There is value in knowing general recommendations for specific situations, so I’m not saying to throw the “textbook” out altogether. However, sticking with what “should” be done in every situation every time gets a) very boring and b) very predictable.  Neither is what you’re striving for is it?

When people ask me what should I call in “this” situation, I really can’t give them an answer.  I can give a general answer given general guidelines, but there is so much more to consider than the number of outs, the score, the count, and so on.

Honestly, in my opinion, making coaching calls comes down to doing the best you can with the information you have and trusting your gut (not only your head). Yes you will make the wrong call from time to time, but that happens to every coach.  It’s highly unlikely you will make every right call every single time regardless of the decision making method you choose.  So why not make the one you feel strongest about?

In any given situation there are various calls that could possibly give you an outcome you desire. There’s more than one way to skin the cat you’re after, in other words.

However, as a coach, you can only choose one option and have only a limited amount of time to make that choice.  I believe, the more you make the call your gut tells you to (after evaluating the situation the best you can with the information you have), the more you learn and the better you get at it.

Sometimes, even with a great call, the ball still doesn’t bounce your way.  Other times you simply blow a call.  Then there are times you make a call you shouldn’t have and it all works out just fine, or better.

Regardless of how things shake out, the bottom line is you need to…

• Do YOUR best in that time and place to make a decision based upon the information you DO have
• Make the call you can stand behind even if it doesn’t work out (aka go with your gut)
• Learn from the situation regardless of the outcome

So yes, you can study to your heart’s content, but in the end, make the call that’s really tugging at you, jumping up and down, waving it’s hands in the air, and calling out to you.  If it goes great, file that piece of information away for the future.  If it goes terribly, file that piece of information away for the future.

It’s when you have no method to your madness and just try things just for the heck of it (and on top of that don’t bother to learn from the situation either way) that you never make any real progress or get better at making the best softball coaching decisions for your team.

The last thing you want to be saying after a game is, “I knew I should’ve done this, but the ‘right’ call is _____, so I went with that.” You’ll just keep beating yourself up because you had a feeling you should make a certain call, but since it’s not what most people would do, you played it safe and made the more traditional call that people would expect.  That way you don’t get blamed for making a “bad” call since you made the “right” decision coaches are “supposed to” make.

I’d rather be able to look back at a decision and say, “I made the best choice I could in that time and place and really believed it would work, but today it didn’t.  Now I know X, Y, and Z and will make a better decision in the future.”

Any time something doesn’t work out, there will be people who will say you made a “bad call.”  That comes with the territory.  Like I said before, sometimes it’s not the call.  Sometimes things just don’t work out.  Newsflash: You can’t control outcomes! You can only control your process.  Did you make the best evaluation you could and make your best decision based upon that?  If so, you’re process what right.  Things just didn’t bounce your way.  That’s not in your control.

If not, then there was something in your process that wasn’t right.  Could be what information you gathered to make the decision.  Could be how you interpreted the information to make your decision.  Could just be your decision.

Whatever the case, instead of looking at the only the call itself, also remember to look at the process that led to the call. Sometimes there is something there that can be fixed for the future.  Other times, it just wasn’t meant to be.  Other times it was flat out a bad call.  You need to be able to look back, evaluate your process and see where you can get better.  Your learning needs to go beyond just the “textbook.”

Failing to understand the details of the situation your team is in can cost your team an important game, maybe even your tournament life.  The last thing you want to do is lose because of a simple and avoidable coaching error after your girls worked so hard to be in a position to win near the end of a game.

If you’ve ever wanted an easy to use chart to help you figure out what softball coaching strategies to use in time limit games, you’re in luck.  Such a chart actually does exist!

This Softball Time Management Chart was shared by Don McKay at BellaOnline.

It gives you softball coaching strategies for…

• drop dead
• no new inning
• when you’re the visiting team
• when you’re the home team
• when you’re ahead
• when you’re behind
• when you’re at bat
• and when you’re on defense!

Talk about thorough!  I love it.

But I do have one note for Mr. McKay: one situation you did forget was the no new inning after 1 hr 15 with a drop dead at 1hr 30 min.

I’m dead serious!

Am I the only one who thinks it’s SO weird to have BOTH in effect during one softball game.  Does anyone else run tournaments like that or is it just Hawaii???  I really want to know. 

Click on the Chart Below to see the Full Version

One thing I learned as a softball coach is that placing hope on the wrong things or the wrong people is a bad, bad idea.  This is true not only in softball, but in life.  It’s like when thousands and thousands of people though the government and mortgage companies were going to help them out with the loan modification program.

Almost ALL of those applications got denied and many of the ones that went through didn’t work anyway.  Thousands of Americans thought they would get much needed help.  Instead, they were strung out and denied.  Or they did get their loan modified, but still ended up losing their home even after modification.

That is an example of placing hope in the wrong place, on the wrong things or people.  It stinks.  You get kicked in the teeth.

When you misplace your hope, prepare to get messed over.

In softball, this happens when coaches place hope in just Plan A or in players who lack a track record of reliability.

