Today we are having a weather delay. Storms are blowing into the Demorest, Georgia area and Piedmont College has tarped their infield. We are planning to play at 7pm tonight and then head to Port Charlotte, Florida tomorrow for games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
We were able to take the team over to Piedmont this morning, before the rain, for a workout. After stretching and doing some warm up activities, the position players took some batting practice indoors for about an hour while the pitchers did some running and were forced to listen to the pitching coach for a while.
Three pitchers took a run around Piedmont's hilly campus, six of them ran ten poles each, and four of them ran ten poles and ran some bows and arrows. They did different types of running based on when they pitched last and when they are scheduled to (or might) pitch again.
While the hitters were still taking their swings and the pitchers finished their running, we had some time to exchange some feedback with each other. Some of the discussion had to do with our first three games and the things we learned about ourselves as pitchers and about some of the hitters we are throwing against. Other topics of discussion dealt with our possible starting pitching rotation for the next few days, decisions about in game pitch selection and pitch location, making in game adjustments when certain pitches are moving differently than they usually do, and suggestions about making our pitching charts as thorough and easy to understand as possible.
Another thing I talked about is the fact that I have faith in each one of the pitchers we have here, in spite of the fact that not all of them have pitched in games yet. We have used seven different pitchers in our first three games. Two of those pitchers have pitched twice. Therefore, of the 13 pitchers we brought down here on our trip, there are still six who haven't pitched in a game yet. Tonight's starter will make his first outing, and chances are that a couple more guys will be making their first appearances of the season tonight as well. I think it is important to give as many pitchers as possible some legitimate game experience before we begin our conference season. I really think we can do that and win games at the same time.
We did win one game of the two we played yesterday. We scored 16 runs in an eight run victory against Millsaps College in game one, and then lost game two to Piedmont College by a score of 6-5. Some good news is that we went our first two games without allowing a walk, but we still have a lot of room for improvement as a pitching staff and as an entire team. This morning we talked about trying to do a better job of damage control, meaning that after a hit, walk, hit batter, or error we want to be in control of the inning by getting ahead of hitters and making them hit pitches on the edge of (or out of) the strike zone.
For now, as we sit in the hotel hoping for good enough weather to play under the lights tonight, some Adrian College players are napping, others are playing cards, and some may be watching television, reading, playing video games, or studying.
As the old guy, I am relaxing in our hotel room with coaches Luke Harrigan and Xander Younce and our #1 kid Logan Klotz, who is beating Xander in a video game at this moment!!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Opening day and one great senior leader
This morning I sat down in the hotel lobby with our senior left handed pitcher Ryan Domschot as he was eating some of the hotel's continental breakfast. Today he was again getting the nod as our opening day pitcher. I wanted to let him know that being his pitching coach for the past four seasons has been a privilege. He is the kind of player who has always tried to improve as a pitcher and teammate. He has gotten stronger, more consistent, and has become a more complete pitcher in each year of college.
I also wanted to tell him that I have appreciated his attitude and work ethic during his college years. Earlier this week I had mentioned to Jason Fryman, one of our junior right handers, that nobody has worked as hard as Dommer has in the last four years. I told him that no matter what the pitchers are doing at practice, Ryan always gives a 100% effort. The next night, Fryman and Domschot just happened to be partners as the pitchers were running their sprints, and I noticed that Fryman had to bust his butt just to keep up with Domschot on every sprint. After the sprints were finished, Jason acknowledged that he had to run his hardest on every sprint just so Dommer didn't make him look bad!
One of the reasons Ryan has become such a good pitcher is because of that outstanding work ethic he has. Two years ago, Coach Luke Harrigan told me that Domschot was the hardest working player on our team. Luke would see him making a great individual effort in the weight room on a consistent basis. That was before his sophomore season, a season that Ryan was named an All-American. He again had a great season last year as a junior and will for the third year in a row be the most dominant pitcher in our conference. That outstanding work ethic and dedication, along with some God-given athletic ability and a great belief in himself, makes him a candidate for All-American every season.
The only hiccup for Ryan in today's opener was that the leadoff hitter for Millsaps College hit a home run in the first inning. Coincidentally, Ryan also gave up a homer to the first batter we faced last season. The good thing, though, is that today that leadoff batter struck out in his next two at bats as Ryan got him to swing and miss at six pitches!!
