All of Them Once Had a Dream….

…half of those dreams are crushed. I stood with one of our Certified Instructors recently and watched the most talented group of kids we have seen at one gathering.

These were strong, incredibly athletic kids.
We were anxious to see them pitch. They were “talented” but many of them were not “good”. Their bodies were contorted, gloves were flying, back legs stuck to the ground, and many looked like bowlers. Obviously they had paid someone for lessons, practiced like crazy, played great competition, taken advice from the internet, gone to big clinics, but dreams that were once so big were slowly evaporating. As we worked with them, some were so defeated that they could not make the simplest adjustments.
One of the girls admitted that she had been convinced by her instructor that she was deficient in some way. I wanted to hug her but, more than that, I wanted an opportunity to develop this kid. She is “all that” and more. She could take a D1 college program to new heights. Someone who was supposed to be developing her has fallen far short of the mark, then reversed it to make her believe that she was the problem.
I will be the first to admit that instructors are limited by the skills, talent, insights, determination, and intelligence a kid brings to the lesson. However, you must realize that a kid is limited by skills, insights, determination, and dedication of the instructor. If either person already feels good enough, the other is also dragged down in the process.