get down to it about why blog, why I put out videos, course, what, like whatever it is, it's because I don't want a girl to give up and I want her to keep going and get everything she possibly can out of pitching, because I know it can transform her life and her mindset.

Speaker 1:

Speak louder I love it so much. Talk about some of those trials and, I think, a lot of the times on social media. It's glamorized and it's highlight reels. What are some of the struggles that you've had to overcome to get to where you are?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I mean I was not the number one pitcher on my team probably until early to late high school. So I mean I went from like the number four pitcher when I was at an elementary school and then probably the number three, number two, like in middle school and the number like even when I was a freshman in sophomore, like I pitched behind somebody on my varsity team who was really good. So I think just not being that number one pitcher was something that I like always just made me work a little bit harder and I would get down in a sense of like not getting to pitch the championship game, not getting to pitch as many big games, you know, like in the tournaments, as maybe I wanted to, and you compound that with just pitching being really hard. And so there were, you know, a couple of times. I remember being in my garage after a tournament with my parents and just literally hauling, like not knowing if I wanted to do it anymore because, yes, I loved it but yes, it just made me so stressed and I really felt the pressure as a pitcher, no matter how old I was. I mean I felt it in college. I still feel it. That's just who I am. I'm like more anxiety driven, I'm just like my core. So like I just remember crying and crying and crying and thinking that I wanted to quit and literally telling my parents that like I don't know if I want to do this anymore.

Speaker 2:

In terms of pitching, like I was a hit or two I think people forget that Like I was a pitcher who also hit in the everyday lineup until the last game that I ever played. Like so I felt pressures from both sides, but pitching was where I just ended up, you know, after I got done playing, feeling my passion and just the most strive for. But because I was a pitcher hitter, I just felt it. I just wanted to give up pitching, just be a hitter, play the field, whatever. And my parents would just always say like I let's just take some time, give it a week or 10 days or whatever it was.

Speaker 2:

And like that was the biggest thing that they could have ever done for me was not say, well, you signed up to do this, so we're going to have to finish it. Yes, they, you know, they pushed me. Like we're going to finish our commitments. But there was always light at the end of the tunnel, like okay, once we finish this commitment, then let's reevaluate Once we take this break, because we can right now. Let's reevaluate if you want to come back to it. And I always felt like, you know, that step away always brought me right back to okay. I was just a little bit stressed, I was a little bit emotional, like I'm ready to go out and practice again. So I had, yeah, all the challenging moments of crying, like just feeling like didn't want it, I wanted to quit and not do it anymore. Happen, I would say, a good assault, like those solid breakdowns to maybe three times, like when I was growing up.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and that was my next question is what's your advice for parents in that situation and you kind of hit on a big one? Is it's okay to take a break and don't make an emotional decision when you're in that state, and to kind of step back is huge?

Speaker 2:

It's so easy to, and I think parents just want to support their child.

Speaker 2:

It's like, oh, she wants to quit.

Speaker 2:

Okay, like we're quitting, like whatever you want, but like I do think time heals everything and so with that time, you either decide you want to go back to it and obviously the heart just goes back to what it loves, right or you find you know, like we've given it some time, and I still kind of feel the same about this and I think it's time that I find something else that I love to do.

Speaker 2:

So I think, just giving the space and giving your, your child, an outlet to be able to know that she has a break, to be able to know that she's not forced into a corner and like has to do something that she doesn't necessarily want to do, and just to have a voice, right, like my parents probably asked me, do you want to break? And I said yes, versus you're taking a break, or like tell, like talking to a pitcher and instead, or an athlete and instead giving them a voice to be able to say I need a break or yes, or answer the word yes, I need a break, like giving a pitcher, an athlete, a voice. I think is incredibly important, and that's that's how I work my training, that's how, if I had, if I have children like that's how I would want to to parent them too is to make sure that they have a voice and everything that they do. It's important.

Speaker 1:

Awesome, and parents that are listening to this. How can you ask more questions? Is what I'm hearing is amazing advice. I love that, yeah, so so let's fast forward to you. You know you're getting recruited. Talk about the second evolution of you know going from travel and high school to then college. Talk about that journey and what that was like for you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I was an early commitment because I mean back in 2003, probably 2002, it was like unheard of to commit to a school before your senior year. So I was one of the first actually, and I probably think I don't know, maybe other people say that too but I genuinely believe I was one of the first to early commit. Around that time period was when it was first starting to happen a little bit to A&M, and so I committed my junior year and then signed my senior year and going into college. I remember my parents were so great because they're like look, when you get to A&M, everybody's going to be good and we think you're really good.

