Spiders Elite

We’ve all been there. A pop-up is hit on the infield, and several players call it. Or no one calls it. The ball drops in the middle of them as they all stare blankly at one another.

This happens often, particularly at younger and lower levels. But it will happen at the higher levels and older ages, too. Why? Due to a lack of communication and a basic understanding of pop-up and fly ball priority.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume that everyone on the field calls for a ball. Even if this happens, the ball should be caught as fielders will give way to a single player.

Let’s take a closer look…

Priority Chart

To help visualize this, below is an example of pop-up and fly ball priority…

You’ll notice that there are two players with “2” (corner outfielders) and “5” (corner infielders) priorities. This isn’t a mistake. They have equal priority.

There should rarely ever be a situation when both players are fighting for a ball because they are on opposite sides of the field. In the outfield, the center fielder would likely take over. On the infield, a middle infielder would do the same.

But in the event that both of these players does make a call without a higher priority player available, one would need to take charge.

Priority Hierarchy

Priority is broken down as follows…

OUTFIELDERS: The center fielder gets priority over everyone else, regardless of whether it’s a fly ball into the outfield or a pop-up in between. If the center fielder calls for it, everyone else must defer and back away.

That said, the corner outfielders have high priority as well. If there’s a pop-up that a corner outfielder can get, his call overtakes any infielder. It’s simply an easier play to come in on a ball than to go back.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS: The shortstop is the quarterback of the infield. Anything that the shortstop calls — assuming an outfielder doesn’t also call for it — is his.

The next highest priority is the second baseman. This way, if there’s a pop-up on the right side of the field, we want the second baseman to get it over the first baseman or pitcher, if possible.

CORNER INFIELDERS: Corner infielders get anything that isn’t called by a middle infielder or outfielder. In particular, consider pop-ups in foul territory or between the plate and mound. Someone other than a pitcher or catcher should get them, if possible.

PITCHER/CATCHER: The toughest play on a pop-up is typically made by the pitcher or catcher. They are considered the last resort. The pitcher usually has a mound to contend with, making navigation to a ball while looking in the air a tricky situation.

While the pitcher has the lowest priority, he should not be completely out of the picture — particularly at younger levels. Far too often, a weak pop-up will fall because a pitcher doesn’t call and the middle and corner infielders can’t make it to the ball in time. The pitcher needs to be ready to take charge in this case.

BALL!

How you call for a ball is up to you, but it’s best to remain consistent. While most kids may have been brought up on “I GOT IT!”, I prefer something simpler like “BALL!” And repeat it for added emphasis: “BALL! BALL! BALL!”

HELP!

There’s a significant danger to a shortstop or center fielder calling for a ball prematurely. They have the highest priorities in their respective areas. So, what happens if they quickly realize they can’t get to the ball and regret their call?

Something the Spiders have implemented is a “HELP!” call. A shortstop initially thinks he can get a pop-up and yells, “BALL! BALL! BALL!” But maybe the wind blows it another direction or he loses it in the sun. By calling, “HELP”!, priority falls to the next fielders who make the call.

For the “HELP!” call to work, it’s important that other fielders don’t completely give up on a ball. Just because a shortstop called for it doesn’t mean that the third baseman should run away. Yield ground to allow the shortstop to get it, but be close enough to take over if necessary.

Communicate Early, Loud, and Clear

It’s one thing to tell players to call for a ball. It’s another thing entirely to do so effectively.

Simply calling for a ball when it’s about to fall into your glove isn’t enough.

Using a speaking voice so that only someone very close to you might hear it won’t cut it.

It’s important that fielders call for a ball loudly and confidently. This is something that you must practice because it’s always louder during the game due to fans and the opposing team.

Of course, we also can’t have false confidence. The opposite of no fielders calling for a ball is that everyone calls for it as soon as it goes up into the air. We need something in between — calling for it once players have a good idea that they can get it.

How do we make sure that this is done properly in a game? We practice it!

Your Turn

What else does your team do to make sure that pop-ups and fly balls are caught?

Let me know in the comments below!

Baseball is beautiful. As a coach and fan, I appreciate the strategy, statistics, and history of the game. But the beauty goes far deeper for those who play it because of the limitless life lessons that it teaches.

Baseball will chew up and spit out those who can’t handle the game mentally. And it will expose weaknesses that will come up later in life over and over again.

