Topic of the day: Entitlement in athletics. Why do players, parents, or coaches think they deserve something just because they work hard? “Kid works hard so he deserves it” was a comment someone made to me today. Since when do we deserve something (success) just because we work hard? Hard work is a prerequisite, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be chosen as the winner at the end of the day. #CoachingToWin #CalculatedChaos

Topic of the day: “It takes a village to run a successful high school baseball program”. As I embark on my 8th season as a varsity head baseball coach for @McQuaidBaseball, as I reflect on all the success we’ve had, the successful young men who are now off finding their way in life, it truly is not possible without everyone pulling the same rope in the same direction. Varsity assistant coaches, the time, effort, passion, and heart they put into this is impossible to put into words. To be part of something for such little reward except the pride to be part of something, and to teach the game they all love to a group of young men is remarkable. The experience at the varsity level would not be attainable without the loyalty and commitment of this group. JV/Modified coaches giving up 6 days a week for 3 months (not to mention off season work outs) with absolutely no outside public recognition, to provide an experience that replicates the varsity program to prepare them to succeed when they get to the top. Their time, passion, and commitment is necessary and required for a successful PROGRAM. Players of the past and present buying into what it means to be a McQuaid baseball player. Dedicating themselves in the weight room, cage, classroom, and on the field with no guaranteed trophy at the end is inspiring. PARENTS, are so uniquely important to the high school baseball experience. We have been so incredibly lucky over the last 7 seasons to have parents that want nothing more to help provide the best possible experience for their children. They have supported our coaching staff every step of the way. Fundraising, being an Uber service for 3 months between practices, lifts, games, and other baseball functions, laundry, food, and everything in between. I couldn’t imagine doing this job without amazing parents that support you every step of the way. Athletic Directors: We’ve had two athletic directors in my tenure and both share a common theme, loyalty to their coaching staff. They share in the joy of our wins and the agony of our defeats but regardless of the outcome they’re simply there for us. The amount of phone calls they have to field just from myself over the course of the year is a full time job itself. Alumni: the ones that have earned their stripes. Their pride and support they give to the program. Whether it is coming back to talk to the current team, supporting our fundraising efforts that supported them, or being part of their life after McQuaid baseball. I take great pride in celebrating the successes of our former players, continuing to communicate and support them in anyway I can. As they begin to go off on their journey I hope they realize they always have a home with us. #CoachingToWin #CalculatedChaos #Family

Topic of the Day: 1-on-1 hitting lessons with players who consistently work with one instructor. After you have worked with a player and have established a good understanding of who he is as a hitter, here are my thoughts: It’s more of a therapy session as you get into it, which players need. Too many instructors continue to dissect and fix things that don’t necessarily need fixing. Searching for the perfect swing on video (disclaimer, having a perfect swing on video doesn’t matter). I see certain instructors making continuous changes with guys they’ve been hitting with for 2 years, why are you making that change now? Because you’re bored and don’t know what else to do? My lessons with long-standing guys, we hit, talk, make minor tweaks, and ensure we are in a good place mentally. We have drills we turn to when we are struggling with something to recreate the feel we are looking for, but besides that, it’s just talking shop, continuing to expand their knowledge of their approach, and, yes, hitting therapy. I’m big on routines; I like to work with guys to give them custom routines that are just their process for hitting. Before the game, they do x, y, z before BP because it’s their routine; it’s their ritual. #HittingTwitter #CoachingToWin #CalculatedChaos

TOPIC OF THE DAY: The Special Teams of High School Baseball: Base Running. The talk of a football game is that if you can win 2 out of 3 main categories between offense, defense, and special teams, you have a good chance to win the game. We like to spin that into a baseball version with the special teams portion being base running. The base running version of our game is broken up into two phases: everyday base running and stealing bases. Our everyday base running is backed by the principle that there is NO SUCH THING AS: 1.) a sure out (running down the line through 1B at 100% intent regardless of the assumed level of difficulty of the defensive play puts pressure on the defense; it will make them react in a way that can force mistakes), 2.) a sure single (thinking two out of the box, pushing the envelope for that extra 90 starts by your intent off the bat), 3.) a sure double (when a sure double is a given, we are thinking an additional 90 to third base; again, intent dictates this result when opportunity presents itself), 4.) a sure triple (when a sure triple is a given, we are thinking an additional 90 to home plate; we have had our fair share of inside-the-park home runs, and this again starts with intent out of the box and the understanding of our philosophy that this isn’t a shock when we are continuing to advance). The second part is stealing bases. This comes with a mindset of looking to take advantage of an under-taught part of the game: holding runners on. We have had great success with stealing, averaging 4.7 stolen bases a game at an 86% success rate over 7 seasons. Our base-stealing system is a product of our #CalculatedChaos offense, which is a unique system of old-school traditional philosophies combined with new-school philosophies that are highly effective at the high school level regardless of having traditional “base stealers” who are labeled that due to their obvious natural foot speed. #CoachingToWin