We didn't win today's game. The final score was 5-3. We didn't execute as well as we could have today and it cost us. Millsaps now has an 8-2 record and ours stands at 0-1, but tomorrow we play Millsaps again before finishing the day with a game against Piedmont College.
Ryan Domschot showed us today how his hard work pays dividends. He pitched the first six innings and struck out twelve batters without allowing a single walk. He did not get the loss, as we were tied when he left the game. He is the kind of team leader who does his leading by example, both in practice and during games. If his teammates can continue to learn from his example, our goal of winning some championships this season will become a reality!!
I also wanted to tell him that I have appreciated his attitude and work ethic during his college years. Earlier this week I had mentioned to Jason Fryman, one of our junior right handers, that nobody has worked as hard as Dommer has in the last four years. I told him that no matter what the pitchers are doing at practice, Ryan always gives a 100% effort. The next night, Fryman and Domschot just happened to be partners as the pitchers were running their sprints, and I noticed that Fryman had to bust his butt just to keep up with Domschot on every sprint. After the sprints were finished, Jason acknowledged that he had to run his hardest on every sprint just so Dommer didn't make him look bad!
One of the reasons Ryan has become such a good pitcher is because of that outstanding work ethic he has. Two years ago, Coach Luke Harrigan told me that Domschot was the hardest working player on our team. Luke would see him making a great individual effort in the weight room on a consistent basis. That was before his sophomore season, a season that Ryan was named an All-American. He again had a great season last year as a junior and will for the third year in a row be the most dominant pitcher in our conference. That outstanding work ethic and dedication, along with some God-given athletic ability and a great belief in himself, makes him a candidate for All-American every season.
The only hiccup for Ryan in today's opener was that the leadoff hitter for Millsaps College hit a home run in the first inning. Coincidentally, Ryan also gave up a homer to the first batter we faced last season. The good thing, though, is that today that leadoff batter struck out in his next two at bats as Ryan got him to swing and miss at six pitches!!
We didn't win today's game. The final score was 5-3. We didn't execute as well as we could have today and it cost us. Millsaps now has an 8-2 record and ours stands at 0-1, but tomorrow we play Millsaps again before finishing the day with a game against Piedmont College.
Ryan Domschot showed us today how his hard work pays dividends. He pitched the first six innings and struck out twelve batters without allowing a single walk. He did not get the loss, as we were tied when he left the game. He is the kind of team leader who does his leading by example, both in practice and during games. If his teammates can continue to learn from his example, our goal of winning some championships this season will become a reality!!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Office is the bullpen + ice storm
We aren't exactly having baseball weather here, five days before we open up against Milsaps College at Piedmont College's field in Georgia. Yesterday's snow, followed by several hours of what can only be called falling (from the sky) ice, has made Adrian, Michigan into a crippled place.
Schools are canceled again tomorrow, so I have a day off. We will be able to have practice, as apparently power has been restored on campus at Adrian College. We did get to practice earlier today, too. I guess the only place on campus with power was out at the baseball field and practice facility.
We had four guys throw 75 live pitches today, one threw 25, and another seven threw 20 bullpen pitches. I think we're throwing it alright now, but I told the pitchers that I'd like to pull back the reigns a bit this week so we can have as many arms as possible feeling close to 100% for the weekend.
In the meantime, Eric and I woke up in a cold house with no power, heat, or running water. By the time we tried to communicate with some other people outside of our house, cleaned ice off the cars, and got our teeth brushed (I did, at least), we were hungry and my car needed gas. The nearest gas station and restaurant open were at the far west end of town.
Since practice ended, I have been reading a book on my new Kindle. "Sixty Feet, Six Inches" is basically a conversation about pitcher vs hitter, the great baseball confrontation. Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson go back and forth......fascinating!
Now that it is dark I am reading by candle light under a couple blankets on the couch, occasionally checking email on my phone and trying to stay updated on weather and local news. It seems as though we all may not have power back until Thursday!
So as my phone battery was losing juice, I came out to my car to charge it and take a look around by driving down the road. In the 3.1 miles between my home and the north edge of town, only one intersection had buildings with lights on and there were no street lights/traffic lights operating. It's pretty dark out here.
Now I have written a blog entry entirely on my phone, but I sure hope my power comes back soon. I have to update and make copies of my pitching charts, summary sheets, etc., by Thursday so I'll be ready for the bus Friday morning. I would like to do that all from my home office rather than having to do it on campus, where my office is the bullpen!
