Star Wars was huge when I was in high school. The first three movies were must see and created a buzz that has endured now for over 40 years. Heading into the holidays we are anticipating the release of the “Rise of Skywalker” which will be the ninth movie and end the run of the original Star Wars theme.
But there have been several other movies and series that extend the Star Wars world in different directions. On Disney Plus there is a new series called The Mandelorian. This is a spin off of the original movies but creating a different twist.
Star Wars has added many terms and phrases to the our everyday way of speaking and The Mandelorian has already added their own.
“That is the Way,” is the mantra of the Madelorian warriors. They live by it, make their decisions based on it and use it as a way to measure the world around them. Which brings us back to where this fits into the game of fastpitch softball
We didn’t know it, but many softball coaches must be descendants of the Madalorian! They look at coaching from a very narrow point of view that revolves around the idea that they already know all they need to know. That’s the way we do things is their mantra and the kids who they coach are sometimes the collateral damage of their beliefs.
Great coaches continue to learn. Great coaches are willing to accept new ideas. Great coaches look for opportunities to become better coaches and know that they have a lot to learn.
Now that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to learn from The Mandelorian. Loyalty and determination are very honorable traits that all coaches should emulate. Just don’t confuse the good traits of the Mandalore with the idea that you don’t have anything to learn.
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
