The Softball Coaching Bible, Volume II

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.

Sharing the Passion

Patty Gasso

I was sitting at a softball field recently, recruiting and taking in a travel ball game. Truthfully, I was not seeing the best talent, and I was not properly equipped for the cold and wind. It was not one of my best days. I remember asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” The pity party did not last long. I looked around the complex and saw hundreds of kids in uniform, playing in this miserable weather. Their parents were there too, bundled in blankets. I thought, “I have the ability to make one of these kids' dreams come true.” That realization was powerful. I could be a major role model and a lasting member in one of those athletes' lives. The responsibility and honor for any coach is huge. So I quickly got over my griping and jumped back into my recruiting skin.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the University of Oklahoma and be surrounded with wonderful coaches, athletes, and administrators. I get to go to work every day and call the softball stadium my office. How awesome! Sometimes I take this privilege for granted, and one thing I have learned as I have matured as a coach is to be thankful and to keep working hard, because the day I sit back and think that I have arrived as a coach, the program will be left in the dust. I know that I am in the right profession when after 30 years of coaching, 18 of those years at the University of Oklahoma, I feel that I have not worked a day in my life. A line from one of Jo Dee Messina's famous songs claims, “It goes so fast, and one day we look back and ask, Was that my life?” As I am grinning from ear to ear, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes, softball is my life.”

Finding the Passion

The answer to this challenge is easy. You find the passion in your heart. When you do anything with passion and put your heart and soul into it, your experience will be rewarding. Too many coaches and players are involved in this sport for the wrong reasons. This orientation is easy to see. Body language is negative; you can see a lack of effort and a lack of respect. A coach or player led by passion is easy to recognize as well—a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, fun to watch, hardworking, demonstrating a genuine love for the game. Coaches or players with passion can't wait to play or practice, and they are constantly working on ways to get better. They have an endless work ethic at an activity that never feels like work. Passionate people are infectious, and they bring out the best of those around them. Unfortunately, negative team members are just as infectious.

I began my coaching career as a junior varsity basketball coach. I was 19 years old, and some of the players were just 3 years my junior. I knew when I was growing up that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach, and by making that decision early in my life, I could immediately go to work on starting my career. The program I took over had a record of 1-14 the year before my arrival. Now I understand why they would hire a 19-year-old student to take over the program! I was pumped to get the job. I knew it would be a challenge to get those young athletes to believe in a young coach. I went in with high expectations and had a personal goal of getting the team to win at least five games. I would have to get rid of the negative feelings left over from the previous season, and I recognized that my most important job was to create a positive and winning attitude. Confidence and a winning expectation had to come oozing out of me at our first meeting. I set the ground rules and talked about my philosophy of blue-collar work (no one will ever outwork us), of working as a team and respecting each other. They then heard the most important phrase I would ever share, and it is still the focus of my players to this day: We will never quit—ever. It is not an option!

My first coaching season was going pretty well. Halfway through the season we had already won four games. I thought it was cool to dress up as a professional when I was coaching JV basketball, although it was apparent that my peers did not share my thought process!

A situation happened to me on the court that season, now 30 years ago, that I will never forget—one of those life-changing moments. We were in an intense game against our conference rival, and the referee made what I thought was a terrible call. I made it known to the ref that I did not agree with his call, and he made a comment that has never left me. The referee said to me in front of my players, “Coach, relax, this is just a JV girls' basketball game!” Ouch. I voiced my passion that day with the referee, and at 19 years old, in my first season as a head coach, I was thrown out of my first game. I thought, “Maybe I'm not cut out for this coaching thing.” But my actions that day confirmed to me that my passion for women's athletics and for my team was needed to get the respect we deserved. I am not proud of my outburst, but I would not have changed a thing. My players learned a lesson that day—that they deserved the same respect given to any male athlete—and they understood that I believed in them enough to fight for them. The team went on a winning streak and finished the season with 10 wins, 1 win away from the conference title. Whether it's a junior varsity girls' basketball game or a collegiate women's softball program, girls and women who put their heart and soul into their sport deserve to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Our job as coaches is to make sure that happens. Passion is about feeling—and acting on that feeling!

