The development of teenage athletes

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Sandusky, Ohio with the Adrian American Legion team.  Last year I had planned to help Aaron Klotz coach the team but my spring/summer health kept me at home.  This year, though Klotter is no longer the coach, I have appreciated not only my good health, but another opportunity to coach baseball, as Dave Stanifer and Don Cappelletty have brought me along with their team.

Though I am most accustomed to coaching college aged (age 18-22) players, because of my own kids and doing camps and lessons I do enjoy working with younger athletes.  The Legion team is made up of guys between the ages of 16 and 19.  The game of baseball is the same for them as it is for the college guys, but the high school aged players aren't as refined with some of their skills nor as experienced with many of the situations that occur during games.  Because of the fact that these players are at the age that they can learn so much, I have the fabulous opportunity to teach while in the dugout.  Every pitch of every game brings a new situation; therefore every pitch provides a learning opportunity.  Hopefully, you can imagine how much fun it is for me.

One of the major teaching points that I am able to help these athletes with is the mental/emotional part of the game.  Their ability to control their thoughts, and thus their emotions, is so important in developing their abilities to be successful in game situations that they perceive as stressful.  That part of the game is so important for athletes who are hoping to continue playing a sport (or two) after they leave high school as well as for the ones who are playing just because they love to play.  There are so many gifted athletes in the world, but the ones we watch on television who are paid millions of dollars to play games are the ones who have separated themselves from the others, often due to their ability to control their thoughts and emotions while in the middle of a competitive situation.

Through the years I have learned over and over the importance of the mental and emotional side of competing.  I have had to learn how to improve that part of the game for myself as a coach, too!!  Last summer when I was holed up in my house, I had the opportunity to watch more professional tennis and golf on television than I ever imagined myself doing.  While doing that, the commentators, especially the former pros in the broadcast booths, constantly talked about the athletes and their abilities (or lack of) to handle the mental/emotional parts of the games.

So for me, as fun as I am having teaching baseball skills, pitching and hitting mechanics and philosophies, etc., I am also enjoying the opportunity to help these guys with the mental/emotional part of competing, which will ultimately enhance their ability to execute efficiently and effectively with their athletic skills in all the sports they play.

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year for me......then my summer truly begins!!!  I couldn't ask for anything more!!

Summer Baseball!!

It is now mid-June and the NCAA Division III season has been history for a couple of weeks.  Though we didn't win the Regional or National Championship, 2011 was a rewarding season with great players and fellow coaches.  We finished second in the country in team ERA, behind the National Champion Marietta College team.  We were also the only team to shut out Marietta this season, beating them 2-0 in Florida in early March.

I am still in the classroom for another week or so, but a new baseball season has begun for me.  I am helping coach the Adrian American Legion team for the summer.  Two years ago I helped Coach Aaron Klotz during the last three weeks of their season and was planning to join him again in the dugout last summer.  Unfortunately I had a health issue and took the summer off, and now with Coach Klotz coaching Logan and the 8U Adrian Dirtbags I have decided to help new coach Don Cappelletty with the Post 275 Legion team.

We were able to have two practices before last night's first doubleheader against Brooklyn, and for those practices we were without the Tecumseh High School players who had advanced to the state quarterfinals that were played on Tuesday.  I congratulate their high school team, and all four of out Tecumseh players played in last night's opening doubleheader.

We won both games last night by scores of 3-1 and 3-2, and then won game #1 of the Blissfield Tournament today 3-2 before getting rained out in game #2.  It's great to win games, but I've gotta confess that just being out there at practice, and especially being in the dugout for the games, is a special thing for me.

Coach Klotz has been telling me that he enjoys the constant coaching he gets to do now with the eight year olds, and I echo his feelings now as I have the privilege of working with high school age players.

For a long time, I have defined coaching as 'teaching and developing/nurturing relationships'.  With players I have never coached before (other than working with them occasionally at camps, etc.) I now have this opportunity to teach them and interact with them virtually every day, every game, every inning, and every pitch.

I have to admit, for me, this beats just about anything else I could be doing!!!!

I have more exciting things happening, but I'll save that for another time!!

Does the season ever really end?

Our season has been done for two weeks now.  What is it that college baseball coaches do when their seasons end?  What I do now is different than when I was a full-time head coach, and it is different that what full-time assistant coaches do.