It’s why I believe strongly that the responsibility of a coach is more than just moving chess pieces in an effort to win. It’s to uncover these life lessons and help young players learn from them so that they respond better in the future — not just on the baseball field but on the field of life.

Here are a few of the many examples of how the game of baseball teaches us life lessons…

1. Dealing with Failure

You will get out. You will strike out. How will you respond? Will you respond constructively so that you can bounce back? Or will you make your problems worse?

You will make mistakes. You will make errors. Will you make corrections? Will you take responsibility? Or will you blame others and refuse to make proper corrections?

You will lose. You may even lose often. Will you use this as motivation? Will you lose gracefully?

In the game of baseball, you will fail. You’ll fail repeatedly. You need to deal with this failure in a positive way so that you learn from it and improve.

This is no different than the game of life. You won’t always get your way. Things won’t always go as we planned. And no matter what we do, we will fail.

You may even have the deck stacked against you.

Failure is evidence that you tried. Failure is an opportunity to learn something new. It teaches you your limits and capabilities. Those who don’t fail aren’t taking risks.

2. Handling Success

Sometimes, handling success is just as difficult as handling failure. Will you take success for granted? Will you get lazy and assume the game will always be easy? Or will you keep working — or work even harder — to maintain that level of success?

How will you treat those below you — on your roster or opposing teams — as you succeed? There is no guarantee that this hierarchy will continue.

Those who can repeat success — on the baseball field and in life — are those few who can remain hungry even after reaching the highest levels. They continue to work hard, if not harder, because they know that nothing is guaranteed.

Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished? Or do you put in even more work to do something no one has ever done before?

3. Being a Team Player

The best teams that can sustain long-term success boast more than a collection of talented players. They have players who work together and for one another in harmony. They realize that they can’t carry the team by themselves.

An athlete who can be a positive team player is more likely to be a positive team player later in life. You will need these skills, no matter what you do in a future career.

A selfish player, if not corrected, may be an unemployable adult.

4. Taking Direction

Do you take criticism well? Do you follow direction from a coach? Or do you accept some, ignore others, and ultimately do whatever you want?

Your ability to take direction — or not — is important because it could highlight whether you’ll be able to do the same later. If not, you may be setting yourself up for a frustrating adulthood.

5. Dealing with Adversity

We often practice as if the game will be played under perfect conditions. Perfect weather, no noise, no pressure, little distraction.

That’s not reality, of course. The game is played under adverse conditions. This is when you decide whether you can adjust to pressure situations, distractions, and imperfect conditions.

Some players find a way. Many crumble and disappear. They’re unable to adjust or prefer the bench over the spotlight.

Life will never go as you planned. No matter how much you prepare, study, and train, a curveball will be thrown your way. In fact, a series of knuckleballs will be thrown to you.

Will you adjust? Will you embrace the challenge? Or will you wilt under this pressure?

6. Baseball — and Life — Aren’t Always Fair

In baseball, the coach doesn’t always make the right decisions. Some players get opportunities that they don’t deserve. Umpires don’t always make the right call. Sometimes, you do everything right and you get bad results.

Baseball isn’t fair. You will deal with situations that don’t make sense. But you must work through them. Will you mope? Will you give up? Or will you adjust or work harder?

This is a reflection of life, which is certainly not fair. Some people will have a built-in advantage. Some will get positions of authority without earning them. Others will work hard and not get a payoff. For some, everything seemingly goes wrong regardless of the work that gets put in.

Life isn’t fair. There isn’t always someone to blame. Sometimes, these things just happen. We can blame others, ignore it, or work harder to either get the results we desire or change the system.

7. Being a Leader

Not everyone is comfortable as a leader. But every team needs them. Sometimes, players need to fight through that discomfort and be the leader that their team needs.

Most people aren’t naturally born leaders. There are traits that are learned over the years that make them fit for the job. And becoming a leader of a baseball team can provide terrific experience.

Whether you lead by example or are a vocal leader, it’s good practice for becoming a leader in other areas of life later on.

8. Earning Opportunities

If you play on a competitive baseball team with players who are all on about the same level, you know that you must achieve to earn your spot in the lineup or on the field. If you don’t, someone else will be there to take that spot.

Someone has to hit last. Someone will sit the bench more than others. Will that person be you? If so, how will you handle it? Will you complain and blame the coach or will you work harder?

