Folks, in light of a few recent threads, I went to digging around & found a couple of posts from our own Coach May that, imo, reflect a bit of "what this site is all about". Hope ya'll don't mind me re-posting these entries from The Golden Forum. And for the newbies...sage wisdom...it's worth the read!
So you want an advantage?
COACH_MAY5,000+ POSTS
Your getting ready to start your High School career. You want to come in and make a splash with the coaching staff. You know get your name out there. Get them to notice you. You are wondering what are some of the things you can do accomplish this goal. What can you do to give yourself an advantage over the competition. Of course there are the obvious things. Throw it well, hit it well, field it well, run well, etc etc. But what about the things you can do that will take no more talent than you already have?
1. Show up early. Be the first player to practice. Every day. Have a smile on your face. Let the coach know that he is not the only one excited about being on the field.
2. Show up looking like a ball player. Shirt tucked in. Hat on straight. Cleats on and tied properly. Show up ready to go to work. And looking like your ready to go to work.
3. Look me in the eye when I am talking to you. Look me in the eye when your talking to me. Speak with confidence. Carry yourself with confidence. I don't care if no one ever taught you to say it but Yes Sir, No Sir tells me something about you.
4. Never speak or look away when I am talking. I want to know you are paying attention. When I am talking and I look at you and your looking me dead in the eye that is powerful communication. From you.
5. Get where you need to be and get there with a purpose. That lets me know you care. That lets me know you want to get better. That lets me know your serious about what I am serious about. That lets me know you don't have any time to waste. I like that because that's what I am about.
6. When something needs to be done don't wait for someone to tell you. Do it. I like that because it tells me something about you. It reminds me of myself.
7. Consistency in everything you do. Every day. The same way. Because that's what you are about. Because I am watching to see who is consistent. I am watching to see who cares. I am watching to see who is for real and who is for show.
8. What you do when you think no one is watching means more to me than what you do when you know I am watching. Trust me I am watching. I want to see if your soft toss is as good when no one is watching. I want to see if you run as hard when no one is watching.
9. How do you fail? Do you show anger, frustration, lack of confidence when you struggle? If you boot a grounder do you look at your glove? Smooth out some dirt in front of you and act like every boot is a bad hop? Do you run to the back of the line or ask for another one? I want to know you can handle failure. I want to know your the same hitter when your 0-3 that you are when your 3-3.
10. Do you know how to be a good team mate? When that guy your competing against for a spot boots a ball do you smile? Laugh? Grin? Do you pick him up? Do you pat him on the back? Do you offer encouragement? I want to know who you really are.
11. When a group gathers in right field during BP are you with them? When a group gathers behind the dug out to talk while others are working on T's are you with them? When everyone is running at the same pace do you push them to run harder?
12. When I jump you for not doing a drill properly that I have instructed you on several times how do you handle it? Do you have an excuse for me? Do you look down and away and act like your ticked off? Or do you look me in the eye and say Yes Sir?
13. How do you treat your parents? When they show up for the parents meeting are you distant from them? Do you roll your eyes when they ask a question you think is stupid? Do you treat them with respect regardless of how they treat you? Do you introduce them to me?
14. Are you coachable? If I ask you to do something do you tell me about how you think it should done a different way? Or do you simply work on what I ask you to work on? Do you look me in the eye and ask the question like a man? Coach I have a question. I have always done it this way and I was wondering why you think we should go this route? I like that. Now were working together.
15. You want an advantage over the other guys? Have a work ethic they don't have. Look like they don't look. Act like they don't act. Be what I am looking for. Ball players. Now I can work with that.
What is this advantage I speak of? What happens when an entire team takes this advantage? What happens when a program is rooted in this belief? What happens when a young man decides that he will live by this creed? Does he have an advantage in life? In his job? In his relationships?
You don't live by this because you are looking for an advantage. Oh it might start that way. But what happens when a young man learns that he does it because it's simply the right thing to do? He does it because it is who he is. If nothing is ever gained from it that he can see. If no one ever rewards him for it. So what? He can look in the mirror and know he does it the right way. He can know that if everyone in he entire world is a slacker. If everyone in the entire world is a clown he is the one that is not.
He can live as an example of how it ought to be. How it ought to be done. And by some chance someone else decides they want to follow his example he would have made a difference. Do you do the right thing because someone might reward you for doing the right thing? Or do you do the right thing because you believe in doing things the right way?
The fact is coaches have favorites. And those favorites do things the right way. What has talent or the amount of talent a player has got to do with it? Nothing. It doesn't take anymore talent to do things the right way. How is it an advantage? Because any coach worth his salt is going to notice it. Reward it. And nuture it in his program. So what do you have to lose?
What is more important? Talent or the kind of man you are? What is more important? The amount of playing time you or your son gets or the type of man he is? I played the players that gave my team the best chance to win that day. I didn't keep anyone on my team that wouldn't do things the right way. So they were never in the equation regardless of talent. It's about building a program and teaching young men what is truly important.
Now if your son is on a team where the coach doesn't care so what? Be like the rest of those guys because it's not going to matter to that coach? Or learn how to do things the right way and then become the right way. Because its the right way. Because it matters to you. Because it's what you are about. And the only person you have to sleep with it you. The only person you have to live with is you.
When the glove and bat is retired. When the playing days are over. What is going to be the most important thing? Who had the best career? Or who has the advantage I speak of? And the fact is my most talented players also had the advantage. I preached it every single day. I happen to believe that they reached their full potential as players because that drive to have that advantage was also part of that drive to be their absolute best.
