Errors

[Sparky Guy]

Make sure you aren't rewarding errors in practice, there are no nice trys.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I see a player make a mistake I stop everything and let them know why they made the mistake and how to correct it. I tell my players they better be listening so they learn from their teammate's mistake.

The trick is knowing HOW to do it. Typically I will ask the player what they did wrong. Sometimes they know, sometimes they don't. Then I will explain to the whole team what Suzie did wrong and how to correct it. If I see a repeating pattern I will stop what we're doing and work that skill till they are all doing it correctly. It is done in a calm, matter-of-fact voice with no screaming. No one learns when they are being screamed at. No belittling, but no coddling either.

 

[RichK]

Someone earlier recommended playing "21 outs", ie, girls must make 21 consecutive outs or else they go back to zero. That certainly puts pressure on individual girls not to let their teammates down. We've only done it a few times so I'm not 100% sold but I do agree that practice needs to be a combination of girls getting reps to improve their comfort level and then challenging that comfort level with as close to game pressure as you can.

 

[Quake Softball]

Thanks for all of the responses.

We have tried most of the things suggested. Never tried the "21 outs" before. Do you just put everyone in the spots and hit random balls to them? Call out situations?

We have tried the "brush it off" approach. The girl that made the error needs to physically show she is brushing it off and her teammates tell her to brush it off and get the next one.