I know football season is on everyone’s minds right now. The college version is my favorite. So, please forgive me if I wander into another area of sportsdom today.
Last Wednesday, my almost six-year-old granddaughter had tee-ball tryouts for fall ball. I sat in the stands with my daughter while her husband helped on the field. After more than a dozen years of coaching some of my kids of various ages in Little League, I’ve relished memories of my teaching skills.
The good thing about aging is that our memories improve. Well, maybe the details will improve in place of the actual events. Alas, I have to admit that my coaching acumen probably falls below my somewhat hazy recollection. But they’re my memories, and I can “tinker” with them as I wish!
One story I particularly remember involves teaching confidence to a young boy on one of my early teams. Let’s just say the kid’s name is Andy. He was in his first year as an “athlete.”
Andy improved almost immediately after we spent an hour successfully convincing him that his baseball glove was not a hat. He seems even more excited as we teach him that his glove is not interchangeable: he throws right, catches left, glove on the left!
He was still slightly behind the other boys but seemed willing to learn. We knew better than to put him in the infield, so he started in right field. There is a level in kid’s baseball where the right field is not the default position for novice players. We were not at that level. Andy started his training just outside of the first-base line. We put extra effort into preparing him to move inside the base line and into the starboard section of the outfield.
Some grounders. ” Keep the ball between your feet,” we taught him. “Bring the glove all the way to the ground, hands out front, eyes on the ball, etc.” More instruction for line drives (soft tosses, really) and pop flies. A few weeks passed, and we were ready for the real thing. Andy took his position in the right field with a glove on his left hand and a hat on his head. That was perfect!
We practiced fly balls. “Both hands up, eyes on the ball, watch it all the way into your glove!”
Most of the players were getting the hang of it. Then it was Andy’s turn. He ran under the ball, threw his left arm up, turned his head away from the descending target, and heard the ball drop about two feet to his left. Similar results after more instruction and attempts. Slowly, he learned to get under the ball and refrained from averting his eyes at the last second.
Now, the ball rebounds off his chest or shoulders. We shorten the distance. Andy began to catch the ball, even if it seemed to happen by accident most of the time. Andy had a lack of confidence. It’s why he turns his head each time just before the ball arrives.
“Andy…you have to believe in yourself. You can’t get hit if you watch the ball all the way down and into your glove. Your subconscious mind won’t let it hit you if you don’t turn your head!” A few dozen more attempts and Andy seemed to be catching on. It was now time to hit some actual balls to our outfield. Andy was next.
“Ok, Andy! Comin’ to ya! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL!”
The batter sent the ball into space. It began the downward arc toward his glove. Andy’s eyes were aiming skyward. His hat fell from his head and hit the ground behind him. “Concentrate, eye on the ball. You can do this!” I said to myself quietly as I watched.
Andy does it!! He kept his eye on the ball all the way to his glove, then a few inches past his glove and into his forehead.
Not good! We ran out to him as he yelled to the top of his voice. A large red bump is already forming.
“I knew it!” he screams. “I knew I shouldn’t have kept my eye on the ball. It’s your fault. You told me to do that!”
Andy missed the next couple of practices. He later returned and played right field for a few innings each game the rest of the year. He learned to keep the ball in front of him, even if he had to back up to let the ball hit the ground first. I wish I could tell you that he eventually became a great player or achieved some remarkable feat as he grew up, but I don’t know.
It’s funny how we see the same people at kid’s sports events that we saw maybe thirty or forty years ago. I’ve watched several seasons of my grandson’s youth baseball career, and the people are all there.
Some dads push their kids so hard that the child burns out after a few seasons. Some coaches forget to teach sportsmanship if their ambitions aren’t met. Some parents still feel yelling at everyone is the key to guiding kids, coaches, and officials to proper behavior.
But most people put their heart and soul into teaching these beautiful little kids teamwork, cooperation, and fun! Those three qualities contribute to proficiency. That’s why we’re supposed to promote sports.
So, one more time, “Keep your eyes on the ball!”
God Bless,
Tommy
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