You’ve probably seen it before.  The coach who has one strategy of attack and when that doesn’t work on a particular day, he has nothing to fall back on as a Plan B.  He mistakenly pinned all his hope on one strategy that, contrary to what he believed, is not the best strategy for every single situation or team you can possibly face in a season.

Maybe you’ve also seen coaches misplace their hope on the wrong person.  The Princess Diva All-Star that…

• doesn’t work hard in practice
• shows up late and doesn’t think anything of it
• only gives 100% when she wants to or when she feels like it or when it’s convenient for her
• acts as if it’s everyone or everything else’s fault when she struggles (the sun, the rain, the umpire, the catcher that called the wrong pitch, etc)
• never owns up to any of her errors, mistakes, or faults

This is NOT the type of player you want to place all your team’s hope on.

Instead, choose players who will, regardless of the situation, dig in and give it their best shot.

Players who pick and choose when to be on time and when to try hard are going to be inconsistent in their performance because they are inconsistent in their approach and training.

Often times they will only try hard in drills they think are fun and slack or go through the motions in drills they don’t like doing.  This inconsistency in their training will lead to inconsistency in performance.

Not only that, trying hard only when they like what’s going on often equates to trying hard only when things are going well in the game.  For goodness sakes, that’s the easy part.  Anyone that can be upbeat, energetic, motivated, positive, confident and full of hustle when things are going great.

It’s the players who can do that no matter what that gives your team championship character and championship opportunities.  These players can play their game and perform at a solid level whether they’re in a situation they like or not, whether they’re in a situation that’s easy or not.

If a player can’t even make it a point to give their best in a practice drill just because they don’t like it or it gets too challenging is NOT going to be the one you can rely on during “big time” game situations or when your team gets behind or faces any other kind of adversity.

These players often make excuses for poor performance…

• The ball is wet today, I can’t pitch like this
• The sun is in my face, I can’t catch like this.
• The wind is drying my contacts out, I can’t field like this.
• The dirt is too soft in the batter’s box, I can’t hit like this.
• The dirt is too hard on the field, I can’t run and slide like this.
• The mound is crooked, I can’t pitch this.
• The umpire is inconsistent, I can’t hit like this.
• My rubberband isn’t holding my hair back…you get the idea.

Some of those might sound silly, but this type of excuse making is often evident in players who only give their best when they feel like it, who only follow team rules when they feel like it, who only hustle when it’s convenient for them.  They’re not what I hear Coach Heather Tarr refer to as “true athletes.”

Look for players who enthusiastically dig in to any challenge and give everything they got no matter what.  These players, no matter what you throw at them, just jump in and do it.  Whether the situation or task is hard or weird or uncomfortable, they will do their best to get the job done.  Whether people around them think they can or they can’t, it doesn’t matter, they are going to give it their best shot!

Players like this, who give everything they have day in and day out, are the ones you know you can count on!  These are the ones you place your hope in to go out there and play ball!  THESE are the players you put in key roles, not the ones you have to “hope” will show up and feel like playing on game day.

I have to admit. I see this all the time at youth softball practices. Coaches who are more concerned with the outcome of a play in practice vs the process.

Example? Trying watching a youth softball team practice turning a double play. More often than not you’ll probably see coaches satisfied when the ball is fielded sure handedly, thrown to 2nd, thrown to 1st, then thrown back home.

As long as the ball makes it through all those stages and back to the catcher everything is good and the coach is happy.

But what about how the ball was fielded? Did that person do a good job with footwork while fielding and throwing? Did they transition the ball well and get it to 2nd as quickly as they could? Did they make the catch as easy as possible for the person covering 2nd? Or did they use poor fielding and throwing technique and footwork? Did they make the catch and “turn” at 2nd difficult?

What about the “turn” at 2nd? Did the person covering 2nd approach the bag properly? Were they set up on the base right? Did they use the most efficient and effective footwork to get the out and quickly get rid of the ball to 1st base?

Then there’s the first baseman or the person covering 1st. Did they stretch to the ball correctly?

Was there good communication between the players on the play?

…and so on and so on and so on.

Too many coaches disregard all these components of a good double play.  Their only concerns are that the hit ball is not missed and that the thrown balls are not thrown wildly away. All they care about is that the bases were touched and the ball makes it back home – in other words, the result.

But what is that teaching the players? Are they practicing it right? Are they practicing it right consistently? Are they even close to getting both outs? Are there things they could do better? Or are they just practicing how to turn a double play incorrectly and inefficiently?

None of these things get addressed most times I watch a practice.

I know, I know. Taking the time to correct and refine ALL of that would take so long. Yes, it’s true that you may only get about half the amount of double play reps if you take the time to actually coach all that.  So what?! I’d much rather have 10 quality reps than 20 poorly or incorrectly done reps!

I also see this “Results over Process” mistake with hard throwing players. By the time I get to coach players they are 14, 15, 16 years old. Many have been playing since they were 8 or younger. They’ve been throwing the way they throw for a long time, and yet I see many, especially the hard throwing ones, who have poor throwing mechanics. They don’t get the most out of their body with the throwing motion they use. Most barely use their legs and rely on just their arm.

