USSSA ALL-ACCESS EDITION No. 10
★ A NEWSLETTER FOR THE FAMILIES OF USSSA ★

BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD

The growth, connection, and life lessons every game leaves behind.
IN REMEMBRANCE
Edition No. 10 ◆ In Remembrance ◆ September 11, 2026
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Today is September 11th. Let’s take a moment to remember those we lost and honor those who continue to serve and protect our communities.
A NOTE FROM USSSA
BJ Sigler, USSSA Baseball director and Indiana Bulls coach.

Remembering BJ Sigler

Before we begin this week’s issue of Beyond the Scoreboard, we want to honor someone who meant a great deal to USSSA and the baseball community.

We are saddened by the passing of BJ Sigler, a USSSA Baseball director, Indiana Bulls coach, and deeply valued member of our community.

BJ was an important part of USSSA. His absence will be felt by the people who worked alongside him and the players and families he served.

BJ also had the chance to coach his sons, Brycen and Cole, with the Indiana Bulls. The Bulls have shared a tribute reflecting on those memories and his time with their organization.

We will miss BJ and remain grateful for all he gave to the game and to this community.

READ THE INDIANA BULLS’ TRIBUTE →

In loving memory.
Hi USSSA Families,

With the weight of today on our hearts, we still wanted to bring you this week’s Beyond the Scoreboard. Baseball and Fastpitch don’t always give us the answers, but they do give us space to be together and to keep growing.

This week, we’re back in How Champions Think for Chapters 6 through 10, meeting our Player of the Week, and asking one more question for the car ride home. And with October just around the corner, we’re carrying USSSA’s Breast Cancer Awareness Hat Collection into this issue so you can order ahead.

★ THIS WEEK’S LINEUP ★
01 From the Playbook 02 The Car Ride Home 03 Player of the Week 04 Breast Cancer Awareness Hats
◆ THIS MONTH'S READ ◆

From the Playbook

USSSA · September Read
How Champions Think
In Sports and in Life
By Dr. Bob Rotella

These next five chapters take the mindset ideas we started with and turn them into action: how to move from dreaming to doing, how to focus, how to keep going, and how to look back at your work honestly.

← Missed Chapters 1–5? Catch up ↗

CHAPTER
06
CHAPTER SIX
Dreams, Goals, and Process
▾

A dream gives you somewhere to go. A goal gives it shape. A process gives you something to do today.

Wanting to become a more dependable hitter is a starting point. Choosing a skill to work on, making time to practice, and following through each week gives that goal a process.

The dream can be big. The next step can be small.

THE PLAY
Dream It. Then Build It.

Ask your athlete to name one goal that excites them, then work backward:

  • What needs improving?
  • What can they practice consistently?
  • When will they do it?

“My goal is __________. This week, I’ll work toward it by __________.”

CHAPTER
07
CHAPTER SEVEN
Single-Mindedness
▾

Making a plan is one thing. Giving it your full attention is another.

Rotella emphasizes making time for the work your goals require and using that time deliberately. Young athletes can start by choosing one thing to work on and giving it their attention for the time they’ve set aside.

THE PLAY
One Thing, Full Attention

Choose one skill to work on at the next practice and identify a distraction they can set aside.

Afterward, don’t ask “how was practice?” Instead ask:

“What did you notice when you gave that skill your full attention?”

CHAPTER
08
CHAPTER EIGHT
Learned Effectiveness: The Virtuous Circle
▾

Two players can look at the same losing season differently.

One sees proof that the team isn’t good enough. The other sees improvements, plays that worked, and mistakes they can learn to correct.

Rotella describes how optimism, confidence, persistence, and success reinforce one another through learned effectiveness.

The learned effectiveness cycle: optimism, confidence, persistence, success.

Optimism builds confidence, confidence helps athletes persist through setbacks, and persistence helps them achieve success. That success gives them more reason to be optimistic. And the cycle continues.

THE PLAY
Two Ways to See It

After a tough loss or rough game, ask your athlete:

“What’s one thing that needs work? What’s one thing you did well?”

Write both down. The goal isn’t to ignore what needs work, it’s to prove that a hard result and real progress can exist in the same game.

