*Bonus Post* Mastering the Game: How Repetitions and Habits Can Build Success in Youth Baseball
Unlocking Your Potential on the Diamond Through Consistent Practice and Positive Habits
Excellence is not an act, but a habit. The things we do the most are the things we will do the best. Building better habits in our daily routine is the key to unlocking our full potential on the baseball field. In order to be consistent in the infield, in the batters box, or on the mound when the lights come on, we have to be consistent with what we do in our team practices and individual practice time. Writing the post came to me after a 5 day Easter break and weather halting team practice for 4 straight days after the break. Our team hasn’t touched the field as a group in nearly 9 days. Situations like the one above happen. The players that have built solid routines and habits, will be the ones able to perform no matter the circumstance because they have habits and routines that are already established. They will get their work in with limited resources because they know it is crucial to their success.
In baseball, the actions that occur most often on the field - fielding, throwing and hitting - require consistent practice and effort to develop mastery. As a coach, I've seen firsthand how building good habits in these areas can make all the difference between a player who struggles and one who excels. By making a conscious effort to develop and reinforce positive habits, young baseball players can lay the foundation for success on the field and beyond. James Clear's book "Atomic Habits" offers valuable insights into how to build better habits, and in this article, we'll explore how to apply these principles to young ball players, coaches and parents.
Start Small
Don't try to overhaul your entire routine at once. Instead, focus on making small, incremental changes that are easy to sustain.
Players
It’s essential that you evaluate how you use your free time. Our schedules are packed, especially during the school year. Between school, team practice and homework it can seem overwhelming to fit in anything else. But building habits does not have to be overwhelming or extremely time consuming. According to James Clear, what’s most important, is action, “You don’t need to map out every feature of a new habit. You just need to practice it”. You don’t need to have a perfect plan, you just need to know what you need to improve and actually WORK ON IT. Little by little. 10-20 minutes a day hitting off a tee, doing dry reps or throwing a ball against a wall and fielding will only get you better when you don’t have access to facilities.
“Repeating a habit leads to clear physical changes in the brain. In musicians, the cerebellum-critical for physical movements like plucking a guitar string or pulling violin bow - is larger than it is in non-musicians” - James Clear
Coaches
It is essential that we spend time each practice where reps are the goal. Situational defense and offense don’t take up the bulk of the action in a game. Routine ground balls, fly balls, and hitting away are what happens the most often. So it makes sense to provide our players with as many reps as we can in these areas. It’s not that situational defense and offense aren’t important, it’s just that they don’t matter if you can’t make the routine play in the first place.
Parents
If you have a son or a daughter that is passionate about baseball or softball (really any sport or activity) you can also have a dramatic impact on the process of your child building their skills through repetition and habits. If you’re capable of throwing or tossing to your kid, do it! Not only is this great for their improvement but it’s also an even better time to build your relationship. It’s a win-win situation for you both and as a former player who had their dad throw them batting practice every Sunday afternoon, I can tell you it pays off.
If throwing batting practice or hitting ground balls isn’t in your skill set as a parent, that’s ok, there’s other ways you can be supportive. For example, if your kid is wanting to take extra swings (even if it’s just off a tee) help them set up a space in your yard or garage where they can do so (safely of course). If you don’t have that space available, maybe take them to the local fields to hit on their own or practice with friends.
Closing It Out
This post was short but its importance cannot be overstated. Building better habits is a critical part of success in youth baseball. By following the steps outlined in this article and applying the principles of James Clear's "Atomic Habits," players, parents, and coaches can create consistent and effective practices that lead to improved performance on the field. For those looking to take their game to the next level, consider signing up for baseball lessons with us at "Nitty-Gritty Training" to receive expert guidance and support. And for more tips and insights on youth baseball, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends in the sport. Thanks for reading and keep working on those habits!
Stay Gritty!
Brad