What are your Coaching Resolutions?

Provided by: National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Everyone loves a fresh start. There is something about Jan. 1 and a new year that brings a "clean slate" feeling.

Truthfully, this is my youngest sister's favorite time of year. The calendar turns to 1/1 and she is reinvigorated, making lists that she is ready to tackle with enthusiastic ferocity.

I admire her energy and approach, as her focus turns to what or how she wants to be, not on how things are or have been and certainly not on how hard the list will be to achieve. Ambition. Optimism. Fresh start.

I imagine that many of you left the 2016 NFCA Convention in New Orleans inspired and filled with new ideas. The theme was "#GetJazzed," how appropriate for both the setting and for the purpose of the gathering.

What better way to reinvigorate your approach to your job than to be around, spend time with and listen to your passionate, experienced colleagues. It is a unique time to learn and to love what you do. Topics included X's & O's, strategy, skills, sports psychology, motivation, team management and all different aspects of coaching. Then you have the chance to reflect on the impressive veteran careers of the Hall of Fame honorees. If only the energy, wisdom and inspiration of the Convention could be bottled and brought home to sip from throughout the year.

Now you are home, about to embark on another year's competitive journey. While the fall can be "fun," getting to know your new team, teaching some fundamentals, enjoying and learning from a few moments of competition, now the real work begins: preseason. It is time to get down to business.

The training period before the opening weekend seems to get shorter and shorter. The amount to teach or review before the first pitch seems almost impossible to cover.

Will you be ready? The pressure mounts. The "let the good times roll" spirit of the New Orleans Convention is a distant Mardi Gras memory.

Some call preseason "the grind." And you are not the only one affected by the toll of training and the weight of preparation - your student-athletes, who are actually the ones physically participating in practice and lifting and conditioning, acutely feel the effects of preseason.

I know there is a small percentage of coaches and players who secretly (or not so secretly) love the preparation piece. They relish in the work and actually enjoy the time and pain it takes to prepare for a season.

My take is that this is a small percentage of people, particularly as the days wear on. We are all human and sometimes, frankly, it just feels like a lot.

How easy it is, at this point, to slide back into old ways, to focus only on the "good kids," to let culture slide in order to "get things done." Not coincidentally, as the starting lineup becomes solidified, the morale of the second string and bench can take a hit.

While everyone seems happy in the fall, when the glimmer of playing time in season starts to vanish, seeds of discontent can begin to take root.

I can hear the old school coaches saying, "Tough, that's life. Work harder, get better. Earn your way into the lineup." I understand and I don't disagree. The reality is that this toughen-up mentality alone is losing its effectiveness - some on the other end of the spectrum might say, "Was it really effective in the first place?"

I am saying that disgruntled players pose a risk to your team's performance and to your job security, so let's think of ways to demand performance, prepare for the season and keep all of your players motivated, engaged and improving, especially during this critical time of preseason.

Think New Orleans. Think Brett Ledbetter and coaching the person, not just the player. Think Patty Gasso and her message of empowerment. Think Bo Hanson and how to get the most out of your staff. Think Bree Nasti and how critical culture is to success. And, for dealing with parents, think Margo Jonker and how to communicate with your parents, yet still have boundaries. All of the speakers' convention materials should still be in the Diamond Kinetics-sponsored app for a few more weeks. Take a look again before they are taken down.

To learn new approaches, to bring these ideas home and then integrate some suggestions into your coaching is what the Convention is all about. Trying new things and balancing both team and individual development together, especially during the grind of preseason, is the challenge in front of you.

Coaching this part of the year well is absolutely part of your job performance, not just your in-season win-loss record. Consider adding this commitment to keeping all of your players improving and inspired to your New Year's coaching resolution list.

It is in your best interest to do so, in more ways than one.