And if you don’t have that competition for playing time now, you will later. There’s always someone better than you, waiting to take your spot.

How do you deal with this? Do you work harder to get playing time or more at bats? How you handle this — and how your parents handle this — could set the tone for what you do later.

Most people aren’t handed positions of authority without earning them. Will you work harder to achieve more? Will you blame the company or authority for your plight?

9. Competing Gracefully with Opponents

One of the many things that make baseball amazing is the competition. Two teams fighting for the same thing, but only one can win. This leads to intensity, pressure, and high drama situations.

How do you handle this? Do you respect your opponents? Do you appreciate the effort that they put in? Or do you belittle them, focusing on the “us vs. them” mentality?

The truth is that all teams have more similarities than we like to admit. Neither team is perfect. Both teams have their warts and their flaws. Both teams are working towards the same goal. Do you appreciate that?

You will have opponents later in life. You will be competing for the same things. This can be friendly and healthy competition or it can bring the worst out of you.

Your competition now may be teammates, partners, friends, and co-workers later.

10. Preparation, Goals, and Slow Progress

A baseball game is a series of events for which you have varying levels of preparation. Some — like a standard ground ball without runners on base — are practiced repeatedly. Other situations are rare. Will you practice them? Will you know how to handle these rare situations, too?

While some players are born with more athletic ability than others, all will have a ceiling that can’t be exceeded without hard work. Practice is rarely appreciated as something necessary for improvement. Do you go through the motions? Do you expect to get better naturally?

It’s human nature that we want things now. Progress from hard work is often difficult to spot because it’s slow. Do you work anyway? Do you set goals and chart yourself on your progress?

Your preparation and goal setting as a baseball player is good practice for your adult life. Do you prepare for a test? A presentation? A business proposal? Or do you wing it and trust your natural instincts and ability?

11. Working When No One’s Watching

When you’re on the baseball field, everyone’s watching. There’s a natural inclination to want to perform well and impress others.

But do you use this same intensity on the practice field? How about going above and beyond and putting in work off of the practice field that no one else sees? Those who work when no one is watching are those who are most likely to get the best results.

Later, will you only do the required work? Will your focus be on achieving when the spotlight is on? Or will you do all of the little things that often go unnoticed and help you achieve in that position?

Your Turn

Baseball is a great teacher of life lessons. Will you listen? Will you learn? Think about other lessons that this beautiful game teaches. What did I miss?

Let me know in the comments below!

If you know that a scout was watching you play, would you do anything differently?

It can be a challenge to inspire players to do little things that are so often neglected but are so consistently the difference between winning and losing. That’s why I’ve taken a different approach with my team lately: Play like a scout is watching.

It doesn’t need to be a scout, particularly for the younger ages and lower levels. Maybe it’s a close friend or relative. Or simply someone you would want to impress.

If someone comes to your game to watch you play, they are focused on you. They don’t only see you hit, field, and run the bases but everything in between.

Granted, parents are doing this. But, unfortunately, that’s just a given now. We know that Mom and Dad are watching. It’s part of the game.

If, though, you knew that a scout was there to see you play, how would it affect your performance? Would you do anything differently?

A scout, for example, will certainly care about how hard you hit or throw the ball. They will care, to a point, about results. But they will also watch other details very closely.

In a perfect world, you’ll do everything the way you always have. You don’t need inspiration to play hard, hustle, be aware, be positive, and be a team player. But this exercise may help the typical player.

This isn’t intended to put more pressure on players to perform. Instead, it’s to help them value the little things that are often ignored.

A scout — or any person who is at a game just to watch you — will be paying attention to the following things…

1. Do You Always Hustle?

I realize that I’m a broken record on the topic of hustle, but it’s such an easy thing to do for any kid — regardless of talent. Yet, very few players hustle at 100% ALL THE TIME.

As a coach, this is frustrating. There’s really no excuse for it. So it may take a reminder to play like a scout is watching.

When should you hustle?

• Onto the field
• Off the field
• After you get out
• To any base
• To the baseball
• To your backup position

Hustling isn’t jogging. It’s not just running. It’s running as fast as you can, without hesitation. Especially when doing so or not will result in runs, bases, or outs.

There is something special about a player who always hustles. He stands out.

