Excuses, keeping players from being their best

High school athletes have a hard time recognizing what they can control and what they can’t. Unfortunately we see a great deal of finger pointing and wishing other guys would “make the play.” This pattern is all too familiar for coaches. The message stays the same, worry about yourself; focus on how you could have made that decision successful. Players really are making excuses for themselves, and ultimately an excuse to not be the best player they can be. When athletes start to experience a slight change in their perspective, attitude is typically the first change for the better.

Not all athletes will experience this, as each athlete is an individual. For those that do, the process varies and timing is often different for each. Some will take it and be able to change, some will be resistant and take longer to comprehend it and some will never be able to make the adjustment. The whole issue comes back to accountability and maturation as an athlete and teenager. Typically players who are able to change are the ones who see more minutes, innings and plays, because they have can be counted on to make the right decision. These are the players that I love to coach because they want to get better and make their teammates better, unfortunately though not all will be able to take this step.

Players who make excuses have a hard time taking accountability for their actions and decision, practices often feel not as productive. As a coach these types of players are frustrating, take the high road and ultimately cut back the playing time. Doing this puts the ball in their court and puts the pressure on them to grow up and start to be more accountable. As the coach, I always have an “open-door” policy with players. Players who come and ask about how to earn more playing time get my full attention and support.
   

Right from the start, players know how they will see playing time. Playing time is like gold to teenagers. Coachability is big in my book; a players willingness to take coaching and get better is right at the top of the list. For players to be coachable, there needs to be accountability. When players understand there is a process to getting better and it takes time, hard work and does not happen over night. Coachable players are an asset for any team as they are dependable and can be counted on to make the play.