Base Coaches Are For…
I recently attended a coaches clinic where a very cool idea was shared. It wasn’t quite stated like this, but this is how I think of it in my head…
Base Coaches Are For Stopping, Not Sending
You see too many players mistakenly wait for their coaches to tell them to go or to send them off to the next base. However, in crucial cases, if you aren’t already going when your base coach says, “GO” chances are you’ve already missed out on the opportunity to take an extra base or score a run.
Now, it’s true, there are cases when you DO need your base coaches help to make a decision, primarily when the ball is behind you and you’d have to turn your head back to see it. In these cases, you ARE most certainly going to rely on your base coach to be your eyes and tell you whether to go or stay.
However, when the ball is in front of you…
you need to learn to make your own reads. YOU, along with your coach, should be looking for any and all opportunities to take the next base. There are even some situations where only YOU know if you can make it or not. Only YOU will know if you’re in a good position to take advantage of an opening in front of you. There’s simply no time for your coach to direct your every move. In these particular cases, you will miss the opportunity EVERY time if you always wait for your base coach to send you.
Then there are times when, in order to make it to the next base and take advantage of an opening, you really need to already be GOING by the time the command to take the next bag comes out of your base coach’s mouth. Basically, in these situations, you are making the read and decision to go yourself and your base coach’s direction to go is simply on confirmation of what you are already doing.
Of course, there are times when you think you can go and your base coach tells you not to. For some reason, players seem to be worried that they won’t be able to get back to the base in time if they try to make their own read and go. But honestly, if you think you can make it the next 40-50 feet to the next base, chances are VERY good, that you’ll be able to make it the 10-20 feet BACK should your base coach exercise their judgement to stop you.
The Bottom Line is…
- Basecoaches are for Stopping, Not Sending
- The only time you are going to rely solely on your base coach is when the ball is behind you
- Learn to think for yourself on the base paths
- Always be looking for opportunities to take extra bases (which also means keeping yourself in an athletic position until the ball is dead)
- You WILL have enough time to get back should your coach decide to stop you
Base Coaches Are For Stopping, Not Sending
It’s an idea I had to share with you because even though this is the mentality I had as a baserunner, I’d never heard anyone say it quite like that until I went to the coaches clinic with the UW coaches. I think it’s very cool and very true.
Hopefully it’s an idea, a mindset, that can help you improve your baserunning this season!
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8136496@N05/ / CC BY 2.0
