1 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Culture comes from expectations. As a leader, you have to 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: clearly define what the expectations of your program are. So 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: I think you can always hold people accountable to attitude 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: and effort. I think holding them accountable to the result 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: is freaking dangerous and unnecessary. This is the Reformed Sports Project, 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: a podcast about restoring healthy balance and perspective in all 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: areas of sports through education and advocacy. Hi, this is 8 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: Nick Bonacoort from the Reformed Sports Project podcast. Joining me 9 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: today is the head softball coach from the Red Raiders 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: at Texas Tech University, Sammy Ward. Coach Ward and I 11 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: get into a great discussion all pertaining to youth and 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: amateur sports. We get into her experience as a sports 13 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: parent and how she views youth sports from a Division 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: one coaches perspective. Man, I always say this, but this 15 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: is like I'm not saying it's been keeping me up, 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: but it's been fire her me up. I was up 17 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: at three thirty in the morning this morning because my 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: kid sucked at sleeping last night, and I was up 19 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: at three thirty. But I'm excited now my juices are flowing. 20 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: I have another awesome guest. We connected via social media. 21 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: And uh, I can't wait to get into it. Had 22 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: softball coach at Texas Tech coach Sammy A. Ward coach Ward, 23 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: thanks for hopping on pump to have you. Thanks so much, Nick. 24 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: I really appreciate what you're doing here. I mean, you're 25 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: speaking to my passion right here with this podcast. So 26 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: I'm super excited to be here. Well, I appreciate you, 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: and I just want to get right into it. And 28 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: and I'm a baseball guy, you know, and my kids 29 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: play all different sports. We'll get into that. But I 30 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: didn't tell you this. I have five boys. I have 31 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: six kids, have five boys. I have one girl, my daughter, 32 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: she's a freshman of high school. She doesn't play any 33 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: sports and now she's gonna do some track with her. 34 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: But she has dabbled in softball. She did it for 35 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 1: a few years. She was a wreck player. She liked 36 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: it all that. But she had friends that are in this. 37 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: We've connected with some softball fans. I gotta tell you. 38 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: I've coached, you know, baseball, my youngest have played some 39 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: travel and such. I'm very entrenched in that culture to 40 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: a certain degree and know a lot about it. But 41 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: I have heard some horror softball stories. I mean I 42 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: have heard some like dude, you haven't seen anything yet, 43 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: Like baseball is crazy, but softball is even crazier. And 44 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's saying a lot, but it probably cut 45 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: from the same cloth. And I think a lot of 46 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: it at times is misguided. But I just want to 47 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: start right here with you. I don't want to put 48 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: words in anyone's mouth. If you can blow up travel 49 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: sports and start with one thing, and one thing only 50 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: to drop the bout, where would you start? What gets 51 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: you going? We'll start from there. Okay, Well, I think 52 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: the first thing to mention is like, well, I was 53 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: out recruiting this summer, you know, after COVID we were 54 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: locked up for so long, and being out recruiting the summer, 55 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: I'm asking a lot of my peers who also have daughters, 56 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, do you let your daughter play? I only 57 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,399 Speaker 1: found one parent that coaches that lets their daughter play 58 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: travel softball right now, and everyone I talked to this summer. 59 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: So I think that and of itself should tell us something. 60 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: To be really honest, Why what's there? What's the reason 61 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: that did you guys get into that at all? Yeah? 62 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: The environment? The environment is so crazy, right, now, it's 63 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: all about performance, performance performance. Everyone says they're about development, 64 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: but no one really knows what the hell that means. 65 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: So it's so crazy right now everyone's throwing these buzzwords 66 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: around to recruit people. I got a story for you. 67 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: So I have a daughter. She is um ten, she's 68 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 1: going to be eleven next week. And uh, we got 69 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: this job out here at Texas Tech last year, almost 70 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: a year ago. And last spring we signed her up 71 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: to play wreck ball here in town. We've only let 72 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: her play rex so far. Um, so she's playing wreck ball. 73 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: Three different weeks in a row, different people came up 74 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: to my husband, and I'm my husband also coaches. He's 75 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: my associate head coach and our head of player development 76 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: here at Texas Tech. Three different travelball coaches came up 77 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: to us in three consecutive weeks and said things to 78 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: us like, hey, your daughter is pretty good. She had 79 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: the right coaching, she could be really good. Okay, thank 80 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: you so much. I'll keep that in mind. But I 81 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: just feel like, right now and use sports, it's all 82 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: about like selling snake oil. Like everyone is going to 83 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: say these words to basically try to make money off people. 84 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: The third one they're like, oh, my name is such 85 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: and such, and I'm like, my name is Sammy Ward 86 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh be Sammy word from Texas Tech. Yes, 87 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: oh okay. When all three of them found out who 88 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: we were, we never got a call back. So I 89 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: think that's interesting will still in and of itself, but 90 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: we're just in this environment right now. We're coaches are selling, selling, selling, 91 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: but not delivering, delivering, delivery, And I really think right now, 92 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: coaches sing their job as coaches is to sell, in 93 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: their job is to tell, sell and tell. Those are 94 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: the two top things. But the reality is a coach 95 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: is a teacher, and if we're teaching, we're creating experience. 96 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: We're creating an environment for them to experience. We're trying 97 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: to be as representative of the game as possible, So 98 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: we're creating an environment and making it a safe place 99 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: for them to fail. Because, especially with our game of 100 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: softball and baseball, this is a game of failure. And 101 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: everyone thinks it's so easy. Everyone wants to judge from 102 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: the outside and be you know, the bleacher coaches and whatnot. 