I was searching the net, looking for different times related to baseball and softball activities. I was investigating things like running and throwing times. I came across this really cool site with an interactive activity that simulates reaction time to a major league fastball. It is very simple, but I wasted atleast 10 minutes of my life before my wife made me stop. Check it out.
Category Archives: fastpitch
Pre-Game Infield/Outfield Routine
In an earlier post, I described the importance of a good, intense, well-rounded pre-game routine. In that post, I alluded to our routine. That link is listed here:
Below you will see a 14 step pre-game routine that we use. It can be modified hundreds of ways to fit your needs. In order to run it correctly, you will need two coaches hitting fungoes. If you don’t have an assistant coach, I would recommend a very reliable reserve player or team manager. The goal of this routine is to allow as many players as possible to get as many quality touches of the baseball in a short amount of time.
The first few times your team will go through a routine like this one it will take 20 -25 minutes. That may seem long but, with familiarity, that time will be reduced down to 12-15 minutes. Every player will get a variety of game-like plays to practice. This routine can also be used in an extended version at practices.
I’m sure that others have similar routines. If you have some variations or some suggestions how to make this better, please leave a comment.
Indoor Batting Cage Practice: Our Set-up Chart
| Station #1: | Cage Sequence #1: 3-2-7-1 (track 3, 2 sacs, 7 cuts, 1 H&R) |
| Station #2: | Cage Sequence #2: 2-7-1 (2 sacs, 7 cuts, 1 H&R) |
| Station #3: | Cage Sequence #3: 2-8-1-1 (2 sacs, 8 cuts, 1 H&R, 1 Squeeze) |
| Station #4: | Cage Sequence #4: 2-6-1-1-1 (track 2, 6 cuts, 1 sac, 1 H&R, 1 Squeeze) |
| Station #5: | Cage Sequence #5: 1-NO ROCKS IN THE AIR!!! |
Drill List
1. Vision Soft toss (No side or standing feeders)
2. Launch & Drop (up the middle to opposite field)
3. Battle with the paddle
4. Battle with the paddle top hand
5. Lite-Flite Bunt
6. Launch
7. Dot Drill
8. Vision Tee
9. High Tee
10. Tee Walk-ups
11. Hitting discs
12. Front Toss Whiffle Balls
What you see above is basically the chart that is used during the season when we are stuck inside due to weather. Our cage area has space limitations. Therefore, we have to be creative utilizing the space that we have. This chart serves as a portion of a practice plan. It will be posted. The players are placed into their hitting groups. They should be able to look at the chart, understand where they should be, and what they are to do once they get there. It usually takes 2-3 three times for the players to totally understand the process, but when they get used to it, it’ll be like clockwork.
Here’s how the chart is used. The top of the chart is a map that displays the numbered cage station areas. It also shows the direction in which the players are to rotate. The table in the middle of the chart has Stations 1-5 listed. The coach is to write in drills for each station from the drill list at the bottom. Then, the coach is to circle a cage sequence to be followed once any given hitting group rotates into the machine area of the cage. The whole team rotates when the group on the machine is done. There is no reason for any one on the team to be standing around.
Everyone has a place to be and a purpose once they get there. By planning ahead of time there is less wasted time and more time for the coaches to float around and work with hitters. This is typically used in 45-60 minute session. We try to get everyone to each station twice. Each player should get between 100-125 cuts. If a player gets less than that, it’s on them for not working hard enough.
Basic Bunt Coverage #4: Runner at 1st
Situation: Runner at 1st, less than 2 outs
Description of responsibilities by position:
C: The catcher must first check for any short bunts in front of the plate. In which case, C fields the bunt and 3B retreats to cover third base. Ultimately, we want the C and 3B to switch responsibilities. The point of this coverage is to bait the runner and third base coach into thinking that third base has been abandonded. An easy out or run-down could occur which may lead to a double play after the initial out at first base is made.
1B: The first baseman is responsible for fielding a bunt on the right side of the infield beyond the range of the catcher. The first baseman must charge hard as soon as the hitter shows bunt.
2B: The second baseman rotates to cover 1st base. This player may cheat towards first base in an obvious bunt scenario.
SS: The shortstop rotates to cover second base for a possible force play.
