WYC 157 – Youth Baseball – Peter Caliendo – Developing the Habit of Hustle

Pete Caliendo has lead clinics for Major League Baseball International, USA Baseball and many other baseball organizations in various Latin American and European countries, and throughout the United States.

Pete has lectured on baseball all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America, has written articles for various publications and an international coaches book. Has a set of 5 baseball instructional DVD’s developed specifically for the volunteer coach to help them organize, teach and have fun throughout their practice and games.

Websites: caliendosportsinternational.com; baseballmadeeasy.net, baseballoutsidethebox.com, isgbaseball.com

Twitter: @BetterBaseball

Facebook: /peter.caliendo.779

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Show Notes - WYC 157 – Peter Caliendo

Cringe Moments

Trying to repeat a process over and over again - each individual is unique and sometimes you're best to just work with what works for each individual. Keep an open mind when working with athletes.

Teaching skills

Don't just practice 'normal' situations - practice reacting after a mistake is made (a groundball is dropped, then react to how recover)

Achieving Peak performance mentally

Kids need to fail, earlier better than later. Ask them 'what did you learn?'

Let the kids make decisions, let them learn, don't use them as robots.

Team Culture

It starts with respect for the game. Respect your equipment, your opponents, the umpires. Clean your dugouts.

Character - are you happy when your teammates do well? How do you treat your teammates, the coaches, ets.

Captains/Leaders

They are servants and need to model behaviors

Discipline

It's all about communication - if a player isn't hustling, ask them 'are you tired?' If they say no, tell them it looks like they're tired because they're not running hard. Maybe tell them you're going to sit them out of the next few plays because they look tired, and they need to come tell you when they are ready to run hard again.

Practice hustle. It's a habit, not inborn. For warm-ups in practice, have them run to their position on the field. Then blow a whistle and have them run back to you. (hidden conditioning)

Connecting with and impacting kids

It's cool when players you coach start implementing things you taught them

The one that got away

Tell kids what to do, not what not to do.

Best borrowed/stolen idea

Don't just copycat other coaches' ideas. Learn, but make it your own.

Favorite books:

Ken Ravizza - Heads-Up Baseball 2.0: 5 Skills for Competing One Pitch at a Time

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Podcast - Krush Performance by Jeff Krushell

Podcast - ABCA

Parting Advice

Create the most fun you can in practice. Make it unique and not too repetitive/boring.