#coachingabsolutes

Culture Is a Verb (Part IV) 

Coaching Absolutes 

By Dave Turgeon / December 19, 2017 

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE ON THE FIELD?

The first three installments on Culture did not talk much about baseball. We hit on leadership and how it drives the train of your team. We spoke of relationship building and the importance of communication and our rules of engagement. Adding on to our foundation of culture we dove into the importance of our day-to-day mentality. Folks who have a Blue collar work ethic demonstrate the ability to “show up” every single day. The more people “show up,” the more the culture grows. As important as the work ethic piece is, the “white belt” mentality of being a forever learner goes hand in hand with that. People who understand that once you achieve black belt (expert) status, the learning does not end. It never ends. Adopting the idea of getting one-tenth of one percent better every day is an achievable goal. Can you imagine a group of blue-collar people who love to learn, all getting one-tenth of one percent better every day for a year? It is hard to quantify how strong your culture can become, but just one person who does that is about 36 percent better! You do the math from there.

Our third installment hit on our need for revivals not just in our lives but also in our jobs of keepers and growers of culture. Revivals to recommit to some things as well as expand our lenses. We also hit the importance of our EQ and never forgetting how hard the jobs of those we lead are. Finally, those led to the environment we are creating for learning and growth of our players and staff. Is it a small pot that does not allow the plant to grow deep roots, or a big one that allows the plant/player to become an awesome – and perhaps unrecognizable – version of itself?

All of the above have lead us to the promised land of the field and our last piece of culture. What brand of baseball is it that people are looking at when your team is on the field? What do teams feel like after they have played your team? Let us examine what I am talking about here.

HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH YOUR IDENTITY?

BASE RUNNING

The best (this is a great argument) way to establish your team identity – and perhaps the most overlooked – is through base running. Let me add to that “aggressive/smart base running”. It is at least 25 percent of the game that goes with pitching, defense and offense. Aggressive / smart base running and the pressure applied amplifies any offense. Pressure base running will separate the pitcher’s mind and conviction from his pitch, leading to mistakes thrown, which lead to baseballs getting barreled by our hitters. Pressure base running plants the “I have less time” seed into the defender’s mind and creates errors, which leads to baserunners and runs scored. It leads to extended innings because when infielders have baserunners bearing down on them, even on a routine double play, things somehow change in their exchange and throw. Good pressure leads and secondary leads may lead to catchers back picking and taking risks when they should not, leading to extra 90s or errors.

The ripple effect of smart / aggressive base running goes on. Why, then, don’t people establish this piece of their identity? There is no simple answer to this but I will start with the fact that it is not sexy to train baserunning (it requires preparation and time that would otherwise go into more sexy things, like hitting and pitching). Many do not understand the huge positive impact of relentless pressure baserunning on an offense, and in our industry, it does not necessarily lead to guys getting bigger contracts (unless he is an elite base stealer). The other piece of this is coaches who do not understand the art of pressure may confuse basestealing with baserunning. While basestealing can be another form of pressure in our baserunning package, it does not mean we cannot be great baserunners if we do not steal bases. Another reason players may not embrace this mentality of pressure is they think, “if I have below average speed, I cannot become an above average baserunner” which could not be further from the truth! I often show our players and staff video of smart / aggressive baserunning by below average speed guys to hammer home the message.

Establish the team identity on the bases by creating attitude (anticipation is aggression), with preparation and knowledge, and you will become a team that others do not enjoy playing. Applying constant pressure on the bases slowly exhausts the opposition. This then becomes a part of the daily training and not just the routine base running work most teams do during batting practice. Daily training in base running daily hammers home the message of its importance, as well as rewarding it when it is executed.

PITCHING IN WHILE POUNDING THE ZONE

Another form of pressure that establishes the identity of a team culture is a staff that works ahead and uses pitching to its advantage. Hitters know they must be ready the moment they step in the box when the guy on the bump is a strike-one machine. When a staff works ahead constantly and looks for opportunities to pitch in for strikes – and, more importantly, “in for effect” – the opposition can be taken completely out of their game plan and approach. It is uncomfortable for hitters when pitchers force them to alter their normal stance in the box by opening up the other side of the plate and keeping the hitter guessing. Staffs that do these two things consistently also send messages to hitters that if you are thinking that you are going to cover the whole plate in your at bat, you need to think again.

Don Drysdale was famous for pitching in for effect, and his motto was, “I would come in off the plate two times in a row to let them know it was not an accident.” That kind of pressure from the pitcher to the hitter over a period of a series can remove the aggression on the part of hitters and again establish your club’s identity as one that others do not want to face. It also keeps the other side of the plate open for late-inning relievers who come in during a tight game. Generally, in tight games we never want to get beat pull-side late in the game, so pitchers will stay away. If the starters have done their job of establishing pitching in for effect earlier then it would make sense the ability for hitters to cover the whole plate is surely more challenging later. The myth here with pitching in is that you have to be a hard thrower to pitch in. This simply is not true. One of the best examples of this was Tom Glavine, who was a hard thrower when he came up, and it was not until later in his career when his stuff had diminished that he truly embraced pitching in for effect and for strikes.

