On Sunday we returned from our Spring Break Southern
Baseball trip. For the most part, it was
a struggle trying to win games. Our
opponents were other northern DII teams who were doing the same thing we were
doing—beginning the season in warmer weather without having to miss any time in
the classroom.
We began the trip in Louisville for the second straight
weekend. Though we didn’t win any of our
four games there, on Sunday our starting pitchers, both in their first college
starts, did a great job of pitching late enough in the games and giving us a
chance to win the games. When we went
from Louisville to Clearwater, Florida, the struggles continued as our starting
pitchers kept us in the games roughly half of the time.
As the hitters were having their own issues trying to be
more consistent in reaching base, moving and driving home runners, and
extending rallies, our starting pitchers often set the tone early in each game,
good or bad. By the end of the trip, the
hitters started to find a groove, and scoring runs seemed to come a little
easier. Not only were we swinging the
bats better, but we had so many more good at bats later in the trip than we did
earlier in the week.
We ended up winning only the last game of the trip, just
prior to showering and boarding the bus for the 21 hour ride home. That last game victory, in combination with
scoring significantly more runs in the last few games than we had done in our
previous games, made the bus ride home a little more enjoyable. The twelve game trip also gave us
opportunities to see some guys get valuable experience, and provided on the job
learning for players and coaches alike.
I am in my 26th year as a college baseball
coach. I have experience early season
struggles several times in the past. One
of the many important aspects of trying to improve as a team is dealing with
the mental part of being competitive athletes and being great teammates while
dealing with disappointment. We have had
a series of what we call ‘chalk talks’, beginning in the first semester, to
discuss ideas and definitions of things like what a team is and what teammates
are, of expectations, confidence, belief, trust, communication, and team goals,
etc. Sometimes it is easy for athletes
to understand mental/emotional concepts and theories, but more difficult to put
them into practice when they get in competitive situations.
When athletes and teams are in the process of doing new
things, like we are doing, the learning curve can sometimes take backwards
steps before taking leaps forward.
Understanding that belief in one’s self is one thing, but putting that belief
into action and successfully executing in perceived pressure situations can be
a difficult challenge.
Our players are getting better, and thus the team is
improving. Our goals for the season, to
compete in the post-season for a championship, are still there for us to
achieve as we begin our GLIAC conference schedule this week. The ability of our guys to check their
thoughts, use Thought Replacement Therapy when necessary, visualize success,
and compete like dirtbags is getting better each day.
I’m looking forward to seeing where their efforts take us
in the next couple months!!
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