Athletes Must Try To Avoid The Corrective Stare

Every athlete has seen the corrective stare at some point.

Coaches across the spectrum of athletics will level one at an athlete when their hot buttons are pushed. It could be due to lack of effort, forgetting a simple instruction, missing or ignoring a signal, or just doing something inane.

Whatever the reason, the universally feared corrective stare can ruin an athlete’s day.

It is usually a precursor to being taken out of a game, or replaced in practice, which is never comfortable because most people watching know that you are being punished for the indiscretion. That’s always embarrassing.

While practicing with an all-star baseball team several years ago, I was so elated to be on the diamond instead of in a tobacco field working that I was not giving my full effort to infield drills. As I sort of halfway caught grounders and tossed them to first base from my spot at third, I should have seen it coming.

The first time around of “get one,” the coach wasn’t his normal self. Must be a bad day, I thought. But at 14, I was so giddy that the coach’s growing agitation didn’t register. My home that morning was La-la Land.

By the time we were “going for two” the second time around, he had had enough. He didn’t say a word. He just stood there at home plate with that indisputable corrective stare.

Still oblivious, I stood crouched at the edge of the infield grass waiting for him to hit the ball. Maybe it was my smile that put him over the edge.

As he silently walked toward me, I finally got it. This was not a happy man and he was baring down on me. Worse, there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

When he arrived, there was that awful moment of silence. He just stared at me.

“What do you hate more than anything else?” he asked in a whispered voice so quiet that only he and I could hear. He knew the answer.

“Pulling leaves,” I said, referring to my job in the tobacco fields, where I would have been had he not selected me to be on the all-star team.

“If you don’t straighten up right now, this moment, that’s where you will be tomorrow morning. Do you understand?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” I responded. The words literally shook then dropped out of my mouth. I think they made a thud when they hit the ground.

Lesson learned.

Nothing is more important than being in the moment in athletics. Neither your personal life nor your attitude walking in matter to a coach. You are there to work.

If you are not willing to do that, you might be on the lookout for the corrective stare. And you better pay attention and correct whatever it is you are doing.

Otherwise, you could find yourself pulling leaves.