What Constitutes A Great Lesson For Us Coaches

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Sitting her Sunday morning sipping my 3rd cup of coffee and thinking about the great week I just had. I had lessons with four new students and combined it may have been my most enjoyable week of all time. There are some things that really make this craft enjoyable so I am throwing out a few and hope others will add their favorites.
1. When the student shows up accompanied by Dad, Mom, little brother. Dad catches, mom videos, and little brother is the best behaved cutest kid in the world...who at the age of 5 can sling a mean fastball. Student is absolutely open to trying new things, working hard, and improving.
2. Student shows up accompanied by Dad, Mom, and two dogs.....Dad catches, mom takes tons of notes, dogs are highly trained and a ton of fun. Student is again absolutely open to new things and works diligently.....and best of all, laughs at my jokes!
3. Student shows up with Dad, a teammate who is a great catcher, and another Dad/prospective student who monitor the lesson to see if they want to sign up. Dad has some of the best questions.....student is very advanced and has such a great smile and can-do attitude. Student has set goals (which actually lined up with what I was thinking) and I know with her work ethic she will achieve them......oh and BTW, student is grins from ear to ear when she tells me she has been invited for a visit to a really great college. Prospective student gets involved in the lesson.....wow, another great kid....signed up for lessons.
4. Student and Dad show up for lesson.....this kids enjoyment of pitching is infectious. Never seen a kid this happy before. The progress in that one lesson was probably the most I've ever seen a kid make. The sky is the limit for her. Told her she has the ability to throw 65 mph.....she says why not 70 mph.....she is only 11 yrs old.....gotta love it. I am about to impress upon her how important location is in pitching.....I ask her what the most important criteria is for successful pitching (hoping she will say location)...she gives me a big smile and says "a great attitude". She was right.

I think I'm going to finish off the week with another cup of coffee. Waiting to hear some others greatest lesson stories.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
What a great idea and potential for a great thread. I'll add one. Had a friend of a friend call and ask for a lesson for his son. I don't charge and give lessons mostly to people I know can't afford lessons. Anyway, this is an offer to pay but I need to meet the player. We meet and he says to me that he is so frustrated that he wants to quit. Dad has taken him to four or five hitting coaches who all attack the teachings of the others. Kid's mind is messed up and he is thinking too much. I agree to give him a lesson for free. This player's time is done and he asked if he could hit some more before he left. Sure I stay and we have a laugh or two. He calls me two weeks later and ask for another lesson. He says that he knows that he is from the "enemy" (our rival school) but he really wants another lesson. I tell him I can do that but not where we did the first time at my school's outdoor cage. He knows of a cage that we can use. I get there and he has set it all up. I give the lesson and this time dad is there. We do about 45 minutes and it is hot even in the shade. This cage, btw, is terrible but functional. I am having a blast with him. He tells me about the success he has had since our last lesson. Long story short, I give him lessons for the rest of his HS and he went on to college where he started as a freshman. He calls me to this day and talks hitting. Kind of special.
 
Last edited:

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
What is common in all 4 stories..."Student and Dad show up for lesson". I am always saddened when I take my DD to a lesson and see the pitcher before or after her throwing into a tarp because neither of her parents bothered to stick around for the lesson. They just dropped her off and left, or mom is a single parent and would get hurt trying to catch. I will often volunteer to jump in and help out, but it is still sad that the parents are missing a great opportunity for "bucket time".
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
First session with a kid and dad sitting quietly on the bucket. Up to this point she’d been a rainbow pitcher. She picked up whip very quickly and after demonstrating some consistency, she up'd the speed. I glanced at dad who had a big, goofy grin on his face as the balls started to zing in.

In general, it's the light bulb smiles I love when a kid gets it.
 
Last edited:

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
What is common in all 4 stories..."Student and Dad show up for lesson". I am always saddened when I take my DD to a lesson and see the pitcher before or after her throwing into a tarp because neither of her parents bothered to stick around for the lesson. They just dropped her off and left, or mom is a single parent and would get hurt trying to catch. I will often volunteer to jump in and help out, but it is still sad that the parents are missing a great opportunity for "bucket time".

