My goal in writing this post isn’t to provide all the complex ideas and theories that go into developing players. It is simply to introduce some of the main ideas, mission statements and long term goals included in championship player development. Learning a new skill takes time and it requires patience from the teacher. Hopefully we have broken down some of the concepts into simple ideas for a broad audience to grasp.
Thus far, we have taken our athlete and established his and her strengths and weaknesses. We have prescribed strength programs, mobility programs and dietary programs. We have introduced them to our organizational philosophy and daily routines. The pitchers’ have a baseline of where their pitches are and where we want to go with them to be successful. One of the next steps is to provide appropriate competition levels. Think of moving through a school system. Providing challenging competition helps the player realize where he or she needs to improve to become an elite player.
An area of player development is the process of learning elite mental skills. Choosing how to think is crucial to all athletes in order excel under pressure. I have been fortunate to be around great performance consultants. One common theme is the ability to keep one’s breath regardless of the situation. This skill takes deliberate practice. Ken Ravizza, was one of the best and I learned a lot of him. His books and teachings live on. He was brilliant. He was huge on preparation and routines to get the player locked in. He said once to our group of athletes ” are you that bad that you need to feel great to perform great?” He also said to a group once to ask themselves ” why do you play this game, if the answer isn’t you love it, you are in trouble!” Developing mental skills is critical to consistency, learning to deal with failure is a must! There are many outlets available to help coaches teach the mental game. And we can help the players by showing up every day with the same energy, excitement and enthusiasm regardless of how the player or team is performing. We must fall back on what coaches do best, teach.
Another area of a player’s development is learning to be a good teammate, being accountable, taking ownership of her or his actions. Good organizations will provide community service projects as well. It may be youth baseball camps, volunteering for the Miracle League, school reading programs or to simply helping those who are less fortunate. These activities lead to character development and helps provides a sense of humility for the athletes. No one is bigger than the team regardless of their talent level. Good coaches learn to deal with people of all walks of life and personalities. Remember the importance of establishing relationships with each individual? We are not only developing the player but the person. Athletes have a life off the field, they are human. Coaches involved in player development can also be involved in the process of young athletes developing as people off the field. A good organization amateur or professional want quality people to work with and want to be a part of developing them as a person as well.
In conclusion, there are many aspects involved in a player’s development. Providing an atmosphere where failure is not fatal is crucial. Being present every day is critical. Consistent demeanor as a coach is challenging but is a requirement when dealing with young athletes. I always wanted to prepare and educate the player to the best if my ability. I want them to play the game fearlessly, passionately. I am there to continue to support their efforts. to remind them of established cues to their success and help the group make adjustments during the game play. Intensity and focus are traits that coaches should bring, those tend to rub off on the players. A good coach has long term vision and works relentlessly to create success for their team. I hope those who are coaching your daughter or son are invested in team’s development as players and people. Good luck developing your athletes to be the best version of themselves.
#coaching #playerdevelopment #leadership #baseball # growthmindset
No BS Baseball 