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- The Huddle - Edition 64
The Huddle - Edition 64
A weekly newsletter from The Coaching Dad.
The Coaching Dad
September 18, 2025
Intro
Freezing in Games
If you've ever watched your child breeze through drills, scrimmages, or practices with ease, only to see them freeze up or under perform during a game, you're not alone. This week's edition of The Huddle takes a deeper look into this common disconnect between practice performance and game-day results. The reality is, many young athletes appear confident during practices because those environments are safe, familiar, and free from external pressures. Game day introduces a whole new set of variables—spectators, scoreboards, real consequences, and perceived expectations from adults. It’s not a question of ability—it’s a challenge of managing emotions. As coaches and parents, it’s our job to recognize the signs, understand the root causes, and support our athletes through it.
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Insight of the week
When Practice Confidence Is Not the Same as Game Day Confidence
Understanding why a young athlete may thrive in practice but shrink under the spotlight of a game requires us to look beyond skill and into the athlete’s emotional world. Practices are structured environments where repetition builds confidence and failure is expected, even welcomed as part of the learning process. There are no standings to worry about, no loud crowds, and no unspoken expectations floating in the air. But when game day arrives, everything changes. The environment becomes less predictable, and for some kids, that unpredictability brings anxiety.
Game-day nerves are not simply about pressure to win—they're often tied to fear of disappointing others, being judged, or not living up to their own internal standards. A child might worry about what their coach will think if they mess up. They might feel self-conscious because grandma is in the stands. Or maybe they’re comparing themselves to a teammate who always seems to deliver in clutch moments. These internal battles can make them hesitant, overly cautious, or disengaged altogether.
As coaches and parents, our language matters. So does our body language, our tone, and our response to mistakes. One of the best things we can do is normalize nerves and remove the stigma of imperfection. Let athletes know that game-day jitters are common—and that confidence isn’t about being fearless, but about pushing forward despite those fears. We should emphasize the importance of mindset, encourage risk-taking, and reinforce that their value as an athlete and person doesn’t rise or fall based on a single performance. This shift in perspective can be the key to unlocking the same fluid, joyful play we see in practice when it matters most.
Drill of the week
Outfielder Movement - Backing Up Infield Plays
Sport: Baseball/Softball
This week’s baseball/softball drill emphasizes a part of the game that often gets overlooked—outfielders moving with purpose on every play. The goal? Train your outfielders to back up throws to first, second, and third base, regardless of whether the ball is hit their way.
Drill Setup:
Divide your outfielders into left, center, and right field.
Set up infielders at their regular positions with a coach hitting ground balls.
Each rep is an infield grounder: the outfielders react based on where the play is going.
Execution:
On a ball hit to shortstop (play to 1st), the right fielder charges to back up the throw from an angle behind first base.
On a ball hit to second base (play to 2nd), the center fielder moves to back up second base.
On a bunt or slow roller to third, the left fielder sprints into position to back up a throw or tag play.
Coaching Points:
Outfielders should start moving as the ball is hit, not after the throw is made.
Stress urgency and game awareness—treat every ball in play like it involves them.
This drill builds anticipation, positioning, and reinforces team responsibility.
This is a small detail that makes a huge difference in close games—and shows players that even if the play doesn’t involve them directly, they’re still part of the action.
Coaching tip of the week
Simple Guidelines to Reduce Game-Day Pressure
Game-day pressure isn’t always about the game—it’s about what surrounds it. Whether you're a coach setting the tone or a parent riding the emotional rollercoaster, here are a few simple, effective ways to ease the pressure:
1. Ditch the Tunnel Talk
Avoid overloading kids with pre-game advice. “Just play your game” goes a lot further than five minutes of tactical reminders. Trust the work they’ve done in practice.
2. Create Pre-Game Routines
Help kids feel grounded by establishing simple rituals: putting gear on in a certain order, doing a short warmup jog, or even a handshake with a teammate. Routines bring familiarity to unfamiliar situations.
3. Reinforce “Process over Outcome”
Praise hustle, smart decisions, and resilience—especially when things go wrong. If you only cheer for goals or big hits, kids tie their worth to results. If you cheer for attitude and recovery, you build confidence.
4. Keep Sideline Energy Calm and Positive
Body language and tone from the stands are powerful. Yelling instructions or groaning at mistakes adds invisible weight. Choose encouragement—your athlete is already trying hard.
5. Be Consistent Post-Game
Win or lose, your post-game words should be the same: “I love watching you play.” That one sentence can reframe their whole experience.
Blog highlight
Why the Practice vs. Game Disconnect Happens
Kids often feel dramatically different in a practice environment versus a real game. Practice feels safer: mistakes are expected, the stakes are lower, and there's less judgment. They get repeated reps, predictable conditions, and typically no anxious eyes on them counting every error. In contrast, a game brings variables: scoreboard, spectators, perceived expectations, pressure to perform, fear of failure, and the need to execute under uncertainty. Several sports psychology sources describe how mental factors like fear of judgment, performance anxiety, and overthinking often show up under game conditions, even when the physical skills are there. Continue the blog below….
The Volunteer Coach Academy
The Resource I Wish I Had When I Started Coaching
You’ve seen the tips and tools I share each week—now imagine everything you need to coach with confidence, all in one place. I’ve built a complete course designed specifically for volunteer and parent-coaches to help you feel prepared, supported, and ready to lead. Whether you’re stepping on the field for the first time or just want to get better for your kid’s sake, this course was made for you.
Oh and if you aren’t ready for the course yet, still check out the link to learn more because there’s a free Coach’s Guide that you can start using instantly.
Book highlight
The Constant Coach
This isn’t just a book—it’s your daily reset.
The Constant Coach delivers 366 motivational messages for coaches and parents who lead with more than a whistle and a clipboard. Whether you’re on the field, in the gym, or at the kitchen table planning practice, this book will guide you to show up with purpose, patience, and presence.
Each daily entry is built around real coaching values—like character, communication, confidence, and composure—and comes with practical insights, tough love, and thoughtful reflection. It’s written for:
Volunteer parents stepping up to lead
Career coaches seeking steady perspective
Anyone trying to grow the next generation through sports
You won’t find fluff here. Just honest encouragement, insights, tips, and reminders of why the work matters—even on the hard days.
Friends of The Coaching Dad
A Refreshing Look at Fundraising
How many of you have teams that use fundraisers to help support the teams activities for the year. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of selling pizzas and other things that seem to be played out. These are customizable and so big! You’ll love them, I have no doubt.
Give our friends over at Fundraiser Blankets a look. Here’s a little bit about them: Fundraiser Blankets offer a unique and profitable fundraising opportunity for K-12 schools, sports teams and community groups. These $12.50, custom logo, full-color blankets are provided by a veteran teacher’s, women-owned small business and are printed in the USA.
Content
Free Content
You might be new to coaching a team or sport. You may be a grizzled coaching veteran. Either way, check out the content section of thecoachingdad.com. You’ll find resources that cover a large number of sports, including game refreshers, position breakdowns, injury management, practice ideas and more.
Engage
Email Us
Did you miss a previous newsletter? Do you have a topic you’d like us to cover? Looking for broader insights on a particular topic? Send us an email at [email protected]
