Spiders Elite

The players who left your travel baseball team aren’t disloyal, Coach. They’re doing what’s best for them.

Recently, we talked about the dynamics of player cuts and how to handle a delicate situation in a constructive manner. While the focus was on handling this from the parent and player side, I was recently reminded that this goes both ways.

Jordan Serena of Rogue Baseball shared these thoughts recently:

Tired argument coming from travel coaches that their kids “have no loyalty” and blaming it on pro athletes. Bad lesson for kids? Sure. Good lesson for the club? Ya, make your program something people don’t want to leave.

— Jordan Serena (@jserena4) October 6, 2019

Cuts can feel like a personal attack on the child, and that is difficult to navigate for both the player and parent. But coaches deal with a similar emotional challenge when kids choose to leave.

Why did they leave? Why would they choose this team and coach over me? After all that I’ve done and invested in him?

I often hear from coaches who complain of “disloyalty” among players and families who move on to another team. I understand the sentiment, but it’s misplaced and unproductive.

Let that player go. Let that family go. And, maybe most importantly, let the defensiveness and emotion go.

The Best Choice for the Player

Switching teams is never easy. But the parents and player ultimately made what they believe is the best choice for them.

I get that this may hurt a coach’s ego to hear this and come to grips with it. But it’s important to keep this in mind.

Maybe it was related to playing time and opportunities. Maybe it was coaching style. Maybe it was level of play. There are many reasons why a family may decide to move on.

They are doing you a favor.

By making the switch, they are saying that they aren’t as happy as they think they can be. You don’t want discontent on your team. Let them go.

Maybe they were wrong. Maybe they will regret the choice that they made. But, that isn’t for you to worry about now.

Forced Loyalty

You can’t force loyalty. You can’t assume it. Loyalty is earned.

If you create something that people want to be a part of, that attracts the right kids and families who match what you are trying to accomplish, few will leave.

It’s not about values. The families have no obligation to be loyal. You have an obligation to create a situation that attracts your ideal family and player. A situation they’ll covet.

Turnover is Normal

Some level of turnover is normal. Every team will have it, whether it’s through cuts or players choosing to leave. Accept it. Embrace it. You should want people to find the best situation for them.

Don’t take turnover personally. Don’t attempt to prevent or eliminate turnover. It is all part of the process.

You should view every season as a step towards your optimal level. Parents and players are getting to know your philosophy. They begin buying in. You start seeing results from that buy-in.

Each season is a bit of a trial run from each side. Are your coaching style and team the right fight for a player and his family? Are that player and family the right fit for you and your team?

After each season, that assessment is made. Hopefully your core, not just in terms of performance but in group buy-in, will strengthen with each passing year.

Build Something People Don’t Want to Leave

Your goal should be to create something so amazing that people will rarely want to leave. No matter what you do, it won’t be the perfect fit for everyone. But minimal turnover is a sign that you’re doing something right.

Part of building something that people don’t want to leave is having an environment where everyone wants to be there. Everyone buys into the coach’s vision and wants to be a part of it. That’s what we ultimately label as “loyalty.”

Have a clear vision. Execute that vision. Have core values that you stand for as a team. Nurture a positive learning experience for all, not a select few.

The more players and families you have who are on the same page with you, the stronger that bond will be.

Informed Roster Additions

Things happen. But one way to limit roster turnover is to be diligent about the players you add in the first place.

This isn’t just about ability. This isn’t about “good” kids and families versus “bad” kids and families. It’s about having synergy related to expectations and philosophy.

There are plenty of good players and families who are a bad fit for me. That’s nobody’s fault. It recognizes that finding the right coach and team for each player and family is a delicate dynamic.

Do your best to ask all of the right questions. Make sure that they are the right fit for you.

It’s also your job to make sure that parents and players know what they are getting themselves into. Don’t hide from who you are. Don’t make promises and guarantees that you can’t back up.

Explain your coaching style and philosophy. Be clear about the things that some parents may not like. Lay out your expectations for parents. Make sure that they buy into what you are trying to do.

