Entry 2... A Lesson Learned
I was a catcher and 3rd baseman during my playing days. As a catcher, you are the "quarterback" of the team when on defense. You need to know exactly what everyone is supposed to be doing on every play and nothing happens until you call out your coverages and call a pitch. The mentality of knowing what everyone is supposed to be doing and making sure they are doing it can backfire as a coach.
We always tell our players to do one thing at a time and do it well. Well it is time to take my own advice. I can't coach all 9 positions and that isn't my job. I let my enthusiasm get the best of me early this week and got outside my scope of responsibility, i.e. catchers and corner infield. I learned an important lesson, if I want the kids to trust me, I have to trust the other coaches as well.
I had to make a decision on who would be starting behind the plate. I went with a sophomore over a junior. The sophomore showed more of what I was looking for out of a catcher. He has a better arm and blocks everything at practice. We can still find a spot for the junior, I just hope the sophomore isn't a practice field hero.
Starting this week we gear up for a JV tournament. It is buckle down time, we work on fine tuning the little things.
There is going to be a range of emotions for me on Saturday morning when I put on this uniform for the first time in 15 years. I vividly remember my emotions taking off that uniform, for what I thought was, the last time. It wasn't like it was when football or basketball season ended. When they ended there was still something else coming up. But that day, every button being undone, it was over. There was nothing left to do. That was the last time I would wear that jersey and represent a school that I had come to love. I sat in my car after that district tournament loss, put my hat over my face, and cried. I would never go to war with my teammates again. I wouldn't get to step on the field with those 16 guys and work as hard for something that we all loved doing.
When I received my uniform for this season, I turned into the 4 year old little boy again. When this 4 year old boy got his first uniform he couldn't wait to get home to put it on... spikes and all. For the next 3 days I only took it off to take a bath. I still haven't taken this uniform off the hanger. I want that emotion for the first game. I can't wait... Saturday can't get here soon enough.