Schools are canceled again tomorrow, so I have a day off. We will be able to have practice, as apparently power has been restored on campus at Adrian College. We did get to practice earlier today, too. I guess the only place on campus with power was out at the baseball field and practice facility.
We had four guys throw 75 live pitches today, one threw 25, and another seven threw 20 bullpen pitches. I think we're throwing it alright now, but I told the pitchers that I'd like to pull back the reigns a bit this week so we can have as many arms as possible feeling close to 100% for the weekend.
In the meantime, Eric and I woke up in a cold house with no power, heat, or running water. By the time we tried to communicate with some other people outside of our house, cleaned ice off the cars, and got our teeth brushed (I did, at least), we were hungry and my car needed gas. The nearest gas station and restaurant open were at the far west end of town.
Since practice ended, I have been reading a book on my new Kindle. "Sixty Feet, Six Inches" is basically a conversation about pitcher vs hitter, the great baseball confrontation. Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson go back and forth......fascinating!
Now that it is dark I am reading by candle light under a couple blankets on the couch, occasionally checking email on my phone and trying to stay updated on weather and local news. It seems as though we all may not have power back until Thursday!
So as my phone battery was losing juice, I came out to my car to charge it and take a look around by driving down the road. In the 3.1 miles between my home and the north edge of town, only one intersection had buildings with lights on and there were no street lights/traffic lights operating. It's pretty dark out here.
Now I have written a blog entry entirely on my phone, but I sure hope my power comes back soon. I have to update and make copies of my pitching charts, summary sheets, etc., by Thursday so I'll be ready for the bus Friday morning. I would like to do that all from my home office rather than having to do it on campus, where my office is the bullpen!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It never gets old!
I've got to admit, as our opening day gets closer I get more and more excited about the season and can't wait to get outside, down south, and compete on the baseball field. After school each day I get online and read about stuff going on in the baseball world, such as the start of MB spring training, college games already being played in the south.....all of that with the MLB Network on the television.
As close as it is, I now have a tentative rotation set for our seven games in the south. We are planning to use six starting pitchers during our seven game trip. We have two seniors who have proven it on the field already, some juniors and sophomores who have some quality experience, and several freshmen pitchers who are just going to get better every day. This trip will help us figure out who we are going to use in our four man rotation during conference play in the MIAA season, which begins in late March. In saying that, the starters for the first league series could possibly be different than the second series, and so on.
What I feel real good about is that I believe we have more depth on the pitching staff than we have ever had before. The only negative about that is trying to find enough innings for guys. They need to pitch competitive innings not only for their development and sharpness, but also to keep their competitive fires burning.
One of the toughest issues for us as a coaching staff to deal with is trying to decide which players we are going to take on our southern trip. Unfortunately we cannot take every player on our team; nor can we take every pitcher. We are taking 13 of our 22 pitchers. We have a good handful of guys who also deserve to travel and who may actually be just as good as (or even better than) the guys who are travelling.
In discussing these kind of things with the pitchers, I try to let them know that if they did not make the travel list, their future success is completely up to each of them as individuals. Their continued motivation to work hard will help them to improve every day. Their attitudinal response to this is perhaps more important than anything else.
The good thing about our schedule is that we have a huge schedule of JV games after we return to Michigan the first weekend of March. Those guys not travelling south will have many opportunities to compete in those games. Some of them will pitch well enough to get some quality varsity innings this season and set themselves up as players who will make our team better this year and in the next few years.
I'm looking forward to competing, but also to helping our entire pitching staff continue to improve their skills and mature as competitive college baseball players. Opening day can't come soon enough for me. It never gets old!!
As close as it is, I now have a tentative rotation set for our seven games in the south. We are planning to use six starting pitchers during our seven game trip. We have two seniors who have proven it on the field already, some juniors and sophomores who have some quality experience, and several freshmen pitchers who are just going to get better every day. This trip will help us figure out who we are going to use in our four man rotation during conference play in the MIAA season, which begins in late March. In saying that, the starters for the first league series could possibly be different than the second series, and so on.
What I feel real good about is that I believe we have more depth on the pitching staff than we have ever had before. The only negative about that is trying to find enough innings for guys. They need to pitch competitive innings not only for their development and sharpness, but also to keep their competitive fires burning.
One of the toughest issues for us as a coaching staff to deal with is trying to decide which players we are going to take on our southern trip. Unfortunately we cannot take every player on our team; nor can we take every pitcher. We are taking 13 of our 22 pitchers. We have a good handful of guys who also deserve to travel and who may actually be just as good as (or even better than) the guys who are travelling.