I teach in the public schools, so I am still working at getting through the school year.  Today we even had an injury at school.  One of our students lost a tooth when he was hit in the mouth by a swing.  I felt so bad for him, but he handled it like a trooper and was on the bus heading home fifteen minutes later.  I have seen similar types of injuries on the baseball field over the years, but I seem to expect to see blood on the field more than I would at school.

Anyway, the day after our season ended I went to Comerica Park to watch the Detroit Catholic League Championship games with Eric Theisen and Xander Younce.  They both have 'Recruiting Coordinator' listed as part of their jobs, so they were (apparently) working hard.  I was just along for the ride, but I always love those games.  I played at Tiger Stadium in the same games when I was in high school and coached there (and won) in 1987.

I have been to a few other local high school games in the last two weeks, sometimes after school and also on the weekends.  I don't really do any recruiting, but I have been able to see some kids I know play some games.  I have given lessons to some of the kids in the county, and some pitching staffs in the county, and I rarely have opportunities to see them play in games.

The full-time guys are going all over the place watching high school games.  For the most part, the 2011 recruiting classes are all wrapped up and the coaches are trying to tie up some loose ends and maybe find a player or two who have slipped through the cracks.  This is a great time to add to the list of 2012 high school seniors that college coaching staffs have already been working on.  State tournament games always tend to have some more excitement and intensity than some other games that are played during the high school season, so the idea of being able to see kids compete and observe how they respond to various situations can be beneficial in determining where a player may go on a coach's recruiting list.  Eric and Xander are in Columbus, Ohio today and tomorrow watching the Ohio State Tournament, and then they will be back here in Michigan watching District Tournaments on Saturday.

In the meantime, Luke Harrigan is finishing up his work at Adrian College and getting ready for his first head coaching venture at Westminster College in Missouri, where he will undoubtedly find success carve some history.

One thing I always enjoy while at high school games is the opportunity to trade idle chit chat with some of the locals, who are usually parents, grandparents, or friends of the players on the field.  These people always know more about most of the players on the field than I do, and of course they always have more at stake in how the game is being played than I do.  Just in the last week I have had the privilege of talking to school administrators, aunts and uncles, siblings, parents, step-parents, and friends of the players and the coaches.

The experience of having nice, relaxing conversations at baseball fields with other baseball people is one of the great joys of the spring and summer.  I have to make sure I get out and see some other local kids, and my nephews, play in the next few weeks.  I may not appear to be having as much fun as the kids on the field..............but I am!!!!

End of season, letter to our pitchers

Pitchers,

Though it happens every year, it is never easy to find the perfect words to say when a season ends unexpectedly.  In saying that, I'll try my best without being too wordy.

First of all, I need to thank you all for seeming to buy in to what we do, and specifically for buying into what I try to do.  Though I am 52 years old and have been coaching college baseball since the fall of 1987 (yes, we did wear helmets back then), I know that I have to continue to learn more about what we are doing out there.  You guys have provided me with motivation to make sure I don't let you down, and I certainly hope that I haven't.  Not only do you all deserve thanks for following our procedures and protocol, I also want to thank you for listening to all of my talks about pitching philosophies, coaching philosophies, and even some life philosophies.  I'm sure some of that might get old, but I usually feel it is necessary (and sometimes I just want to listen to myself)!!

To our graduating seniors, Dommer and Dave, congratulations on your outstanding careers.  When a team's best two pitchers also have great, selfless attitudes along with the interpersonal skills to be able to be mentors and friends to younger teammates, the job as the pitching coach is made so much easier than it otherwise would be.

Dommer, you have had one of the greatest four seasons of pitching in the history of Adrian College and the MIAA.  You have 'Dommer'-nated our opponents and have been feared by opposing coaches and hitters both in the MIAA and around the region since you stepped on the field in a Bulldog uniform as a freshman.  Your numbers speak for themselves, but even more impressive to me has been your work ethic and the way you have led by example in so many ways.

Dave, your two years on the mound for us have been the model of consistency.  Your determination to come back and pitch after Tommy John surgery has been a testament to your dedication to rehab and your desire and passion to play the great game of baseball.  You have also, like Dommer, cemented your name into the Adrian College and MIAA record books in just two years of pitching here.  

The way the two of you pitched this season allowed your pitching teammates to see how important it is to get ahead of hitters, get leadoff batters out, and compete with passion in tight games and with runners on base.  Again, I appreciate your leadership and attitudes even more than your abilities!!