Minimize the surprises on both sides. If parents are surprised by anything once the season begins, you didn’t do your job to adequately prepare them. If you are surprised by anything that the parents or player do, you didn’t vet them well enough.

Shifting Blame

Ultimately, cries of “disloyalty” is a coach shifting blame for losing players. As mentioned above, it may not be anyone’s fault. If there is blame to be applied, it falls on the coach.

As I write this, it’s not a matter of calling out other coaches. I recognize my responsibility here. I recognize that when players leave, I need to do a certain amount of soul searching to uncover why.

When it happens, learn from it. Is there something you did wrong? Is there something you should do differently? Was it a bad fit that you weren’t diligent enough to prevent?

Your Turn

What are your thoughts on players leaving and the cries of “disloyalty”?

Let me know in the comments below!

Prior to the start of the season, I have the Spiders complete a personal inventory. The purpose is to have them look internally at what they do well and don’t do well and put some goals and actionable steps in writing.

I have a meeting with each of the boys after they’ve completed their personal inventory to go over their answers. Sometimes we make updates to provide more clarity, making sure there’s a good plan in place.

Let’s take a closer look at what we do. It may give you some ideas on how you can apply it to your own team.

Sample Document

Here’s an example of our actual Personal Inventory document.

Spiders Personal Inventory - 2020

[DOWNLOAD A COPY]

I give the boys several days to complete this document and get it back to me. They are allowed to sit down with their parents if necessary.

Now, let’s go step-by-step to discuss what we’re trying to accomplish.

1. Strength

It’s important to boil this down to a single strength, rather than watering it down with two or three. What is the one thing that you are best at?

This is an attempt to help the player understand how best he can help the team.

2. Weakness

We’re not looking to stress the negatives. But everyone has something they can improve. What’s the one thing that you need the most work at?

It’s helpful to acknowledge this. No matter how good you are and how well-rounded, there’s always a weakness.

Plan to Improve Weakness

But, we aren’t just focusing on the weakness to humble the player. We are trying to help him put together a plan to become a better, all-around player.

The three things listed here need to be specific action items. It can’t just be “practice harder.” Here are some examples:

1. Take 50 extra ground balls once per week after practice
2. Make 50 pitches into a target once per week on my own time
3. Break down video to find where I need to improve my swing

Once in writing, we can hold the player accountable.

3. Team Goals

We’re looking for specific goals that can be tracked. It can’t be vague things like “Play the best we can” or “Be good teammates.” These need to be measurable.

Things like…

1. Win the state tournament
2. Win at least three tournaments
3. Win at least one game on every bracket day

4. Personal Goals

Like the team goals, these items need to be measurable. We need to avoid things like “Be a good hitter” or “Pitch strikes.” We need specifics so that the players can determine whether they reached their goals. What does that success look like?

Things like…

1. Have an OBP over .500
2. Throw at least 60% strikes
3. Win the Money Chain at least three times

5. Ways I Can Be a Leader

I added this because leadership isn’t always easy to find. Sometimes it’s because the players don’t clearly see what leadership looks like. I want them thinking about specific things that they can be doing to be a good leader.

Unlike the last few, this is less measurable. But it’s good that they put in writing the things they will focus on to be a leader.

Midseason Meeting

I file these away, and we then have another meeting around midseason to chart progress. Have your strengths and weaknesses changed? What is your progress towards improving your weakness? How close are we to accomplishing your goals? Are you fulfilling your vision of a leader?

End of Season Meeting

Admittedly, we don’t typically do a final meeting to discuss where everything came out. But you absolutely could!

Your Turn

You can take whatever you want to apply to your team. Are you doing any of this already? Anything we’re missing in our personal inventory?

Let me know in the comments below!

There’s an area of rule enforcement where umpires may mean well, but they are increasing the potential for in-game drama. In an attempt to be flexible, they are putting decisions in the hands of coaches. It creates a potentially combustible situation.

There are two primary situations when this happens. By putting the decision for whether or not to enforce a rule, the coach ends up looking like the bad guy. And this is completely avoidable.

