Curtail Negative Language Around Impressionable Players
As parents and coaches of youth baseball players we’re constantly trying to say the right things during a game or practice, fully realizing that we must keep things in perspective and that whatever we say can set the tone for the rest of the day, the game or quite possibly the season.
Kids are very impressionable at this age and look to coaches, parents and teachers for guidance, so anything you say, be it positive or negative, will boost their self esteem or destroy their confidence. If you keep a youngster’s spirit up throughout the game and the season and keep filling his emotional tank as the Positive Coaching Alliance would say, he’s going to enjoy his experience around you rather than having negativity surround his every move.
Every youth player lives for the moment at hand and the only thing they’re thinking about regarding the future is what’s for dinner, Sloppy Joes or pizza. Kids are quite resilient and can handle adversity better than we think. But verbal accusations or harsh words stick with them longer and they tend to remember what you said.
There are a number of words we should refrain from saying on the athletic field when dealing with youth players. Some of the following are quite obvious, some are surprising and some we say nonchalantly without giving it a second thought. However, we must check ourselves before we blurt out our thoughts knowing that a wide eyed player is on the receiving end.
Can’t, won’t, don’t, shouldn’t, mistake, error, wrong, don’t walk him, don’t get behind, don’t let him beat you, speed up and be tough are but a few of the words we should avoid in the context of a sentence in addressing a player. Depending on how tactful you word it, most imply some tone of negativity that the player picks up on.
Phrases to stay away from, for example, are “can’t you remember where to throw the ball”, “don’t make that mistake again”, “we can’t afford an error here”, “shouldn’t you be running on that play”, “that swing is all wrong”, “you need to speed up” and “you need to be tough”. All imply that the player is inferior and can’t perform the task up to your expectations.
Quite frankly, we’ve probably used all these words at one time or another, myself included, and it’s nearly impossible to stay away from every one of them day in and day out. It takes a constant daily reminder on our parts to train ourselves to be better coaches and parents on the field.
A child’s future depends on it.
As the season progresses or as you reflect on the year later this summer, ask yourself one question as a parent or coach. Am I interested in hoisting a first place trophy over my head and bragging about my kid or am I extremely proud that all 12 players on the team left with better self esteem, a passion for baseball, and a love for their parents, coaches and teammates?
Your spoken words, and not your actions, will reveal the answer to you and all those around you.
