WYC 103 – Youth Baseball & Softball – Marshall Lehr talks playing to win vs. playing not to lose

Marshall Lehr is a baseball and softball coach in Texas. He is the father of 4 and has coached many of their teams growing up. He is a passionate believer in the power of sports, and specifically baseball and softball. He is also a great student of the game, having recently gone through John O'Sullivan's Coaching Mastery course. Website & Blog: marshalllehr.com Twitter: @MarshallLehr Facebook: /marshall.lehr - Listen Now: Listen on iTunes: iTunes link Listen on Stitcher: Stitcher link Listen on Google Play Music: Google Play link - Quote 'The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place' - George Bernard Shaw Coaching your own kids Make decisions based on results more than potential (it is easy to see the potential in your own kids, but the results need to be the criteria used) Cringe Moment Marshall had two moms complaining to the ref and instead of diffusing the situation he got in an argument with them. Diffuse situations with the phrase 'I can see why you think that' Teaching Skills 'The ability to learn faster than your opponent may be your only true competitive advantage' Make everything competitive to raise the energy level - You can buy one of those little scoreboard flip charts Game - Pull out a stop watch and see how quick the girls can get fly ball into cutoff Championship Culture  A healthy learning environment is one where kids are playing free and aren't afraid to make mistakes Keep one error one error. Book: Top Dog - Penalty kicks: Kicking not to lose: 63% Kicking to win: 93% Rewards They had toy WWE belt they gave to best defensive player - and would use Discount Double-check motion during games to lighten the mood and excite each other First out after an error is huge - so after games they would recognize who made the play to get the first out after an error Connecting with and Impacting Kids Marshall sends notes in the mail to his kids - there is a service where you can print pictures off Facebook in a card format. Reinforce with kids their importance is not dependent on their sports performance The One that got away Marshall got a 2nd & 3rd chance - He had a kid struggling with pitching and took himself out of the game. The first time he let the kid leave the game. 6 months later the kid wanted to take himself out, Marshall asked the kid to get him 1 out. The kid still struggled. Then 6 months later he asked the kid to get him 1 out and he worked out of a bases-loaded no outs situation without giving up any runs. Best borrowed/stolen idea The decision is part of the skill - learned from Mark Upton Compete and measure it! Favorite coaching book/quote Quote/Book: 'We went out looking for exceptional kids and what we found is exceptional conditions' - Benjamin Bloom in Developing Talent in Young People. Be the coach to develop exceptional athletes and people. Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck Parting Advice You can't teach everyone the same way Have a preseason meeting with your parents to set expectations. 'The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place' - George Bernard Shaw -  Today's Sponsors I Youth Football helps coaches, organizations, or parents teach football skills to kids ages 3-11.  Not only does I Youth Football guarantee your players increase their skills, they will give you individualized pricing based on your situation. So if you are a coach or want your local organization to run I Youth Football in your area, visit them at www.iyouthfootball.com and reach out. It’s simple to set up, and a nice way to earn a little side money while helping kids learn the game of football. To get $100 off the program be sure to use this coupon code: winning -- Reviews are the lifeblood of the podcast!- If you like the podcast- please take 2 minutes to write a...