BAD coaches can KILL player motivation. Here's how.
Here's a scenario, the coach is a "tough as nails" type of coach who's an occasional "yeller/screamer" and you might think, "good"...the players will be held accountable.
WRONG.
Here's why...
In behavioral psychology - there is a term called Operant Conditioning.
It's a known fact that if a behavior leads to the removal of a negative stimulus, that behavior increases. In other words - if a player is forced to bear the brunt of constant negative reinforcement...
...the common response is to avoid the behavior that caused the negative reinforcement in the first place.
Again - you might think "good, they'll try harder next time, and rise to the occasion".
Again - wrong.
In other words, the instinct is to avoid a negative response by shutting down. The pressure to perform. The Anxiety over stats and the preoccupation with the past is the more likely result.
In other words - you get a player who underachieves.
What A Good Baseball Coach Looks Like
IMPORTANT: This doesn't mean players shouldn't be pushed. Iron sharpens iron and pressure turns coal into diamonds...
...however, it seems constructive-criticism is only as effective as the foundation it's built on.
If it's not predicated on a sense of trust and good-will, it's likely that criticism will create players who will naturally avoid the behaviors that lead to athletes who develop good make-up.
A good coach - builds the player UP, breaks them DOWN, and "assists" in building them BACK UP.
On the flip-side, a coach who cares but feels you need to be benched as a way to reinforce the level of expectations they have for you is simply doing their job.
Understand: There is a big difference between wielding constructive criticism, yelling, and benching as a form of positive or negative reinforcement.
How can you tell?
Simple - the player can recite the team's mission, just as well as the coach can.
In closing, behind every good ballplayer is a coach, parent or instructor who helped them learn how to play the game the right way.
Follow Us
Wanna train your Pitch Recognition Skills? Test your abilities in the Applied Vision Baseball Pitch Recognition App
