Two very interesting stories caught my attention. When it comes to sports and athletes, we often think about physical talent and skills. However, “intelligence” and awareness are important at all levels also.
First the positive story: the Yankees 1 run victory last night can be attributed to smart baserunning and good coaching and alertness (NYTimes). First-base coach Mick Kelleher noticed the positioning of the Astros 2nd baseman in the 6th inning with 1 out and runners on 1st and 3rd. He simply reminded the runner on 1st, Lyle Overbay to not be tagged by the 2nd baseman if there is a ground ball to him. By avoiding the quick tag and then a double play, the runner on the 3rd base managed to score what turned out to be the winning run. Interestingly, during that play, an incredible number of different events could have occurred. By being prepared and aware of the entire situation, the Yankees turned this into the difference of the game.
The other story that is interesting to think about is the alleged issue as to why Geno Smith ended up not being drafted until the 2nd round of the NFL draft. It is being reported by Yahoo Sports that NFL executives were unimpressed with his actions during predraft meetings. Instead of interacting with the teams and learning from the coaches, he was busy texting and fiddling with his cell phone. While many of us have seen people do this and sometimes attribute it to a sign of maturity or lack of appropriate social skills, the NFL executives also looked at this behavior in a negative light. Could he be a leader? Is he willing to learn? These are critical issues for all athletes and people in general. Shouldn’t we all be trying to learn and improve ourselves?
As parents and coaches, it is our responsibility to “teach” the players and help them develop beyond just the physical skills.
