End of Fall Baseball 2011

A couple weeks ago we completed our fall baseball schedule at Adrian College.  In my previous seven years we were allowed to have only nine practices during a four week period in the fall due to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rules.  The conference now allows us to have a fall season that equals what the rest of the country's Division III baseball teams can do, which is to have 16 practice dates during our fall season, with one of those dates being a competition date.

As a coach, this gives us some benefits that we didn't have in prior seasons.  This allows us more opportunities to teach, evaluate, reinforce what we are teaching, and ultimately to better prepare our team for the spring season.  Since we won't be able to teach baseball skills to our players until practice resumes again in January, the added fall practice dates have allowed us to especially teach our new players the way we want to do things in preparation for the 2012 season.

Our pitchers, for example, have gone through their daily stretching and drill work significantly more than we were ever able to do in the past.  Our daily practice routine will be easier to repeat on day one in January and it won't seem as though we are starting so much from scratch as it had always seemed in past seasons.  In addition, as I was able to learn the strengths and weaknesses of our new pitchers, they in turn were able to learn what is important to me.  We were able to have enough simulated games to be able to work on new pitches and tweak other pitches as well as having our new guys become accustomed to our conditioning routines in between game appearances, among other situational things.

This week I have been going through the pitching charts from fall intrasquad games and the competition date that we had on our last fall Sunday.  By looking at these charts and taking information from them, we will be able to see which specific things our pitchers did well, what they didn't do well, and be better prepared to establish some individual and team goals in preparation for pre-season practices in January.

It is usually easier to establish some team pitching goals than it is to decide on individual goals.  Individual goals of the pitchers are based on each guy's strengths and weaknesses in addition to their own ambitions for the season and the potential roles that they may fit into in the spring.  Our team pitching goals don't change a whole lot from season to season, other than the fact that as we continue to become more successful, some of our goals become more challenging, which is a good thing.

Anytime we set the bar higher, it is done so because of quality accomplishments in the past.  In saying that, it is important to understand that the past is over and the future is greatly determined by what we do in the present.  The only day that we have any control over is the current day, and if each team member works on improving each day, the entire pitching staff and the entire team reap the benefits.

Youth sports----evolution and purpose

The youth sport culture in our country has changed in the 24 years since I became a college baseball coach.  My kids, at the ages of 26 and 24, participated in sports throughout most of their lives, and every year the youth sports landscape continues to evolve.

One of the changes that has had an effect on youth baseball and softball is the evolution of the travel teams.  I'm sure there have been similar changes in many other sports due to the same phenomenon.  Twenty years ago most of the young baseball players (especially pre-teens and pre-high school) played in local youth leagues in their home towns.  Throughout the season they competed with and against many of the kids the see in their neighborhoods and school, only competing with athletes from other towns when they advanced to post-season tournaments.  Today, it is not uncommon for these young athletes to play on the same team with peers from cities and towns several miles away.

This evolution led to some problems for local leagues, as the participation numbers and the level of competitive play tended to drop considerably.  Ultimately, so many kids became members of travel teams that the level of talent that was once seen on travel teams began to get somewhat watered down.  Now we have an abundance of traveling teams, with an occasional 'elite' team that may have to travel to more national tournaments in order to have competitive games.

There was a time that I tried to figure out if the development of youth travel baseball and softball would last very long, and if so, considering the negative effects it has on local youth leagues, what positive results would come of this evolution.  Of course, with progress there ought to be something that is good.

Eventually, I tried to compare the phenomenon of travel baseball to what was happening at the college level.  From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, I made the most challenging schedule I could possibly make as the head coach at Siena Heights University.  I always had some outstanding players, several of whom went on to play professional baseball, some even getting drafted in the Major League Baseball annual Amateur Draft in June.  I would usually schedule a 16-18 game southern trip, with almost every game being played against nationally ranked NAIA and NCAA DII teams and some DI teams from around the state of Alabama.  We played those games in an 8-9 day period.  Then our team also usually ended up playing 7-10 games against DI teams once we traveled back to Michigan.