Since hard throwing players have a these nice strong throws, it seems most coaches during their youth ignored the fact that they weren’t throwing with the best mechanics. Coaches see a nice hard throw and which ends up in the catching vicinity of the person receiving the ball and that’s all they care about. The end result of the throw was good, so why “fix” anything?

Why? Because that’s your job as a coach! To help players get better even if they are already the best on their team or the best in the league for that matter.  There is always room for improvement.  You do your players a great disservice of you don’t help them get better despite how “good” they already are.

Allowing hard throwing players to continue using poor mechanics…

• wastes a players energy. Proper throwing mechanics are efficient allowing for maximum output with minimal effort. This is super important on long tournament weekends or over the course of a long season!
• makes them slower defensively than those who use efficient mechanics. The point on defense is to get the ball to your target in the shortest possible time frame (not with the highest possible velocity) in order to get more outs.
• puts unnecessary strain on their arm.
• reduces their arm’s effectiveness over the course of the season.
• shaves time off the longevity of this cannon arm over the course of this player’s career.

Like I said…disservice.

Focus on process over results – how they threw the ball, not where it ended up or how fast it was going when it got there – and you will avoid this issue.

Process Over Results
It’s not whether you get the ball here or not, it’s HOW you made the throw.
It’s not whether you came to practice or not, it’s HOW you trained while you were there.
It’s not whether you ran your sprints or not, it’s HOW you ran them.

Is the point simply to complete the task or complete it well?

It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s HOW you play the game.

You cannot always control the outcome of a performance. You can choose a good pitch and hit a ball well, but you cannot completely control whether you get hit or not. Someone on the other end may make an unbelievable catch and steal your hit. It doesn’t mean you did a bad job. You just couldn’t control the outcome of your good hit. All you can control is your performance.

• Did you give it your all?
• Did you do your best on that given day?
• Did you do what you trained to do to the best of your ability?

Have you ever walked away from a win with a less than satisfied feeling? Have you ever walked away from a win disappointed and bothered by your personal performance in it?

In contrast, have you ever walked away after a loss without anything to be ashamed? Have you ever walked away from a loss feeling proud that you did all you could do and simply came up short on that day against a worthy opponent? Have you ever come away from a loss more deeply respected by your teammates, your opponent, your coach, your family and your fans?

Was it the score or the result of the game that allowed you to hold your head high after a loss vs stew with dissatisfaction after a win?

The score or the result of the game is ultimately NOT the most important factor in how positive the experience was for you. It was about the PROCESS!

Funny thing is, mistakenly emphasizing results, results, results typially don’t get you to the results you want.

Focus on quality process, on best effort in the process, on best attitude about/in/regarding the process…that’s what usually gets you results you want.

Good results are a BYPRODUCT of excellence in your process (in your HOW)!

Good results are not “the point” – good results are what happen when you really truly get the point.

The past week has been crazy to say the least.  Big challenges, lots of emotions, unexpected events and so much more.  I didn’t have much time to write, but I did take some notes.  Here is some of what I’ve been able to take away from this week of challenge and change…

1.  The LAST thing you need to be doing when standing up for something you believe in is worrying about what other people think – ESPECIALLY when those people have NO clue about what’s really going on.

Been there, done that, and slapped “stupid” across my own head for being foolish enough to take advice from uninformed/misinformed/under-in…formed “know-it-alls” (aka idiots). Lesson learned…not making that mistake twice.

2.  Don’t let the opinions of others pull you away from your core values. Especially if those people have never been anywhere near your shoes nor the path you’re on! Stand strong!

3.  Saddens me to see that some people think so little of themselves, when STRANGERS say, “You don’t deserve to have all that” they BELIEVE it!

4.  When you work your butt off for what you have & earn every bit of it, you have NO reason to feel guilty for having more than others.

5.  There’s no way things ever work out in your favor if you decide beforehand that you have no chance.

6.  After all the blood, sweat, & tears you put in to what you’re fighting for, you’re gonna let someone else tell you you can’t win before you even finish the battle? Give it your best shot! You’ll never win if you give up before you even try.

7.  Never EVER sacrifice your long term vision for short term gain or just because it’s the easier, less painful thing to do now. More often than not the easy choice now is NOT the best decision long term.

That is a good idea of course and a natural inclination to have. The problem is that this is the very age when people start moving in different directions for a number if different reasons. Some are personal, some are logistical, some are actually softball related, and others just happen.

Many coaches and parents spend too much time getting upset over this inevitable change. They start getting all bent out of shape over the thought of bringing new girls into the mix…especially when “last year’s” team was successful.

I was recently asked for my thoughts on this very type of situation. Parents were getting concerned because 10 our of 12 girls from a successful 12U team moved up to 14U and now the coaches were looking at bringing in more girls.

Well, first of all 10 players on a 14U travel team isn’t going to be enough so the coaches DO have to bring more players into the team. How many? Tough to say! It’s easy to go with a smaller roster when there is a history if the players being committed and capable of showing up week after week. But if you’re bringing new players and families into the mix, you may be unsure of which ones will really truly be reliable.

