Karl Carswell - I am the blame
A coach I played against in high school travel ball wrote this and I think it's an amazing piece on how everyone is held accountable. I wish I was fortunate enough to spend more time with him. Enjoy:
I am the blame
Karl Carswell Sunday, 26 July 2009 10:51 Comments here: https://www.facebook.com/KCBarnstormers/posts/10153219191349930
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After my 14th season of showcase baseball, scouting, and training, it has become painfully obvious that our efforts to impact the game we love are, and have been, completely misguided.
We are out playing games, keeping score, tracking batting averages and ERA. We are neglecting practice and enforcing bad habits, and even rewarding them. And, I will tell you as I have told my team; I am a big part of this problem that will be corrected. I am embarrassed, humiliated, and ashamed that the style of baseball I hate, and even point out in all the teams we play against, has infected my team. Here is a list of these disgusting behaviors:
Not sprinting to 1st base when the ball is in play Not running the bases hard Not running on and off the field Not touching bases Not taking good secondary leads Not sprinting back to the bases Not trying to advance on a ball in the dirt Not knowing when is a good time to be aggressive in the game Not backing up bases Not communicating Not watching the game Not knowing the rules Not having a plan at the plate Not having a plan on the mound Not moving according to the swing of the batter Catchers not giving good signs Coaches not coaching their players Coaches not giving good signs Parents making excuses Players having routine emotional outbursts after failure Pitcher with bad posture and slow tempo Catchers not controlling the game Missing signs Not doing your own job because someone else might not do theirs Not doing their job because someone else did not do theirs Crying about bad umpires Using the umpire as and excuse Talking big smack to the opponent but doing nothing The need to stare at a pitcher if he throws a ball close to you The need to make a big show if you get hit by a pitch Not knowing that your actions may warrant you being hit Not knowing that getting hit at times is a compliment Not knowing that getting hit at times is a sign of respect Not knowing that getting hit might be the only way a team may be able to get you out later Not knowing that getting hit most times is an accident Not knowing that getting hit with an 82mph pitch doesn’t hurt. (Sting, maybe)
CONTINUOUSLY NOT DOING WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD OR ASKED TO DO NOT KNOWING THE GAME OWES YOU NOTHING
This is a quick short list that I came up with just now sitting down to bang out a quick article. The bottom line is my players, our players, and your players, don’t love baseball. They may love to hit or pitch, or they may love the attention they get from playing, parents may love to watch their kid do these things. But, they don’t love to play and watch, to run hard, to slide through bases, to get hit by pitches, to dive for balls or to make the guy next to them better. The game doesn't consume them as players and parents. They don’t love to stick their nose into the strike zone and fight another competitor until that guy realizes that he can’t get them out or they can’t hit them. They don't love and respect the game enough to play it the way it was intended to be played. The fact of the matter is, it is our fault they are like this. Whether you are an enabling parent or an aging softening coach, we created this monster and if we don’t get a grip on it, we will let our players down. We will be the reason they believe they are owed something from everyone else and every opportunity before them. I told my players yesterday that I refuse to be the reason they don’t get it. I am not willing to be that coach. And, I damn sure can’t be that parent. Join me in daring our kids to compete and begin to act like young men who have passion for the game of baseball. WE DARE YOU!
