Act Like You Have Been There
Image via WikipediaHeated Contests
Often we find ourselves in the middle of heated contests. I know we shouldn’t care, but sometimes our emotions get the best of us. The fact is an hour after the game is over, the kids could care less if they won or lost, we need to remember that. But, during the heat of the battle how do the kids react? Where do they look for guidance? How are they supposed to handle pressure situations? Who do they learn from?
FROM US!!!!
It Just Doesn’t Matter
It is crucial to understand this. They feed off of our actions. If we stay positive and assure them that as long as they put out 150% the result doesn’t matter, then they will play calmly and aggressively. If we ride them and put pressure on them they may perform, but they may choke also. It really doesn’t matter what the result is as long as they learn from the experience.
Act Like You Have Been There
This is where "act like you have been there" come in. If the coach is tense and feels pressure, his team will reflect that times 10! Just like a supervisor at a place of employment must conduct themselves at a higher level, a coach must do the same. A good supervisor knows if he allows a minor slippage of quality that the employees will make even bigger errors in quality and judgment. Therefore, he must maintain a standard of quality higher than he expects from his subordinates.
An adult leading children has much more influence on his kids than a supervisor over his employees. Kids don’t know how to act, react, or perform in any situation. We have to teach them. We can tell them all we want, but we lead by example. They will follow and act as we do.
How to Handle it
When a situation arises that requires a cool head and focus, the coach must not be uptight. The coach has to be loose and able to calm the players down, not upset them (no matter what we are feeling inside). The player will know the situation and already be nervous. He will likely not understand these feelings nor how to deal with them, shouldn’t we try to assure him that this feeling is normal?
Sensory Perceptions
We have these emotions because they are sensory perceptions that warn us about the importance of the situation at any given time. Like the hair standing up on the back of our necks when we are scared, butterflies in the stomach and pressure packed sensations are sensory perceptions that alert us. This is not bad, this is good!
We have to assure the players that we are acutely aware of their tension, we understand what they are going through, and they would not be normal if they didn’t feel this way. We then have to make sure that they know that no matter what happens, the sun will come up tomorrow. That sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, as long as you are above .500 you are doing good! Failure in a pressure situation, is not failure, it is an opportunity for us to teach.
Success Win or Lose
Success in a pressure situation requires nothing from the coach other than to get out of the way and enjoy the smiles! We need to act like we have been there, because, in fact, we have. We need to make sure that we show empathy to the player and calm and assure them that they can do it, but if they don’t, life won’t stop. We need to make sure we put kids in a position to succeed, but encourage them when they fail . If we do this, we will have Acted Like We Have Been There.
What do you do to make sure the kids stay focused in pressure situations? Please share.
Cup Stories, Part Three
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Guest Post for The Little League Coach
Cup Stories, Part Three
It’s Official: I Am An Idiot
by Little League Mom (AKA E. Peevie)
I endured the humiliation and purchased the ding-dang cup. My cup troubles were over. Right? Wrong.
C. Peevie was excited about getting a real, big-boy piece of equipment to protect his equipment…until he tried it on. Then he was all, “Um, no, uh-uh, no-way. This hurts. I can’t even walk. I’m not going to wear it.”
Poor C. Peevie. He walked around the house like a bull-rider with a bad back, legs spread and knees bent, trying to get used to the feeling of wearing a salad bowl around his gonads. He moaned and groaned and cried and whined.
“I can’t do it, Mom,” he said. “I can’t wear this thing. I won’t be able to run. I can hardly even walk!”
He hobbled over to the couch, and gently eased himself down, with one arm behind him to support his descent, like a pregnant woman at full-term. “I can’t even sit!” he moaned. “It’s so uncomfortable.”
“You have to wear it if you’re going to play ball,” I reasoned with him. “You’ll probably get used to it after a little while, honey.” Not that I had any real idea; my experience with uncomfortable sports equipment only encompassed sports bras, and as constricting as they could be, I don’t think they ever made me cry.
Well. He wore the cup to practices and games, but he never got used to it, and he complained loudly every single time. I couldn’t imagine why the world of baseball had not come up with a better solution to testicle protection than this one, which was so obviously flawed.
And how did other parents cope with the whining and complaining? Why didn’t more boys just drop out of baseball rather than put up with the discomfort? Were parents offering sedatives to help their boys over the cup-pain hump? It was truly a mystery to me.
And then one day my friend Cuz came up to me after a game. Her son was on C. Peevie’s team, and we sometimes shared rides and stories.
“E. Peevie,” she said to me, with a strange urgency in her voice, “I have to tell you this so you don’t think anything bad happened.”
“Um, OK,” I said, feeling my stomach start to sweat.
“Lefty [her husband] took C. Peevie to the back of van,” she started out, and my eyes saucered and my fist spontaneously clenched, “to try to help him with his cup.”
“He was so uncomfortable,” Cuz continued quickly, “and Lefty figured that something must be wrong. It turns out that the cup was on upside-down.”
