Strengthening the Links

        Team sports are great for many reasons.  The feeling of accomplishing something with a large group of people somehow supersedes the euphoria we get after working hard individually and achieving.  One of the elements of team sports I love is the unlimited amount of variables that go into a team being successful.  Quality of talent, mixing of personalities, team chemistry, and efficiently working hard are a few of the many.  As coaches, we all long for figuring out that way we can make a group of people work as well as possible together.  Then, we want to do it again and again.  Rarely are we satisfied.  There is always something we could have done better.  With that in mind, I think there is a way we can improve the quality of team that often gets overlooked.  We have all heard the adage, "You're only as strong as your weakest link."  Well, I think we sometimes focus so much on the creation of this amazing chain that we neglect the links.  In reality, wouldn't it make sense to focus on making each and every link of the chain as strong as possible?

        So how do we go about making each link as strong as possible, and how does that differ than what is already done?  The way to strengthen the links is to focus on development of the individuals.  Rather than teaching everyone to hit the same way, work to the individual strengths and weaknesses of the player.  The same goes with pitching.  If every pitcher has his own velocity level, command, and mix of breaking pitches, should the entire staff then pitch in the same fashion?  The same also goes with the mental side of the game.  Not everyone is the same, and teaching mental skills to everyone in a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all way makes very little sense to me.  As many of you are aware of, it makes me feel nauseous when I see an entire lineup of hitters have the exact same routine in between pitches.  It makes me wonder if they truly understand the purpose behind having a performance routine or if someone has simply brushed over a topic with them.

        While I do think there are certain concepts everyone can benefit from, the real reward in the implementation of sport psychology lies with an understanding of self.  Becoming self-aware and creating a healthy perspective trumps individual mental skills.  Most of us, after all, are in the business of helping young men and women develop into the best possible people they can be.  Why then do we not spend more time on the development?  In the ideal setting, I think a great mental skills program combines both group and individual sessions.  The group sessions are targeted more at educating, and the individual sessions focus on helping players figure out themselves.

        Over the last several weeks I have been working on a final project paper where I have been researching and writing about the possible effects of implementing a mental skills program at the minor league level over a period of time.  Although the research is extremely limited, I am confident it backs up what I am discussing here.  The question then remains:  Do you want to incorporate the mental side of the game to say you do it, or do you want to because you want players to perform as well as possible and develop as individuals?  Think carefully about that answer, and I'd challenge you to do the same with every element of your coaching.  For the record, I am not against team concepts and have seen firsthand team chemistry make up for shortcomings in talent.  My only point is, at the least, there should be more of a balance of the two.  Focus on the development of individuals within a team concept, and then I think you're onto something.

         Some of you may have seem my analogy the other day of a great team being like a beautiful painting.  The artist doesn't focus solely on the grand totality of the painting to make it happen.  Rather, the artist takes care with each individual brush stroke while keeping the overall painting in mind.  The individuals on your team are the brush strokes.  Take care with each one, and the result will be the "Mona Lisa" you want to create.

                                                                                                 

Avoid the Overhype

        Around the country over the last couple of weeks schools are starting to get fired up.  With that, athletes across the country enter college for the first time.  Excitement is in the air, and with good reason.  Starts provide an opportunity to start anew, to rededicate ourselves to a craft, or to latch on to new points of emphasis.  In some cases, we're meeting brand new people.  In other cases, we just haven't seen each other in a while.  Many high school athletes have played with other teams over the summer and are happy to see their teammates once again.  There is a buzz, and the buzz is great.  To steal a phrase applicable as college football gets ready to get fired up as well, "Everyone is undefeated."  What I mean in this case is the start of anything we like provides a chance to be excited and to forget all of the ups and downs of the previous year.  It's the same principle that gets everyone excited for their New Year's Resolutions.  "This is my chance!" is what we think.

        The real separator in who is most successful over the year and who is not is the ability to keep a consistent level of energy over the long haul.  Watch what I mean as the different scenarios above play out.  Many of the eager college freshmen will crash and burn after possibly facing adversity for the first time in their lives.  They may bring inconsistent efforts to the field that are predicated by inconsistent behaviors due to the many new distractions off of it.  Much of the optimism of a new school year will soon fade and be replaced by complaining about anything and anybody around us.  The high school athletes who are excited to see each other will be challenged as they get back to a reality present in an environment where playing time is no longer determined by Mom and Dad giving a check to their travel teams.  Somewhere, all of those things will indeed happen.  Somewhere else, college freshmen who are challenged will face those challenges as opportunities to improve.  They'll create quality work habits and discover their process.  They will do what they can do to get better on a daily basis.  Teachers will turn a cheek to the complainers and will keep what is important fresh in their heads throughout the year.  Some high school athletes and teams will take things day by day, embrace the fun with the not-so-fun, and will achieve success as a result.  The way many of the most successful will do it is with a consistent level of energy over a long period of time.

