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What Are Enamel Pins and Why Are They Great for Your Softball Team?

What are enamel pins and why are they great for your softball team? Learn more about how enamel pins can be great for bringing a team together.

It's that time of the year again. Summer softball tournament season. And, the most important tournament of them all is fast approaching.

When it comes to fastpitch world series tournaments, there's a particular energy in the air. Adrenaline is pumping, coaches are wired, and players are ready to give it their all.

The usual scents of hot dogs and freshly cut grass are stimulating your senses. But there's something new, too. All around you'll find teams prepared for the most beloved tradition of the world series tournament: trading pins.

In preparation for world series tournaments, every team designs an enamel pin to trade with other teams either in a pin parade or after games.

What are enamel pins and why are they great for your softball team

Now, you might be wondering: What are enamel pins? If so, this article is for you. It will cover the different kinds of enamel pins and how they benefit softball teams from around the world.

Different Kinds of Enamel Pins

The enamel pin itself is a pin with an enamel finish that displays your softball team's name and logo. However, there are two different types of enamel: hard and soft. Each type will give your team logo a particular finished look.

Soft Enamel

Soft enamel pins are textured. If a pin is soft enamel, this means that the metal edges are raised between the coatings of colored enamel. The reason for these raised edges is because the metal enamel is baked in an oven to harden before the color is placed.

Hard Enamel

Hard enamel pins are smoother. Some choose hard enamel because it's a shinier, cleaner look. Hard enamel is made to be scratch resistant as well.

Rather than having the metal enamel baked first, the color is filled in and baked while the pin is flat. This is why the hard enamel is smoother.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choosing between soft and hard enamel is a personal choice. Most pin designs can be done in either enamel style. The more exciting choices to make in regard to pin style would be if you wanted to add an effect to your pin.

What are enamel pins and why are they great for your softball team

These stunning effects might include glitter, chains, spinners, etc. As a team, you can choose the type of enamel and effect based on what your collective style is.

What Do You Want Your Team's Pin to Represent?

You'll find that the best part about trading pins with other teams is seeing how each team chooses to represent itself. Generally, the team colors will be included in their logo.

However, some teams choose a pin design that showcases an important element of where they're from. For example, if a team is from Louisville, KY they might have a pair of Louisville Slugger Bats crossed behind their team name. Or, they might choose to include the outline of their state behind their logo.

What Are Enamel Pins Beneficial For?

Now that you know what an enamel pin is, let's talk about how they make world series tournaments exciting. More than anything, a world series softball tournament brings people together. There's competition, but it's also a place where new friends and ideas can be shared.

Build a Sense of Community

A world series tournament brings together some of the best teams from all around the world. Every team must qualify based on USSSA fastpitch standards to enter a world series tournament. This means every team who participates is there to win.

In this situation, tensions are high and the competition is stiff. The tradition of trading pins helps to ease some of this tension and allows players to branch out. Meeting other softball players while exchanging pins builds a sense of community.

Sometimes, goodie bags will accompany the enamel pins. These bags might include typical softball snacks like sunflower seeds. Or, they might include something to represent where the team is from.

Overall, the pins and the goodie bags create a sense of camaraderie.

Create Excitement for the Big Tournament

While pin trading builds a sense of community, it also gets players excited to start playing ball. When you see how many great teams are around you, it motivates you. Everyone wants to be the last team standing with a big trophy over their heads.

Establish a Team's Legacy

Enamel pins are very durable. They're meant to be collectible items that other teams can keep forever. Having this type of memorabilia creates a legacy for your team.

Regardless of whether or not your team makes it all the way, other teams will know that you were talented enough to participate in the world series tournament.

And let's say you do win. People will point to your team's enamel pin later and say: "They did it. They won the world series."

Create Team Memories You'll Never Forget

Let's not forget what pin trading can do for your team. The energy that encapsulates a world series tournament is something you never forget. The same goes for the memories that you make while you're there.

Trading pins with other teams means that you'll also leave with a collection of pins. These will forever remind you of the experience you had at the world series. Even if you don't come out a champ, you'll have team memories you can cherish forever.

Ideas for Where to Showcase Your Pins

Once you collect all of your world series tournament pins, you'll need a place to put them. There are plenty of ways to display them, but here are the three best ways for softball players.

Tournament Towel

Many world series tournaments will have tournament towels with the tournament location and year on them. These towels are great to buy so that you can place all of your tournament pins on them. Then, you have them all in one place and you can remember where they came from.

If your team competes in more than one of these tournaments, having a pin towel helps you to keep your pins organized based on which world series tournament they are from.

Decorative Pin Box

This is something you can order online if you desire. A decorative pin box will keep pins safe if you'd like to keep them on display in your home.

Softball Bag

This one's tried and true. Some players decide to put all of their tournament pins on their softball bags. This allows them to see the pins every time it's time to play.

