Self Reflection

1) So far I think I am Proficient in senior project because I am accomplishing tasks lid in front of me.
2) I think that I have done my research relatively well, because I have learned a lot and found a lot of useful information to use.
3) I need to work on service learning because I need to find a new place of interest that can help me further with my project.

Science Fair Proposal

1. If a softball player hits the "sweet spot" of a bat, then they may be able to hit the ball further on average.

2.  Dependent variable: sweet spot location
     Independent variable: force by the bat
     Control: bat used

3. My EQ is about finding what is most essential to winning a softball game. I believe hitting is one of those essentials and in order to get the best hit you must have the best performance out of your bat, and in order to have the best performance you must hit the sweet spot which has the least vibration for a smooth energy transmission from the bat to the ball.

4. In order to perform my experiment I will need to build a structure to hold the bat upside down and then tap the bat in different locations and measure the vibration frequency with the vernier accelerometer and record the data.

5.  Mine would be under the physics category.

What I've Learned So Far

1) During this project I have learned the different focuses of the hitting technique, specifically extension of the arms and rotation of the hands.

3)

• Rubinoff, Martin. "The Art and the Science of Softball Hitting." Softball│Softball Drills│ Softball Tips │ Softball Hitting │ Softball Pitching │ Coaching Softball. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-hitting/art-and-science-of-hitting.html>.

This article broke down the swing and I asked my hitting coach what he thought was most important and what I needed to work on. He told me that my arms were in too tight and I wasn't following through properly. The article states "The arms will be at maximum extension, followed by the shoulders still rotating. To allow for a state of balance in the follow through these factors must be in place. After maximizing extension, the arms should be broken down.", which is what I was trying to accomplish in the video.

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

1) For my independent component I plan to play softball at least twice a week in practice and tournaments.

2) On Tuesdays I have a batting lesson with a hitting coach for an hour, on Sundays I practice softball for four hours, and some weekends I have tournaments. This is a minimum of five hours a week guaranteed which will easily exceed the 30 hour requirement.

3) My EQ is "What is most essential in winning a softball game?" By participating and playing on a team I can acquire the information and possibly an answer through experience and observation.

Defining the Essential Question

1) What is most essential to winning a softball game?
2) essential: key factor/vital
     winning: defeating the opposing team
3)

• practicing long hours
• conditioning
• mental preparation
• studying of the game
• building a strong offense
• good coaching skills

4) My interview with Emily Almeida was my most important source because she explained to me my options were in the exploration of the different aspects of the sport. She brought to my attention that coaching is an excellent side to study because not all athletes get to see that side of their sport. She gave me advice based on her experience going through this project and ultimately helped me make my decision as to where I want to guide my studies.

Second Interview Questions

1) How long have you been involved in softball?
2) What experience do you in have in playing and/ or coaching?
3) Why did you choose to be involved in softball and why?
4) What do you hope to accomplish in the future in your position?
5) How did you get to where you are today?

Blog 4: Interview 1 & Presentation 1

1) In my first interview I asked Emily Almeida what I should focus on my senior topic on, and she suggested I do coaching. For my presentation I showed the class proper swing and technique. I wanted to use a coaching approach to explore the coaching route by teaching and learning tips and techniques.

2) I think that in my presentation I did a good job displaying the technique and formation by using my bat and body. I also did my best to explain each mechanic as well as give a further explanation as to why it was important and why it was effective.

3) The most challenging part for me was to say everything I needed to say, giving enough information for people to understand, and fitting it all into 5 minutes because there are so many things that could be talked about on the hitting aspect of softball.

Blog 3: Presentation1

Objective: The students will learn proper batting stance and swing.

Procedure: 1) I will ask the class who has ever played softball or baseball and if they've ever hit a homerun.
                  2) I will go over the five mechanics used in the swing

• Weight Transfer
• Hips leading the hands
• Level swing
• Ideal contact
• Staying insode the ball

                 3) I will proceed to explain tips and formation that I have learned
                 4) The I will conclude the presentation
Check for Understanding : To check for understainding I will ask random people some to name some of the five mechanics and

Materials: I will be bringing a softball bat.

Blog 2 : Interview 1 Preparation

1) Who am I interviewing and why?

For my first interview I will talk with Emily Almeida from the class of 2011. I choose to interview her because she did softball as her topic last year and hope that she can give me advice and information based on her experience,  that helped her with her project. She may also be able to help me choose the focus of topic and refer me to anyone she knows in the sport of softball.

2) What additional questions will you ask?
        What focuses on softball would you reccomend that I look into?
        What mistakes did you make in the process of studying your topic?
        Where did you do sevice learning and why?
        What did you walk away with at the end of the year?
       

Blog 1: Senior Project Topic

What is your topic? : Softball

Why?
I chose softball as my senior project topic because I've been playing softball since I was 9 years old and I absoulutely love to play. I believe that sports help you grow as a person in the sense that you push yourself and discover things about yourself that you didn't think was possible, and it boosts your confidence by learning new skills and being able to apply them. The goal of the senior project is to help you attain new skills and develop as an individual. I chose softball because I believe objectives of the two have a connection, and I want to explore my topic on a whole other level that not many athletes get to see.

What do I hope to accomplish after studying this topic all year?
After this year of studying my topic I hope to get a better understanding of softball and hopefully walk away with knowledge that will have helped me pursue my dream of playing college softball and knowing what it takes to have commitment to one subject. I also hope to have mastery in one topic in several ways, which I have never done before.