Dear Parents – It’s time to cut the cord:
I know it’s tough mom & dad. It’s especially tough for dad to back away from the area near the on-deck circle.
Hey, we were his first hitting instructor! Who else knows my son’s swing better than I do? I had to learn to let my son walk on his own two feet. If we have to yell out instructions and directives during a young player’s at-bat, then we’ve done an inadequate job of preparing him for the game.
Here are the remarks that I hear from the stands while I am scouting young prospects:
Swing the bat!
Why did you swing at that pitch?
Come on, let’s go!
THROW STRIKES! (This one really gets me. The young guy isn’t purposely trying to walk the ballpark so he can have an extremely quiet ride home, only to have to relive each pitch sequence at the dinner table)
Catch the ball!
It’s hard enough to step on the field and make the routine play. It becomes even harder to have to tune out negative support from the stands. Now if a player isn’t giving his full effort, then by all means, make an adjustment.
Remember, if you are doing most of your teaching during the game, then your practices (or lack thereof) aren’t as productive as they should be.
It’s very hard to carve out regular practice time. It will be up to the player & his family to supplement the gaps in his practice schedule.
Push yourselves hard during practice guys. Don’t lazily shag fly balls and don’t just step into the cage to get in a few swings. Power shag at all times, and always hit with a purpose!
Let’s begin by making a few New Year’s Resolutions, starting with:
We will not yell negative reinforcement from the stands in 2016!
We can all make improvements.
All the best…
www.FiveToolEvals.com
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Is it time to cut the cord?
Posted - 11/30/2015 : 15:55:50
