This team got accused of Cheating.
28/100. An unbelievable story.
They Got Accused of Cheating
This is pretty wild to write out, but I believe it's an important read for people within the youth game who are trying everything they can to get their players and themselves better.
In the youth game, improvement is able to be made at a much faster rate than any other point. The skill part of the game is so new that players can pick things up at a faster rate because the beginner learning curve is steeper than at any other point.
As part of our services, we offer coaching education and consulting to youth coaches and teams. This team was a 10 year old Little League team that was being run by a bunch of parents that really had no coaching experience. They volunteered because the league needed someone, and they tried their best.
They went on to lose their first 3 games, and reached out to me for help. I spoke with him over the phone for about 45 minutes, and explained to him our approach to skill acquisition and how he needs to organize things as head coach in order to maximize his players abilities.
We talked about maximizing practice time, and our principles of compounded improvements, mainly how with 1 practice a week it's hard to really get players better. However, if you take advantage of the take home work we provide you can 2-3x the amount of improvement time you get. Taking the 1 hour practice, and adding 2-3 sessions at home you can literally get your players 4x more work than a normal practice.
At the youth level, this means everything. Players and parents are hungry for improvement and simply going above and beyond in the smallest way makes a world of difference.
They went on to lose their next game after our consultation, but what happened next is a testament to what happens when you do the right things.
They finally got one. But it wasn’t even close to being over then…
They went on a run.
They ended up winning their next 6 games before the playoffs, and made it to the championship.
Since retiring form playing pro baseball, Proformance Newsletter is what I do. Join me as we really change Youth Sports for the better. To get every post and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
They did so well in fact, that a group of parents started a rumor that they rigged the draft. Claiming that the lower drafted players on the team “sandbagged” on skills day.
Funny to say considering the 0-4 start… (where they were outscored 25-8)
There are tons of players that are 8,9,10 or even a little older that can completely change who they are as a player in a matter of a few weeks. People put labels on 10 year olds, and it’s sad.
Don’t be the kind of person who thinks an 8 year olds talent is set in stone. Just do everything you can for the kid and see what happens.
Unfortunately, the great run ended in the championship.
They lost 8-6 to a great team.
But this shouldn't take away from what they accomplished.
This isn’t possible without a few things: a team that works hard, a coach who cares, and parents who support their kids. If you have those three, you can really accomplish anything.
I mean this so sincerely, watching youth players improve their games and seeing their whole attitude and self esteem change is one of the best things in the world.
Truly addicting.
Our service has been awesome, and it's been a great time connecting with coaches and parents that go above and beyond to help their kids. It truly is what the game is all about.
We offer consulting, practice plans (that literally got these people called cheaters lol), coaching education and much more to all of our paid subscribers at no extra charge. We also offer these services to everyone on a “a la carte” basis, with waiting priority to our subscribers.
I can’t wait to see who is next.
Below is the sign up link
John