In discussing these kind of things with the pitchers, I try to let them know that if they did not make the travel list, their future success is completely up to each of them as individuals. Their continued motivation to work hard will help them to improve every day. Their attitudinal response to this is perhaps more important than anything else.
The good thing about our schedule is that we have a huge schedule of JV games after we return to Michigan the first weekend of March. Those guys not travelling south will have many opportunities to compete in those games. Some of them will pitch well enough to get some quality varsity innings this season and set themselves up as players who will make our team better this year and in the next few years.
I'm looking forward to competing, but also to helping our entire pitching staff continue to improve their skills and mature as competitive college baseball players. Opening day can't come soon enough for me. It never gets old!!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Ingredients for a successful team
As a coach, when I anticipate the beginning of another successful season, it is important that I understand why we have had success and why this season will be another great season. There are so many ingredients involved in creating success, and there may not be one thing that clearly is more influential than anything else.
I am now in my seventh season as the pitching coach at Adrian College. We have been fortunate to have competed in the NCAA DIII Regionals in five of the last six years. How does that happen?
Perhaps the most important ingredient in having successful athletic teams is the talent level of the players. Athletes have God-given abilities and they have specific sport skills that they have developed and continue to develop as long as they are playing competitive sports. In addition to the talents of the athletes, it is important that they practice and play games with the attitude that the team comes before any individual. Therefore, the thoughts and attitudes of the players have a tremendous effect on the team's ability to compete for championships.
Obviously, we have had the luxury of having players with ability, skill, and unselfish attitudes on our teams in the last six years. Those attributes can always improve, though. We have not yet won the national championship, though in 2008 we were in the DIII World Series and finished in the final four. We can't win a national championship unless we win the Regional title first and advance to the national tournament, so obviously we can get better.
As for natural athletic ability and specific sport skill, coaches who recruit the best athletes become 'better coaches' simply due to having good athletes on their teams. I can't take any credit for any of the recruiting that has taken place for the Adrian College team. The coaches who are on campus all day every day are the ones who have done a great job with recruiting. A good coach can coach any kind of athlete....those with great skills and those with poor skills. But coaches have a much better chance to coach competitive teams when the athletes have great ability and skill.
The attitudes of the players are influenced in no small way by the way the upperclassmen interact with the younger guys. Upperclassmen have learned their practice habits and attitudes from the teammates who came before them. In most cases, they buy into the philosophies that their teammates have handed down and they buy into much of the guidance of the coaches as well. Every interaction between teammates and between coaches and players has some semblance of teaching, learning, and mentoring. Thus, in theory, every interaction can have a positive effect on the team.
The importance of having unselfish players cannot be overstated. That unselfishness is just one of the ingredients of the overall attitude that helps teams become championship teams. We have already talked about the recruiting aspect, and one thing that can be challenging for the coaches is knowing for sure if the athletes he is recruiting will have great attitudes. Sometimes a coach can clearly see the positive attributes of an athlete, but sometimes the athlete seems a whole lot different when they arrive on campus and the recruiting process is over. In saying that, a kid with an undesirable attitude can develop a more desirable one, but it takes positive influences from teammates, coaches and perhaps others to help develop that great attitude.
There are so many other things that I have not even touched on that contribute to team success. We can discuss those things at a later time. For now, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that the presence of positive leaders, who are often the upperclassmen, is crucial when teams are hoping to win, improve, and maintain success. The former Adrian Bulldog players have led the way for the current and players. Their contagious, positive approach to the game has left a mark and enabled the program, and the current players to expect success and set goals of winning league, regional and national championships.
The talent is there. The positive attitude is present. The expectations are now always high. As with any team in any sport, good coaching can enhance a team's ability to achieve lofty goals, and inadequate coaching can hold a team back. As a coach, I can only hope that I and my colleagues can contribute to the success of our players and understand that our previous players have built a great foundation for the guys we currently have the privilege to coach!!
I am now in my seventh season as the pitching coach at Adrian College. We have been fortunate to have competed in the NCAA DIII Regionals in five of the last six years. How does that happen?
Perhaps the most important ingredient in having successful athletic teams is the talent level of the players. Athletes have God-given abilities and they have specific sport skills that they have developed and continue to develop as long as they are playing competitive sports. In addition to the talents of the athletes, it is important that they practice and play games with the attitude that the team comes before any individual. Therefore, the thoughts and attitudes of the players have a tremendous effect on the team's ability to compete for championships.