2. How Do You React to Failure?

What happens when you strike out? Do you look back at the umpire and throw your hands in the air? Do you mope back to the dugout? When you get there, do you throw your bat or helmet? Do you sit down with your head in your hands while the rest of your teammates are standing?

What happens when you don’t get a strike call while on the mound? Or you make an error in the field? What is your body language like?

A scout would be watching these things. He’d want to see that you take responsibility for and learn from your mistakes. He’d want to see that you have a short memory and that you bounce back quickly.

If you know that someone is watching these things closely, would you act differently?

3. How Do You Treat Teammates?

A true team player is someone who cares about his teammates, rather than focusing only on his own results. What do you do when a teammate is struggling? When he’s down? When the pressure’s on and he’s emotional?

All coaches want team players. They’re special because they can help lift their teammates in difficult times.

Me-first players will do the complete opposite. They will complain and react and ridicule a struggling teammate. The result is often that things get worse.

If a scout attends your game, how you treat your teammates will be important.

4. Is Your Mind In the Game?

Do you goof off in the dugout? Do you lose focus? Are you talking to friends in the stands in between pitches?

It’s good to be loose, but there’s a fine line. A lack of focus that takes your mind out of the game can lead to bad results for you and your team.

A scout will take notice.

5. How Do You Prepare Before the Game Starts?

Those who practice with a purpose realize there’s a reason for their warmups. They aren’t just going through the motions. They are repeating good process so that they can execute these same movements in the game.

Do you warmup your arm without any intent, throwing lazily off of your heels and chatting with your friends? Do you use good mechanics when fielding ground balls, or are you attempting trick plays you’d never try in a game?

The same goes for in between innings. Outfielders toss the ball back and forth to one another. Are you doing it to replicate the type of ball you’ll field in a game? Are you approaching that ball the way you will when it’s hit to you? Are you fielding ground balls properly, or are you just wasting time?

A scout would be watching. Would his notes embarrass you?

6. Do You Respect Umpires and Opponents?

The respect that you show to others will be important to a scout or potential coach. Do you argue with and disrespect umpires? Such behavior could be a sign that you’re selfish.

Do you treat your opponents respectfully? Do you congratulate them on a good hit? How do you behave after a game? Do you run away to the dugout, or do you look your opponents in the eye to tell them “good game?”

Are you screaming to distract the pitcher? Do you yell “got it!” when the opposing first baseman attempts a catch at your dugout? Do you laugh at your opponent’s misfortune?

Or are you steady? Level-headed? A scout wants to see that you are focused on your game and respectful of your opponents. Your behavior and body language should change very little, regardless of the score.

As I often tell my own players, no one should ever be able to look into the dugout and guess the score.

7. Do You Respond to Coaching?

Do you ignore signs? Do you run through a stop sign from the third base coach? What happens when a coach comes over to talk about your at bat following a strikeout? Do you accept his instruction, or do you put your head down and ignore him?

Your coachability is an important characteristic. If you resist coaching, it suggests that you are unwilling to change, adapt, and improve.

A scout would notice these things.

Your Turn

You can use a similar exercise for your own team. It doesn’t need to be a scout. It could be something more fun like a girlfriend or celebrity. If you know that someone is watching everything you do, you’ll want to make sure to present your best self.

Any other strategies that you use to encourage your players to do the little things in games?

Let me know in the comments below!

One of the first steps in the maturation of a young athlete is the ability to take responsibility for their own actions, preparation, and anything within their control. An immature athlete will always find ways to shift blame to other people or conditions and away from themselves for their own failures.

A mature athlete will accept and embrace difficult conditions and find ways to adapt. They will learn from how the change in conditions impacts their approach. They see that their response — their ability to take responsibility — has a positive impact on their results as well as on their teammates.

As you read through this, much of it can be applied to coaches and parents as well, but the primary focus is on players. It’s time to stop blaming everyone and everything else. It’s time to take responsibility.

Stop blaming…

1. Umpires

Umpires aren’t perfect. They’re far from it. They will make mistakes, you can count on that. But they’re also not particularly well compensated, and they take a ton of abuse. Personally, I’d never be an umpire. It’s a thankless job.

Expect some calls to be wrong. Expect that you will disagree with some calls. As a player, this is nothing to get mad at. It will be part of the game.

Instead of blaming the umpire for an out call on your infield grounder, ask yourself: Did I do everything I could to make this an easier call for the umpire? Because if you hesitated AT ALL, much of the blame should be put on you.

