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Softball Coaching Tips: How-to Use Jedi Mind Tricks on Big Egos

 

Softball Coaching Tips: Yoda Jedi Mind Tricks

Yoda photo courtesy: karingillespie.net

This softball coaching tips “Hit-Bit”, or hitting tid-bit, is an answer to questions from my readers when I asked them, “If you could have a private conversation with me, what two questions would you ask?”  The answers are meant to be short, actionable, and tips you can use today.

Today’s Hit-Bit answers the reader questions:

“How do you deal with a coach or league board member who has an ego problem and don’t know shit about baseball?”

We’ll address the:

  1. Ego problem: read How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  2. Ego problem: read The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey (Particularly Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood), and
  3. Baseball/Softball knowledge problem. Also, look into league training through Positive Coaching Alliance (positivecoaching.org).

And yes, these tips work in baseball too…

 

Ego Problem Book Resource #1

I’m sure you’ve heard the strategy: make the other person think it’s their idea?  In fact, Warren Buffett took Dale Carnegie’s courses in his early days of investing.

 

Ego Problem Book Resource #2

The 7 Habits” book rocked my world when I first read it, particularly Habit 5.  As you probably already know, “pissing contests” rarely ever work.  And if you still not catching any fish, then it’s time to take your pole to another pond.  Try something else!!

A good buddy (and college teammate of mine), who’s spent over 10 years selling tires to trucking companies, shared this sales tactic with me awhile back, and I thought it was brilliant.  Use it in talking with Big Egos:

  • Feel – I feel how frustrated you are with…
  • Felt – I felt the same way when I…
  • Found – I found that I could do better by…

 

Softball/Baseball Knowledge Problem

Just because you saw a softball coaching tips video on YouTube, doesn’t make its content effective.  Here are second-to-none books on coaching strategy:

  1. Fresno State college baseball coach Bob Bennett, book: “Baseball Strategies” (CLICK HERE for an audio interview I did with Coach Bennett on coaching)
  2. University of Texas baseball coach Auggie Garrido, book: “Life Is Yours To Win
  3. MLB manager Tony LaRussa, book: “One Last Strike
  4. Lady Vol’s college women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, book: “Sum It Up
  5. UCLA Bruins men’s basketball coach John Wooden, book: “Wooden

These softball coaching tips will ABSOLUTELY put you on the right track.  Please comment with any other coaching book recommendations below…