Positive Parenting in Sports by Former Major Leaguer Jack Perconte

Coachable Players

Often when working with athletes I will sense a reluctance in some to try what I suggest. They may even blurt out, “My dad told me to do it another way,” or “My coach told me to do this” or even “My friend says this works for him.” I usually respond with “Give this way a try and we will find what works best.” Along the same lines, parents often ask what I recommend when two different coaches are teaching two different things. I tell them to tell their son or daughter that, ”Everything is worth a try so try what each coach suggests and go with what works. Have your child nod in agreement even if they know it is different from what another coach is teaching.” The point of this post is that athletes should not get in the habit of not listening to or trying what each coach suggests. That would be a great way of getting on the bad side of a coach and/or getting labeled as an uncoachable player. Coaches like to think they have the answers and that they know more than the player’s parents.  If players act like the coach is not correct, it definitely gives coaches a bad impression of that player. This often leads to bad consequences for these players resulting in a) the coach proceeds to ignore the player from then on b) it affects the player’s playing time c) the player gets cut from the team or doesn’t make the team. This situation is a great teaching moment for parents and gives your son or daughter the best chance of keeping a “coachable player” reputation, which is important for players looking to advance into high school baseball or beyond.

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