It’s great to be able to have a roster of 12. However, if you happen to have an injury and an illness at the same time on a long tournament weekend, it leaves you in a challenging spot. A spot that not only makes things tougher for team success but also places higher risk on the health and safety of your players which should always come first! Carrying 14-16 players may be a better idea.

But What About Our Dream Team?
Coaches and players alike may not be completely comfortable with the idea of changing up this team too much. But at a certain point you really need to stop trying to force something that won’t happen and consider the other side of the coin…

It’s completely normal after a particularly successful season to want to do it all over again. You figure you can toe that same line to get there again. There’s only ONE problem.  Even if you have the same coaching staff and the same roster…

This year’s team is NOT last year’s team.

I’ll say it again… this. year’s. team…  is. NOT. last. year’s. team

1) Even if you had the EXACT same roster as “last year” it doesn’t mean you have the “same” team. It does NOT guarantee you the same results…especially if you’re moving up a division. The players on the team are a year older. They have another year of life experience under their belts. They have another year of softball experience under their belts. They have different things going on in school this year. Some have different friends. Some are more mature and more focused. Others are more distracted. All of these changes in the lives of the players change WHO they are this year compared to a year ago. That’s true for each and every one of them. That changes the team dynamic!

2) The idea that you will be able to do the “same thing” with the “same team” and get the “same result” is delusional. You already saw in #1 how this is NOT the “same” team so as last year, so right off the bat the idea that you’re doing the same thing with the “same team” is erroneous.  Now let’s address doing the “same thing.” Let’s say you ran some new drills last year or incorporated new practice strategies that the girls really responded to or did some new workout/training program last year. Well, if you do that again this year, will it still be “new” to the girls? No because they already did it last year. It’s not going to have the EXACT same effect so it will not give you the EXACT same result. That’s what makes coaching fun…if each season was exactly the same if you ran the “same” drills with the “same” girls, softball would be awfully boring.

So if you feel like having the “same” team will guarantee success THIS season, you’re fooling yourself. Not only is your team NOT the “same” neither is your competition! The one thing you can count on in this world is that things WILL change. Having the “same” team may actually lull you into a false sense of security. Coaches, players, and parents all know success is possible. It’s already happened and sometimes an entire team environment and organization falls into the trap of expecting it to just happen again without pouring in the same “dirty work” and burning motivation.

3) Embrance the change.  As the title to this article states…the ONE constant you can count on is that things will change.  This is true in softball and in life.  Change in a team is an opportunity to learn to adapt and grow in spite of the changes in environment.  In real life, if you don’t keep up, you will get left behind.  In higher levels of softball, team personnel changes.  Starting lineups change.  Coaching staffs change.  Training environments change, etc, etc, etc.

If you shelter players from this aspect of the game and of life, they may not know how to deal with it when they get older and when the stakes are greater.

So if you can keep a team together, that’s cool.  But if a little change or a lot of change happens, stop beating your head up against a wall trying to stop it.  Stop wasting time and energy putting off the inevitable and wishing for something that’s just not going to happen.  Embrace the opportunity to grow even more, to develop more than just softball skills.  Yes, change is uncomfortable and there are some things about the new situation that may not be as good as what used to be.  BUT all new situations open up opportunities that would have never been avialable otherwise. Focus on that!

In case you haven’t seen this video, here’s the most popular softball video on my YouTube channel for 2010.  It’s about hitting and something I think too many coaches teach as a “must do” when it’s not something that you actually must do when hitting.

Let me know what you think…

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7_xQJNwao

How can you tell?

Well one way you know to simply drop a piece of advice and never look back is when it goes against your core values and everything you believe in.  I don’t care who it comes from, this is NOT advice you use when you are coaching.  I’ve had people who told me, “I’ve been coaching longer than you’ve been alive” that I should have NEVER listened to!  For a while I thought they were right.  Forget that they had never coached teenage softball players in their life, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe they had a point.  Who am I to think I know better than them when they are older than me and have so much coaching experience?

You know, I fell into that trap as a new parent too.  When I first became a mother I listened too much to other well meaning moms giving out their free advice.  They were older than me.  They had more kids than me.  They had more years of experience being a parent, so they must know more.  Right?

WRONG!

It might be true sometimes.  I do believe there are older, wiser, more experienced people you can learn from, but NOT when you receive advice that goes against everything you believe in.  When the very thought of it just feels wrong in every fiber of your being…

The truth about parenting is no one knows your child better than you.  Ultimately, YOU need to be able to live with the parenting choices you make and you won’t be able to if you are basing your decisions off things you don’t believe in just because other people said you should do it that way.  You have to find what’s right for your child and your family.

The same is true with coaching. If you are getting free advice from anyone and that advice does NOT line up with your value system, then don’t take it.  You don’t have to get in a debate with them on it, just disregard it once you’re out of the conversation.