For you underclassmen, our work is not finished.  We will have another opportunity next year to compete for championships and improve ourselves (both individually and as a group). Some of you played huge roles and had great success for us this year and are prepared to lead us in 2012.  I thought all of you improved throughout the season, whether you were pitching in varsity or reserve games.  I'm sure Coach Younce would agree that we had some great pitching performances in the reserve games and that is a great sign for you as players and for us as a program.  Again, my thanks goes out to all of you for who you are as people as well as for your commitment to your teammates.

Today is the beginning of our 2012 season.  Even I am going to work out today!!!  Hopefully you will always keep in mind that each day you either get better or worse, and that improving is a choice.  I also hope that I will be able to at least see a few of you pitch this summer.  Be sure to work on all aspects of your pitching, and if the only work you do in the summer is on the days that you pitch (I know how some summer baseball can be), then you might not get better.  You need to work on your bodies, keep your arms healthy (be smart), improve your tempo, your ability to attack the running game, your stamina and arm strength, continue to master your changeups and both fastballs, and be consistent with locating and tightening up your other secondary pitches.  Be sure to continue to let your catchers and defensive teammates know that you appreciate the fact that it is always nine against one and that the team is more important than the individual.

You guys did a great job of accomplishing so many of the goals we set for ourselves back in January.  I consider it a privilege to work with all of you and I value our relationships.  Stay in touch throughout the summer!!

"Control what you can control"......."Sweat the small stuff".........."Business as usual"

Gordie

A little perspective

Now that our regular season has ended, our preparation for the NCAA DIII Regional Tournament continues.  We lost our last two regular season games to Hope College on Tuesday by scores of 3-0 and 4-2.  Nobody likes to lose games, and certainly not two games in one day, but we have to tip our caps to Hope’s players; they out-played us.  That happens in baseball, so we continue to try and become a better team each day, just as we have all season.

The all conference team was announced yesterday and we have six players who earned all-conference, first team honors in the MIAA this year.  We had the pitcher of the year and the player of the year for the third year in a row.  Congratulations to all of the guys and to our one second team all league players.  All of them are well-deserved awards, but I know that each guy would trade personal rewards for team accomplishments!!

Today I attended a funeral in Dearborn for the father of one of my former players at Siena Heights University.  Eric attended with me, as he had gotten to know my players pretty well while he was in his last couple years of high school.  There was a work accident that led to the death of the young 57 year old man.  I never know what the best thing to say is at a time like that, so I told Ryan that I was sorry and that loved him, gave him and his wife, mom and brother big hugs.  The priest at Divine Child did a great job during the funeral.  He said that Frank lived his life, just as God intended for us to do.  He was a friend to many and a great father and husband.

An incident like that can often put things into perspective.  Some people may stress over the loss of a doubleheader, but Ryan and his loved ones have huge holes in their hearts and it is difficult, I’m sure, to fill those holes right now.  Compared to losing baseball games, well, there is no way to compare the two.

The fortunate thing for Ryan and his family is that they have lived their lives knowing that God loves them, and that Frank lived his life as a great example of what God’s love is all about.  He didn’t necessarily verbalize his faith; he lived it.  Ryan’s family will gain in strength because of Frank’s love for them and his faith in the Lord.  Frank shared his faith with all family and friends that he encountered, and he did it completely.

So as far as the Regional Tournament is concerned, if we are to compete, then we must compete completely.  God put us on this earth with other people for a reason.  He didn’t put us here by ourselves.  He gave each of us unique gifts, gifts that are to be shared with others.  Our players can hopefully compete with each other and for each other, sacrificing ego for the good of their teammates, playing for their teammates rather than themselves.

My players don’t know Ryan or Frank, but I want to thank Frank for sharing Ryan with me for a few years, and thank Ryan for giving everything he had for his teammates for four years.  Victories on the field may not be able to be taken away, but the selflessness of teammates carries over for generations, always to be warmly felt and remembered.

Senior Day, last regular season games

Tomorrow the Adrian College Baseball Team plays its last two conference/regular season games with a home doubleheader against Hope College.  We just completed our four game series against Kalamazoo College by winning the last three games following an opening game loss.  Though our sixteen game winning streak ended on Friday, it was good for the team to be battle tested again.  I'm certain that tomorrow's games against Hope will also provide us with great competition that will help in preparation for next week's NCAA Regional Tournament.

