Catching Up with Rob Crews
ISSUE #05 · AUGUST 16, 2026 · ELITE IS A MENTALITY
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Hey there,
August is the month everybody says they're resting and nobody actually is. Pro softball is in the middle of its loudest stretch of the year, college coaches just handed out 250 verbals in seven days, and fall ball is four weeks out. So let's use it. Seven things worth your time below — two of them you can put into a cage session this week.
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WHAT I'M READING, WATCHING & TRAINING
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AUSL All-Star Cup Is Running Right Now
Forty-five pros, one city, four weeks in Rosemont. Teams get redrafted every series, so the matchups keep changing and nobody coasts. If your hitter has never watched pro softball with a purpose, this is the format to start with — the leaderboard makes every at-bat mean something.
AUSL · Open it ›
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Three Finalists for the First AUSL Gold Glove
Jadelyn Allchin, Alyssa Brito and Sydney Romero. Read what each one actually did — 54 putouts without an error, a .973 fielding percentage over 153 innings. Defense is a skill you can measure, and this is what elite looks like on paper.
Line Drive Media · Open it ›
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Momentum Is Emotional Before It's Physical
Ron Schmittling on what championship softball actually reveals: the gap between teams usually isn't talent, it's how fast they recover. Watch the dugout after an error, not the scoreboard. That's where the game gets decided.
Line Drive Media · Open it ›
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250 New Verbals in a Single Week
Coaches are locking down rosters before Sept. 1 opens the 2028 cycle. If you're a 2027 still on the market, understand what's happening around you — and if you're a parent, understand that the calendar is doing a lot of the talking right now.
Line Drive Media · Open it ›
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Two Strikes: Stop Shrinking the Swing
Coach Lisle makes the case I've been making for years — don't give away a third of your at-bat. Get on top of the plate, stop chasing, sit fast and adjust slow, and take the same hack. A hard swing and miss beats a weak ground ball almost every time.
The Hitting Vault · Open it ›
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Build the Pre-Game Routine Before Fall Starts
Most hitters warm up by accident. A routine is what lets a kid arrive at the first pitch already competing instead of still finding her timing. Build it now, in August, so it's automatic by the time games count.
The Hitting Vault · Open it ›
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What Travel Ball Actually Costs in 2026
Honest breakdown, age by age, of where the money goes and where it's wasted. The line that matters: higher spending does not equal better development. Read it before you commit to a fall schedule.
Fastpitch Flex · Open it ›
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FROM MY MIC
Ep. 98 — The Woman Reshaping Fastpitch Softball
Jami Lobpries — leader of Alliance Fastpitch and GM of the Portland Cascade — on pro softball's road from NPF to AUSL, why players need real brand deals, club-led development versus tournament culture, and her five-year vision for the sport. If you want to understand where this game is actually headed, start here.
▶ Listen to Ep. 98 Spotify · Apple
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ON THE BOOKSHELF
Get Recruited — Rachel Coleman
Still the most practical step-by-step recruiting book I hand to families. With Sept. 1 two weeks out, this is the right month to read it.
Find the book ›
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WHERE'S ROB & WHAT'S COMING
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Rob Crews Hitting Clinic
Escanaba, Michigan · September 18–19
Hannahville Ice & Turf Complex, Bay College. Coaches seminar Friday evening; all three player sessions are sold out.
Coaches Clinic — Register ›
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Rake Sessions & Coaches Seminar
Houston, Texas · September 25–27
Elite Training Facility. Coaches seminar Friday 7–9:30pm — $50 early bird through Aug 31, $75 after. Four player sessions Saturday and Sunday, $200 each, 10 hitters max.
Coaches Seminar — Register ›
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Want a Rake Session at your facility? Start here.
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TWO THINGS THAT HELP
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Rob Crews Inner Circle — $19/mo
Where I put the long-form work: daily thinking, training breakdowns, and the material that doesn't fit in a newsletter.
Join the circle ›
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Shorty Training Bat — $150
Part of the Swing Dynamics system. Built to clean up barrel path and force the hands to work — a good fall-prep tool.
Get the Shorty ›
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Pick one thing off this list and actually do it this week. That's the whole point.
Elite is a mentality.
— Rob
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