One of the biggest complaints and grumbles a softball coach has to deal with is about playing time. Players say, “Coach, pick me! Pick me!” in different ways. Very rarely do they actually say those words and too often they try to get this message to their coach in a negative manner (i.e. grumbling, complaining, questioning, or just plain sulking).
But if you want to know one of the BEST ways to get your point across to your coach…keep reading…
Talk is cheap…
Actions speak louder than words…
If you want to send your coach a message, do it with your PERFORMANCE!
Your performance in practice, your performance in pre-game, your performance in game situations is much more likely to make an impression on your coach than anything you (or your parents) could say. Make sure that the message you send with your performance is a consistently positive one and you’ll have a much better chance at getting the playing time you want.
Great tips, Stacie. You are so right. Especially it today’s world players seem to think the coach owes playing time to her. He/she doesn’t. While coaches should make every effort to get their players on the field, in my opinion, players help themselves out considerably when they show why they should be there through their actions.
Of course, even then it doesn’t always work. If you’re doing all that and still not getting playing time, here are a couple of suggestions. One is to ask the coach what you need to do to get more playing time. Not why am I not getting to play? That challenges the coach’s authority. But asking what you can do lets the coach know you want to be on the field in a non-confrontational way, and gives you a clear path for getting there. After all, if you fulfill the requirements it should remove any objections. The coach might even take credit for your sudden “turnaround.”
The other is to be visible during games. As Stacie said, don’t sit and sulk. Don’t hide at the end of the bench. Sit next to the coach, and cheer or shout encouragement. If you see something happening during the game, point it out. Pick up bats when the play is over. In other words, show you’re engaged in the game and the team. That way, when the coach needs a sub you’re top of mind. Then just be sure to take advantage of the opportunity!