Next Stop PlusUltraPitching

With the end of of the regular season the Softball team of the Düsseldorf Senators is in no way about to lay down low throughout the winter. The preparation for next years season are already in full swing and therefore, even before the start of the indoor practice season, the team has some good news to announce.

Always eager to improve his craft and on the look for inspirations, head coach Frank Mohr stumbled across the Youtube channel of a young lady from the US.

On the Agenda: Pitching

“We are missing a Coach for this position, who can analyze and teach this complex motion as a whole. We are doing our best, looking for resources to improve and were even able to record some form of success throughout the last year. But if we want to improve and take the next step, we need help from outside. Help, we’ve now found.”

He soon found himself on her website, sending an email and even getting an answer the day of.

“I realized quickly that when it comes to Softball and the way to teach it, we’re following a very similar path. It almost seemed impossible not to work together and I am more than happy to know Courtney Oliva from PlusUltraPitching will be by our side for the years to come.”

*Who Is Courtney and what does PlusUltraPitching stand for?*

PlusUltraPitching is not just a business Idea to generate money. For Courtney it’s all about prioritizing the athlete and their development both on the field and as a person. With joy and pride, she follows what has become of her students, what kind of people they have grown to be.

Another pillar of her work is, wanting to make lessons and softball instruction available and not just to those who can afford it. Too often she found herself frustrated by reaching a paywall or having to commit to a membership looking for new drills. Thus PlusUltraPitching was born to provide coaches and players with an opportunity for free content to grow their game but also the game itself, in a way beyond the usual.

Her motto “Go Beyond” symbolizes this very approach.

*When it comes to softball, there are no short answers for Courtney*

As a former pitcher for the Assumption Greyhounds, she shares her experience with expectations and pressure at the higher level.

“My time in college taught me the importance of finding a team and coach that connect with your personality. I reflect on my pitching in college to help me continue to develop myself as a player and coach. Being an athlete can be difficult, so I call on my experiences to help push my students to be better so they can handle those difficult moments. 

Throughout the years I’ve played and coached, however, my favorite part of softball has been its ability to connect with people I may have never met otherwise and create unforgettable bonds. Softball requires a different level of trust not found in many other sports; you learn to trust and forgive your teammates, in good and bad moments.

I guess for a shorter answer… I love softball because I think it’s the best sport ever!”

She found her love for softball at the age of 7, surely as result of watching her favorite baseball team the New York Yankees and with them her favorite player in Derek Jeter.

“I wanted to be just like him—the first female shortstop for the Yankees!”, she shares. “That dream changed once I learned how to pitch. My dad and I would often go out to the backyard after dinner to practice.  Listening to the pop of the leather as the ball is thrown back and forth was (and still is) therapeutic”

*The first session with the Senators*

Just as passionate as she philosophizes about softball, she analyses Videos of our pitchers. In a first session movements were explained and broken down to the littlest detail. In the end the pitchers were given an individual practice plan, which will help to aid their improvement.

“Courtney is a stroke of luck for us”, emphasizes Head Coach Frank Mohr who is present at every session listening carefully. “Even if she isn’t with us physically she definitely is our pitching coach!”

In the end, we learn that there are connections to Germany and Courtney hopes to return one day for a cultural and culinary journey.

She will be most welcome.