April- may 2015
Volume 1
Issue 2
KC’S CORNER
Spring has sprung!!!
IG Spring Training is a strict, very highly technical, technique driven, time of year
along with team building. We begin the spring with the focus on high repetitions of our
fielding and hitting drills.
Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz
NEW MAJOR SPONSOR
COMING SOON…….
#impactstrong
Defense: Focus on IG infield snatch drills, backhand/ forehand snatch and
IG Power Line snatch-to double shuffle (my favorite),
 Field grounders on your glove side of your fielding stance
 “Snatch” the ball from the ground to your throwing position
 Quick double shuffle down your power line (which should be drawn on the
ground)
Defense: Focus on IG outfield scoop drills, left drop route snatch, right drop route
Snatch.
 Field grounders on your glove side of your stance. Lead with your glove foot
 Scoop the ball from your glove foot to your throwing should as fast as you can
 Quick power shuffle down your power line.
Balls should be hit soft toss to medium speed to allow more focus on technique and
reps.
Hitting: Main focus should be on the 4 vision points and hitting the ball up the
middle. Slappers will work on hitting power slaps on the ground but up the middle.
Individual
Highlights:
Franks Frontline 2
Houston
2
Austin & WTX
3
ETX & STX
4
ASK KC
5
Hotel Info
6
4 vision points:
 See the release (This is where most pitchers tip pitches)
 Pick up the spin (ball will always travel in the direction of the spin)
 Read the break (eyes should follow the movement)
 See the contact (eyes should see the bat hit the ball)
Hitting:
 Focus on using your up the middle point of contact
 Inside-out swings (drive inside pitches up the middle)
 Measure bat speed (this you allow you to track efficiency)
Technique perfection, is the key for the Spring training through the end
of May.
~KC Jackson
BE THE IMPACT!!!
FRANK’S FRONTLINE
SAY WHAT?
Thought I would share a few of my favorite sports quotes:
“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These
qualities are so much more important than the events that occur." -Vince Lombardi
“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or
having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” – Hank Aaron
“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a
hard to find alloy called guts.” – Dan Gable
“Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do…but I think you have to. You have to
believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there. ”
– Venus Williams
HOUSTON AREA
Hello from the Houston Area!!
Our Houston Area teams are gearing up for a great summer!
Let’s start with our 10 U team; IG-Rojas is playing and getting prepared for qualifiers coming up this
summer.
Our 12 U teams are in FULL SWING playing in quality local and regional tournaments to prepare for
these top ranked Nationals they will be attending. The Houston Area is so excited that our 12U
teams are working and getting better every weekend. Keep up the great work players and coaches.
All of our 12U teams are attending this year’s Colorado and I’m so excited for our teams to be able
to meet up with IG teams from other areas and states.
Let’s shift to our 14U teams! SHOUT OUT!! We have an exciting announcement about one of our
14U pitchers; Maddie Lindsey. She recently committed to the University of Baylor. We are so
proud of you Maddie!! Our 14U teams are slowly coming back from high-school ball. I cannot wait
to get out to all of our 14U practices and see these talented kids and set our recruiting plans for the
summer. Our 16U teams are not quite up and running, but I can report that our girls are kicking but
in high school. Weather its over 500 batting averages, double digits strikeout games, or BOMBS!!
Our 16’s are representing the Impact Gold name well!!
Our 18U Teams are getting geared up! Some of our 18U teams have started practicing on Sundays.
Their enthusiasm is pretty amazing to see, these young athletes are chomping at the bit to get on
the field.
Many of our Houston area teams are looking for a few key players to help to feel key spots this
summer, if you know of any players looking in any age 10U+ please contact me by email or phone!
Jazz Jackson
Houston Area Director
(832) 840-2527
[email protected]
BE THE IMPACT!
AUSTIN AREA
Austin area has been preparing for Nationals
Favorite Quote of
Wesley Jacobs.
by playing in some tough competitive
tournaments such as the ASA Challenge series
and the Bomber Shootout.
Also, the high school teams are meeting once
a month to go over basic training and Impact
Gold field strategies.
-Wesley Jacobs
Courage is what it
takes to stand up
and speak; courage
is also what it takes
to sit down and
listen.
Area Coordinator- Austin
[email protected]
-Winston Churchill
512-433-9450
WEST TEXAS AREA
Hello Impact Gold!
