It's been a really fun MLB season this year! From Acuna becoming the first player ever to join the 30 HR/60 SB club, to both Mookie and Freddy putting up MVP numbers here in LA, to Ohtani (pre-injury) pitching Game 1 of a doubleheader and then hitting 2 HR in Game 2, there's been lots to celebrate...and we're just now getting to the REAL fun of the playoffs.

But the best story in the MLB the season, in my opinion, is one that has mostly flown under the radar.

Trea Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million dollar contract with the Phillies this past offseason. After some great years in DC (where he won a World Series...Go Nats!) and a successful stint with the Dodgers as part of the "All-Turner" left side of the infield, he cashed in on a well-deserved payday with Philadelphia.

Notoriously, shall we say, "passionate" Phillies fans, after a remarkable run to the World Series in 2022, certainly had high hopes that the addition of Turner would help propel their team into a perennial playoff squad with a realistic shot at winning a World Series.

Unfortunately for Trea, he got off to a really slow start in his first season in Philadelphia, never really found his groove at the plate, and as August rolled around he was hitting a very pedestrian .235 - a far cry from the .320 batting average he had maintained over the previous 5 seasons.

Some fan bases across baseball are not shy about letting highly paid players who are underperforming know their displeasure; Yankees fans in particular are well-known for booing their own superstars at times, but they are far from the only fans who are quick to rag on players who aren't living up to expectations. As I mentioned earlier, many baseball-savvy folks would say Philadelphia sports fans, while probably not as ruthless as Yankees fans, definitely have a reputation.

But, rather than boo Trea (as many people might expect), Phillies fans did the opposite and started a campaign on social media to give him a standing ovation every single plate appearance at home until he found his offensive mojo again.

The fans recognized that this guy was going to be their shortstop for the next decade, that they needed him to play well in order for the team to have the best chance of winning, and they adopted a POSITIVE attitude of support towards him, rather than trying to boo him out of the stadium.

And what happened was a result of this strategy?

Trea's batting average on August 3rd was .235.

The "Standing Ovation" campaign started on August 4th, and since that day he's hit .374, raising his season average almost 40 points in just 6 weeks...pretty cool!

But also, not surprising.

From tee ball to the big leagues, supporting players works. Having player's backs, especially when they're struggling, works.

Kicking players while they're down does not.

Simple as that.

So what can we as coaches and parents learn from this?

Well, to start, answer this question: when a player on your team (or your own kid) strikes out, makes and error, or has a bad game, how do you think they feel?

Not very good.

So after they've made a mistake and they're already down on themselves, why in the world would we want to pile on them emotionally by yelling at them, making them run a lap as punishment, or showing our frustration?!?

They already feel bad! Why would want an adult or coach want to intentionally make a kid who is already bummed out feel worse?!?

Not only does getting upset at kids make the game less fun for them, it also DOES NOT HELP THEM PLAY BETTER.

Period.

So after strikeouts, or errors, or bad games, or during slumps, we need to be LIFTING kids up, not KNOCKING them further down.

Rather than get angry, or frustrated, or yell at them, find a positive for them to build on.

If they struck out, but were aggressive, focus on that and pump them up for the next AB.

If a groundball went between their legs, but they had good footwork to get in front of the ball and simply didn't get their glove in the dirt, focus on the good footwork and get their confidence back up for the next play.

If they have a bad game, find some positives to focus on (or sometimes, just say nothing and let them come back to the field another day with a clean slate emotionally).

If professional athletes at the top of their sport respond positively to being supported, then certainly kids who are still learning their sport (and how to deal with adversity and failure), will respond positively to being supported.

And the best news is that this positive (and 100% correct) attitude towards youth sports is totally attainable. We all just have to commit to it as parents and coaches.

So, let's make that effort; not just for our kid's mental well-being and enjoyment of the game, but also for their continued improvement and development as athletes. It will be worth it, I promise.

We can do it!