At the beginning of every new baseball season – when the team has just been finalized after the tryouts – the team will gather for our first official practice. Each player has been addressed individually as to his particular role on this year’s team through a one-on-one sit down meeting with me. There is always an excitement that goes along with every first practice because of the prospect of success for that season. It is at this time that my players will gather around the grass edge of the home plate area in a semi-circle facing the field as we will do at the start of every practice for the rest of the season. I stand just in front of home plate with my back to the pitcher’s mound facing them. The first matter of business is to establish the “Thought of the Day”…a ritual which includes the posting of a short famous quote or Bible verse which has to do with my coaching philosophy. When practice starts at the home plate area, I will randomly call on one of my players to provide the team with that day’s “thought.” It’s always important that he knows it because if he cannot say it from memory the entire team will have a consequence (lap, sprints, push-ups, etc.)…so everyone is relieved when he has done his job to know the phrase!
This day’s thought, I feel, is the most important of all! It comes from God’s Word in Ecclesiastes 9:10 where it states, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” In my mind this is the perfect verse to talk to my guys about the importance of committing to their role on the team. Whatever role each young man has been given for this year’s team, it is his responsibility to carry it out for the betterment of the group. The problem we will always face is that some roles are big and some are small. It is absolutely normal that everyone wants playing time, but the key word in the phrase is “whatever.” So no matter what position the player is in, we as a team have to be confident that he is going to do it to the best of his ability. Whether the role is to bat third in the lineup and play shortstop or to pinch run for the catcher when the opportunity arises, the team and I have to know that best attitudes and efforts are being produced whatever the task.
In athletics, family life, and even business, we all have roles to fill! I am not only a baseball coach, but also a husband, a dad, and a teacher. If I were to look at any of these roles as unimportant and neglect to give my best efforts, there would be a serious breakdown for everyone involved. My family, my school, and my team would suffer the consequences of my disregard.
It is very important that my team is successful on the field, but even more important is that any player whom I have the privilege of coaching will walk away with the concept of accepting a role – WHATEVER IT IS!
This is easy to talk about, but can sometimes be very difficult to actually happen. In my next blog, I will talk about what a coach must do to develop this important concept: BUILD TRUST!
