Thanks so much for visiting Covey Sports! Continue reading to learn how what we offer can help your program this season!
At Covey Sports, we are all about softball and baseball coaches and their players. Our mission is to help your teams "Win More Games...And Impact More Lives." If you are a youth coach, or a player, then this website is for you!
(If you are a parent then we have some things to help you as well)!
The Covey Sports store is the "physical products" side of Covey Sports (keep reading to learn about the information side). As you look around you will find products and information specifically for baseball and softball teams. If you found us on Amazon, Wal-Mart, or eBay while looking for snow ski or tennis products, you are in the right place as well!
However, while we may eventually expand more deeply to other sports, our current focus on our website is serving softball and/or baseball coaches and their players.
You will notice that we have many products "bundled" together. We try to put complementary products together in many instances. This allows us to offer them at a more affordable price than what we could offer them individually!
Take a look around. If there is something you cannot find shoot us an email at tim@coveysports.com. We might be able to special order it for you!
The "Softball Coaching Blog" is our softball blog that contains information designed to help fastpitch softball coaches. In fact, Covey Sports initially began as a stand-alone blog called softballcoachonline.com. If you have been following us for a while, you may have first found us there!
The main purpose of the informational side of Covey Sports is to help make your team more competitive (win more games), while simultaneously help you have a more meaningful influence on the lives of the young ladies that you lead (impact more lives).
The content on our coaching blogs is designed to help coaches (and players) learn about the technical and strategic sides of softball and baseball, while simultaneously provide guidance to coaches on how to best make a positive impact in the lives of their players. As you look around, you will find video tips, written articles about technique and strategy, as well as blog posts about building greater team cohesion and having a greater impact as a coach.
If you wish to go deeper (and much faster) in your learning you may want to join us in the Covey Sports Impact Coaching Academy. The information for members is much more comprehensive than what you will find on the regular blog feed.
Coach Covey is the owner and founder of Covey Sports. The website began as an informational site for fastpitch softball coaches in 2015. In 2017, the website migrated from "Softball Coach Online" over to "Covey Sports" in order to eventually become the one place that coaches from multiple sports can find both information AND sporting goods equipment and products.
While overseeing all facets of the Covey Sports business, Coach Covey continues to serve softball coaches with regular content on the Softball Coaching Blog and inside the Covey Sports Impact Coaching Academy.
Following 16 years of serving as a head coach at the college and high school levels, Coach Covey is currently coaching as a private instructor in the Orlando area. He is also in the process of developing a travel ball program (and travel ball tournaments) in the Orlando area for the near future.
Coach Covey's experience as a head coach has been a repeated process of taking over multiple programs that needed to be “rebuilt.”
The benefit he received from building programs from the “ground-up” is that it forced him to work hard on learning how to teach softball, starting with the basics.
Prior to focusing on private instruction and serving others through this website, Tim served as the head coach at The First Academy (TFA) in Orlando, FL, where he oversaw a comprehensive program with teams at the Elementary, Middle School, and High School levels. At TFA, his teams won more games, more District Championships, and advanced deeper into the State Playoffs than any other softball teams in school history.
During his time at the collegiate level, Tim coached at Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA. During that stint, he was voted the Great Plains Athletic Conference Coach-of-the-Year after leading a team that made dramatic improvements in the span of a year (quadrupling their wins) and reached the 3rd round of the playoffs.
Prior to Dordt College, Coach Covey spent time as the head coach at Orangewood Christian School (Maitland, FL), and at Western Christian in Hull, Iowa (his alma mater). During those stints, his teams won numerous District Championships, set various school records for wins, and advanced deep into the state playoffs many seasons.
Coach Covey has also had the privilege of serving as a "College Advisor" at the schools he has worked in. This has provided him with the unique perspective of being a coach that also works with all types of students on the college admissions process.
Coach Covey lives in the Orlando, FL area with his wife of 12 years, Tracy, and their 3 young children.
Coach Ritchhart began serving the Covey Sports community in April 2018. What started as being a "content contributor" quickly grew into Mark becoming the "lead softball coaching instructor" for Covey Sports.
He currently provides the majority of new content on the Softball Coaching Blog as well as inside the Covey Sports Impact Coaching Academy.
As you will quickly learn about Coach Ritchhart, he not only has a great knowledge of the game but also (and more importantly) a heart for developing the character of the young ladies that he leads.
While he has won multiple state championships at the High School level, he is also well-respected as a coach that is able to get the most out of his teams no matter their talent-level.
And that is why he has been able to build successful championship programs from the ground-up.
Coach Ritchhart took the reigns as the Head Coach at Bryan College in August, 2017. Bryan College is a 4-year NAIA school in Dayton, TN.
Hailing from the Midwest in the small town of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Ritchhart came to Bryan from McPherson, Kan. where he transformed the struggling culture of Central Christian College's softball team into a program destined for success after two seasons leading the Tigers. He began serving at Central Christian College in 2015 after a 31-year stint spent in Orlando, Fla.
Following his graduation from Northeast Missouri State University, Ritchhart put his baseball career on hold and decided to chase after his passion of water skiing. His skill set on the water gave way to numerous opportunities to compete at the professional level in the Sunshine State, including performances in shows at Sea World and Cypress Gardens.
Garnering multiple national and international titles and records on the water, Ritchhart also found the time to start his fastpitch softball coaching career in the 1990's.
Beginning in 2000, Ritchhart called Pine Castle Christian Academy in Orlando, Fla. his home for the next 15 years. In addition to serving as Athletic Director, Dean of Students, Director of Student Development, Director of Character Development, and Bible and Physical Education teacher, the role that remained constant for Ritchhart was the Head Coaching position of the varsity softball team.
His efforts at the helm earned him a positive and highly respected reputation in the state of Florida for running a collegiate style program, producing both high character and level of play. Success trailed Ritchhart in the starting of two travel softball programs that were known for their character in sportsmanship, excellence of fundamentals and relentless aggressive play.
Coach Ritchhart has been married for 31 years to his wife, Renae, an elementary school teacher and softball fan. They have two children, Leah and Lyssa. Their oldest daughter, Leah, completed her education degree while assistant coaching alongside Coach Ritchhart at Central Christian. She played collegiate softball for four total years while attending Lake Sumter Community College and Emmanuel College.
Their youngest daughter, Lyssa, started her college career as a student athlete at William Penn University before transferring to become a Tiger, playing for her dad and sister at Central Christian College. She is graduating in May 2018 with a Psychology degree.
Ritchhart brings a wealth of knowledge as a former professional athlete, a teacher through all levels of education, and multiple years of coaching experience. He is certified as a personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
He was named the 2A Florida Coach of the Year a total of six times, earning the title of District Coach of the Year nine consecutive seasons, coaching eight district championship teams, five regional championship teams, two state runner-up teams, a trio of state championship teams, and over 30 years of coaching experience.
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You can also call our customer service number at (407) 490-3451.
The opinions expressed on our coaching blogs do not necessarily represent those of any employer, company, or organization that the authors are affiliated with. The information we provide is on an as-is basis. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.
Lastly, background music on many of our videos are credited to Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.