Friday Fieldwork: One Cue. One Rep.
Because kids need reps more than speeches
This post is the third in a series exploring the wonderful, chaotic, occasionally humbling world of being a dad and coaching youth sports. This series is less about elite drills, perfect mechanics, and turning nine-year-olds into MLB prospects… and more about helping kids love the game they’re playing. If you care not only about wins, but also kids having fun, building confidence, getting better, and wanting to come back next season, this series is for you. So far we’ve explored:
Let’s start with defining what a dad coach is.
Not the guy trying to make sure his kid always plays shortstop.
Not the coach treating every strikeout like a full mechanical emergency.
And definitely not the adult turning one rough at-bat into a live-action TED Talk on resilience, bat speed, confidence, and launch angle.
A dad coach is someone trying to be a good dad and a good coach at the same time.
Someone who wants kids to improve, compete, build confidence, learn resilience, and still have fun playing the game.
Because deep down, the real win isn’t just better players.
It’s kids who still love the game.
And kids, especially your own, hoping you coach again next season.
If you read this week’s article, you already know the moment.
A kid strikes out.
Misses a ground ball.
Freezes.
And before they even sit down, your brain has already prepared:
a mechanical breakdown
an emotional recovery plan
and possibly a hostage-negotiation-level speech about “competing harder”
Meanwhile the kid is still trying to remember whether they even like baseball.
This week’s reset is simple:
One cue.
One rep.
Then let them breathe.
Because kids need reps more than speeches.
Your Fieldwork This Week
This week, try leaning into a simple Dad Coach principle:
Simplify.
Rep.
Recover.
1. Simplify
When a kid makes a mistake:
Pause before coaching. Don’t rush in immediately. Give them a second to breathe first.
Then ask yourself:
“What is the one small cue that could help them the most right now?”
Not five things. One. Then model it for them.
Let them hear it.
And see it.
Keep it short enough to remember. Simple enough to actually use.
2. Rep
Have them repeat the cue back to you.
Then let them try it again immediately.
Not tomorrow. Not next practice. Right there.
Because confidence grows faster through doing than listening.
And when kids:
hear it
say it
and do it
it sticks better.
Not because the speech was longer. Because the rep was real.
3. Recover
After the rep: Celebrate what improved. Even if it’s small.
A better load. More aggression. A calmer swing.
A kid stepping back in confidently after failure.
That stuff matters. Because recovery is a skill too. And kids build resilience when mistakes lead to another chance…
not another lecture.
Why It Matters
Kids process LESS information under stress.
Not more.
When emotions rise, long speeches usually create confusion…
not confidence.
That’s why overcoaching often creates:
hesitation
tightness
robotic play
fear of mistakes
Simple coaching helps kids recover faster and play freer.
One cue.
One rep.
One chance to recover.
That’s usually enough.
Closing Reminder
I’ve found this to be true even as an adult. I ran a 5K on the track this week, and a coach who is a friend of mine simply said “arms” and demonstrated the motion each time I passed. It’s the part of my form that tends to fall apart when I get tired. She knew exactly what I needed and kept it simple.
Sometimes kids need a quick technical reminder and others need encouragement. In the heat of competition, they rarely need a long list of instructions or a speech.