Total Preparation is a Must

When you prepare for a season you really try to make sure you cover everything and it always seems that when you play a real game you find out that you did not cover something enough. This is why I only plan out practice through the first game because when game starts it is important that as coaches we evaluate were we are as a team and what needs to be worked on. With an inexperienced team like the one I have, one has to prioritize what skills are the most important. The key is at the end of the regular season that you are at your best and ready for the post season.

Scott Miller

The Fruits of our Labors

I have not blogged for awhile because my wife just had a baby and we were on spring break. Today was our last practice before our first game — a double header.  Today was the day to polish up on the things that we have been working on.  We did a game simulation and then did hitting groups with 4 stations.  At the end of practice we did some baserunning and went over offensive signs. I feel very confident that we are prepared for our first game. I know that we are not going to be as good as we will be for our 10th game, but that is part of preparing for the long haul. I hear that after the first game, many coaches go into maintenance mode and to me that is a mistake.  I feel that you should not go into that mode until post season or the off season. There is always something to work on or to learn. Two other things that my team is currently dealing with, is we have some injuries and grade issues, which I am glad grade issues are happening early so I can nip them in the bud. We have had to move some girls around and some younger girls will have to step up. I am looking forward to tomorrow to see how everyone reacts. The last thing I want to say is that coaches with families really need to take the time to thank our family for allowing us to take the time to do something we love.  As an example, my wife had the baby at 9 in the morning and she told me that I should go to practice at 3pm. Sometimes the people in our lives do not get the credit for their parts in helping us be successful coaches.Scott Miller

Baserunning 101

Never assume that your team know how to run bases. Base running is a large part of the game, yet it often gets overlooked as coaches tend to think their players should just know how to do it. One way that we work on running bases is I give them a situation and hit a ball and they have to react the proper way. I will also work with them on reading ball in the dirt from the pitcher. The way we work on that is I pitch into a screen and they get their leads and if the ball hits the dirt they go. We work on base running almost every practice and it will win us games this season. A good base running team puts a lot of pressure on the defense and makes them make mistakes. We also do a great conditioning drill that combines proper base running with conditioning about three times a week.

Scott Miller

24 Hours Makes all the Difference.

It is amazing the difference 24 hours makes. I walked away from yesterday’s practice and thought that this team is not going to put the required work in to be successful. I said this because within the early part of the season I had to rip them for not working hard and to me it is way to early to have to address that. So that being said I came into todays practice with a slight chip on my shoulder thinking these girls had something to prove. Sure as heck they proved me wrong today and showed that without my motivation they were ready to work. I was very happy with what they did. The hitting stations went great and they learned the progression drills and did a pretty good job doing them. Then we went into defense and the infielders practiced working through ground balls and the outfielders worked on soft hands. After working the infield and outfield we had glove time and had some fun. Lets see what tomorrow brings.

Scott Miller

Flat Spots in Practice

Today was the first day that I walked away from practicing thinking that the girls did not give everything they had. The practice started off with them playing catch, and that was all. They were not working on mechanics and not focusing on moving their feet when they caught the ball. Then we went to work on infield and outfield which I felt went pretty well. Suddenly we hit rock bottom, we were working on cut off and relays. The girls were almost walking through the drill. At first I felt that it was them thinking to much and not wanting to make a mistake. So I called them in to pick it up and after that they did a 100% times better job. Which as a coach I know I should be happy they responded to what I had to say but it is way to early in the year for me to have to be a motivating factor. To me, that is one of the hardest parts of being a coach; you want your players to want to work hard for you but at the same time you do not want to have to say anything to them about it. After cut offs we went to hitting and that went well, but that lack of effort in the middle of practice is still really sticking with me. I will not let it effect tomorrow but if the same thing happens when we go over 1st and 3rds then “it” will hit the fan. Sometimes players lose sight on how important preparation of the little things is. Yet that is what makes good teams and as coaches, we have to remind them of that sometimes.

Scott Miller

Team Meeting

We had our team meeting about expectations and defensive plays today and I felt that it went well. They all filled out a play notebook and learned our offensive signals. I thought it was a great reminder course for the returners and a good intro to the freshman. The true impact of the meeting will not be felt for a couple of weeks when we see how this has helped with the learning process and works in a game. To me, the worst thing about coaching is that things never pay off right away; it is always a waiting game. That is why it is so important to not get to excited about what you have done as a coach because you never know what is coming next. I am happy with the progress, however tomorrow the real work starts. I feel that the ground work has been laid and now it is time to build on that.

Scott Miller