3B: The third baseman is responsible for fielding a bunt on the left side of the infield beyond the range of the catcher. The third baseman must charge hard as soon as the hitter shows bunt. If another player fields the bunt, the third baseman must retreat back to cover third base.
P: The pitcher is responsible for fielding any bunt in front of home plate out of the range of the catcher.
RF: Comes in to back up any throw to first base.
CF: Comes in to back up any throw to second base.
LF: Comes in to back up any throw to second base.
Bunt Coverage #3: Suicide Squeeze Play
Situation: This coverage is a defense for a suicide squeeze play.
C: The catcher’s first priority is covering home plate. The only bunt that the catcher should field is one in which the ball stops so close to home plate that it can be fielded with very little movement. Otherwise, as with other bunt coverages, the catcher’s job is to direct traffic after another fielder gets the ball.
1B: The first baseman is responsible for fielding a bunt on the right side of the infield beyond the range of the catcher. The first baseman must charge hard as soon as the hitter shows bunt.
2B: The second baseman rotates to cover 1st base.
SS: The shortstop rotates to cover third base.
3B: The third baseman is responsible for fielding a bunt on the left side of the infield. The third baseman must charge hard as soon as the hitter shows bunt.
P: The pitcher is responsible for fielding a bunt directly in front of home plate. Since the catcher is most likely staying home, the pitcher must cover ground that would normally be covered by the catcher.
RF: Comes in to back up any throw to first base.
CF: Comes in to cover second base.
LF: Comes in to back up any throw to third base.
Team Hitting Drill: The Octopus
“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”
-H. Jackson Brown Jr.
The first time I saw this drill, or something similar to it, was in Dixon, IL. My friend Dan Crawford was using it as part of his team’s pre-game routine. Whiffle balls were flying in every direction. Players were placed all over left field. Jokingly, I said, “Dan, it looks like a octupus exploded out there. What’s going on?” He told me it was a drill. I liked it so much, that night I scribbled something similar to it on paper.
Equipment needed:
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1 bucket
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4 dozen whiffle balls
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4 bats
Purpose: The purpose of this drill is to get each of your players 24 purposeful swings with in less than 8 minutes. It makes a great pre-game hitting routine. I especially like it on the road. It also makes a good practice drill when time or space is limited for hitting. Lastly, it’s a good indoor drill when a cage is not available.
Set up & Grouping: Take your team and divide them into three or four equal groups. I recommend no more than 5 in a group. 4 in each group is just about perfect. Place the bucket of whiffle balls in the center and one group on each side of the bucket. Each group needs a hitter, pitcher, and shaggers. The hitters are nearest the bucket. The pitchers are throwing towards the hitters standing by the bucket.
After a hitter gets 6 cuts, he or she rotates to become the pitcher of his group. The pitcher rotates to shagger. A shagger comes to the bucket and becomes a hitter. Make one of the groups “the lead group”. When all of the hitters in the lead group have hit, that group yells “ROTATE” and all of the groups rotate clockwise. It should take a little less than 2 minutes for a group of 4 to hit at each station. Each station has a purpose. See below:
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Station #1: Pulling inside strikes
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Station #2: hitting up the middle
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Station #3: hitting outside strikes
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Station #4: I like to use this one as a wildcard station in order to mix it up. You can make it a bunting station, top hand drill, 2 strike hitting, etc. Most often, I like to use a paddle drill.
Hints:
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The first time you run the drill, it will take a bit longer than 8 minutes due to explanation. It will get to be more fluid each time the drill is run.
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For younger players, eliminate the rotation. As the coach, call out a new hitting purpose every 2-3 minutes.
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Monitor your pitchers. Make sure that they are throwing the balls hard enough and trying to hit locations.
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Monitor your hitters make sure that they are swinging at strikes. Much to often, when the whiffle balls come out, hitter start swinging at everything.
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Emphasize no pop-ups.
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Make sure your hitters are not getting to close to one another. Safety first 🙂
BOOSTERS, NOT ROOSTERS: Parental Support During Games
“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”
-Herm Albright
Parents can work with you or against you. Do not forget when you play at home they’re there, and when you go on the road they follow. I’m not knocking fan support, because I adore it. Although, I am knocking fan detriment. I want as many parents at our games as possible. I want them to come to our games and enjoy seeing their young man or young lady represent his school and town to the best of his or her ability. I also want them to support the other players on the team and the program as a whole. No one needs a college of coaches in the stands that criticize players, coaches, and officials. Talk about bush league, that’s the worst.