The only risk with this is that you might lose some pins with all the moving around that you do from dugout to dugout. While this is the most stylish option, it isn't necessarily the safest.

Can You Have Team Enamel Pins if You Aren't Participating in a World Series Tournament?

There's more answer than one when someone asks: What are enamel pins for? You don't have to be participating in a world series tournament to have a team pin.

Sometimes, these enamel pins are fun to give out as you play teams in other tournaments. Or, you might want to create a team pin for the same reason that you have team sweatshirts. Wearing one on your shirt at school can advertise team pride.

It's Game Time: Find the Perfect Enamel Pin for Your Softball Team

So, now you'll never have to ask what are enamel pins ever again. And, you know what makes them so exciting and unique. Are you ready to create a customized pin for your softball team?

Softball Trading Pins is at your service. We specialize in creating the best enamel pins for softball teams all over the world. We offer soft pins, hard pins, and every special effect under the sun.

It's game time. Contact us today to find the perfect personalized pin for your team.

If you are looking to bring your team together and bolster team spirit, getting softball trading pins for your team is a great strategy.

Did you know that softball is the fastest-growing sport in the NCAA? Softball is growing quicker in viewership and revenue than college football and baseball combined.

With such dedicated and skilled athletes, it’s no wonder that softball – at all levels – is finally getting the attention and recognition it deserves.

Womens' sports should be taken seriously. Creating softball trading pins for your team is one way to recognize an athlete's incredible discipline, bolster a team's spirit, and build community wherever you go.

Understanding The Purpose Of Softball Trading Pins

Team pins build a sense of community and carry on the tradition of sportsmanship. While picking out your design and trying to stay on budget is probably at the top of your list, the first thing to consider is how your softball trading pin is going to be used.

WTX 2020 Softball Trading Pin
WTX 2020 Softball Trading Pin

Softball trading pins are all about creating community. Whether that’s between teammates, families, or fans, your pin should be something people are proud of and excited to wear. Since they are used to help build team spirit and team bonding, they should also clearly represent your team and your team logo.

It's also good to remember that pins will be traded. Players will often exchange pins with other players to commemorate a special playoff game, remember nationals, or the Softball World Series.

You should choose the right pin material and size for your budget, so you can have plenty of great-looking pins to go around.

2015 Softball Trading Pin
2015 Softball Trading Pin

Well-made pins will also be collected. When designing your team pin, keep in mind that pins are a lot easier to hang onto than big trophies.

If you have the time, personalization that memorializes a specific team, game, or inside joke will go a long way.

Thinking About Your Project Timeline

Time is always going to be your friend when choosing your team trading pin. As soon as a new season starts or a big game is on the horizon, it's a good idea to start planning ahead.

A good pin manufacturer should be able to provide you with a quote at the very start of your search. That way if you have to get your budget approved or run your idea by a committee, you’ll have the right information at your fingertips.

Heartland Havok 2020 Softball Pin
Heartland Havok 2020 Softball Pin

If you are looking to get a high-quality soft enamel pin designed, the production time alone could take up to a month. You should also add additional time into your timeline if you are working with a designer or if you want to run the design by others.

If you are tight on time, there are still plenty of options to consider.

Designing Your Teams Trading Pin

When creating a custom enamel pin, you’ll want to provide some type of design or inspiration to the factory or manufacturer you are working with. A lot of these companies have in-house designers, so you may just have to provide a picture of the logo to get started.

Our design team at Softball Trading Pins have been designing softball pins for teams since 2003. And did you know that our designs are free?

Clearly communicating your design expectations at the beginning, will make the process go a lot smoother. It's also great to work with expert and experienced designers like our team because they will translate your ideas into something that people will love.

When thinking about your design, it’s good to keep a few basic design principles in mind. Keep the design simple. It’s also good to use strong colors and lines to make your design pop.

Because of the compact size, fewer lines and details will help your design stand out from the crowd.

Choosing The Right Material

Once you figure out your design, you’ll want to start looking for the right material. The material and quality of your pin are almost as important as the design.

There are two basic types of pins you should be aware of:

  1. Soft Enable Pins — These are the highest quality pins you will find. Because are shaped out of metal, these pins usually feature bright colors, shiny finishes, and have fun customization options, like glow-in-the-dark.
  2. Offset Printed Pins — These pins are great if you have a very detailed design or if you are listing players’ names. They are printed on vinyl, attached to the metal pin, and then covered with epoxy.

Determining The Budget

Material, size, and quantity are going to be the main factors in determining your overall cost. As a general rule, the more pins you order the cheaper your unit cost is going to be.

For example, one hundred 1.0” soft enamel pins could cost you about $270. If you ordered one thousand of those same pins, your total cost would only be $960.

