26-06-09 22:40 Age: 258 days
THE 3 KEYS TO A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Category: Top Stories
The Best Teams Go Beyond Good Pitching and Defense with These 3 Critical Pieces
It's true that pitching and defense wins championships. But for youth players, it takes a little bit more than that. Teams often have the talent to win, but there can be a few key ingredients missing, namely: focus, confidence, and team unity.
Teams can accomplish their goal of winning their league tournament not necessarily because they have the best players, but because they work hard at improving themselves at the mental aspects of the game. By working on these aspects, your team can also enjoy a noticeable improvement not only in the level of play, but also in the enjoyment of the game.
The first step is to increase the team's focus.
Players - especially in the younger age groups - tend to make many errors due to a lack of concentration. Most mistakes, such as throwing to the plate when the only play is at first base, or running to third base on a ground ball to the left side with less than two outs, happen because players fail to focus on the task at hand. It's good practice to have your team remind themselves before every pitch not only what to do with the ball if it comes to them, but also what they can do to help their teammates make a play. The practice of reviewing all the possible scenarios that could occur once the ball is put into play can be just as important as taking hundreds of ground balls. And just like the mechanics of fielding a ground ball or hitting a cutoff man, it can become second nature. By increasing their focus, players take an important and easy step to playing much better baseball.
With an increase in focus comes a rise in confidence.
There are two types of confidence a team develops. Both of them are instrumental in the team becoming successful. The first is self-confidence, and the second is confidence in teammates. Infielders need to believe not only that they can go into the hole and dig out a tough grounder but also that once a long throw is made, the first baseman will scoop up a ball in the dirt or apply a tag if it is up the line toward the plate. Likewise, pitchers learn to be confident that they can get batters out with a breaking ball and know that if it gets away from them, the catcher will be able to block it and keep it in front of the plate. When players have their heads in the game, they are more prepared and confident that they can make an important play. And as the players come to see that their teammates are focused, they become increasingly confident that the team can win on any given day.
The third, and possibly most important aspect that changes, is the feeling of team unity.
Players learn to encourage each other regularly, doing everything from giving a pat on the back after a fine defensive play to leaving the dugout to greet a player who has simply advanced a baserunner. Additionally, players who are coming out of the game for a substitute are ready to help the incoming player warm up. Those who aren't on the field are still able to take an active role by helping with the scorebook, keeping equipment in order, and offering verbal encouragement to their teammates. By realizing that 15 individuals can't possibly win a championship, the group comes together and works as a team in order to succeed.
Focusing on these three areas will improve your team, but the results may not be immediate. In our team's instance, we went 6-5 to start the season off before winning nine of our last 10 games to capture the title. As the team gradually buckled down and played a more mentally solid game of baseball, the wins began to pile on top of one another and confidence blossomed.
The epitome of their dedication was realized in the tournament championship. After quickly falling behind 5-0 after one inning, the team tightened up their defense, concentrated on having good at-bats, and started to chip away at the deficit. We ended up winning 7-5.
Whether you are a player or a coach, try to help your team by improving your focus and by trying to get other coaches and teammates to do the same. Confidence and unity are bound to follow. You'll not only see improvements in your own level of play or coaching, but others will follow suit. The team will work better together, win more games, and most importantly, have more fun.
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