From the Coach Attitude and Commitment
I have been fortunate to have been able to coach on the summer circuit for the past eight years. I have coached at a level that has allowed me to see some of America's most talented and experienced fast pitch softball players. What really separates them from thousands of other young, female athletes was their attitude and commitment to the game. Another way to say it is their passion for softball. These athletes all share a few key traits, the most important being an outstanding "can do" attitude, a commitment to excellence, and a commitment to their coaches, teams and to softball.
Attitude and commitment are two words that are often heard in relation to athletics. Actually, they are words and actions that are essential to success in life as well as on the athletic field. Most college coaches I know try to teach life lessons as well as athletic lessons. These lessons need to be taught early to our youth in summer ball, school ball, and especially at home. The crux of these lessons are that things are not always easy, things do not always go your way, and life is a series of ups and downs. Those who are consistent and never get too high or too low are those who have the best chance of succeeding.
As I travel the circuit each summer and recruit for our college, I observe a lot of attitude problems, pouting, and a "me first" approach by young athletes. More alarming is the fact I see athletes quitting summer teams and college teams because things are not exactly as they envisioned them or they are not the number one pitcher, hitting third in the batting order, or starting at shortstop. In almost every situation, this tendency to quit in the middle of a season and break a commitment is endorsed by one or more parents. There is never any thought about how this affects the team, the other players, the summer program, or the college. Believe me, this lack of commitment is growing and is severely affecting our summer programs, which are the backbone of our system.
I was involved in a discussion about attitude and commitment with some of our players and was happy to learn that commitment is a concern with players also. One member of the team told me when she was young her parents would never allow her to break a commitment. Her father told her often "once you commit to a team or coach, you will fulfill that commitment" unless, of course, the situation was an abusive one to the player. Playing time or playing a position is not a valid reason to break a commitment.
Our softball youth, their parents, and their advisors need to learn the value of a never say die attitude, the thrill of competing to win a position and the need to make commitments and keep commitments. Life is not easy and when young people mature and enter the work force, they will need a positive attitude because they will compete and challenge others to advance. Most importantly, they will have to make commitments and honor those commitments.
I see our responsibility as coaches, administrators, and parents to prepare athletes for major challenges, not to allow them to quit when the going gets tough. We need to discourage our young athletes from taking the easy way out. Character is built in adversity. Tough times never last, but tough people do. The next time you or one of your athletes or one of your children is faced with the questions of quitting or fighting harder, choose the latter. The athlete will be a much stronger person in the long run.
In conclusion, attitude and commitment are major traits that college coaches evaluate when recruiting a player. There is an old saying that "quitting becomes easier the second time around." That is very true. "There are two things you bring to practice every day: a good work ethic and a good attitude." Be a success in life and in softball, set goals, overcome adversity, and never, ever quit.
Randy Hulme |
