Teaching Aggression

[PlanoHeat]

This is a question for any coaches that have made the move from rec ball to select. I have a good group of girls and they are all physically talented (they are competent enough to play at this level based on physical skill) but what they lack is that controlled aggression. They walk on the field and after one or two bad plays the wind goes out of their sails and its all downhill from there. They lack that swagger that some teams have. Anyone figured out a way to instill that subtle aggresion, can do attitude, and were gonna beat you down mentallity? Do they sell something I can just put in their G2 to get them there or do I just too "nice" a group of girls for select ball? BTW we are 12U.

Thanks ya'll.

Chris

 

[mad hornet]

I coach 10U and it can be a challenge to get them on thier A game day in, day out. It seems that everytime I give them the "come out with a 'pissed off attitude' because it's about respect" speech they open up a can of whup-a$$ on the other team. That's as close as I come to cussing around them but it does get 'em fired up.

The other day they came out flat in the first game of a double header. Not backing up throws, striking out to a mediocre pitcher, etc. I told them between innings that if they didn't start playing like a travel team they would be running and doing push-ups between games while the other team was enjoying their break. They know me well enough to know this was no idle threat. Amazingly they turned it around. Won game one 9-3 and game two 17-3. AND HAD FUN!!!

 

[splinterpicker]

I have the same problem. The quicker they learn to hate losing the quicker they become more aggressive. I set up practices to create competition within the team. At the same time seperating personal successes from winning and losing a game. With my team I am having to get the girls aggressive one at a time.

 

[sluggers]

Do you want the girls to go out there and beat the team with baseball bats? What is "aggression"? What does that mean? And why do you want it?

Basically, you are having difficulty getting the players to perform at their peak potential during the game. Are you sure you aren't stealing some buzz words from HS football and trying to graft that onto a girls softball team?

Anyone figured out a way to instill that subtle aggresion, can do attitude, and were gonna beat you down mentallity?

The attitude isn't the problem--the *PERFORMANCE DURING THE GAME* is the problem.

Generally, the reason girls don't perform during a game is because the coach refuses to address the real issue, but instead prefers to pull out a bunch of hackneyed phrases from old sports movies. (e.g., "You only have to believe in yourself to win.")

You want to get optimum performance out of your girls? It is extremely easy--but, most coaches are afraid to do it:

You make every player's position on the team vulnerable. When a player makes a mistake, you sit her out for a few innings, and then you let her try it again. Pretty soon, the kids on the team are working like mad women.

SO:

(A) You teach them how to perform the skill required.
(B) You practice and drill them on the skills until the skills become second nature to the girls.
(C) If a girl does not execute the skills on the field, you pull the girl and sit her on the bench. You do that for the best player on the team as well as the worst player.

 

[PlanoHeat]

What I meant by aggression is aggresive play, ie diving for balls, getting dirty, etc. Not sure where you pulled out beating the other team with baseball bats. Also not sure how to take the rest of your post, if it was just a slam at me as a coach or if you were actually trying to help, so I'll just leave the rest of that alone. Thanks for the other posts coaches.

 

[mad hornet]

Sluggers has a good point about positions being vulnerable and using the bench. Sometimes there isn't enough room on the bench however if the whole team is flat or if you're playing with 9, 10, or even 11. Had a game in early April where I would have benched my own daughter for not moving to back up a throw, but we'd have been minus a center fielder.

I will have my scorekeeper make notes about who owes push ups and laps. At our next practice or pre-game warm up, they do the push-ups or laps as required.

Also, we decided to award helmet stickers (10U mind you) for outstanding outfield play. For some reason kids at 10U still think outfield is a demotion where I consider it essential to a solid defense - especially against the teams we're playing in travel ball. If our 3b dives for a ball and throws you out from her knees, that's awesome and proves she should be there, but no helmet sticker.

If our LF is where she's supposed to be backing up a throw down to 3b from the catcher and guns a girl at the plate on the over throw, she's getting the sticker.