Since you’re reading a blog about Little League baseball, you are probably aware that athletic cups are sort of triangle-shaped. In my infinite parental wisdom, I had been loading the damn cup into the jockstrap upside-freaking-down . The wide part was digging into his thighs, and the narrow part pointed up to his abdomen. No wonder he was walking like a cowboy with a hernia. And no wonder he was complaining!
I am an idiot.
C. Peevie is now playing in the Majors, and wears his cup comfortably and uncomplainingly. All is right with the world, and the ‘nads are safely protected.
For more from this author, check out The Green Room (http://greenroomthoughts.blogspot.com/) for posts on the squirrels and the bees, weird things moms save, addictions, loss of sweet innocence, and much more!
Quick Play Drill
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Quick Play Drill
I found this pretty cool "quick play" drill at the Ohio Fastpitch Connection. They have a ton of drills on there, but most of them are not my style, too slow. I prefer drills that keep all the kids active and moving and simulate game situations. The "quick play" drill almost does this, so we modified it slightly. Follow is what we did.
Original Was Slow
The original quickplay drill had 2 lines of players w/ 5 balls lined up, grab one, throw to first, grab the 2nd, throw to first, etc. This is a great drill in and of itself, and if you only had 3 or 4 players max working on it, that would be fine. We have 12 to keep busy though and I hate to see kids standing around!
The Fix
To counter this we modified the drill. I added a catcher to the mix. Then had the 3B throw to 1B and 1B throw to the C. The problem with this was it slowed down the "quick play" portion of the 3B. So we added a "suicide" effect to it to help w/ conditioning also! Likewise, we set up a bunt station just outside of 3B. We had the kids leave their bats and hats at the bunt station and carry their gloves with them. (Of course we had a pitcher/catcher combination working at all times!)
It worked great! One of the best practices we had!
Here is the rotation:
- Coach places the 5 balls in a line from 3B to home plate
- 3B runs to the first ball and throws to 1B
- 1B throws home and catcher simulates a tag
- 3B backpedals (very important skill) to the 3B position and then charges back up to the 2nd ball. (This gives the 1B time to throw to the C)
- This is repeated until all 5 balls are thrown to 1B and C
- After the 5th ball, the 1B runs to 2nd and slides, then gets in line at the bunting station.
- The C runs through 1B and gets in line there.
- The 3B moves to the C line
- The bunter goes and gets in line at 3B. (now that I think about it probably would have been better if we had our bunt station behind 3B, but we will update that next time)
Having at least one extra player at each station gives the players a chance to catch their breath and get all of their things in order for when it is there turn to perform.The coach has plenty of time to place the balls while the girls are moving up, but he has to be quick. Keeping this thing moving is the key to its success and increases the "fun factor" for the kids. They are moving and conditioning and don’t even know it!
Don’t be afraid to take things you know and modify them slightly. The kids love the variety and it keeps them focused at practices. This is very important as it is easy to lose them and then everyone is wasting their time. Do you have any cool drills that you modified to make them more exciting? Let’s hear about them!
John Chow Dot Com Giving Away 10,000 Entrecard Credits
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John Chow, founder of John Chow Dot Com has been saving his entrecard credits and is giving them away! If you blog and you are not a member of entrecard , you may want to consider it. It allows you to place your ad on any participating blog and pay for it with "entrecard points" which you earn when people put their ad on your blog. Pretty cool set up, especially for the new blogger with little or no income.
Anyway, to win the 10,000 points all you have to do is go to his post Win 10,000 Entrecard Points and follow the instructions there!
Good Luck , but you already know I am going to win!
Right Field/Key Attributes
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Specialty Position
Right Field is a specialty position . We all know that in Little League the strongest players play in the infield. This doesn’t mean that outfielders are not important! Quite the contrary, picking up outs in the outfield is a huge bonus. The right fielder can be your weakest fielder but they need a strong arm and a will to back up first base on almost every play.
The right fielder need not be quick, but it is a bonus if the are. They will need to be able to track fly balls but the least of them are hit to them. They have to have the strongest arm because they often throw to first base and need to be able to fire to third base also.
Key Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of a good left fielder :
- Dedicated
- Strong Arm
- Committed to back up
- Able to track fly balls
A right fielder that makes every routine play as well as some spectacular ones can get a good pitcher some very key outs.
Can you think of any other valuable characteristics a right fielder should have? Please share them.
Center Field/Key Attributes
Image by Boston Public Library via Flickr
Specialty Position
Center Field is a specialty position . We all know that in Little League the strongest players play in the infield. This doesn’t mean that outfielders are not important! Quite the contrary, picking up outs in the outfield is a huge bonus. The center fielder needs to be your best outfielders as they will likely get a majority action.
The center fielder should be fast and able to react with cat like instincts. They will need to be able to track fly balls and get to them quickly if needed. They also have to back up the left fielder and right fielder . They don’t have to have the strongest arm because they generally only throw the ball to second, cutoff, and third base . None of these throws are very long.