At the beginning of a season I host a parent meeting. I require players to have someone to represent them at this meeting. A mom or dad may not be able to attend in some cases. So I tell my player to get an alternate, like a sibling or a grandparent. I’ve never had a parent meeting last longer than a half an hour. The discussion topics are the team rules for players, the schedule, travel procedure for road contests, and parent expectations. That’s right, parent expectations. I expect them to be part of the team. My rules for them are:
1) Be positive at home.
2) Don’t address officials.
3) Be a booster, not a rooster.
Be positive at home. Parents need to cultivate the team concept at home when their son or daughter is not around me. If his or her child comes home after striking out 3 times, he/she doesn’t need someone talking down to them. Nobody feels worse than the player. As well, maybe someone’s child didn’t play that day. Of course, that kid feels bad about it. I’d be disappointed in a player of mine that didn’t. A parent that tears down the coach or another player to give their son some false pride isn’t sending a very good message. Parents at home need to encourage their boys when times are good and bad. Encouraging their children to work harder at practice and be more involved in off-season activities is the best thing a parent can do.
Don’t address officials. If something needs to be said to an umpire, I will say it. I have only seen rude and obnoxious comments from the stands work to the advantage of the other team. You think the strike zone was tight before, just wait. Umpires are human. There is no instant replay. We must live with their calls. 99% of them are trying their hardest to be impartial. If an umpire is hustling and calling the game consistently for both teams, no one can complain. I feel there are good and bad times for a coach to talk to the umpire about calls. There are no good times for parents to do so.
Be a booster, not a rooster. I make mistakes. We all do. Hopefully, we learn from them. No coach needs some know-it-all former little league coach critiquing his every move. Those type of parents are like pussy cats waiting to pounce on a mouse. They view the game with negative glasses. And like a rooster at 5 AM, begin cackling their head off with some foolish coaching advice. No one in the crowd is impressed. In fact most of the other parents separate themselves from that type of fan. These roosters always like to crow at the worst possible time. For example, during a regional game, after a lead-off double, I had a player wander too far off 2nd base on a ball hit in front of him and get caught in rundown. Prior to the miscue, I said all of the right things to him to remind him of the situation, and of course he acknowledged me. We all know the teenage mind is one of mystery, and he did the wrong thing. In the rooster’s head, I’m sure he was elated. He began to ruffle his feathers, stick out his chest, and crow sarcastically, “Nice goin’ coach, way to teach base-running.” He was right. It was a poor base running play. I was sure excited that he pointed it out and so was the player and his parents, I’m sure. We went on to get 5 hits, 2 stolen bases, and score 3 runs that inning. He shouted no compliments for our team. We went on to win the game 5-1 an advance to the regional championship. The rooster had magically turned into a hen. Encourage your parents to disagree with you in private. Shouting disapproval during a game helps no one.
A parent meeting is really an attempt to preempt any miscommunications between the parents and the coach. Your expectations for your players are made clear on an in person basis. A coach that hosts a parent meeting will find that he has a more positive relationship with the parents than the coach that neglects to do so. The parents will be more likely to give you help when you need it. As well, they will support you on disciplinary issues with players, because the rules were explained clearly ahead of time.
PUT YOUR PRACTICE PURPOSE IN PRINT: The Importance of a Practice Plan
By creating a practice plan you give your practice a framework. Putting it on paper gives a coach a few advantages over other coaches that just “keep it upstairs”. Ultimately, the guys that go off the top of their head might as well be dumped on their head because one look at their unorganized practice would make even a bush league team cringe. Some may say, “Big deal, you’re making a list.” Yes, but the list is as detailed as you want it to be. A good practice plan allows a coach to group his players more effectively, manage practice time better, and motivate his/her players more easily.
Baseball and softball are very skill specific sports. Breaking your team up into small groups based on position is essential. For example, if a coach really wants to work on double play pivots with his middle infielders, does the whole team have to be working on this skill? No! The outfielders could be working on their footwork. The catchers, pitchers, and corner infielders could be working on bunt coverage. By separating into groups an hour worth of drill time could be condensed into 20 minutes, thus, leaving more time for other coaching points. The coach without this sort of plan on paper might have the whole team working on pivots. What a waste for the 10 players that may never play 2nd base or shortstop. Even worse, this same coach may have those 10 non-middle infielders just watching.
