R.M.M.S.A.

Mission Statement

To develop a strong TEAM and strong TEAM-PLAYERS through positive attitude training, fundamentals training, coupled with error recognition and correction. We will provide the training necessary to play at a higher level, and ultimately build confidence and positive attitudes which will not only aid in securing a position on university teams, but will generate a lifetime of memories. The team practices the physical fundamentals required to play this game. This team's practices go well beyond that. There are other important factors which are frequently left out with other programs such as, knowledge of the game, competitive play, pride, self-respect, 'the 6-inch playing field', and learning to play softball 'ONE PITCH AT A TIME'.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME - is a constant mental battle. As such, it teaches many life-skills. Among them; 'Planning and preparation are critical to performance', 'Being aggressive does not mean being reckless', 'Make the best of your situation', 'Contribute to a TEAM effort', 'Learn how to RELY on your team-mates', and 'There is no "I" in TEAM'. This is NOT about individuals, it IS about working together as a unit. A big portion of this game which is too frequently overlooked, is the ownership of mistakes. Unless an error is admitted, it is difficult for the player to get over it, get on with it and correct the error. We teach this as a life-skill: Make your errors at 110%, recognize them, take ownership of them and work to correct them. That is what we should strive for in our personal lives as well.

COMPETITIVE PLAY - that is our goal. Everyone wants to win , but if winning was the only objective, then we could quite easily be selective and only play teams we knew we could 'whip-up' on. Instead, What we want is good, fundamental, solid play. If that is our focus, then with some good practice habits, and good attitudes, success will fall into line.

PRIDE - in self, and pride in the team is another life skill which our players can carry forward throughout their life. This skill will play a significant part in school and eventually in each player's work place.

SELF-RESPECT - is a critical tool to carry in the life-skill tool box. This tool helps adjust everything from morals to tenacity.

THE 6-INCH PLAYING FIELD - is the part of the ball field that is between the player's ears...the brain. Arguably, about 90-95% of the game takes place in this relatively small area, yet it is the most difficult part of this game to master. This is THE KEY component of this game. The only thing a player can control in this game is how they are going to respond to a situation. Everything else is at least partially up to chance. Knowing, expecting and recognizing the situation is where the 6-inch playing field comes into play. Mastery of this 6-inch playing field is the single most important fundamental of the game and is often left out completely. Mastering this small area includes, but is not limited to, knowing what to do with the ball, admitting mistakes/errors and shaking them off, concentrating on Quality At-Bats, visualizing success, focusing and playing this game ONE PITCH AT A TIME.

Softball, like baseball, is one of the few games in the world that is designed for failure. After all, the best hitters in baseball hope to fail only 7 of 10 times at the plate. Constantly dealing with failure, be it offence or defense is frustrating. The only way to combat the feeling of failure is to focus on the positive. Quality-At-Bats will generate hits. Concentration on the current situation coupled with visualization and focus will generate the necessary defense. This game is played ONE PITCH AT A TIME no matter what else happens.

Much of the focus we try to teach is rooted in an outstanding book called 'HEADS UP BASEBALL: PLAYING THE GAME ONE PITCH AT A TIME'. If you are a coach or a player of virtually any sport, you owe it to yourself and your team to seek out and read this book. It is written specifically for baseball, but the concepts are easily adaptable to other sports such as soccer, football, basketball and obviously softball.

For more information contact Dave Clayton