103 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,679 Speaker 1: This is a game of failure. People forget it's freaking hard, 104 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: and we have to let them fail, learn how to 105 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: sail and move forward. How are we going to move 106 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: forward when we fail? How are we gonna learn from that? 107 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: Like everyone is in this performance mode and we need 108 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: them all to be in learning mode all the time. 109 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: Well can I can I say this, coach, because you 110 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: you brought something up And that's not the first time 111 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: I have heard it articulated like that, because I have 112 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: articulated like that, I've talked to others. This is the 113 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: first time that I've had an interview where a coach 114 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: has articulated and just like I mean, I would you 115 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: know from a very like quite frankly, from the perspective 116 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: of a concerned parent. You know, That's what I heard, 117 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: and not just a concerned parent, from a concerned parent 118 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: who knows what the hell they're talking about, right, And 119 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: and I think it's it's flabbergasting to me because I've 120 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: had parents say to me like I don't know what 121 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to do, like my daughter is nine or ten, 122 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: and I actually heard this. I don't want to use 123 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: their name, but they asked me a question like it 124 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: was down in Florida. I'm not from Florida, but someone 125 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: reached out and was like, yeah, they're telling me that 126 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: if I stick with them that they know the coach 127 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: at whatever university is. And I'm like, dude, that is 128 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: like the biggest like and as I cam, I mean 129 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: but to me, I hear, I'm like, you're raying on 130 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: the vulnerability of a parent, right, I mean, is that 131 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: what you think that there is? I mean not everyone's 132 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: like that. But when you say selling, is that kind 133 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: of what you mean? They're selling this pipe dream to 134 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: keep your stringing along? Yeah, and like along with that, like, 135 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: I strongly, strongly, strongly believe in multi sport athletes Like 136 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: me personally, I played volleyball, basketball, and softball through high school. 137 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: I didn't play basketball until my senior year, but I 138 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: loved it, one of my favorite sports to play. But 139 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: my point is is that everyone's like, you have to 140 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: specialize you need. Okay. So here's another example. So again, 141 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: my ten year old daughter. She comes home from school 142 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago, and she's got this flyer 143 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: for club volleyball tryouts. The girl has never picked up 144 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: a volleyball in her life, but she wanted to go 145 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: to club tryouts. There really isn't around here as far 146 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: as I know, and so I'm like, who in the 147 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: hell am I to tell my daughter no, she can't 148 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: try something? So I bring her. She makes it. We 149 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: go to a parent meeting this last weekend, and all 150 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: they're talking about is the money the dues are do 151 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: the first of every month. They don't tell us what 152 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,359 Speaker 1: the dudes are. You can't leave here without spending a 153 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: dollars on their uniform. And I was getting angry because like, 154 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: there's poor I mean, there's three teams like having team 155 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: meetings at the same time. This poor coach for you know, 156 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: my daughter's team. She's just supposed to get with the 157 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: parents to decide what two days of the week we 158 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: can practice, and we could not come up with two 159 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: days that all these other kids didn't have activities for, 160 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: which makes sense. They're all in other sports right now, 161 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: they're ten years old. And so you know, at the 162 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: beginning of this talk, the lady at the club, she's like, 163 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: attendance is mandatory. If they aren't here, they won't get 164 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: a play. And I'm like, what in the world are 165 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: we doing? You know what I mean, Like, I don't 166 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: think anyone else and my daughter's team had experienced either, 167 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: but My point is it was all about money. And 168 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: so after this, you know, I said, okay to the 169 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: poor little club coach because I said poor little because 170 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: she's young. She's the only a freshman in college. And 171 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: she did a great job. I was really excited to, 172 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: you know, get the chance to work with her. She 173 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: seemed very passionate. But I said, what's this club about? 174 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: And she said what do you mean? I said, why 175 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: would we do this? Why would we play here? Like? 176 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: What are we about your I's like, like, why would 177 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: you play club? And I was like, no, why would 178 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: we play for this club? Like what are we doing? 179 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: Are we about development or we about winning? What are 180 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: we about here? Because my daughters never played? And she 181 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: answered it perfectly. She was about, I want to teach 182 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: the love of the game. I want to teach the 183 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: you know, basic fundamental, that type of thing. But again, 184 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: no one could answer me how much the dues were. 185 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: And then I asked at the end, and I mean, 186 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: compared to all the other sports she's playing, it's outrageous. 187 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: And I'm like, what are we paying for? And they're like, oh, 188 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: we can put you on the payment plan. I'm like, 189 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: that's not the issue. Just asking where our money is going. Yeah, 190 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people. I think a lot 191 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: of people feel that pain. And you keep bringing up 192 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: this word, and it's something I want to get into 193 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: because that's what we're talking about. It's development, right, developing, 194 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: and a lot of people don't know what that means, 195 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,479 Speaker 1: right because you also mentioned winning, right, and people associate 196 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: a successful youth sport experience a lot of times with 197 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: the win loss record, or this coach is great because 198 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: we win a lot of games. Well, that coach may 199 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: just be great at recruiting kids to their team, right, 200 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: might not be developing ending. I firmly believe in This 201 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: may sound cheesy, but it's what I believe. My goal 202 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: is a you coach is number one for me. It's retention. 