Become Good at Something(s)

[Doug Romrell]

A parent admonishing a minor child to strive to be good at something does not necessarily mean the parent is picking and choosing what the child should pursue. Nor does it mean the parent is pushing for perfection in the child. Striving to be "good" at something(s) isn't really the same thing as striving to be "perfect." Admonishing someone to work to be "good" at something isn't demanding that they be perfect at it.

Further...

"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." --Harriet Braiker


P.S. It wasn't me who pushed my daughter to play softball. In fact, when she first asked me to help her, I refused, thinking she was too old to start (14 at the time). However, after continual prodding by my wife and daughter, I started helping her. Has her interest waned a little? Sure, but she still chooses to play and often asks me to hit or pitch with her.

 

[Rocketech1]

I don't always agree with OILF, and I have publicly (here) taken her to task on some of those views. However, I am of the mind that if you are willing to publicly disagree, you should be just as quick to acknowledge agreement (it just seems fair). So some of those are mine, I think OILF truly does have the health and safety of her players in the forefront and often times she says things that the bucket dads don't want to hear. And for standing up to the staus quo I commend her.

China - you need to put OILF's comments in perspective. She use to post under the name "Screwball", go read some of those older posts (unless she deleted them like she does under her current user name). Her whole premise is she hates male coaches, dismisses the true students of the game like BM, Java, Rick Pauly, etc. These actual pitching coaches have helped countless numbers of kids maximize their potential. Just once I would like her to acknowledge their contribution to this game.

The reason I at times call OILF out is when she is giving bad advice that is viewed by hundreds of people on a regular basis and they may not know the difference between helpful advice and trolls who are looking to be a contrarian.

 

[riseball]

No doubt about it, OLIF is Screwball.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Further...

"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." --Harriet Braiker

Excellence is 100% subjective, perfection is not. While goals should be incremental, they don't have to be reachable to be useful. How is it less demoralizing to fail to reach a goal that isn't perfection? The goal is a tool, nothing more.

 

[riseball]

Excellence is 100% subjective, perfection is not. While goals should be incremental, they don't have to be reachable to be useful. How is it less demoralizing to fail to reach a goal that isn't perfection? The goal is a tool, nothing more.

That said, please provide your objective criteria for the perfect swing.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?...

 

[redhotcoach]

Become good at something(s)....

I just read a book last weekend similiar to this. VERY adult language, blunt and to the point. It only takes about an hour to read. I kind of enjoyed it. Plus it was free on Amazon kindle. It was called "The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying F__k About You!" Main themes (in the book's language): We are extremely small in context of the Universe. We are here for an extremely short time. In comparison to time and the Universe, the failures that we fear are nothing to the universe or anyone else, so....."Stop being a pu$$y and go do some epic $h|t!"

 

[chinamigarden]

Ii

China - you need to put OILF's comments in perspective. She use to post under the name "Screwball", go read some of those older posts (unless she deleted them like she does under her current user name). Her whole premise is she hates male coaches, dismisses the true students of the game like BM, Java, Rick Pauly, etc. These actual pitching coaches have helped countless numbers of kids maximize their potential. Just once I would like her to acknowledge their contribution to this game.

The reason I at times call OILF out is when she is giving bad advice that is viewed by hundreds of people on a regular basis and they may not know the difference between helpful advice and trolls who are looking to be a contrarian.

I know that she was screwball and I remember her posts. I know what she likes and her bent. But in my opinion that doesn't change the fact that off topic insults are not nice and have no place here. Edited to ad: any post that starts "I have nothing to add" and finishes with a shot at another poster here will get a similar response from me just about everytime. Whether I like or agree with the target.