Becoming a Better Coach Through Playing

For many years, I was content to put away the game I played because "I coached". I am not even sure I was aware guys were still playing baseball. Most of the guys I knew who had played baseball moved on to the inevitable sport for the has beens: Softball.

Softball was easy - the ball was bigger, pitches slower, bases shorter, and most balls hit were either over the fence or to the outfielders.

I started back playing baseball about four years ago and it was probably the best thing I ever did to make me a better coach. I had gone to high school coaching clinics, visited with other coaches, and talked with friends who coached about baseball. All the talking usually ends up about strategy, practice plans, and scheduling.

I'm sure coaches who "got it" talked about culture and how to effectively coach players through their own mistakes. I just never paid attention because I thought I had that down.

Nope.

The mental side of the game is debilitating; it's paralyzing; it's fearful (irrationally so); and it's confidence draining if your mind isn't right.

We've now played in the Men's World Series for four years running. Three trips to Arizona and one in Ft. Myers for the Roy Hobbs World Series, which is where I currently write. When the game is easy, it's easy - the game slows down (like it does for most everyone when it goes easy) and confidence is high. It doesn't take much for confidence to disappear in a moment.

I fought so much with my mind this week I was mentally drained because I could not get to the place where I wanted the ball hit to me. I fielded just fine but still had three errors in the first day through two games. However, the shameful thing about all of this was simply not getting to a right place mentally to ever feel comfortable enough to actually field the ball.

Amazing isn't it? No issues at the plate, felt comfortable there and had relatively "successful" week.

I could not shake the fear of a ground ball coming my way and how I would react. I couldn't "see it" first, and because I couldn't "see it", I really couldn't "do it".

We work on the mental game with our kids and ask them to visualize, see it, and execute with deep breaths. As a player, I do those things the best I can. The hardest thing to understand right now is it isn't as easy as we make it sound.

This week has given me even a deeper appreciation for difficulties of this game and the simplicity needed to enjoy the process.