I am also a big advocate of social grouping at practice. For instance, we break up into 3 to 4 small groups for batting practice. I am the one that determines what players are in which groups. If allow the players to group themselves, they would always end up with the same players based on the buddy system. Thus, they are never building bonds with their other teammates. As well, buddies are more likely to mess around when no one is looking. Of course, my players would never do that. Yeah, right. They sometimes don’t like the fact that I pick the groups, but this is not a democratic process.
Efficiency of time is of the utmost importance with the teenage mind. A practice plan gives your practice a steady flow and quick-moving feel. By placing a time limit on a portion of your practice, a coach can be sure not have that session run too long. It is imperative that the video game, ESPN highlight, music video trained minds in which we are dealing not be under-stimulated. When a session drags on it becomes uninteresting and ultimately counterproductive. The time limit will prevent that from happening. It’s OK to go a little over the set time limit, but most of the time you’re better off to move on to the next portion of practice and return to the dragging session another day. Next, it stops your practices from turning into 3-hour marathons. I feel that a complete practice with 12-18 year olds should rarely last longer than 1 hr. and 45 min. Anything longer than that becomes drudgery for players and coaches. Lastly, by saving the practice plan, a coach can make notes on it for use in developing the next day’s plan or for future seasons’ plans. I know a football coach that has 30 years of practice plans filed away. This may sound crazy, but it’s really not. He explained it to me like this, “Some years are better than others, I want to be able to go back and review what was working in practice during good seasons.”
A curriculum and instruction professor in college discussed “advanced organizers” with our class one day. He started the class by acknowledging the word “TEST” written on the chalkboard. Nothing more, nothing less was written on the board. Being 40 paranoid college students in the room, we were relieved when he did say something about it. Our anticipation of an upcoming exam or possibly a pop quiz had all of us on the edge of our seats. There was no test scheduled for a month. He went on to explain that our focus on him and class was at its height due to an advanced organizer. The word “TEST” was the advanced organizer. It gave a group advance notice of an upcoming event. This tool can be as specific or as vague as you want. In this case it was vague. If your practice plan is posted for your players to see, it can have the same effect. For example, many drills are used daily. If the specific drills are written on the plan, the players will know when to expect a drill change. The transition to the next session will go much smoother. Alternatively, a vague note will spark players’ interest about a portion of practice. For example, I like to include an occasional skill oriented game in my practice plan. Just by putting the word “game” as one session of your practice, your players will anticipate that session eagerly. They will also work harder in preceding sessions, not wanting to lose the opportunity to play the game.
Here’s an example practice plan:
No matter what age of players that you may be coaching, a written practice plan is essential. Another good friend of mine says it like this, “KTSB”. That means “Keep Them Suckers Busy”. The plan eliminates idle time. Idle time leads to unnecessary distractions. Plan everything even down to the water breaks and the length of that break. If you plan for a three-minute water break, it will last three minutes or less. We’ve all seen practices and that the short water break turns into a 10 or 12 minute bull session. Well, if may not seem like a big deal, but in reality that could turn out be 10 to 12% of your practice time. What a waste! By planning for the rest periods at practice, announcing the length of the rest periods when they come, and sticking to that time, you’ll be much happier when the team transitions back to work mode. You’ll find that your team leaders, knowing that the break lasts only lasts a predetermined amount of time, will be back on the field ready to go before they actually need to be.
Nothing is cooler than having a player tell you that they really enjoy your practices, because the time goes so fast. Pace is everything. The trick is to mix pace with purpose. Chocking a practice plan full of activities for the sake of filling time is not the point. As a coach, you are a teacher. Each practice (or class) has a goal. Is it introduction of a new skill? Review? Quiz?
Lastly, I love hearing horror stories about the bad behavior of players. “Wait ‘til you get this kid. She/he is a real handful.” Or “That kid never practices hard.” As coaches we need to thrive on that challenge. Providing a quickly paced, skill filled, purposeful practice on a daily basis will typically meet that challenge head on. If you decide to wing it, without writing out a plan, you asked for it. The problem kid will eat you up, just like all of the other chumps that tried to work with that kid and couldn’t get it done.
