The uniform factor

Some factors that are not training/practice related make teams play better or worse. I always enjoy reading threads about factors such as time of day, diet, heat, etc.

What about uniforms? Does the quality, sharpness, or 'wow factor' of a team's uniform have anything to do with how the team or individual performs? Let's leave out color (hot vs cool) and the shorts/pants debate and try to ascertain whether teams in general play better when they look like a million bucks versus looking 'uniform on a budget.'

There are a zillion outside factors and society avoids generalizations these days, but if you could generalize without saying 'always' or 'never' we may somehow benefit from the discussion.

Also, some teams have a 'dress code' for practice enforcing uniformity even if it is just the team t-shirt/fan wear. It isn't necessarily to gain a competitive advantage, but the claim is that it portrays a certain image and the players step onto the practice field less distracted and are mentally more 'down to business.' Any truth to that?

This could be an interesting hot stove topic for December 1st. It is partly in the eye of the beholder as to what looks sharp, but as a beholder, give your input!


VW

We've all seen teams who go low budget for Saturday and then bring out the bling for Sunday. Does the nicer Sunday uniform give them an edge even if it is only mental?

vdubya said:

We've all seen teams who go low budget for Saturday and then bring out the bling for Sunday. Does the nicer Sunday uniform give them an edge even if it is only mental?

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Attire around here in the fall is so casual it's hard to call it uniforms. There is a basic expectation that at least shirts will match, but even that isn't a firm rule and if one girl is in green and the rest in blue, no one raises an eyebrow. Wearing our least attractive "uniforms" our team played some of it's best ball last weekend and nearly turned our first triple play. I'm sure pride in your uniform has some effect on the kids mentally, and if it effects them mentally, i can guarnatee that it impacts their performance, how much ?? Not that much. If I had a choice of having a batter come up to the plate feeling good about her uniform or feeling good about her swing, I'd choose the swing.

"Girls have to look good to feel good." (I don't know who said that, but Candrea uses it.)

And I say yes to practice tees and shorts/pants. If not they show up in belly shirts.

I dont think it matters. Bad juju has a greater effect. We saved certain uniforms for sunday once but they proved to be hexed because they were new. Had to conduct a purification ritual by burying a piece of a uniform under 2B under a full moon to break the bad juju and start winning while wearing them.

But, often times better teams are from more established organizations with larger budgets and more better uniforms. See a lot of teams wear shorts/Tshirts for friday, and then have 1 uniform for each of sat and sun. Weve been known to change uniforms during day for final championship game, but we have so many its hard to keep track of them. I think about 9 total.

To answer the question, in the big scheme of things I don't think it matters.

I will add, that as a coach, if you raise the bar of expectations the players will rise up to reach it. New "hot" uniforms might assist in that philosophy but ultimately the coach controls that via their practices and expectations they place on players.

No hard evidence here, but I do think having sharp-looking uniforms instills pride, which improves play. If you doubt that, watch how much care the girls take in getting themselves ready to go out and play. Hair ribbons, shirts tucked in just right, sometimes makeup.

Of course, that's not just girls. I remember in the book Ball Four, one of the ballplayers would take his pants somewhere to get them tailored for a tight fit. His rationale was "I can add 50 points to my batting average if I look good."

I agree that when the girls look good, they feel good; when they feel good they play good. But at the older age levels (16U through 18G), being perfectly matched is more than just looking good to feel good.

DD’s team is 16U and they are required to wear matching uniforms all of the time when they are together for softball. During practice, they all have red tee with organization logo, black pants, red socks and black cleats. Obviously they match during games, but they are required to match exactly when they arrive to a game, meet in the parking lot in uniform with matching trainers, matching equipment bags and they enter the facility together, almost like a military unit.

The girls are taught that a college coach can see them at any time, both on and off of the field. They need to look sharp, be respectful of themselves, their team mates, their coaches and their parents.

IMO, when the girls feel like they look good and their team looks good together, they play better as a team.

I also think that when DD's team enters a competition like this, it intimidates some.

I coach travel in California and we went to a tourney in Ft Lauderdale this past July. We have two sets a blue top and a white. We showed up and on the first day our girls were a little taken aback due to the black being worn by the local teams! The uni's were sharp containing black. Didn't help that it was 98 degrees and 95 humidity haha. I do agree with the look good feel good especially for high school and older teams!

My thoughts are that people with professions have uniforms. And those with the most serious professions seem to have the most serious uniforms and take the most pride in them.

Mudbug - I can just see the team bonding at a memorable midnight burial at second base. The girls must have loved that moment, and will certainly tell their grand kids about it.