Obviously, we have had the luxury of having players with ability, skill, and unselfish attitudes on our teams in the last six years. Those attributes can always improve, though. We have not yet won the national championship, though in 2008 we were in the DIII World Series and finished in the final four. We can't win a national championship unless we win the Regional title first and advance to the national tournament, so obviously we can get better.
As for natural athletic ability and specific sport skill, coaches who recruit the best athletes become 'better coaches' simply due to having good athletes on their teams. I can't take any credit for any of the recruiting that has taken place for the Adrian College team. The coaches who are on campus all day every day are the ones who have done a great job with recruiting. A good coach can coach any kind of athlete....those with great skills and those with poor skills. But coaches have a much better chance to coach competitive teams when the athletes have great ability and skill.
The attitudes of the players are influenced in no small way by the way the upperclassmen interact with the younger guys. Upperclassmen have learned their practice habits and attitudes from the teammates who came before them. In most cases, they buy into the philosophies that their teammates have handed down and they buy into much of the guidance of the coaches as well. Every interaction between teammates and between coaches and players has some semblance of teaching, learning, and mentoring. Thus, in theory, every interaction can have a positive effect on the team.
The importance of having unselfish players cannot be overstated. That unselfishness is just one of the ingredients of the overall attitude that helps teams become championship teams. We have already talked about the recruiting aspect, and one thing that can be challenging for the coaches is knowing for sure if the athletes he is recruiting will have great attitudes. Sometimes a coach can clearly see the positive attributes of an athlete, but sometimes the athlete seems a whole lot different when they arrive on campus and the recruiting process is over. In saying that, a kid with an undesirable attitude can develop a more desirable one, but it takes positive influences from teammates, coaches and perhaps others to help develop that great attitude.
There are so many other things that I have not even touched on that contribute to team success. We can discuss those things at a later time. For now, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that the presence of positive leaders, who are often the upperclassmen, is crucial when teams are hoping to win, improve, and maintain success. The former Adrian Bulldog players have led the way for the current and players. Their contagious, positive approach to the game has left a mark and enabled the program, and the current players to expect success and set goals of winning league, regional and national championships.
The talent is there. The positive attitude is present. The expectations are now always high. As with any team in any sport, good coaching can enhance a team's ability to achieve lofty goals, and inadequate coaching can hold a team back. As a coach, I can only hope that I and my colleagues can contribute to the success of our players and understand that our previous players have built a great foundation for the guys we currently have the privilege to coach!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Being influenced and inspired
There are certain times in our professional lives that initiate thoughts of being grateful for the way we are able to live our adult lives. In the past three days I have had two such experiences.
On Saturday night, I was able to go back to my high school alma mater, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (WOLL) High School, to be a part of an Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony. Though I live only an hour and a half from WOLL, I don't seem to get back there often enough. In addition to getting back to some of my athletic and social roots, ceremonies like this provide inspiration.
My old high school football/basketball coach, Mike Boyd, is still the football coach at OLL. He also serves as the M.C. at these ceremonies and tells some great stories. I graduated from high school in 1976 (35 years ago) and he was coaching there for some years before I entered the school in 9th grade. He served as a mentor to me in the coaching profession during my early years, as I had the opportunity to coach with him for a few years. I was able to see many high school friends during the evening and had the opportunity again to realize that my athletic roots come from a place that valued (and still values) discipline, a complete effort, integrity, fundamentals, and genuine caring. Those things enable a coach like me to reflect on the things I do every day.
Yesterday I attended a viewing at a local funeral home for a friend of mine, Dale Gossman. Dale passed away unexpectedly on Friday while he was at work. He was the same age as I am. I have known Dale for about ten years, and though we didn't have the kind of friendship that had us hanging out together socially, we always spoke to each other when we ran into each other, which was usually a few times per week. I would see Dale at high school athletic events and at the YMCA. He was always smiling. His daughters went to high school with my son Eric and one of them was a friend of his. Dale's wife Jan works at the YMCA and volunteered at Adrian High school sporting events.
As I knelt down at Dale's casket to say a prayer I shed a few tears as I thought about his wife and daughters. Their lives are suddenly changed and I'm sure they have holes in their hearts as they mourn for Dale. I can't imagine what they might be thinking and feeling.
