The Duel Between Batter and Pitcher …does any sports experience better prepare a child for life?

Full count. Two outs. Bottom of the last inning. Tying run on third, winning run on second.  Winning or losing the game sits squarely on the shoulders of the 10-year-old pitcher and 11-year-old batter.  How do they handle that moment? Or more importantly, how do they handle the result?

The core element of softball and baseball is the competition between pitcher and batter.  This is unique in team sports, where the actions of a single player have such an impact the game.

The Bright Hot Spotlight

Other team sports involve many players coordinating together, often following the direction and decision making of their coach. When an individual makes a mistake in these ‘safer’ environments it is much easier to minimize personal responsibility or to rationalize that a poor result was because of ‘somebody else’. This is not the case in the environment of pitcher versus batter. As a pitcher, it is you who yielded the hit, issued the walk, or induce the out.  As a batter, it is you who made the out or got the hit.

Working through the pressure of the showdown between pitcher and batter prepares our children for the more serious pressures waiting for them over the horizon in the real world. It can be argued that no sports experience better prepares a child for life than the duel between pitcher and batter.

In baseball and softball, all eyes are on these two players. Their successes and failures are seen by everyone watching. Furthermore, these two individuals are aware that everyone is watching. There is nowhere to pass the blame when things do not work out, while a glorious accomplishment is short lived and must soon be earned again.

Through the ups and downs of the pitcher-batter match-up, kids learn that much of what happens to them is a direct result of their preparation and actions. The fact that one must move on following the ‘failed’ outcome of the moment is learned while on the pitching rubber or standing in the batter’s box.

Personal Responsibility and Forces Beyond Our Control

Learning that one must accept responsibility for outcomes, within the context of a child’s game, plays a significant role in kids developing a keen sense that they play the greatest role in how their life unfolds. On the other hand, our young players come to recognize there are instances where outcomes are out of their control.

In baseball and softball, as in life, an outside entity over which one may have little control, can adversely impact their efforts. A defensive player robs a batter of a hit or commits an error resulting in the pitcher having to face additional batters. There is the bad call made by the (volunteer) home plate umpire that leads to an ‘unjustified’ walk or strike out. 

These are golden opportunities for us to teach our kids they have the option of making excuses and blaming others, or to recognize that life is not always fair.  To succeed requires a person to work past what feels like an injustice. The immediate lesson is there are no asterisks in a box score stating, ‘It was someone else’s fault’.  Recognizing that a person must continue to push forward despite adverse circumstances is an invaluable lesson to learn as a child.

Stronger When the Stakes Are Higher

As parents, we want to see our children experience the joys of succeeding in their sports endeavors. But we know the events of an athletic competition, and in life, do not always go the way we hope.  The ‘failures’ our children experience are opportunities to open their eyes to the reality that setbacks are commonplace in life. 

These moments give us a chance to explain to them that long-term success is not predicated on what just happened, but how a person responds.  Teaching them to look forward to the next opportunity, rather than dwelling on the setback, helps them build the mental toughness needed to work through the inevitable ups and downs of life.

The lessons learned during the duel between pitcher and batter, within the safe confines of a youth softball or baseball game, strengthens our sons and daughters for the bigger challenges that lie ahead when the stakes are higher.

Share Your Experiences and Insights

We all have something we can contribute that others can benefit from. Please share your experiences. What was that moment, as a kid playing sports, that you learned it wasn’t always going to be ‘fair’ and made up your mind to take adversity head on? What was that moment of disappointment your child experienced, where you talked with them and saw a breakthrough in their recognition that setbacks are part of sports; what did you tell them? Coaches, share an example of a talk you have with your players to help them work through tough times.

Check Out the Coaching Guide