Our Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal!
How the Sessions are Different
A quality pitching staff is a key component of building a successful team. Some coaches make the mistake of ranking their pitchers individually—#1 pitcher, #2 pitcher, #3 pitcher. This can lead pitchers to think of themselves as “second best” or “third best,” without identifying their specific (and important) role on the team. Assigning a role to each pitcher helps them feel valued and excited to contribute. While ranking can sometimes be motivating, without clear explanations of why a player is in a certain position and how she can improve, it can lead to resentment and jealousy among teammates—and their parents. Defining roles provides that clarity.
You invest a significant amount of time and effort into becoming a pitcher—attending lessons, practicing consistently, and pushing through physical demands. It can be especially challenging when that work doesn’t translate into playing time. If you haven’t experienced this, consider yourself fortunate.
So how can you respond to this situation in a way that benefits you?
1. Use it as motivation to improve.
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A few years ago, my cousin Erica was interviewed on a an NFCA podcast called The Dirt about pitching, and I wrote this blog to highlight some of her best insights. At the time, she was coaching at DePauw University—today, she’s brought that same high-level knowledge to Practice Pro, where she leads our Elite Pitching Classes.