No Rules, Just Results

Creating a culture where your players feel free can be tricky. Many players want to be told exactly what to do - in every scenario imaginable. Because that’s what the rest of their coaches/parents/teachers/etc. have done to them their entire lives. Sometimes you have to let them fail & figure it out on their own, knowing in the back of your mind that you know exactly what they’re doing wrong. Is that going to get them better though? You just give them the answer any time something goes wrong? Creating that culture starts with building trust with your players. You have to build a meaningful relationship with each player. They have to know what you truly care about them, not only as a player, but as a person. 

You have to give your players ownership of their own career. They need to feel that their thoughts & opinions matter. And they need to feel like you will show up & be yourself every single day. They need to know that you wake up every day looking to make them the best player they can be. They need to know that you’re not setting any limit on their potential, so they better not limit themselves, ever. And they need to know that every single discussion that you have is to put the player in the best possible position for their development, their future.

Sometimes it requires having hard conversations. Sometimes you have to tell your players simply that they’re not as good as they think they are, or that what they’re doing isn’t working or isn’t going to play long term. Sometimes your players will ask you questions and you’ll have to tell them that you don’t know the answer, but let’s go figure it out together. It’s not easy to always be completely upfront & honest with your players. Sometimes it’s easier to lie and tell them what they want to hear; but that’s not what’s going to make them better. You have to play the long game and always be mindful of the next step in the process.

True player development takes time, resources, communication, constant growth, experimentation, failure, successes, & failure again. Player development simply isn’t spending one year at X University & you make those guys better in that one year. New guys come in, some become the next generation of coaching, & others leave & start their careers in something that has nothing to do with baseball or sport in any capacity. Regardless, the journey to helping players & ultimately, people, become the best they can be continues on with or without you. So, what are they going to remember about you when your time together is up? What are they going to think about you 5 years later? 10 years later? Will they remember that you set limits on their potential? Will they remember that you pushed your own agenda because you thought more about yourself than you did your players? Or are they going to remember that you did everything in your power to help them become the best they could be? You’re never going to be perfect, but you can always strive to give your players the best you have, every single day with no rules, just results.