Speaker 2:

But if you don't start as a freshman or play right out of the gate, like know that it's okay, everybody is really good. So don't let that deter you. Or like get you down, go out, work your hardest. Whatever role that you have as a freshman, like just roll with it. You know, just give your all to that role and know that this, that's kind of the norm. Like you go to college and maybe early in your career you don't play, and then you earn that opportunity, your junior and your senior year. I was like okay, great, no pressure, all for it.

Speaker 2:

So I go into A&M and as a freshman I start and I pitched the first game of the season and I throw a no hitter and then from that moment on with just like an insane freshman year that I had at A&M but I seriously think it all stemmed from that fall and going into the spring just not feeling like I had any pressure, not feeling like my parents weren't going to be there for me, like that they were expecting me to start and if I didn't, that they were going to be mad or I let them down Like I truly believe that I could just go out and play with no expectations, entering the season and then throughout the season.

Speaker 2:

And so I was big 12 player the year and freshman of the year and I think that was the only player in the big 12 ever to have been able to do that. And I swear it's because my parents and Joe Evans, my coach at A&M, I mean super supportive but just let me play and I didn't think too much about it. So I just got to be my best and play free.

Speaker 1:

And was that even on your radar? Being player of the year and pitcher of the year and all of these accolades it wasn't really something that you were working towards. You just were going out with no expectations and no pressure.

Speaker 2:

Not at all. I didn't even know that there was a big 12 player the year, like I didn't even know that these were things. And I still remember coach Evans calling me to tell me that I was an all American that year after the season was done and you know they're announced at the World Series and we didn't make it to the World Series that year. So I remember getting the call and like I literally didn't even know that that was a possibility for me, like just so naive. But it really helped me to play like that and not think about again anxiety, like I feel the pressures and expectations, like I just can feel that stuff.

Speaker 2:

And my freshman year I didn't. But my sophomore year I did and it was a totally different year for me. That was not nearly as good. It was still solid to a normal person standard, but my batting average dropped 100 points. My era went up from like literally my era. My freshman year was like 0.7 or 0.8 or something. Then it went up to like over two and my batting average went from like 400 to 300.

Speaker 1:

So totally different year with expectations that I felt now that I knew what everything was all about and what are some of those lessons that you gained from those you know in the moment and even now, years later?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, hitting wise I, I, they just knew my vulnerability, so I should have worked on that over the summer. And then pitching wise like to not take. You have to add something, you have to change yourself every single year to become a little bit better. Because I was like, wow, I mean, why would I, why would I change anything? I throw 70,. I threw up and in on right-handed hitters hands like they weren't expecting my speed, like they, they just weren't expecting any of that. So I'm like great, let's just do that again, like rinse and repeat my sophomore year and everybody was expecting it and I didn't have anything new to show them. So I was just getting by with being okay but not being great, not excelling, just kind of surviving and not thriving the way that I did my freshman year.

Speaker 1:

Awesome, that's great advice. Well and I think a lot of the times is, we don't realize what goes on behind the scenes of film and scouting reports and everything that comes with that level of play.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's a lot, especially now. Back then we didn't have to deal with it as much, but now the the pitchers and the hitters and the teams and the coaches just have so much to deal with with Preparing their team for a game, a tournament, a series. It's a lot.

Speaker 1:

It's a lot, a lot so talk about your experience in the college world series as a player, and Then we could even talk about what it's like to be on the other side as an analyst and an announcer. What like talk about the magic of the women's college world series?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So after that really bad sophomore year, our team kicked it into gear the next year. Like our whole team kind of went through a slump. My sophomore year Like it was just not an Amanda thing. It was like we were all just in this funk. So as a team, you know, we came together at the end of the year and entered my junior year. There was a good core of us that were all in the same class and we entered as upperclassmen, as junior, and we're like we're not letting that happen again.

Speaker 2:

And so we had a great year, you know, ended up like being ranked in the top 10 and then we ended up making it to the World Series for the first time in 20 years at a man and hadn't been to the World Series since back in the 80s and so we made it in 2007 and it was actually the 20 year anniversary, I'm thinking, the last time that they went and we went to and out. But we were stoked to make it there, because when you are, when you are playing in college, and you make it to the World Series, it truly seems like your seasons goals have come to fruition, like just making it to the World Series is Unbelievable. Winning. It is just like next level. I don't know what that feels like, because my senior year we finished just second runner-up so we went back to back years, junior year to and out. Senior year, made it all the way to the finals and we just ended up losing to Arizona State. But that that just goes to show like how hard it is to play on that stage, going to and out.