        There is a connection to my philosophy on sport psychology with this blog's theme.  In my opinion, true value in its concepts and teachings is seen over an extended period of time.  I implore you to be wary of people who will make claims of coming and speaking to you for a day and completely changing the way you think.  Like the excitement discussed above, the isolated talk will soon fade.  The true path to understanding who you are as an athlete or coach and how you can best perform isn't a secret formula bottled in a two day boot camp.  There is no secret formula at all, and there is no one path to excellence.  Most of what really makes life special happens over a period of time.  Sport is no different, and neither is the mental side.  With that, I challenge you to bring a consistent level of energy to whatever it is you are starting this time of year that you like to do.  Every day is truly an opportunity in and of itself, but success happens when individual days, filled with individual moments, add up.  My Grandpa Matty was not a rich man, but he wanted to buy a house.  He viewed every day he worked as a brick towards building his future house, and over time he had his home.  Build your success with this same approach.  One of my nutty theories I'm convinced is true is that focusing on what day of the week just absolutely crushes so many people's abilities to be productive consistently.  The reason it kills that consistency is because Monday is seen as a day to feel bad we aren't on the weekend, Friday is a day to cash it in, and anything goes on the weekend.  It's a wildly inefficient way of thinking and creates a process of inconsitency.  Have a great school year, sport season, and continue to Win Now!

     

Takeaways From the World Cup Final

        Like many of you, I fulfilled my American duty of watching the Women's World Cup final last night between the United States and Japan.  I have to admit my soccer background is limited.  My playing career lasted but one spring and fall season before Dad forced me into an early retirement at the age of 7.  If only Dad had known about the benefits of playing multiple sports, then maybe I'd be in the big leagues now!  Regardless, my interest in the sport has grown over the last several years.  I've become an admirer of greatness in any form, and watching the world's best in anything has appeal.  There were several interesting articles about Carli Lloyd after the semi-final match against Germany, and her commitment to the mental side of the sport piqued my interest as well.  Because there are many much more qualified than I to recap the game and discuss the strategies and sets and blah blah, I won't waste your time with an amateur attempt to do so.  What I will talk about are a few of my mental takeaways as a casual observer of one of the greatest individual and team performances I have ever seen on such a big stage.

1. Playing with Conviction as a Team:  Those of you who are regular readers of the blog or of my Twitter feed know of my belief that playing, hitting, pitching, shooting, throwing, etc. with conviction is one of the most important qualities an athlete can have.  I said something a few days ago about Max Scherzer and the way he is pitching with complete conviction.  Well, last night I saw a team playing with complete conviction, and it was awesome!  The United States came out and absolutely dominated for the first sixteen minutes of the game and took a commanding 4-0 lead.  Everything they did seemed to go as scripted, and they made it look so easy.  The announcers made the comment of it seeming like they had an extra player on the field.  It was a joy to watch.  The term zone was thrown out, and I do believe the entire team was playing with zone-like qualities at the very least.  Carli Lloyd was absolutely in the zone and even said she felt like she blacked out when she scored her incredible goal from near midfield.  The closest I could think of from a team standpoint is the Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals when they just absolutely blitzed the Heat.  The feeling was the same, and the stage was at it's biggest.  Both teams played with such freedom that is earned through more preparation than any of us who have not experienced firsthand could imagine.

2. Overreaction to the United States not keeping up the first 15 minutes:  So the score of the game is 4-0 after fifteen minutes, and I don't think anybody would have predicted that.  Then, the United States began to play just well instead of out of this world like they had for the first fifteen minutes of the match.  The announcers overreacted and said they had to get back to playing like they had for the first fifteen minutes.  Come on!  I don't think anyone went into the game thinking the United States had to take a 4-0 lead in fifteen minutes to have a chance to win the Cup.  So why would they HAVE to do so when they couldn't keep up the impossible pace?  Luckily, there was zero panic or wavering of trust where it mattered most:  the players playing.  They kept playing, didn't overreact to Japan scoring a goal, and controlled the game.