You cannot effectively lead a team down a path you don’t don’t believe in. How can your team follow you when you don’t believe in the direction you’re headed?  Think they can’t tell?  Think again.  You have to stick with what’s right for your players and your team.  Assuming that you have some integrity and are not just an egotistical, selfish coach who is out there more for your own personal reputation than for the players that is.  But the fact that your are still reading this article is a pretty good indication that you are not that superficial.

Maybe these people offering up advice are well meaning, maybe not.  Maybe these people have had success elsewhere, maybe not.  But if they are not at your practice every single day, if they do not work with your players for hours every week, if they are not in each and every one of your staff meetings…do you really think they know your team better than you and your staff do?

I do believe that every now and then you’ll come across a free golden nugget that fits with your vision and your program.  If that’s the case, by all means, take it and run with it!

But just be aware that there are also times that free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it… n.o.t.h.i.n.g.

My uncle actually takes it a step further than that and he says that free advice often ends up COSTING you the most.  You know, he may be right.  I’ve had that happen too.  Free advice has cost me big at times.  Definitely something to be aware of!

Stand up for what you believe in or you will fall for anything.

Trying to be someone you’re not is a huge mistake that probably starts off with the right intentions, but in reality, causes a lot of problems.  This is a trap many softball coaches fall into and this Softball Coaching clip explains exactly why it’s a problem you should avoid.

Enjoy!

What do you think of this audio?

Did it make you think just a little?

Can you think of a softball coach who is making this mistake?

Are you making this mistake???

How “real” you’re really being on the field?

Please leave me a comment and share your thoughts! I’d love to hear from you.

http://www.facebook.com/allaboutfastpitch

If you’re on Facebook, a great way to keep up with All About Fastpitch and cool softball tips, is to go to the page and click “Like.” Once you do that…

1. you can keep in touch with me via posts on the page (leave comments or ask questions!)
2. you can see the latest AAF blog posts right there at Facebook
3. you will get updates from the page right in your timeline – keep up with friends, family, and AAF all in one place!

Okay, now that we’ve explained that, let’s get back to the top softball tip of the week from facebook…

I really, really, really (did I say really) believe in the importance of allowing players to earn things they get. Doing so from day one snuffs out the sense of “entitlement” that can penetrate the team.

Players sometimes fall into this entitlement trap and start thinking that just because they show up, they deserve playing time, or they deserve to start, or they deserve to win.

One thing you’ll notice in this situation is the disproportionate amount of time players spend grumbling about playing time rather than actually working to EARN it!

That’s one of the obvious signs you have an entitlement problem.

To execute this softball tip of the week, you must make it clear from day one, through your words, through your actions, through your decisions, through your expectations, through your policies that there will be NO entitlement!

ALL of these areas have to be in line.  You cannot say one thing and do another.  You cannot make a team policy and only follow it when it’s convenient for you.  You cannot say that everyone must earn their position then “give away” starting roles with comments or references you make before the season even starts.

Ahhh, but that would require integrity on your part.  For some coaches, winning now is more important than doing the right thing.  Typically, this type of decision is made by coaches who look at the short term vs using long term vision.  Winning now becomes more important than teaching your players the important lesson that success does NOT come without hard work, discipline, and diligence.

What these coaches fail to recognize is that often times, sacrificing short term (aka today’s win), will often lead to the long term success you truly desire.  These short term sacrifices are not always easy to make.  In fact they can be downright tough to make, but keeping the big picture in mind makes today’s “tough call” a lot less complicated.

That’s why having a long term vision for your team or program is absolutely vital to your softball coaching success.

I also love the way life, business, and relationship lessons or principles often overlap with what we see, learn, teach, do, and have a chance to practice on the field.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen or heard concepts shared well outside the context of coaching softball and the first thing I think of is how it also applies to the game!

I ran into this again recently when I saw a tweet by Dave Ramsey, who will probably never really talk about softball because he is a personal finance/business leadership guy.  I’m not sure Dave Ramsey has any experience whatsoever with the game of fastpitch softball, but still I loved his tweet…

Now he was talking about business, but this totally applies to coaching softball!  Actually, it can apply to raising kids as well.

Our job, as softball coaches, is to equip our players with the tools they need to get the job done, think on their feet, and function well without us. On game day, there’s only so much we can do.  We cannot play the game for them, though I admit I’ve wanted to steal a jersey and jump into the game myself on a number of occasions.

The reality is that many key plays and decisions will be must by the players themselves in the heat of battle.

There is NO way you can instruct every move and every decision from the sideline, though I know there are probably times you wish you could.  There simply isn’t enough time for you to command every part of the game.  Some decisions on the field have to be formed and executed before your brain could ever get the message to your mouth to say the words.

Not only that, can you imagine how annoying it would be to play for someone who constantly barks from the sideline as if they have no faith and no trust in your ability to make plays and make decisions on your own?  That’s not the ideal situation to play in.

Like Dave says, “If you take…the time…to TEACH your team…”

Have you ever seen those coaches who don’t explain anything.  They are just commanders.  They command that players do this or do that and players have no idea why other than “Because coach said so.”

Teams coached in this manner will fall apart under pressure!

Coaching softball successfully requires that you TEACH your team so they understand why they are doing what you are asking.