Speaker 2:

That happens a lot to first-time teams when they get there, because the Pressures and the field and all the people are just nothing that you've ever seen or played in front of before, like there's just nothing else like it, and so it's really common for teams to play tight, for them to just be out of character there, because Everything that you're experiencing is brand new and that happens your whole career growing up, right, like the first time that you experience a situation in a game or in high school or at a different level, like it's new to you.

Speaker 2:

So you have to learn how to react, you have to learn how to play in front of those pressures. But if you've never experienced it before, it just is treated as a good experience for when you move forward and you get to experience it the next time you're going to be better and that's why my senior year we ended up finishing runner-up and losing to Arizona State. But very different from to and out and very different to experience it, that second year in a row and knowing, knowing what it's all about, knowing what it's going to feel like and and I don't know just having that In your back pocket that you've been there before.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely does your heart go out, as on the other side, as you know, working at the college world series and getting to interview these athletes, and you can see and feel and empathize exactly what they're going through, of course.

Speaker 2:

Like I know what it's like when I see either a senior or a freshman go out there for the first time and give up you know five runs in their first inning or something I'm not like. Well, what happened here? Like I'm, you didn't expect this. Like it's like no, like you kind of do expect it. What you don't expect is if they go out there like a nice recanonated last year and they perform even better than they did in the regular season, like that's what is Not as expected.

Speaker 2:

You're more so expected, I think, to to fail on that stage or art, to just not quite be yourself and just Take a little bit of time to get used to it as the tournament goes on. At that first game, like I feel all the feels that they felt or that they are feeling, like I know what they're going through. I mean, I still think about and get butterflies in my stomach. And to Amanda, like my junior year I got to be out there in pitch in my senior year. I was hurt my entire senior year. So I have a different perspective too of like being there in plane, being there and being on a team that goes far, but being injured and having a completely different role which, again, when I think back, like at every point my career, I've just had so many ups and downs and I truly feel like I go through. I've been through just about everything that you can go through as a player, at all different levels.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. And now what would you end? This is kind of a question that we asked towards end, but we're not done yet. But I this perfectly, you teed it up perfectly. What would be, amanda of now? Go back and tell the Amanda back then if you could give her a piece of advice.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so easy. Quit taking yourself so seriously. It's not as big of a deal as what you're making out to be, because ever like I just was and even my friends laugh with me about it who I played with like I am such a different person now than what I was when I played. It's because I was so close to it. I put so much pressure on myself, probably didn't talk to people about what I was feeling as much as I should have, or even knowing that that was something that I could have done. Like I think just having an outlet and getting your feels out and getting your emotions out and talking to somebody would have helped, but just kind of kept it all bottled up inside and then it came out as just like a more stressed version that wasn't as much fun. Now I'm a lot more fun, I'm a lot more cool. Not that I wasn't like a good friend then or anything, but I just was more uptight is probably the word. So just not to take it like so seriously.

Speaker 1:

Relax a little bit and have more fun on the journey.

Speaker 2:

Have more fun, yes, but anyway I will say it was hard like going from not having any expectations of myself to them, my freshman year having all that success. Like then I just kind of felt like I carry that burden every single year after that, every single game after that. Now I was the one that I'd show up to the game and everybody knew who I was. Versus my freshman year, I nobody knew who I was. Like I just got to go out and surprise people and I love surprising people like that. I love, of course, the underdog, but I just love surprising people in different ways of things that they don't expect of me. Like I really like doing that, and so it was just had to be a different version of myself or learn a new version of me as I went on in my college career.

Speaker 1:

And now, as you know where you're at in your journey, getting to share that story, getting to again going back to the first part of this of why wouldn't you share that? Why wouldn't you give people behind the scenes? And how authentic you are when you're sharing your struggles, your joys, your stories, the things that you laugh at now, and getting to kind of point that out to the girls who are in the trenches, they're in the thick of it, they're having those thoughts that you experienced.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I want them to know that they're not alone when they think it and feel it Like I think, as a athlete and really as a pitcher, you feel really alone at times.

Speaker 2:

I mean, you're in the circle by yourself in the hardest moments of the game and everybody's looking at you to perform, and so, whether it's in game, at practice, off the whatever it is like you, you just carry that with you.

Speaker 2:

And so I think, as a pitcher especially like you can feel alone and you don't think that anybody has ever given up three home runs in a game before or ever walked in two runs in an inning before, and it's like it's happened, like you are not the first person to go through this, and so that's a big reason why I created Pitching Angel in 2019. Just the idea and the feel and the brand of it is because I was already talking and leaning more that way of like hey, you're not alone, You're, I'm with you. Like your parents are with you, your team is with you, like you're not alone. So just creating that brand to make a conscious reminder to pitchers and their families that, like you're not alone, you're good, it will be okay. Anything that you've gone through, somebody else has gone through before you and that should give you a little bit of comfort in itself, knowing that you're not alone.