What eventually happened is that my players had an opportunity to compare themselves with other quality athletes from other parts of the country.  Even though I often had one or two pro prospects on my teams, most of the guys were not considered pro prospects.  Playing against top shelf teams allowed our guys to see how much harder they really needed to work, how much they needed to improve, and that since they left their high schools they were now just small fish in a real big ocean of players.

I suppose travel baseball, fall baseball, and elite travel baseball have now allowed our kids, and maybe their parents, to see that there is a big world of great young athletes out there, and that achieving dreams in the field of athletics is not something that is easy.  Every town has its best athletes, every travel team and elite program has top athletes, and when they have opportunities to compete against similar programs, it becomes easier to see that one's success is not only determined by God-given ability, desire, or the amount of trophies earned before entering high school.

The purpose of participating in youth sports, whether at the local, state or national level, is still the same as it always was.  That purpose is to learn skills that are beneficial on and off the field, develop the ability to effectively communicate with peers as well as superiors, to learn how to be a part of a team, understand how to handle success and disappointment, and to have fun.

No matter how the youth sports culture changes and evolves, these purposes have not, and should not ever change.

Fall baseball begins

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.  

The game within the game

In all team sports competition there are versions of games within games.  In baseball, each at bat gives us a glimpse of pitcher versus batter.  The bigger picture of that game is the battle between the pitcher and the entire batting order of the opposing team.  In any given game, therefore, two of these battles exist.  Each team’s starting pitcher has his own game against the hitters of the other team.

Before I continue, I want to tell you that a pitcher does not compete against the opponents by himself.  When he is on the mound, it is a good idea for the pitcher to understand that he has eight teammates working with him against that one batter.  In other words, it is nine against one.  That kind of thinking can make a pitcher feel a lot more confident about his odds.

With the designated hitter in the lineup in today’s game of baseball, a pitcher never really competes directly against the opposing pitcher, but the ability of the other pitcher can influence how a pitcher competes in any given game.

When a pitcher throws a well-pitched game, whether his team wins or loses, there is usually a method that he uses consistently throughout that game that determines his success.  For example, sometimes a pitcher does a great job of throwing first pitch strikes (getting ahead of the hitters) and then forces the hitters to swing at pitches on the edge of or out of the strike zone.  A game with this kind of M.O. usually becomes a game pitched very efficiently, with a pitcher keeping his pitch count low and thus being pretty strong in the later innings.

Another way a pitcher can be efficient is when he gets leadoff batters out consistently.  By getting the leadoff batter out in an inning, especially in a closely contested game, the innings become relatively stress free on both the defense and the pitcher.

As with most things in life, a pitcher can be effective and win games in many different ways.  Sometimes a pitcher may throw a relatively low percentage of strikes (ie., less than 60%), get behind the hitters, but still throw some good pitches later in the count and get a lot of hitters out.  Other times a pitcher may allow leadoff hitters to reach base and then turn around and get double play ground balls, allowing his defensive teammates to help get him out of trouble.

In some more stressful innings, some of the better pitchers pitch through trouble after perhaps a couple hits, or a walk and a hit, or some combination of walks, errors and hits.  This is what we call taking care of damage control.  Sometimes these situations are managed by pitchers who have great potential for strikeouts and can get some harmless infield popups with runners in scoring position.

In the big picture, a pitcher who can recognize potential problems and make early adjustments can give his team a chance to win.  A pitcher who can manage stressful situations effectively and maintain a positive thought process, thus controlling his emotions, has a better chance to help his team to victory than a pitcher who does not do that.  A pitcher who can keep his pitch count low early in a game has a better chance of completing the game and leading his team to a victory than a pitcher who throws too many pitches in the first few innings.

A pitcher’s job is simply to give his team a chance to win, and there are many ways to do that.  Some ways are easier than others.  A pitcher has to understand that his teammates are putting the same effort into the team’s success that he is, and that his teammates who may come in from the bullpen to relieve him have the same team goals as he does.

Next time you really sit down to watch a game, check out the two pitchers competing against their opponent’s hitters.  They may do things differently, but they both have the same goals in mind.  Each pitcher may also have a different method the next time he steps on the mound, too, depending on so many factors. 

