the power of a routine
It is usually the team that does the best job of making the routine plays that wins. I say usually. The vagaries of competition, the length of a season and the nature of the game make it almost impossible for a team to go undefeated. In Baseball you can lose nine or ten games and still be a great team. Baseball is a marathon.
Baseball is not in high emotion and intensity, Baseball is skill and cerebration; the art of pitching, the art of hitting, the art of base stealing. Throughout Baseball, failure defines the nature of the game. It is really hard to play. The skills are demanding and they require relaxation and explosive movements almost simultaneously.
Motivational speeches have little effect over the course of a long season. So what do the players have to rely on? A solid, consistent routine. A coach should design his own procedures, one that will fit his team. Have a separate routine for practice days and for game days. Have a separate routine for home games and away games.
What does a coach want to accomplish with this routine? What can he do to ensure the health and safety of his players? Does his routine enforce Baseball skills and get his kids ready to play? A daily preset schedule allows practices and pre-games to run more smoothly. Everyone knows what they are to do. After a period of adjustment, (you have to get your players to accept your way) an established procedure of doing things provides a better teaching environment. The kids and coaches know what they are supposed to be doing. Everyone is on the same page. This is a time saver and allows for more instruction and repetitions. There is something comforting about arriving at the ballpark, knowing what you are going to do that day and knowing what is expected of you. I believe it has a way of instilling confidence in the players.
A sound, organized structure prepares players to play.
The power of routine can be summed up in a quote by Darren Hardy in his book “The Compound effect” “the accomplishment of any goal is the progressive accumulation compound effect of small steps taken consistently over time.”
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