It may not always be true, but more often than not, those unearned runs will come back to bite you in the butt. Maybe even more-so when they come in the first inning. Of course, if it happens early, you have more time to recover and get it back. However, a coach recently shared an interesting observations about first innings with me. He said that after looking back through his scorebooks from the past few years, the majority of the games were won by the team who “won the first inning.”
What do you think about that? Do you think that’s true? Do you have scorebooks you can look back through and report back to us? If so, leave a comment here and let us know what percentage of games were won by the team that “won the first inning.” Go through each game and see if either team was leading after the first inning. Then check to see if that’s the team that ended up winning the game. Jot down your findings then calculate what percentage of games were won by the team who was leading after the first. I’m curious to see what others have to say.
Anyway, getting sidetracked here. I’m sure you’ve seen or been in games when unearned runs come back to bite you in the butt. It really stinks! But the fact of the matter is, great teams will rarely “give” you anything. If you’re going to get across the plate you’re going to have to earn it! And if you happen to “give” them anything, you’re just about done for. Not that coming out on top is impossible, but it’s definitely going to be a fight to the end! Either that or great teams know how to make you pay for your mistakes. If you make one, they’re jump all over it and you better make sure you do the same if they happen to slip up. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself in a major uphill battle. Again, not impossible, but definitely a tough situation.
Given the observation above, IF your team was going to give up unearned runs, when would you rather have it happen? I’m thinking I’d choose the 2nd. Still time to get it back, yet possibly avoid losing that first inning and becoming a statistic.
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Isn’t this what I’ve been saying from Day 1? Why does this seem like such a tough concept for “grown ups” to understand? So much so that it was a big part of the foreword of a book.
The main ideas?
- Children are NOT mini-adults (do not treat them as such)
- Fun and enjoyment are the MAIN reasons children participate in sports in the first place (either that or their parents are forcing them)
- Children’s early experiences in the sport have a MASSIVE influence over their participation decisions later
When coaching 6U, 8U, 10U, probably even as far as 12U – Winning is NOT the ultimate goal! Let’s teach the game, help the kids improve their skills while fostering/nurturing a love for the game. Do NOT overlook these aspects in favor of the WIN!
Players are NOT going to continue playing this game for the next 8, 10, 12 years if it’s not fun. PERIOD! You’ve probably heard me say this before: the 2 times in my career when I seriously thought about quitting this game…the BIGGEST (actually the ONLY) reason was because I wasn’t having fun. Why they heck should I “waste” my time with something I’m not enjoying. In one scenario I was part of a very good team. Winning and “success” were just about guaranteed and still I seriously though about giving it all up. Why? Because I wasn’t enjoying it any more. Most kids feel the same way.
Why didn’t I quit in those situations? Because I made the conscious choice to have fun no matter what. I was not going to let anyone take away this game that I enjoyed so much. It was something I loved to do and was good at and I decided I was going to have fun despite negativity in my surroundings.
But I wasn’t making that decision at 8, 10, or 12. I had been given that fun and enjoyable foundation to fall back on when I was faced with this decision at an older age.
This is a game! Yes, it’s fun to win. I’m not denying that. Yes, each time I go out on the field, I’m going out there to do my best and come out on top, but “the win” is not THE driving force behind why I’m at the field on a regular basis. I’m there because I love it, because even after being in this sport since the age of 9, it’s still FUN for me. I still enjoy it.
Especially at the younger ages, I believe it’s our job, as coaches, to give these players the most positively memorable experience possible. Not that it should all be fun and games, not that there should be no discipline or that striving for excellence should be thrown out the window…Just remember that kids are more likely to
want to play softball if they enjoy it. They are more likely to continue playing for years and years
IF the are having fun. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Here’s an
article that talks about this very issue. Read it
HERE.
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February 10th, 2009
Admin
We’ve got all kinds of fastpitch softball discussions going on at My Fastpitch World.
Should sunflower seeds be allowed?
How should tryouts be run?
Is stealing signals “playing dirty?”
Should you play up or stay down?
How do you motivate young players and reduce nerves before a game?
…and a bunch more.
If you haven’t shared your thoughts yet, head over and tell us what you think. If you haven’t signed up for your free account at My Fastpitch World, it only takes a few minutes and you’ll be able to jump right in to the conversations!
I’m looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions you’d like input on, just post it up ~ there are a lot of great fastpitch people ready to help you out.
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