203 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: I consider myself a successful coach if the kid wants 204 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: to play the next year, and two is prepare them 205 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: for the next level. When I interviewed Eric Backage, head 206 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: baseball coach in Michigan, he said, I thought it was perfect. 207 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: I haven't forgot the quote. He said. Everyone has the 208 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: next level. Some kids it might be the start in 209 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: their varsity high school team. Some kids it might be 210 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: to be all state. You know, some kids. It might 211 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: be to go D one some D three don't matter. 212 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: We all in our development have the next level. You listen, 213 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: you're the softball coach at Texas Tech. You know you 214 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: played at a high level. You coach at the highest 215 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: level of college sports. What does development mean to you 216 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: and for your daughter and your kids at the youth level. 217 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: The first thing that comes to mind when you talk 218 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: about that is the term skills that transfer, our skills 219 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: that scale. So what that means, like in softball is 220 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: something that I was so passionate about that you're when 221 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: my daughter was playing eight and under. Wreck ball is 222 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: like all the coaches and all the leagues we're talking about, Oh, 223 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: we gotta bunk because everyone overthrows it, so then we 224 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: win and they can score on bunts and only. But 225 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: that's not a skill that scales at our level. You 226 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: can't button get a home run, and so we got 227 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: to go back to, hey, we gotta teach throwing and 228 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: catching and things like that. And I just think it's 229 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 1: so interesting because when I think about development, I think 230 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: about not necessarily the basics, but what is representative of 231 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: the game. You know, whether that's the lowest level of 232 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: the highest level, but we still got to integrate into 233 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: that skills the scale. So I think, you know, in 234 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: our sport, one of the most important skills is throwing 235 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: and catching, and the way we approached that is in 236 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: a motor style learning type environment. And so that's task completion. 237 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: That's not about mechanics and making it look pretty. That's 238 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: about is the task completed. My task is to throw 239 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: the ball and hit it in the middle of that 240 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: person's chest. That's my task. It doesn't have to look pretty. 241 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: And that's something that I had to kind of learn 242 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: the hard way too, because I was really about mechanics 243 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: earlier in my career as well. And you know, I 244 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,319 Speaker 1: had one hitter at Oil of Aramat and her swing 245 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but 246 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: she was a three time first team All Conference player, 247 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,599 Speaker 1: and I'm like, it doesn't have to be pretty. It 248 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: doesn't have to quote unquote look the part. But I think, 249 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: you know, at the development level, we need to just 250 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: talk about what's the task, and that can go to 251 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: any sport. So softball, our task is catching and throwing. 252 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: Our task is you know, if I'm hitting and I'm 253 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: trying to hit a line drive, over someone said, because 254 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: we know that a line drive is gonna do better 255 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: for as in a groundball or fly ball. So I 256 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: think if we're talking about development, we simplify it so 257 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: literally anyone can coach and we talk about task completion. 258 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: What's the task? What is the game need right now? 259 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: And furthermore, that like takes me down a whole another 260 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: tangent because it drives me absolutely insane to hear coaches, 261 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: you know, youth level calls level does not matter, say 262 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: things to their player like I need you to do this. 263 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: What I really try to do is I try to 264 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: take myself out of the equation. It's not what I 265 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: need you to do, It's what the game needs you 266 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: to do. Like, it's not about me. Like, all I'm 267 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: doing is trying to create an environment for my players 268 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: to learn and grow and develop and be the best 269 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: they can be. It's not about me. I don't need 270 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: you to do anything. I need you to give everything 271 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: you've got, you know, I need you to please yourself 272 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: and please the game. And I think that's where we 273 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: are with youth sports right now too. We're trying to 274 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: please people instead of please a game. The skills that 275 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: scale thing really translates me. And Uh, I'm gonna give 276 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: a shout out to Devin Morgan over at Drive Line. 277 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: You that's something he's adapted and their program, if you 278 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: know Devin needs awesome. Spoke to him quite a bit. 279 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: And you know, when I'm out there of coaching machine 280 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: pitch right now, it's eight you when one thing that 281 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: sticks out to me is there's this, uh, if the 282 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,079 Speaker 1: ball is not back to the picture, it's open season 283 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: to run, right, And it drives me nuts. It's like 284 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: these kids can't throw and catch most of they're learning. 285 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: It's also the fall, so like my son is not 286 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: playing football, he's playing fall baseball right now. So it's 287 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: you know, it's supposed to be considered not competitive, but 288 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: it's like some of these coaches and I'm not hating 289 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:47,959 Speaker 1: on it, but I just refused to do it. And 290 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: right now I'm kind of the odd ball. But it's like, 291 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna expose a kid's deficiency needs to catch 292 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: the ball by causing kids to go base to base 293 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: to base while all of a sudden it becomes a circus, 294 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: while the crowd gets nuts, and all of a sudden, 295 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: kids are pinning because that's what you're doing. You're causing 296 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: kids to get no frenzy. They don't know what's going on. 297 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: That's not baseball. That does not translate. So, like, I 298 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: think that's so important, and to take it a step further. 299 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: In softball in particular, it seems like pitching really dominates 300 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: when you get to certain levels. Is there You talked 301 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: about the specialization piece of it UM earlier on, but 302 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,839 Speaker 1: what about specialization within the game of softball like a 303 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: p O. When does that happen? Is that something you 304 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: have to focus on because I don't know, but it 305 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: seems like, you know, some of those softball pitchers are 306 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: pretty freaking ridiculously good. And do they play their positions? 