This way, in game situations, they will be able to stand on their own two feet and make key decisions and plays without you.  Because the honest truth is, in the game, you CANNOT do it for them.  They must be able to think on their feet and make adjustments on the fly in order to be successful!

The same is obviously true with raising kids…eventually, they must be able to make great decisions without you.  I’ll admit, as a mom, I wish I could control every decision my children make.  They’d make less mistakes that way so there would be less stress and pain right?  But they’d also be useless on their own and probably lack any kind of self confidence as well.  Not a life I want for them.

How different is that from coaching a softball team?  If you want your team to be confident…If you want a team to be able to perform under any circumstances… you must give them the tools they need by teaching them they WHY, not just telling them what to do.

Coach Mark Mulvany from SoftballHittingOnline.com recently talked about reading pitch spin.  He coaches hitting both with baseball players and softball players.

I was surprised to hear which pitch he thought was tougher to read spin off of. Baseball or Softball.

What’s your guess?

He says that baseball spin is more obvious because the ball is smaller.  Smaller ball means more revolutions between release and contact, thus giving more “clues” that you can see.

Softball spin, however, can be a little tougher to read. That’s why Coach Mark uses a method he calls “Backdropping” to teach players of any age how to read the ball inside or outside.

Obviously this is a very useful tool because the sooner you can recognize pitch location, the earlier you can make your decision about whether or not to swing, the sooner you can identify the correct path to take to the ball, which all means you will have a better chance of not only hitting the ball, but hitting it well!

To watch the video where Coach Mark explains all this (which is interesting by the way, I will certainly have to get in a batter’s box to try it next time I’m at the field) you must be a member at SoftballHittingOnline.com.

Softball Hitting Online is a paid membership site, BUT Coach Mark is so confident you will love the hitting resources there that he allows you two full weeks to check out the site for free. Which means that you could be watching this video today.

If you’re already a member, simply click this link to watch.

If you’re not a member yet, go ahead and click on the link anyway…it will take you straight to the sign up page where you can join for free today and watch, not only this video, but a whole bunch of others which can help you become a feared hitter in the batter’s box.

Sound familiar?

It’s one thing to expect success or desired results while diligently working toward them.  It’s another to expect it will magically happen without having to actually do anything or put any effort toward those goals.

One describes DRIVEN, the other describes SPOILED.  Which one are you?

Are you sure about that?

It’s funny how I’ve complained about this millennial generation acting spoiled and yet, after taking a really good hard look at myself in the mirror, I realized that I’ve acted the exact same way in some areas of my life.

Today’s society is soooo heavy on instant gratification.  Technology gives us a variety of ways to get answers NOW, to get information NOW, to get in touch with friends and family NOW, to get what we want when we want it, which most times is NOW.  We sit on our butts, press a few buttons, and voila!  The world is delivered to us.

Backwards Thinking
Credit, which most “average” American families are familiar with, allow us to get things NOW and pay later.  No longer do we value the concept of working hard first, save with discipline, then pay with cash AFTER we EARN it.

Why go through all that trouble when retailers are offering “6 months same as cash?”  We can take it home NOW then simply earn and pay for it later.   Even though this is ridiculously backwards and typically doesn’t work well in any scenario, we get caught up in this way of thinking.

Whether we realize it or not, our brain is bombarded with the idea that we don’t need to first EARN the things we want/get.  We can “magically” get them NOW then figure out the rest later.  Bad plan.

Living for Today
But I’m “Living for Today!” That’s all fine and dandy if it motivates you to throw your BEST into everything you do.  It’s not so great when you use it as a justification to do stupid, irresponsible things now because there may be no “tomorrow” in which to do and/or pay for it.

Do What I Say
Do what I say, not what I do.  I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.  Unfortunately for us, that’s not the way it works.

After having some sense knocked back into me by life, I realized that maybe a big reason kids act entitled is because ADULTS in their life are modeling it for them in the choices and decisions that they make.  Remember, they are more likely to do what we do, rather than do what we say.

That’s right, I said it.  The adults, that’s us, in their life are modeling it for them.  Now, it’s very possible you may not be, but I’m sure that if you think hard enough, you can think of someone in their lives who is.  Or, you may be able to think of one area in your life or your coaching where you are acting like a spoiled little kid.

But I Deserve It
Some people feel that they work hard, they “deserve” a “treat” (nice expensive car or dinner or vacation) whether or not they can actually afford it.  This is not a mature decision. I don’t care if it’s a good idea or not, I “deserve” it! This is not a good reason to make a bad choice.  I’m not saying you don’t deserve a treat.  I’m just saying that maybe you need to choose a different treat.

Short Term Sacrifice, Long Term Gain
Maybe you’ve seen coaches short on time in the pre-season skip the basics and move on to more advanced stuff because they want to be “ready.”  Have you ever done that?

How about this one…

It’s not fair to the rest of the team to forfeit the game because some players broke a team rule.

We find so many ways to justify or rationalize these choices that really aren’t all that wise.

It’s not easy make tough decisions today for bigger payoffs in the long run.  Can you make that call to sacrifice that ONE game now to nip a potentially huge problem in the bud?

