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WELCOME TOTHE SOFTBALL PROJECT

With group and individual lessons, strength & conditioning classes, various camp and workshop opportunities, The Softball Project offers an elite, comprehensive approach to training. Your daughter will be coached by former Professional and Division 1 athletes who provide a unique influence gained only by competing at the highest level.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Because it’s so much more than a game.
It’s an opportunity.
To cultivate a work ethic you can be proud of. To be led by women who have lived your dreams, and are eager for you to do the same.
It’s a life lesson.
A chance to find out what you’re really made of. To decide how bad you want it. To give everything you have in your body, and then push a little further.
It’s an environment.
A safe place to take that risk. To be able to taste defeat and let that fuel a fire so deep, giving up is not an option.
It’s a sisterhood.
You’ll build confidence and pursue excellence in character and performance, all while creating some of the best memories you’ll ever have

What WE EXPECT

Eye contact. Paired with the best effort & body language you have to give. That’s it. Show up every week, give us that, and we’ll make you better.

What they’re saying

From the first lesson with Kelsey we saw immediate results. Kelsey’s direction and guidance in breaking down and explaining the components of a quality swing in a way Gracie can easily understand is second to none. Kelsey has been an amazing role model for my daughter not only teaching her about the game but also about confidence, work ethic, and other important life skills. Kelsey’s knowledge and passion for the game has inspired my daughter to work hard and strive for excellence. She not only challenges Gracie but also encourages her to believe in herself. I highly recommend Kelsey to any softball player that is trying to take their game to the next level.

Crystal Kiker

Mom to Gracie of Team NC

Kelsey is one the the most understanding, encouraging, and dedicated people I have ever met. Every week I look forward to working with her because she not only makes me a better player, but also a better person. I admire her journey as an athlete and coach and I would not be where I am today without her.

Jenna Carter

College of Charleston commit

Kelsey Bruder is the premier softball batting instructor in the Charlotte area. Her accolades as an instructor and immensely successful collegiate and professional career led us to seek her out. My 11 year old daughter has been taking batting lessons with Kelsey for 2 years and the transformation has been incredible. Kelsey skillfully tailors her instruction to each batter, recognizing and correcting breakdowns in the swing and teaching proper mechanics. I’ve seen vast improvements in my daughters bat speed, power, pitch recognition, and consistency since attending lessons with Kelsey, which has directly translated to an increase in extra base hits and an improved batting average. Kelsey’s style of instruction is the perfect mix of positive reinforcement and encouragement while setting challenging expectations resulting in a dramatic boost to her confidence. On a personal note, my daughter has made a very special connection with Kelsey, viewing her as a mentor, role model, and someone she aspires to be like and make proud. Participating in lessons with Kelsey was the best decision we have made for our child’s softball career.

Jackie Miller

Mom to Madelyn of Lady Blues

There is a big difference in being able to hit and being able to teach the mechanics and mentality of hitting!!! Kelsey is the best I have seen at teaching the mechanics and the thought process of hitting, as well as being able to connect with and push her students to their maximum potential. She is also a great role model for any young athlete to have a relationship with. I have personally witnessed the success of multiple kids playing at the highest level of the game under her instruction. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! She is a GAME CHANGER!!!” –

Tracy Holmes

Former Team NC coach and dad to Darbi of North Greenville University softball

My daughter has been working with Kelsey for about 3 years and words alone cannot completely describe our experience with her. She has helped her develop and excel not only in softball but also in life. She is compassionate, caring, but doesn’t mind getting tough when needed. She is a true mentor and role model for our daughter. We are truly grateful to have the opportunity to work with her.

Tonya Hanson

Mom to Ciara of the Vienna Stars

Kelsey Bruder is an amazing instructor! Not only has she played the game at the highest level, but she is a positive teacher of the game. Kelsey is professional, dedicated and makes each player feel special. She helps her students reach their goals by developing their skills and their mental game She is a wonderful role model for young athletes. We LOVE her!!

Linda Mcgowan

Coach of Lady Lightning

What they’re saying

From the first lesson with Kelsey we saw immediate results. Kelsey’s direction and guidance in breaking down and explaining the components of a quality swing in a way Gracie can easily understand is second to none. Kelsey has been an amazing role model for my daughter not only teaching her about the game but also about confidence, work ethic, and other important life skills. Kelsey’s knowledge and passion for the game has inspired my daughter to work hard and strive for excellence. She not only challenges Gracie but also encourages her to believe in herself. I highly recommend Kelsey to any softball player that is trying to take their game to the next level.

Crystal Kiker

Mom to Gracie of Team NC

Kelsey is one the the most understanding, encouraging, and dedicated people I have ever met. Every week I look forward to working with her because she not only makes me a better player, but also a better person. I admire her journey as an athlete and coach and I would not be where I am today without her.

Jenna Carter

College of Charleston commit

Kelsey Bruder is the premier softball batting instructor in the Charlotte area. Her accolades as an instructor and immensely successful collegiate and professional career led us to seek her out. My 11 year old daughter has been taking batting lessons with Kelsey for 2 years and the transformation has been incredible. Kelsey skillfully tailors her instruction to each batter, recognizing and correcting breakdowns in the swing and teaching proper mechanics. I’ve seen vast improvements in my daughters bat speed, power, pitch recognition, and consistency since attending lessons with Kelsey, which has directly translated to an increase in extra base hits and an improved batting average. Kelsey’s style of instruction is the perfect mix of positive reinforcement and encouragement while setting challenging expectations resulting in a dramatic boost to her confidence. On a personal note, my daughter has made a very special connection with Kelsey, viewing her as a mentor, role model, and someone she aspires to be like and make proud. Participating in lessons with Kelsey was the best decision we have made for our child’s softball career.