307 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: Is that not to shift gears, but I think it 308 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: kind of encompasses the specialization piece and skills that scale 309 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: when it comes to you know, position like pitching. So 310 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: two things first before I get into the pitching part 311 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: of it, UM, I do want to say, like, I 312 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: think one of the biggest travesties in our game is 313 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: that a lot of times with the skills of scale 314 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: piece is like so in youth sports, I really feel 315 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 1: like everyone labels kids like, oh, she's really good or 316 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: oh he's really good. But really, when you peel back 317 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: the layers of what makes them quote quote good is 318 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: that they're just stronger. They just have more functional strength 319 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: than the other kids at their level. And so I 320 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: think one of the biggest travesties is that for girls, 321 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: a lot of times when they're not strong as strong 322 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: as their peers early on, they get turned into slappers. 323 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: And there's something wrong with slapping, don't get me wrong 324 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: by that, but they get turned into slappers or bunters 325 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: because that's all the coach things they can do. And 326 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: so then they get pigeonholed so freaking early they don't 327 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: really know what they're going to be capable of. Like 328 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: my niece plays in the travel organization and UM in Oregon, 329 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: and the head coach's always having my niece bunt and 330 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: she's twelve, she's strong, she's lefty. Hit her and I'm like, 331 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: whine the hell you have in her butt? And I'm like, 332 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: are you trying to win or you trying to give 333 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: her experience so she can get better? Like why are 334 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: you having her bunt? I'm on his butt all the 335 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: time about it, because I'm like, you have an opportunity 336 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: to give this young lady experience to mash. Let's let 337 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: her mash and see what she can do. Okay, so 338 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: we real real quick. I want to go, but we'll 339 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: get back of the pitch and there a second. How 340 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: do I know? Because listen, that seems like a common 341 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: thread I would like you to dig into, and that 342 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: is people associate winning with success and they think, well, 343 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: my team's doing well, these kids are getting better because 344 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: we're winning. But I think that that's crap. Can you 345 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: talk about why? Like, and I think that's a perfect example, 346 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: but some people might not know what a slab pitter is, 347 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: but everyone can relate to bunting right at those ages 348 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: in particular, So can you talk about that? Okay, so 349 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: I can talk about that forever. But the reality is 350 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: is like we pigeon all these kids early on because 351 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: we're like, okay, we're assessing the situation like this is 352 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: the MLB World Series or the Women's College World Series 353 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: and we gotta win at all. And so the only 354 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: thing I know that I'm confident that this young person 355 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: could do is bunts And that's ridiculous. Like winning at 356 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: this point, like the youth sports is really not that important. 357 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: What you're doing is you're stunting their growth. You're like 358 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: handicapping their opportunity to actually fall in love with whatever 359 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: game they're playing, in my opinion, because it's all about 360 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: winning right now. And I think, honestly, that's one of 361 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: the biggest travesties we're doing in youth sports is we're 362 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: robbing them of the opportunity to fall in love with 363 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: whatever sport they're pursuing, or trying to be really honest 364 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: at the cost of winning. And it's funny again back 365 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: to my oldest daughter when she was playing rex softball. 366 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: She was eating under and this is like when eyes 367 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: became open to be really honest. But she was playing 368 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: and eight and under wreck ball. But she made quote 369 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: unquote an all star team. And my husband and I, 370 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: like I said, he coaches also with me, we refused 371 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: to call it all stars. We just called it extended season. 372 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: But what we saw within the environment there was unacceptable. 373 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is like we have 374 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: eight year old who are practicing like an hour a week, 375 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: not really getting a lot of experience because there's more 376 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: talking than doing at that point, and you know they're 377 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: being finger in the phase pointed at, and you can't 378 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: do this instead of down with really hard concepts like 379 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: tagging up and things like that. And that was my 380 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: AHA moment because this was building in me when I 381 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: saw it occurring firsthand, and I said to the head 382 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: coach who played baseball where I played softball, I said, Dude, 383 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,239 Speaker 1: if you don't shut your assistant coach up, I'm going 384 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: to hurt him, like you cannot please a human being 385 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: and compete at the same time. Like when those words 386 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: came out of my mouth, that was my AHA moment, 387 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: and that totally changed the trajectory of my coaching philosophy 388 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: to be really honest, and I'm like, it's not about me, 389 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, It's about them competing and 390 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: by giving them what they need to compete in that moment, 391 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: if I've got to still say something, then I haven't 392 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 1: prepared them. I haven't given them the experience that they 393 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: need in that moment. And I mean, that's a whole 394 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: another thing. We talked about that because we're playing way 395 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: more than we're practicing. We're not practicing properly, but we're 396 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: playing way more than we're practicing. We could practice so 397 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: much more and provide so much more experience and practice 398 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: than we are then paying all this money to go 399 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: all these tournaments. At the end of the day, though, 400 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: you know that that's you know, we can go on 401 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: and on and on and on. This is like a 402 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: never ending you know, dialogue you just go back and 403 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: forth with because there's so many tentacles of it. And 404 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: I want to get into the pitching aspect. I think 405 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,719 Speaker 1: it all ties together and it's specific to your sport. 