My major league confession and the best way to help youth athletes

Posted in Sports
by Lorain County Moms

By Jack Perconte, McClatchy-Tribune

When I completed my major league baseball career, I felt like I gave it my all and I was happy with the results based on my ability level.
However, the further removed I have become from those playing days; I have changed my mind on that. If I “only knew then what I know now” goes through my head when I look back on my glory days. I honestly feel as though I could have been so much better if I had done one thing differently.

The one thing is the old “quality over quantity” rule. I now realize that so often in my career I worked for no benefit because I did not understand the fundamentals of hitting and throwing a baseball. That may sound odd for a major league player, but it was true and not uncommon.

The greatest professional athletes may be able to get away with just “doing it,” have success and reach their full potential. In my case, I was blessed with very good hand-eye coordination and a very good baseball swing so I was able to reach the top level. A lack of fundamental knowledge led to a constant trial-and-error approach, causing a physical tiredness that led to a less-than-peak game performance. Additionally, this lack of knowledge led to a lack of confidence most of the time.

Athletes, who know and understand the fundamentals, can make adjustments much quicker, avoiding the physical fatigue that often leads to weaker performance. Most importantly, fundamental knowledge leads to a good measure of confidence when things are not going well. Athletes, who understand the fundamentals, believe they know how to make the necessary adjustments and do not lose total confidence.

As parents and coaches of youth athletes, we are constantly reminding them to work hard. That is a good thing, but hard work only shows sustainable benefits when players perform the correct fundamentals. The secret of sport improvement lies in the quality of practice. Parents and coaches can best help youth athletes by:

• Attending private and group training sessions with young players until the basics are learned, especially by parents. These sessions usually require an expense, but one that will be well worth it for serious athletic families. The future enjoyment of sport for kids and parents, due to the increased success that usually follows, will be worth the expense.
• Attending upper level games of sport — varsity-level high school and above — so kids get a good fundamental picture in their subconscious mind. Observing good players performing a skill over and over can lead to quality practice time.
• Finding coaches that make practice educational, fun and challenging. Many coaches do one or the other but finding coaches who can do all is important for players to improve.
• Finding coaches who drill players on the fundamentals and teach players how to make adjustments.
• Practicing with and reinforcing the fundamentals with their children in a patient, positive manner.

Finally, once bad habits develop, they become much more difficult to change, so forming the correct fundamentals at an early age will give athletes the best chances at success and reaching their potential.

Jack Perconte played 12 years of professional baseball. After retiring from professional baseball in 1987, Perconte opened a baseball training academy in Naperville, Ill. The hitting drills, mental training and coaching tips found in “The Making of a Hitter” (www.themakingofahitter.com) were culled from the 60,000 hitting lessons Perconte estimates he gave while operating the academy. He has also written “Raising an Athlete,” and writes for the blog http://positiveparentinginsports.com.