6 hours 'til Nationals...

You've got 6 contact hours left with your team before all the families hit the road for your biggest - and final - tournament of the season. The clock is ticking. What do your practices look like during those precious few hours you have remaining?

We are in a similar situation preparing for ASA 18A Nationals. Keep it simple and work on what will win you ball games - the basics. At practice, if it ever stops raining we will do a bunch of hitting, some fielding, and pitchers will throw. Very minor tweaking since if it ain't fixed by now it won't get fixed in the next week. Certainly not introducing anything new. Have some fun. We are scheduling a friendly for the weekend on the coast. After the games the girls are heading the two miles to the beach. As the HC you set the tone for the team. If you are worried and frantic like this is your first rodeo, then expect the same from your team. If you are focused and confident in your players abilities they will likewise pick up on that. No goals, just one game at a time. Only ask one thing of my girls - make the other team beat you. Do not give them anything.

"As the HC you set the tone for the team. If you are worried and frantic like this is your first rodeo, then expect the same from your team. If you are focused and confident in your players abilities they will likewise pick up on that. No goals, just one game at a time. Only ask one thing of my girls - make the other team beat you. Do not give them anything."

This is great advice! DD attended first college showcase tourney in June and it was the coach's first as well. He made such a big deal about being at a college showcase and playing in front of college coaches the team played the worst they had ever played cuz they were all so nervous. Afterwards, he informed them that they were an embarrassment to him and the org because they played so horribly in front of college coaches. This is what I told my DD before the tourney when she told me how he was making such a big deal about playing in a college showcase: At the end of the day, it is just another tournament and just like any other tourney, all you can do is control the controllables: your attitude and effort. As long as you gave your best effort, you can go home knowing you did your best despite the outcome. My DD was very relaxed and played very well at the tournament. So don't make a big deal about it and they won't either.

riseball said:

As the HC you set the tone for the team. If you are worried and frantic like this is your first rodeo, then expect the same from your team.

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Truer words have never been spoken.