Losing sucks, but...

I hate losing. In fact, I don't really enjoy winning. It's a problem that I've gotten better at dealing with over the years, but it's still not easy. However, after having a day to sit around and watch youth baseball for about 7 hours I realized a lot. I realized that while being eliminated from a tournament or losing sucks, it is pretty rewarding when you know the kids on your team are getting an understanding for the game that a lot of kids are not these days.

Now I'm going to try and preface this post by saying that not every kid on my team does everything the right way all of the time; however, when they don't do the right thing they are reminded and are aware that we have practiced these things a number of times. When asked, they will almost always give the right answer. These are still kids and they are still learning, but the key part is that they're learning to do things the right way. My biggest goal as a youth coach is that any of my kids that go on to play high school ball get complimented by their high school coach on their understanding of the game. If a kid or a parent comes to me a few years down the road and tells me that a high school coach is impressed by their knowledge of the position and situations then my heart will be full.

So what exactly am I getting at here? I'm going to give a number of examples of things that I saw yesterday watching 9-14u baseball that drive me crazy. These are things that at different levels kids should know how to do or some of the things that I try to work on with my kids to push them. These are things that I wish more coaches were aware of and that high school level coaches want from the younger coaches.

Pitchers covering first base is something that most people don't think about until it costs them an out. I hear coaches saying it or yelling at their kids about it quite a bit, but I wonder how often they actually practice it. By the time the kids are 11 this should just be a reaction, and something they do whenever the ball is hit to the right side. Yet, I watch kids that are going into high school next year stand on the mound like statues, or wait until the ball is bobbled before they break for the bag. Now, one thing as a coach that is frustrating is that some kids just have great baseball instincts while others need things drilled into them a little more, but that's one thing that bothers me.

Let me jump down another level to something that is even a little bit more simple and directed at coaches. I watched a number of very lower level coaches this weekend come way down the third base line after they had sent a kid home. It was almost like they were coaching and umpiring at the same time. As a coach, once you've advanced a runner your responsibility becomes that next runner. So many times I've seen a coach staring down the runner going home and never looking at the trail runner. Then they get upset at that runner for not advancing to third. Yes a lot of that comes down to base-running instincts, but as a coach of very young kids they often need you to tell them when to advance or not, so don't yell at them because you were too busy fixating on something else. You certainly don't see high school coaches coming down the line after sending a kid home.

Speaking of base-running, man did I see some interesting things. Getting picked off will happen at times, but it's the way and the time that drive me crazy. At 11, all of my kids know the steps that we expect them to take for a lead off from different bases. They know the angle to point their front toe. Yet, some kids still take horrible lead offs and rely on their speed or inaccurate throws to steal bases. Again, what drives me crazy is that as you advance in this game the speed and inaccurate throws become less and less of a factor. However, I see some kids and teams that have 1 step lead offs or 5 step lead offs. Some kids/teams practically announce if we're stealing or not before the kid even throws home. Some teams and kids even try to bait pick-off throws in the hopes of advancing on a wild throw. Again, you may get away with it now, but in high school you'll find yourself sitting on the bench getting your ass chewed.

Another base-running gaff that nearly put me over the edge involved my own son's 14u team. I was happy to quiz my 11u kids who were in the stands and watching at the time and get the right answer from them, but too many teams and kids don't understand the importance of bases and situations. Bottom line, a kid should never retreat from a bag once they are standing on it. Yes, somebody somewhere made a mistake, but once you've advance to a bag don't go back. A simple base-running rule that should be understood by young kids cost a 14u team a semi-final victory.

Another thing related to base-running is the importance of the cut-off man on defense and on a baserunner. At 9-10 advanced cut-offs are a little tricky because the fields are relatively small. However, I've watched dozens of teams from ages 11 on up that have infielders become spectators once the ball is hit to the outfield. I can recall 4 times where I watched an outfielder airmail a ball home, nowhere close to being cut off, that allowed a trail runner to advance, and I heard coaches and parents yelling good throw. Uh no...that was a horrible throw because you just gave up a base to the other team. Now in fairness, a couple of times there wasn't even a cut-off there to begin with. I am proud that at 11u about 80% of the time our corner infielders are in spots to cut off balls, our pitchers are backing up third or home, and about 90% of the time our outfielders are throwing the ball at a height where it can be cut. Not many casual observers even notice those things, but those things can drive me crazy. I see kids playing positions at higher youth levels that don't know where to go for cuts or to back up as pitchers. I feel bad for them when they go to high school because they are going to be behind others that are trying out for the same position.

