Worry About Your Own Team, not the Other One
Image by artolog via Flickr
Conflicts Arise
Let’s face it. About this time of the season some conflicts begin to rear their ugly heads. Something happened somewhere and someone feels wronged so they begin to argue or lash out. Often this happens when you are losing, but it is not exclusive to that.
Focus on Doing Right
The bottom line is that we have to forget about what the other team is doing wrong, and focus on how we can act right! If the other team is completely disrespecting us, we must kill them with kindness. If they are yelling and screaming, we must sit back and allow them to hang themselves.
Where are the Parents?
And MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL! We, as parents, must control our children, and let the other team worry about theirs. Why would an adult argue with a child of another team? What can possibly be gained from this exchange? Do not stoop to other’s levels, conduct yourself as an adult.
Demand Respect
As managers, we have to take the lead on this. We have to DEMAND that our kids act with respect and demonstrate sportsmanship even when we are not getting the same in return. We have to simply demand that our players act with a level of dignity, whether winning or losing, regardless of how the other team is acting. There is no other option.
My teams will NEVER disrespect another team. I may have a player get out of line occasionally, but this is IMMEDIATELY nipped in the bud and if it recurs, punishments are doled out such as sitting out the rest of the game or for the next game. My players know this, they know I mean it, they don’t push this limit because they know they will lose.
Cause and Effect
Cause and effect are very important lessons to be learned in Little League . Please make sure to:
- Clearly define your rules
- Always enforce them
- Never deviate from them even if it means losing the game
- Communicate clearly and effectively.
Getting in front of this will insure that your team plays with respect. When conflicts arise, your team will rest assured that you will handle it and that you have their best interests in mind. They will not feel the need to get involved and you will avoid potential blow up situations.
How do you handle heated situations? What do you do to diffuse the situation?
The Hug
Image via WikipediaSunday Shopping Spree
Sunday I was rushing through the grocery story picking up items from a list for my son’s birthday party . I happened upon a kid I coached years ago shopping w/ his mom. I bumped him gently w/ my cart and he turned around startled. Then he got a huge smile on his face! I reached out to give him pounds as I often do, and he ran up and gave me a huge hug !
The Effect
That was awesome! We need to always remember the effect we have on these kids. The ironic part of this equation is that he was a little bit of a trouble kid. I could have easily dismissed him and treated him differently, but I treated him sternly, as I would have any other kid with a propensity to misbehave.
Discipline
There were a couple of times he was made to go back to the dugout in rookies all by himself as the others played on the field. This could would have every reason to dislike me. But did he? No, he ran to give me a hug!
Think they don’t want discipline?
Do you have a story of a child that made your day? Please share it.
Ours it not to Tear Them Down, but to Build Them Up
They are only Children
We have to remember that the children we are coaching are just that, children. They are sponges that absorb everything around them. Probably more so than most of us would like to admit to ourselves even. They also probably learn more from our actions than from our statements. Lord knows they only listen to half of what we say, but they watch our every move.
Encourage, Encourage, Encourage
What are we to do? Encourage, encourage, encourage. What do we accomplish by shouting a kid down? I remember umpiring an All-Star game. A shortstop had a play in front of him where he missed the tag. A common error, but an error nonetheless. He was already upset, and needed to know that this error wasn’t the end of the world. It probably seemed that to the kid at the time.
Embarrassing Humiliation
His father stood outside the fence and screamed at him. "How could you do that, what is wrong w/ you" is what he hollered. As if that weren’t enough, he proceeded to yell at the kid even though he was crying and very visibly upset. But what made my jaw drop was when the father started yelling "what is the matter?, are you a sissy boy?, why are you crying sissy boy?". I couldn’t believe it. The kid was playing in the 10/11 division so he couldn’t have been older than 11.
This was very loud also! Everyone in the park could hear it, why would he humiliate him so? It made me sick to my stomach. What was I do to though? I know you will say I should have said something, but he really wasn’t doing anything illegal. I was the umpire in an all-star game, if i said something it would have caused a very big scene and I may have ended up on Gretta for causing a riot!
A Better Solution
How could this have been handled better? How about yelling at him, "that’s OK, that play is behind you, now get over it and make the next one". He was the shortstop after all, he had to be one of the best players on the team. Why not remind him that there was actually "no harm done" because the runner only advanced to third anyway! Tell him that the next play he was going to get a double play!
This would have given him great confidence, security to know that even though he made an error, everyone does, move on and make a play the next time. He would have mentally recovered and prepared for the very next pitch, almost a duplicate play. This time he bobbled the ball and didn’t get the out. How can we mark error Dad in the scorebook?
Build Them Up
We have to remember that we are not here to tear kids down. How easy a task is that? Anyone can yell at a kid and make them cry! But how many of us can take a kid that just made a major error and make them grow from it? Make them better because of their mistakes? That is what it is all about, make them better, build them up, don’t tear them down. That’s just plain bullying.
Does anyone have a story where you took a kid that was struggling and made them better? How about one where after a major blunder, he saved the game, got a key hit, or home run? Could anything be better than the smile on that kid’s face? Think about the one on yours! Could you wipe that off? I think not. Please share!
