“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller
Teamwork: As pitchers, when we find ourselves alone with our pitch-back or back-stop for the umpteenth time, it can be hard to remember our place on a team. We put in thousands of hours of practice outside team-centered activities. It is easy to get overwhelmed with our practice sessions and loose sight of what we are working toward.
Softball is an interesting sport in that it combines many layers of technical and mental ability. A good portion of team success is marked by many moments of individual success. These moments of individual success, like a great hit, a great catch, a strike out, etc. are cultivated by strong team dynamics. Healthy competition and unconditional support should be cornerstones of any great team. The really interesting thing is that although individuals may have extraordinary moments, those moments do not win the game. It is the stringing together of individual success, the linking together of positive attitudes, to create a collective experience in which all players are performing at their highest level. In order for a shortstop to turn a double play, she needs to know the second baseman is covering the bag behind her and that the first baseman is setting up in a proper location for her to throw the ball as hard and fast as she can. For a runner to be thrown out at home a centerfielder must know the first baseman will line her up, the catcher will be in proper position to block the ball and tag the runner, and her pitcher will back up the throw. Individuals performing at their highest level work together to create a competitive team. Sometimes this can mean winning. Sometimes it means that, although the game itself was not won, the team can gain confidence through the knowledge that all teammates and coaches were mentally present and working their hardest toward a common goal.
How can a pitcher, then, keep from becoming discouraged, lonely, or even elitist during her extra practice sessions? Set goals that include your individual wishes such as accuracy, MPH, learning a new pitch/spin. Every pitcher wants to progress to the next level. Setting difficult yet attainable goals is a great way to help you stay focused and intense during practice sessions. Remember that your individual goals reflect what you believe about your team and your relationship to your teammates. Why do you want to throw 55 MPH? Is it so you can rack up the K's in the scorebook and get into a good college? Or is it so you can offer your team the best chance at getting to the championship at the end of the season? Are you learning a new drop ball so you look good to college scouts? Or are you learning it to provide yourself with another tool to help your team get ground-ball outs? All of these goals are acceptable and admirable. There is no shame in wanting to look good for college scouts or wanting to have good stats in the book. It is important, however, to balance these individual goals by remembering that you, as a pitcher, are just one part of the team. Those stats don't exist in lessons. Your ERA is not just based on your performance. It is also based on your teammate's performance. To become an elite and effective pitcher an athlete must realize that she is nothing without her team. You carry your team with you in private sessions/lessons. Through the many hours of practice outside team activities a pitcher is preparing herself, individually, to be the best teammate she can be.