Jackie Miller

Mom to Madelyn of Lady Blues

There is a big difference in being able to hit and being able to teach the mechanics and mentality of hitting!!! Kelsey is the best I have seen at teaching the mechanics and the thought process of hitting, as well as being able to connect with and push her students to their maximum potential. She is also a great role model for any young athlete to have a relationship with. I have personally witnessed the success of multiple kids playing at the highest level of the game under her instruction. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! She is a GAME CHANGER!!!” –

Tracy Holmes

Former Team NC coach and dad to Darbi of North Greenville University softball

My daughter has been working with Kelsey for about 3 years and words alone cannot completely describe our experience with her. She has helped her develop and excel not only in softball but also in life. She is compassionate, caring, but doesn’t mind getting tough when needed. She is a true mentor and role model for our daughter. We are truly grateful to have the opportunity to work with her.

Tonya Hanson

Mom to Ciara of the Vienna Stars

Kelsey Bruder is an amazing instructor! Not only has she played the game at the highest level, but she is a positive teacher of the game. Kelsey is professional, dedicated and makes each player feel special. She helps her students reach their goals by developing their skills and their mental game She is a wonderful role model for young athletes. We LOVE her!!

Linda Mcgowan

Coach of Lady Lightning

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One leg power slap drill for better balance at contact & through extension!
As you can see she’s balancing on her right leg, left leg gets down and she separates her hands. Right leg comes 🆙 then driving her back hip and hands through to power slap! Give it a try. Emma here is killing it!
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Flamingo drill. For girls who crash on their front leg as they stride. Start w your front knee hip height, back leg soft. Keep your chest centered and feel your weight stay on the inside of your front foot as you land softly. ...

We love a good slo-mo on this one hand bunt!

working on our drag bunt here but only with our top hand to strengthen & firm our forearms at contact.

Go ahead & show your barrel to the pitcher, moving your feet through to short stop.

Things to remember
- start your barrel at the top of the strike zone
- nose over toes at contact
- catch the ball with you bat (top half of ball)

#slapping #dragbunts
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Very simple drill for slappers or hitters that drag bunt. When drag bunting it’s all about how deceptive we can be. How long can we keep our hands back until it’s time to get our barrel out front. You can either stand normal or cross over but our focus is on our hands. How quick can we get the barrel out front, so when we go into our full drag bunt our hands are not lagging!

Make sure your hands are placed on the bat consistently where your hands would be when full drag bunting.

Usual drill 3 sets of 20 ➡️ then go into full drag bunts
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Alright, C- video (turn your sound on 😆), but A+ at bat. Addie Walker with a walk off homerun to win the championship!! This kid works so hard, I had to show her off.

Side note: girls- be good to your parents. They sacrifice so much for you to play the sport you love and this video is proof that they are as invested as you are in every single at bat ❤️
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Top hand work on a soft slap! For most slappers being original righties this is great work for your non dominant hand. Make sure you are sending your knob inside the ball and snapping above!

This avoids smothering the ball on a soft slap & not leading with our barrel! #softslap #slappers
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It’s been a long time comin for this one! TSP athlete @annabelle.grogan with a 2 run shot after peppering the fence for what seems like months. Proud of you gf! ...

Little throwback for your Thursday!
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What I would do to go back to this moment with these girls! Seniors, soak up all of the moments you can and just know how lucky we are to play a game that gives us so much. The places it takes us, the relationships we create, the growth you end up having…I am in full debt to this sport and so thankful to still be in it, coaching some of you! Good luck to those finishing up your season, keep pushing 🤩
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@brittanypickett
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When transitioning from a hitter to a slapper the next focus after getting down a certain slap (in this case soft slap) is to now execute different pitch levels off the tee. Sometimes we hop into live too quick and the athlete doesn’t know how to adjust when the ball is low or high. Your posture will change for different pitches to execute the soft slap. Here Lilly is seeing how quick she can adjust as the location of the ball is moving after each slap. Give this a try & then go live! #slapping #softslap ...

Have a girl who’s dragging her bat and collapsing her elbows? Throw a band around her biceps so she can feel herself out tension against the band. It will remind her to keep her angle. Let me know if it works! ...

TSP athlete @giannadeluco goin yard off a solid Mojo team. Kid can hit AND pitch & is a pleasure to work with. There will be a D1 team here shortly who will be very pleased with their pick up. ...

Keeping that 4️⃣5️⃣ degrees!

Try this drill if you feel yourself flying out with your front shoulder. You can use a fence, a PVC pipe, or your glove to stay put! You can even work on your other pitches too.
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Here’s a quick hip drill for outies working over the shoulder. Things to focus on while doing this…

1. Taking a good drop step (covering ground)
2. Sprint w/ glove tucked
3. Put your glove up at the last second to catch

#outfielddrills
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TSP alum @rileybecker10 going yard for App St. I love seeing our girls succeed at the next level 🥹 ...

Tee work, tee work and more tee work 🤩

How often are you using the tee to work through your mechanics? Adjustments can be as little as where you start how you finish, what you feel, etc. Katie worked on feeling her swing which set her up to make quicker adjustments the rest of her lesson when she started to feel “off”. Don’t shy away from it!

Happy hitting 🥎
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