Baseball is a simple game, and almost everyone knows how to play the game. The game is very simple: 1) you throw the baseball; 2) you catch the baseball; 3) you hit the baseball with a bat, right? But, there are people who can make the game of baseball so complicated and technical, it will make your head spin! Case in point: Many years ago, I managed a Little League baseball team, and I got my brother-in-law to help me as a coach. I had never done anything like this before, so I didn't know what to expect from a bunch of 9-12 year olds, etc. I had no idea how much a nine, ten, or eleven year old knew about the game of baseball or what he could learn. To see 15 of those little faces sitting around the backstop, didn't sit well when we got started. I felt like we were going to fail, etc. And, I began to wonder if I should have volunteered in the first place. But, we went on and do the best we could. After all, it was all for the kids. Fifteen kids...ages 9-12 year olds, from every walk of life, were waiting there at the backstop for me to get started. I have to say I was nervous, and I didn't quite know where to start. I had no idea how much a 9-12 year olds knew about baseball and what they could do. How was I going to mold these kids into a team that could win? Opening day was about a month away, and we had to get on with practice right away. After a few comments about the rules of the game, and our own rules as a team, I got the boys out in the field to throw the ball around and loosen up. My brother-in-law hit a little in field practice to get things started. While they were doing this, I went over to another part of the school grounds, and watched another team in our league practice. I thought it would be good for me to get ideas and tips on how they were doing things and go from there. I thought it would help me with my own coaching as well. As I watched this team practice, I found out very quickly what I was NOT going to do with my team! What I was watching here was incredible! This team was working on things that Major League teams work on. Things like double-plays; run-downs; bunting; signs from the third base and the dugout; getting the lead run; one bounce to the plate from the outfielders! These two fathers (coaches) were confusing these kids and getting too technical with them, in my view. We're talking about 9-12 year olds...they're just starting out learning the game! I was getting irritated as I watched this team, because many of these kids don't have the strength, the coordination and the eyesight to perform like the big guys...they don't! I really didn't know at the time what I was going to do with my team, but I knew for sure I was not going to do what these coaches were doing with these kids, etc. In the two years I coached Little League baseball, I only saw one double-play; no run-downs; I saw no bunts; and no stealing of bases, etc. So, why practice them! By practicing these various things, I felt that this team I was watching would get worse as the season went on. The only reason why I think a coach would teach the kids this stuff, is an ego trip. Trying to show the kids how much they know about the game of baseball. That's all it could be! Our approach was going to be completely the opposite! Our approach was going to be to keep it simple and practice, practice and more practice, until the kids got it right, and until they made no errors. The kids would learn to catch the ball over and over and over until they got it right! They would learn how to throw the ball over and over and over until they got it right! And, they would stand at the plate and hit the ball over and over and over until they got comfortable at the plate and not be afraid of the ball, etc. We were going to make the game as simple as we could make it. There would be discipline, and the first thing that dissapeared was the bubble gum. Blowing bubbles was too distracting! And, there were only four things the players had to remember. Throw the ball (hopefully straight): catch the ball; hit the ball and go for the easy out! We would never, never go for the lead runner, even if they scored. I think that was pretty easy for the kids to remember. There would be no complex, technical blah, blah on this team. Simplicity ruled, and it would stay that way. Good pitching was the key to winning. I was lucky, I had good pitchers, and they were very good, and we would work with them every chance we had. As the season started and progressed, my pitchers would strike out an average of 14 batters per game. So, why would we need all that practice on defense. Not many on the other team are going to reach base anyway. And, why should we practice all that technical blah-blah...not many are going to reach base anyway. I felt like we had a good practice month and now the proof was in the pudding. Opening day came, and we were to have our first game, and we would find out if we were a disciplined team that could win. It was the discipline that made these kids organized and look and play like a baseball team. I was pleased at what I saw and how far we had come in such a short time. I felt that this team was going to win more games than they would lose, but the jury was still out. When the season started, we won our first eight games in a row, and we won them on simplicity and not making any errors. And, then we lost two in a row, which had me a little worried. But, to make a long season short, the kids came back and, for the season they won 17 games and lost only 3 games. Sadly, the team that I watched practice early on, won only won 2 games and lost 18 games! I felt sorry for this team because they were in shambles. In Little League, there is a 10 run rule. If a team is 10 runs ahead of the other team, the game is stopped! That's so the kids are NOT humiliated...that's not the purpose of Little League. We beat this team by more than 10 runs both times we played them and the games were stopped. The kids on that 2-18 team were confused by the coaches; they used too many technical terms and play in baseball and they were awful. At the end of the season, the coaches (fathers) were nowhere to be seen, and the team finished the season with a 14 year old coach. PRETTY SAD! As far as I was concerned, I enjoyed working with the kids so much, that I came back to coach the following year. Surprisingly, it was a repeat of the first year, as we, again won 17 games and lost only 3 games, for a two year total of 34 wins and only 6 losses. And, we did it on simplicity! I was very proud of the kids! * * * NOTE: I have been a woodcarver for over twenty years. I was invited to teach a class on woodcarving at the University of New Mexico. If I do, it will be the same approach in wood carving as in Little League baseball...keep it simple, stupid! |
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