Entry #4... The Tin Man
The varsity season is not off to a great start at 0-2 with losses of 15-3 and 8-3. It appears that what I thought before the season is coming true. Offense will be at a premium for us this season.
After the first game we were having the post game coach's meeting and we felt that the boys folded in the 2nd after back to back errors opened up the flood gates. No fight was left in them after that. Heads went down and so did the shoulders. They lacked heart.
The start of game 2 didn't go much better, hitting 3 batters and giving up 6 quick runs. But this time something happened that, quite frankly, surprised me. The Tin Men found a heart. In the next 6 innings they actually won the game 3-2. I don't believe in moral victories but this was an encouraging sign. Showing fight and heart against the #6 class 3 team in the state in preseason polls gives me a ray of hope and something to work with.
There will be a "Come to Jesus" talk with one kid this week. Talent is there, effort and want is seriously lacking. He will have to be put on notice that his effort/hustle just isn't acceptable in this program any longer.
Coach, I appreciate the intent of this thread. I would give a word of caution, if you tell these players that they lack heart or that they don't have drive/motivation, etc. they will believe it. Instead, lead by example. Be excited to be in practice. Give 8 (not 4) positives to every negative. Give them a reason to achieve. Oh, I know you might think that winning should be their reason. People/players "win" in a lot of different ways and in your case, perhaps that small step forward is a victory. Per the "not in this for moral victories," you might want to rethink that if you want to change the climate. Moral victories might be all you have for a while. JMHO!
CoachB... I come to practice everyday with excitement and energy because everyday is a new day to win. I've started putting a different motivational saying on the board in the locker room everyday and we talk about what it means to the players before we start practice after warm-up. It gets the mindset that we want in place before we really get to work. Listening to your peers talk about what a phrase means to them carries more weight than just having a coach spout off about it.
Progress is being made. Slowly but surely.
Progress is being made. Slowly but surely.
Coach S,
Thanks for sharing your story. Several years ago, a similar story happened at our son's school. After the game, going thru the handshake line of both teams, one of our players dropped dead, with an unknown heart condition. His mother was there alone that day, celebrating her 40th birthday. This kid lived & breathed baseball. To this day, the team's ball caps have the lettering: T.N.F.G. & their practice jerseys have the words spelled out on the backs ~ Take Nothing For Granted.
Football & Basketball rule most schools, as was the case at our school, when our now legend / Coach of the year(s) H.C. came on board. Winning State 3 times in the last 10 year's of his coaching, including back to back title wins. Somehow, he was able to instill the things you hope to, and under similar circumstances too. The kids love playing for him. They respect him and the game. He isn't a touchy feely kind of guy. He keeps his emotions intact, for the most part at games. Practices, I wouldn't know. He demands a respect for the game, including how one wears their uniform, cap, the length of a player's hair, and no chanting from the dugout, cheering is ok. The team's actually practice timing sprints from the field to the dugout, because they will always be doing that kind of hustling during a game.
So now, our school is known for its baseball. Families intentionally move within our district, for the opportunity to play for this school.
So, it may take time to turn things around, but it can be done. It's got to start somewhere!
Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing your story. Several years ago, a similar story happened at our son's school. After the game, going thru the handshake line of both teams, one of our players dropped dead, with an unknown heart condition. His mother was there alone that day, celebrating her 40th birthday. This kid lived & breathed baseball. To this day, the team's ball caps have the lettering: T.N.F.G. & their practice jerseys have the words spelled out on the backs ~ Take Nothing For Granted.
Football & Basketball rule most schools, as was the case at our school, when our now legend / Coach of the year(s) H.C. came on board. Winning State 3 times in the last 10 year's of his coaching, including back to back title wins. Somehow, he was able to instill the things you hope to, and under similar circumstances too. The kids love playing for him. They respect him and the game. He isn't a touchy feely kind of guy. He keeps his emotions intact, for the most part at games. Practices, I wouldn't know. He demands a respect for the game, including how one wears their uniform, cap, the length of a player's hair, and no chanting from the dugout, cheering is ok. The team's actually practice timing sprints from the field to the dugout, because they will always be doing that kind of hustling during a game.
So now, our school is known for its baseball. Families intentionally move within our district, for the opportunity to play for this school.
So, it may take time to turn things around, but it can be done. It's got to start somewhere!
Best of luck!
Originally Posted by freddy77:
I don't like optional practices. Too much potential for bad chemistry.
It's the same with optional chores at home. "While I'm at work tomorrow it would be nice if you guys get up early and help your mom move all the tag sale stuff." You get home and find out that they slept late. Now you're ticked off at them. Bad chemistry. Or, son #1 helped, but son #2 didn't. Bad chemistry.
Freddy, never thought of that before. Thanks for the insight.
Instead of questioning their heart motivation and drive, ask them how much they have in them. Ask them how far they can dig down and bring it to the top. When you question the heart of a team that had a bad day they fight back. When you question the heart of a team that has questionable heart, they may roll over and die.
Challenge them to show heart. Sometimes telling them you know it's in their somewhere works better than questioning if it's there at all.