It’s so tempting to take the easy route today even if it’s not the best long term decision.  It’s natural to gravitate toward the path of least resistance.

When a toddler screams at the top of their lungs, throws a full tantrum on the floor, and shows no sign of ever giving up, it’s awfully tempting to just give ‘em what they want to placate them and get ‘em to shut up!  But you and I both know that’s not a good idea.

While that easy route is less painful or uncomfortable now, but it can cause ongoing pain/stress and greater disappointment/grief later.

When you have the strength to make the necessary sacrifices now, to do the necessary “dirty work” now, to make the tough choices now, the payoff in the long run will be more than worth it.

The problem is that sometimes we adults, not just “kids nowdays,” have the tendency to make decisions based upon now (let’s shut that screaming toddler up as quick as possible) instead of thinking and looking long term at the “big picture.”

We take the easy way out now and decide to worry about the consequences later and hope that somehow by that time, the problem is magically fixed.  We choose not to do the necessary “dirty work” now so that we can have the desirable results we want long term.  Bad plan! And guess what?

That shows through in our players and in their choice to take the easy way out of the “dirty work” now and worry about the consequences of that later while hoping all along that somehow they will magically still get the result they want later.

Not gonna happen!

Have the discipline and the diligence and the maturity to do what it takes, no matter how tough it may be now, to move toward the desired, “big picture” results later.  Keep that big picture and long term mindset on hand and it will make so called “tough” decisions much simpler. Plus you will be living and breathing the qualities, principles, and values you want to develop in your team.

Well, sometimes players need it in softball too!

Have you ever run across a player that wants to be too perfect?  Perfectionism in athletes can actually be detrimental because athletes that are perfectionist often:

• are afraid to make mistakes
• get upset over the littlest mistake
• are often disappointed frustrated with their performance because it never measures up to perfection
• are reasonably critical of themselves
• expect too much of themselves

All of these things can put a dent in a your confidence. If you try to play this game without confidence, you’ll probably fail much more than you should and, on top of that, won’t find the game very enjoyable. Obviously if you get to that point, you’re in trouble!  Once this game is “no fun” its either time for serious changes or time to give it up.

SO – since you probably don’t want to get to that point, here’s a little trick Dr. Patrick Cohn, youth sports psychology expert, uses to help players who are perfectionists.

He suggests giving them 3 “Get Out of Jail Free” cards at the beginning of a game or practice.  If your player/child makes a mistake, they (mentally) use one of the cards to let go of the mistake and move on.  Being able to let a mistake go and keep moving forward is such a critical part of becoming the best softball player you can be.  Not only that, this is yet another skill that applies to all areas of life, not just to playing softball on the field.

What do you think?  Is this something you would try?  Do you think this can help you?

It may seem like a bad thing when your opponent gets on base more often than you in the beginning of a game.  But if your team makes adjustments, you still have a good chance of coming out on top.

After all, what you’d love to see is your pitching becoming more and more effective against opposing batters while your hitters become more and more effective against opposing pitchers.  It can happen!

Two things that popped into my mind after watching that very scenario unfold before my very eyes:

1. The team that makes the best adjustments usually wins.
2. If your pitchers and hitters are becoming less effective as the game wears on, you’re in trouble – especially if the opposite is true for your opponent.

Remember, even if 4 innings are gone and you’re heading into the 5th, there’s still a lot of game left.  I know 5th inning sounds “late in the game.”  If you’re starting the 5th, then only 4 innings have been completed and, in a 7 inning game, that means there are still 3 innings left!  In fact, 42.85% of the game still lies ahead of you. It’s hardly “too late.”

Obviously, as coaches, the ideal situation involves pure domination of our opponent from the very start of a game all the way through to the last out.  In a perfect world this happens every game of the season.  In the real world we know that’s simply not the case.  So, if your team happens to get off to a bit of a slow start…

Keep the faith.  Make adjustments. Always remember that ultimately, how your game ends is far more important than how it begins.

But what happens when a call or two doesn’t go your way?  Or when one mistake leads to another?  Or when the playing conditions are less than desirable?  Or after you’ve been playing all weekend long and fatigue is starting to set in?  Or when your “best” players go down due to injury, health, or ineligibility issues?  How does your team react then?

Do they have the same approach? Do they remain upbeat and positive?  Or do they start to fall apart?  Do they start to press?  Do they start to get frustrated with themselves or each other?  Does your team fall apart or can your team still perform when things get tough?

I’ll admit, it’s not possible to re-create every challenging game-like situation in practice.  However if your team is never challenged in practice chances are they won’t be able to respond the way you want when challenge arises during the game.

Some very wise coaches and elite athletes suggest that training should be harder, tougher, and more challenging than competition.  That way when game day comes, it seems “easy” in comparison.  Is that what you do? Are you preparing your team to perform under adverse conditions, under any circumstance that may occur?  Or is your practice and training too easy?

Here’s an excerpt from an article by Wayne Goldsmith, high performance expert which pretty much sums it all up…

Accept that all teams have to learn to win in tough conditions and prepare to deal with them better than your opposition.