When it comes to plays in the field for an offense, you want to make all safe calls obvious to an umpire. Anything that is close becomes a 50/50 proposition and you’re leaving it up to the umpire gods. Do all you can to avoid that situation.

There is not a set strike zone. Some umpires will call high, some low, some wide, some tight, and some unpredictable. Get a quick sense of what the umpire calls and doesn’t call. Then use that to your advantage.

Instead, a player who refuses to accept responsibility assumes a set strike zone. They disagree with a call and refuse to adjust. After that called third strike in the first at bat, will you adjust? Or will the same thing happen again?

If an umpire’s strike zone is wide or unpredictable, you need to do what you can as a hitter to take the third strike call out of his hands. Be more aggressive. Stop blaming the umpire.

2. Weather Conditions

Weather conditions can and will play havoc on a baseball player. The Spiders have already dealt with all of these this season…

Too Cold: It’s not easy playing in the cold. Your hands may be numb. The bat vibrates. Make sure that you dress for the occasion and keep yourself warm.

Too Hot: Heat can be a baseball player’s worst enemy. It can result in dehydration and a lack of energy. Stay hydrated and stay cool, when possible.

Rain: The ball will be wet. The bat will be wet. YOU will be wet. How will you adjust? Or will you simply make more mistakes and complain about it?

Wind: Which way is the wind blowing? How will it impact fly balls and popups? Will you be able to adjust? Will you help your teammates if the ball blows away from them?

Sun: It seems so simple, but the sun can make things incredibly difficult for the best of defenders. What are typically routine fly balls and popups become an adventure. Will you wear sunglasses? Shield the sun with your glove? Take another angle? Will you help point out the ball for your teammates if you see it?

The reality: Weather conditions are rarely perfect. Deal with it. The other team plays with the same conditions. Your job is to handle those conditions better than they do.

For the Spiders, we’ll discuss the weather conditions once prior to the game. We’ll talk about how it impacts what we need to do. I’ll present it as a challenge for us to overcome. But it will not be something that kids will talk about, complain about, or blame during the game.

3. Field Conditions

Some outfields are bumpy and hilly. Some slope down. The grass is long and thick on some outfields, short and pristine on others.

Some infields are well manicured. The dirt has been dragged. It’s flat and free of rocks, leading to true hops. Other infields are like playing on a gravel driveway. You have no idea where the ball is going to go.

Guess what? Both teams deal with this. How will you handle it? Will you see it as a challenge? Will you learn what you need to do to adjust? Or will you simply complain and make excuses?

4. Teammates

Your teammate didn’t execute. He struck out or made a bad throw or couldn’t catch the ball or can’t find the strike zone on the mound.

Your reaction? Frustration. Blaming him for runs scored. Blaming him for putting your team in a hole.

Think about this the next time you make a mistake. It will happen. Will your teammates blame you? Will you accept that responsibility?

Don’t create a toxic environment. Blaming teammates helps no one. They made a bad throw, but did you do all you could to catch it? Or are you just making sure others realize that it wasn’t entirely your fault? They didn’t make the catch, but were you there to back them up?

Baseball is a mental game. You can’t do anything about the mistake that was already made. Support the teammate who is down to help make sure he can make the play next time. Help your teammate understand responsibilities if he wasn’t in the right place.

Everyone makes mistakes. Minimizing the impact of mistakes is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

5. Coaches

You’re the runner at second. A line drive single is hit to right, and you head to third. Your coach sends you home, and you’re out on a close play.

“COACH SENT ME!” You throw your arms out in exasperation. “IT’S NOT MY FAULT!”

The coach certainly carries responsibility regarding everything that happens on the field. But is the blame for him alone?

You must ask yourself: Did I get the best lead that I could? Did I get the best jump? What kind of angle did I take around third? Did I hesitate? Did I ever slow down? Could I have taken a better slide?

Whenever something doesn’t lead to positive results, you have to think about whether you did everything within your power to avoid that situation. If you didn’t, what will you do differently next time?

By simply blaming the coach, nothing will change. You’ll do everything the same way you did last time over and over again.

My goal as a coach is to get to the point where I’m mostly standing on third looking pretty. I want you to anticipate and react to the game around you. If you are constantly waiting for instruction from me, you will always be a step or two behind.

6. Parents

“My dad got me here late.”

