Coach J Powell 3

The 10 Truths Parents Rarely See 1. Coaches lose sleep. 2. Decisions aren’t personal. 3. Playing time is complex. 4. Culture matters more than stats. 5. Accountability is care. 6. Coaches invest emotionally. 7. Development isn’t instant. 8. Hard feedback is intentional. 9. Wins don’t tell the whole story. 10. Coaches remember kids forever. Perspective matters.

For the parents and coaches of baseball and softball players, this is for you and them… Players: Until the day comes when you are perfect, never make an error, never strike out, never walk a batter, never make a mental error and are on point with your preparation, you shouldn’t even be talking about your teammates mistakes, the umpires “bad calls” or how you think your coaches are bad. Your mental weakness is showing you aren’t ready and to be brutally honest, you’re showing that you’re not as good as you think you are. I was you. I was the reason for my inconsistent performance. I was holding myself back with excuses and blaming. But the moment I realized what I was doing to myself and my team, it all changed. Fix your attitude. Fix your mindset. Become accountable and get mentally tougher. Adults (parents and coaches), stop participating in these conversations, stop instigating them and STOP allowing them.

Kids don't realize they can get scholarships off of this. But it's not cool enough to play this way.

Pitchers: You’ve chosen to play the most mentally demanding position on the field. Not only do you have to deal with your own mistakes, failures and errors (and be able to move on within seconds), you have to manage your emotions after your teammates errors, umpires missed calls, the weather, poor pitching mound conditions and even sometimes pitching to a catcher who is struggling receiving the ball while maintaining mental clarity and focus on throwing the next pitch. It’s all part of the gig. You’ll never be able to get away from these things. Your weakness is complaining and blaming these things for your performance while your strength can be how you handle all of it with grace allowing you to be present in the moment and competitive with each pitch. No one is saying this is easy but understanding what comes with it will help you to better evaluate and prepare for your next opportunity.

College coach told me this week: “We’re looking for mid-80s arms that throw strikes and can land a secondary.” Because our 90+ guys can’t find the zone… it’s a walk-a-thon. At every level—you can’t defend a walk. Thoughts?

Strikeouts. I have this conversation with coaches and hitters, a ton. When you’re wondering why strikeouts are happening or high. Question: Why are you getting to two strikes? Are you taking too many pitches or missing too many pitches? Start there first. (Usually everyone only focuses on what happens with two strikes. How did you get there?)

1991 Chicago Bulls lifting on game day 😤 Back when most thought it was crazy. The Bulls knew better: morning weights kept them strong, physical, and fresh through the long season + playoffs. MJ & Scottie didn’t skip it. Neither should you. In-season lifting = non-negotiable

I’ll never understand the struggling sophomore or junior that won’t take JV at bats. You should be begging for those AB’s anywhere you can get them.

Athletes: This is the real reason you get subbed out. One of the best ways to be a mentally strong athlete is to learn how to own your body language—regardless of external circumstances, opposition, or adversity. Be the athlete whose body language never wavers.

You want to work on bat path and bat speed? Try the “Ball Drop Drill”. #drills #baseball #michigan #practice #recruitment

The best hitters I’ve worked with know how to reset before each pitch. Comment “3” for my ‘3 Step Checklist to Master The Time Between Pitches’ 📈 Not before each at bat, or game. Each pitch. Not just mechanically, mentally, too. You can’t hit with a crowded head. Let the last pitch or at-bat go. One pitch at a time. One slow breath at a time. One simple thought at time. ——— Now, go win. ——— Save this for when you need it. Send this to someone who lets the game speed them up. ——— Comment “3” for my ‘3 Step Checklist to Master The Time Between Pitches’ 📈

This is what it looks like when ‘teammate’ means something beyond your own locker room. Kent State football showing up in full pads to support softball. Culture isn’t a slogan. It’s showing up.

Hitters Fight your ass off with 2 strikes. Spread out, choke up, take the plate away and refuse to strikeout. It's you vs the man on the mound. Don't let him beat you. It's personal. It's a competition. Remember. The only time it's acceptable to strikeout looking is with a full count on an expanded strike call. Shrink the zone and don't expand in full counts. Expand the zone with 2 strikes until the count goes full. Then shrink the zone.

Common theme of all the best HS hitters I’m seeing is they attack the first pitch almost every AB & get their best swing off on that 0-0 count. If they swing thru it… they dont care. If your coach is telling you to be patient & take the 1st pitch most AB’s… u need a new coach!

THE NUMBERS ARE BLACK AND WHITE : From 6 feet - 25 feet players shoot ~ the same FG%. This is true from Varsity level HS to the NBA. Aside from EOC/EOG situations, there is no reason to shoot mid range shots, for MOST players. You can't sustainably win basketball games unless your EFG% is > than your opponents EFG%. 'Your culture is the sum of what you emphasize and what you tolerate.' SHOT QUALITY IS IN OUR CONTROL. 👇🏼 - 3PA vs Mid range effiency pie chart (NBA) - PPP in the NBA - PPP in HS @FastModel @TDataScience

I'm back!

The best high school coaches aren’t afraid to: - Bench their top scorer for a lazy defensive possession. - Praise the kid who only plays 5 minutes but talks all game on defense. - Push their entire team to become better, even when it’s uncomfortable. Standards > Stats.

Hitting is the most difficult thing to do in sports: People forget that sometimes. You know what makes way hitters worse at something that’s already incredibly difficult to do? Fear based coaching. Tense. Stiff. Anxious. Reactive. “If you strike out looking, you’re on the bench.” “You don’t want it enough” Brutal approach. What kind of message is that sending to a hitter. Here’s a better option. Create calmness and conviction in your hitters. Let them know that it is impossible to cover all 9 squares of this zone. But whatever zone within the strike zone or area you are hunting, be 100% all in on that zone. Communicate with your hitters. “What’s your plan here?” Ok win there. Relentlessly hunt it. Convicted hitters win. Tense, reactive hitters lose, & don’t enjoy playing either because they are operating out of a fear, scarcity mindset. Instead of a mindset that creates, calmness, conviction, & consistency. There’s just simply a better way. Than just “compete” Relentlessly hunt your plan. Reassess on the back end. Repeat this process, every round, every game at bat. This is hitting. This is effective coaching. This is elite communication. It’s a lot calmer, less emotional, simple, & much more effective… Food for thought 💭

After watching a week of college basketball the main thing I’ve noticed: Combo moves in a training session are a waste of time. 3pt/ reads / straight line drives / finishing with either hand should be the recipe for success.