Speaker 1:

Tell us more about that, because I love your branding and I know on your website fly high and confidence and there's so much more than just the physical side. I would be doing a disservice if we didn't get into that a little bit today of the mentality. Talk to us about why pitching Angel you alluded to it a little bit.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, I think, because my mom really likes Angels, I probably already had it in the back of my head and when I would go out to pitch at a young I mean, my mom just always is, like then, attracted to Angels, like the figurines, the dream sickles, I think, is what they're called like all like all kind of anything related to Angels, and my mom is just always loved it, and so she would always go and tell me your Angels, or she would tell you, don't forget, your Angels are with you when you're out there pitching.

Speaker 2:

And so at the time, you know, when I was young, like yeah, okay, whatever, mom, but I guarantee that when she told me that it did, in the back of my mind, give me a little bit of comfort. And so when I was thinking about you know what to call a pitching brand that would make others feel good, I mean Angel definitely popped into my mind of, just because I think just the idea whether you're religious or not, I think that the idea of just an Angel kind of does make you just feel a little good, like it just kind of is uplifting and just can remind you that, whether it's you're thinking about your parents being with you or your pitching coach or the actual Angels being with you, that you're not alone and that you have support.

Speaker 1:

I love that. Now that we have the backstory, do you share that inside your, your memory, like, how do you describe that to your, your members and the girls that you coach?

Speaker 2:

You know I did when I first like came out with it and like announced it and maybe, like on the anniversaries of my like first day, I would say it would be November 1st 2019. So 1119, which the Angel number is one just as a side note and that's a total accident. Like that was not planned. But so just yeah, just really, unlike the times where you're kind of celebrating the past and creating it is when I bring it up. I probably should bring it up a little bit more.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I love the Angel number reference, yeah. So I know you've got a lot coming up and by the time that this airs it will be 2024. What's next for pitching, angel, give us you know what's what's to come. What? How can we get involved? And especially for the pitchers we have a lot of pitchers that come into our programs just simply by the nature of that position. What's what's next?

Speaker 2:

So the very next thing is that I have a free training on January 15th and it's 15 things every supple pitchers parent must know. So I'm going back through things that people have asked me over the course of 15 years, things that my parents taught me, just things that I hear from from other parents about things that they wish they would have known, you know, when they were just starting out with their pitcher and I'm just collectively bringing 15 things every supple pitchers parent must know and that will be a free event on January 15th. Then, moving forward, I look to continue to do more, probably like a week or a monthly free event. That will just be a little bit different, have a different theme, but it's a way to connect with the community and teach. That's not through blogs or just a video, but we're we have like that, live connection.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, educate and empower, so we'll. We'll definitely want to grab that link from you. We'll post it below in the show notes when else were you most active? And? And we'll link your socials below what. What would be the best place for somebody to follow?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So my Facebook page is probably the most I don't know. I feel like it's like my baby, since I've had it for so long, and I feel like that's just where I tend to gravitate to the most. So, Amanda Scarborough, softball pitching angel, you can type that in. It'll come up and then I'm on Instagram to you at pitching angel and TikTok at pitching angel.

Speaker 2:

But I'm telling you, Facebook is like my real jam and I think that I just like really connect with the parents too. That's why I'm especially excited about this event on January 15th. I mean, I love pitchers, don't get me wrong but I feel like there's so much room for growth and understanding in the pitchers parent realm, Because a lot of parents I think Amanda get they get scared to talk to their daughter about pitching and you play such an important role in pitching can be super intimidating and you don't want to mess her up and I get that. But I just like helping parents because I think that they, too, don't know how strong they are to be able to help their own daughter through a tough thing like pitching.

Speaker 1:

So I'm going to show them different ways and even if your daughter gives you the eye rolls, or even if you don't think she's listening, she's listening, she is listening. Yes, oh, this has been amazing. I really appreciate your time and I can't wait to hear you and see you on ESPN and all of the games you'll be broadcasting and just continue to see the evolution of pitching angel and the way that you are growing. The game is incredible.

Speaker 2:

Well, that leads to a good point Watch softball on TV. There's so much softball on TV these days, like be sure that you watch it. It starts in February, it goes through June at the World Series, and then there's professional softball with athletes unlimited in the summer. There's so much softball to watch and to be able to learn, so make sure that you tune in.

Speaker 1:

Yes, for sure, amanda, thank you so much. Yeah, thank you.

People on this episode

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Amanda Schaefer

Host