11/16/07
On Thursday, 11/15/07, we had a parent meeting concerning the new program for our son's select baseball team. Action Sports will be providing the coaching and training for our 12U select baseball team, starting in the spring. (Yes, it's for a fee but they're a non-profit organization.)
Historically, this has been a team coached by some of our Dads and they've done a great job. But, as these boys progress into puberty and beyond, our team manager saw the need to make some changes in order for our boys who are serious about baseball, to get the appropriate training they needed, which, by the way, doesn't involve the Dads as the coaches.
Some of the points that the owner of Action Sports brought up to us last night rang true with what I try and emphasize to parents of my students every year. My neck was kind of sore from shaking my head up and down so much in agreement. Here are some of the points he brought up in his talk about how things would look different once we change over to Action Sports:
- Let go of the boys and let them have the sport of baseball as their own. This is the age to start that. In other words, don't live through your child; allow them to live their baseball life.
- When they get into the dugout, stay 20 feet or more away from them for the entire game. Give them their water or sports drink and go sit and watch and cheer them on.
- If they make a mistake, don't go over and speak with them about it and don't badger them on the way home. They'll make mistakes and they'll need your support that they tried their best. The coaching staff at Action Sports will help them correct and develop their baseball skills.
- The players don't need 15 different voices in their heads, especially at a game but even at practices. That's too much to process. (I instantly thought of the book, _The Primal Teen_.) Let them listen to their head coach and only him so that they can focus better on what they need to work on.
- Expect respect, good grades, and good sportsmanship because that's what the coaches will expect. From the time they get out of the car at the ballpark until the time they return to it at the end of the game, they are representing their team and should act appropriately. Respect is non-negotiable is the big message I got from this.
- If we see students who are having trouble with bouncing back from a bad play or a high scoring inning, we'll work with them. A player's ability to be able to bounce back from a low part of a game or practice or tournament, is a testament to their character. At this age, it's not so much about winning and losing as it is about being able to know how to recover and move on.(That point really got to me as a parent AND as a teacher.)
- If we badger them too much at 11 and 12 year olds, they'll have nothing left in them to move on to high school baseball and possibly college.
So, all in all, a really great bit of news from a man experienced in dealing with teens and sports and knowing how to help develop a well-rounded individual. It's nice knowing that the philosophy I practice as a teacher and as a parent carries over into the wonderful world of baseball and is valued by other adults as well.
