The annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association convention, initially planned to be held in Dallas, Texas, is going virtual thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set to run from December 9-11, the convention will include both live and pre-recorded content from dozens of college coaches, as well as others. Several aspects of the annual convention have been converted to a virtual format and will still take place, albeit in a new fashion. The informal, topic-specific Fireside Chats will return, as do Divisional caucuses and breakout sessions.
A new segment being introduced to the virtual convention is the Down the Hallway series, which will feature various softball coaches chatting with top coaches in other sports at their respective schools. Illinois head softball coach Tyra Perry’s chat with Illini football coach Lovie Smith and South Carolina’s Beverly Smith sitting down with women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley are highlights of this featured series.
Scheduled to debut early in the virtual convention are two dad-and-daughter presentations. Texas head coach Mike White and his daughter Nyree headline Pitching the New Zealand Way, while Marty Tyson of the Corona Angels and his daughter Tori, the head coach at Howard, present Hitting Instruction from Travel Ball to College
Other highlighted presentations include Learn from the Legends, a sit-down with Mike Candrea and Carol Hutchins, as well as Developing Olympians¸ featuring Heather Tarr and four of her Washington alumni who have gone on to lengthy careers on their respective national teams.
In total, the virtual convention will include more than 100 speakers. That number includes individual presenters, as well as those who will it on various panel discussions and a handful who will participate as speakers at the annual Softball Summit event mid-convention.
The NFCA previously announced that the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 – consisting of Donna Fields (St. Mary’s), Kris Herman (Williams College), and Heinz Mueller (Phoenix College) – will be honored and officially inducted at the 2021 convention, which will take place in Las Vegas. The Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will be announced at the virtual convention and will also be officially inducted in Las Vegas next year.