406 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: But at the same time, you know, I'm hearing you 407 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,479 Speaker 1: talk about the competition, and I really want to make 408 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: sure we get into that because I think it's important 409 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: that that we, let's face it, our job. It's not 410 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: about us as coaches. But what we're trying to do 411 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: is provide an atmosphere. Isn't that what teachers are trying 412 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: to do give the kids the opportunity to succeed. It's 413 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: the same thing that we're talking about. But the egos 414 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: getting the way man, the coach and ego. So we'll 415 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: get into that in a second. Tell me what's up 416 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: with this pitching, because man, it seems really tough and 417 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: it almost seems like you have to specialize, is it? 418 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: You know, is it a po situation picture only, No, 419 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: I really don't think so personally. I mean, for my 420 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: own experience, I was a picture that hit so um. 421 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: I think when I got to college, my coach probably 422 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: assumes that I was going to hit more than I 423 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: was going to pitch. But by the time my own 424 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: care was over, like he knew that I could compete 425 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,479 Speaker 1: in any situation, I wasn't going to back down based 426 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: on the experience that I had play in other positions hitting. 427 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: So I don't think that's necessary at all, but a 428 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: lot of people think it is. My pitching coach. I 429 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: hired a pitching coach here. She was an All American 430 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 1: at the University of Iowa. She didn't start pitching until 431 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: she was like fourteen or sixteen, which is pretty late 432 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: in today's day and age. So I think people, you know, 433 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: assume right now that you have to start pitching at 434 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 1: a really young age, like eight or ten or twelve, 435 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: and that's the only way you have to focus all 436 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: your time and energy on that. But the reality is, 437 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: I think when you do that, you limit yourself, You 438 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: limit your athletic ability, and you limit your opportunity to 439 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: learn and grow and understand your body and things like that, 440 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 1: So so I think that's necessary. No, And I do 441 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: see our game right now kind of going like for 442 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: a while, like pitchers were your best athletes and they 443 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: hit and they played other positions for softball, and then 444 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: there was like probably a twenty year stretch where they 445 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: were pos and now I think it's kind of going 446 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: back to they hit or they do with their positions. 447 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: So I'm thankful for that. To be really honest, you 448 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: brought up you were a multi sport as fleet, and 449 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: you just brought up competing. And I hear this a 450 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: lot from I mean, it doesn't matter the sport, and 451 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,239 Speaker 1: I don't think people understand. I hear this a lot 452 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 1: of people. I think it's important for kids to learn 453 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: how to compete and compete to win at any age. 454 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: But there's a difference between that and winning it all costs. 455 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: How does multi sport How does that and versatility translate 456 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: into making you a better competitor. Meaning let's say I 457 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: know softballs in my spots what I want to play, 458 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: but I really like to play volleyball, I like to 459 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: play basketball, Like, how can those things help me as 460 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: a softball player? Well, I think, first and foremost, if 461 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: we like apply motorcyle learning to any sport we do, 462 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: we understand our task and our task is derived by 463 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: what it takes to win. So I think that totally 464 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: simplifies any sport we do. But I think furthermore, like 465 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: I love playing volleyball because I could get the high 466 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: by being an outside hitter and having kills, you know, 467 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: like you know, they called spikes for people that don't 468 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 1: really know. So I get that high that I get 469 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: by hitting a home run or striking someone out by 470 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: having a kill in volleyball, and I could get that 471 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: like fifteen times a game, and volleyball verse one or two, 472 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: like if I'm hitting one or two, or like if 473 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm pitching like ten for me at my best. So 474 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: I think like for me, I was always kind of 475 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 1: chasing that high, like I knew what my task was. 476 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: I knew what my team needed need to do for 477 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: us to win. So again, motorcyle learning and task completion, 478 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,400 Speaker 1: So I think that's so important to understand through all sports. 479 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: So basketball, I got to hit that three. That's my job, 480 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: that's my task that helps us win, but that helps 481 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: me compete, So I'm chasing that task which is all 482 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: about competing. Like my task is derived from what it 483 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: takes for us to win. So understanding what it takes 484 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: in each sport to win and chasing that and being 485 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: relentless it's stubborn to it. That's sports right there to me. 486 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: That's Stanley Ward at softball coach at Texas Tech University. 487 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: When we returned, Coach Ward and I disco recruiting and 488 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: how to develop great team culture. Welcome back to the 489 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: Reformed Sports Project podcast. Where Coach Ward and I left off, 490 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: we were about to dig into what she looks for 491 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: from a recruiting standpoint and how to develop great team culture. 492 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,239 Speaker 1: I'm not in your position, but I think this is 493 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 1: one of the most important things in your livelihood, and 494 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: that's recruiting. I would argue that the entire youth sports 495 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: ecosystem was founded on the premise to make it easier 496 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 1: for kids to be seen. It seems like that is 497 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: the driver. If I was going to open a youth 498 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: sports business today, I would totally sell the idea of 499 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: the athletic scholarship, even though you might pay like a 500 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: hundred grand before you get to the opportunity to have 501 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: college and it might triple the amount that college actually costs. 