3. Sportsmanship:  This was the biggest stage in the world.  The players wanted to go out and dominate the game.  Despite this fact and the lopsided nature of the match, both teams showed incredible sportsmanship and grace in the way they handled themselves.  Players were helped up after fouls were committed.  I'm sure some people out there thought, "What?!  What are they doing helping up players from the other team?!?! Aren't they competitive?!  Aren't they TOUGH?!?!"  What about being tough asks for not showing respect for the other team?  Many of the best in the world, after all, play the game or themselves instead of the opponent.  Phil Jackson, Arthur Ashe, and Nick Saban are three examples for you if you need them.  The United States showed an impressive ability to be great sports while still wanting to beat the snot out of the opponent.  Not to be overlooked, the Japanese handled getting beat badly very well too.  They were equally good sports.  They didn't want it any less than the Americans.  They just lost and were women enough to do so with grace.

4. Team, Team, Team:  Everything in the game and in the post-game comments was about the team.  There were really good players on the bench for the good of the team.  Abby Wambach, widely regarded as one of the best ever in the sport, played a meaningless fifteen minutes at the end of the game with the team up three.  It didn't matter because the experience wasn't about her individually.  Carli Lloyd's comments were all about the team and how proud she was of them.  Carli, you just had maybe the greatest individual performance I've ever seen in my life.  Don't you want to talk about yourself?  No.  There was no need for her to do that because the performance did all of the necessary talking on its own.

5. "She believed in every single one of us."  This was a quote that stood out to me from Carli Lloyd about the head coach Jill Ellis.  I think I have referenced such belief before, but to me this is critical of great teams.  The coach has to AT LEAST give off the impression of having belief in every single member of the team.  If the athlete is good enough to be a part of the team and to do everything asked of them, the coach owes that belief to the athlete!  If a coach only shows belief in select players or starters, then the coach sets himself/herself up for disappointment when any form of adversity hits.  It's stubborn to put all of the responsibility for belief on the individual player.  The announcers discussed how one of the players on the team had really been helped by Wambach with her confidence.  This is a player on the best women's soccer team in the world, and she has trouble with confidence in herself.  That was a telling story and one I think speaks to the responsibility we have to foster confidence in athletes at all levels.  Before you bash me for that, I am not saying to baby and coddle them.  I just tend to think all athletes have strengths.  The more we get the athletes to believe in those strengths, the greater chance they have for success.  That is part of why we coach them, correct?  Although I would agree it is crucial to have belief in one's own abilities in order to be a good player, support is something we all need as human beings.

        Those are just a few of the many takeaways I had from watching again what I consider to be one of the greatest individual and team performances I have ever witnessed in my life.  To all of the women on the US National Team, it was an absolute pleasure.  As someone who appreciates greatness, you all provided me with 90 minutes of it with the way you played and conducted yourselves.  I won't pretend to understand all of the hard work and dedication it has taken for that 90 minute masterpiece to transpire.  All I will say is it paid off.  You all didn't just inspire little girls who dream of one day being in your shoes.  I can say with certainly you inspired a 31-year-old man, and I can say with confidence you all inspired a nation!  Thank you!


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        Side Note:  What were your takeaways?  I'd love to hear them from you.  Shoot me a tweet, an email, or comment below.  Thanks again for reading!

A Freedom I'm Thankful For More and More

        Happy Fourth of July to all of Win Now Nation!  As I sit in my house this morning I have no choice but to think about what the Fourth means to me and what it represents.  First, it is a great reminder of what an amazing country we are fortunate enough to live in.  People have risked their lives just for the opportunity to live in the United States, and that alone speaks to the greatness of the country.  Second, I am thankful for all of those who have fought for our freedom and to protect it.  They are largely nameless and faceless which means they are easy to take for granted for a concrete thinker like myself.  Thank you to all the men and women, past, present, and future, for protecting us.  Third, I think of some of the freedoms that make our country so special and how they connect to me and where I am in professional venture.  One, in particular stands out.

         The right that I have been feeling more of a connection to lately is freedom of speech, or more specifically, the freedom to believe whatever we want.  As I started to learn about sport psychology, I believed everything I read.  This was easy at first because I was starting from scratch.  It wasn't unlike people across the world who create beliefs based on the information they are presented with.  It's natural human behavior but can be dangerous when the information you're exposed to only comes from a specific source.  For example, if Twitter is your only source for ANYTHING, imagine the skewed perception of reality you get!  Just the other day, I stumbled on a Twitter handle advertising itself as a source of quotes for someone widely accepted as one of the greatest within the field of sport psychology.  Although the concept is outstanding, the account it littered with quotes that are not from the person.  How dangerous!  If that account is someone's only exposure to sport psychology, they are getting an extremely warped sense of what it is about.

