| COACHING PSYCHOLOGY Finding The Silver Lining By Steve Olsen I've been around this game now for 20 years. That doesn't make me any better at coaching, you get out of this game what you put into it, but it does give one some perspective on the game, the players and other coaches. When I started, I was the typical father who wanted to help. Chase foul balls, carry equipment, anything to help. Soon, I was to help out as a coach. Hey, I played baseball in high school - how tough could it be? I quickly realized that I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Worse, I didn't know where to go to find assistance. I learned from coaches that had "been around" and tried to develop my own ideas and techniques. I was doing a lot of things fairly well but never stopped to think about anything bute rote drills and practice. To me, the players were not people, they were a means to an end. Too often the only thing attached to that end was the word "win". A couple of weeks ago, I heard a quote from someone on ESPN - No one can achieve their full potential without a great coach. What a great, simple, powerful statement. Apply it to life, business, sports you name it, it could not be more involving. No one has reached the pinnacle of their abilities without a mentor, a teacher, a coach, a trusted advisor or partner. My coaching perspective was changed when I attended an ASA Level 1 coaching school for my first time. I can truly say that I learned more in that weekend than the previous five years. We learned how to teach and what to teach but more importantly, we learned that the players are people, and people are all different. Every girl is there for a different reason or goal and every player has a different skill level. I learned that to make this group of people come together and play as a team, it took more than drills and repetition - much more. Rick Pitino, the legendary college basketball coach, once asked his players in a team meeting what they knew about each other. |
The answers that he got were supercial. He asked about things like hobbies, family, and academic interests. The players found they didn't know their teammates at all, except on the basketball court. Stop for a minute and think about you team. Do you really know each player? Not just your best pitcher and hitter, but each and every player. Moreover, do your other team members know their teammates? What makes your players excited and motivated? What drives them? What are their aspirations and goals? What have you got in common? And as a coach, how can it all work to build a great team? The number one thing to remember is that winning is not the most important thing to your kids. The most important thing is to HAVE FUN! Sure, as we get older our perspective changes and we aspire to win but if your players most important decision on game night is whether to choose chocolate or vanilla ice cream after the game then you need to get on the same page! At the end of the game ask yourself if you have coached well, taught well and had a good time. If the answers to these questions are yes, you have won! Sure, your frustrated, but think how your players feel. They're not trying to make mistakes on purpose. As a coach, it is your job to find the things they are doing right. Find the silver linings inside the errors and strikeouts. It's just a game. MAKE SOFTBALL A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE Have you ever looked at the number of teams in your league, Metro or State and how they breakdown by age? Team numbers seem to be the greatest at 10's and 12's and then start to go down. There are certainly a number of other diversions in today's society for peolpe to do but I would venture a guess that if a survey were done we would find that many players leave because experience has not been positive or successful - usually because of a coach. Translation: it's not fun anymore. As a coach, you would strive to teach success and provide experiences that lead to success. Winning will happen when you believe it can, and players must believe they can |
suceed before they do. Set up situations in practice that will let your players suceed, then catch them doing something right and let everyboy know you've noticed.
Try to eliminate the words can't and don't from your practices and games. Tell your parents not use the word's either. I was at a 10 and under game last week where the coach would tell the young pitcher don't do this or don't do that after every pitch. The player was almost in tears waiting for some positive instruction or for someone to tell her what she was doing right. AVOID INJURY AND ALLOW MISTAKES People will do almost anything to avoid injury and being embarrassed. It's just human nature. Take the fear of injury out of your drills and you will be amazed at how much faster your player will develop. If you've done your homework of getting to know your players, you will know what might cause them to feel embarrassed. Avoid putting them in that situation. If you don't you may find yourself with some personality problems and some players that are difficult to handle. Allow your players to make mistakes. Think about starting a new job. You're certainly not going to do everything right and it's up to your supervisor (coach) to help correct a mistake. Try to spend time with less skilled players. They deserve the opportunity to learn and suceed. Make sure that no one is afraid to make a mistake. Mistakes are part of learning and part or trying. There is a lot to coaching young athletes. Hopefully, I have struck a nerve somewhere in your coaching philosophy. As the saying goes - we're not just coaching softball players, we're coaching people. Get to really know your kids and it will help to positively motivate each and every player on the field and in their lives. Remember, when you're looking for that silver lining, you're looking for two - theirs and yours. |