2002
#9 in the nation
NCAA Division II batting average — .469
The Next Rep • Founded by Angela Biddlestone
I know what it feels like to struggle with failure.
I've spent more than 30 years in softball as a player, coach, and instructor—working across hitting, defense, catching, and the mental side of the game.
The Next Rep didn't start because the mental game always came easily to me. It started because it didn't.
The lesson that changed everything
They didn't just tell me to shake it off. They taught me how.
As a player, an error could stay with me. A bad at-bat could follow me. I learned that being physically prepared wasn't enough; I needed tools for what happened between one play and the next.
Coaches incorporated mental training into regular practices. We trained under pressure and practiced responding to adversity before the game was on the line.
The next pitch. The next at-bat. The next ball. The next teammate.
From Frederick to college softball
Player. Captain. MVP.
Angela grew up playing in Frederick, Maryland, with the Frederick Heartbreakers, Frederick Express, and Damascus Hurricanes. She went on to play NCAA Division II softball at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, primarily as a catcher and third baseman.
I learned how to fail. How to respond. How to compete when I was nervous. And how to be a teammate when it wasn't my great day.
The record book
2002
#3 in the country
NCAA Division II RBIs
2002–2004
USCAA Softball All-American
2001–2003
Most Valuable Player
2000–2004
Captain, Columbia Union College Softball Team
2000–2004
Columbia Union College Softball MVP
The numbers are part of the story. They were never the point.
From player to coach
Players are told what to be. We don't always teach them how.
After graduating, Angela returned to Columbia Union College and spent approximately five years coaching at the Division II level, progressing from hitting coach to head coach.
Be confident
Be tough
Forget about it
Stop thinking
Shake it off
Stay positive
The Next Rep fills the “how” gap.
Beyond the field
Experience at every level of the game.
More than 30 years of playing experience
Travel, high school, and NCAA Division II softball — primarily as a catcher and third baseman.
Every level. One sport.
Teaching, coaching, and athletic-department work at the professional, college, high school, and elementary levels.
Akron Racers • Professional Softball
Manager of Tournaments, Clinics, and Camps for the Akron Racers professional softball team.
Founder, Play Ball! LLC
A baseball and softball training company serving the Metropolitan Washington area, with private lessons and clinics alongside Mike Toomey.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Physical Education with a minor in Coaching and Sports Administration — with coursework in sports administration, coaching, anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, and athletic training. Currently completing a Master's degree in Sports Management and Coaching at Southern New Hampshire University.
Recruiting
Academic progress
Community outreach
Fundraising
Pre-season conditioning
Weight training
Practice & game coaching
Facility management
Why The Next Rep exists
Today, the mission is even more personal. As a mom watching her own daughter grow up in sports, Angela thinks differently about what the game should give young athletes long after the games end.
How to fail without believing they're a failure. How to accept coaching without losing confidence. How to take responsibility, move forward, compete while nervous, and support a struggling teammate.
Angela's daughter is part of the reason for the work—not the subject of it. Her personal experiences remain private.
I made a mistake—and I still want the next ball.
What I want to give back
We prepare athletes by teaching them what to do next.
The Next Rep helps players build practical tools, coaches train the mental game inside existing practices, and parents support without unintentionally adding pressure.
Release. Reset. Attack.
Angela Biddlestone
Founder, The Next Rep • Former NCAA Division II Player & Coach
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Who founded The Next Rep?
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Angela Biddlestone — more than 30 years in softball as a player, coach, and instructor. She was an NCAA Division II catcher and team MVP at Columbia Union College, hit .469 in 2002 (#9 in Division II), coached at the Division II level for five years, and worked for the Akron Racers professional softball team.
Why did Angela start The Next Rep?
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Not because the mental game came easily — because it didn't. She built the tools she wishes she'd had, and now wants to pass them on to the next generation.