What I can do is try to make the absolute best of every day that I have the privilege of living. God takes us to be with Him for reasons only known to Him. I believe that one of God's roles for me is to have enthusiasm for life and to influence others by the daily interactions that I have with them. Sometimes I fail at that, but other times I know that people feel the positive thoughts and actions that I try my best to exhibit. I hope that in school today I somehow made the day a little brighter for the kids and fellow educators I work with......and I will try to do the same for my players and coaching peers at practice tonight.
I am grateful for the life I have led, and I thank the Lord for providing me with positive influences during my life as well as for leading me into a profession that allows me to enjoy being with His people!
On Saturday night, I was able to go back to my high school alma mater, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (WOLL) High School, to be a part of an Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony. Though I live only an hour and a half from WOLL, I don't seem to get back there often enough. In addition to getting back to some of my athletic and social roots, ceremonies like this provide inspiration.
My old high school football/basketball coach, Mike Boyd, is still the football coach at OLL. He also serves as the M.C. at these ceremonies and tells some great stories. I graduated from high school in 1976 (35 years ago) and he was coaching there for some years before I entered the school in 9th grade. He served as a mentor to me in the coaching profession during my early years, as I had the opportunity to coach with him for a few years. I was able to see many high school friends during the evening and had the opportunity again to realize that my athletic roots come from a place that valued (and still values) discipline, a complete effort, integrity, fundamentals, and genuine caring. Those things enable a coach like me to reflect on the things I do every day.
Yesterday I attended a viewing at a local funeral home for a friend of mine, Dale Gossman. Dale passed away unexpectedly on Friday while he was at work. He was the same age as I am. I have known Dale for about ten years, and though we didn't have the kind of friendship that had us hanging out together socially, we always spoke to each other when we ran into each other, which was usually a few times per week. I would see Dale at high school athletic events and at the YMCA. He was always smiling. His daughters went to high school with my son Eric and one of them was a friend of his. Dale's wife Jan works at the YMCA and volunteered at Adrian High school sporting events.
As I knelt down at Dale's casket to say a prayer I shed a few tears as I thought about his wife and daughters. Their lives are suddenly changed and I'm sure they have holes in their hearts as they mourn for Dale. I can't imagine what they might be thinking and feeling.
What I can do is try to make the absolute best of every day that I have the privilege of living. God takes us to be with Him for reasons only known to Him. I believe that one of God's roles for me is to have enthusiasm for life and to influence others by the daily interactions that I have with them. Sometimes I fail at that, but other times I know that people feel the positive thoughts and actions that I try my best to exhibit. I hope that in school today I somehow made the day a little brighter for the kids and fellow educators I work with......and I will try to do the same for my players and coaching peers at practice tonight.
I am grateful for the life I have led, and I thank the Lord for providing me with positive influences during my life as well as for leading me into a profession that allows me to enjoy being with His people!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Coaching is more than teaching sport skills
We have now completed two full weeks of practice and are only 21 days from our opening game against Milsaps College. Our Saturday morning practices are usually a little lighter for the pitchers when it comes to throwing and conditioning. All the pitchers have now thrown to live hitters and will be ready to ramp it up to fifty pitches in the cage next week. They will also throw a few breaking balls to hitters in their appearances next week.
In addition to our normal practice routine, I had an opportunity to spend some time talking to the pitchers while we waited for the infielders to be ready for situational practice stuff with the pitchers. I purposely sat the pitchers on the floor in a corner of the gym so that they would be able to plainly see the outfielders doing some of their defensive drills. What I told them, though, was that I wanted all of their attention on me, their eyes on me as I talked, and that whatever the outfielders were doing was just a distraction. Today this was my way of having the pitchers practice their focus with a distraction in the background.
Distractions are part of any sport, if an athlete or a team allows them to be. Ideally, athletes can remain focused in spite of distractions. Some of those distractions may be directly visible and audible to athletes while they compete. Other distractions can come from their academics, their families, girlfriends, injuries, or other issues in their personal lives.
Still other distractions appear simply due to the wrong kind of thinking going on in the minds of the athletes. They may think that they should be playing more than they are, or that the things we do at practice are not worth the time, or that their teammates don't work hard enough, or even that a teammate or coach might annoy them. No matter where an athlete lets his distractions come from, it is in his complete control how he handles those distractions and prevents them from affecting his attitude and performance.