        With the progression through my degree program, talking with people within the field and coaches, and reading LOTS of books, I've been fortunate enough to move past this initial phase of accepting everything I read as ultimate truth.  The experience has created the challenge of deciding what I believe and to what extent.  It has been difficult and has forced me to completely reassess major parts of what I initially thought was my philosophy on sport psychology.  It has also resulted in the temptation to write off those who disagree with me.  In really any part of life, this is a challenge.  We tend to choose to be around people who believe the same things as us.  I think the thought is especially true as we are new to anything.  I can remember my early days as a teacher and coach.  I would say something with the soul purpose of others echoing what I thought to make myself feel better.  A sense of comfort comes from others reinforcing our beliefs.  By only talking with people who think like us, however, we are missing a tremendous opportunity for growth.  Discussing topics with people who disagree with us forces us to think about the reasons behind whatever we believe.  It forces us to contemplate our "Why?"  If the discussion takes places with an open mind, then we are better off.  Some of my favorite students to teach are kids who I would have never been friends with when I was in high school.  They are people I have great admiration for because of their courage to be themselves and be different thinkers at such a young age.  I love it when people think differently.  Some educators/coaches take it personally, but I embrace the challenge (at least sometimes)!

        In closing, I am reminded of a great quote by a guy named Voltaire.  He is one of the contributors to a period in history called The Enlightenment.  Voltaire said, "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."  Outstanding and really what our military is doing on a daily basis.  This is an oversimplification of so much, but I encourage you to understand it is okay to disagree with others.  Challenge yourself to get something out of the experience of disagreement, and force yourself to grow.  I will be challenging myself to do the same.  Everybody have a great Fourth of July, and celebrate all that is good in our country and it's people!

  

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A Fine Line Between Self-Awareness and Development

        Some of you are aware of this, but many of you are probably not.  My roots are actually in education.  I've taught social studies at the high school level for the past seven years and am reminded of one of the characteristics of adolescence from a Sociology course I caught a few years back as I write this morning.  The characteristic I am thinking of is called "Search for self" and refers to the very tenuous nature of what high school kids are experiencing as they try to find themselves.  They are no longer little kids who blindly follow the direction of all adults, but they are not yet adults themselves.  It's a period of self-discovery that is crucial for development not only as athletes but as people.  That is part of what makes coaching at the high school level both so special and so important.  We really have the chance to make an impact on people.

        So where am I going with this?  Well, one of the most crucial concepts in sport psychology to me is self-awareness.  This involves knowing both strengths and weaknesses as a player/coach and person as well as understanding the connection between the two.  Who we are as people absolutely has an impact on who we are as players or as coaches.  For example, I was a perfectionist growing up.  Although it helped in developing a strong work ethic, it hurt my perception of what was tolerable in performance.  I actually thought I should get a hit every single at-bat in high school!  To expect to get a hit every time up is one thing, but the way I handled the inevitable getting out more often than not was unhealthy.  This also affected how I took criticism from coaches.  I didn't do very well when I felt like criticism was questioning my work on my swing.  In hindsight, the mental coach in me would tell myself to focus on the message not the delivery from the coaches.  I'd tell myself not to be so extrinsically motivated by how my coaches perceived me.  The mental coach in me today would also tell coaches that how you handle a perfectionist should be different than how you handle someone who is haphazard in everything they do.  But Coach Ehrlich, I thought we are supposed to treat everyone the same?  Only if you don't want to be as effective as possible.

        So, what can we do with this information?  The real message I wanted to send with the post is there is fine line between being self-aware and still looking to develop as a player and person.  Dealing with high school players is going to be different than working with ten  year professionals.  At the high school level, athletes are rapidly changing as they garner more experience and mature both physically and mentally.  What made them successful as a ninth grader would hopefully evolve as they grow.  Therefore, a delicate balance is necessary between accepting who one's self is but still looking to improve.  It would be viewed as unacceptable, as an example, for a player to just say, "Well, being lazy is just who I have always been."  To accept this would be against our DNA as coaches.  Instead, a followup for the player would be something to the effect of, "Well are you okay with being the player you have always been?"  The answer would be indicative of what a player's future goals are.  If he is okay with just being an average player, then that is ultimately his decision.  You then don't stop coaching him up, but it honestly keeps you from driving yourself crazy wanting it for him.  If he wants to be a "dude," then hopefully it clicks for the player to make an adjustment.  That "got it" moment may be what helps the player to then accept coaching to the point of being pushed to become as good as possible.

