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Recommended Baseball Equipment
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Coaching Youth Baseball - The Rightfield Syndrome: Part 4
Rightfield Syndrome Models of Behavior Cont.
In addition to the expectancy-value model, the idea of self-fulfilling
prophecy can also help to explain how the influence of significant others,
specifically youth-league baseball coaches, aides in the development and
perpetuation of the "Rightfield Syndrome."
Self-fulfilling prophecy theory is similar to the expectancy-value model.
Self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that coaches form expectations of players'
abilities and that those expectations can "prophesize" the development and
achievement of the players.
The initial process in the self-fulfilling prophecy theory is the
youth-baseball coach's forming of expectations regarding the players. The
coach's expectations may include judgments based on body size and type,
performance variables, or behavioral factors.
An example might include a coach forming different expectations of
performance for a kid who is bigger and stronger than the rest of the team.
The coach may assume that the kid should bat fourth and play catcher where a big strong player can be a stand-out.
A coach might also form expectations dependent upon a player's motor skill
proficiency. A kid who has a hard time making longer throws might
automatically be excluded for positions given a higher relative importance
such as shortstop or pitcher.
The next step in the process involves the coach's expectations affecting
their behavior towards the players. The coaches predetermined expectations
of the bigger and stronger kid affect the way the coach interacts with the
kid.
The coach may interact more frequently with the bigger kid giving him more
and better instruction than the rest of the team and provide the kid with
more positive feedback more frequently. The opposite may be true for the
smaller kid who is motorically less proficient than the rest of the team.
Resultantly, the coach's behaviors affect the player's performance and
behavior. The bigger and stronger kid benefits from the coach's behaviors
toward him while the smaller less coordinated kid may actually get worse in
performance due to the coach's neglect.
The coach spends less time with the smaller kid, giving less instruction,
allowing less participation in drills, and giving less encouragement. By
doing this, the coach is informing the player of how his ability and
performance are valued compared to the rest of the team. The athlete then
interprets and internalizes the messages given out by the coach.
For the smaller player this may translate into a low perceived competence
and little chance for future improvement.
The final process of the self-fulfilling prophecy theory is the player's
performance conforming to the coach's expectations.
In the coach's attempt to predict the performance of the players, s/he
determines what type of behaviors will be elicited toward the player. The
player is relatively subject to the behaviors displayed towards him by the
coach and thus the original expectation has been reinforced by the player's
performance and behavior.
The bigger and stronger player benefits from the attention afforded to him
by the coach and an increase in performance is the result. The smaller kid
fails to perform well because of lack of interaction, instruction, and
feedback. In both cases, the coach's initial expectations of the players are
reinforced by their performances and behaviors.
The self-fulfilling prophesy theory incorporates the coach's interactions
with the players in demonstrating how a player can reproduce the
expectations of coaches based on the coach's behaviors toward the players.
It is easy to see how the "Rightfield Syndrome" fits into the
self-fulfilling prophecy theory.
What implications does the self-fulfilling prophecy theory have for the
little-league coach? The theory suggests that coaches avoid unwarranted
expectations being put on young ball players and that players should
experience the game from a variety of positions. Let every player play every
position and experience the real game of baseball without underlying
assumptions of ability.
The phenomena of the "Rightfield Syndrome" in youth-league baseball is not a
phenomena at all. The differences in maturation rates, motor skill
development, and player interaction with significant others can explain how
certain players are pigeonholed into the rightfield position.
This situation is prevalent across all youth sport and not just
little-league baseball. Coaches and parents must be aware of the potential
implications that this situation can have on the youngsters involved.
Particularly, at the youth level in baseball, this may mean the development
of ability-level grouping for team play and a stronger emphasis on
participation that stresses the development and acquisition of fundamental
motor skills.
Also, training and certification for youth sport coaches may be an option to
help avoid the "Rightfield Syndrome."
Youth sport is about fun and freedom and attempts should never be made to
fit or mold it into the professional model of sport.
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