Know Your Cliche's

Crash Davis got this one right.  "You're going to have to learn your cliche's.  You're going to have to study them.  You're going to have to know them.  They are your friends."

Especially if you're coaching.

In my day, "You've got to play them one day at a time." was King.  Makes sense: you can't play tomorrow's game today.  However, if you spend everything at once trying to win a single game and have nothing left for the next one, did you do your job as a coach.  The saying makes sense in a single elimination situation or when you really need a rivalry win. However, it's a sign of poor coaching to leave nothing for the next game.

Developing talent is another job.  One I hear often today is, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."  True on it's own, and designed to be an individual motivator.  Does hard work really equal talent?  If one can run home to first in under four seconds, how do you beat that?  Strike it out.  What if it has freakish hand eye and can hit 95 MPH pitching?  You call it a potential millionaire.  When all the freakish talent is in one place, it's called Major League Baseball.  Now the hard work makes a difference.  Same with mere mortals, too.

I use, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish."  Brought to my full attention by the Nike Human Chain ad four years ago, breathed life by The Hours' "Ali in the Jungle" (minus nasty words.)  As a coach, I am interested in your and our improvement.  I don't want to know what you used to do.  Comfortable players go nowhere.  I'm going to make you uncomfortable and you're going to be better for it.  Some coaches take joy in making you uncomfortable, and even look to belittle for it.  I want to encourage you through it.  If a player just makes the change and works through it quicker, the next level is now possible.  Length of the Little League season makes this kind of teaching difficult: when they get it, season's over.

Timeless, and often quoted out of context is "Winning isn't everything.  It's the only thing."  Vince Lombardi's favorite has been used to justify a "win at all cost" mentality.  The original quoting comes from Red Sanders, UCLA football coach in the 20's, and is centered on the definition of winning.  The scoreboard is one judge, and undeniable.  Winning and Losing are impostors.  You can win a game and not do anything right.  You can play perfectly and lose.

Winning is getting the best out of yourself on a given day, even when you don't feel well or the conditions are poor.  Winning is fighting bravely when you have nothing else going for you.  Winning is bringing Glory to the one who gave you the ability by getting the best out of what you have.

So...am I off base?