Situation #1: Playing With Eight

Most tournaments and leagues allow teams to play with eight players. However, the standard protocol is that the ninth batter in the lineup is an automatic out. The reason for this, we can assume, is that playing with eight in your lineup may actually be an advantage — if they are your best eight players.

I’ve been in far too many pre-game meetings with umpires where this situation comes up, and the umpire asks me, “How do you want to handle this? Auto-out or not?”

Umpires, don’t do this. Don’t make me the bad guy. Simply enforce the rules. It’s an auto-out.

Before you assume that I’d think differently if I were playing with eight, it’s happened before. We played much of this past season with nine players. Over the course of the past several years, I’ve played with eight many times. It happens. I never expect the opposing coach to be flexible on the rules. We always take the automatic out.

Even if the auto-out is established at the beginning, don’t force the opposing coach to remind you when that spot in the order is up. It again creates a situation where the coach is the bad guy.

How it Should Be Handled: Once it is established that one team is playing with eight players, the umpire needs to make it clear that the ninth spot in the order will be an automatic out. If he has an official lineup, it is the umpire’s job to keep track of when that spot in the lineup is up. If not, he needs to tell the scorekeeper to notify him when the automatic out is in play.

Situation #2: In-Game Injury

When teams bat their entire lineup without subs, they do so knowing that there is a risk. If a player gets injured and can’t return, his spot in the order will be an automatic out if it comes up again. This is because there isn’t a sub who can replace him. There are sometimes exceptions, but this tends to be standard for most tournaments and leagues.

This happens. As a coach who almost always bats our entire lineup, I understand the risk. But, when I’m the opposing coach, it’s an incredibly uncomfortable spot to be in if the umpire doesn’t take charge.

I’ve been the bad guy, and it’s no fun. The injured player’s spot in the lineup comes up, and nothing happens. I call time. I explain that this is the injured player’s spot and that it’s an automatic out. The opposing coach and parents lose their minds.

Another version of this is when the umpire recognizes the injury and asks the opposing coach if he wants to enforce the automatic out. Publicly. It’s almost always going to end poorly.

It’s not bad sportsmanship. It’s the rule, and it needs to be applied consistently and evenly.

How it Should Be Handled: When the injury occurs and the player leaves the game, the umpire immediately needs to make it clear that, assuming there are no subs, the injured player’s spot in the order will be an automatic out. If the umpire keeps an official lineup, it is his responsibility to track when that spot in the lineup comes up. Otherwise, he needs to work closely with the scorekeepers.

I was forced to become the bad guy in the example above for a couple of reasons. First, the umpire never made an announcement about what would happen when that injured player’s spot in the lineup came up. Second, the umpire didn’t have an official lineup, and he made no effort to keep track of when that player would have been hitting.

There is Always Room for Good Guys

Look, all of this doesn’t mean you should never have a moment when you want to do something nice for the other team. Maybe it’s a completely meaningless game and you have a really good relationship with the other coach. There’s always room for these completely selfless moments.

But it’s not a requirement that this is expected. What’s expected is that the umpires enforce the rules. The umpires can protect the coaches and prevent conflict by simply taking control of the game.

Your Turn

Are there other examples of umpires, meaning well, who have flexible rules that put coaches in a bad position?

Let me know in the comments below!

Imagine you have two evenly matched teams. Who wins and who loses will come down to two primary things:

1. Effort and Execution
2. Baseball Gods (hops and luck)

We don’t want to leave it to the baseball gods. So, how can we influence the opposition’s effort and, more notably, execution?

There are various plays that happen throughout a game that often go unnoticed. But these plays, when performed well, are meant to deceive. The end goal of this deception is to create uncertainty and confusion.

When you create uncertainty and confusion, the opposition becomes a step slower. They aren’t sure what to do. They make more mistakes which leads to more outs.

This isn’t about full-on trickery. I’m not talking about acting like you threw the ball into the outfield to catch a runner off base. I’m not talking about the hidden ball trick. Sure, you could lump those here if you want, but I won’t because they aren’t things that I’d do.

