The team finally flies home tonight and I am hopeful for a good night's sleep. Despite this not being my life or issue, I am completely filled with anxiety for the big kid although I do not let him know. My concern is for his mental health and spirit more than anything else.
Now, with the aid of BD, we have figured out a way to deal with the coaches. Yes, they are classic narcissists who are unable to acquiesce to anyone else's ideas or sensibilities.They have the answers and ideas. Anyone with a mind of their own is to be squashed. They are not to be questioned. They will accept praise but not criticism. When Big Red stood up for his pitcher, he was immediately pulled out of the game. Was this a mistake on his part? Well, it depends....
Do you sell your soul to play in a baseball game? Or do you stand up for what you believe despite the penalty? I believe that the answer to the questions is that you stand by your pitcher no matter what the consequence. However, this is the last phase in the kids' development. If they do not perform in the games, the scouts and pros will not see them play and therefore, they will not be drafted. Ahh, you see, the coaches have them by their collective reproductive organs (so to say...).
Now we have come up with our own plan for gaining access to the mound. he has to swallow his pride, keep his mouth shut, praise the coaches, tell them they have great ideas, strategy, and skin, then strike when opportunity presents itself.
Is this being true to oneself? Hmmm, yes and no. We all deal with egotistical dragons in our lives. The skill is learning how to handle them in a way that we can collectively achieve our goals. In other words, the coach is not going to change. Therefore, the guys need a strategy to deal with an immovable boulder that is blocking their paths.
Does this mean that I make the coaches a cheesecake? Nope, this is not my issue. It is my son's and his team mates little private hell, which is appropriate since the big kid and pitchers call the pitching coach "Satan."
The plan is to keep mouths shut, listen, acknowledge, praise, and kiss up. Uggh. I feel nauseated just posting this but it is what has to happen. However, behind Satan's back, they will throw their weighted balls, train the way that is best for their bodies, and support one another understanding that this is the road that they have to take. Then when he takes the credit for their performance, they will keep their mouths shut.
My impression is that the big guy threatens the coach with his brain, skill, and information. He has had the best coaches in the country help him with his game and these coaches, classic narcissists, are threatened. Therefore, to maintain his hold, Satan humiliates and controls in a way that the rest of us would run screaming into a dark alley and never reappear.
I think that I mentioned that CI expects Buddy to speak to him each day about developing mental toughness. OK, listen to what the guy has to say. If he wants you to throw your glove in the dugout after a walk, toss is as far as it will go. If he wants you to speak German, learn numbers one through ten and few cuss words. If he thinks that you should put your left cleat on first, then do it. Once this is over, the laugh will be on him. I am looking forward to seeing how this plan works. Hopefully, we will see the big kid in a game on Tuesday. As left handed pitcher Fudge said: "You not starting a game is like storming Normandy with super soakers." In other words, the coaches do not know what they have in this guy. It's like high school all over again. He dealt with that guy and will deal with this one.
Losing power.....have a nice day!
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