MASTER THE 15 SECONDS

Develop “baseball players” who dominate the 15 seconds between pitches. As of 2014, the average Major League game lasted approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes. Of this time, 16 of those minutes were action. That left a whopping two hours and 39 minutes between pitches, at bats and innings. Seventy-five of these minutes was in between pitch time. Although that 15 seconds could be a bit longer or a bit shorter it is there where the game is played out. A guy who always seems to know where he needs to be on the field, throws the ball where he is supposed to, calls the right pitches behind the plate, gives quality at bats when hitting, is a good baserunner, is a quiet assassin on the mound, is a “baseball player.”

While many players simply react pitch to pitch on offense or defense, the player with good game awareness only reacts after preparing and then anticipating. He does his preparing during those 15 seconds. Let me give you some examples. An outfielder should go through many scenarios in his head before a ball is put in play. He may think if a ball is hit to my left, ball to my right, ball in front of me, ball over my head where am I going to be throwing the ball?  He must also process the scoreboard information such as inning and score and the hitter, which will also affect the aggressiveness of his decision to attack a lead runner, or simply keep the double play in order and get the ball in quickly to the middle of the field.

An example of an infielder’s 15 seconds could be a shortstop who is presented with a runner on second base and one out situation. Between pitches, he must process what if the ball is hit to my left, to my right, right at me or slowly in front of me? The aggressiveness of his decision (to attack the batter and take the out at first or attack the base runner attempting to advance to third) comes off the scenarios he played out in his head and again the score, the inning, the hitter. All the info processed in the 15 seconds told him that he should take the out at first and have two outs and a runner on third, rather than risk attacking the lead runner and him being safe and then creating a first and third and one out situation.

The catcher’s 15 seconds can be challenging. They have to control the pulse and pace of the guy on the mound, know where his stuff is at that day, know the hitter and the situation, and of course, know the scoreboard before determining what pitch to call and – if runners are on base – controlling them as well.

The hitter’s 15 seconds can be interesting also. When they step in the box they have to determine their role (get on base, move a runner, drive a runner in from third, etc.) and then get a pitch to execute it with. The challenge with hitters, though, is that their role and approach may change from pitch to pitch. One of the biggest homeruns in World Series history was hit by Kirk Gibson on a 3-2 slider. When Gibson came to the plate, Mike Davis was on first base. When Gibson came up to bat he understood he would have to drive a ball in a gap to score the runner from first or drive one out of the park to win it. So simply slapping a ball the other way and getting on was not his role when he was up there with the runner on first. However, on the sixth pitch of the at bat, Mike Davis stole second base and this changed things with the count now 3-2. Gibson now did not have to drive a ball in the gap or over the wall, but rather, he could now think of slapping something the other way, as a single would now tie the game up. When you watch what happens next, you see Gibson hit a 3-2 slider (it was not hung) out for the game winner. He had changed his approach and role based on the runner advancing to second base. This is huge because if he had the pull approach and tried to do too much, there is no way he stays on and tracks the 3-2 slider from Eckersley.

This is an amazing detail of the 15 seconds that we may miss because we are caught up in the result of the big homer. Gibson did not get beat by the slider because he continued to think during the 15 seconds, ‘what is my role?’, and he got a pitch to do it with. The changing of his role and approach allowed a guy who could barely walk to hit one of the biggest homers in the history of the game.

Pitchers need to be playing the game during their 15 seconds as well. People often speak of situational pitching, referring to different points of the game when you face a hitter in a critical situation. The fact is that every single pitch of the game it situational pitching, according to who is up and the scoreboard information. Therefore, the pitcher, after considering his information between pitches, can either sign off on the pitch that the catcher called, or call another pitch. If you have a collective group of players who are good at the 15 seconds (game awareness), you become someone who is hard to beat because you are never beating yourselves with poor decisions. Your decisions have already been made between pitches, so the equation becomes preparation + anticipation = good decisions. Dominate the 15 seconds, and you dominate your opponents during the 16 minutes of action!