You won’t be accused of being bush league for doing any of these things. When executed, they will lead to more wins.

1. Variety of Pickoff Moves

One of the keys to slowing the running game is a pitcher’s pickoff move. But, this is one of the most under-appreciated elements of the game. Not enough time is spent on it.

Far too often, we look at a pickoff move as an attempt by the pitcher to get the runner out. While that’s a great outcome, that’s not really what’s happening. At least, that’s not the priority when you have a smart baserunner on first.

It’s not necessary that a pitcher has a move that can pick a runner off consistently. It’s not necessary that they ever pick a runner off at all.

The entire goal of the pickoff move is to create uncertainty and confusion. Is the pitcher picking off? Obviously, I don’t want to get out.

If a runner knows that the pitcher isn’t going to pick off, he might even take off early for the next base.

But he might also find a pattern in a pitcher’s pickoff move. It always looks the same. The pitcher always holds the ball for the same amount of time. The runner can simply pick up on these patterns, time it, and take off.

But, what if a pitcher uses different moves? Sometimes, as a right-handed pitcher, he steps off the rubber. Sometimes, he spins. Sometimes, he simply steps off and looks over. He holds the ball for a second. Next time, five seconds. Next time, seemingly forever.

The same goes for a lefty pitcher. He mixes in his “good” move that is meant to deceive the runner into thinking he’s delivering to the plate. He’ll also step off and flip to first.

And of course, you have your various moves to second base. The inside move, step back, spin. Mixing in a check of the runner once, twice, or not at all.

The whole point is to keep the runner guessing. To slow him down. To create confusion. And, if you have a good catcher, to give that catcher a chance to throw the runner out.

2. Variety of Moves to the Plate

If you are at a level where the runner doesn’t always go on the first pitch, here’s something to try…

On the first pitch, have your pitcher use a big, slow leg kick. Often, the third base coach is waiting to give a steal sign until he sees the pitcher’s move to the plate. Then, use that quick slide step.

Even if you go beyond that first pitch trickery, feel free to mix in a variety of moves to the plate. Sometimes a big leg kick, sometimes medium, sometimes, the ultra-quick slide step.

This can be especially effective for left-handed pitchers. Make the runner and coach at first think that they picked up a difference between your delivery and move to first. Then switch it up.

Keep the runner and coaches guessing. The better you are at this, the more you’re able to slow down the runner a step or two and make it more likely that 1) they will be thrown out trying to advance or 2) they won’t attempt to advance at all. If they don’t attempt to advance at all, it keeps double plays and force outs in order while keeping the runner out of scoring position, which is a very big advantage.

3. Pitch Selection

This is a very basic form of deception meant to keep the batter guessing. We want the batter to be off-balance. We don’t want them to time up the pitcher. If they are early or late or in between, they are much less likely to hit the ball hard.

This isn’t simply a matter of throwing an offspeed pitch during expected times (typically with two strikes). Smart, advanced hitters will be waiting for that.

Instead, it’s a matter of doing things unconventionally. Particularly if you have an aggressive hitter, throw that offspeed on the first pitch. If you do that, and you get him out front, he’s going to be guessing the rest of the at bat.

One reason we have our catchers call a game is that we find that they often approach pitch selection in an untraditional manner. This tends to be a good thing. It makes it more difficult for a batter to guess what’s coming.

4. First and Third Situations

Managing first and third situations is all about deception, uncertainty, and confusion. I’ve written an entire blog post on this (I plan to write a second), so we won’t get bogged down in all of the details here.

At the youngest of ages and the lowest of levels, it might not even be worth bothering to defend first and third situations. But the moment you have a chance to throw out the runner at second, there are good reasons to mix in some plays.

If the other team thinks you will never throw down to second base in this situation, they will steal freely. They won’t care who is running, even if it’s their slowest runner.

If the other team thinks you will throw down to second every time, they’ll send their runner from third home without hesitation and take the run.

So, the key here is to keep the other team guessing. Create uncertainty and confusion. If you give them reason to believe you may throw the ball down to second, they’re less likely to steal if there’s a possibility of getting out. If you give them reason to believe you’ll cut the ball off, they’re less likely to send the runner home even when you throw down to second.

