A college baseball season, unless your team plays in the National Championship game, just ends. You don't expect it to end because you anticipate winning every time the team steps on the field. You expect to win and advance, but when that doesn't happen and you are a day away from a chance at advancing to the World Series, all of a sudden the season is over. You shower and get on the bus, and when you get home and wake up the next day, there is nothing you have planned, because the plan was to win and play again another day.
So the next day becomes a day to reflect on the season. What do I need to do better? How can I do that better? How can we do a better job at getting leadoff batters out? Can we get more double play balls early in the count? What do we do to attack the running game better? How do we avoid giving up 0-2 hits next season? What sort of drills or mental training can help us to take care of damage control more effectively? Can we do a better job of mentoring our upperclassmen so they can be better leaders for the young guys? Did we do enough over the years to help the graduating seniors be prepared for their next roles? Did we prepare the younger players to expect to play for a National Title next year?
How do I improve at communicating to all the players, not just the ones who give me genuine feedback, but also to the players who are more challenging to communicate with? How can I help them all to improve each day, and to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses? How can we get each guy to give 100%, 100% of the time? How can we do a better job of coaching in practice so that the guys are so prepared for and need very little guidance in pressure game situations?
We accomplished a lot again this year at Adrian College, and all of our players are to be congratulated! Our seniors won championships in each of their four years and the program has won five consecutive league championships, including the first two conference tournament championships in league history. The team has advanced to NCAA Regional competition in eight out of the last nine years, including one trip to the World Series.
When you experience success, you want more. It is important though, to appreciate and enjoy success, analyze what you are doing right, and improve some things that need to be improved. We all know that each player can improve himself through off season strength and conditioning, and they can make improvements in the mental and emotional aspects of being athletes on their own during the summer, on their own during the fall and winter, and with teammates throughout the year. Coaches are no different. We need to get better at many things as well. Learning the game, understanding the players, knowing the opponents, setting our egos aside, continually trying to become more selfless, etc.
When we all do what we can do to improve, the team and the entire program also gets better.
I want to congratulate the graduating seniors for their enormous successes, and thank them for their selflessness, and encourage the returning guys to check that mirror daily and take this another couple steps in 2014. I am forever grateful to be able to have so many outstanding young men who share their success and passion with me.
So the next day becomes a day to reflect on the season. What do I need to do better? How can I do that better? How can we do a better job at getting leadoff batters out? Can we get more double play balls early in the count? What do we do to attack the running game better? How do we avoid giving up 0-2 hits next season? What sort of drills or mental training can help us to take care of damage control more effectively? Can we do a better job of mentoring our upperclassmen so they can be better leaders for the young guys? Did we do enough over the years to help the graduating seniors be prepared for their next roles? Did we prepare the younger players to expect to play for a National Title next year?
How do I improve at communicating to all the players, not just the ones who give me genuine feedback, but also to the players who are more challenging to communicate with? How can I help them all to improve each day, and to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses? How can we get each guy to give 100%, 100% of the time? How can we do a better job of coaching in practice so that the guys are so prepared for and need very little guidance in pressure game situations?
We accomplished a lot again this year at Adrian College, and all of our players are to be congratulated! Our seniors won championships in each of their four years and the program has won five consecutive league championships, including the first two conference tournament championships in league history. The team has advanced to NCAA Regional competition in eight out of the last nine years, including one trip to the World Series.
When you experience success, you want more. It is important though, to appreciate and enjoy success, analyze what you are doing right, and improve some things that need to be improved. We all know that each player can improve himself through off season strength and conditioning, and they can make improvements in the mental and emotional aspects of being athletes on their own during the summer, on their own during the fall and winter, and with teammates throughout the year. Coaches are no different. We need to get better at many things as well. Learning the game, understanding the players, knowing the opponents, setting our egos aside, continually trying to become more selfless, etc.
When we all do what we can do to improve, the team and the entire program also gets better.
I want to congratulate the graduating seniors for their enormous successes, and thank them for their selflessness, and encourage the returning guys to check that mirror daily and take this another couple steps in 2014. I am forever grateful to be able to have so many outstanding young men who share their success and passion with me.
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