Nine against one, one pitch at a time!

The joys of coaching!!

I have had the first four weeks of my summer filled with baseball, and I must admit it has been awesome!!  Sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky I have been to be able to spend virtually every day of my adult life around baseball, around baseball players, and around other baseball coaches.  I couldn't ask for anything more.

It isn't just the sport of baseball that I am grateful for; it is the people I get to be around because of baseball that provide me with a life full of blessings.  Every day I get to work with kids who have a love for the game and who desire to get better every day.  Whether the kids are under ten years old, are teenagers or college guys, they constantly fill me up with positive feedback and I benefit so much from these relationships.  Most of these relationships last a lifetime, even though there may be hundreds of miles and many years that separate me from such inspirational people!!

Doing lessons with kids, coaching teams, and working at baseball camps give me so many opportunities to help kids plant positive seeds about themselves in their own minds.  I can't claim to always say the right things or the best things, but I sure enjoy it when I can feel as though I can enhance a day for a kid or two.

The networking and relationships that develop with other coaches is another thing that never fails to add happiness to my own days, and for that I am always grateful.  Working with other coaches in the dugout, on the field during practices and games, at camps, etc., provides me a sense of belonging to a special group of people who are of high character.  Other coaches regularly exhibit quality behaviors that I can try to emulate and that remind me of the many great reasons we choose to teach a kid's game.

As usual, I couldn't ask for a better way to live my life!!

Positive progress is pleasing to witness

This morning as I walked onto the baseball field at Adrian College for our first game in this weekend's American Legion tournament, I called my son Eric to tell him that it is so awesome to be able to get up in the morning and head out the the ball park.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that almost every day of my adult life!!  At the time I called him, Eric was getting ready for his morning workout before heading to East Lansing to watch some tournament baseball games for recruiting purposes.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and I know he is as grateful as I am!!

As for the Adrian American Legion team, we are indeed a work in progress, and the squad continues to play competitive games and win more games than what was expected from them prior to the season.  The team's record is now 16-9 and though there have been a few poorly played games, the players seem to bounce back after those games and play pretty well in subsequent games.  That is an example of a group of players who have the ability to leave a poor outing in the past, who have the ability to have a short memory when necessary, and can come to the park and compete, no matter what happened in the previous game.

In today's first two games of this weekend's tournament, we won the morning game 3-1 and lost the afternoon game 2-1.  Gage Lolley pitched a two-hitter for the win this morning and Mike Reitz battled and certainly pitched well enough for the win this afternoon.  The defense was solid and the entire team competed from the first pitch to the last.

One of the things that this group has improved on this season is their dugout demeanor.  Early in the season it was easy to tell what the scoreboard said simply by watching the body language and listening to the team and self-talk in the dugout.  They were negative and tight when losing, and they were happy and loose when winning.  We have discussed the importance of having a more even demeanor and they have responded by being much more consistent in the way they approach the game, about the way they act and talk in the dugout.  I tip my hat to the players for making that progress!!

In general, the players as individuals are also getting better at controlling their emotions, as opposed to allowing their emotions to control them.  Some of them have more work to do than others, but they are making strides which will enhance their future athletic experiences in baseball and in the other sports that they play.

I remember when Eric played baseball as a teenager.  He had one summer coach who did very little teaching of the game, and he explained that he thought at the age of 16-18 the players should already know how to play the game.  I have found that players at this age need a tremendous amount of instruction about the game of baseball and need to learn more about hitting, pitching, fielding mechanics as well as all of the different situational circumstances that take place throughout a game and a baseball season.  Just as college players tend to do a bit better than their high school counterparts, these guys need to allow coaches to fill their cups with as much knowledge as possible so that they can take it and run with it.  Some players are better than others about letting new things into their cups, and as they allow more in, they tend to soak it up and make steady improvements.

So in saying all that, I am grateful for the opportunity to be in the dugout with these guys who gradually allow more and more into their cups.  It is a win-win scenario, as I get to learn, benefit, and have fun along with them.

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!!