Candrea on Playing vs. Competing

From Candrea's ASA column he writes called Candrea on Coaching. Pretty solid point.

Playing vs. Competing
written by Coach Mike Candrea


Have we developed a system that has created an unintended consequence in player development? I can honestly say that kids are playing many more games over a 12 month period than ever before yet we find fewer competitors in today’s culture. What do I mean by this statement? Pound for pound, you will find more kids that are more technically sound than ever before but we are confusing ability for talent. As Allen Fox, author of The Winners Mind suggest, “Most people mistake speed and skill for talent. Real talent starts with energy, drive, work ethic and the will to win. Without these attributes, a player can never be great.”

In this country, we have focused so much on playing, that we have not taught our players to compete-to fight- to work hard or to have the will to win. We emphasize playing, technical ability and skills. Our youth players play a lot of softball, but few compete.

It is not always the fault of the players. Our “system” or our “softball culture” is dysfunctional. When a player is not playing, she simply changes teams. There is no thought about competing for a spot on the team, fighting for a spot, getting better to earn a spot – we simply change teams. The message to the players is that striving to get better is not important; it is simply how you play and how you look.
High School age players don’t care much about the outcome of most games they play. They do care about “showing” – about playing to showcase their skills and abilities for college coaches. How many times have you heard a parent tell their daughter that you played well or you showed well despite losing the game?
Add to this the large number of meaningless games and we have a deadly combination. The emphasis slowly changes from the game to the individual. The emphasis has changed to playing and showing and competing is lost. By the time our players move to the next level, they have not learned how to compete.

In fact, research is very clear that constant praising of children’s innate (softball skills or intellectual) ability can prevent young athletes/students from living up to their potential. On the other hand, studies show that teaching young people to focus on effort rather than ability helps make them high achievers and competitors in school, on the field and in life! As coaches, we must do our part to emphasize attitude and effort – two elements that we have control over each and every day and will largely influence our success in life.

Great points, but no ideas on how to fix it. I'd like world peace too.

-W

I'm a little cynical about this article. Basically, Candrea is saying that his #3 pitcher on his team should not jump ship for some other team. He sounds a lot like some of these crappy coaches of a 16U travel team trying to convince the #3 pitcher not to move to another team.

Clearly, the best thing for a player is to be on a team where the player must compete and win playing time. It is good for the team, and good for the player.

BUT:

The harsh reality is that a player can get on a team where she is simply outgunned, and no amount of hard work and desire is going to earn her more playing time. It doesn't have anything to do with "heart, desire or the will to win"--it has to do with gene sequences.

The career of a female athlete is very, very short. By the time she is 22, it is over. As some point, a player does have the right to say, "Hey, enough. I want to play." The game is to be played, not watched.

I can see both points. You'd like kids to compete and earn a spot but since it is a short career who wants to spend it on the bench.

2 DD Coach said:

Have we developed a system that has created an unintended consequence in player development? I can honestly say that kids are playing many more games over a 12 month period than ever before yet we find fewer competitors in today’s culture. What do I mean by this statement? Pound for pound, you will find more kids that are more technically sound than ever before but we are confusing ability for talent. As Allen Fox, author of The Winners Mind suggest, “Most people mistake speed and skill for talent. Real talent starts with energy, drive, work ethic and the will to win. Without these attributes, a player can never be great.”

Click to expand...

B.S. energy drive and work ethic and a 4.1 home to first time won't get it done. Real talent starts with athletic ability and can only realize it's potential with energy drive and work ethic

In this country, we have focused so much on playing, that we have not taught our players to compete-to fight- to work hard or to have the will to win. We emphasize playing, technical ability and skills. Our youth players play a lot of softball, but few compete.

Click to expand...

B.S. We focus on winning at the expense of technical ability, skill and playing. Parents will move their kids off losing teams faster than they will off a winning team they are not getting playing time on.

It is not always the fault of the players. Our “system” or our “softball culture” is dysfunctional. When a player is not playing, she simply changes teams. There is no thought about competing for a spot on the team, fighting for a spot, getting better to earn a spot – we simply change teams. The message to the players is that striving to get better is not important; it is simply how you play and how you look.
High School age players don’t care much about the outcome of most games they play. They do care about “showing” – about playing to showcase their skills and abilities for college coaches. How many times have you heard a parent tell their daughter that you played well or you showed well despite losing the game?
Add to this the large number of meaningless games and we have a deadly combination. The emphasis slowly changes from the game to the individual. The emphasis has changed to playing and showing and competing is lost. By the time our players move to the next level, they have not learned how to compete.

In fact, research is very clear that constant praising of children’s innate (softball skills or intellectual) ability can prevent young athletes/students from living up to their potential. On the other hand, studies show that teaching young people to focus on effort rather than ability helps make them high achievers and competitors in school, on the field and in life! As coaches, we must do our part to emphasize attitude and effort – two elements that we have control over each and every day and will largely influence our success in life.

Click to expand...

So in two paragraphs you back pedal on emphasizing attitude and efforts. First it's not okay to praise good performance and effort at a showcase when you lose, but later we don't emphasize it enough?? A true competitor who respects the concept of competition should be able to accept the fact that sometimes you lose and that doesn't mean you failed to compete as hard as you can, it just means that if you win 100% of the time it's not really a competion is it.

Our youth players play a lot of softball, but few compete.

Click to expand...

This is so true. Just hang around these programs and talk to the parents. The kids have never had to compete for their position, never had to work to win and never had anyone tell them that they aren't doing it correctly. Some freshman really struggle, in the Fall, especially.

As Candrea tells them "Just showing up and putting on the jersey, isn't going to win any ballgames.

These elite athletes show up, not even knowing how to play catch, properly. Hard to believe, isn't it?

sluggers said:

I'm a little cynical about this article. Basically, Candrea is saying that his #3 pitcher on his team should not jump ship for some other team. He sounds a lot like some of these crappy coaches of a 16U travel team trying to convince the #3 pitcher not to move to another team.

Clearly, the best thing for a player is to be on a team where the player must compete and win playing time. It is good for the team, and good for the player.

BUT:

The harsh reality is that a player can get on a team where she is simply outgunned, and no amount of hard work and desire is going to earn her more playing time. It doesn't have anything to do with "heart, desire or the will to win"--it has to do with gene sequences.

The career of a female athlete is very, very short. By the time she is 22, it is over. As some point, a player does have the right to say, "Hey, enough. I want to play." The game is to be played, not watched.

Click to expand...

Sure, from Candrea's perspective, it is great to have happy number 2 and 3 pitchers sitting on the bench all year, content to never get to play but just watch. That way, when he puts his number 1 stud into the hospital by overworking her, he's got backups. But when the #2 and #3 are putting in just as much time and effort as #1, but aren't quite as good, who can blame them for wanting to play? Life is short and softball is a game; playing's a lot more fun than sitting.

I am trying to re-call who he has put in the hospital from over work. I guess I could ask him tomorrow at the coaches clinic.

With my DD it's compete or get left behind. Seems everything is so hard and we have to compete for every single pitch she throws, and every single at bat she gets.

He (Candrea) must be talking about the other girls in our association. The ones that are better than everyone else starting out because of natural ability. They don't seem to have to compete for anything until they play a better team. Then they just kind of fold.