During our winning streak, I didn't change anything about our practices for the pitchers.  Perhaps it was superstition (like shaving, or not shaving on game day!).  Today, though, I felt like I needed to make a couple changes to our practice.  We did our 'flat ground' work in the bullpens from the slope of the mound.  We really threw short bullpens today rather than flat ground.  I thought the location of some of our pitches took a step backwards last week, which caused us to fall behind more batters and put us in hitter's counts rather than pitcher's counts.

The other change was that we added a new conditioning drill for our pitchers.  It was a drill that Eric and I talked about (and Eric diagrammed) Friday night at home, with pitchers starting on the mound and sprinting to ten different locations, and sprinting back to the mound from each location.  The locations were various spots around the infield that pitchers may have to go to during a play, while either backing up bases or covering bases.  The drill took each pair of pitchers just a bit over three minutes.  It was different than our normal conditioning for the day before a doubleheader, but sometimes different is good, and it is a drill we will use again in the future.

The weekend series against Kalamazoo was highlighted by Senior Day at home on Saturday.  This year's senior class has accumulated more wins than any class in the history of Adrian College baseball, and they have a lot to be proud of.  Not only have they set a new standard of excellence, but the class is filled with guys who have exhibited a great amount of positive leadership to go along with their success.  It has been a privilege for me to be able to work with all ten of the seniors, and our work is not yet complete!!

Hopefully, our underclassmen will take a page from the 2011 Senior Class's book, by continuing to lead their teammates with unselfishness and a dedication to improving every day.  The work ethic and positive attitudes of these seniors will provide each of them with a solid foundation for the rest of their lives!!

Today is the beginning

Okay, today is graduation day for our ten seniors.  Hopefully they will enjoy this day with their families, friends and teammates as it signifies the beginning of the rest of their lives.  Fortunately though, they don't have to leave campus yet, as they still have some business to take care of.

We clinched the MIAA championship on Friday by beating Albion College twice at their field in two one run games.  We had already beaten them twice at home on Thursday.  Now there is certainty in the numbers; we have officially earned a trip to the NCAA DIII Regionals. We still have six conference games remaining to continue to improve as individual players, as coaches, and as a team.  The regional tournament isn't going to be something that we can win without getting better than we already are, so these last six games should be played with the idea that we are preparing for success in the regional tournament.

One of the best things about the way we won the two games at Albion is that we had to execute late in each game to earn the wins.  In game one we fell behind 3-0 in the second inning, but we held them scoreless through the 7th inning as we battled and tied the game before winning it in an extra inning.  Mike Herzog was the offensive hero with huge rbi hits scattered throughout the game, and Rylie Robinson kept putting up zeroes in Albion's half of each inning.  I thought that our mvp in this team victory was catcher Joe Dubina, who blocked several breaking balls in the dirt to prevent baserunners from advancing in almost every inning.  As always, Joe saved us some runs!!

Game two was a quick game, as Josh Burd threw only 60 pitches in the first six innings and Jake Cappelletty had two rbis, including a solo home run (did he get that home run ball yet?) to get us into the bottom of the 7th with a 2-0 lead.  The bottom of the 7th began with Albion hitting a double, reaching on an error, and hitting another double off of Burd to put the tying run on third and the potential winning (walk-off) run on second base with nobody out.  Fortunately we had Lucas Willitzer ready to come into the game from the bullpen, even though Burd had easily cruised through those first six innings.

Coming out of the bullpen with the game on the line, runners on base, and nobody out is not an easy thing for a pitcher to do.  We haven't had many situations like this in recent weeks, so this was a good game situation for our guys to try to deal with.  Lucas has a great arm, and we have been real cautious with it during the season.  We found out that he has the ability (and more importantly the attitude) to close out a game in such a circumstance.  He got the first guy on a routine ground ball to third, and then basically blew fastballs by the next two guys for two strikeouts to clinch the game and the conference title.  Winning the game in that manner made the victory so much better for our team than if it wasn't such a nail-biter

After today's graduation, our guys can prepare each day for the trip to the Regionals in a couple weeks.  It is an opportunity to finish strong in the conference season and sweat the small stuff at practices each day, so that we are confident and proficient in all aspects of the game when that regional tournament begins.

Today is the beginning, but it isn't the beginning of the end.  It is the beginning of a few weeks to continue playing and acting like champions, of several days of looking and believing like champions do. Today we can celebrate the academic achievements of the seniors, and tomorrow those seniors can lead us to complete the goals we set before the season started.

"I believe in the promised land."  Bruce Springsteen