CHAPTER
09
CHAPTER NINE
Nerves and the Performance Process
▾

An athlete can practice all week and still feel their heart racing at game time. That doesn’t mean the preparation failed.

In his work with the Cincinnati Reds, Rotella describes a familiar situation: runners on base, two outs, and a chance to win.

The hitter wants to come through for the team. But thinking about everything riding on the at-bat can pull their attention away from the pitch itself. They try to force a hit and chase a ball they might otherwise have let go.

His answer is a performance process: a familiar routine that brings them back to the pitch.

Settle into the stance. See the ball. Trust the swing they’ve practiced.

They don’t have to wait until they feel calm to use it.

THE PLAY
Give the Nerves a Routine

Help your athlete work with their coach to choose a short routine. For a hitter:

SET YOUR FEET. TAKE A BREATH. SEE THE BALL.

Practice it during ordinary reps so it becomes familiar before a pressure moment arrives.

CHAPTER
10
CHAPTER TEN
Evaluating Yourself
▾

A hit doesn’t always mean a good decision. An out doesn’t always mean a bad at-bat.

Rotella encourages athletes to evaluate how faithfully they followed their process: Did they prepare? Stay with their routine? Give their practice time real attention?

Save that reflection for afterward. During the performance, trust the preparation. Then look back and make adjustments.

THE PLAY
Check the Process

Ask your athlete:

“If you were your own coach, what would you tell yourself to keep doing? What would you change?”

Try this after wins, too. A good result can still leave something to work on.

NEXT WEEK · CHAPTERS 11 through 15
02
ONE QUESTION FOR THE DRIVE

The Car Ride Home

Let their curiosity decide where the conversation goes.

For nine issues, we’ve given you a question to ask your kid. This week, we’re flipping the script.

This Week’s Question

“
CAR RIDE HOME
What’s something you’ve always wanted to ask me?

Be prepared.

If you invite the question, make room for the answer. They might ask something you didn’t realize they’d been wondering about.

Take it seriously, and be honest even if that means saying, “I need a little time to think about that.”

How you respond now can help them feel comfortable asking you questions in the future.

And if they draw a blank on what to ask,
give them a little time.

The question might come three stoplights later.

03
THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT

Player of the Week

A team-first athlete making an impact on the field, in the classroom, and in her community.
Harper Schreiber, USSSA Player of the Week, Lady Dukes fastpitch.
HARPER SCHREIBER
Lady Dukes

Harper Schreiber brings a team-first attitude to every position she plays, whether she’s catching, covering third base, or in the outfield.

Her parents describe her as a consistent hitter and dependable teammate who is determined to help those around her succeed.

Outside fastpitch, Harper serves as vice president of the National Junior Honor Society and received the Carson Scholarship this year, recognizing her academic achievement, character, and commitment to service.

Through her volunteer work and community involvement, she puts that commitment into practice.

Congratulations, Harper!

We’re proud to celebrate your dedication to your team, your school, and your community.

04
OCTOBER IS COMING · USSSA BRINGS THE PINK

Who Do You Wear Pink For?

Four limited-edition hats. This October. A whole lot of pink on the field.
The USSSA Breast Cancer Awareness Hat Collection , Stronger Together, Fighter, and two classic USSSA designs in pink and black.
The 2026 USSSA Breast Cancer Awareness Hat Collection.

This October, USSSA is bringing pink to the fields with four limited-edition hats created for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Stronger Together and Fighter designs recognize the strength of those facing breast cancer and the people standing beside them.

The collection also includes two classic USSSA designs, in pink and black.

Whether you wear yours for a fighter, a survivor, or someone whose memory you carry, we hope to see fields across the country filled with pink this October!

The collection will be available throughout October, while supplies last.

SHOP THE THINK PINK COLLECTION →

A NOTE FROM MARY

We Want to Hear From You.

What do you want to read about?

Maybe it’s a topic we haven’t touched yet. A story or idea you’d like us to explore further. A question you wish someone would ask your kid in the car ride home.

Whatever it is, send it our way. This newsletter is for you, and we want to make it worth your Friday.

✉ [email protected]

And that's the ballgame.
See you on the sidelines.
Reading along, wearing your pink, or riding home with a good conversation? [email protected]