Why Athletes Today May Lose Passion

For those of us who have been coaching for a while now, we would all agree that coaching today's athletes is definitely a challenge. Capturing and keeping their attention is difficult. We are dealing with some stiff competition! Cell phones with texting, Twitter, Facebook, blogging—the list goes on. I have not figured out a way to stop this besides keeping it off the field, out of the locker room, and off the bus. My conclusion is that the youth of today need constant stimulation. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I make sure that my practices are active and require the players to move constantly. I come up with new practice plans and drills that are relevant and challenging. I try to break practice into segments so that we have the ability to start over and refocus. My players do not get much out of long, drawn-out practices. Don't get me wrong; sometimes these practices are necessary. But my players work best with constant challenges, and I try to bring that every day.

I am fortunate to have peers who share their ideas and their struggles. Many coaches today are struggling with athletes who do not know how to compete. Young athletes can play up to six games a day! How can we expect them to have passion for six games straight? It's an impossible feat. I need athletes who will put it all on the field every day and not look at the competition as just another game. I have a hard time with that. My plan to combat this problem is to make my fall season a challenging and competitive experience. Each day I challenge my athletes, especially in strength training and conditioning. I believe that to get my athletes to understand how to compete, they have to be pushed not to the wall, but through the wall. They have to be deprogrammed from having the attitude that it doesn't matter to taking extreme pride in their efforts. Athletes have to feel the good and the bad and learn how to fight through the tough times. I think that athletes are too quick to surrender. They don't want to put their heart out there, because if they do and they are not successful, they will feel the hurt, shame, or embarrassment. The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, said, “For an athlete to function properly, she must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.”

Understanding Today's Athlete
Carol Bruggeman

As a coach, especially an experienced coach, at some point you've heard yourself mumble, “I just don't understand players today!” Whether the comment originated from a communication issue, a perceived work ethic issue, or a leadership issue, the feeling is the same. As the bestseller Who Moved My Cheese reminds us, one constant you can count on is change! Players evolve and change over time, as does everything else in the world. Change is part of life and part of athletics. Therefore, coaches need to continue to find ways to understand, motivate, and teach current players. At its core, coaching is a profession of servanthood. Coaching is not about you; it's about someone else. To reach ultimate goals, coaches must be able to understand and relate to current players. If coaches and players can get on the same page, everyone involved can have a positive experience and earn success together.

The overall goal in understanding today's players is to evaluate, educate, and embrace in many areas. Evaluate the situation, educate yourself on current trends and ideas, and embrace new challenges. In an ever-changing world, coaches must keep standards of excellence high and continue to challenge players to raise expectations. Today's players are smart, driven, and motivated, and they will jump on board if they feel understood. Most important, if you can build trust with today's player, you will have a high probability for success.

Here Come the Millennials

Before we can truly understand and therefore coach our current players, we need to interpret the demographics and details surrounding this particular generation. Although the exact dates may vary slightly, Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, refers to anyone born between 1984 and 2002. The following statements will help you gain an initial understanding of this generation.

They cannot imagine a time without personal computers, digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, ATMs, and video games.

They have always had access to cable.

Google is where they have always found information. Roller skating has always meant in-line skating.

Popcorn has always been prepared in the microwave.

They never owned a record player.

They have only known a world with AIDS.

They think that the Vietnam War is as ancient as World Wars I and II.

They can understand “c u b4 2nite”

Their biggest health issue is obesity.



Generation Yers' overall attitude is “Let's make the world a better place.” They are tolerant and caring, and they accept family structures that are both traditional and nontraditional. Fewer than half of their meals are consumed at home, and smartphones constantly interrupt those meals. They spend a great deal of leisure time on computer games and surfing the Internet. They want to know what you think right now because Generation Y has had instant feedback from birth.

They aspire for new experiences and challenges, yet they are anxious and not trusting. They are eager to stand out but still want to fit in. They want more freedom and fewer restrictions, yet they value discipline. They are heavy consumers of media and embrace technology and music. They think more globally than any other generation.

Tim Elmore, a leading expert on the topic, refers to Generation Yers born after 1990 as Generation iY because of their constant exposure to technology. Because of technology, members of Generation iY do not think that they need adults for information. The result, Elmore believes, is a generation who knows too much, too soon, but has no context to process the information. They aren't bad kids; they simply know too much. They have content without context.

Generation Yers crave independence. Why is independence so important to Generation Y? To answer that question, we have to understand that Generation Y could really be called Generation Why.

Why are my parents not together?

