I believe "Don't Widen The Plate" pertains perfectly to the Baylor situation. It is long but worth reading.
In Nashville, Tennessee during the first week of January 1996, more than 4000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA Convention. While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff I hear other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name in particular kept resurfacing always with the same sentiment---John Scolinos is here? Oh man every penny of my airfare.
Who the hell is John Scolinos I wondered. No matter I was just happy to be there. In 1996 Coach John Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which Home Plate Hung--a full sized stark white home plate. Seriously I wondered who in the hell is this guy?
After speaking for 25 minutes not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this?
Then finally...You're probably all wondering why I'm wearing home plate around my neck. I may be old but I'm not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I've learned in my life--what I've learned about home plate in my 78 years. He asked LIttle League Coaches, Babe Ruth Coaches, High School Coaches and College Coaches the same question--how wide is Home Plate--they all answered 17 inches. In the Big Leagues if you can't throw the ball over the 17 Inches they send you to Pocatello.
What they don't do is this: They don't say Ah that's OK Jimmy you can't hit the 17 inches we will make it 18 inches or 18 inches or 20 inches. If you can't hit that we will widen it to 25 inches. What do we do when our Best Player shows up late to practice? When our Team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him-do we widen Home Plate?
This is the problem in our homes today--with our marriages, with the way we parent our kids and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We Widen The Plate. This is the problem in our schools today.This is the problem in our Schools today teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful to educate and discipline our young people--we are allowing others to Widen The Plate.
At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and how to run better practices I learned something far more valuable. I learned about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a Leader.
If we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right--if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard--if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve there is but one thing to look forward to....with that he held Home Plate in front of his chest turned it around and revealed its dark black backside---dark days ahead!
His message was clear--Coaches keep your players no matter how good they are--your own children, and most of all keep yourself at 17 Inches.
In Nashville, Tennessee during the first week of January 1996, more than 4000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA Convention. While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff I hear other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name in particular kept resurfacing always with the same sentiment---John Scolinos is here? Oh man every penny of my airfare.
Who the hell is John Scolinos I wondered. No matter I was just happy to be there. In 1996 Coach John Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which Home Plate Hung--a full sized stark white home plate. Seriously I wondered who in the hell is this guy?
After speaking for 25 minutes not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this?
Then finally...You're probably all wondering why I'm wearing home plate around my neck. I may be old but I'm not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I've learned in my life--what I've learned about home plate in my 78 years. He asked LIttle League Coaches, Babe Ruth Coaches, High School Coaches and College Coaches the same question--how wide is Home Plate--they all answered 17 inches. In the Big Leagues if you can't throw the ball over the 17 Inches they send you to Pocatello.
What they don't do is this: They don't say Ah that's OK Jimmy you can't hit the 17 inches we will make it 18 inches or 18 inches or 20 inches. If you can't hit that we will widen it to 25 inches. What do we do when our Best Player shows up late to practice? When our Team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him-do we widen Home Plate?
This is the problem in our homes today--with our marriages, with the way we parent our kids and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We Widen The Plate. This is the problem in our schools today.This is the problem in our Schools today teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful to educate and discipline our young people--we are allowing others to Widen The Plate.
At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and how to run better practices I learned something far more valuable. I learned about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a Leader.
If we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right--if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard--if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve there is but one thing to look forward to....with that he held Home Plate in front of his chest turned it around and revealed its dark black backside---dark days ahead!
His message was clear--Coaches keep your players no matter how good they are--your own children, and most of all keep yourself at 17 Inches.
