Comments on: 7 Keys to Mastering Mistakes!

By: Milton teer

Milton teer — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:45:54 +0000

you have hit the nail on the head again,Cindy…learning and having fun is what makes this game so great! Confidense, got to have it! and I think that is one of the bigest keys to coaching. Sometimes it would be great to see a coach vidio taped to help drive this point home! Great artile.

Milton Teer
Varsity softball coach
Milan Indiana

By: Chris Gautschi

Chris Gautschi — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:09:33 +0000

I use what I call a “reset button” when a player makes a bad mistake. For example, my DD was an excellent right fielder in high school, and one game she charged a ball and it got by her, usually a routine play for her. The coach called a timeout and walked another player out to right filed and took her right out of the game. The crowd booed the coach. The next game she made tentative plays on balls she usually catches on the fly. I figured out that when the coach embarassed her by taking her out in the middle of the inning, he had given her a negative conditioning for her natural inclination to try really hard on each play. In her mind, unconsciously, she realized that if she did not charge a fly ball hit at her but rather safely let it hop and caught it, she would not be vulnerable to “making a mistake” and therefore not have to experience the trauma of being embarassed and humiliated by being taken out mid-inning again. So I had a talk with her over dinner and explained this to her, and how the brain works to avoid harmful situations in the future after experiencing trauma or unpleasantness. I said that the brain has a button that was turned from “on” before she had made the mistake, to “off” when the coach took her out. All she has to do is form a mental picture of the “on-off” button and imagine physically “resetting” the button back to “on.” That worked fine; my last memory of her travelball fielding career was a spectacular 9-2-5 double play against a top Gold team. She had learned a good tool for dealing with adversity.

By: Scott Libby

Scott Libby — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:53:47 +0000

Making copies right now for myself, my assistant, and my players. We will read it as a team after practice TODAY! Great stuff!

By: Norm Kujawa

Norm Kujawa — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:55:27 +0000

Outstanding article Cindy. I follow the same philosophy of positive reinforcement and teach my coaches to use the same approach. We find that it works! Our players try anything without the fear of getting yelled at or benched. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a player plays without fear of repercussions from a mistake.

Norm Kujawa
Notre Dame Academy
Toledo, OH

By: LarryScholl

LarryScholl — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:39:34 +0000

great advise,I’ve been trying to get this across to my coaches season after season. Perhaps when they read the same advise from someone of your caliber they will realize I’m not as dumb as I look. Can’t coach young ladies the same as boys, simple as that well sorta hahaha
Thanks for all you do for the girls and the game i love.
Little over a month and we will meet at the Montgomery College clinic in Rockville MD. Can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.

C U there
Larry Scholl
Thunderbirds Softball

By: Joe Medlen

Joe Medlen — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:56:50 +0000

Great Article!! Great Advice!!