Dealing with Youth

This year when the Oakland A’s throw out the first pitch, it will come from a starting rotation with a combined total of 63 major league starts. This comes from the same pitching staff that 5 years ago had the likes of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito all 20–game winners all peaking in their respected careers. I came across an article on MLB.com that discusses A’s pitching Coach Curt Young and how he is dealing with this young and inexperienced staff. Young makes many good points in the article when he speaks about stressing the fundamentals with his young pitchers, something that does not have to be stressed with veterans.

The Things I like most about the article is when Young talks about having a good mind-set and his syllabus for his pitchers that include off-field demeanor. He also must get the point across that they must establish a strength and conditioning regiment which will help in their development and early success.

As a coach it is extremely important to not only teach young athletes important skills related to their sport but also skills on life. Many of the skills Young talks about in the article are not only physical but are mental. Teaching does not stop once we step off the playing surface but rather it must continue because young athletes need guidance. Coaches cannot take athletes and expect them to know everything; we must guide them in the right direction. We don’t want to just develop good players in the time an athlete spends within a program but rather we want to develop great people that reflect a great program.

Here are some of Young’s great points he made in the article:

"The fundamental things. Making sure our mind-set is [that] we're going to be good because we do pound the strike zone. And once we do get control of the strike zone, then we can start putting the ball in specific areas. If you get guys thinking the right way, then they start performing the right way."

"We pass along things such as how to act around the clubhouse, how to act after a game where you pitched well and a game where it didn't go too well.”

“Less-experienced pitchers must understand that establishing a daily strength and conditioning regimen to "keep them going in the right direction" is just as important as their throwing routine.”