Here in West Texas all teams are working very hard
on the field and at the gym doing speed and agility drills
taking many cuts off the tee and taking the right steps to
obtaining a birth to the National Tournament.
Recently, we hosted the Slide into Spring tournament
and five out of our seven teams were in attendance. It was
great meeting all the new coaches, players and parents that
are in WTX IG. All IG teams represented well in all of the
age divisions.
SHOUT OUT!! I would like to highlight Brooklyn
Casper with 14U IG Gammons!!
She hit her first homerun in the Slide into Spring
tournament and hit a Grand Slam in the same
tournament.
-Jeremy Franco
Area Coordinator – West Texas
[email protected]
BE THE IMPACT!
1-806-544-8394
Favorite Quote of
Jeremy Franco!
"Sportsmanship for me
is when a guy walks off
the court and you really
can't tell whether he
won or lost, when he
carries himself with
pride either way."
- Jim Courier
EAST TEXAS AREA
Soggy Greetings from East Texas!!
We are learning to play a new brand of water logged softball in East
Texas complete with snorkels and fins!!! As we currently go through the
wettest spring over the past couple of decades, we find ourselves hitting,
hitting, and then hitting some more.
So far, 2 of the 3 scheduled tournaments that our 10U team has had
scheduled were rained out, and we have only been able to get onto the field
twice. Several of our high school age players also lost 4-5 games prior to
starting district play due to weather, so they are 12-15 at bats less than where
they should be against live pitching.
Our 12U team traveled to Dallas recently to escape the rain and was
greeted by…you guessed it, a rain delay. However, the extra hitting work will
pay off. If we are behind in any area, it is hitting technique, so the extra
hitting focus over the past 6 weeks is sure to prove beneficial in June and July.
SHOUT OUT!! Perfect Game Alert! Camryn Rucker (2017 RHP / Impact Gold
Tatum 16U / Elkhart, TX) – Camryn pitched a perfect game on April 7th
notching 21 K’s as her high school team defeated Onalaska in district
competition 6-0. Camryn has led her team to a 22-1 season record to go
along with a current #7 state ranking in Class 3A.
-Shane Tatum
[email protected]
Area Coordinator – East Texas
936-414-4681
WELCOME SOUTH TEXAS!!!
The former Corpus Christi Pride Organization proudly joins the Impact Gold
umbrella effective April 1.
10 former Corpus Christi Pride teams will now be Impact Gold STX.
The Area Coordinator of the Impact Gold STX organization is Tony Elizondo.
Tony Brings 10 strong teams to Impact Gold including 2 time World Series
Champions Pride STX now Impact Gold STX Trevino 8U who captured the USSSA
World Series in 2013 and the USFA World Series in 2014!!
Also in the IG STX family is State Champion Pride Platinum now Impact
Gold STX Elizondo 16u.
Tony Says he loves playing USSSA and he loved the Pride Organization but
realized in order to help his girls grow and get noticed, he needed to change and
follow a new system and all the research led him to following the Impact Gold
way.
Tony and the Impact Gold STX staff look forward to learning the Impact system
and with the help of KC and Frank, they hope to bring exposure to all the talented
young ladies in South Texas.
~Tony Elizondo
Area Coordinator – South Texas
‘BECOMING THE IMPACT’
361-944-2911
The Impact
system is
proven and
benefits kids
and that's what
I'm all about!!
Once I realized
that, I couldn't
get herE fast
enough!!
-Tony Elizondo
Question from a coach in Dallas:
Why do we have to buy our uniforms only from Impact Gold’s Website?
KC: Impact Gold has been around for over 30 years. We’ve spent many years developing our identity
(Organization colors) and brand (Logo). We MUST continue to secure our brand, which is trademarked, and
sustain our identity. Over the past couple of years, we’ve allowed IG teams to pick and buy their own
uniforms.
Somehow, teams have strayed away from our tradition.
Now, we are policing our brand very closely to ensure our continued National Recognition.
Question from a parent in Austin:
Can I change Impact teams?
KC: A commitment is commitment. We are teaching our players to honor their commitments and do what
they say they are going to do. But occasional a situation may arise that warrants a player to change teams.
Here are some reasons we would allow a player to change teams during the season:
1. Player has proven to be an elite player and the IG team she is currently on is not an elite team.
This is a case where the Area Coordinator or Program Director would approve that decision.