CHAMPIONSHIP ON-FIELD CULTURE

The building blocks of your team’s identity starts with a relentless baserunning pressure package. Our ability to disrupt the thinking of a pitcher and force the defense to rush plays works in unison with our offensive approach in the box. If we are also ready to do damage when stepping into the box, we are creating a “2 vs. 1, 3 vs. 1, or 4 vs. 1” pressure, which can be formidable. On the mound, we also apply pressure to the opposition by relentlessly working ahead in counts and pitching in for effect with conviction. There is no comfort for hitters when a pitching staff pitches in for effect with conviction. It will also allow the late-inning relievers to stay away from hitters in close games because we have not allowed them to cover the plate early in the game and series.

Having a team of “baseball players” who dominate the 15 seconds between pitches is a form of psychological pressure as well. Other teams know that club will not beat itself by giving up extra outs or extra bases, so it then causing them to try harder or put pressure on themselves, thus leading to mistakes.

Building your on-field culture is both challenging and fun. Continue to look at your group in the collective mirror, but most importantly, with your staff. Eventually, whatever is going on on your field becomes a direct reflection of you. One of my Pirates leaders once said, “You are either coaching it up or allowing it to happen.” Keep that in mind as you are building your on-field culture. 

For more resources, check out these links:

A Baseball Coaching Philosophy The Confident Baseball Coach Coaching Resources USA Baseball Mobile Coach Online Education Center Amateur Resource Center

Culture is a Verb (Part III) 

Coaching Absolutes 

By Dave Turgeon / October 4, 2017 

REVIVALS ARE IMPORTANT

Recently flipping through some channels, I came across an Evangelical station where a preacher was preaching, and I could not help but marvel at the intensity with which the audience was connecting with his words.  That preacher was doing a number of things for the people. He was getting some new followers, getting some who used to follow and had gone away to follow again, and he was getting some who were following already to follow in a more committed way. Of course, critical to all of this was the environment he created to make these things happen. The words and the way he spoke, the lighting, the sound, and the music were all ingredients to allow for the room and the people to be moved. It got me thinking how important revivals are not just in spiritual terms but also in life in general. We all need to reconnect and recommit to some things in order to continue to grow. I recently experienced a two-and-a-half week revival in culture building and leadership I wanted to share. My revival took place in Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida, and I thought it worthy of our Culture discussion.

THE GULF ROAST LEAGUE 

I had the privilege of managing our Gulf Coast League club recently (a league that is so hot in summer it is affectionately called the Gulf Roast League) and was quickly inserted back into our Pirate culture as opposed to viewing it or help lead it from 30,000 feet. Meeting coaches and players where they are at is a huge piece in leadership and I quickly realized when I put the manager hat back on how quickly we can forget this basic tenet.

Revival number one was having empathy. Empathy is one’s ability to understand another’s feelings and what they may be experiencing. How important is it to never forget what those you lead are going through or feeling? We could argue it is more important than your x’s and o’s knowledge. The game is played and coached by people, and understanding what makes each tick is critical to a culture.

The last two weeks allowed me to remember how hard this game is from a player’s perspective. The physical grind of working at a craft and performing on a daily basis is a huge challenge. This grind of the season is hard, beats up the body, and pushes it to the limits. The mental grind of failing, falling and getting back up again on a daily basis is hard. The combination of using athletic skills with decision making on the chessboard called a baseball diamond is hard. Taking care of the body and recovery is hard.  

From a coach’s perspective, helping players through off field issues and teaching personal and professional separation is hard.  The ability to finish this 6-month season stronger than how you started is a huge challenge. Putting in work days in extreme heat and at times being away from family is a challenge. Helping players “get it” is a challenge. Going through life with a group of people in a competitive environment is a challenge as it affects peoples’ emotions. Being aware of a group as well as individuals’ emotions means constant engagement with staff and players, and this is a challenge.

What does all this mean? First, it feeds our patience bucket as teachers to be able to truly understand where they are all at and what they are experiencing. It also means our ability to empathize is critical to the growth of your culture and team! Continue to connect and be present for those you lead and teach!

Revival number two: Championship Preparation. If I am not prepared, I cannot meet anyone where they are or lead them because I have not taken care of myself yet! The analogy of the airplane that has a drop in pressure and the masks drop down to feed the oxygen to the passenger speaks to this. Well, you cannot help another until yours is secured to your head first. Take care of all the “me” stuff before staff and players arrive, so that when they do arrive you can lead and serve them. This may mean everything from personal (sleep, nutrition, workout, family time) to professional (schedule and the contents of the day, lineups, and scheduling meetings) and all things in between.

Now that you are prepared, you can help others prepare. Ultimately, how well you and your staff prepare will determine how well the day and game will be executed. This leads to revival number two: Championship Execution. Championship Execution cannot happen without Championship Preparation. Execution without preparation is leaving a day of player development up to chance.  After you and your staff have done everything in your power to prepare for the work day, it ultimately gets tested at 7:00 (12:00 in the Gulf Roast League) and everything you have done or have not done gets exposed. How you prepare (mentally, physically, and fundamentally) consistently on a daily basis will ultimately determine how consistently the team performs.

