A kid playing baseball vs. a baseball player
Every player gets upset after a strikeout. What I care about is whether he stays stuck on what just happened or starts thinking about the next time he sees that pitch.
One of the biggest challenges for youth coaches is how players react when something goes wrong. They cry. They pout. They stomp their feet. They blame the umpire or anyone other than themselves. As coaches, we have to accept that this is natural (I’m still working on it, too).
But I’ve found it helps to give players two ways to react: like a kid playing baseball, or like a baseball player.
There are two strikes, and the pitcher fools the hitter with an offspeed pitch. He thinks it’s inside, but the umpire calls strike three.
A kid playing baseball is mad at the umpire and embarrassed, and that’s as far as his thinking goes.
A baseball player may be just as upset. But he gives the pitcher credit for a good pitch, and he’ll be looking for it next time. He also figures the umpire will likely call that pitch a strike again, so he’ll be swinging.
A baseball player replays what happened and figures out what he needs to do next time.
This next part may be the easiest way to get through to an emotional player, because his reaction isn’t private. When a player throws his helmet, his teammates see it. It tells them there’s a problem, and it tells them it may be time to give up. The player who says “It’s okay, we’ve still got this!” is doing something for eight other players.
That’s why I like Reset, Reflect and Refocus: Acknowledge it, learn from it and move on.
What has worked for you when a player can’t get past a strikeout?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“A kid playing baseball doesn't learn from adversity. He just knows that it's an unpleasant situation.”
I wrote the long version of this when I coached the Spiders: A Kid Playing Baseball vs. Playing Like a Baseball Player on SpidersElite.
No one should be able to guess the score from your dugout
Your behavior and body language should change very little, regardless of the score. A scout, or the coach you want to play for next year, is watching for that.
“Up 10 or down 10, our dugout should sound the same.”
Anticipate the play instead of waiting for the coach
When a runner waits for his coach to tell him what to do, he loses a step he doesn't have. I want players who anticipate the play and make the decision on their own.
“Standing on second base isn't an option.”
The Count
Call balls and strikes and watch what the count does to the hitter. Five seasons of big-league numbers.
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