How Much Does Talent Matter?
Talent vs. Hard Work in Amateur Baseball
It doesn’t take a seasoned coach to recognize talent on the baseball field, you’ve all seen the player that just throws the ball a little harder than everybody else, runs a little faster or hits the ball a little harder and farther than his peers. We often refer to players like this as talented, gifted or whatever adjective you want to use.
A question I’ve been pondering lately “How much does talent matter in amateur baseball?”. As a coach, I preach hard work, great habits and consistency to all of my players as a recipe to reach their goals. I don’t mention talent often, because by definition the word “talent” means natural aptitude or skill. They keyword there being “natural”. I’ve noticed at the younger levels (10u-15u), people mistake a kid further along in his physical development for being more “talented” than his peers. In reality, if they’re further along in puberty and 30 pounds heavier than most kids on their team, that is a huge advantage and not indicative of their actual skill level.
So how do you determine whether your kid is actually talented on the baseball field in those early years?
You don’t. It’s that simple. (Remember, I’m talking about that 10u-15u age). Thinking that your kid is more/less talented than everyone else’s is not only a bad idea for you, but it will likely end up being detrimental to your player in the long run. You end up being looked at like you’re the psycho baseball parent that is looking over the GameChanger scorekeeper’s shoulder during everyone of your player’s at bats, making sure they’re batting average doesn’t take a dip on a questionable hit, which is never a good look. In youth baseball, results mean nothing, development and enjoyment of the game is what it’s about.
When Talent Does Matter…
As your player enters into that sophomore-junior year of high school range, talent IS important. Especially if playing time on the high school team and getting recruited to play in college is a priority for your player. The reality is that some kids are really hard workers but simply don’t possess the physical talent or hand eye coordination to get on the field. These types of players are rare but it’s important that honest and constructive conversations are had between coaches, parents and players. I’m not saying that the player should quit or give up but everyone deserves the right to know where they stand in whatever high school/travel baseball program they are in. Once you know where you stand you can make decisions and adjustments from there.
When Talent Doesn’t Matter…
Talent means very little if it’s combined with entitlement. Where does entitlement come from? Reread paragraph 2. Dealing with a talented but entitled player is like trying fill a bucket with a bunch of holes in it, it’s constantly leaking and constantly needs to be filled. When you’re dealing with a team, which baseball is a TEAM sport, coaches have at the minimum 8 other players they need to pour into, an entitled players talent is quickly overlooked if a team game becomes all about them.
On the contrary, when you combine talent and confidence then you have a strong, sturdy vessel that holds its own regardless of external factors. When you have a player with both talent and confidence, you have a leader. Which is something we should want for all of our kids in and out of baseball.
Helping Your Player Develop Confidence
To keep it simple:
Prioritize development over results (GameChanger Stats)
Encourage Independent Practice
Praise positive hustle, effort and attitude at all times
Promote a selfless attitude
Foster an environment that makes the baseball field a place of enjoyment not expectation.
I hope you got something useful from this post. Please feel free to email me with a feedback at brad@nitty-grittytraining.com.