        In conclusion, I would like you to consider this point.  Being you is one of the greatest character traits I admire in both athletes and people.  I think the most exceptional of athletes are able to know what their strengths are and to play to those strengths as often as possible.  I'm also reminded of what has become one of my favorite quotes from a surprising "expert" in the field of sport psychology, Dr. Seuss.  "Today you are You.  That is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is Youer than You."  That quote will always be true.  What we have to challenge ourselves to do as people and players/coaches is to accept that while still looking to become the greatest version of ourselves possible.  When we stop learning, after all, we stop living.

Composure is King

        As noted in the last blog entry, I'm camped out at the Prospect Select Vero Beach Classic this week.  Many  things have stood out to me as I have had the pleasure to watch some incredible talent throughout the week.  While the last entry focused on how "elite" can take many different forms, I would like to address one distinct commonality I have noticed as well.  The "Elite Player" is composed as they perform.  The "as they perform" phrase is key to what I am saying.  As noted in the previous blog, it was interesting to see how some of the players at the Topps Showcase were joking around beforehand while others were locked in.  Some appeared very relaxed while others appeared to have some nervous energy worked up.  The reality of the situation is none of that ultimately matters.  What matters is the composure during actual performance.  What matters is the ability of the player to lock into the present moment and focus on the external task at hand.  Don't get me wrong.  If a player's nervousness prior to a game has an effect on the ability to perform, it absolutely needs to be addressed.  All I am saying is it is possible to be on either end of the nervousness spectrum before competition (think Inverted-U) and still perform on a high level.

        Much of what I see as I watch NCAA regionals and super regionals centers around building a facade of bravado as players and as teams.  That is how a hitting routine turns into a hitter looking like he is a samurai warrior.  Ultimately, it is eyewash and a very surface level understanding of what sport psychology is really about.  One of my mentors within the field, Geoff Miller, has said what I mean really well.  Miller, or G as he is known to many, has questioned this "pump myself up" "confidence confidence" focus of the mental game by saying something to the effect of, "Well, what  happens if I take my deep breath and still don't feel confident?"  What does happen?  Do you just turn around and go to the dugout?  What ideally happens is you accept that you're not going to feel your best all the time and work to focus on the external task at hand.  The number one task of the hitter isn't to feel good.  I've never heard a coach say, "Alright, we have a runner on third base and less than two outs.  I want you to feel good about yourself for 3 pitches, and head back to the dugout."  The task of the hitter is to see the baseball and react accordingly.  This requires the hitter to trust himself to do what he has done thousands of time before and react.  Of course it is preferable to feel confident, but you still have to compete when you do not.

        I've gotten sidetracked a little bit which is not unlike me for many of you who are regular readers of the blog.  Let's get back to the composure deal.  What stood out to me, again, about the elite players at the Topps Showcase was their composed look during performance.  They all had a look of confidence in their abilities that comes from any number of factors including talent, preparation, and past success.  Players stepped into the box for BP with some presence.  Infielders had a little "swagger" in how they took ground balls.  One player, Albert Suarez, even went between the legs on the transfer after he fielded a ball!  You don't do that if you are not confident in your abilities (I'm not recommending this on a regular basis, but it definitely made Suarez stand out!).  Pitchers took the mound and announced their presence with authority.  The look of composure was just as much in what didn't happen as what did.  Guys who took a bad round of BP or had a bad at-bat, for the overwhelming majority, did not come out of the cage pouting or slamming bats.  There was little, to no questioning of umpires.  One player was particularly impressive when he struck out on a called strike.  Another player, who had just done the same and complained, invited him to join in the strike zone pity party.  Instead, the player accepted responsibility and said he should have hit the pitch.  This player has a chance to be a special hitter, and I love the responsibility for performance he took!

        The composed player deals with the "failures" that inevitably come with playing baseball.  The metaphor that comes to mind is that baseball, in terms of results, can be a series of peaks and valleys.  Composed players are able to limit the valleys by being steady mentally and emotionally.  They take successes and failures for what they are and move on.

Once again, "Consistent behavior leads to consistent results."- Harvey Dorfman

SS Albert Suarez pictured on right with fellow Topps Showcase participant Randy Romney

The Many Looks of the "Elite" Player

        As many of you already know, I am currently in Florida working the Vero Beach Classic.  The Vero Beach Classic, or VBC, is a huge tournament ran by a company called Prospect Select.  There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 teams playing at several picturesque locations in the Vero Beach area.  My primary responsibility for the week is in scouting, but I am always on the lookout for topics to write about.  Last night provided the perfect opportunity with the Topps Showcase.  The showcase featured approximately eighty elite players from Florida, other areas in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.  I went in with no preconceived notions about what I would write about and wanted to just kind of see what I see.  Quickly, a theme emerged.  Below are my thoughts.

