quote:Originally posted by bsballfan:
I wouldn't be too hard on your son's coaches or think it is their "job" to fix a problem that has effected dozens of big-leaguers (Mackey Sasses, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach come to mind)...some people think that the more you talk about it the worse it gets...I have seen chewing gum help...sounds crazy but it has been proven to relax the brain and is the reason that many people chew gum when they are nerves...just a thought.
Good idea on the gum! We did try not talking about it for a few weeks, but can't say there was a change at that point....so we talked about it again!
I am not suggesting that any coach has a responsibility to fix his yips. And the more I see how puzzling it is to experienced coaches, the less expectation I have.
I have hired a few coaches to work him on this specific issue, but there was no change. So aside from hoping that one of the coaches he spends and hour plus per day with would recognize and know how to help make the correction, I never felt it was their duty to do so.
I have learned that even those coaches who recognize the problem and genuinely WANT and TRY to help, cannot really understand the reason for the issue to begin with and ultimately unable to provide a solution that has worked. From the outside I suppose it is difficult to comprehend how one could suddenly "forget" how to throw and be unable to make what should be simple correction to help themselves. That's really why I'm here now, and having reached out to the coaches that have been inspirational to him, the fact is, despite their desire to help that they seem just as puzzled by the issue themselves.
What I'm trying to say is that while many truly want to help, when push comes to shove, even those with the highest level of experience are unsure HOW to help.