502 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: I'm still gonna sell it because parents, and I'm a parent, 503 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 1: and I know what it's like. There's something sexy to 504 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: be able to say my kid got a scholarship, even 505 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: though literally, as you know, sometimes it's like a five 506 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: semester scholarship, it's very little from an athletics stampoint. It 507 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: also fosters the D one or bust mentality, which quite 508 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: frankly I take personally because I played D three. We 509 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: want a national title, you know, and I think it 510 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: was literally one of the best experience of my life. 511 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: Teammates for life, coaches for life, all of that. But 512 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: not everyone could play a Texas Tech. Not everyone could 513 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: play in the A C C SEC power for whatever 514 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: it is. And it doesn't mean you can't have a 515 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: great experience somewhere. And often, let's cut the chase. If 516 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 1: I own a club, I want to be able to 517 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: say that Jenny Finch worked out here, you know. So 518 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: that's the thing. It's like, I want to sell that 519 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: all these D one kids came out of my club 520 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: or my organization. So I'm gonna push that. Can you 521 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: talk about recruiting how it helps you as a college ghost. 522 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: But at the same time, you know, might be doing 523 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: kids a disservice or parents or kind of walk through 524 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: that a little. Yeah, I mean, recruiting is crazy right now, 525 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: and it really is. And I know that you play 526 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: D three and you're freaking badass there. You want a 527 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: national title and that's freaking awesome. Like for me myself, 528 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: I've coached at the n ai level, like coached at 529 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 1: the D two level. If someone wants to play, there 530 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 1: is literally a spot for them to play. But I 531 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: think that's what we're missing right now. Like, if you're 532 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 1: passionate about playing, you can find a place to play. 533 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: But we've kind of robbed them of that passion to 534 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: play and made it more of a business. So that's 535 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 1: really challenging a lot of areas. So I mean, I know, 536 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: I know you've gone into it with your other podcasts 537 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 1: so far and stuff, but I think it's so important 538 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: to take breaks and to go to other sports and 539 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,239 Speaker 1: things like that. Like from my own experience growing up, 540 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: my dad um played softball in the Navy. He learned 541 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: how to play, he pitched, um he taught my sister 542 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 1: and I had to pitch like my sister and I 543 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: never spent a dime to learn how to pitch. And 544 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: so when we were growing up and understanding that all 545 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: these people are paying all this money and lessons, where 546 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: like when the hecks going on, like I never paid 547 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: a dime to learn how to play, and like before 548 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: my dad had passed away, he's like, I will never 549 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: charge a kid to teach them how to pitch. If 550 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,719 Speaker 1: they want to pitch, I'm going to teach him how 551 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: to pitch, like Perry it. It's just become such a 552 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: business right now, and even on the recruiting net um 553 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: and you know, as a college coach, I feel guilty 554 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: because we have created, as college coaches the environment we're in. 555 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: We try to make things easier for us in the 556 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: recruiting element. What I mean by that is like all 557 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: these showcases like that was designed to make our lives easier, 558 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: and that we go, we watch a game and it's 559 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: a friendly or whatever in a showcase tournament, so we 560 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 1: can see who we want to see, as opposed to 561 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: if it's a championship type setting, the coaches playing to win, 562 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: and we don't always get to see who we want 563 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: to see, like maybe the one we're trying to see, 564 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: like you know, we're mid major D two whatever, We're 565 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: trying to see someone who doesn't get a lot of 566 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: playing time. We never see him play. So we've kind 567 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: of created this ourselves, and I think, you know, as 568 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 1: college coaches were kind of opening our eyes like that 569 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: wasn't a good idea. We had to do something different. 570 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: Right now, we've created our own beast. So recruiting is 571 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 1: crazy right now. And like one of the other things 572 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: that I think is so interesting, like when I was 573 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: mentioning earlier that you know, my oldest daughter was being 574 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: approach in the parking lot after erect games by three 575 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: different troudball coaches. The last one was like, oh, you're 576 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 1: the coach at Texas six. You got to look at 577 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: my daughter. She's ten year old, ten years old and 578 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 1: she rose fifty. And I'm like, okay, like I'm not 579 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: looking at your daughter, Like I'm sorry, but that's not 580 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: important to me. I'm not going to recruit a ten 581 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: year old no matter what early does necessarily recruiting go. 582 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I do hear and I actually will tell 583 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: you I know firsthand of baseball players who are offered 584 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: in eighth grade. I mean, I know that was happening 585 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: big time in our sport, and we luckily changed our 586 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: rules so we are not allowed to have contact with 587 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: any prospective student athletes and fellow September one of their 588 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: junior because if they call you, even if it's arranged, yes, 589 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: we can't take that anymore. We used to be able to, 590 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: but maybe two years ago that changed for us, so 591 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: we have tried to take a stand to change that 592 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 1: for the better. UM. It's pretty interesting though, I mean, 593 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,679 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie on September one for a lot 594 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: of juniors, like twenty three, that's the junior class right now. Class. 595 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: I saw a lot of commitments and I'm like, that's 596 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,639 Speaker 1: pretty fishy considering we're not allowed to talk to them today. 