04/20/2026
Don't hate him for the conditioning at the end of a long, hot practice. He's not punishing you; he's forging the mental toughness you'll need in the bottom of the ninth.
Don't hate him for making you run for a lazy throw or a mental error. He's teaching you the painful, necessary lesson that focus is a choice, and every detail matters.
Don't hate him for demanding you sprint out every single groundball, even in a blowout. He's teaching you that your effort is the one thing no one can ever take from you.
Don't hate him for benching you after you threw your helmet. He's teaching you that your character will always be more valuable than your talent, and that the team is bigger than your frustration.
Don't hate him for getting in your face when you disrespect an umpire. He's teaching you that true competitors respect the game, even when they disagree with it.
And parents, don't hate him for being hard on your son.
That coach doesn't see the 12-year-old player you see today. He sees the 25-year-old man your son has the potential to become. He sees a future employee, a future husband, a future father.
And he's not coaching the kid. He's coaching the man.