WCWS: What can we learn by observing instead of simply watching
College athletes and coaches will compete on the biggest stage this week and fight for the coveted title: NCAA National Champions. Every game is televised and the stands will be packed with fans, who will undoubtedly see an incredible display of skill, focus, energy, and talent. Only one team will leave feeling good about the results. There will be failures, mistakes, and miscues that lead to a test of resilience over talent. If you’re a coach, a youth player, or parent of a youth player, planning on watching don’t just “watch” this year; use these high level games to observe and learn to better yourself in your respective role.
For Coaches:
Demeanor with players: Watch how calm the coaches are in such a high stakes atmosphere. Are they yelling and screaming at their players in between pitches, or are they allowing them to focus on the game? High level coaches pick their moments to talk with a player(s) if something needs adjustment. They quietly watch the at bats and give few, if any, physical or verbal cues. Even after a failure, high level coaches work hard to keep their body language in check. The athlete knows they failed; they don’t need a reminder from a coach throwing their hands up in disgust or disappointment.
Demeanor with Umpires: There will no doubt be a couple heated conversations between coaches and umpires after a questionable call during the WCWS. After all, the coaches are competitors too. With that said, what you see a lot more of is a calm conversation after a questionable call. High level coaches rarely coming bull rushing out of the dugout. They wait for the play to conclude, call timeout and approach the official in a non-threatening manner to get more information, then offer their perspective.
For Parents: What you won’t see
1. Parents approaching the dugout in between innings to give their kids snacks, Gatorade, etc. They give their kid space to be independent and focus on the game.
2. Parents running down to the fence and yelling coaching cues from the stands while their child is on deck or in the batters’ box.
3. Parents approaching coaches after a game and berating them about their decision making and coaching skills.
What you will see:
PARENTS BEING FANS - They are fans of all the players on their child’s respective team. Some will be cheering loud; some will be quietly focused on every single pitch. Whether their colorful or reserved, parents of high level athletes understand how to be high level fans. They stay positive, they don’t verbally attack opponents and they enjoy the game & experience of the WCWS.
For Players:
Defense: Watch how the defense is constantly moving in between pitches & TALKING to their teammates about next play and positioning. With every pitch, the situation/strategy changes, especially when there’s runners on base.
Pitchers: Pay attention to what part of the plate each pitcher is attacking the most. Are they north/south (up & down) type pitchers or are they working the corners (in/out)? They are also COMPLETELY in tune with their defense. They make eye contact, talk and cheer when their defense makes a huge play behind them.Conversely, they are usually one of the first teammates to pick a player up after a mistake with a verbal, or non-verbal cue of encouragement.WHY? They know that no matter how good they are, they’re nothing without a defense willing to risk it all and make plays behind them.
Catchers: The catchers are the quarterbacks. Watch as they keep the pitcher focused on “next pitch”, so she can’t spend too much time thinking about a missed pitch, HR, Walk, etc. Watch them direct the defense with confidence and clarity , especially when the pressures on. They don’t get quiet, they don’t sulk and they rarely show anything other than positive emotion towards their teammates.
Hitters: Hitting is arguably the toughest part of the game. Pick out a few of your favorite hitters and watch everything they do before, during, and after each pitch. They have a physical routine, they’re breathing and all of them are hustling out of the box after contact. You will rarely see them swing in fear or indecisiveness. Their pre-pitch movements are quiet, but swing attack is violent. The reality is, most of their at-bats will not end with a hit. Instead of looking just for hits, look for them learning as each pitch is thrown. Most high level hitters will not get beat the same way twice. If they chased a rise ball in their 1st at bat, pay attention to the next at bat and see if they make an adjustment to lay off a bad pitch.
There is so much happening that leads to a team and players’ success. During the WCWS, you will see incredible athletes, do incredible things. More importantly, you will see the game within a game if you’re looking for it. Enjoy the last incredible weekend of college softball and good luck in the rest of your season!
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