597 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: So we're making offers and they're taking them today, but 598 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: the reality is we're not supposed to be talking to 599 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: them right now until September one to their junior year. 600 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,360 Speaker 1: And that's for trees, because that's the year the junior 601 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: right now. So we have as a softball community to 602 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: try to take a stand against that um and try 603 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: to correct that. Because we were having sixth graders commit 604 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: seventh eight like it was just insane. It was literally 605 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,959 Speaker 1: the well low list. So like when you hear parents 606 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: say at times like oh my my my ten year 607 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: old might get a look. I mean at that point 608 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 1: they were like literally hoping that that might start happening, 609 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: like when they were in middle school. And I think 610 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: take it one step further. A lot of the coaches 611 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: at the trouble ball level that I've talked to heard 612 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,479 Speaker 1: from when they're acting a full they'll say things like 613 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,959 Speaker 1: we're trying to prepare them for college, and I'm like, 614 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: are you an idiot? I get fired if I did that. 615 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: But they do things and they act a fool, they 616 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: act crazy. They humiliate these kids at like ten, eleven, 617 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: twelve and on, all in the name of quote unquote 618 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,439 Speaker 1: getting them ready for college. And I'm like, you have 619 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: no clue what you're doing. People often mistake And I'm 620 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: a firm believer that discipline and structure and culture um 621 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: is important. You know, I have six kids. My house 622 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: is not the wild West. It can't be like there 623 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: has to be structuring. And I was fortunate to play 624 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: for Mike Fox and great coaches at North Carolina Wesley 625 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: and it was disciplined. I mean, we were sprinting everywhere. 626 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: I mean shirts tucked in, I mean we knew the rules. 627 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you one story and I think it 628 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: will give you an idea. It was my um my 629 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: sophomore year. We are about to win the conference tournament, 630 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: and one of our freshman pictures shout out, Jed Sneed 631 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: says to you know our stud to one of ours 632 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: had a ridiculous staff. But one of our starters, Sean 633 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: flem Shawn's a junior and Jed is a freshman. And 634 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: Jed SAIDs to him, so what do we do when 635 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: we when when the conference rom We're gonna We're gonna 636 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: rush the field, and and Sean was like, dude, we're 637 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: gonna walk off the field, We're gonna shake hands, we're 638 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: gonna get on the bus. This is the conference tournament. 639 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: Like we expect to win the conference tournament. We we 640 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: only dogpile for regional championships and national titles here. But 641 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: like that was our culture and that was understood, Like 642 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: that was way that it was, and everyone worked towards that. 643 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: And the reason I'm bringing that up is is that 644 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: didn't happen overnight, right, That's fostered through discipline, structure, all 645 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: that how do you build that while still having an 646 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,719 Speaker 1: element of fun right and not like you were just describing, 647 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: making it unpleasant? Or can you be a disciplinarian without 648 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: getting up in someone's face. So, I think the things 649 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: we hold our student athletes accountable to our attitude and effort. 650 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: Those are the two things they can control. That is 651 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: checking in their shirts. That's effort. You're paying attention to 652 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: the details. You know what's expecting in the program. I 653 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: also feel like I'm a disciplinarian. I'm a big believer 654 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: in attitude, effort, structure, discipline. Culture comes from expectations. As 655 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 1: a leader, you have to clearly define what the expectations 656 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: of your program are. When those expectations aren't met, you 657 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 1: have a private conversation. You don't blow them up in 658 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: front of God and everyone. You have a private conversation. 659 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: We say, hey, you didn't do this, or tell me 660 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: why this happened, or tell me what you think about this. Like, honestly, 661 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: I'm at a point in my life right now where 662 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: I'm telling them a lot. I'm asking them because I 663 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: need to understand where they're coming from so I can 664 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: communicate with them effectively. But culture, right now that's where 665 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: we are at in our program at Texas SEP. We're 666 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 1: building a culture. One of the things that I'm like 667 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: the most proud of with the twenty five women that 668 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: we have on our team are that every single one 669 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: are here to build the foundation of our culture. And 670 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: the reality is, in today's day and age, a lot 671 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: of people don't want to be a part of that process. 672 00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: They want to go and they want to chase the champions. 673 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 1: So we have a sports psychologist. She comes in and 674 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: she she was a former softball player, which I think 675 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: is huge for us. She works with our student athletes 676 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: on a weekly basis um in a group setting, and 677 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 1: she kind of asked them that why and every single 678 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: one had mentioned something in their own words about I 679 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: want to be a part of the you know, process 680 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: of building the foundation of this culture here. Hell. Yes, 681 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: I want to go to the World Series. That's our goal. 682 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: That's what we're working towards. But we're going to build 683 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: a foundation that doesn't leave when we graduate. So I 684 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,959 Speaker 1: think you can always hold people accountable to attitude and effort. 685 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: I think holding them accountable to the result is freaking 686 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: dangerous and unnecessary, and I think that's what happens a 687 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: lot right now is like, oh, you struck out, that's 688 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: the result. How is it at that where they swinging 689 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: at the pitch? They wanted to drive things like that. 690 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: So I think you can build your culture based on 691 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: attitude and effort. Coach, I want to have you back 692 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: on and literally just talk about that. You've got me 693 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: fired up and I love them. Grateful for your time here. 694 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: But you got a room, you got the mic. You know, 695 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: you're at the SPS, You're at abc A, You're at 696 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: the softball convention. You've got a thousand parents with their 697 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: you know, ninth, tenth, eleventh grader softball. You know, they 698 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: want to play in college, they want to go to 699 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: Texas Tech. They want to play at your level. What's 700 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: the path in two three minutes? How did they get there? 