        The elite player.  In sports, we are fascinated by what the best do and how they do it.  How do they swing?  What pitches do they throw?  How many hundreds of jump shots do they take?  We all want to know in hopes of bottling a secret formula allowing us to suddenly be able to churn out elite players like a factory churning out donuts.  I myself just read a book called How Champions Think.  Although the book is one of the best I have read in sport psychology, the implication that all champions think a certain way lends itself again to this factory mentality.  Twitter is peppered with tweets from coaches and messages like, "Do you want to be good?  You better be willing to take 1000 swings a day before games because that is what Joe Blow from Cocomo does! #TheGrind."  I even saw one recently, which many of you probably liked, that had the implication that a player's hydration choices have an effect on whether a college coach would recruit them.

        In having the opportunity to watch the best collection of young talent I have seen at one location last night, I was excited to see what these elite players look like.  How would they prepare prior to the showcase?  How would they warm up?  What does the body language of the elite player look like?  The answer: Every elite player is different.  Prior to the showcase getting started, some players were joking around with each other.  Others were already quiet and focused.  Some looked like nervous balls of energy, and others looked like they could lay down in the grass and take a nap.  Some players had sleeves, wrist bands, necklaces, glasses, etc.  Others went natural.  The differences didn't end there.  Some BP swings were quiet and controlled, and others were loud and violent.  Infielders all had their own way of going about catching and throwing the baseball.  Players ran really fast 60's.  Some clearly had coached form, and others just let it happen freely.  One could argue that the players who ran with uncoached form were "raw" and would be even faster if they knew how to run, but there is something to the freedom of letting the body do what it naturally does.  Maybe becoming too technique oriented would prevent their body from just going and doing what kids naturally do every day in playgrounds around the world.

        If my point isn't clear yet in what I have written, here it is:  There is no one way to be elite.  No matter how many studies are conducted, everyone is different.  What works for one player may not work for another.  We need to be aware of this as coaches.  Let's stop creating robots and start coaching human beings.  Celebrate the individuality within a team sport.  It is what the forward thinkers in sports are already doing.  Right now, they are viewed as the exceptions.  They are the Steve Kerr's, the Pete Carroll's, and the Tim Corbin's of the world.  My hope is that one day their way will instead be the rule.  Celebrate the individual nature of being elite.  If you are player, find what makes you elite.  Then do it...over and over again.  The consistency of performing would be something that I would argue elite players have in common.  All of the players I saw last night were elite in their own way.  No two players were identical.  Each had something different to offer.  And guess what?  That led to some coaches liking them and some not...which is fine!  The commonality in all of the players last night was they are uncommon.  That is what being elite is!  This absolutely ties into my thoughts on what sport psychology is and how it can best serve those in sports.  Every athlete is different.  To think that certain mental drills and skills work for everyone is to do a disservice to the athletes.  Coaches, do you want to work on the mental side of the game just to say you do it, or would you like to be as effective as possible?  The concept is not dissimilar to teaching everyone to hit the same or to pitch the same.  Some coaches do this, and some are as effective as possible in coaching the individual.  Let's move beyond this surface level understanding of sport psychology and into something deeper.  Let's help individuals perform as well as possible and to enjoy the experience.


       

       

     

Consistency Wins

        When I began my journey into the world of sport psychology I had a very narrow focus:  Help athletes be as good as possible all the time.  Although that is still part of what I would like to do, it is now only a part of what I hope to do with sport psychology.  My scope has broadened tremendously, and one area I hadn’t considered when I started out is helping coaches.  I can remember being exposed to several units on best coaching practices in my first sport psychology course.  It can be challenging to read something of this nature because none of us are perfect as coaches.  If you are reading this, it’s probably because you think you can do better.  When looking to improve, at anything, then you are forced to reflect on what you presently do to if you are truly hoping to get better.

         With that in mind, there are so many techniques and methods to being an effective coach.  Learning to give feedback, how to communicate expectations with players and parents, post-game management, and proper development approach are just a few of the many topics.  The greatest piece of coaching advice I have read though is that you need to be yourself CONSISTENTLY.  As coaches, we preach it constantly to the players we coach.  “You need to be consistent.”  “I need to know what I am going to get from you.”  “I want guys who will make the routine play all the time.”  This can be a maddening challenge at really every level of play.  There is a reason many high school athletes are inconsistent:  They are high school athletes.  We need to have the same expectations for ourselves that we have for the athletes we coach.  “We need to be consistent.”  “Players need to know what they are going to get from us.”  “We need to be able to make the routine decisions consistently.”  Players respond to different coaching styles.  There are some methods that are more effective than others, but looking around the coaching landscape of any sport, at any level of play, will reveal many personalities and ways of doing things.  What I would guarantee, however, is the best coaches are consistent in what they do.  Being the best version of yourself possible is something to strive for. 

