@CoachB25 posted:Don't you think that players really want discipline? IMO, the vast majority want to win and win as a team. Therefore, they have to have rules/standards that help them achieve their goals. The truth is, I rarely had to discipline my teams. The players did that for me. If you asked them, they would use one word, "tradition."
I think there has to be a modicum of discipline in any team sport. And it currently seems to be lacking in almost all teams in any sport you choose. Any great team that I have ever been associated with as a player, coach, or fan had a number if things in common and a big one was leadership from within the ranks of the players. Another common thread was team over individual. The reverse is also true. Any team that didn’t have those qualities exhibited by the players underachieved. No matter how talented. What I believe is that we have a societal problem that has bled into baseball. Too many kids think that they don’t have to accept discipline - from anyone. And too many kids refuse to think of anything ahead of themselves. Kids play selfish. You will hear coaches complaining about that all the time if you are listening. But to answer your question, I believe the smart kids (that really get it) want discipline because they understand how important it is to team success. But I’m afraid those kinds of kids are a minority that is shrinking by the day.