Coaches are out recruiting all the time, they are at fields you would never expect them to be at and they are watching and they are taking notes crossing kids off and adding kids to their list.  Why am I telling you this?  so you will play hard all the time.  I have found myself watching baseball games and a kid will hit a routine fly ball to center and the ball will be caught before he gets to first base, and just to top it off after the catch is made he will yell out an obscenity.  I simply put a line through that kids name and move on.  Obscenity or not he gets a mark against his name for being a player who doesn’t go hard all the time, the obscenity just makes it official that the kid won’t be able to handle adversity in the long run. 

Coaches how can we help make sure kids are hustling all the time and playing the game the right way?  Set up some rules.

Rule 1: Every player must make it to first base under 5 seconds (use a stop watch).  Time each player as they run in the game. 

Rule 2: Stick to your rules as a coach.  If you pull the right fielder for a lack of hustle you must pull the shortstop too.  Your best players cannot get special treatment or your team will stop listening all together.

Rule 3: Lack of hustle results in extra sprints in practice.  “10 sprints for every time the player does not hustle on top from immediately getting pulled from the game.  Sooner or later the player will realize it is simply easier to run hard the one time to first base.

Rule 4: This one is for the kids. Take accountability for your actions.  If you get pulled from a game for a lack of hustle or acting like a baby, do not blame the coach and quit.  If you do this it just reaffirms you are a baby, take it in stride, apologize to your team, then your coaches, and never let it happen again. 

Rule 5: Play the game for your team, not the scouts.  If you play hard and do the right things, meaning executing bunts, moving runners overs, putting the ball in play with two strikes, hustle on and off the field, people will notice.  If scouts have you on their list and watch you play and you do these small things they will come back, even if you didn’t get a hit or make a great play.  Simply play the game the right way and hustle.