Originally Posted by CoachB25:
Coach, I appreciate the intent of this thread. I would give a word of caution, if you tell these players that they lack heart or that they don't have drive/motivation, etc. they will believe it. Instead, lead by example. Be excited to be in practice. Give 8 (not 4) positives to every negative. Give them a reason to achieve. Oh, I know you might think that winning should be their reason. People/players "win" in a lot of different ways and in your case, perhaps that small step forward is a victory. Per the "not in this for moral victories," you might want to rethink that if you want to change the climate. Moral victories might be all you have for a while. JMHO!
They have shown heart... it is showing it on back to back days is what the problem is. I don't think they were pushed last year by the coach that was there. I think he saw a bunch of "untalented" kids and never pushed them to be better. It seems like he thought that good enough was good enough.
I, as most of you can tell, don't see it that way. You as a coach shouldn't settle for being "good enough" as a coach and I don't want my players to settle for "good enough". In the short time I've been coaching baseball I've done so much studying, watching of videos, and learning from you guys on here.
Thursday, we had a "Come to Jesus" talk with the boys. We let them know that it is in there, I know it is in there... find it. Show it. Believe it.
Friday we had to have indoor practice due to 4" of rain falling Thursday and Friday. Our lone senior came and got my keys from me and I told him to readjust the tarps and then head over to the small gym and we would be there to get things going. Some background here... We have had to lead everything by hand. Besides 3-4 kids, if the coaching staff didn't explicitly tell them to do something, nothing would get done besides standing around.
Well as the head coach and I enter the common's area we hear the ping of bats. We both stopped, looked at each other and smiled. We walked in to the gym... cage was down, bunting, soft toss, and tee stations going. Everyone working. No one standing around doing nothing. I looked at the head coach and said to him, "I think it might have gone off. Let's wait until tomorrow and see if it has." But it was a step in the right direction.
Entry #5 (I think) "I can hear you knocking..."
Well since my last post we finally got our first win. I was very, very ugly but right now a win is a win. We also have lost 3 games. The first lost was the day after my last post in this thread. It was a 1 run loss. The kids fought back in the top of the 7th to tie it up and I was really happy about it. We lost the game on a throwing error by our 3rd baseman with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th that allowed the winning run to score. At least that is how the kids saw it. I saw it as a booted ball by our 2nd baseman in the 4th that would have ended the inning, run scored. Our lead off hitter trying to steal home on his own in the 1st, sac fly on the next pitch would have scored him. That is what lost us the game.
I had to miss this weekend's double header due to my brother getting married. I know, great planning bro. The reports that I got were not good. Had a batter strike out looking to end the 2nd game with the bases loaded and winning run on 2nd. The looking strike outs have become our problem. I'm not sure if it is a lack of confidence, if it is a lack of understanding the strike zone, if it is a lack of understanding how to hit with two strikes, or a combination of all 3. I can tell the kids are getting frustrated and the staff is as well. It always seems to be 1 little thing that is keeping them from kicking the door in... I just need to find that key.
"Our lead off hitter trying to steal home on his own in the 1st, sac fly on the next pitch would have scored him."
Tried to straight-steal home on his own?
I'm at a loss for words.
It was a delayed steal but I too was at a loss for words.
Well since I went to my brother's wedding this weekend, the rest of the staff decided to mess with me. We actually won one of the games 20-8. So we are now 2-7 which equals last year's win total. Also a bit of good news, our lead off hitter is leading the area in average by 23 points. I feel like the kids are getting it more and more.
Well since I went to my brother's wedding this weekend, the rest of the staff decided to mess with me. We actually won one of the games 20-8. So we are now 2-7 which equals last year's win total. Also a bit of good news, our lead off hitter is leading the area in average by 23 points. I feel like the kids are getting it more and more.
Coach Sampson With your energy, passion and desire for your kids to succeed I really wish my son could have a HS coach like you. His attitude is the total opposite of yours, everything is the kids fault never his. Yesterday he puts a freshman pinch hitter in for my son with the tying run at 3b because he said he didn't like my sons approach the AB before. He had hit a long fly out to the warning track with two outs and a runner at 1B. The freshman looks at 3 pitches go by and walks back to the dugout. Who knows if my kid would have done better but it seems as a senior that has played every game for the past two years he's earned the right to try.
Keep up the hard work and the kids will either buy in or you will weed them out and you will be left with kids that want to work hard. The lack of hustle on my sons team drives me nuts.
Dave, thank you for the kind words. There were very few "rules" from our coaches when I played at the school and it is what I hope to re-establish.
1) We will out work everyone.
2) We will out hustle everyone.
3) Between the lines, you sprint everywhere.
That is it. We prided ourselves on defense and base running. Never hit a lot of home runs but we would bunt and force the issue offensively on the defense. Apply pressure at all times. It is a simple philosophy and when kids buy in it is very effective.
Today it is hard to get kids to want to work on defense and bunting. The "non sexy" part of the game turns kids off it seems. Still today I would take 100 ground balls a day if I could. I have found a new satisfying feeling though, a well hit fungo makes me smile ear to ear.
1) We will out work everyone.
2) We will out hustle everyone.
3) Between the lines, you sprint everywhere.