Mustang Fastpitch Softball Team Pin
Mustang Fastpitch Softball Team Pin

Ranging from 1.0” to 3.0”, the size of your pin will also impact your bottom line. Your overall cost can double if you are choosing to go with a bigger pin design. For softball, the most popular pin size is 1.75”.

It’s great to have an understanding of the pricing right up front, so you don’t set your heart on something your team can’t afford.

Find The Right Manufacturer Today

If you are thinking about purchasing softball trading pins, today is a great day to get started. Figuring out your timeline, design, materials, and budget will put you on the right path to finding the best manufacturer for your team pins.

Ask for a free quote and start designing a pin that your team, fans, and community will love.

Softball Catcher Tips to Help Improve Your Game

It is difficult to be a softball catcher. If you want to learn about some of our best softball catcher tips, you should click here.

Whether you are the catcher or the coach for a softball team, you must always work to improve your game or your players' games. There is always room for improvement, even for the best softball catchers. Practicing each day is a great way to stay on top of your game, but there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind as well.

Being or coaching a softball catcher isn't always easy. There's a lot more involved with this position than simply catching a ball as the name would imply. If you want to keep up with the best in the game, you need to do a bit of research.

If you want to dominate the game and help your team succeed, check out this list of some of our best softball catcher tips!

1. Help the Pitcher

A good catcher helps the pitcher during a game. A great fast-pitch catcher will know how to catch a ball with a form that makes even an average pitch look like a perfect strike! But catching balls with style isn't the only responsibility that the catcher has.

The catcher also needs to know how to save runs from happening by blocking pitches that are thrown in the dirt. A great catcher should block the corners off as well to prevent runners from stealing a base. Softball catchers need to know how to call a pitch and know how to observe the batters.

Observing the batters helps the catcher know each batter's tendencies and weaknesses. The catcher will then use this knowledge against the batters.

2. Play the Leadership Role

Sure, the pitcher on the team might be in the spotlight more than the catcher, but this is not to take any glory away from the catcher. The catcher in softball is equivalent to the quarterback in football. Catchers are always facing towards the action of the game.

Catchers are the ones in control of where the ball goes. They are the ones who make that call. Because of this, the catcher has a strong leadership role in the game.

A great catcher shouldn't be afraid to yell out where the play should be and any other directions concerning the play.

3. Control Base Runners

The catcher also has control over the base runners. Keep in mind that in the catcher position, it's your job to stop the base runners from stealing bases. You'll need to be aware of yourself, the game, and a good strategy.

It's essential to keep in mind that you have to divide your focus into both the runners and the batters. This is one of the main reasons why the catcher position is such a hard one to play. In many cases, the catcher will need to keep the focus on the batter rather than the runner.

This is something that a good catcher will know how to determine. It's all about understanding the game, where the team stands in the game such as runs and runners on bases, and more. If a speedster is on first and there's one out in a close game, there's a good chance the runner will attempt to steal. The catcher will need to keep an eye on this player and call for a pitchout to cut the runner off if they think they're going to run.

4. Practice Throwing Drills

As a softball player, no matter what position you're playing, you can never get enough practice. As a catcher, you'll want to practice throwing drills when possible. The catcher's footwork needs to be quick and strong to pop up fast and hit the target directly.

The way you throw the ball is your throwing position, and it's something that you want to have down pat. Performing a throwing drill practice regularly is going to help with muscle memory. Once you build this muscle memory, you'll be able to quickly stand up and throw with strength.

5. Get Your Body Behind It

Don't always rely on your glove to catch the ball for you. You should work on getting your body behind the ball and your catches. Set yourself up behind the plate to catch the ball with your entire body, not only your glove.

Use your body to block the ball and stop it from getting behind you. To practice this skill, a coach can use tennis balls and throw them at the catcher. Each throw should become wider and wider.

This forces the catcher to move around and block the ball with their body. If you do this drill enough, blocking will become second nature to you.

6. Know Your Pitcher

If the catcher and pitcher work together during every game and practice, the catcher becomes familiar with the pitcher's tendencies and will know when there's a problem. A good catcher will notice any issues and walk out to the pitcher to communicate these issues to him or her.

The pitcher will then be able to correct the problem. The catcher has a front-row seat for each pitch, which makes them a real-time review tape. As a catcher, you should know the pitcher better than any other teammate. The pitcher should be the one that the catcher communicates with the most.

Every Softball Catcher Needs a Trading Pin!

Knowing these six softball catcher tips is the best way to ensure that you play every game to the best of your abilities. Do you want to improve the teamwork on your team? To raise your spirits more, you and your entire team need softball trading pins!

Trading pins are a fabulous way to show team spirit and keep everyone on the field motivated.

Do you need to purchase trading pins for your softball team? Click here for a free quote!

4 Softball Drills for Beginners: Youth Softball Drill Guide

Looking for some drills to hit the ground running this season? Use these 4 softball drills for beginners to learn the fundamentals of softball.

