Winter seems to be taking it’s time getting out of the way of the baseball season, but make no mistake it is here. The players have put in the work at our indoor training facility, and are itching to get outside to start competing on the field. I wanted to take some time to cover a few things that I think will make the season more enjoyable for not only parents, but players and coaches alike.
Youth sports has become a crazy melting pot of kid’s dreams, and parent’s ambitions for them. This has created an environment of selfishness in what is probably the greatest team sport there is. See you can be the right fielder, not touch the ball for 3 games, and in one blink of the eye make a play that can save the game, maybe even the season. It is a game where no position is more or less important than another, no spot in the lineup more critical than the other, and even when on the bench a player has a vital role in the outcome.
We have started to put things in place to continue the growth of our coaches. We have a great staff of coaches from U7-U13. This group of men have poured their time, heart, and experience into a group of boys. They have planned practice, gone to meetings, scheduled games and tournaments, laid awake wondering how to make your son better, wrote out potential line ups and defensive positioning, all while trying to make sure your son has the best chance to succeed. The team they coach becomes like family to them. Our goal is to help them develop skills they will use on and off the field. None of the coaches are perfect, they will make mistakes, but they are giving 100% to the boys. Let them do their job.
We have some of the greatest kids in the world. You can see their eyes light up when they pull on their cap, grab a ball, or pick up a bat. Although challenging, there are a few things I feel become vital in the development process. Let them play and let the coach teach them. Kids will only respond to minor ques at this point, and yelling 100 different things at them from the stands while a coach is trying to correct them will not help. They are going to fail and that is all part of the growth process. The less pressure they feel from you, the more confident they will be. Be supportive and cheer them on.
On game day, take the opportunity to sit back, relax, encourage, cheer, and BE PROUD of your son doing something they love. It is hard to not hurt when they fail, but they need you to pick them up. They will be getting plenty of coaching from our staff, so on the way home be positive, find something they did well to talk about. Even if they struck out 4 times or walked in the winning run, they will have done something we can build on. If you are struggling to find it, simply tell them how much you love to watch them play, and go for ice cream!
This season will be full of great successes, but it will also be ripe with failures. That is what makes baseball such a great parallel to life. The coaching staff has signed up for a very important role in your son’s life. Teaching discipline, your role is what is best for the team, failure, and most importantly sacrifice for the good of a group and its overall accomplishments. Please support them in the lessons they are teaching.
I can assure you that for these boys being a part of a group, the memories, life lessons, and relationships they develop will be far more valuable then what position they played or their spot in the lineup. Some of them will someday be on the field as coaches coaching their kids together someday. True story, ask me about it...... That is what this is all about.
It is going to be a great season, no matter how many games we win or lose collectively. We are one big baseball family working to develop great kids.
Go Chargers!!