Positive Sports Tip for Today and Everyday

Positive Sports Coaching
I see it happen all the time – a ball player goes up to bat and his coach starts yelling to do this (“swing level,” i.e.) and the player’s parents are yelling (“keep your hands up,” i.e.) and then the hitter lets pitches go by that are right down the middle. The coach and parents both sigh with disbelief thinking “why didn’t he swing at that.” Little do they realize that the ball player didn’t swing because he was thinking about how he was going to keep his hands up and swing level. Giving fundamental instructions during games takes concentration away from what is important, timing the ball in this instance. Coaches and parents should stick with words of encouragement during games and leave fundamental tips for practice. This allows players the chance to give their ultimate concentration to the things that are important to succeed. When success doesn’t come, more practice is necessary and the time to work on the fundamentals.