Players often ask coaches about “chances.”
- Why don’t I have as many chances as her?
- How come when I make a mistake in the game I get yanked but when so-and-so makes a
similar mistake she still gets to play? - Can you give me another chance? I’ll get it next time.
Unfortunately, many players don’t realize that they already used up their “chances” in practice. You use them up by coming late, by leaving early, by not paying attention, by slacking off, by goofing around, by becoming a distraction etc, IN PRACTICE.
What is your coach supposed to do if he keeps giving you chances to do a good job in practice and you keep blowing it?
By the time game day comes you may be down to your “last chance” while “so-and-so” still has a bunch left because she didn’t use ‘em all up in practice.
Now I’m not saying this is always the case, but it does happen. People on the outside will often look in and say the coach is “unfair” because the consequence for one player is different from another. But “fair” doesn’t mean “same” and rarely do people outside the team (the coaching staff and players) fully understand the situation.
So before you complain that things aren’t fair, take a look at where you may be using up your “chances” with your coach. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has bad days, but make sure that yours don’t come purely from a poor attitude or lack of effort.
Here’s another set of 5 Softball Coaching Tips for you. After you read them over, remember to take a few minutes to think about each one, then figure out how you can use these tips to make a few positive changes in your coaching. Enjoy!
Develop Independent Athletes – you are there to coach, not dictate their every move.