Notice he didn’t say “your team” – he said ALL teams. Often times we use an unfortunate circumstance in our season as an excuse for poor performance, but that’s just a cop out. Do you really think that the best NEVER have a bad day, or calls go against them, or bad weather to deal with, or personality clashes aka drama?

I’m sure you’d agree that such a perfect team environment doesn’t exist. Every team has it’s ups and downs, it’s challenges and obstacles, but the ones that are best prepared to perform in spite of how tough it gets are usually the ones that come out on top.

Not only is “your best no matter what” a great skill to have on the softball field, but in life as well. Help your players learn to keep moving forward no matter what adversity they may face.  Not only will you probably win more games and maybe even a few championships, but your players will also carry invaluable life skill off the field and into the real world where stakes are much higher than a few statistics or a win-loss record.

However, there were quite a few this week that people really seemed to like, so I decided to put them together in this Thoughts of the Week post for you just in case you’re not all that social media savvy or simply had no clue that I was on either Facebook or Twitter. 

5 Softball Thoughts of the Week

original versions shared on Facebook and/or Twitter

• Lack of focus during the week = sloppy game performance on the weekend
• If you don’t have the guts to call your head coach to say you’ll be late or absent, then you probably don’t have a very good reason.
• Dear softball bats,
  Wake Up! You should be well rested after the last 3 games…
• You know you’re a softball coach when you forget the bikini tan because you sport a major coaching shirt tan instead.
• Just Curious: How do you like your softball pants? Cast your vote and see the responses to date on Facebook

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If you are super social and want to connect with me on the web, check me out at…

Twitter

All About Fastpitch on Facebook

Stacie Mahoe on Facebook

As I talked about in the Finish It post, this can often wear off as the season moves along…and that’s probably 100% normal.

But you know what’s really annoying as a coach and former player?  When players seem to lose all appreciation for the opportunity they have to participate in this game.  They simply look like that don’t want to be there, like practice is a bother to them, and they much rather be doing something else.  Now, I understand that it’s not easy to come out month after month, day after day adn keep the same level of enthusiasm, BUT if you come to the field and really are not into it, then what’s the point of continuing to put you through softball skills and drills?  There comes a point when you’re probably doing more harm than good because you start mindlessly going through the motions of your drills.  You start being lazy, sloppiness takes over, and bad habits start forming.  NOT GOOD!

You know what I like to do in times like these?  Something that not every coach agrees with or likes to do. I admit, there are probably other equally effective ways to do accomplish the same goal.  But when I run into a group of players who have seemingly lost most of their appreciation for what they are doing and begin doing more harm than good in skill drills, then I say…let’s forget practicing “softball” for a day…or maybe even just ONE hour. You’re really not getting much out of it anyway if you’re not doing it right.

Instead let’s do an hour of “mindless” non-softball training…running…conditioning…workouts…exercises!  You’ll all get a good workout.  You’ll all be challenged (which almost always makes you stronger in one way or another).  We’ll all break a sweat together…and, chances are, when all is said and done, you will probably be more than happy to pick up a ball and glove and do softball stuff again.   Not only that, the sense of accomplishment you feel after a particularly tough workout is pretty cool – especially when you go through it with your teammates! (and with your coach if your coach is as crazy as me )

Often times when coaches want you to run through the base better, they make you run farther than 60 feet. But that may not be the best idea.

You see, it doesn’t really matter if your coach makes you run 80 feet instead of 60 feet. If you always train to slow down at the end, you will ALWAYS slow down before your target no matter how far or close it is.

Excellence is a habit – so get in the habit of sprinting THROUGH any marker, goal, base or cone that is set for you, whether it’s 6 feet away or 60 feet away.

This habit is what will help you “get through the bag” more consistently at 1st base, put more pressure on the defense and get safe more often!

If you’re a coach, instead of making your players run farther, try shortening the distance and challenge them to run all the way through. After all, if they can’t consistently “run through the bag” at 30 feet, how do they expect to do it at 60 feet? Often times pointing this out to them is enough to get them focused on doing it right.

As they get better and better running all the way through the shorter distance, start adding more distance until they are running through any target you give them.

Always expect your player’s best speed all the way through ANY sprint you do, whether it’s a short spring or a longer spring, whether it’s their first sprint or their last sprint of the day.  Notice I didn’t say “fastest” because the more your work them, they slower they may get, but they should always be giving their best – whatever it is they have at that time.  Make them do it again if they don’t do it right. Help them create the good habit of going hard and giving their best ALL the way through to the end and beyond, just like you want them to do in a game – not only for baserunning but in every area of play!

Here is what I came up with.

The cost of coaching girls softball for one season…

• Fungo: $99
• Sunglasses: $90
• Cleats: $69
• Training Aids: $200
• Coaching Shoes: $69
• Sports Drinks and Snacks: $120
• Glove: $79
• Coaching Aids/Clinics: $100
• Team Bat: $299
• Gas: $600

Working with and helping young ladies improve as a players and as individuals/people while learning valuable life lessons…PRICELESS!