POLISH PRE-GAME: Ideas on How to Design a Great Pre-game Routine
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.
~H.E. Luccock
Your pre-game infield/outfield routine is extremely important. First impressions are important, aren’t they? Well here’s your chance. A fungo routine should be organized, positive, and keep everyone involved. If it is well structured your team can gain an edge in the “intimidation” factor.
For the routine to be effective, it has to be organized and practiced. That’s right, you need to practice your pre-game practice. You should run your pre-game routine around 30 times prior to the first game. If you have a youngner group of players, often times the amount of practices that you are allowed is less. My advice its to practice it as much as you can, but maybe add levels of difficulty to it as the season progresses.
You and your players should shift from drill to drill in unison, quickly and efficiently. This tells your opponent that your team means business that day. If I have to tell my players where to go and what drill to start during pre-game, that says that my team is undisciplined and not well-practiced. I love showing up and seeing opposing players stumble around their supposed routine. As well, I doubly enjoy seeing their coach getting frustrated when it is going smoothly. My players and I can smell the blood in the water.
Keep in mind that being organized doesn’t mean flawless. Keep in mind that it is a pre-game practice. If a player makes a physical mistake, that’s a great time to make one. Better then than after the first pitch. The only time a reprimand should occur is when a player or players show a lack of hustle, not a lack of physical skill. Do not verbally reprimand your players for physical errors during this time. If a ball is misplayed come right back to that player and allow him to shore up his technique and boost his confidence. A positive vibe during this time is essential. Praise players all during this session. Also encourage the other players to encourage each other verbally. “Chatter” during this time keeps your guys loose and focused on the task at hand at the same time. To encourage positive talk during our pre-game infield sessions we’ve incorporated a specific point at which the chatter is to begin. We perform a “silent round” of fungoed ground balls. During this section the players simply focus on proper fielding and throwing technique for ground balls. When the round is done I say, “Hey Dogs! Ready to go?” I then announced the name of the next round, “5-4-3” which is a double play round. As well, the announcement of “5-4-3” serves as our players cue to begin chatter. The atmospheric contrast between the silent round and the chatter is a great attention grabber. The focus of our players is increased, and the other team knows who’s in town. I like to finish our full pre-game session with a loud team led “break”. For example, we use “1, 2, 3, TEAM!!!”
If you’d like to see a diagram of our routine click the link below:
https://coach5150.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/pre-game-infieldoutfield-routine/
Organization is key. For the “teacher slash coaches” reading this, it’s all classroom management. Keep them moving with a purpose. A great way to do this is to have 2 or even 3 fungoes going simultaneously. We use 2. Standing between 2nd base and the mound, I start working cuts to the outfielders. Meanwhile, an assistant coach works ground balls and bunt fielding technique to the idle infielders. Later we add a second 1st baseman, or “short 1st” and work double plays and single put outs. I stand in foul territory on the 1st base side or home plate and my assistant stands opposite to me on the 3rd base side. Later still, we work our catchers’ throws to bases and pitchers covering first base during the same session. We try to get as a many important skills covered during a short period of time (usually 12-15 min.) as we can. In the same vein we try to get each individual player as many “touches” or times active with the baseball as we can. It really is a thing of beauty when the routine becomes etched in players’ minds. They move form session to session like clockwork and much more gets done. It will take time and practice though. Lastly, remember 2 or more fungoes going at once is a great idea, but this also means that 2 or more baseballs are flying around too. Baseballs will get loose. Keep this in mind when designing yours. Finally, when designing something for junior high players, modify for ability level. Arms are simply not as strong at that age. Modify, but don’t dumb it down.
Here are some cool Youtube clips that I found. They are good examples of a teams maximizing their time and touching upon many skills during pre-game. The first two clips are baseball and the third is a softball example. Fastpitch softball teams, often times, have very quick and efficient pre-game routines. There are a ton of things to be learned by watching good softball teams do their pre-game routines. Although, these are not the only examples. My advice is to watch what other teams do and ultimately create something that is yours.
Please feel free to comment. Especially, if you have any ideas to share 🙂
DIRTY LAUNDRY: How a Coach Should Deal with Player and Parent Problems
“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.”