If you knew that baseball was America's favorite past time, you might not know that softball is almost as popular. Recent studies estimate that about 40 million Americans play a softball game each year!

Whether you are a new team coach or a proud parent, there are great softball drills that will help build all the necessary skills.

We have gathered a few of our favorite drills to help you get started. Keep reading to learn which drills can help your team get out of the dugout and into the game!

1. Home to First Base Drill

Many players have the tendency to lurch forward or to stop dead on first base instead of running past it. The good news is that this mistake is easy to correct.

To complete this drill, have the "batter" stand in the box and pretend to hit a ball on the coach's signal. As soon as they swing, they run full speed towards first base, run past it a few steps (making sure to touch the bag with their foot) circle around towards the first base dugout and come to a stop on the first base bag.

Line up the whole team to make this a relay drill!

2. Parachute Hitting Drill

Tie a plastic bag, a bat parachute, or even a bat weight to the end of the bat and swing away! Do not try to hit a ball like this, but practice swinging as if you were trying to hit a ball.

This drill teaches players to swing through the ball instead of stopping at the point of impact. Once mastered, this drill is excellent for developing a more powerful swing.

3. Grounding Drill

This drill's purpose is to help players pick up and throw a ball that hits the ground and rolls towards them.

The player should have a wide stance with bent knees with the bare hand placed on top of the glove forming a "V" with the wrists touching.

Hit a ball towards the ground in front of the player. Their goal will be to place the glove in front of themselves in the trajectory of the ball and, once the ball rolls into the glove, the bare hand snaps closed like a rat trap over the ball.

After that, the bare (throwing) hand pulls the ball out of the glove and proceeds to throw the ball to the baseman.

4. Best Softball Drills for Pitchers

One of the first things you should do is figure out what every player's strengths are and put the "aces in their places". Not everyone can play every position well and making sure your team has the right player in the right places can help the team dynamic function better.

After you identify your pitcher, have them run through a windmill pitching drill.

For this drill, start with the pitching motion without the ball. Once you have your form down, then add a ball.

The three main aspects to focus on during this style of pitching are your balance, the wrist snap, and the hip close.

Let's Play Ball!

Once you get your team together and you run a few of these softball drills, you will be ready to hit the field and start practicing!

Make sure you help build team rapport by doing something fun to bring everyone together. Have a team building party or make a unique pin for the team so everyone can represent their team when they are out of uniform too!

If you have questions about this article or if you would like a quote on your own custom team trading pins, contact us today!

How Softball Trading Pins Boost Team Spirit

If you're a coach of a softball team, your job goes a lot further than just what happens on the field. You owe it to your organization to boost team spirit as much as you can.

Softball trading pins and team spirit go hand in hand, and you would do well to get your hands on them.

These tips below will help you out so that you can do right by your softball team.

The Trading Pins and Colorful and Fun

Coaching a softball team can be one of the biggest areas of fulfillment in your life. Whether you have a daughter on the team or not, passing on the skills of the game, and teamwork among friends and classmates, lets you mold a young generation.

Team spirit is a big part of running a softball team and using trading pins can help with this.

These trading pins are great because they're colorful and fun, and can use team colors and logos. By trading them among teammates, or even other teams within the league, it builds a sense of camaraderie and belonging that makes playing for a team memorable.

Companies that sell these pins have lots of different options, which incentivize the players to want to collect them all. They are fun and decorative and allow an opportunity to socialize and communicate.

Trading Them Builds Belongingness and Teamwork

When you implement trading pins into your team, everyone will feel a sense of belonging. It gives your players a chance to make friends with other girls that they otherwise might not have.

Youth softball brings together kids from different schools that otherwise might never meet each other. By throwing the trading pins into the mix, it allows them to form bonds that can last well throughout grade school.

When they're friends off the field, they'll also have better communication and play on the field.

It Provides an Excellent Fund Raiser

It costs money at every level to host a softball team or league. Players will need money for equipment and uniforms, in addition to the cost to rent different fields.

Trading pins provide an excellent softball fundraiser opportunity.

It's especially important to hold fundraisers if you have an all-star or travel team. Playing on a travel team helps your child learn discipline and teamwork at higher levels, and exposes them to greater levels of competition.

You can also find some trading pin specials that let you get a great discount for your fundraiser. This way, you will be able to pay for everything from uniforms and transportation, to hotels, meals, and fun while on the road.

Coaching one of these travel teams can be incredibly rewarding, as can the pursuit of bringing home bigger trophies and accomplishments.

Softball Trading Pins: Team Spirit Builder

Softball trading pins and team spirit go hand in hand. When you use these pins, you will create an experience with some bright kids, that can last a lifetime.

Get in touch with us so you can get a quote on softball trading pins.

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