701 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: From a student athlete perspective, whether it's great, it's character, 702 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: all those things, and of course ability, how do they 703 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: get on the radar? How do they get to Texas Tech? 704 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: I think the biggest thing is, in my opinion, we 705 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: recred character first and foremost. Um, I don't want to 706 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: bring someone in who's going to be a problem. What 707 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: I mean by that is they're all about them, They're 708 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: all about the results. That's not us. We're about the 709 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: process here. So that's something that we really value. Um. 710 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: In terms of advice to parents after a game, I'm 711 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: speaking from experience on both sides. After a game, you're 712 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: taking your child back from whatever game that was, when 713 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: you're in the car, that is the most crucial time 714 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: for your like your relationship, in your bond. All you 715 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: need to say is I love to watch you play. Period. 716 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:07,959 Speaker 1: You don't need to give your input, you don't need 717 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: to give your two cents from the peanut gallery. This 718 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: is a harsh, breaking game. Every game they play is hard. 719 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: Basketball's hard, Soccer's hard. They're not trying to fail, but 720 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: they need to fail if they're going to grow, and 721 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: we have to like embrace and encourage them to fail 722 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: because that's taking chances, that's seeing what their limits are. 723 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 1: Let them fail, let them grow. After my daughter's games, 724 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: my oldest sater, my youngest one. She's not old enough 725 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: to play it, she's only five. After her games, all 726 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: I say to her with man ride, I love to 727 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 1: watch you play, I love to watch you compete. If 728 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: she's playing softball, I'll say things like for our verbage 729 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: for our program. Like we talked about on defense, getting 730 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: in your ready position, and we say that as getting 731 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: in your circle, and I saw you getting in your 732 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: circle on every hitch way to go. When she's hitting, 733 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,920 Speaker 1: we talk about like in the on deck circle, you're 734 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: just trying to get your timing. That's all you're trying 735 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 1: to do that, Like you don't need a swing, you've 736 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: already swamped. You're just trying to get your time. And 737 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 1: I'll say things like, man, right, I saw you work 738 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 1: in your time in their way to go go. I 739 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: don't say anything about any outcome of any at that 740 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,799 Speaker 1: because I know she was trying her hardest. But she 741 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: needs that experience to grow and learn. So if people 742 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: after the game come up to her and saying, man, 743 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: you had a great game, I'll say things like, she 744 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,880 Speaker 1: worked hard because we can't reward the outcome, we have 745 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: to reward the process. So the process is how they worked, 746 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:39,720 Speaker 1: how they prepared, were they present, and when they failed, 747 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: how did they get to the next pitch. So that's 748 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 1: the things we talked about, and so that's what I 749 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: would encourage other parents to talk about. She pitches also. 750 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: She loves to pitch. In my head, I was a picture, 751 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: and I'm like, there's no freaking way in this day 752 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: and age, I would probably pitch like the deck is 753 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: stepped against pictures right now. But that's are harder of 754 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: the balls are hotter, all these things they don't like 755 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 1: for softball, the pitching distance has moved back further sooner, 756 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: so they're gonna get rocked sooner. But she loves to pitch. 757 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, man, I love to watch you compete. That's 758 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,720 Speaker 1: all I say. I don't need to talk about her walks. 759 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: I don't need to talk about her getting hit. It 760 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:21,359 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. She's learning and she's growing, so I think 761 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,720 Speaker 1: those are the most important things. I'm not telling anyone 762 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: how to parent, but I'm giving advice because what I 763 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: hear from my student athletes is I hate to fail 764 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: because then I have to hear about it from my 765 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: mom or dad, and that breaks my heart in a 766 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: million pieces. You're not trying to fail. This is a 767 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: hard freaking game. Sports science did a whole thing on 768 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 1: the most challenging thing, like the most challenging and athletic endeavor, 769 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:48,280 Speaker 1: and it was hitting the fast pitch softball. It's freaking hard. 770 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 1: Every time I hear the parents from the crowd yelling 771 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: at our hitters like oh swing, things like that, I'm like, okay, 772 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 1: after the game, you come down here, I'm gonna pitch. 773 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have britty pitch to my pitching coach. Let's 774 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: see how you do. But people forget it's hard. No 775 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 1: one's trying to fail. They're trying to do their best. 776 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 1: But I'm gonna tell you right now, if we're on 777 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 1: them for their failures, they're going to tighten up. And 778 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: our goal as a coaching staff at Texas Tech is 779 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: to allow our student athletes to play free. You will 780 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: not see me. Iuguarantee it. I'll bible it. You can 781 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 1: watch me on ESPN Plus or any other network we're on. 782 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: I will not react when our players quote unquote fail. 783 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: I won't I won't throw my hands in the air. 784 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 1: I won't do anything because I know it's hard. I 785 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,359 Speaker 1: know they're trying to know they're working. I'll just talk 786 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,440 Speaker 1: to and say, hey, what you learn. That's it. It's 787 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 1: about learning as student athletes are as athletes, they need 788 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: to be in a learning mode seven not a performance mode. 789 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: And they think they need to be in a performance 790 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: mode playing all the daytime. It's always learning because hitting, pitching, defense, 791 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: it's all a journey. There's not a estimation. You never 792 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,799 Speaker 1: get it. You're always learning more So, that's my two 793 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 1: cents coach. That is freaking awesome. I'm so fired up 794 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: that we connected. I cannot take enough of your time, 795 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,239 Speaker 1: Sammy Ward, Texas Tech Softball. I just can't think enough 796 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,360 Speaker 1: for coming on sharing your inside. Thanks. Thank I appreciate 797 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: you doing this. I was so jazzed to hear that 798 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: you were doing this whole podcast, and I'm like, you 799 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 1: are speaking to my soul and I'm so happy you're 800 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 1: doing this. That's Sammy A. Ward at softball coach at 801 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: Texas Tech University. Thanks for listening to The Reformed Sports 802 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: Project podcast dom Nick Boncourt and our goal is to 803 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: restore a healthy balance and perspective in all areas of 804 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:40,359 Speaker 1: sports through education and advocacy. For updates, please follow us 805 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:43,359 Speaker 1: on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check out our web