What coaching softball and pictionary have in common

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What Coaching Softball and Pictionary Have in Common

Anyone who has played Pictionary, Charades or other games where oneperson gives clues to others knows how frustrating it can be. (Particularlyif your partner is your significant other, but that's a story for another day

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You draw what you think is an accurate and brilliant representation of theconcept you're trying to get across. And then all you get are blank staresand confused looks from your partners.













As time ticks away you frantically gesture and point at your drawing,which elicits no more recognition from your partners than it did originally.Finally the buzzer sounds and you're spent, with nothing to show for yourefforts.













That's the experience fastpitch softball coaches often have when workingwith their players. You explain a concept the way you always have, in away that makes perfect sense to you and that has worked before. Yet it'smet with blank stares, and more importantly it doesn't make the changeyou want to make in the player.













This is one of the great challenges in coaching. Because it doesn't matterhow much you know, only how much you can convey to your players. As acoach you always need to be looking for the cues that a player isunderstanding what you want.













You can also directly ask, although the odds are they'll say yes whetherthey get it or not. Either way, if you can see what you're saying is notgetting through, it's up to you to find a new way to say it.













Sometimes it helps to come up with an analogy to explain a concept. Ionce explained the release of a changeup by saying you're going to take alittle red wagon, drag it forward and send it down to your catcher.Other times you need to show them, either by doing it yourself orshowing a video of someone doing it the way you want.













Sometimes shooting video of the player herself will show her what she'sdoing; if you have software or an app you can draw on it can helpillustrate the point more clearly.













It may take some trial and error before you hit on the winning formula. The key thing is saying the same things over and over, and getting more frantic about it, isn't going to work.













Whether you're playing Pictionary or coaching, if something you're doing isn't working, find another way to show it. Everyone will be happier in the long run, and you'll all have more success.









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What coaching softball and pictionary have in common