Peter loves baseball. Last summer, he helped coach a school baseball team. When he first watched the team of 12-year-olds play baseball, his first impressions were not really positive.
One player often left as soon as they started losing. Another player paid too much attention to all their mistakes during the game. Other boys preferred to dig up the grass when they weren't in the play. A lot of boys threw their baseball bats when they lost the catch.
While their baseball skills improved over time with more practice, there were still problems with their all-important character. The team had a long way to go. For example, some boys were hard on those who made mistakes. Instead of being supportive or encouraging, they blamed (责怪) each other.
Peter started one-on-one talks with each player to discuss things that he had noticed. Some were about skills like holding the bat up higher or opening their eyes when they were making a catch. But most were about staying positive and supporting each other.
Slowly things began to change. The boys began to take the duties for their play instead of blaming others for mistakes. They stayed optimistic even when losing. The team culture was improving.
Players began encouraging each other, high-fiving and supporting teammates. Peter was especially pleased to see some of the boys taking leadership roles and having their own one-on-one talks with their teammates.
Peter doesn't think he made huge progress in teaching the boys how to throw, catch or hit better, but he was pleased that their conversations around character led to something positive. Although the team still lost games, the players had stronger characters. Next season, their characters will be tested again.