I leave you with a quote from the late, great Harvey Dorfman.  The simplistic genius resonates with me, and I hope it resonates with you as well.  “Consistent behavior gets consistent results.”  We expect it from our athletes.  Let’s have the same accountability for ourselves.

Great Parenting Advice From A Guy Who’s Clearly Done it Well

             Parenting advice from a single guy with no kids?  Have you already clicked away?  Rest assured, the advice isn’t coming from me.  I traveled to Florida over the Memorial Day Weekend for the wedding of one of my good friends from college Jeremy Plexico.  I can say with the utmost confidence that Plex is in the top 1% of truly great people in the world.  Although I did not know his bride-to-be very well, all scouting reports from Plex and many others were that she is in the same category.  Among other things, this meant there would be some special people in a controlled environment for a period of four fun hours.  There were athletes, performers, long-time family men and women, authors, successful business people, and much more.  As someone who enjoys meeting different people and getting great advice from those who have done things well, the wedding was an opportunity to do both. 

One of the greatest of interactions took place in an unlikely setting: the men’s room.  Later in the evening, I was in there when the father of the bride came in.  I told him how great a time the wedding was and how everything was awesome.  There were so many happy people there, and the bride’s family included quite a few.  Clearly, there was a special bond present between father and daughters (bride’s sister too).  Among the many pieces of evidence of this was a fantastic father/daughter dance to “Uptown Funk” with clear choreography involved.  Having hopes of one day having a family of my own, I took the opportunity to ask him what piece of advice he had for having such a great bond with his children.  The bride’s father turned to me and said, “Give them your time.  Don’t get so caught up in doing this or that.  Just be there for them.  That is what matters.”  Wow.  Great stuff on so many levels, and sage advice for so many areas of life.  

In the world of youth sports today there are clearly a number of issues.  Much of the problems, in my opinion,  stem from misguided intentions of parents wanting what is best for kids.  Wanting what is best has turned into having the latest bat or a special pitching instructor when a kid is 8.  A simple reminder to just be there for the kids is something I think could help tremendously.  Just be there for them today parents.  That is what they want and need.

Three Options For Role Acceptance

        Know your role.  As coaches, we all talk about it.  "You don't have to like your role, but you do need to accept it," is a quote most players have heard by the time they are a part of a high school team.  The spread of "travel ball" has made this a greater challenge because many players haven't had to accept their roles at an earlier age.  If a player doesn't like his role, then dad just makes his own new travel team to ensure the player does.  The concept behind acceptance of a role plays like this.  You have put in whatever amount of work you have put in during the offseason, you've had the opportunity to compete in practice, preseason scrimmages and intrasquads, and now you have some sort of role within the team from the coach's perspective.  Your situation is what it is.  Accepting or denying the role are the two options often presented.  I'd like to add a third option:  Embrace your role.

        Let's go through the three options.  The first is to deny your role within the team.  This could include quitting but more often results in pouting about it.  Very few athletes strive to "not play," but I think it helps to think about the situation rationally.  If you are not playing, there is probably a reason for it.  The reason is likely that the guy who is playing instead is better.  You can either "get bitter or get better."  Something I think helps minimize the situations where a player is shocked about not playing is for coaches to meet with players and explain the current role for the player.  Sometimes we assume that what we see as obvious from a coach's perspective is just as obvious to players.  We all know the saying about assumptions.  The guy who doesn't accept his role within a team can be a major problem if teammates and coaches allow him to be.

        A second option is the acceptance of a role.  This involves understanding why you are in the situation you are in.  Accepting you are a possible pinch-hitter off the bench means not pouting when you see the lineup and staying ready to hit.  You're not going to quit.  You're not going to pout, but you probably are not as engaged in the game as you could be if you are an acceptance guy.  You don't like it, but you accept it.  On the other end of the spectrum, accepting you are the best player on the team brings with it expectations of its own.  This could mean understanding when you hit with a runner in scoring position and a base open that you are probably not going to get much to it.

        The third, and final level, is EMBRACING your role.  For me, this goes well beyond accepting the role is what it is.  Someone who embraces their role as a pinch-runner is constantly watching the opposing pitcher to see if he can pick something up that would help his team out.  A bench guy who embraces his role keeps the chart without having to be asked over and over to do so.  He's working to pick up signs.  Embracing your role as a hitter, if you are a bottom of the order type, might mean having more at-bats where you are giving yourself up for the team to move a runner or get one in. The superstar player who embraces his role craves the big situation and the feeling of putting the team on his back.  He is what people are talking about when they discuss the difference between a #2 starter and the ACE.  Accepting a role means you will do it without causing a problem.  Embracing a role means you are going to compete to the best at whatever it may be.