That is it. We prided ourselves on defense and base running. Never hit a lot of home runs but we would bunt and force the issue offensively on the defense. Apply pressure at all times. It is a simple philosophy and when kids buy in it is very effective.
Today it is hard to get kids to want to work on defense and bunting. The "non sexy" part of the game turns kids off it seems. Still today I would take 100 ground balls a day if I could. I have found a new satisfying feeling though, a well hit fungo makes me smile ear to ear.
Originally Posted by Coach_Sampson:
Today it is hard to get kids to want to work on defense and bunting. The "non sexy" part of the game turns kids off it seems.
If you mean that it's hard to get kids motivated to work on defense and bunting at HS practices, then I have to disagree.
Coach, when I read your words here--and read in an earlier post that your catchers aren't dedicated to blocking-- it makes me wonder if you're coaching in a low-income district, in which case I can understand how your players could have bad work habits.
I haven't had to deal with that challenge, and don't know how well I'd deal with it.
Today it is hard to get kids to want to work on defense and bunting. The "non sexy" part of the game turns kids off it seems.
I disagree with this as well. I see defense as a priority thing and what is taught. We preach and work on this DAILY and with the same passion as hitting. I think the bunting thing has become a lost art do to it not being taught and the little guy level
Coach, when I read your words here--and read in an earlier post that your catchers aren't dedicated to blocking-- it makes me wonder if you're coaching in a low-income district, in which case I can understand how your players could have bad work habits.
Freddy, I take a little offense to this. My entire coaching career has been spent at schools that would be considered lower income and I do not have any of these issues. Is there a work ethic that has to be taught sometimes, yes. But to say it is a low-income school thing I disagree.
IEBSL,
I should have said, 'players from challenging home environments.' My heart goes out to those kinds of kids. I wasn't knocking them. Just trying to understand why Coach Sampson's players seem behind the curve on player traits that I take for granted.
If he coached my players he'd probably say 'I can't believe how easy you have it,' and he'd be right. Not talking talent. Talking work ethic, etc.
Freddy I believe it is more of they haven't been pushed before. I don't believe any of these kids have played anything besides rec ball in grade school and I know of only one who plays summer ball for a legion team. I believe the coach last year was a coddler and didn't push the kids out of their comfort zone. I've also heard stories of him actually apologizing to the kids for making them run as punishment. It sounds like to me that the Varsity HC last year would be a great instructor but not a good coach.
The kids never had to work hard before high school because they knew that everyone had to play no matter what and that was fine for them. I still have one parent wondering why her son isn't playing. We've had to tell her that it is a safety issue to put him on the field because he is absolutely terrified of the baseball. I've seen him on several occasions actively get out of the way of a hump back liner. In the program there are about 5 kids that are there, not because they want to play baseball, but because they want to be on a team/wear a uniform. We barely have enough bodies for a V and JV teams this year so the AD said we couldn't cut anyone.
The kids never had to work hard before high school because they knew that everyone had to play no matter what and that was fine for them. I still have one parent wondering why her son isn't playing. We've had to tell her that it is a safety issue to put him on the field because he is absolutely terrified of the baseball. I've seen him on several occasions actively get out of the way of a hump back liner. In the program there are about 5 kids that are there, not because they want to play baseball, but because they want to be on a team/wear a uniform. We barely have enough bodies for a V and JV teams this year so the AD said we couldn't cut anyone.
Freddy,
Completely understandable
Entry #6-- Enter the Gauntlet
Well it is that time in everyone's schedules that I like to call The Gauntlet. Games on off days that have to be made up. I believe we are going to have at least 8 games in this two week period, including 3 straight days of games this week.
Here is a question for other coaches here. We were supposed to have a game at a park that has portable pitching mounds. Because of the use of those mounds the school said that the pitchers weren't allowed to wear metal spikes and had to wear rubber bottomed shoes. The head coach and I said absolutely not as I can't make my pitchers go buy a pair of turf shoes or another pair of molded cleats just to pitch in that game and I'm not putting my pitcher at a disadvantage when it comes to fielding his position in tennis shoes on a dirt field. Needless to say their AD isn't happy about it and I believe we had the game moved to our school. What would you do in that situation?
Originally Posted by Coach_Sampson:
Entry #6-- Enter the Gauntlet
Well it is that time in everyone's schedules that I like to call The Gauntlet. Games on off days that have to be made up. I believe we are going to have at least 8 games in this two week period, including 3 straight days of games this week.
Here is a question for other coaches here. We were supposed to have a game at a park that has portable pitching mounds. Because of the use of those mounds the school said that the pitchers weren't allowed to wear metal spikes and had to wear rubber bottomed shoes. The head coach and I said absolutely not as I can't make my pitchers go buy a pair of turf shoes or another pair of molded cleats just to pitch in that game and I'm not putting my pitcher at a disadvantage when it comes to fielding his position in tennis shoes on a dirt field. Needless to say their AD isn't happy about it and I believe we had the game moved to our school. What would you do in that situation?
Exactly like you did!
I would have done exactly what you guys did in that situation. At that point it becomes an administration issue. AD tells you to suck it up, then you suck it up.