Softball players have a tremendous amount of stress on themselves playing a sport that is filled with failure. A Successful Hitter might hit .333 if they are playing against strong competition. That means the best hitters are failing 2 out of every 3 at bats. Instead of letting players think that they are successful when the blooper drops in, and unsuccessful when the line drive to centerfield is caught, we should instead focus on having players see success is how well they “Controlled their Controllables. In softball it is actually still very hard to control everything we are able to control.
Controllables
- Attitude
- Effort
- Practice Preparation
- Body Language
- Communication
- Coach-ability
- Positive Energy
- Hustle
- Pre-Game Meals
- Pre-Game Repetitions
Things we Can’t Control
- Hitting Every Pitch
- Catching Every Ball
- Fielding Every Ball
- Teammates Play
- Umpires Calls
- Coaching Decisions
- Opponents Ability
If we can teach players that Controlling their Controllables is the KEY to SUCCESS I think it would make for a much healthier environment. If they are Controlling their Controllables they should ALWAYS be able to look in the mirror and be proud of what they accomplished. While there are many things that go into being a great hitter there can also be a lot of luck. The player that gets a hit after a swinging bunt, another one on a pop up that lands between pitcher, shortstop and 2nd Base and gets a hit on catchers interference is 3-3 and happy while the player that lines out three times is upset. One actually failed, but was lucky and the other player did everything well but was unlucky. I am not saying you shouldn’t be happy about the lucky hits, but you certainly shouldn’t be upset if you are hitting the ball hard and aren’t lucky. If they keep doing the right things their luck will change.
In my opinion, this will help players keep an even keel and a much healthier mindset. When they control their Controllables their performance will definitely increase because they will consistently be well prepared.