JAD, I can't speak for other but am sure Rick will agree that we want parents there. How can a young lady go home and practice what has been taught in a lesson without some support from parents? For me, that dad was an "expert" that may have been the problem as much as those various hitting coaches. In any proper lesson, the "why" is taught and not just a drill. The proper thought process is taught. If a pitching or hitting coach can get a parent on board, that is a huge part of the process.
 

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
Starting from scratch is always exciting, for me.

Today...

Dad shows up with his DD. First timer, less than a year of pitching. 11yo. 5'6". Quiet swagger. Dad is a baller, but is completely there to work/learn/share ideas. Also an experienced coach... which really surprises me that he's so willing to learn/share. Not one of those been there/done that kinda cats. Anyway...

Pushes the ball. We play a little slap-jack, illustrate "proximity power". Illustrate a push vs a pull. Kid tells me that pronation happens in the elbow! Kid tells me that IR happens in the shoulder. I'm like... "what?!!!" ;) We talk about stretching muscles... like stretching rubber bands... and the doctor thwacking your knee with that reflexy-thing... and the brain returning the stretched muscle to it's normal length. Kid totally got it... and totally understood why we want palm up... to load that pronation reflex. Simple fix for her to stop pushing the ball.

Because she knows the first movement we're isolating happens in the elbow, keeping it still while we work on lock it in is a breeze for her. No rolling tosses, she understands what loading the slap-jack feels like... and in minutes she's 'locking it in' and unloading as a reflex off the rear leg.

Same thing with hitting... we worked on 'the move' and max load at toe touch... and the kid showed absurd progress in under 30 minutes. Talked about the difference between a push into contact and a pull into speed... and in minutes, the kid was turning the corner.

Here's the thing... she wants to be great. She's not afraid of looking goofy, or trying something new... because she's not brainwashed into thinking one way is right/wrong, better/worse. Clean slate... empty canvas... and this painting is going to be a masterpiece. Really exciting. Dad is stud, takes things in, shares his perspective, and is a no BS kinda guy, with a good sense of humor. They've a great 'working' relationship, and he'll be the reason for her high-level of success.

It's parents that make this game distasteful at times, but... it's also parents that make what I do a very fulfilling and exciting time.

Just one story of the many incredible people I work with... thanks to all of you.
 
Last edited:
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
In a nut shell for me, a quality lesson is when parents are learning equally with their kid. The kid doesn't rush, and makes constant corrections on her own.
I reward the process, not the result. Too often bucket parents are quick to tell Sally good job on that strike, but failed to recognize that last pitch was mechanically horrible, it just luckily landed in the strike zone.
Attention to detail, body awareness, and the ability to self correct, combo'd with the parents full attention..... that equals a quality lesson for me!
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
For me the very first lesson is always great. That is when after they warm up with their wrist flicks, flamingos and other stunts I video them pitching with my tablet. At that point we sit down for a detailed comparison of what they do vs the best of the best. Then we start with learning to properly throw the ball underhand... After that first lesson they hopefully look at pitching with new eyes.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
In a nut shell for me, a quality lesson is when parents are learning equally with their kid. The kid doesn't rush, and makes constant corrections on her own.
I reward the process, not the result. Too often bucket parents are quick to tell Sally good job on that strike, but failed to recognize that last pitch was mechanically horrible, it just luckily landed in the strike zone.
Attention to detail, body awareness, and the ability to self correct, combo'd with the parents full attention..... that equals a quality lesson for me!

I really appreciate it when parents/coaches learn with the kids. Occasionally I see a parent off to the side, or even step around a corner to try something. I invite them to step in and work with them for a few minutes. When they can feel and learn what their kid is doing, it makes it so much easier for them to reinforce the key points. Especially the point that accuracy and speed by themselves are not the focus. When both the coach and parent are on board, it's much less likely to hear the dreaded, "Just slow it down and throw strikes." It feels really good to show up at a game and see the parents/coaches reinforcing mechanics and not pleading for strikes.
 

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