It’s important to disguise your plays. Regardless of whether we are throwing down to second or cutting off, everyone goes to the same place on the field.

When you win the game of deception, uncertainty, and confusion, the opposition is paralyzed. At minimum, they don’t try to score. But, they may not attempt to steal second at all. Or, the second-guessing and uncertainty gives you a chance to throw out a runner who takes off late.

5. Fake Bunts

It’s not a well-guarded secret that the Spiders aren’t a big bunting team. There are reasons for it, but we won’t go into them here. It doesn’t mean we’ll never bunt, but it’s a rare occurrence.

That doesn’t mean that we won’t use the potential confusion of a fake bunt to our advantage, however. Particularly since there are still plenty of teams out there who aren’t aware of our tendencies.

When a batter squares to bunt, it creates some initial chaos and panic. “BUNT!” the coaches yell. The infielders will then react. It could mean the third and/or first basemen charge. Maybe the second baseman runs to cover first. The pitcher, too, may be distracted.

We might use a fake bunt when a batter is already taking a pitch. That could be in certain 3-0 counts. Here, of course, the focus isn’t on the infield, but on distracting the pitcher.

But another time a batter may be taking a pitch is when a runner is attempting to steal second base. If it sends the infield into panic, it may result in fielders missing their responsibilities — or being late to cover the bag.

A final time we may use fake bunts is to test how well the third baseman and even shortstop are coached. With a runner on second, we may show a bunt to see what the infield does. A well-coached team will either have the third baseman stay home or have the shortstop cover third as the third baseman charges.

Oftentimes, the third baseman will charge, leaving third base wide open. This is a read play for the runner on second. When he sees this, he simply takes the empty base.

6. Cutoffs and Relays

A team that knows their cutoff and relay responsibilities and executes cleanly is a team that will get more outs on the bases. But this is more than simply having players in the right place to throw runners out.

The classic scenario: With a runner on second base, there’s a base hit to left field. The throw goes home. The third baseman is in position to cut, but it goes well over his head. The batter then advances to second base on the throw.

What if, instead, that throw was lower? What if it gives the third baseman an opportunity to cut or let it go?

When this happens, it creates uncertainty and confusion for the base coaches and runners. They aren’t sure if the third baseman is going to cut the ball. As a result, the batter reaching first has to wait. That hesitation could mean either staying on first or getting thrown out at second.

And, of course, the low cutoff throw gives the cutoff man some options. If the runner immediately goes to second base, he may be giving you an out at second.

Your Turn

The key with each of the items on this list is to slow the opposition down with deception. You aren’t sure what they are going to do. That moment of uncertainty and confusion can be critical in a game where one or two outs, bases, or runs will be the difference.

Any other examples you can think of that can be added to this list?

Let me know in the comments below!

Coaching is a challenging job. You need to be a teacher and strategist and organizer and motivational speaker all wrapped up in one.

I wouldn’t say that all coaches value the same things equally, but I’d say the vast majority think the following 13 characteristics are important.

We coaches are constantly working to be better. I can tell you that I feel I’m strong in some of these areas but weak in others. It’s difficult if not impossible to nail all 13, and it’s also why it’s so critical for head coaches to have assistant coaches who complement their strengths and weaknesses.

We aren’t perfect. We strive to be better. But these 13 areas highlight the coach we want to be…

1. Organized

The coach we want to be is organized.

A disorganized coach is behind the eight-ball from the start. When is practice? Where is it? What tournaments are we playing in? Are they paid for? Where are we getting our uniforms?

There are so many things that a coach needs to keep track of behind the scenes. If you aren’t organized, it impacts everybody.

2. Prepared

The coach we want to be is prepared.

He has a plan for the practice, game, or tournament. The opponents, whom he’s researched, impact his decisions. He plans out lineups and where players will be in the field. He has a strategy for managing pitchers’ innings. He knows the rules of the tournament and how they impact his plans.

