(By John Shomby) One of the key concepts for any manager is finding ways to encourage, and experience, growth and possibility. The one-time hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso contains example after example of this. (Sidebar – I cannot wait for season 4!)
One of my most satisfying experiences in “management” came from outside of my profession and with a group of 13-year-old Babe Ruth League rookies. I had been coaching young athletes, off and on, for several years and one of the things I always tried to do was de-emphasize winning in favor of learning, growing, and having fun.
These youngsters had just moved from Little League to the Babe Ruth division. Suddenly, the basepaths were longer, the pitches were a little harder and the fields a little bigger. For them, it was a very big adjustment, along with the fact that they were all starting to become teenagers!! A double whammy for them and for the coaching staff!
As the coaches and I planned for the season, we decided to experiment with something a little out of the ordinary. Every player would play a different position and bat in a different place in the order each game. At their age, we knew that these young men were still learning the game and shouldn’t be earmarked for any position at their age and level of experience. We wanted to allow them to see the whole game from every position.
The kids were curious but the parents, for the most part, were not happy. They wanted winning over anything. A very important thing happened: the coaches and I represented a united front, so the resistance was minimal at best, especially as we grew as a team.
The season was interesting. The first couple of games were tough and were fairly lopsided losses. You could see the players, and the parents, starting to have their doubts. The coaches and I maintained our enthusiasm about the plan and, then it happened, we won our first game… and then our second… and eventually our league championship!!
We got there using the concept we, as a coaching staff, had developed and believed in from the beginning. During the season, we would see players, experienced at a particular position, helping other players who were scheduled to play that position in the next game. The kids were learning, and they were growing as individuals, learning the full scope of the game AND developing a definite camaraderie with their teammates.
The teamwork from these players even amazed me and the coaches. At the end of the season, a good number of the players – and parents – thanked us for making the season so much fun and such a great learning experience. Sidebar – several players went on in their high school years to win all-state honors at the positions they finally became comfortable with during our season.
Possibility! Growth! Teamwork! Four key concepts in building a positive culture. Who knows? You may add a win or two along the way.
Based in Nashville, TN, John Shomby is the owner and CEO of Country’s Radio Coach. He is focused on coaching and mentoring artists, radio programmers, and on-air talent to help them grow and develop inside the radio station and the industry. Reach John at [email protected] and 757-323-1460. Read John’s Radio Ink archives here.
