Attitude or Ability ?

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sometimes that helps, to eliminate the problem, but I am a firm believer in working with individuals & not giving up on them...sometimes just making them aware and then giving them the tools to make the changes will work, often times people like to tell teens what to do rather than showing them how to do it, so taking them along side you & positively influencing them to make a change in the right direction will go a long way!

 

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CGS:

Good post. I think one of the biggest problems in softball today is that some kids go from 10U to 16U without ever being taught the basics of throwing and hitting and running the bases. I'll stick with throwing for this post. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to impress upon girls aged 12 to 16 that they must turn their shoulders and shift their feet when they throw a ball. Some of them look at me like, "yeah, sure. But this is the way I do it and it's been working fine." I ask them to watch college games and tell me how many of the players throw the way THEY throw. I ask them to watch MLB games. I show them how much more powerful and quick their arms can be. For many, it just doesn't work. They won't learn the correct form. Now that I coach older girls, I just don't pick the ones who throw incorrectly for the team. They're all going to be cut from a team eventually, and if they aren't doing it by now.....

 

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I had the pleasure of working with Hawks daughter last night for 2.5 hours and was a little surprised by what she did not know because she had not been taught some of the basics in throwing mechanics, weight shift, swing plane etc but she was eager to learn and it was hot and muggy last night and she never stopped.

Once she got out of the level swing mode and could feel the difference in bat speed and power she got that little smile that they all get as if to say OK I got it now....lets go play right now!

They should not be this old and not have been taught at least how to throw properly and dad agreed and he played ball and had not been taught some of the techniques we used last night either.

When I first started working with her I doubted her ability until I understood she had never been taught properly and soon you could see she doubted herself because she had not been taught and then she started asking am I doing it better now and we kept building off that. And she kept throwing harder and harder!

In my opinion some coaches would have given up on her based on the basic skills not being there....someone is going to get a gamer here in the next few weeks in my opinion.

Thank you Howard for taking the time to get my DD on the right path. You were not the first instructor we have been to but definitely the best. My DD is fired up now and has practiced a good 6 hours since leaving your house, on her own.

She can not wait to get back on the field and show off her improved skill set.

Thanks again,
Derek

 

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ifubuildit

i LOVE how you worded this discussion topic......very impressive!!!!!

Mark

 

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PASSION is everything !!!!
This year we were involved with tons of ability, but no passion to play. Don't need to say more.
Now we are left to look for another team due to lack of committment. Shame for those who "live and love to play".

My question is where do the kids that want the higher level go?? I know in our area there are so many teams that few play competitive schedules. It is getting more like that each year. The kids that want the next level and a team to call home are having a difficult time. But the girls that "just want to play" have plenty of opportunities.

 

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i'll take a great attitude over a greatly skilled player with a poor attitude every time. you can teach a player with a good attitude much easier than a player that thinks she already knows all there is to know. one thing i dont and wont stand for is a player thats unsportsmanlike, or has a poor attitude. thats the quickest way for a player to get their walking papers as far as i'm concerned.

 

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good posts by all and I enjoyed reading this one

 

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Mark,

Thank you I appreciate the kind words.

Elliott.

 

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So, how do we go about ensuring our daughter has the proper mechanics? Find a coach in the area? Buy a DVD? Watch DI college players on Big 10 network? So much to learn and so little time.

 

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I've coach both HS and travel and I'll take a great attitude and willing to learn and do what it takes to get better then talent that already thinks they have it and won't do the next thing it takes to make them and the team better.

I've learned that if the attitude is all about them and they can't get a long with the team mates then see it early and cut them loose no matter how much talent, cause cancer spreads fast!