Confidence vs. Showboating in Baseball

Unlock the secrets to transforming young athletes into team players and champions with Coach Ken Carpenter's insights. Ever wondered how today's MLB stars influence the attitudes and behaviors of high school and travel baseball players? We tackle the fine line between confidence and showboating, sharing stories like Ken Griffey Jr.'s genuine love for the game and the lessons from former player Ty Herriott. Discover how to encourage personal achievement without losing sight of the team spirit that makes baseball a uniquely collective endeavor.

Join us as we explore the core principles that define successful baseball programs: playing hard, playing smart, and supporting your teammates. Coach Ken Carpenter emphasizes the importance of focus and humility in striving for excellence both on and off the field. Learn practical strategies for instilling these values in your players, building a culture of productivity, respect, and success. Tune in for an engaging discussion filled with strategies and stories that will give you a competitive edge in nurturing tomorrow's baseball stars.

Join the Baseball Coaches Unplugged podcast where an experienced baseball coach delves into the world of high school and travel baseball, offering insights on high school baseball coaching, leadership skills, hitting skills, pitching strategy, defensive skills, and overall baseball strategy, while also covering high school and college baseball, recruiting tips, youth and travel baseball, and fostering a winning mentality and attitude in baseball players through strong baseball leadership and mentality.

Chapters

• 0:01 Player Behavior in Youth Baseball
• 8:04 Coach Ken's Baseball Coaches Podcast

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Are today's MLB players having a negative impact on high school and travel baseball players? Where do you stand? Do you enjoy the player who stands in the batter's box after hitting a home run and flips the bat, or the pitcher who stares down the batter after striking him out? Or are you on the other side, act like you did it a hundred times before? I'm your host Coach, ken Carpenter. I'll share my thoughts next on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

Speaker 2: 0:33

Welcome to Baseball Coaches Unplugged with Coach Ken Carpenter, presented by AthleteOne. Baseball Coaches Unplugged is a podcast for baseball coaches With 27 years of high school baseball coaching under his belt, here to bring you the inside scoop on all things baseball, from game-winning strategies and pitching secrets to hitting drills and defensive drills. We're covering it all. Whether you're a high school coach, college coach or just a baseball enthusiast, we'll dive into the tactics and techniques that make the difference on and off the field. Discover how to build a winning mentality. Inspire your players and get them truly bought into your game philosophy Plus, get the latest insights on recruiting, coaching, leadership and crafting a team culture that champions productivity and success. Join Coach every week as he breaks down the game and shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories. Your competitive edge starts here, so check out the show weekly and hear from the best coaches in the game. On Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

Speaker 1: 1:31

Baseball Coaches Unplugged is powered by the netting professionals, improving programs one facility at a time. The netting professionals specialize in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for baseball and softball. This includes backstops, batting cages, bp turtles, bp screens, ball carts and more. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding, windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches and cubbies. The netting pros aren't limited to just baseball and softball. They also work with football, soccer, lacrosse and golf courses. Contact them today at 844-620-2707. That's 844-620-2707. Or you can visit them online at wwwnettingproscom. Check out Netting Pros on X, instagram, facebook and LinkedIn for all their latest products and projects. Hey everyone, welcome back to Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

Speaker 1: 2:33

And today I want to talk about something we all see more and more in high school sports showboating. You know what I'm talking about the backfl flips, the exaggerated celebrations, sometimes even trash talk. A lot of people like to call it swag or confidence, and don't get me wrong, I'm all for enthusiasm, but there's a line between celebrating with your team and putting on a look-at-me show. That's more about the individual than the team. Now I get it. These kids watch the pros on TV. They see guys like MLB players than the team. Now I get it. These kids watch the pros on TV. They see guys like MLB players flipping the bat or a pitcher stare down the batter after striking him out. They see the swagger and to them it looks like confidence and in a way it is. Confidence is key in baseball. You've got to believe you're going to make that player get that hit. But what we have to remember is that when kids look up to these pros they might not always see the whole picture. They see the confidence, but they don't see the years of discipline and respect that go into what these players do.

Speaker 1: 3:40

For example, ken Griffey Jr. He had an effortless swagger to him, the way he'd strut after a home run. Griffey played with confidence, but it was always about his love for the game. He wasn't out there trying to show up an opponent or make it all about himself. He was just playing baseball the only way he knew how, with joy and passion. That's the kind of enthusiasm we should want our players to bring. But here's the danger. When high school players see big moments and try to bring the swagger into their games, they sometimes cross the line into what is called showboating. Showboating is not confidence. It's about drawing attention to yourself. It's saying look, look at me, look how good I am, and it usually comes at the expense and respect for the game and for your opponent. I'll tell you that's not the message that you want to send to our teams.

Speaker 1: 4:39

My first year as a varsity head coach, I had a player named Ty Harriet. He hit 15 home runs on the varsity as a freshman. When his high school career ended, he had 41 home runs. Never once did he admire his home run. He just put his head down and ran around the bases. His senior year he had 38 walks. 15 were intentional. He never showed frustration to the walks, or even if he struck out, he never let his emotions get the best of him. He just acted like he did it 100 times before.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Now don't misunderstand me here. We want our players to feel proud of what they've accomplished. When you hit a big double or strike someone out in a tight spot, it's natural to want to celebrate. But instead of directing that energy toward the other team or into an act, let's teach our players to direct it towards their teammates. That's where the power is in building each other up and not tearing someone else down. There's a huge difference between celebrating with your team and showing up the other team. I love seeing the dugout go wild after a big play, but I've always told the players celebrate with each other, bring the energy back to the dugout. Go wild after a big play, but I've always told the players celebrate with each other, bring the energy back to the dugout, not out there on the field in a way that disrespects the other team.

Speaker 1: 6:07

Now some of you could say well, coach, you're taking the fun out of the game. But here's the thing Baseball is a team sport and we focus too much on one person's moment, we lose that team aspect. Plus. Why do you want to give the opposing team a reason to want to play harder? As coaches, it's on us to set the tone. We need to create an environment where confidence is encouraged, but respect is a priority. Our players should know that courage, but respect is a priority. Our players should know that, yes, we want them to play with passion and heart, but we also want them to show respect for the opponent and, most importantly, respect the game. This doesn't mean we don't have fun. It just means we find the right way to channel that energy. The good thing is, 99% of coaches coach the game the right way Most scouts and college coaches aren't looking for kids who need the spotlight.

Speaker 1: 7:05

They're looking for players who can control their emotions, handle pressure and show respect. The guy who hits a home run and spits around the bases like he's done it a hundred times, that's the kid that's going to get noticed because he's showing confidence, not arrogance. At the end of the day, baseball is a game of humility. This game will humble you quickly if you let it. So why not approach it with a sense of respect, both for ourselves and for those that you compete against? So, for all the players listening, celebrate with your teammates. Build them up, play with passion, play with confidence, but leave the showboating home. Let your talent do the talking, not the bat flip or the stare down. And for the coaches, keep coaching them up. When we do, we help create not only better baseball players, but better teammates and better people.

Speaker 1: 8:04

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Baseball Coaches Unplugged. I'm your host, coach Ken Carpenter. Let's keep playing hard, playing smart and playing for each other Until next time. Stay focused and stay humble. Today's episode of Baseball Coaches Unplugged is powered by the netting professionals. Will Miner and his team are improving programs one facility at a time. Contact them today at 844-620-2707, or you can visit them online at wwwnettingproscom. This has been Baseball Coaches Unplugged, presented by AthleteOne.