Best player arrogant or humble?

Quietly confident on and off the field....zero arrogance. They all put in the extra time to their game and the team. (From HS and College experience, and several will play as Grad's at other colleges)

Mostly humble. I would categorize the best player he's played with as cocky though.

Humble. Quiet confidence. Lead by example.

Another Parent;

Successful teams need players and Coaches with "inner arrogance"!

The study of the individual in a group relationship was my post Grad work in College. When a hitter is at bat in the 9th inning with "winning" run on base.

He needs complete awareness of the field, the pitcher, the batters box, placement of the fielders, the wind, the field conditions. Fine focus on the release point.

"Extreme self confidence".

Bob

My son played on some very good travel teams from 13u to 17u. His high school team was also very good. Any one of the players on his travel teams had the ability to be the best player on any given day. They respected each others ability. Collectively they had an inner confidence that showed on the field.

As the coach from 13u to 16u I told them to look like ball players from the moment they stepped away from the car. Always look and act like a ball player. The 17u team had the same philosophy. Make your point on the scoreboard.

The one kid who told everyone on the 13u team he was the best player wasn’t invited back. He wasn’t the best player. He had the worst attitude. He also told other players who he didn’t think were the best players not thinking they wold tell each other. Some of the players came to me asking he not be brought back. He was the only team chemistry issue.

My son was the best player on his high school team junior and senior year. Heading into junior year I told him he needed to be more of a rah rah leader. The team only had two seniors. They were both quiet. My son didn’t have rah rah in him. He was a lead by example player. His idea of getting emotional was coming off the field saying, ”Let’s get some runs.”

The high school coach put them through media training. The players were interchangeable in postgame interviews. Bobby pitched well, If Joey hadn’t got on base I wouldn't have been able to drive him in. We have a great shot at winning the conference. The previously mentioned problem player was also on the high school team. I noticed in the dugout players didn’t sit or stand near him. The coach nearly cut him senior year.

Never had a problem with any of my son’s teammates, but the arrogance of some of the parents was a different story….

I never noticed or cared.

Sons teammate is very cocky.  he is a rising freshman and is telling the current starting cf that he (the freshman)will be starting next year and that the cf isn't that good.  I guess he also told the cf sister the same thing.  Freshman is decent, but not the best on the team.  His dad is one of the coaches.......

@anotherparent posted:

I read an advice column today about an arrogant best player on a team.  So I thought it would be an interesting topic for discussion.  On the teams you or your sons played, were the best players (other than your sons, of course ) arrogant/cocky or humble (in games or outside of games)?

On my son's HS and travel teams, I would say they were mostly very humble.  One on a travel team who was not, thought he should be playing every game and not platooning, then quit the team.

I coached a young man once upon a time that was truly special.  He never talked about himself.  He had serious media coverage and we won a state championship.  I asked him why he never talked about himself.  He said, "Coach if you are truly good, you'll never have to talk about yourself.  Everyone else will do that for you."  He went on to play for Notre Dame and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

From what I've observed over the years both arrogant and humble can be good players. I will say that the ones that I think might keep continuing further along are humble because most people can't stand arrogance and will choose humilty over it every time.. It takes humility to realize your weaknesses so you can actually work on them. There's a really arrogant kid in our area. He's got a good arm, decent speed, and can hit for power. For sure one of the better HS players. His weakness...can't hit off speed. He puts up good stats, except for those that scout him and realize...the secret is to just throw him off speed. My son openly discusses his weaknesses with us, so he knows what he needs to work on. Two years ago his weakness was his speed. He was running about a 7.4 60...which just isn't fast enough for an OF. He was just clocked under 6.7 this summer. Now I think his weakness is his arm, so that's what he's going to put extra time focusing on that, while maintaining where he's at.

@anotherparent posted:

I read an advice column today about an arrogant best player on a team.  So I thought it would be an interesting topic for discussion.  On the teams you or your sons played, were the best players (other than your sons, of course ) arrogant/cocky or humble (in games or outside of games)?

On my son's HS and travel teams, I would say they were mostly very humble.  One on a travel team who was not, thought he should be playing every game and not platooning, then quit the team.

Interesting topic @anotherparent.  I think if you play enough team sports over the years you are bound to experience both extremes....this is what makes us unique.   They both have their place and purpose.  Teams feed off energy, but they also feed off calmness and focus.  Understanding who is who and how they deal with pressure and situations is the most important thing for a team and a coach.   My college teammate was the fiery, cocky, expressive type.  I was (mostly) the calm, analytical type.  We made a great team. 

When my oldest son was on the mound in college, you couldn't tell if his team was winning or losing.   He took all emotion out of what he was doing.   After the game, you might get a smile if his team won.  But that was just his approach.  Humble on and off the field, and he didn't really care what others thought.

Just my experience.

Watching the opening to the CWS game they show players screaming in excitement and fist pumping. I think the most excited I’ve seen my son is a big smile before jumping on the top of a dog pile.

I never saw him celebrate a double. He was too focused on, “How do I get to third?” When he hit homers the look on his face was, “Excuse me while I circle the bases.” He would smile when he touched home.

Deep down inside he was an intense competitor.

So the kid's HS coach called me about something his JR year. Can't remember what it was but it quickly became "your kid is really hard to deal with". I don't know what the coach expected of me but I was like "no shit, there isn't a day that goes by I don't think about choking him out three or four times. That said I'm not perfect, are you". Went on to explain that the kid could come home after a game where he had three grand slams, but in the bottom of the ninth, down 13-12 with two on and him up, if he were to fail, when he got home, he would be like "that loss is on me". So, when he K'ed, and slumped his shoulders, and made his way back to the dugout, and everyone thought it was all about him in his mind, maybe not.

Somebaseballdad, now that is funny, “ no shit”,  I feel the same way!

@RJM posted:

Watching the opening to the CWS game they show players screaming in excitement and fist pumping. I think the most excited I’ve seen my son is a big smile before jumping on the top of a dog pile.

I never saw him celebrate a double. He was too focused on, “How do I get to third?” When he hit homers the look on his face was, “Excuse me while I circle the bases.” He would smile when he touched home.

Deep down inside he was an intense competitor.

To me, that's a baseball player.  there are ways to show excitement without looking like an unhinged escapee from Arkham Asylum.