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.

In a blog post from last year, I went over how to differentiate good pitchers from great pitchers while discussing all of the things within our control to make that leap.

Today, I aim to delve further into an aspect of competition beyond our control: adrenaline. Let's explore how we can harness this natural force within our bodies to our advantage. I use the term "venom" to emphasize that adrenaline can either be a potent poison to our opponents or a detrimental toxin to ourselves. Thus, I invite you to consider strategies that transform your moments of heightened adrenaline into unfortunate encounters for your adversaries. Why is this crucial? Because chances are, you have experienced or will experience these "nerves" or "jitters" that sneak up on us during critical moments.