Even better yet is when coaches and parents scream at outfielders to get the ball in. Yes, runners are less likely to advance when the ball is on the infield, but outfielders need to be trained to think on their own. "Get it in" implies just throw the ball to your closest cut as quickly as possible. Uh...no. As an outfielder you need to make a decision, quickly, do I get the ball to my closest cut or do I get the ball the my cut in the middle of the infield. There is a big difference depending where runners are. I always enjoy getting a free run when an outfielder gets the ball in as quickly to possible to second base because that is what they have been coached to do, but now our runner who started on second basically gets to trot home from third.

Bunt coverages are another thing most coaches, fans, and teams seem to struggle with. In general, there are a number of mixed views on bunting in youth sports. Unless it is a big spot in a big game, I don't like having kids bunt. Even on the MLB level I hate watching professionals give away an out. Regardless of the level, a coach is basically telling the player I don't think you're good enough to actually get a hit, so instead of striking out, I just need you to put the ball in play. However, from the 9-12u levels defending bunts can be very difficult because the bases are so close and it puts a ton of pressure on the defense, yet it doesn't mean that your kids shouldn't know how to defend them. I am proud that at 11u our kids know 3 basic bunt coverages. They know who holds runners close at second in different coverages and situations. At more advanced levels some kids and coaches are completely unaware of potential bunting situations. Middle infielders have no idea where to go or how to hold runners in those situations. Coaches basically announce to the entire field who is going where and what they're doing. Just one of those little things that I hope my kids can take with them to the high school level that will separate them from others trying out for their position.

Right next to bunting there is the take sign. I might give a take sign to my team once in an entire weekend, yet as I walk around and watch other games I see coaches constantly giving it to their kids. Like bunting, the take sign is basically telling a kid that I don't think you can hit it, so let's hope that they walk you. Whatever happened to teaching kids about situational hitting? That is how kids learn to really play the game. How can kids get better or improve their own plate discipline if you don't give them a chance. Kids should know that the strikezone as a hitter should drastically change on a 2-0 count versus an 0-1 count. Practice that with your kids and then give them the opportunity to learn and apply that. It drives me crazy when kids on my own team take a horrible swing with no strikes, but it is part of the learning process. I can't stand when coaches give kids a take sign until they get a strike. I shake my head when I hear coaches yelling at their kids for taking strike one. If strike one is not exactly what you were looking for or what you wanted then you shouldn't swing. Allowing kids to choose when they're going to swing is how they learn the game.

Situational baseball is also something that I scratch my head at too. I hear a number of coaches tell their kids infield in, but their infield is still too far back to make a play at the plate. Yes it sounds good, but have you practiced infield in at practice? Do you or the kids know how close you need to be and what you can and can't make a play at the plate on? Even better yet, I see the winning run at third and the infield is at regular depth. Uh hello coaches, are we watching the same game here? On the flip side, a few weeks ago my team was trailing 5-2 in our last at bat with runners and second and third and the opposing coach calls his infield in. I was hoping for a comeback just on principle. Other times I'll see a team up by 3 or 4 runs late in a game and they still have guys holding runners on or middle infielders working the bag. Times like that I secretly root for a ball to dribble through a hole where that fielder should be.

There are many people who would disagree with my beliefs and philosophies, but I am always trying to prepare my kids for bigger things. I absolutely hate losing, but I'm learning that losing isn't all that bad if you're teaching the kids the right things. There are more talented teams out there. One pitcher can be better than an entire team. Those things happen in the game of baseball. Kids with poor technique and low baseball IQ can do just fine at the lower levels of baseball. Speed can give false confidence and overcome poor technique at the younger ages, but evens out in the long run. The faster kids tend to be the ones thrown out stealing the most as they get older because the coach keeps sending them, but they've never learned how to read a pitcher or get a good lead.

I hate losing to a guy or team that I know is clueless when it comes to the game of baseball. It eats at me that they get by because they have better talent or a special pitcher. Yet, as I step back and see some of the big picture I know what our kids are getting is an understanding of the game that most kids in this area are not getting. They are already being coached like high school kids. As I mentioned before, it is lonely at the top and a head coach takes losses very very hard, but some of the words offered by others do help. When multiple people you don't know tell you they like how we do things, it does help over time.

Some people will never appreciate the little things or would much rather have the shiny record with all of the trophies. The winning at all costs mentality just isn't for me. I'll write more about that soon. Until then, I'll try to digest all of the bad baseball I watched and figure out how to get my team better.