Learning Through "Trial by Fire"

Please enjoy my best "You've got to be kidding me, that wasn't a strike!" look.

 Here I sit at home on my couch just a few weeks after our last games of the year. Each exit meeting has been completed, equipment inventory has been taken, and the girls are (or should be) tucked away in a corner of the library studying for their exams. It’s the first day in the last few months that I’ve really had time to sit down and think about my first season at the college level. During one of our exit meetings my boss said to one of the freshmen that she learned through “trial by fire” this year, and it hit me that that’s pretty much how my year went as well. I was given an amazing opportunity to take what I know (and what I thought I knew) and implement it at the college level. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. Will I do a lot of the same things next year? Absolutely. Will I change my approach when situations come up sometimes? Absolutely. It's been a roller coaster of year, but I can now say I've defined more of what my philosophy is, and who I am as a coach.

   1. I can’t do it for them, BUT I can provide the necessary tools, mentality, and   support  that they need to succeed. The rest is up to them.
 
2. Culture matters. Girls and drama go hand in hand, so when drama hits (When, not if! Lol) does it blow up into a huge problem, or is it dealt with in a mature way? The culture you create and the tools you give players to support them when they face struggles during their college experience make all the difference.
 
3. High Expectations are a good thing. You can quickly gauge who truly wants to get better and push themselves and who is on the fence with their commitment.
 
4. There are still opportunities every single day to teach life lessons and help athletes prepare for life after graduation. Whether student-athletes are 12 or 20 they still face many of the same challenges as they grow up.
 
5. DIII is completely unique. The girls I work with are not just student-athletes. They are in sororities, honor societies, complete internships, work for admissions, the list goes on and on. Their time playing softball is just a part of what they define themselves by. They are asked to prioritize athletics while being treated by the college as a non-athlete. There is no preferential scheduling of classes, professors are less understanding about missed classes, and the amount of time we have contact with our athletes is never enough for the amount of work I want to get done. In the end, with the limited time we have, the girls put forth effort truly for the love of the game.
 
6. It’s okay to still want the ball. It took a few weeks into the season for me to come to terms with the fact that the only time I would step in the circle during a game was to talk, rather than pick up the ball and step on the rubber. The feeling of wanting to be the one pitching has slowly started to fade, but in the big situation, tie game, runners on it all rushes back. I think the fact that this feeling creeps back in makes me a better coach. In big situations I get more excited and go to a different level, which in turn pulls the pitchers onto the same level.
 
7. I need to trust my instincts more. In close games, I think less and react more. In games where we are ahead or behind by a few runs I think about my actions and situations more than I should. In close games there isn’t time, I’m too busy thinking plays ahead. Much like I expect the girls to play the same way no matter who is on the fence in the opposing dugout, I need to make the adjustment to coaching the same way no matter what as well.

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