Okay. I get it. You aren’t 16. You don’t drive. You were late this time. But what about if you’re late repeatedly? What are you doing to make sure that it doesn’t happen again?

Stress to your dad that you need to get here earlier. Tell him that you need to leave 15 minutes earlier than the schedule states. It’s ultimately your responsibility to get here on time.

I can’t bench your dad. But I can bench you. It may seem unfair, but you do have some say over when you get to practice and games.

Chances are that it’s not your dad’s fault anyway. Chances are that you waited until the last minute to get ready (it happens in my house!). Take responsibility and do things differently next time.

Be a Leader

Those who accept responsibility — and vocally — are leaders that every team needs. This goes for players and coaches alike. If you realize that you could have done something differently, face up to it. And if it’s something that others can learn from, let them know.

Those who are constantly blaming other people and conditions for their poor results will cultivate a toxic environment. Their noise provides no value. Instead, it provides negative value that will only lead to more poor results.

Your Turn

We could certainly add to this list regarding ways that we can stop blaming others and start taking responsibility. What would you add?

Let me know in the comments below!

What separates great teams from good teams, good ones from bad? What are the best teams doing that others are not? Are there building blocks for success?

I started asking myself these questions thanks to a reply to one of our recent posts following the seventh championship victory of the season for the Spiders 14u team…

Congratulations! If you could sum it up in one paragraph, to what would you attribute the success, of this team in particular?

To start, let me say that the Spiders aren’t a nationally recognized team. While we have had an incredible amount of success this season (52-10 at this point), we haven’t yet faced a handful of the state’s top teams. So while we’re certainly good, I’m not claiming to be the best.

The truth is that the level of success we’re experiencing is somewhat of a surprise. Started at 12u, we’ve improved every season…

12u: Won about half of our games, winning one tournament
13u: Won about twice as many games as we lost, winning three tournaments
14u: Won five times as many games as we’ve lost, winning seven tournaments and runner up twice (so far)

After losing our ace and starting catcher to high school after last season, I’m sorry to say I wasn’t expecting this. If I had, we would have traveled more to get a greater test.

That said, there certainly is something special about this team. They consistently win close games, come from behind, and succeed in the face of adversity. That has not always been the case in the past two seasons.

There are a few characterisitics of this current team which I believe are important for any group of athletes to succeed…

DEFENSE

When I replied to the original question above, this was my primary answer. Simple and to the point, this is the biggest difference in our team this year than in years past — and the biggest difference between our team and the majority of our opponents.

We won’t always out-hit you. Our pitchers are often less dominant than our opponents’. But our defense will often stifle and frustrate the other team.

When most coaches assemble a team, they focus on two primary things:

1. Big bats
2. Big arms

You want power hitters and ace pitchers who can shut down the opposition. That’s the focus.

And I get it. I wouldn’t mind having those things, too. But tunnel vision focused only on these attributes can and will cause issues on defense.

If you have three or four big, strong, and slow power hitters, where are they all going to play? Typically, these players are designed for first base. The overflow goes to third base and the outfield. But are they actually good in those positions?

You can pitch, but where do you play when you aren’t pitching? Once again, this often creates a situation where you’re trying to hide a player who isn’t a plus defender.

In our case, the focus is on building a roster of athletes who can play multiple positions. That flexibility makes it easy to have a 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d defensive alignment, regardless of who is pitching or sitting.

Outfield

Okay, we’re still talking about defense, but I felt this needed its own section. That’s just how important it is, particularly as kids get older.

We consistently play teams at the 14u level with players who can hit the ball hard and far. It’s absolutely imperative that you have outfielders who are fast, get good reads, and can run down the ball.

With good outfielders, you can turn what may otherwise be an extra base hit against some teams into a single or an out. That is huge at the older ages when scoring becomes more difficult.

At younger ages, the outfield positions get neglected far too often. Kids don’t want to play there and coaches often put their weaker players there. If you aren’t developing good outfielders, you will pay for it later.

The truth is that outfield, as you get older, may be the most important defensive position on the field. No other position can make a bigger difference between whether a drive into the gap is an extra base hit and multiple runs or an out.

Practice Failing

I believe that the experience our players had the past few seasons helped them become the players and team they are now. Losing and failing ultimately provide more lessons than does winning.

When you win, it’s easy to overlook the mistakes that were made along the way. Everyone is happy. Big smiles all around.