–Yogi Berra
At some point, unfortunately, all coaches run into problems with players and/or their parents. Some problems are major issues and some minor ones. A well-prepared coach has a set procedure to deal with these occurrences head-on. If problems are not dealt with quickly, assertively, and tactfully, they will boil over onto the field. When this happens, the exact cause isn’t always apparent to the objective eye. Although, the bush league atmosphere will be apparent.
If a player has broken a training rule, has poor grades, has a poor attitude, or has done anything that clashes with team rules or my coaching philosophy, I feel compelled to say something. Sweeping a problem under the rug only allows the problem to fester and become worse. Too often, coaches try to ignore things. I understand that as coaches of young people we must pick our battles, but you know how it goes, “give an inch, they’ll take a mile”. For example, I am a stickler about players being on time. If I ignore the lateness of one player, the message is then sent throughout the program that it’s OK to be a couple minutes late. Pretty soon another player is late. Then, players start coming 10 or 15 minutes late. Talk about “bush”.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t handle the situation on the spot. The best way to handle most problems with players is in PRIVATE. Private can be behind closed doors or at practice 20 feet away from the rest of the team. Berating players with a loud, foul tone in front of the rest of the team may work once, but it will soon create an air of hostility. Handling things one on one tells the player that you’re focused on his issues and his correction for the sake of the team, not embarrassment. I have a friend that was also a high school baseball coach. He was a great first half of the season coach. I know this because we used to play his teams twice each season, once at the very beginning of the season and once at the end. When we saw his team the first time they looked sharp. They were focused. When this coach said jump they’d say, “How high?” Then during the progression of the season, his supposedly constructive criticisms became louder and more public. When we’d play them at the end of the season, the players seemed skittish during pre-game warm-ups, as though they were walking on glass. The moment one player would make a mistake this coach would verbally jump all over the guilty party. This continued throughout the game. His players lacked enthusiasm and were having no fun. Rarely did he pull a player off to the side and “talk” to the player. I’m not saying that he had to be a teddy bear, but people run from grizzly bears.
The next scenario is when someone has a problem with you and your coaching. Typically, the problems that I’m referring to are in relationship to playing time. Usually the problem is related to playing time. Hell, I’d be disappointed in a player if he/she didn’t want to play more. My first step is to address the players and parents at the parent meeting at the beginning of the season. I feel that it is much easier to anticipate potential problems and not have any, than is it to not prepare for problems and then have to deal with them. Our team’s procedure has 3 steps:
1) I want to hear it from the player 1st, not the parent. I want the player to approach me one on one, before or after practice. If something is bothering a player enough, he or she should be mentally tough enough to address it with the coach. I will not discuss an issue on the phone. On the phone, people say things they don’t mean. As well, words are misinterpreted via lack of visible body language. If the parent approaches me about a pressing issue, and it is the first time that I’m being made aware of it, I politely tell the parent that their son or daughter has not brought that to my attention. I then add that I would like their son or daughter to see me in private prior to the next practice. Until then, it is not a discussion point.
2) After the player has addressed the problem with me, if he is not satisfied, I will make an appointment to meet with the player and the parent(s). 95% of the time it will not come to this. Most players accept what you tell them during the one to one meeting if you give them honest reasons. But keep in mind that that not everyone shares your perspective, honest or not. The biggest and most important rule in this situation is to not discuss other players on the team during this meeting. If you allow this to happen, the parent will quickly compare his kid to every player in the line-up. As opposed to being a supporter of the team, the parent will tear down the skill and ability of any given player ahead of his/her child own on the depth chart. The proper way to conduct the meeting is to focus in on what his/her child can do to improve.
3) If there is no resolution to the problem at this point, I advise the parent to make an appointment with the athletic director or principal of the school. In a school situation this option exists. It really should only be used for emergency situations. School administrators should have more important things to do than worry about who’s playing 3rd base and hitting 5th for the baseball or softball team. You want to maintain the support of the administration. Only involve them in very difficult situations. They will appreciate it.
By following this procedure, the number of peripheral issues that can distract a team will be filtered. A player will think twice before going home after practice and griping, because parents’ initial reaction will become, “Did you talk to your coach about it?” If the player answers, “No,” then reflection upon the validity of the problem goes on in the player’s head. Upon reflection, if it is still a problem to one of my players I want to help them figure it out. That’s part of building a cohesive “non-bush league” team.
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