One of the quickest ways to stay frustrated in life is believing you are owed something. Respect, success, playing time, promotions, trust, opportunities… none of it is guaranteed. The people who keep growing are the ones who show up, work, stay accountable, and earn it daily.
When I was struggling with TIMING, I asked Dusty Baker what I needed to do to get on-time.
He told me 1 thing:
“When the pitcher shows his back pocket… you show your back pocket.”
That simple cue helped sync my load with the pitcher instead of rushing forward.
Next at-bat: line drive in the gap.
Don't let anyone tell you the 2-strike approach is dead.
Enjoy this absolute masterclass from Mauricio Dubon.
After two whiffs on 97 mph fastballs he got a third. He dropped the leg kick, spread out, no stride and smoked a base clearing triple to right field.
The gap isn’t talent.
It’s commitment when you don’t feel like it.
"Once your commitment is greater than your feelings, that's when you get results." - Mike Bianco
That’s the separator. Period. 🏆
https://t.co/9veOxxULFo
As an AD, I constantly remind our athletes that commitment is being someone your teammates can count on whether you play a lot or a little. It is showing up when it is not convenient and choosing your team over yourself. Everyone wants to win. Commitment is doing what it actually takes to win.
If you’re a coach who wants to challenge players while building awesome relationships, you should read this.
The problem is . . . challenging players in uncomfortable ways is absolutely necessary for excellence but risks turning them off, damaging trust, and undermining confidence. They seem to work against each other.
But it only seems that way.
The truth is . . . you can challenge players incredibly hard AND build deep trust. They're not opposites.
The key is making players feel how the challenge comes from caring, not instead of it. Most players in your program have never experienced that from a coach. They’ve had intense coaches who challenged and caring coaches who connected, but not a coach that does both. At the same time.
Here’s the phrase to use —>
“High love with high standards.”
That's the phrase you need to repeat over and over and over. To yourself. To your players. To their parents. To your staff.
1000x a week.
High love is high standards. Lowering standards is not a sign that you care. It’s not an act of love. It’s an act of fear. Soft coaching is the opposite of love. It says, "I don't think you're capable of more or better."
High standards is high love. Holding high standards doesn’t require that you withhold love or connection. A player’s connection with you (and teammates) is the single most powerful force you can tap into to drive high standards. People will do anything for the people they love.
Every player is a person first, a player second. Show each player you see them as person first. Before practice, during water breaks, after mistakes, when they’re struggling.
Learn their unique desires fast. Ask about specific details in their lives, not just “How’s school? How’s your family?”. Notice their effort, not just their results.
When they feel that YOU are FOR them, they'll run through walls for you.
Then bring the intensity.
"Not good enough! You can do better! You must be better than that!"
When a kid knows you love him and believe in him, he hears your challenges totally different. Your challenges become proof that you care. But only if THE PERSON believes you care about him specifically. It’s now how much you think you care. It’s how much the person believes you care.
E+R=O helps you stay clear, disciplined, and confident as a coach:
The OUTCOME you want is better performance and a stronger relationship, improvement AND connection. You don't have to pick one or the other.
Your EVENT is their performance (effort, focus, execution).
Your RESPONSE is direct, honest feedback—HIGH LOVE + HIGH STANDARDS —delivered with energy and belief.
Players WANT a coach who expects excellence. They just need to know you won't abandon them when they struggle, fall short, or fail.
So challenge them in the moment, then reinforce the relationship immediately after.
"That was sloppy. Focus and fix it. You can do this. Now let's go."
High love with high standards. 1000x a week. Watch your players, and your relationships with them, transform.
8 Realities of a High School Coach
1. It will consume you
2. There will be critics
3. You are not in it for the $
4. There is no overnight success
5. You need a supportive spouse
6. You will not make everyone happy
7. You can’t want it more than the kids
8. It is still worth it!
As an AD, your position is rented, not owned. You are entrusted with it for a period of time, and your job is to leave it stronger than you found it. That is why every decision should be filtered through three questions:
https://t.co/hTkrGo05Wj this what is best for kids as a whole
https://t.co/f1uNpKQQGq this aligned with the culture you are building and enforcing
https://t.co/CFQoEClPkQ this sustainable or does it need to be reconsidered
"If I'm hiring a coach, I'm hiring a culture builder. Every coach will know the game but can they connect, communicate a clear vision, hire/recruit/develop people well, multiply their leadership? Coaching is about X's and O's. Leadership is about culture."
~ via @KevinDeShazo
Good start to my Freshman Season. Team is starting to Heat up. Few hits from this year #Falcon9#FHS@CoachJackMoss@willbell22
Stats thru 13 games -
.364 AVG, 12H, 15 RBI, 10R, .500 OBP, 4SB
As an AD, I remind our athletes that attendance doesn’t equal effort. Just being at practice or walking around in the weight isn’t enough, real work happens in the details, the extra reps, and when no one’s watching. 💪🏽
You will strike out.
You will make errors.
You will pitch bad.
That’s baseball.
The separator isn’t talent - it’s response.
The way you handle failure…
The way you reset…
The way you compete on the next pitch…
👉 That’s the game. ⚾️
Nice BHB timing. The angle is pre set by pointing the tip of the bat towards the first base coach. It’s about placement & speed. Better too early verses too late.
As an AD, I try to learn something every day because athletics is constantly changing. One lesson that never changes: be consistent with decisions and policies. Without consistency, you have no foundation.
𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ... NOBODY reminds anyone of the standards
𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ... COACHES remind team of the standards
𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ... CAPTAINS remind team of the standards
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ... EVERYONE reminds each other of the standards
As an AD, we made a rule: if a student-athlete quits mid-season, they can’t join preseason activities or the next season’s team until the season they quit is over. Purpose: hold athletes accountable to their commitment.