Incentives Matter: Why Forced Instruction Kills Development
I get asked about instruction and select teams often. Such as things to look for, cost, and necessity. This is an incredibly loaded question but the one thing I explain each time is the following:
If an organization requires your child to do lessons with them as a part of their structure or if it is built into the fees…run away and don’t look back.
This will be controversial, however, it is the truth.
THE PROBLEM
If your team is requiring your kid to work with specific people, they have ultimately removed the incentive to get your kid better. Incentives are everything and when it is gone, everything breaks down.
For example, there are organizations that build private instruction into their team fees. The instructor will probably attempt to get his players better but as soon as he hits the inevitable wall with a kid, he doesn’t have the incentive to grind it out. He will be less apt to figure out a solution since he is having tryouts in July anyway. He knows that this kid will be replaced by someone grabbed out of the tryouts and his lesson schedule will remain booked.
He doesn’t lose any money for a poor job. The system keeps him afloat, not his production.
If an instructor builds his clientele without guarantees, then the incentives are built in. After all, if this instructor doesn’t get his clients better, they move on to someone that will. This is the environment you need for your kid. It forces the effort and it is the free market at work.
I am not saying there aren’t good instructors in the former structure. There are. But most people will choose the path of least resistance when offered, and many will put a ball on a tee and give some flips with generic coaching to pass the time until they can replace your kid once he or she becomes effort intense.
Find someone that prioritizes getting your kid better and not necessarily to help his team or organization. Most kids play with many teams by the time they graduate high school, so do not allow the success of your kid be determined by people he may not even play for next season.
There is a strong chance they won’t have a vested interest in your child anymore as it doesn’t align with their team goals.
THE SOLUTION
When choosing an instructor, you need to pay attention to what this person says after the first lesson. Contrary to normal thought, this is more important than what is said during the initial lesson.
The single most important thing you need to hear as a parent or player, is if this coach has a road map for your development. The entire point of an initial lesson is to gauge where the player is developmentally and what will need to be done in order for the player to achieve their goals.
So of course, the first question from the instructor needs to be "what are your goals?"
Some will say to play in the MLB.
A few will say to make their high school team.
A few will even struggle with this question as they have never been asked this and haven’t thought about it.
Regardless of the answer, the instructor needs to take it seriously and start the process of being this player’s guide. Their mentor. Their relief when this game inevitably gets tough.
Next, this instructor needs to map out the expectations and work necessary for this journey. The player and parents need to walk away with a clear picture of what to expect.
The instructor will need to be brutally honest about what the player does well and not so well.
The equation to getting better is to have a knowledgeable coach with the incentive to teach, guide, and mentor a hungry player that has a clear picture of the objectives and path that leads to his or her success.
That is the sauce.
A knowledgeable and seasoned instructor will not get your kid better if they aren’t incentivized to do so or if they don’t understand the proper path. Conversely, someone that understands the path may not be ideal if they aren’t knowledgeable.
It takes all of the ingredients to give the best chance at success.
KEY TAKEAWAY
I am not putting this out there to bash anyone. If one person reads this and starts to truly think about how to put their kid in the best hands that will help them, then it was worth it.
Oftentimes, that person coaches a team or is heavily involved in an organization. I personally know some of them and they are awesome at developing kids.
However, I have rarely seen a quality instructor that forces the kids on his or her team to work with them. If they are truly great, there isn't a need for force.
“People will come Ray, they will most definitely come.”
And that is the truth. People will come from all over for an instructor worth their salt. You just need to find that instructor. Hopefully the words above can help guide the development of the most important person in your life. Your child.