Many coaches struggle with poor [tag]performance[/tag] and improving [tag]morale[/tag]. Here is one suggestion that Frank sent in. Even though this is a [tag]fastpitch softball coaching tip[/tag] it applies to all [tag]softball[/tag] [tag]coaches[/tag].
This idea came from my daughter who was so frustrated one night after practice she cried for an hour as she explained (keep in mind she is a 4 time allstar who has been playing since T-Ball). “Don’t yell at us for missing balls, making errors, not making the right play, etc. during practice.
Instead ask the why and what are the reasons for the errors. Stop and take the time to explain the mistake, that’s coaching right Dad?” She continued to explain that the girls each had there own fears and things they needed help with.
So the next practice instead of starting with the usual [tag]drills[/tag] and situations, we sat down for a half hour and asked each player what they would like help with.
Wow! I didn’t realize the different obstacles each girl faced. At bat, catching under pressure, fear of ground balls at close range, the list continued, but the bottom line was that we found what these girls needed helped with and took the extra time to explain each play and situation in detail.
We went from 5 losses before my daughter’s frustrated practice to 13 straight [tag]wins[/tag]! I had parents ask. “What did you guys tell these girls?” I just smiled and said “We talked”.