        This is the time of the year where in college baseball we see the different levels of acceptance play out before our eyes.  It's also happening in the NBA Playoffs and in Major League clubhouses across the country though.  The best teams have a team full of players who embrace their roles.  Be an embracer today!

        Want to share a story or give a shoutout to a player you know embraced his role this spring?  I would love to hear them.  Tweet them to me @Coach_Ehrlich or shoot me an email at ehrlichb1@gmail.com.

A Tribute to Mom

        It has been a while since I have written.  There are many reasons for not doing so.  A busy and adversity-driven baseball season, a long and grinding school year, and taking classes for my degree are among the many.  Now one is done, another is winding down, and a third is also in the home stretch.  With that, I decided today would be the perfect day to make a return to writing, and my mom would make a great topic.

        One of the topics I find myself drawn to in sport psychology is youth sports and the role that adults play in them.  As I worked on a research paper yesterday on the topic, I found myself thinking of my mom and my dad.  Their roles in the development of my love for baseball are something I probably have taken for granted a little bit and have yet to really reflect on completely.

        Adults play arguably the greatest role in what the sporting experience is like for kids.  It makes sense.  Although they have likely played around with older siblings and parents, youth coaches are the first to expose kids to organized sports.  Parents sit on edge as they find out whether their kids "are good" or not in those early years.  The really good ones focus on enjoyment, effort, and skill improvement over winning (despite pressures to win the 2015 Tony Scrubini Super NIT State Qualifier).  I am lucky to be able to look back at my youth and know that I had two great adult supporters in my mom and dad.  For this tribute, I have chosen to write about three of my greater memories of the role my mom played in my early baseball life and the hidden lessons in all three.

        Among what stands out about my early days in baseball were the car rides to practice with mom.  I played in a league that practiced about thirty minutes from where we lived so I was in the car with mom a couple of hours a week to and from practice.  For some reason, I can remember listening to sports talk radio with my mom.  She wasn't really a sports fan at all except for watching me play, but she liked to listen to sports talk radio.  Sometimes we would listen to music, and if I were in need of what was deemed an "attitude adjustment" this may mean classical music.  Maybe she was really just sensing my number getting too high and wanted to help calm me down before baseball.  Regardless, I am very appreciative for having a mom who was willing to spend hours every week shuttling me to and from baseball and my sisters to and from dance classes.  Thanks Mom!

        Another of my memories of mom and her role in my early baseball career is the traditional pregame meal.  I was always big on reading up about both the history of baseball and what modern players were doing.  I can't even imagine if I had internet access then.  My brain probably would have exploded for overload.  Well, somewhere along the way I read about Wade Boggs eating chicken before every game.  Around that time, I had eaten one of my favorites: Mom's grilled burgers.  I had a good game and of course it triggered in my head that the burgers were the reason why.  Before nearly every game I played for a span of at least two years my mom made me those burgers.  What I failed to realize then was the power of performance was not in the burgers.  The power was the comfort created by the routine made possible by a loving mom.  Thanks Mom!

        A third memory I have of my mom was her reaction to a horrible game.  I had a tendency to be JUST A LITTLE emotional about performance as a player, and there was no escaping the ride home after games (for my parents, that is).  When games were particularly bad, my mom would sum things up perfectly with, "Well...it was a game."  While it sometimes would make me even more upset at the time, at least externally, the simplicity of the words really could not have been more true.  "Well...it was a game," and there was not much else to say about it except it was over.  Sometimes we need to simply rid ourselves of a bad performance, not read too much into it, and move on.  Thanks Mom!

        Those are just three of the many memories of my mom's role in my baseball career.  To sum her role up in those three stories is probably an injustice, but I think the three say a lot about who she was and is in my life no matter how old I get.  Mom has been along for the ride to and from practice and to lend advice both welcomed and unwelcome.  She has always been there to support me however needed, and I probably took for granted the guarantee of a home-cooked meal on a nightly basis.  My mom has always been and continues to be a driving force in my life.  She has always balanced well the act of being supportive while being sobering when I need to get my head out of the clouds (or out of my rear end).  With that, I would like to wish her the Happiest of Mother's Days.  I love you and am grateful for all you have done for me.  Thanks Mom!

Ehrlich Family Christmas Est. 1994...Respect the bowl cut