So much of what I talked to the pitchers about today was just that.......that they have control over their thoughts and actions, over their body language and how they respond to perceived adversity. We discussed how important it is that they can practice and compete with a positive attitude and be happy when teammates perform well. These ideas are all important if the team has any hope of achieving its lofty goals for this season. Even though they may be competing with their teammates for playing time, they are all trying to help the team advance in the post-season and win a national championship. That can be accomplished together, but not if any teammate decides to put his own needs ahead of those of the team.
I also talked to them about using mental imagery, or visualization, to help them improve their performance in game situations, and especially in potentially stressful situations. Our seniors have been to the DIII World Series, and they should easily be able to visualize themselves on the mound in Appleton, Wisconsin in the National Championship game. All of our guys should be able to envision themselves succeeding against great opponents in crucial situations. They can do this by making pictures and videos in their minds and seeing themselves succeed over and over again.
By using this type of imagery, I am hoping our guys can visualize so well, in varied circumstances, so that when they do actually step on the field in important situations they can feel as though they have been there before, that they have succeeded in that setting before. When they can do that, it can help them to relax and control their emotions better. It can also give them additional confidence that will enhance what they already have. They know that if they have done it before, even if just in their minds, then they can succeed again.
Their are many teams with goals that are similar to ours. Our job as coaches is to prepare the players and the team so that they can go out and compete with confidence, enjoy the game of baseball, play hard without the fear of making mistakes, and execute the game plan one pitch at a time. In preparing them, we can't neglect the mental/emotional parts of being a competitive team athlete. That is just as important as the ability to pitch, hit, play defense, and run the bases.
In addition to our normal practice routine, I had an opportunity to spend some time talking to the pitchers while we waited for the infielders to be ready for situational practice stuff with the pitchers. I purposely sat the pitchers on the floor in a corner of the gym so that they would be able to plainly see the outfielders doing some of their defensive drills. What I told them, though, was that I wanted all of their attention on me, their eyes on me as I talked, and that whatever the outfielders were doing was just a distraction. Today this was my way of having the pitchers practice their focus with a distraction in the background.
Distractions are part of any sport, if an athlete or a team allows them to be. Ideally, athletes can remain focused in spite of distractions. Some of those distractions may be directly visible and audible to athletes while they compete. Other distractions can come from their academics, their families, girlfriends, injuries, or other issues in their personal lives.
Still other distractions appear simply due to the wrong kind of thinking going on in the minds of the athletes. They may think that they should be playing more than they are, or that the things we do at practice are not worth the time, or that their teammates don't work hard enough, or even that a teammate or coach might annoy them. No matter where an athlete lets his distractions come from, it is in his complete control how he handles those distractions and prevents them from affecting his attitude and performance.
So much of what I talked to the pitchers about today was just that.......that they have control over their thoughts and actions, over their body language and how they respond to perceived adversity. We discussed how important it is that they can practice and compete with a positive attitude and be happy when teammates perform well. These ideas are all important if the team has any hope of achieving its lofty goals for this season. Even though they may be competing with their teammates for playing time, they are all trying to help the team advance in the post-season and win a national championship. That can be accomplished together, but not if any teammate decides to put his own needs ahead of those of the team.
I also talked to them about using mental imagery, or visualization, to help them improve their performance in game situations, and especially in potentially stressful situations. Our seniors have been to the DIII World Series, and they should easily be able to visualize themselves on the mound in Appleton, Wisconsin in the National Championship game. All of our guys should be able to envision themselves succeeding against great opponents in crucial situations. They can do this by making pictures and videos in their minds and seeing themselves succeed over and over again.
By using this type of imagery, I am hoping our guys can visualize so well, in varied circumstances, so that when they do actually step on the field in important situations they can feel as though they have been there before, that they have succeeded in that setting before. When they can do that, it can help them to relax and control their emotions better. It can also give them additional confidence that will enhance what they already have. They know that if they have done it before, even if just in their minds, then they can succeed again.
Their are many teams with goals that are similar to ours. Our job as coaches is to prepare the players and the team so that they can go out and compete with confidence, enjoy the game of baseball, play hard without the fear of making mistakes, and execute the game plan one pitch at a time. In preparing them, we can't neglect the mental/emotional parts of being a competitive team athlete. That is just as important as the ability to pitch, hit, play defense, and run the bases.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Live pitching/hitting
We are in the middle of week two of the winter practice season, less than a month before we open up against Milsaps College at Piedmont College's field. Some of our opponents are opening up already this weekend.
