I've talked a decent amount about dealing with "pressure" in my blogs this year and find myself regularly addressing it in my lessons as well.

With Playoffs and All-Stars upon us, I thought it would be a good time to spend a couple minutes on some tools to help us prepare for "big games."

For the players:

1) HAVE FUN - Too often in pressure situations, young guys forget that the game is supposed to be fun. I promise, the more fun they are having, the less pressure they will feel, and the better they will play.

2) PLAY HARD - In every game, one team is going to win and the other team is going to lose, and at the end of the day, all each player has control over is how he played the game. If after the game, your player has left it all on the field from an effort standpoint, then there's really nothing else he could have done and he should feel great about the game, win or lose.

3) RELAX - Taking regular deep breaths before every pitch or every at-bat is a great way to mentally and physically calm yourself down.

For the parents:

1) SET CORRECT EXPECTATIONS - Make your expectations for the team and individual players effort-based, not result-based. Reinforce the above list and make sure everyone on your team knows that if they try as hard as they can, that you're proud of them regardless of what the scoreboard or box score says.

2) RESPECT THE UMPS - It's easy to get caught up in the moment and vocally complain about a bad call...resist the urge!!! Not only does it set a bad example for the young players who are still learning the right way to play the game, but it distracts the team from the task at hand. I see it all the time: the fans/coaches start to complain about the calls and then the players follow. Now the players aren't focused on playing, they're focused on the umpiring, and they lose sight of what they should be using their energy on. We all know umps are supposed to be impartial, but let's be honest, if an ump is consistently getting an ear-full from one team, which way do you think the next bang-bang call is going to go?

3) AVOID COACHING FROM THE STANDS - Between preparing for each pitch, thinking about the situation, and listening to their coaches, players already have enough to think about - let's not add to the confusion by calling out instructions from the stands. I can't count how many times I've seen a player field a ball and then completely freeze because he's hearing 72 different people scream (and often screaming different instructions) what he should do with the ball. Let the coaches coach, and allow the players to make their own mistakes - it's the best way for them to learn.

The post-season is an exciting time of the year and should be enjoyed by players, coaches, and parents. Let's try to remember the above list and make the whole experience as enjoyable as possible for our players while also giving them the best chance at success.

GOOD LUCK!