When you lose, teams take a deeper introspective look at what happened. Why did it happen? What could we have done differently? How do we prevent this from happening again?

Granted, I’m a strong believer in process over results, and I’m less satisfied with an ugly win than a well-played loss. But there’s some human nature here. When you win, there’s less urgency to change and fix something.

Losing gives the bad feeling that no one wants to repeat. And it will often motivate you to get better.

Practice in Adversity

Looking back at the past two seasons, I’ll fully admit that we weren’t the most mentally tough team. What I mean by that is that we’d often crumble under the pressure.

What do you do when an umpire makes bad calls? When the other team starts coming back? When the other team starts building a big lead? When the other pitcher is difficult to hit? When parents start freaking out? When the weather is bad? When it’s hot? When it’s cold? When it’s raining? When it’s windy?

Some teams and players can be amazing in perfect conditions. But the minute things are just a little bit off, they fall apart.

This may simply be because they haven’t dealt with adversity enough times yet. Or they haven’t figured out how to properly manage it.

I firmly believe that our experience in adversity as well as how we learned from it is a big reason for our success this season. We consistently win close games, come back at the last minute, or prevail under against-all-odds conditions.

I don’t believe this is luck. Our players have learned how to handle these situations after years of dealing with it poorly.

The Little Things

We constantly preach the “little things” because they are so easily ignored. When we aren’t playing our best baseball, it’s because we aren’t executing the things that are so easy to control.

I’m not talking about anything that takes physical skill. I’m referring to the things that anyone can do (but very few players do it consistently)…

1. Hustle: I harp on hustle more than anything else. It drives me absolutely insane when a player doesn’t hustle. A baseball player has very few moments in a game when he gets to run as fast as he can. Take advantage of those moments.

Hustle is often the difference between a hit and an out, a rally ended or a big inning. It’s the difference between an easy out and a close play — and, as we know, umpires are human. Force them to make a difficult call.

2. Energy: You don’t need to be the boisterous, annoying team that is constantly shouting nonsense. But energy and body language are contagious. A drop in energy during adversity often accelerates a downward trend.

3. Positivity: You’re down. The other team just scored three. You just made an error. You struck out. SO WHAT?? Teams that remain positive in adversity — supporting one another and not getting down on themselves — are teams that can always fight back.

Teams that dwell in negativity unravel at the first sign of trouble. And it can get ugly.

4. Awareness: What’s the situation? What’s the count? How many outs are there? What is the pitcher throwing? Players can’t be reactionary. They must have awareness — a basic understanding of what is happening so that their approach will be the most productive.

5. Responsibility: Do you know what to do in the event of a bunt? What about your backup responsibilities? Or first and third situations? Players who get distracted and lack focus are often the first to neglect their responsibilities. This can kill a team’s chances for success.

6. Team First: Successful teams are built around players who care first about the success of their team and second about themselves. Yes, a player should want to improve himself and expect the most of himself. But the team is the primary concern.

Is a player smiling and happy about his big game after a tough loss? Is he moping in the dugout due to his bad day after a big win? This is selfishness than can suck the life out of a team.

No Free Passes

The greatest defense in the world goes to waste if you can’t throw strikes.

Our strength is defense. As a result, we need our pitchers to pitch to contact. Strikeouts are great, but walks and hit batters are the worst possible outcome for us.

Walks kill teams. I’ve seen too many big arms who look pretty on the mound kill teams because they can’t throw strikes. And coaches often ignore it because the velocity or breaking stuff are impressive.

Granted, you also need to play to your team’s strengths and understand your weaknesses. If defense is a weakness, the risk and reward of such a pitcher makes more sense. For us, if you can’t strike out the batter, we need contact.

The Other Things

Of course, there are many other things that contribute to winning youth baseball games. Baserunning, pitching, situational hitting, and more all contribute. We could go on for days with this list.

But I wanted to focus on the primary factors that have contributed to one particular team’s success. The truth is that we may not be the best team when it comes to some of these “other” things. We won’t always outhit and outpitch you. But it’s all of the primary things above that often make the difference for us.

The beauty is that many of these things can be controlled and can help any team find more success.

Your Turn

These are the things that define the Spiders when we are playing our best baseball. When we aren’t it’s often because we’re not hitting on one or several of these important points.

How about your team? What items did I leave off of this list?

Let me know in the comments below!