TOPIC OF THE DAY: Is practicing baseball boring? Why you should “Embrace the boring”. I have never been a big fan of a slogan on the back of t-shirts, and I still aren't, but this year we are emphasizing "embracing the boring." Baseball entails making routine plays repeatedly at a high rate. Pitchers attack the strike zone, forcing contact within four pitches. Catchers receive at a high level, keeping strikes, strikes. Infielders execute routine plays, while outfielders act as the last line of defense, catching balls in the air, preventing extra bases, and communicating effectively. During our practices, we focus on the fundamentals of the game. Infielders field a set number of ground balls per week, outfielders catching fly balls and throwing to bases, catchers work on receiving and throwing to bases, and hitters focus on driving the ball to gaps, situational awareness, and bunting proficiently. This is where we spend 95% of our time, as mastering these basics is crucial. Special plays like pick-off plays, specialty bunt coverages, and first and third plays can be practiced for 30 minutes a week, but they are supplementary. Repeated daily routines like ground balls, fly balls, batting practice, bunting, and base running may seem mundane to most but we come to practice every day ready to "embrace the boring" because excelling at the basics wins games. #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin

TOPIC OF THE DAY: High School Baseball Players with Aspirations to Play at the College Level: There Are No Absolutes in the Process. “Whether it’s tournaments, PBR events, college camps, cold emails, social media posts… guess what they’ve all worked and they’ve all not worked at the same time. “ #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin #uncommitted #RecruitingBaseball

Topic of the day: Appearance. The traditions of your program. Do they really matter? - We have an appearance tradition in our program that was implemented when I took over in 2016. This standard was something I wanted to be a badge of honor for those who “made it”; you were part of the varsity baseball team, the “pinnacle of high school baseball.” - Short hair (no high fades, no mullets, etc.) looks professional, embodying the standard we strive for on the baseball field. [This has been challenged by our players in recent years, with many top baseball players at higher levels sporting long hair and different looks.] After attempts for change by some players, I decided this policy will always remain. To be a champion, sacrifice is required. I want our players to realize that if they can’t sacrifice their individual hairstyles for 3 months, how can anyone trust them to sacrifice for the team when it matters most? “Coach, is a haircut really that serious?” Maybe not, but honoring tradition is a mark of respect for the players who came before you. - All black spikes. Another long-standing tradition is that all our players' spikes must be entirely black. There cannot be a shred of any other color on them. All black spikes are uncommon these days, which forces our players to take responsibility and figure out how to black out the parts that aren’t within our standard. Black Sharpies, spray paint, you name it—they’ve tried it and do a great job. They are also required to clean and shine their all-black cleats the night before game day. That process is a great time for reflection and thinking about the challenge that lies ahead. No better preparation for battle than headphones on, can of shoe shine, a hand towel (sorry moms!), and envisioning the success you’re going to have tomorrow. Oh yeah, all black spikes look 🔥! - Suit coats on overnight trips. Whether it's our week-long trip to Florida, where we take a plane, or headed to the state tournament on a bus for the weekend, if we are traveling in public as a group and staying overnight, we dress in suit coats. This is where individuality comes into play. We call our dress code “business casual.” They are required to wear a suit coat, look professional (no sweatpants, etc.), but they can be themselves. The boys get into it and get to show off their style while maintaining our professional standard on and off the field. - We also adhere to obvious appearance protocols: same practice shirts, pants, or shorts at practice/team lifts. It is the players' job to communicate among themselves to ensure they’re looking as a team should. Everyone looking the same in I/O, “tarps on or tarps off.” Traditions are the cornerstone of your program standards. They're a great way to build a culture and create a sense of pride in being part of something bigger than oneself. Hold your players accountable for these traditions, and you’ll eventually see your players will hold each other accountable! #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin

TOPIC OF THE DAY: How to Get Every Member of Your Team to Be “All In” on the Pursuit of Coming Together to Work Towards One Common Goal: Winning Quote I saw the other day: “You can tell a lot about a team by how much the bench is involved during a game.” This brought me back to our 2017 sectional championship game [video below]. The best part of reliving this moment is the angle of our dugout. Watching every single player on the team, some of whom were seniors who hadn’t seen the field for weeks, wanting nothing more than a championship regardless of their current playing role. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it a million times over: having every single player on your roster all in, regardless of their role, is the mark of a team I’ll go to war with every single day of the week. How do you make this happen? 1.) Be brutally honest with your players about their roles on the team. Preseason meetings with each player individually to spell out their role (e.g., you’re our starting shortstop and will hit in the top of our order or you’re our 6th outfielder, I don’t anticipate you getting more than 5 at-bats all year). Brutal honesty is key. These roles may change as the season goes on, players play themselves in and out of the lineups. Have conversations with players when changes are made and why, so the player isn’t left wondering what’s going on. 2.) Celebrate and acknowledge the importance of each role. Whether they’re your #1 pitcher, starting shortstop, pinch runner, dugout glue guy, last guy on the bench, or a team manager. Each role is vitally important to the chemistry and makeup of a team. Publicly acknowledge the value of certain roles in front of the team/coaching staff, make every player realize, regardless of their role, they are a necessary component to the success of the ball club. 3.) Hold ALL players accountable in front of the group. Regardless of the role on the team, the most talented players and the least talented players need to be spoken to in the same way. No one is above the team. #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin

TOPIC OF THE DAY: Arriving late to practice - an unusual coaching approach 👇 I have an unorthodox approach to handling late arrivals at practice, a strategy I learned and implemented at a young age while working under one of my favorite coaches of all time, @Mkelly_20, at Monroe Community College. Our coaching staff would deliberately arrive about 15 minutes "late" to the scheduled start time. Many coaches get nitpicky over players arriving a minute or two late, but at the end of the day, life happens. If the players or team leaders felt they needed to address something, they would do so without our knowledge, because by the time we arrived, we had no idea when players had arrived. I try to implement this strategy as much as possible at the high school level, where it is even more relevant, especially if practice isn't directly after school. In some years, upwards of 80% of my roster doesn’t even drive. If they're late, it's more than likely beyond their control. Adopting a 15-minute grace period as a coaching staff policy allows players to self-regulate. Teams led by players are the most successful, and this approach allows coaches to avoid sweating the "small stuff" like a player arriving a minute or two late, which doesn’t truly affect anything. #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin

It's fitting that today's post is on the importance of team chemistry, the vital roles of coaches and players, coincides with the @Chiefs Super Bowl championship, where their exceptional team bond was clearly on display. In the journey to championship glory, the defining element of baseball teams isn't just talent, but the profound chemistry that binds them. It's revealing how these teams foster an environment where every player, regardless of their role, embraces their part with genuine commitment. Those not in the daily lineup are just as invested, embodying the spirit of unity and dedication. This special chemistry isn't instant; it's often born out of adversity. Struggles, internal conflicts, and defeats prompt introspection and personal sacrifices. Crucially, the buy-in from coaches amplifies this dynamic, as their leadership and belief in every player's value fortify the team's resolve. It's through these trials that a team truly unites, with each member, coached and supported, looking beyond individual aspirations towards the collective goal. The path to becoming champions is paved with the realization that success hinges not just on skill, but on the willingness to prioritize the team's triumph over personal glory, a vision shared equally by players and coaches. This is the essence of championship baseball: a testament to the power of team chemistry, reinforced by coach buy-in, where victory is a shared endeavor, and every sacrifice contributes to the legacy of greatness. #CalculatedChaos #CoachingToWin #ChampionshipMindset

Today, I want to delve into the notion of "optional" practice, particularly within the realm of baseball discussions on Twitter. There's a prevailing sentiment that these sessions are not genuinely optional but rather covert tests of players' commitment. I want to clarify, from my own experience, that this perception doesn't align with reality. When I designate a practice as optional, it is precisely that—optional. It's an opportunity for players who are eager for extra work to hone their skills, and simultaneously, it offers a reprieve for those who might benefit from a day off. This approach ensures that no player feels pressured into attending under the guise of a loyalty test. Our strategy regarding practice attendance is straightforward. Mandatory practices are exactly that: mandatory for all. Missing such a session without a valid excuse leads to consequences. However, for practices labeled as optional, it's entirely up to the players to decide their participation based on their individual needs or circumstances on that particular day. This policy aims to balance rigorous training with necessary rest, recognizing the diverse needs of our team members. #CoachingTalk #CoachingToWin #CalculatedChaos

Swiss Olympics Coach Awards with #BenoitCampargue @trainerbildung @Olympics @swissjudo @IntJudoFed #coachingToWin #CoachingToGold

S/o to @SenecaPrincipal & @NewmanEDU2 recognized at @KyDeptofEd Cont Imprv Summit for CoachingToWin! @JCPSKY @AdvancEDorg #leadershipmatters

Hahaha I thought I saw you back there snapping a picture Chris! 😂😂 Thanks for having me! #Elevate #CoachingToWin

Lookout for this team! Looking forward to taking #WWLA to the top #Elevate #Dominate #CoachingToWin #EntertainmentFirst #CreatingLeaders

Loving the enthusiasm @CoachJordano #H2P #playinghard #coachingtowin

@yourLTEN @super_call great #coaching webinar yesterday, thanks again! #coachingtowin

Now it's off to the Primerica West Coast Convention day 2. #coachingtowin #worldclasscompany #profitsbeatwages

Hmmmmmm #raspyvoice #hearmeteach #coachingtowin #worthitthough

ICYMI: This week's webcast is now available on-demand webcasts.td.org/webinar/1685 #CoachingtoWin @atdSalesEnable