WYC 076 – Youth Baseball – Colby Patnode talks rewarding Quality at Bats

Twitter: @CPat11

Facebook: /colby.patnode

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Quote

‘Adversity turns weak teams into victims and strong teams into competitors’

My Cringe Moments

• Colby was frustrated with a call – and instead of going out to talk to the umpire- he threw a baseball into the empty field next to him. Then to make matters worse- when a parent asked him to set a better example – he told the parent to sit down.

Communication with parents

• The key is to establish communication early  and let the parents know you plans right from the start. Then over-communicate with everything going on with the team.
• Colby asks the parents to not talk to him during games or practices – and to wait at least 3-4 hours after a game.

Teaching Skills

• Never assume that kids know something until you see them do it – always start with the basics. ‘Learn your learner’ – Pete Carroll phrase – it starts with understanding each kid and where they are at
• No live batting practice – Coach Patnode finds it is a waste of time for most of the players.
• Keep everything competitive – Coach will break up into 2 teams of six and then have them all bunt and keep track of which team lays down more successful bunts, do the same with hit and runs, etc.

Mental Toughness/Achieving Peak Performance

• Kids will perform much better when they play for each other vs. playing out of fear
• Set specific and achievable goals, and then expect for them to be met by the players

Culture – Discipline/Rewards/Teambuilding

• The more rules you have – the more rules kids are going to break
• 3 rules:
  • 1- Protect the team
  • 2 – Protect the brand/game
  • 3- Do your best

HUGE IDEA

• Quality at Bats – Instead of keeping on-base % or batting average – Keep the stat that rewards the behavior you want – a hard hit ball – Then set your lineup based on the highest Quality-At-Bat %

Impacting Kids

• Coach Patnode witnessed one kid who lacked confidence turn things around and start playing aggressively after the coaches continued to encourage him to play without fear of mistakes
• Coach had another kid who when the pitching coach went to the mound to take him out said ‘Get off my mound, I’m finishing this’ – great example of a kid not giving up and not wanting the easy way out but wanting to grind

The One that got away

• Colby shares a story of almost making it to the state championship his senior year- but getting upset by a team they probably shouldn’t have.

Best borrowed/stolen idea

• Cobly realized that some of the high school kids were intimidated by having a coach who was so close to the same age as them – so he told them to call him Colby or Patnode – they didn’t have to call him coach
• Whatever level you are coaching at – get to know the coaches at the next level, and ask them about expectations for new players – then implement some of these standards and let the kids know you are doing it to prepare them for the next level

Favorite coaching book/quote

• Quote: ‘Adversity turns weak teams into victims and strong teams into competitors’
• Books:
  • Anything by John Wooden
  • ‘The Score will Take Care of Itself’ – by Bill Walsh
  • ‘Win Forever’ – by Pete Carroll
• TED talks:
  • Dr. Angela Duckworth – The key to success is grit/determination
  • John Wooden – The difference between winning and succeeding

Parting Advice

• Treat everyone fair, but don’t treat them all the same. Understand why each kid is out there.

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