3. Knowledgable

The coach we want to be is knowledgable.

He understands the game. He knows all of the little details that most people don’t. He knows what he doesn’t know. If he isn’t sure about something, he researches it to make sure that he knows it.

When he has disagreements with an umpire, it’s because he’s read the rules and knows how they are applied. He has experience, information, and resources that can be shared with players to help them better understand the game.

4. Strategic

The coach we want to be is strategic.

An effective coach pushes the right buttons. He puts players in position to succeed. He manages without over-managing. He develops gameplans that his players execute to give the team the best chance for success.

5. Calm

The coach we want to be is calm.

In order for players to be calm under pressure, a coach needs to set the same example. A bad call or poor execution isn’t the end of the world. He watches his body language and doesn’t freak out over mistakes and missed opportunities.

He’s calm. He goes about his business in the big game and the small game like there’s little difference. That calmness rubs off on his players.

6. Fair

The coach we want to be is fair.

You may not agree with his lineup or who plays where, but he’s fair in how he decides roles and responsibilities. Players earn their time. He treats the star player the same way that he treats the weakest player; his son the same as everyone else.

Rules are clearly communicated, and he enforces them evenly and consistently. He plays no favorites. Expectations and punishments are reasonable.

7. Communicator

The coach we want to be is a communicator.

An effective coach communicates expectations clearly with parents. He communicates verbally and via email in ways that are easy to understand.

Most importantly, he can communicate with his players. He can get important thoughts across when explaining the how and why of baseball. This is where a coach is also a teacher. Complex ideas are easily explained and understood.

8. Motivational

The coach we want to be is motivational.

He’s able to remain positive when times are tough. He not only communicates well but in a way that inspires his players. When they’re down, he picks them back up. He’s able to get the most out of them during the most difficult times. He always seems to have the right words to say that will get results and action from his players.

9. Impactful

The coach we want to be is impactful.

We want to make a difference in the lives of our players. We want them to learn about life in addition to baseball. We want this time to inspire them to be great. We want them to look back on their time with our team fondly, and to tell stories of their time playing baseball for years to come.

10. Approachable

The coach we want to be is approachable.

Our goal isn’t to scare our players into action. We don’t want them to fear us. While it’s important they have respect for us, we also want them to feel comfortable approaching us with questions, problems, and concerns.

11. Example

The coach we want to be is an example.

The expectations we have of players and parents are reasonable. We model good behavior, positivity, and sportsmanship.

We know that we have the power to set an example, and that example can be positive or negative, for how players and parents behave. If we complain about the umpires, others will. If we freak out when things aren’t going well, others will freak out. If we exhibit bad sportsmanship, we give others to do the same.

Likewise, if we remain calm under pressure, others will. If we congratulate our opponents, our team will do the same. If we behave as role models, we’ll set the proper tone for others to follow.

12. Adaptable

The coach we want to be is adaptable.

We aren’t stuck in our ways. We see when an approach isn’t working and we try something else. We adapt to different environments, levels of play, and expectations.

But we also adapt to different learning styles and personalities. If we want to get the most out of our players, we understand that every player is unique and accepts feedback, instruction, and criticisms differently. Instead of demanding they adjust to us, we need to adjust to them.

13. Fun

The coach we want to be is fun.

Ultimately, baseball is a game. It’s not life or death. We want our players to keep that perspective. For them to do that, it’s important that the coach makes these things clear.

We want to help our players be their best while helping them have fun playing this awesome game. Sometimes that means having a sense of humor, highlighting the lighter side, and not taking everything so seriously.

Your Turn

These are the 13 things that I think of when I think about the coach that I want to be. I can tell you first hand that I’m not a motivational speaker. I’m not as calm as I want to be. I may not be as approachable as I want to be. And I’m not even as fun as I’d like to be. These, in particular, are things that I’m working on!

It’s also important that we accept that we have our own weaknesses, and that’s okay. I have amazing assistant coaches who fill in all of my gaps, and I’m lucky to have them!

Anything else you’d add to this list? What are you working on as a coach?

Let me know in the comments below!