Get Their Arm Back First!
More than One Way to Skin a Cat
There is a lot of controversy out there about teaching pitching to children. First, there are a number of ways to skin a cat, and I don’t portend to be the end all be all for pitching. I do have 18 years experience teaching pitching to young children though and have tried a number of different methods to teach them.
This article refers to the initial training of the pitcher, the first step.
Spring Training
First we must agree that separation of the arm must occur and the arm must be back to properly throw over the top. This we can all agree on, how we get there is open for debate. To look at this objectively, we must first look at how we teach them to throw in the first place.
Step 1: Put them on a knee w/ their arm back
Step 2: Have them throw across their body
Step 3: Have them stand up sideways, separate and throw w/ thumb first to thigh, then the sky (and back)
Step 4: Have them step and throw
This is a quick synopsis of just about every Little League Coach’s first practice around the league. (or at least it should be!)
Then we step aside, and have them throw. What happens? They stop getting their arm back almost immediately! If we all had a dollar for how many times we said “get your elbow up when you throw” or “get your arm back” we would all be rich! We, of course, are all volunteers so we are all broke! But we know how they should be throwing! lol.
Avoid Arm Stress
At the younger ages, during the initial development of their pitching, they almost always don’t get their arm’s back. This means they are not throwing over the top and they are actually incurring undue stress on their arms. Therefore, the initial focus has to be on getting their arms back.
The way to accomplish this is to have them stop at their balance point. Then get their arm back bent at a 90-degree angle with their palm pointed towards center field. Once in this position, have them throw to the plate. They will instantly improve their velocity and accuracy.
Controversy
Here is where the controversy comes in.
The fact is, you want them to lock at the top and the bottom and separate while falling towards the plate. This is true, but this step comes AFTER they learn to get their arm back. Failure to initially teach them to get their arm back in the first place will result in them always throwing w/ what I call “Dinosaur Arms” (Tight, unextended arms). Minor league coaches should focus initially on getting the pitcher’s arm back, then having them separate later.
Success the Greatest Teacher
I have had very much success teaching this way. If you don’t teach them to get their arm back first, they struggle to learn it later. If you teach them to get their arm back at a young age, transforming the point at which they actually separate is easy for them to comprehend as they get older and the transition is easily made.
Failure to teach them to get the arm back in the first place risks injury and undue stress at a young age.
Do you have a trick to teach a young pitcher to get their arm back? If so, please share.
Other articles that may interest you:
Calm, Comfortable, Confident, Hitting
Pitcher’s/Catcher’s/Spring Break
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
Guess all the Secretaries are Rich Today
What Does it Mean to Volunteer as a Manager
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
Today I actually canceled softball practice and took a day off work to spend with my family! Amazing eh?
We spent the day at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and a fun time was had by all!
The zoo was OK, but I have to admit, being a native Virginian, I am spoiled by the Washington National Zoo. This zoo was what you would expect, plus maybe a bit more. It seems every time you go to a zoo, the animals seem very lazy. I guess this is their nature, but I had hoped the Orangutans and Chimpanzees, my personal favorites, would have been more active.
The funniest part of the day was when they fed the Orangutans. They had a baby in there and the female was the baby’s aunt. They fed them in a snack box, just as you and I would have. Threw it right to them and they caught it! Better than some of my players I might add!
Anyway, the first box the aunt willingly shared w/ the baby. The second box though, she snuck off and took a piece of paper and put it over her head while she ate it! It was hilarious! Very much like the bird sticking their head in the sand, her whole body was still exposed! Needless to say, it didn’t take long for the baby to find her and she begrudgingly shared.
The zoo had seven areas including an Asian and African area, manatee areas and a children’s play zone. In one area you can actually feed sting rays! Felt like a sucking feeling when they took the food from you.
They had typical animals you would find in any zoo including sloths, pigs, white tigers, monkeys, frogs, snakes etc. They had a few shows but each of them included too much talking and not enough focus on the animals.
Is that the ugliest fish you have ever seen in your life????
The only real downside of the zoo was the absolutely rude and horrible service we received when purchasing ice cream from the Grub and Grog restaurant found in the children’s portion of the zoo. Also, I wonder what they are trying to achieve? They are way to close to Orlando and right next to Busch Gardens to compete on the ride level, yet they have a water play area, a small banana ride, a carousel, and an air ride. In addition, they are building a flume ride.
I wonder if they want to be a zoo or an amusement park? I think they may not know themselves.
We dropped about $86 for tickets and every ride cost us even more in tokens! All in all, I would say we left about $200 behind so it was a bit pricey for what we got, but the kids had fun, I got to spend time w/ the family and everyone left with smiles on their faces! And isn’t that all that really matters?
Do you have a favorite Zoo story? Please share it! I will give a free month’s ad to anyone that tells me the trick taught to the Ape in the National Zoo by the bad people. Do you know what it is?
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Guess all the Secretaries are Rich Today
What Does it Mean to Volunteer as a Manager
Smart Money Magazine Interview
Variation of the Around the Horn Drill
New Pitching Drill
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