Now the biggest revival may have hit me on day two after unpacking the entire day with staff as we always do. Revival number four was Championship Review. Championship Review may be the most critical part of the day. At the end of every day, we did a couple of reviews. First, with staff, we would discuss what they liked, what they learned and what we needed to get better at tomorrow. This is so critical in how we plan tomorrow’s workday. The other thing we did is we had the players unpack what they saw and what they liked and learned and what they felt we needed to get better at. You want to know where the players are at?  Ask them what they see! Not only do you get an insight into what they know and do not know, but they also now feel they have a voice in their development. Autonomy of their days will leverage their development in a huge way. This cycle of prepare, execute, and review, and how well you do it ultimately is ultimately the life force behind your culture, organization and team. 

THE BASIL PLANT

What does a basil plant have to do with culture? Upon my return to Bradenton after a trip, I walked out onto my back porch to find a big new plant in the corner, which had been left alone and exposed to wind and rain for two weeks. You see, my wife, Theresa, had also been on the road and still was (tending to our daughter and first grandbaby) but did something before she left that I had not known. I assumed she had bought this new plant and simply left it to fend for itself. I called her immediately to ask her about the new plant, and she told me it was not a new plant but an old plant she simply re-potted into a bigger pot to see what would happen. She said it was the basil plant I had bought at the grocery store. First, these plants have lasted us about a week or so in the past as we would use the leaves for seasoning but the plant would generally turn brown, shrivel up, and die. Second, the plant was huge and green and was unrecognizable, so I was shocked when she said it was the little basil plant I had bought long before I had hit the road for my last trip. The basil plant was put into a bigger pot and allowed to receive the natural rain and sun. With room to grow and some rain and sun, in two weeks the basil plant was on its way to becoming Jack’s beanstalk! Theresa had simply put the plant in a bigger pot, put it in a good spot on the porch and gotten out of its way. What I thought would have been too much for a basil plant was exactly what it needed. The harsh sun and thunderstorms and wind allowed the plant to grow deeper roots and bigger branches.  

Isn’t this just like player development? On the other hand, should I ask, isn’t this what player development should look like? The basil plant brought me to another mini revival, not to be understated. Revival number five: The environment we are creating as leaders must leverage learning and building competitive and tough men that win on and off the field.  

This basil plant reconnected me to being intentional in creating an environment to maximize players’ growth. It made me think of how we as coaches can create a small pot environment, which limits growth, and become a roadblock instead of an asset. We did an exercise as a staff (after I dropped the basil story on them) and asked, “What do we do as teachers/coaches that creates this small pot where the plant shrivels up and dies?” This brought out many great points such as over-coaching, not allowing players to fail and figure things out, not allowing risk or room to fail, negativity, lack of challenge, bad body language, non-competitive work days, not holding players accountable, the language we teach with, ownership of their days and careers, not asking questions, emotional outbursts, etc. The list went on. Then I asked, “What we can do to create a big pot where the plant can grow and become some amazing version of itself?”   Allow free play, emotional stability of staff, involve them in their process and turn over ownership to them, ask questions to engage them and meet them where they are at, challenge them, variety, put them in competitive work days, use stress, keep score,  hold them accountable, have fun, etc. This list went on as well. The basil plant created a mini revival for me, and I in turn brought the revival to the staff on many fronts. Better self-awareness translates into better preparation, teaching, and setting up of our environment.

THE 30K-FOOT VIEW IS IMPORTANT, BUT...

In leadership, it is important to step away from the fire in order to see things clearly and grow the culture with intention. However, the last two weeks have made me realize that we all need revivals in our lives and jobs in order to grow. Our ability to stay committed to certain tenets of leading and connected to what players and coaches go through on a daily basis is critical in order to lead, teach and help them. The team with a culture that can continue to improve and streamline the 24-hour cycle of “Prepare, Execute and Review” will find itself playing for championships. How well we are preparing will determine how well we execute at game time. How well we review (autopsy of the day to learn from our successes and mistakes) will determine how well we can grow and then prepare the next day. “Prepare” and “Review” bookend “Execute,” and we truly need to be improving at both all the time. Lastly, I hope you all start to view your work environment as I did the basil plant. Is your environment a small pot with limited access to wind and rain and sunlight and growth? I like to think that after reading this, we would all do some soul searching and create a big pot environment where players and staff become something unrecognizable but in a positive way. Remember, we all need revivals, and they can only happen if you allow them to and want them to. Now go grow some basil… I mean baseball players.

For more resources, check out these links:

A Baseball Coaching Philosophy The Confident Baseball Coach Coaching Resources USA Baseball Mobile Coach Online Education Center Amateur Resource Center