Key Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of a good left fielder:
- Dedicated
- Very Fast
- Able to track fly balls
A center fielder that makes every routine play as well as some spectacular ones can get a good pitcher some very key outs.
Can you think of any other valuable characteristics a left fielder should have? Please share them.
Little League Bulletin MAJOR All Star Rules Changes
Image via WikipediaBREAKING NEWS!
April 24, 2008
Little League Baseball sent out an emergency rules change bulletin today that will have a major impact on the tournament teams.
From the Bulletin :
Participation in Other Programs
The rule that prohibits players from participating in non-Little League programs (dual participation), once Little League tournament play has begun, has been rescinded at all levels of play for baseball and softball. However, the local Little League retains the right to dismiss a player from a tournament team if the player repeatedly misses games and practices.
Big League
The maximum number of players that can be named on a tournament team affidavit is now 17 (increased from 15).
Senior League
The maximum number of players that can be named on a tournament team affidavit is now 16 (increased from 14).
Wilson, W.P. (2008, April 23). Tournament Bulletin. Little League International.
I have mixed emotions on this. I understand the reasoning, we are losing to many good players to travel ball. But, are we simply giving in to the competition? In the long run I think there is nothing more exciting than the Little League tournament, so the better product should win out. This will give more kids the opportunity to compete in the tournament and make the teams better. So I guess this is a good thing. I just wish they had done it last year!
The Big League and Senior League roster expansion is a good thing.
What do you think? Should players be allowed to compete in other programs and Little League’s tournament? It wasn’t long ago a coach couldn’t even coach in a different program and coach an All-Star team. The times they are a changin’! I just wonder is it for the best? What say you?
Update from Little League 4/25/08
To clarify an e-mail distributed earlier this week regarding modifications to the 2008 Tournament Rules and Guidelines, the increases to the maximum number of players that can be named on a tournament team affidavit apply to Big League and Senior League baseball only .
Big League Baseball - The maximum number of players that can be named on a tournament team affidavit is now 17 (increased from 15).
Senior League Baseball - The maximum number of players that can be named on a tournament team affidavit is now 16 (increased from 14).
Little League International apologizes for the confusion.
Clarification to Rules and Guidelines for 2008 Little League International Tournament . (2008, April 25). Little League International .
Now this one I don’t understand at all. WHY?????? This makes absolutely no sense! According to the original memo the reason for the roster expansion was because they had jobs and other commitments. So according to Little League, girls do not have jobs or other commitments? This is very sexist and discriminatory on their part!
In our league we have an understanding that whatever rules we make for baseball, we also make them for softball. Why would Little League International do any different?
Little League, It’s the year 2008! Get w/ the times! You made a great ruling and then botched it’s application. Fix it!
What do you think? Should rules be different for girls and boys?
Left Field/Key Attributes
Image via Wikipedia
Specialty Position
The left fielder is a specialty position . We all know that in Little League the strongest players play in the infield. This doesn’t mean that outfielders are not important! Quite the contrary, picking up outs in the outfield is a huge bonus. The left fielder needs to be one of your best outfielders as they will likely get the most action.
The left fielder should be fairly quick. They will need to be able to track fly balls and get to them quickly if needed. They don’t have to have the strongest arm because they generally only throw the ball to second, shortstop as cutoff, and third base . None of these throws are very long.
Key Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of a good left fielder:
- Dedicated
- Quick
- Able to track fly balls
A left fielder that makes every routine play as well as some spectacular ones can get a good pitcher some very key outs.
Can you think of any other valuable characteristics a left fielder should have? Please share them.
2008 Chevy Tahoe Raffle
Image via WikipediaAlan Starling at Starling Chevrolet Cadillac was kind enough to contact DeBary Little League about the Chevrolet Youth Baseball Program. The program provides equipment, funding, and uniforms to the league. The biggie though is they donate a brand new 2008 Chevy Tahoe for the league to raffle off!
The league has only 2,000 tickets so hurry and buy yours now! You may buy as many as you wish. Click the button below to purchase. A $5 donation is requested for the tickets or you can stop by Starling Chevrolet for a free ticket. The tickets will be mailed out to you once purchase is complete and the drawing is June 10th, so hurry!
Click Button Below to Donate and Receive your Raffle Ticket
Third Base/Key Attributes
Image via WikipediaKey Position
Your third baseman must have a very strong arm. They also need to have quick reflexes because this is referred to as "the hot corner". Many shots are hit at third basemen and often they don’t have time to think, only to react. They also need to have "burstability" because they have to be able to cover the bunt quickly.
Accuracy Counts
Third base should have a strong accurate arm. The must be right handed because a lefty cannot make the throw to first or second w/o rotating.
Key Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of a good second baseman :
- Right Handed
- Semi-Baseball Intelligent
- Dedicated
- Strong and Accurate arm
- Solid throwing fundamentals
- Good reflexes
A third baseman with good reflexes and a strong arm can get a pitcher a lot of outs.
Can you think of any other valuable characteristics a third baseman should have? Please share them.
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