Accuracy, Pitching Styles, Pitches (fastball, change up, curveball, riseball, dropball, screwball, knuckle), Balance, Location Accuracy, Drills, Body Awareness, Muscle Memory Training, Mechanic Development, Training Aids/Tools, and Mental Training for Pitchers.
Clinics
We offer clinics specific to all positions including, pitcher, catcher, hitting, 1st 2nd and 3rd base, infielder, centerfielder, outfielders and shortstop.
Right/Left Handed Hitting, Slapping, Bunting, Strength Hitting, Placement Hitting, How to Read Pitches, Drills, Body Awareness, Muscle Memory Training, Mechanic Development, Training Aids/Tools, and Mental Training for Hitters
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Each lesson is specifically designed for each athlete’s individual needs.
Ages Range From: 6-18 years old
McKnight Softball Instruction offers private lessons for all positions.
Players can participate in group clinics theoughout the summer.
Our Instructors have over 30 years of combined experience.
Owner/Instructor
I grew up in the small town of Pinole, California where I started playing softball at the age of 5. I began pitching when I was 7, and that’s when I knew that’s where I belonged on the field. I played ASA ball all 4 years of high school. During my junior year, I signed with Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. I continued my career there for the next 4 years. I graduated with a Health & Recreation major with a minor in Coaching. After graduation, I moved back to California and accepted a coaching position for both volleyball and softball at my former high school as well as giving private softball lessons. After 2 short years, I decided to move back to Tennessee to pursue my passion of owning my own softball program.
Salesian High School | 2001-2005
CA Valley Stompers | 2001-2003. 2005
Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award | 2003
CA Haze | 2004
1st Team All-League | 2002, 2005
2nd Team All-Conference | 2003
MVP | 2005
Instructor
Shannon Plese is a graduate of Christian Academy of Knoxville and Is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University while also making stops to play collegiately at Chattanooga State Community College and The University of South Carolina.
Plese left Chattanooga State as 2X NJCAA all American, and received first team all-region, first team all-conference honors at Western Kentucky University. She was awarded a spot on the all SEC academic team while at South Carolina, and has recently just finished a two year stint as a graduate assistant at the University of West Georgia, a division 2 school in the Gulf South Conference.
She will now proceed in her career as an assistant with Belmont University in Nashville for the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
Instructor
Caitlyn is a Murfreesboro local. She started playing softball when she was 7 years old and has pitched ever since then. She graduated from Blackman High school in 2019. She was the starting pitcher all four years leading her team to a historic 4 years. Her senior year they went to sectionals, and that was the farthest the school had ever been. She led her team to a 36-9 record (11-1 in district). Career ERA of 2.74 with 525 strikeouts. She won district pitcher of the year in 2019 and all district player for 3 years. After high school she stayed local and played at Tennessee State University. She pitched at TSU for 3 years. In 457.1 innings pitched over her career at TSU she had an overall ERA of 3.55, 35 wins and 291 strikeouts. She had the first 100+ strikeout season in 10 years at TSU.
Instructor
Kaelin is an alumnus of the softball program at Martin Methodist College, now known as The University of Tennessee Southern. Serving her time as a player at Martin Methodist, Kaelin’s primary positions were catcher and outfield. She later returned to Martin Methodist as an assistant coach in 2020 overseeing all recruiting, practices, catchers, and outfielders. She was then promoted to Associate Head Coach after MMC made the transition to UT Southern. Dawson went to UTS from Holtville High School in Deatsville, Ala., where she has served for a year as head softball coach, while also teaching PE at Holtville Elementary School. Prior to her time at Holtville, she served one season as the assistant coach at Bethel University where she oversaw all outfielders, catchers, recruiting, and workouts. Dawson assisted UT Southern alumni and former softball player, Lori Lindsey, as a volunteer assistant at Columbia Community College before accepting her role at Bethel.
Along with team coaching experience, she has instructed private catching, hitting, and defense lessons and has worked with many team sports in speed and agility training over the last eight years. She also assisted with camps, tournaments, and fundraisers from the Central Alabama region to Middle Tennessee. Dawson received her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Physical Education from Athens State University and will begin her M.Ed. through MTSU this summer. She is currently the Assistant Softball Coach at LaVergne High School where she also teaches P.E.
Instructor
Kaylee was born and raised in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. She went to Wilson Central High School for all four years. Was a four-year starter, four-time All-District, District MVP twice, Second Team All-State twice, All-Tournament in 2019 and Wilson County Player of the year in 2019. Was a member of the travel team Tennessee Illusions, which placed second in ASA Nationals. Signed to play softball at Middle Tennessee State University. Freshman year she posted a .450 batting average, an .825 slugging percentage, and a .560 on base percentage, all marks that led her team and all Conference USA freshman. The designated player and right fielder slugged five homers and finished the season with 13 RBIs and seven runs scored. Ended her sophomore season seventh all-time in slugging percentage (.524) and 10th in on base percentage (.405) Started 20 games and played in a total of 30; 11 starts come as the designated player and nine were at third base. Her last year being my Junior year she played in 48 games, making 42 starts. Finishing the season batting .205 with 23 hits, including four doubles, while knocking across 13 RBI and scoring 2 runs. Ended my career at MTSU batting .269, 15 home runs, 74 RBI, and .380 on base percentage. She is currently finishing her Elementary Education Degree online at WGU.