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Jason RyalsFounder and Director of Development
Specialty: Pitching and Hitting Awards: 3 Draft Picks, 32 NCAA Players Coaching: 8 years |
Coaching Philosophy
To me talent is nothing more than an excuse for laziness. The most talented players use it as a reason not to work hard and the least talented use it to explain their lack of opportunities. Even coaches use it to justify their lack of winning that season. I believe “talent” is mistaken for enhanced athletic ability, at that time of age over their competition. This is why “talent” can be caught and passed easily. Talent does not mean skill. The mindset of a player and approach to his/her growth is was eventually separates themselves from others.
According to the book “The Talent Code” the definition of “talent” is simply stated by doing the right thing at the right time. This definition is how I look at talent and my responsibility as a coach. Training players to do the right thing at the right time with the limitation their body gives them. Athletic ability allows players to compensate for not doing the right thing over others.
To do this takes and unrelenting thirst to solve the puzzle each player brings to their career. A never ending drive to research, discover, and experiment in pursuit to development the correct movement pattern for that player. By practicing with a purpose and using unbiased feedback and technology we use proven honest growth versus assumed growth to develop players. By others asking how is he doing that?
Here is an example.
Last year, 2016 Ryan Zimmerman was ranked 340th in the Major League Baseball for offensive production, which placed him on the table to be traded. By searching for the “Why” during the offseason, he discovered that his swing needed slight adjustment to eliminate the level of ground balls he produced. He needed to make contact 2 laces lower on the ball. Currently, at the time of this writing he is leading the league in offensive production with .410 avg. and 13 homeruns. Is this a case of him being more talented then everyone else or did he finally practice with a purpose and discover something he was missing?
To me talent is nothing more than an excuse for laziness. The most talented players use it as a reason not to work hard and the least talented use it to explain their lack of opportunities. Even coaches use it to justify their lack of winning that season. I believe “talent” is mistaken for enhanced athletic ability, at that time of age over their competition. This is why “talent” can be caught and passed easily. Talent does not mean skill. The mindset of a player and approach to his/her growth is was eventually separates themselves from others.
According to the book “The Talent Code” the definition of “talent” is simply stated by doing the right thing at the right time. This definition is how I look at talent and my responsibility as a coach. Training players to do the right thing at the right time with the limitation their body gives them. Athletic ability allows players to compensate for not doing the right thing over others.
To do this takes and unrelenting thirst to solve the puzzle each player brings to their career. A never ending drive to research, discover, and experiment in pursuit to development the correct movement pattern for that player. By practicing with a purpose and using unbiased feedback and technology we use proven honest growth versus assumed growth to develop players. By others asking how is he doing that?
Here is an example.
Last year, 2016 Ryan Zimmerman was ranked 340th in the Major League Baseball for offensive production, which placed him on the table to be traded. By searching for the “Why” during the offseason, he discovered that his swing needed slight adjustment to eliminate the level of ground balls he produced. He needed to make contact 2 laces lower on the ball. Currently, at the time of this writing he is leading the league in offensive production with .410 avg. and 13 homeruns. Is this a case of him being more talented then everyone else or did he finally practice with a purpose and discover something he was missing?
Published in Inside Pitch Magazine
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