I just had about a three week break from doing any team coaching. I have had some pitching/hitting lessons scattered throughout those three weeks, but this tends to be a slower time of the year for that, so I have been able to relax a little, rejuvenate, and prepare for the school year and fall baseball. Today begins the fall high school baseball season with the Adrian Dirtbags Fall Baseball League. I am fortunate to be able to coach two different teams each Sunday for the next 5-6 weeks. I've got to admit, being on a baseball field with young athletes who are enthusiastic about learning and improving is one of my passions.
In addition to begin the fall high school league, our college players at Adrian College begin fall semester classes tomorrow, and we have our first team meeting on Wednesday. This fall the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has expanded the amount of practices the teams can have during the fall. Instead of the nine practices we were allowed in the past, we can now have 16 practices plus one competition date in a four week period in the fall. This will allow for significantly more time to teach skills and evaluate our players; thus enhancing our ability to improve our players and the entire team more than what we could in the past.
In saying all of this, I am looking forward to the college fall practice schedule so that we can begin setting goals and work on the steps to achieve those goals. We have had some very good seasons in recent years from both a team standpoint and from the perspective of the pitching staff. There is no reason we shouldn't continue to make improvements and expect success.
In the meantime, today I get to spend 18 innings in the dugout with high school players, some of whom I know and others I will get to know. Though one of our goals will be to win games, what will be more important to me is to teach as much of the game as possible to these guys. This is designed to be an instructional league, though without team practices all the instruction will be during games. Some of the teaching will have to do with the hitting/throwing/defensive mechanics of individual players, some will have to do with game strategies and situational play, and of course much will have to do with the mental part of the game.
As I was reminded of this summer while working with high school aged players, the mental part of the game needs to be taught and learned in order for players to make individual improvements. Many talented players don't advance as much as possible because the thoughts and attitudes that they create become obstacles in their progress. It is important for each player to understand that their development is a process, and they can choose how much progress they make in that process just by positive thinking and body language.
As coaches, we can teach a group of athletes on a daily/weekly basis. Some of the athletes are going to understand and buy into the messages and make some progress in their development, while others will resist some teaching and not make as much progress as their peers do. For each kid, it is a choice that they make, and their development is completely up to how open they are to learning more about themselves as athletes.
In addition to begin the fall high school league, our college players at Adrian College begin fall semester classes tomorrow, and we have our first team meeting on Wednesday. This fall the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has expanded the amount of practices the teams can have during the fall. Instead of the nine practices we were allowed in the past, we can now have 16 practices plus one competition date in a four week period in the fall. This will allow for significantly more time to teach skills and evaluate our players; thus enhancing our ability to improve our players and the entire team more than what we could in the past.
In saying all of this, I am looking forward to the college fall practice schedule so that we can begin setting goals and work on the steps to achieve those goals. We have had some very good seasons in recent years from both a team standpoint and from the perspective of the pitching staff. There is no reason we shouldn't continue to make improvements and expect success.
In the meantime, today I get to spend 18 innings in the dugout with high school players, some of whom I know and others I will get to know. Though one of our goals will be to win games, what will be more important to me is to teach as much of the game as possible to these guys. This is designed to be an instructional league, though without team practices all the instruction will be during games. Some of the teaching will have to do with the hitting/throwing/defensive mechanics of individual players, some will have to do with game strategies and situational play, and of course much will have to do with the mental part of the game.
As I was reminded of this summer while working with high school aged players, the mental part of the game needs to be taught and learned in order for players to make individual improvements. Many talented players don't advance as much as possible because the thoughts and attitudes that they create become obstacles in their progress. It is important for each player to understand that their development is a process, and they can choose how much progress they make in that process just by positive thinking and body language.
As coaches, we can teach a group of athletes on a daily/weekly basis. Some of the athletes are going to understand and buy into the messages and make some progress in their development, while others will resist some teaching and not make as much progress as their peers do. For each kid, it is a choice that they make, and their development is completely up to how open they are to learning more about themselves as athletes.
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