At the beginning of the season I decided I wasn't going to clutter their helmets with stickers this year. However after seeing kids not giving 100% or griping about outfield time I decided to reinstate it for OF play only. It has totally changed the dynamic on this team.

 

[druer]

What I meant by aggression is aggresive play, ie diving for balls, getting dirty, etc.

You have to teach them those things. Girls are going to be hesitant to slide, dive back, dive for the ball unless they are tought fundamentally how to do those skills without being injured. Get them together to watch an Pro Game on TV or something, take them to see an 18U tournament etc to let them catch a vision of what they "can do" if they allow themselves before you start trying to teach it in games.

Selfless promotion follows: Winning The Short Game - Softball Slapping - Bunting - Baserunning - Sliding carries my videos on aggressive baserunning techniques (sliding, dive backs, slide-byes, dive-byes, bunting and slapping) Each of the 5 dvd's all show how to teach the skills to anyone. It explains the fears they have, and how to address them.

On my website I also carry a DVD on how to teach them to dive for the ball. Again it goes through the fears they have, how to help them get through those fears and fundamentally do it without injury. Also illustrates extensively how to have them practice together so that those who really want to take off know how to practice with a partnet when you aren't around.

 

[SoftSocDad]

What I meant by aggression is aggresive play, ie diving for balls, getting dirty, etc.

Although you should certainly try the methods suggested by the coaches here, one thing that hasn't been mentioned so far is that the sort of on-field aggressiveness you're describing isn't necessarily a part of every girl's - or boy's - makeup.

Some kids, though they may lack certain talents and skills, can be far more aggressive than other kids. At the same time, some kids with all the talent in the world may not have any sort of killer instinct whatsoever.

Because you're dealing with 11-12 year olds, it's possible that on your team of 12(?) girls, only a couple or even none may have the sort of inherent desire you're hoping to instill. I'm not saying to give up by any means, but you should be prepared for that possibility.

 

[druer]

What is "aggression"? What does that mean? And why do you want it?

My thoughts on the phrase "aggression" means exactly what UCLA demonstrated in Game 2 vs Arizona. The "never give up" "can do" attitude was one that both teams obviously shared throughout the entire series. However, in game 2 UCLA demonstrated something more, something similar to football ... "Don't even bother to continue to try. If you score 1 more run, we'll add 2 more. You score 2 more, we'll score 6 more. You try to score 4 more, we'll add 8 more. Stay down and take your whipping. We are already fired up, and if you show any signs of life it will only aggrevate us even more."

With that recent example aside though ... I use that phrase "aggressive" a lot both offensively and defensively. Offensively I instruct girls to attack the ball, and attack the bases. Not just hit. Not just run bases. ATTACK. Swing as though they fully expect the bat to come out the other side of the ball as they split it in half. Go on the OFFENSE and try like mad to win. Don't just go to second on past balls ... Look the other team right in the eye and go STEAL the next base. Same thing on defense. Make it so difficult for the ball to find a hole that they don't even want to come to bat. I want the center fielder for instance to look the SS and 2B right in the eye and say "Don't you dare come out into my grass. I own it. " And she better call them off anything in the grass that is between where the 2 play. While I don't want girls diving for every ball that is hit, I want them to set the tone that with a runner on base that a ground ball is NOT getting out of the infield. PERIOD. You want an RBI, it's going to have to be in the air.

Basically I want them to flat out intimidate the other team on both sides of the ball so that they don't want to fight. We work on the skills don't get me wrong, this isn't just a ploy. It's an ATTITUDE that goes with the skills.

 

[mad hornet]

Something else to try. Instead of giving your players a "take" sign on 3-0, give them a "Hit" sign. That means they have to hit the next pitch whether it's a strike or not. Hey free swing and usually the pitcher is laying in a meatball to try to get back on the count. My kids have hit some BOMBS on 3-0 pitches.