2. Mutual agreement between the 2 IG teams for the player transfer.
3. The player wants to move to an older age group within IG. (Player assessment is required prior to
approval)
4. The IG team folds or is no longer an IG team.
Question from parent in Houston:
I was told that the IG hitting philosophy is to hit homeruns or slap! My daughter is not a
slapper but doesn’t hit homeruns. Does this mean she’s not an Impact Gold type of hitter?
KC:
I gotta smile on this question! You are correct with our hitting philosophy….either we want a
Slap/ bunt or hit a homerun. This is solely on MENTALITY! Although some kids do not hit as
many homeruns as others, we want ALL IG players to have the same
“If it crosses the plate, I’m going to hit it over the fence” mentality.
Impact Gold is an ALL or NOTHING Organization.
Question from parent in Arizona:
My daughter is a very good hitter but struggles against slow pitchers. How do I get her to
be able hit all speeds of pitchers?
KC: I would start off by being absolutely sure you are using the “Impact Way” of hitting. Spend 70% of
your home training working on hitting outside pitches. This will allow her to focus on letting the ball get deep
in her stance and when facing a junk-ball pitcher, just tell your player to treat every pitch as an outside pitch.
Be sure to have your player communicate with her IG coach of this game plan prior to the game.
Your coaches’ game plan supersedes ALL OUTSIDE INSTRUCTIONS.
COMING SOON…
SKILLS VIDEOS!
Want to ASK KC a question?
Submit your questions to: [email protected]
Hotels and Car Rentals- Special Impact Gold Discounts!
Hello all, my name is Ray Coleman.
We want to let everyone know that Impact Gold has set up Discounted Travel for Hotels and Car Rental for our
Impact teams, parents, and individuals. We have made our website a “One Stop Traveling Resource”!
Not only will you save money you can choose which hotel you want, you can get free rooms and can get cash back
(depending on which hotel you choose). The savings will help your budget stretch farther.
Hotels:
Team Group bookings; only the Head Coach or designated person in charge obtaining group
rooms shall make inquires.
Personal: Anyone can use this site to make individual travel not related Impact Gold to save money and you are
encouraged to do so and even let family and friends know about this site.
Directions are easy to follow:
Go to www.impactgold.net website, click on the Reservations link and you will have access to all things related to
travel.
We have also set up 3 rental car choices to help everyone save money. (Avis, Budget and Hertz)
If you going to any National Tournaments, you need to book your car rentals ASAP before prices go up!
Thanks,
Ray Coleman
Be the Impact!
WEBSITE
INSIGHT
We wanted to take a moment to tell everyone THANK YOU! We have had great feedback
on the Website and this Newsletter!!
We are proud to be a part of Impact Gold Organization and are excited about the direction
we are growing! We would like to welcome Impact Gold South Texas (formerly Pride—Corpus Christi).
In a few words, it should accurately represent the contents of the story and draw readers into the story. Develop the
We have added a new tab to the home page call Individual Player Profiles. This allows for a searchable
headline before you write the story. This way, the
database by graduating year!
**Make sure you send in those Pictures for the Gallery Tab!!**
Please visit the Impact Gold Website at www.impactgold.net as we are consistently adding and changing the site.
The Impact Gold Store is now open for all --- Coaches, Players and Fans!!
Questions?? Email us at [email protected] . Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Buddy and Suzanne
“BE THE IMPACT!”
IMPACT GOLD MISSION STATEMENT
E-MAIL:
[email protected]
We’re on the Web!
..
See us at:
www.impactgold.net
Impact Gold is a National recognized Elite Softball Organization
representing teams from 10U through 18U. Our strong tradition of
preparing student athletes for college goes back over 30 years,
which includes countless NCAA D1 student-athletes, All-Americans,
Olympians, USA National Team members and NPF players. We strive
to cultivate the talent in every athlete, which allows each of them to
compete at the highest softball levels.
“BE THE IMPACT!!”, Is our motto.
It has as much to do with our view on life, as it does in our
accomplishments in softball. We strive to BE THE IMPACT wherever
we go. Our goal for each athlete is to make a positive IMPACT in the
lives of whoever they meet on or off the field.
BE THE IMPACT means being responsible for your own success.
BE THE IMPACT means you are accountable for positive actions.
BE THE IMPACT means…WE ARE THE IMPACT!!!