Why are there metal detectors at my friend's school?

Why am I not allowed to stay with Pastor Dave?

Why am I not safe on an airplane in America?

Why are polar bears going to be extinct?

Why are my grandparents working when I thought they were supposed to retire last year?

Why do shootings occur at colleges and high schools?

Why is my best friend still in Afghanistan?

The world can be an incredibly unsettling, radically changing, unsafe place for Generation Y. Because of this perception, they value independence. Generation Yers struggle to trust people in their lives or the world in general. Understanding this sociological data is important, because one of the primary traits that coaches want to develop within their teams is trust. Developing trust must be given high priority for today's player. If trust can be developed, the foundation for a successful program will be in place.

Talk to Me

Because of the ambiguity and uncertainty of the world for Generation Y, they ask lots of questions. They truly do want to know why your bunt defense is set a certain way or why your hitting drills develop power. Coaches can answer these questions by using numerous forms of communication. Communication methods have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade as the world of technology has exploded. Coaches must embrace these new forms of communication and educate themselves on the benefits of varying methods. Coaches can communicate in more ways than ever with today's players.

When communicating with today's player, we must quickly grab their attention. Within the first four minutes, we must grab their heads or their hearts if we want to sustain interest. Being an effective communicator is nonnegotiable for coaches. To be a successful coach, you must be able to communicate! Excellent communication systems need to be in place with players, parents, support staff, media, boosters, administrators, and others. In the sport of softball, if you cannot catch and throw, you cannot play (and win!) the game. In coaching, if you cannot communicate, you won't be able to develop a successful career and sustain a championship culture.

When talking about the importance of communicating with players, one of my favorite lines is this: “Have you ever heard of one problem because of overcommunication?” In trying to get the point across that it's usually the lack of communication that causes problems, the question makes players realize an important fact. We cannot have too much information or overcommunicate. In today's world, many forms of communication are available to ensure that our messages are sent and received. With all the methods available, coaches need to set guidelines. For example, is it acceptable to text a coach about being absent from practice? Or do you expect a phone call? Be clear about what forms of communication players should use in various situations so that everyone is on the same page.

So How Do I Reach You?

The team meeting before and after practice used to be the only way to reach all players at once. Everyone had to be in the same place, at the same time. Today, we can mass text, mass e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, put information on our websites, or make a phone call. The ease and convenience of these communication methods has certainly helped us keep in touch with players and get information out quickly. One positive for coaches is that we should never hear “I didn't get the message” because most players have smartphones and have access to all the previously mentioned forms of communication on one device.

Today's players want to upload their thoughts. They want to express themselves, learn through dialogue, participate fully in the process, and work toward the achievement of outcomes. They are constantly connected.

Because they are constantly connected and available through technology, face-to-face communication is used less and less. Interpersonal communication can be a challenge for today's players. Simply sending a teacher or professor an e-mail or sending a coach a text may not be appropriate for a serious situation. Body language, eye contact, and engaging in conversation are becoming unused communication skills. If today's player can master face-to-face communication skills, they will separate themselves from the masses when competing for a job and when competing for wins on the softball diamond. After all, technology isn't found on the field! Players must use nontechnological forms of communication to be successful on game day.

One way that we attempt to enhance face-to-face communication with our team is by putting all cell phones in the front of the bus on road trips. If our players want to communicate, they must communicate with team members or coaches without using a cell phone. If we didn't do this, the majority of our team would live on their phones the entire trip and miss an opportunity to converse or share ideas and stories with their teammates.

So how do coaches communicate and relate to today's player in this ever-changing world? Coaches need to teach and mentor constantly (they want immediate feedback) and consistently (we need to build trust). Remember that “telling and yelling are not selling anymore.” If you are always a drill sergeant, they will tune you out. For today's player to listen, you must motivate and direct, remembering that how you say something is as important as what you say. Bottom line, you must be a teacher, not a teller.

In terms of communicating with today's player, research shows that leadership models are moving away from an autocratic model and toward a team or whole model. This model represents teamwork and group decision making while still having someone (a coach) in charge.

Because players are excellent collaborators today, effective communication models should include team input while still having a leader take charge. At Louisville, we have found success with a team leadership model called the leadership team. Each year, our team has a few seniors, juniors, and possibly a sophomore who meet once per week for leadership training and provide a leadership avenue for our program.