I'm sure I have already written this, but I am really looking forward to getting this season started. Last year I missed our trip to the Regionals at Marietta because I spent a couple weeks in the hospital. I still feel some guilt over not being there, but I am definitely better off being healthy. I was losing strength during our season in 2010 and that is not so good. So there are times when I figure I owe my players and fellow coaches something due to last May's absence.
In saying that, we have now had eleven of our pitchers throwing live to hitters in the cages. Thursday and Friday the remaining twelve pitchers will have their first cage experiences of this pre-season. I have tried to take videos of our pitchers during their live outings this week. Although I am just using the video camera on my phone, which obviously is not the high quality of a more advanced digital camera, we are able to see the mechanics involved with the deliveries of our pitchers. I transfer the videos to my laptop, view them, and email each pitcher the copies of his videos.
I am certainly a few years late in using video for coaching and helping the pitchers see their deliveries for themselves, but I'm catching up with those young coaches now in that regard. It has only been two nights worth of videos, but it allows for another avenue of communication between the pitchers and myself, and communication is such an important part of being a coach.
Hopefully I'll get myself a new video camera before we begin our game schedule, so that we can record from the dugout or another appropriate spot and we can get and give more feedback to help us succeed and get back to the Mid-East Regional Tournament and the DIII College World Series. In the meantime, I feel good about what we are doing this week!!
What I have seen so far is that we are not yet in mid-season form, but that doesn't occur until mid-season anyway. The pitchers are all throwing 40 live pitches in this week's appearances. We haven't thrown any breaking balls to the hitters yet, but our changeups have actually been better than I anticipated and our fastballs are getting there. We have to be able to locate our fastballs if we are going to beat the good teams on our schedule.
Another positive that is taking place is that our pitchers all seem to be pretty healthy right now. There are a couple leg issues, back issues, and the occasional brief illness interrupting a few guys, but the arms seem to be healthy.......at least that's what the pitchers are telling me.
Tonight we get to practice at 6:30 instead of 10:30pm, due to the snow storm that closed schools and even Adrian College today. Finishing at 8:30pm rather than after midnight is much better for this old guy's sleep patterns!!
Gordie Theisen
http://gtathletic.com
I'm sure I have already written this, but I am really looking forward to getting this season started. Last year I missed our trip to the Regionals at Marietta because I spent a couple weeks in the hospital. I still feel some guilt over not being there, but I am definitely better off being healthy. I was losing strength during our season in 2010 and that is not so good. So there are times when I figure I owe my players and fellow coaches something due to last May's absence.
In saying that, we have now had eleven of our pitchers throwing live to hitters in the cages. Thursday and Friday the remaining twelve pitchers will have their first cage experiences of this pre-season. I have tried to take videos of our pitchers during their live outings this week. Although I am just using the video camera on my phone, which obviously is not the high quality of a more advanced digital camera, we are able to see the mechanics involved with the deliveries of our pitchers. I transfer the videos to my laptop, view them, and email each pitcher the copies of his videos.
I am certainly a few years late in using video for coaching and helping the pitchers see their deliveries for themselves, but I'm catching up with those young coaches now in that regard. It has only been two nights worth of videos, but it allows for another avenue of communication between the pitchers and myself, and communication is such an important part of being a coach.
Hopefully I'll get myself a new video camera before we begin our game schedule, so that we can record from the dugout or another appropriate spot and we can get and give more feedback to help us succeed and get back to the Mid-East Regional Tournament and the DIII College World Series. In the meantime, I feel good about what we are doing this week!!
What I have seen so far is that we are not yet in mid-season form, but that doesn't occur until mid-season anyway. The pitchers are all throwing 40 live pitches in this week's appearances. We haven't thrown any breaking balls to the hitters yet, but our changeups have actually been better than I anticipated and our fastballs are getting there. We have to be able to locate our fastballs if we are going to beat the good teams on our schedule.
Another positive that is taking place is that our pitchers all seem to be pretty healthy right now. There are a couple leg issues, back issues, and the occasional brief illness interrupting a few guys, but the arms seem to be healthy.......at least that's what the pitchers are telling me.
Tonight we get to practice at 6:30 instead of 10:30pm, due to the snow storm that closed schools and even Adrian College today. Finishing at 8:30pm rather than after midnight is much better for this old guy's sleep patterns!!
Gordie Theisen
http://gtathletic.com
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