The silence at the ballpark can be deafening! I know it is hard to imagine it being silent at a softball game, but when you are listening for the right things you end up hearing nothing!
How can that be true?
Cheerleading is a constant phenomenon at almost every game at almost every level. There is so much noise that you can sometimes barely her yourself think.
Sadly, noise does not equal communication. Cheerleading shows spirit, but it doesn’t do anything to prepare a player to play well. Fastpitch softball has created an illusion where players think that being “hyped” is a way to elevate their play.
In reality, that illusion might be hiding a real problem that can be easily solved.
Communication is the key to playing this game at the highest level. When players communicate, they create a unity that combines their talents into a true team effort. When defensive players communicate well, they change our game from a sport where it is hitter versus each individual player to one where it’s all nine defensive players against the hitter. Much better odds for our team, no doubt!
What I have created is the Communication Pyramid. Picture an inverted pyramid where the point is at the base and the widest part of the pyramid is at the top. At the base of the pyramid is the lowest level of communication and as you move up the pyramid we get to higher and higher levels of team communication.
Level one of the Communication Pyramid is a simple one to describe.
Pre-School Level – Silence!
More to come in the next segment of this series on The Communication Pyramid!
